"Yes, Master, it's exactly as you said. There's no one in this world that you can't see through," Ying Lan exclaimed excitedly.
Glancing at Ying Lan, Zhong Shan suddenly thought of a few of his adopted sons who had betrayed him. Shaking his head, a hint of sigh passed through his eyes. "It's because the Chat Kingdom's royal family isn't complicated enough, and they're all mediocre talents. That's why they're easy to see through. And also, as they say, 'the one in the midst of it is confused.'"
Being confused by being in the midst of it also meant that Zhong Shan hadn't seen through the hearts of a few adopted sons. This made Zhong Shan constantly reflect and ponder on how the remaining adopted sons would fare.
However, Ying Lan didn't notice Zhong Shan's change in expression. She continued, "The new emperor, under that advisor's, no, now he's a high-ranking official's, urging, wanted to marry me as his empress. But in the end, he threatened me by forcing me to surrender my military power. I was furious and refused. So, I came back. Let him regret it. Except for me, the Chat Kingdom's commander-in-chief, everyone else is just puppets, destined to be defeated by the other four nations sooner or later."
Watching Ying Lan huffing angrily, Zhong Shan couldn't help but chuckle. Let her come back if she wanted to. But from what Ying Lan said, it could be seen that she already had the talent of a top general.
"So, has my dear Ying Lan set her sights on anyone? If so, I'll arrange a marriage proposal for you. If he refuses, I'll snatch you a bridegroom," Zhong Shan joked.
"No, no, my man must surpass Master, otherwise, Ying Lan will never marry," Ying Lan replied anxiously.
"Well, that might be a bit difficult," Zhong Shan laughed. From Ying Lan's tone, it seemed that she hadn't found anyone she admired yet. But that was fine. If she didn't find someone she liked, then so be it. Previously, there were limitations due to the lifespan, but now that Zhong Shan had advanced in his cultivation, Ying Lan would surely follow suit as his lifespan increased.
"Master, have some tea," Ying Lan immediately poured another cup of tea for Zhong Shan.
"Alright," Zhong Shan nodded and took a sip.
In that moment when Zhong Shan lowered his head, Ying Lan glanced at him, and a hint of infatuation flickered in her eyes.
After taking a sip of tea, Zhong Shan looked up again and said to Ying Lan, "Since you're back, don't fight for the Chat Kingdom anymore. Fight for me instead."
Upon hearing Zhong Shan's words, Ying Lan visibly paused, then looked at Zhong Shan and said, "Master, aren't you pursuing immortality anymore? Besides, you have already reached the Innate Realm. Why focus on the country?"
"Immortality is not that easy. I want to establish a celestial dynasty. With the celestial dynasty ruling the world, it will be easier to pursue immortality," Zhong Shan furrowed his brows.
What Zhong Shan said about establishing a celestial dynasty and pursuing immortality seemed unrelated, but out of admiration for Zhong Shan, Ying Lan immediately chose to believe and looked at Zhong Shan excitedly. Unify the world? What a grand ambition! Only Master could have such audacity. Who under the heavens could surpass him?
"Master, are you planning to unify the six nations?" Ying Lan asked.
"Unify the six nations? That's just the first step. Then it's the land of the five nations you went to. After unifying the six nations, I will quickly unify the five nations over there. Then, with the people of the world, I will open up the mountains and rivers that separate the two places, creating an even larger territory, and expand the world further," Zhong Shan explained.
"Well, Ying Lan will definitely help Master," Ying Lan exclaimed excitedly.
"Establishing a country is not as simple as you think. Perhaps there are endless dangers ahead. I will encounter countless enemies, not only mortals but also immortal cultivators. The road ahead may be thorny, or it may be a dead end. Are you still willing to accompany me?" Zhong Shan furrowed his brows and looked at Ying Lan.
"Wherever Master goes, I'll go," Ying Lan immediately replied.
Watching Ying Lan, Zhong Shan sighed inwardly. While he was moved, he also constantly reminded himself that he must find a way to leave a way out for Ying Lan because once he made a decision, there was no turning back. As for Ying Lan, he couldn't let her be bound like this.
Next, Zhong Shan and Ying Lan continued to chat about past trivial matters and anecdotes from their time leading the three armies.
The final day of the Zhao family's deliberation to attack Zhong Manor arrived. The powerful figures had waited for ten days, but there was no sign of the Su family from the imperial court. Thus, they had no choice but to prepare to strike Zhong Manor tonight. With the four Great Masters in the Advanced Innate Stage and the four Great Masters in the Initial Innate Stage, dealing with a mortal family—or rather, dealing with a royal family—was more than enough. However, the family heads still waited for the optimal moment. It was night.
However, because of the wait by the four family heads, Zhong Manor unexpectedly received another ally.
Zhao Suoxiang rode on a white horse with a silver spear in hand, galloping towards Xuancheng. As he approached the city gates of Xuancheng and saw Zhong Manor, a frown creased his brow.
"Xuancheng? Zhong Manor? I missed the hunting of Haosan due to urgent matters. My junior brother mentioned that a person named Zhong Shan met his end in the snake's belly. I wonder if it's someone I know. But in Zhao Suoxiang's heart, Zhong Shan shouldn't be someone short-lived."
Although Zhong Shan had joined the Kaiyang Sect, Xuancheng was Zhong Shan's hometown. Last time, Zhong Shan had invited him to visit, so now that he was here, he naturally wanted to take a look.
Upon reaching the city gate, Zhao Suoxiang dismounted and looked towards one of the gatekeepers.
"How do I get to Zhong Manor in Xuancheng?" Zhao Suoxiang asked the gatekeeper.
"Zhong Manor?" The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment.
"Mr. Zhao, this way, please," a man suddenly approached respectfully from outside the gate.
Glancing at the man, Zhao Suoxiang furrowed his brow, obviously not recognizing him, while the gatekeeper wore a respectful expression.
"Mr. Zhao, I am a servant of Zhong Manor. We have been waiting for you here for some time. The old master showed us your portrait. As soon as Mr. Zhao arrives, he will definitely be treated as an honored guest and escorted into Zhong Manor," the man said respectfully.
"Is Zhong Shan in the manor?" Zhao Suoxiang furrowed his brow.
After Zhao Suoxiang spoke, the gatekeepers beside him all widened their eyes. Zhong Shan? Who was Zhong Shan? How could he be so casually addressed by Zhao Suoxiang? However, the reply from the welcoming man surprised all the gatekeepers.
"Yes, the old master is in the manor," the man said without a hint of anger, respectfully.
"Lead the way," Zhao Suoxiang said directly. Mounting his horse again, no one dared to stop him. Under the guidance of the man, he quickly headed towards Zhong Manor.
Meanwhile, inside Zhong Manor, Zhong Shan had already received the news of Zhao Suoxiang's arrival. Zhao Suoxiang's arrival filled Zhong Shan with joy.
Quickly leading Ying Lan and Tian Ling'er to the door, Zhong Shan arrived just as Zhao Suoxiang did.
"Hahaha, Zhao Suoxiang, what wind blew you to Xuancheng?" Zhong Shan greeted with a laugh.
Tian Ling'er knew Zhao Suoxiang, but Ying Lan didn't recognize him. She looked at him with some confusion, evidently puzzled by his presence and the warm welcome he received from Master.
"Passing by here, I heard you were devoured by a snake, but I didn't believe it at all. So, I came to confirm. Since you're fine, it seems the rumors were baseless," Zhao Suoxiang dismounted and laughed.
"Entered the snake's belly indeed, but I was fortunate enough to come out alive. Come, let's go inside," Zhong Shan said immediately.
"Alright," Zhao Suoxiang nodded, and his white horse was naturally taken care of by someone.
Entering the hall, servants promptly served tea. There were four people present: Zhong Shan, Zhao Suoxiang, Tian Ling'er, and Ying Lan.
"This is Ying Lan, and this is Ling'er, whom you know," Zhong Shan introduced briefly.
"Ah," Zhao Suoxiang merely nodded.
"You passed by Xuancheng. Do you have any other business?" Zhong Shan frowned and asked.
"Not really. Just came to see what's going on," Zhao Suoxiang chuckled.
"Oh?" Zhong Shan was surprised.
"To the east of Xuancheng, there's chaos at Bamen Mountain recently. I missed Haosan's death, so this time, I'm going to take a look," Zhao Suoxiang said.
"Bamen Mountain?" Zhong Shan's tea cup clattered as he looked at Zhao Suoxiang in surprise. Bamen Mountain was where Bei Qingsi and Tian Sha went, right?
"Yes, Bamen Mountain is in chaos now. Many cultivators have been injured or killed. I heard that some people from Kaiyang Sect were also casualties," Zhao Suoxiang said casually, taking a sip of tea.
"What? People from Kaiyang Sect died there? How is Senior Brother Tian Sha doing now?" Tian Ling'er immediately became concerned.
"Senior Brother?" Zhao Suoxiang looked at Tian Ling'er with surprise. Tian Sha was the second senior brother of Kaiyang Sect, but wasn't Tian Ling'er in the Golden Core Stage?
"Yes, who died from Kaiyang Sect?" Zhong Shan asked immediately.
As the conversation shifted, Zhao Suoxiang's gaze also turned to Zhong Shan. "I'm not sure. I only heard about the casualties from the big battle. Various sects suffered losses."
"What exactly happened?" Zhong Shan furrowed his brow.
"It happened not long ago. Suddenly, something big occurred at Bamen Mountain, and then strange events followed one after another," Zhao Suoxiang frowned as he spoke.
"Oh?" Zhong Shan's curiosity was piqued.
"Bamen Mountain isn't actually a major mountain range. Few cultivators visit it regularly, but there's a small sect located there called the 'Golden Lock Sect.' It's very desolate, with only one person inside. I heard he's very old and hasn't taken any disciples. With just one person, nobody really pays attention to it. However, just a few days ago, there was a sudden earthquake in Bamen Mountain, followed by what seemed like the roar of a dragon, and then a large number of spirit stones gushed out from underground. They soared into the sky, a massive amount of spirit stones. People from nearby sects immediately wanted to seize the area and begin mining," Zhao Suoxiang explained.
"What? The roar of a dragon?" Zhong Shan immediately stood up, his eyes radiating intense light.
"Uh, yes, the roar occurred nine times. It might have been caused by some wild dragon being startled by the earthquake," Zhao Suoxiang looked at Zhong Shan with some confusion.
"Nine times? Are you sure it was nine times?" Zhong Shan exclaimed.
Nodding with a puzzled look at Zhong Shan, Zhao Suoxiang confirmed, his eyes showing a hint of doubt.
Shaking his head as he looked at Zhao Suoxiang, Zhong Shan said, "I lost my composure. Since nearby sects are competing for it, it shouldn't take this long. Will you be late if you go now?"
Glancing at Zhong Shan, Zhao Suoxiang smiled faintly. "I haven't finished yet. What's truly strange is that after the powerful figures from various sects rushed there, they found that an enormous array had inexplicably appeared in Bamen Mountain."
P.S. New week, seeking recommendation votes to support the story. (^__^)...