After her spiritual veins were reconnected on the island, with guidance from Su Yishui, Ranran was now also proficient in the technique to channel secret messages. She glared at Shifu and silently channeled, "Of course, it's to kill that woman. Shifu, aren't you angry after hearing this? Why haven't your eyes turned red?"
Su Yishui cast her a glance and said, "Didn't you ask me to control my temper?"
Its true, since that day after she spoke to Shifu, he hadn't verbally attacked anyone again. However, because he had nowhere else to vent his anger, he always took her to see the moon at night, catching fireflies…
Now wasn't the time for Ranran to praise her master's efforts in temperament control. After Tu Jiuyuan led her subordinates away, she and Su Yishui followed from a distance to see where she was heading.
Tu Jiuyuan hurried to another tent. Before she could collect herself, a clear voice came from inside the tent, "Elder Tu, you're back? How are things arranged?"
Ranran, hiding in the bushes, widened her eyes with suspicion. This voice… if she was right, wasn't it Mu Qingge?
Back when she and her Shifu entered the palace, Mu Qingge had been entrusted to the Yu siblings, Yu Chen and Yu Tong.
But later, she managed to escape. Who could have thought, she would end up here in Gao Kan, and even got involved with Tu Jiuyuan.
After hearing Mu Qingge's question, Tu Jiuyuan coldly said, "Its just bringing some horses to Gao Kan, not some insurmountable task. What could go wrong?"
Mu Qingge's voice continued, "The talismans on those horses are the same as the ones Xue Ranran usually use. Many disciples from the three major sects who went to Tianmai Mountain have seen them. My disciple Qin Xuanjiu can also testify. So, whether these horses can come over is not important. What's important was whether a few talismans fell into the hands of the Da Qi garrison when those horses were driven away?"
Tu Jiuyuan laughed dryly, "Naturally, a few talismans did fall, but I really admire Elder Mu's mind. You actually came up with such a scheme to frame others? Now, the reputation of Xishan Sect is completely ruined. I wonder what benefits you'll get from this?"
After hearing this, Mu Qingge in the tent smiled slightly. She knew that Tu Jiuyuan didn't have a good opinion of her, fearing that she would steal Wei Jiu's favor.
She couldn't be bothered with this petty woman either.
What benefits could there be in framing Xishan Sect? There were plenty. She had been reborn, with the hope of using Su Yishui's indebtedness to her to return to Xishan.
The ice lotus pool in the Western Mountain, the alchemy furnace, and the nurturing spiritual energies of the mountain would all have been greatly beneficial to her cultivation.
But unexpectedly, Su Yishui seemed to have perceived her true identity early on, decisively refusing to let her return. From then on, she was like a stray dog, with no fixed abode.
The Tianmai Mountain incident made her a target of public criticism. Forced to seek refuge in the palace, she was double-crossed by that devious Su Yu. Not only did she end up being used by him, her spiritual power had been damaged by the Trigram foundation of the palace.
When she finally realized that she could be easily controlled by someone with an inadequate foundation like Xue Ranran, it was as if Mu Ranwu finally woke up from her dream.
She did not return to life, just to become someone's pawn! She was now Mu Qingge!
If she couldn't fully utilize the resources left by her elder sister, she would have come back to this life in vain.
Therefore, after much thought, she decided not to return to the Da Qi palace. Su Yu probably wouldn't have long to live either. She needed to find anther patron who could benefit her.
Recently, because of Mu Qingge's reputation, many of her former disciples came to seek refuge with her. Back then, others thought Mu Qingge was too casual in taking disciples, making her choices based only on appearance.
Little did they know, there were many hidden talents among these disciples.
At present, among her disciples are Wang Sui Zhi, who owns money banks all over the land. There were also several disciples who have joined other sects, resumed their cultivation practice, and are now determined to avenge their master.
Now, even though she had a notorious reputation among the three major sects, her disciples, like Qin Xuanjiu, rushed to her like lambs.
Mu Ranwu used to be unwilling to deal with them mainly because she was afraid of exposing her true identity. But now that her previous plans had failed, she had to rely on these disciples.
Fortunately, she often followed her sister around and was well aware of the disciples' daily routines, so as long as she was cautious in her words, she wouldn't give herself away yet.
With the support of Wang Suizhi's wealth, Mu Ranwu's days after leaving the palace were quite comfortable.
Unfortunately, Wang Suizhi only had wealth and lacked power and influence. So, she thought of the new King Yiling of Gao Kan. When he was still a crown prince, he had some interactions with Mu Qingge in the past.
Back then, King Yiling wanted to appoint Mu Qingge as the Imperial advisor and recommended her to his father. However, Mu Qingge coldly refused, stating that she was a cultivator and not interested in worldly wealth and glory.
Mu Ranwu was somewhat regretful then, because King Yiling was the most favored prince of Gao Kan and was destined to ascend the throne. Why offend such a person?
But later on, Mu Qingge went back on her words and got involved in worldly affairs, supporting Su Yu to become the new Emperor of Da Qi. This made King Yiling deeply resentful but also confirmed Mu Qingge's ability to change heaven's will and rewrite fate.
King Yiling was greatly ambitious from an early age, repeatedly provoking border conflicts even as a prince. Now as King Yiling, his greed had grown, and he definitely coveted the riches of Da Qi.
After Mu Ranwu made her decision, she decided to make use of King Yiling to seek revenge on Su Yu and Su Yishui, these two despicable men!
Although King Yiling was ruthless, he was far easier to manipulate than Su Yu, who was cunning and unscrupulous.
When she appeared with Mu Qingge's face, even with scars, it still excited King Yiling greatly.
During the Battle of Fan Yao, when King Yiling was still a prince, he had watched from afar. That scene where Mu Qingge had rode a giant dragon, commanding a white tiger on the battlefield, a sight that was unforgettable.
With such a capable Battle Goddess defecting to him, even though King Yiling had been annoyed by her previous refusal, he wouldn't show it. With Mu Qingge by his side, it wouldn't be long before he could conquer the land and become the supreme ruler of the world!
As for Su Yu, she would never let him off either. Wasn't he most concerned about his kingdom? Without it, he would be a pitiful, worthless sickly creature, pitied by no one even if left on the streets!
However, to establish a foothold in Gao Kan, she had to demonstrate some abilities. At the time, Tu Jiuyuan from Crimson Gate suddenly sought her out, offering a spiritual medicine to treat facial injuries and proposing a partnership with their Excellency.
Mu Ranwu felt that there was no need to cooperate with Wei Jiu so she turned her down flatly. She was somewhat wary of that Wei demon. He was also a winner of the marrow-cleansing pool and also practiced the demonic arts. If she wasn't careful and fell for his schemes, he could drain her spiritual power completely.
But Wei Jiu knew how to understand her intentions well. After mentioning capturing Elder Jiu who drew talismans for Xue Ranran and outlining his plan, Mu Ranwu couldn't help but be tempted.
After several discussions, they finally reached an agreement. So, she acted as a mediator, bridging the gap between Wei Jiu and King Yiling.
Next was to activate the Gao Kan undercover agents in the Da Qi military camp, attach spells to the horses in the camp, and let Mu Qingge control the horses. They had done a small test before, and the horses with spells were compliant, even seriously injuring a general.
If they fought at the front lines and Mu Qingge suddenly manipulated the Qi army's horses, the results would be phenomenal. But hearing that many talented individuals from Yiren Hall had recently joined the Da Qi army over the past few days, Mu Qingge was worried that this tactic might be exposed. So, she decided to summon all of Da Qi's warhorses tonight to destroy the morale of the Da Qi army.
As for Wei Jiu, he seemed to be playing both sides between Da Qi and Gao Kan, and she didn't know what he promised to Su Yu's side. Mu Ranwu knew clearly that everyone was just using each other, taking what they needed. It was all about who was more cunning and played the game smarter.
Ranran listened outside the tent and couldn't help but turn to look at Su Yishui.
She never expected Elder Mu to have become so reckless and indifferent to right and wrong.
Mu Qingge was not just getting involved in worldly affairs but also aiding and abetting, inheriting *Shen Gongbao's legacy!
*申公豹 Shen Gongbao was a villain in the mythical legends
She didn't dare to stay here too long, not because she was afraid. It was just that her Shifu was now like a human talisman bottle, unpredictable and volatile in temperament. If he really started a fight, she was afraid it would lead to bloodshed and the Spirit Spring's demonic nature might even take control of him.
So she pulled her Shifu away from the Gao Kan camp.
When they were out, Xue Ranran quietly asked her master's opinion. Su Yishui said, "The mandate of heaven cannot be violated in the mortal world. Getting involved in these mundane matters will only damage the cultivation path. Wei Jiu and others like to meddle, let them meddle on their own."
Ranran felt that her master didn't grasp the key point, "But they clearly intend to use the loss of the horses to frame Xishan and make us bear the infamy! Also, Elder Jiu seems to be in their hands. Can we really just sit back and watch without saving him?"
Su Yishui seemed to be indifferent to the opinions of others. He was now without parents and attachments, moreover he had never been one who cared about what others thought.
As for him residing in Western Mountain, it was only because Mu Qingge had lived there before. If he couldn't return to Western Mountain, he could easily find East Mountain, North Mountain, or South Mountain to live in. Cultivators valued solitude, and his worldly possessions had always been managed by Zeng Yi. Building a palace on a mountain top was not a problem.
However, since Ranran cared, he would still help her. He was hard-hearted, unlike her, who was deeply sentimental, whether in this life or the previous one, this had never changed.
Even though he had used her in the past and stolen the Spirit Spring, Qingge had never given up on him. He can betray the entire world, but he still owed Qingge an emotional debt that he can never fully repay.
In the past, he only wanted to become the strongest in the world, using any means necessary, willing to help his father seize the world and then take over.
Because the Spirit Spring had once said that if he could extinguish emotions and sever love, he would become the supreme ruler of this generation, surpassing even the highest great powers like Duntian.
At the edge of the marrow-cleansing pool, he had decisively chosen the dark pool. Emotions and love were useless things, not something he needed at all.
But in the end, his feelings had been stirred without him realizing it. It wasn't until Mu Qingge took the blame for stealing the Spirit Spring, and at that moment when she lost her life before him, did he realize how heart-wrenching the things he had once abandoned were…
Su Yishui still couldn't recall how he had spent that period of time. He just let his body drive him, numbly going back and forth to take care of the rebirth tree that may or may not succeed in saving her residual soul.
Every time he saw a new leaf grow on its withered branches, his heart would flutter a bit. It wasn't until it slowly bore frail little fruits, containing familiar spiritual power, that his long-cold heart finally began to soften a little in the winter chill.
At that time, he swore a vow, that in this life, she wouldn't have to bear heavy burdens for anyone. Not even for Mu Qingge herself!
Although he felt nothing for things like friendship, he didn't want her to have any bit of sadness in this life.
Since she was worried about the old drunkard, and concerned that her parents and fellow disciples might be implicated and labeled as traitors, then he wouldn't let the evil schemes of these people succeed.
Considering these, he replied mildly, "You're right. What do you plan to do? Tell me….."
Meanwhile, the Da Qi military camp was already in chaos in the middle of the night.
The warhorses locked in the stables collectively went berserk without warning, ramming the fences continuously. With some unknown strength, they even broke the thick wooden fences and then galloped out of the camp.
Many soldiers trying to stop them couldn't dodge in time and were knocked down and trampled by the horses.
Watching the horses gallop away while they had no horses to pursue them, the generals and soldiers could only sigh and shake their heads in frustration.
Just as the commander and his generals were watching the dust kicked up by the running horses with urgency and regret, someone found scattered talismans in the stables.
Because Qin Xuanjiu was in charge of the cavalry camp due to military arrangements, he widened his eyes when he saw them.
These animal-controlling talismans were exactly the same as the ones used by Su Yishui and Xue Ranran before. Thinking of the recent rumors about Su Yishui causing chaos in the palace at the Capital, Qin Xuanjiu increasingly shocked and angry.
What was Su Yishui trying to do? First, he attempted regicide, and now he was betraying Da Qi to assist the barbarians of Gao Kan?
Considering Su Yishui's temperament, such actions were entirely in line with his character. After all, he was the son of a rebel prince. Back then, he was almost restored to his prince status. If he had supported Prince Ping to become emperor, maybe he would have a chance to inherit the throne.
The more Qin Xuanjiu thought about it, the angrier he became. He reported this directly to the commander.
At the same time, Lao Feng from Yiren Hall in the Capital arrived with a group of people, along with representatives from the three major sects.
The Gao Kan army was approaching aggressively, and a massacre was imminent. Although the three major sects were cultivators, Master Kaiyuan of Jiuhua Sect was deeply involved in worldly affairs and had a close relationship with the Da Qi royal family.
He was very enthusiastic about things that accumulated merit like stopping wars. So, this time he led his disciples personally.
As for the other two major sects, they were not interested in these matters, but due to Master Kaiyuan's persuasion and arrangements, they could only send some disciples to come along to make an appearance.
Initially, it was just a formality for them to show up. Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived at the military camp, they encountered the incident of someone using talismans to control the horses and lead them out of the camp.
Master Kaiyuan frowned as he listened to Qin Xuanjiu's hesitant recounting and slammed the table in anger.
"Su Yishui from Xishan has really gone out of line! I thought he was different from his demonic master, relatively upright in character. But now, it seems he has surpassed the female demon Mu Qingge and is on the path to surpassing her completely! Gao Kan, the new king, is cruel, yet he aids him in his tyranny. It's simply a disgrace to the cultivation world!"
"Master Kaiyuan, you're mistaken. What ability do I have to compare with someone as unfathomable as Su Yishui?" With a clear voice, Mu Qingge led her disciples who had come to seek refuge with her and walked in gracefully.
the benefits, wouldn't that be just perfect?
So, after listening to Mu Qingge's feeble explanation, Master Kaiyuan surprisingly accepted it easily, only wanting to direct the spearhead at Su Yishui and the others right now.
The three major sects had suffered heavy losses in the last Marrow-Cleansing Pool gathering on Tianmai Mountain, with severe injuries and depleted vital energy. Only Xishan sect escaped unscathed and greatly benefited. Recently, many outstanding cultivators even aspired to join Xishan, reducing the number of disciples coming to Jiuhua, which made Master Kaiyuan very uncomfortable. Now he just wanted to destroy Xishan first and make other plans later.
The attitudes of the other sects towards Xishan were also very nuanced. Human nature was such that if someone had a bias against someone, they would believe anything negative about them, seizing upon any pretext to imagine all the crimes they might have committed.
Master Kaiyuan nodded, and others from the various sects echoed his sentiments, filled with indignation. Even if Su Yishui had high cultivation, he still could not escape everyone's wrath.
Back then, Mu Qingge had also been very accomplished, but what happened in the end? Wasn't she ultimately killed in the siege of the three major sects?
If Su Yishui was confirmed to have incited chaos in the world, he would become the enemy of the righteous path, and everyone would have to eliminate him! Xishan would then be thoroughly discredited, making it difficult for them to rise again!
Mu Ranwu had long anticipated the small-minded schemes of these righteous sects, so when she heard Master Kaiyuan's words, she knew that her own game plan was half successful. At this moment, she sighed softly and said with a furrowed brow, "Naturally. When it comes to the past, I also bore many insults for Su Yishui… Perhaps you all don't know? The demon's son who came out of the Netherworld Realm back then was actually Su Yishui!"
What?
The faces of all the cultivators of the righteous path changed drastically! Mu Ranwu, as if enduring humiliation for the sake of her wayward disciple, recounted the incident of Su Yishui stealing the Spirit Spring and escaping the Netherworld Realm.
"I always thought he was my disciple, but I failed to teach him well. Instead, I allowed him to develop such ambitions to dominate the world. This was all my fault, so I chose to bear the insults, let everyone misunderstand, and finally sacrificed myself to reform him. But unexpectedly, all my sacrifices were in vain. Su Yishui is still audacious and ambitious, even infiltrating the palace to assassinate the emperor and attempt to defy fate. Before he commits more mistakes, I can only endure the pain of exposing his crimes to prevent everyone from being deceived."
The elders of the other two major sects listened to this and looked at each other, asking, "Do you have evidence for this?"
Mu Ranwu pretended to sigh, "When you see Su Yishui, you will know that what I say is not false because the Spirit Spring that has been hidden in the mortal world for twenty years is now in him…"
With these words, everyone became restless and anxious.
The Spirit Spring, such a sinister entity, has always brought great calamity to the world whenever it appeared.
Moreover, thinking back, if Mu Qingge had really conspired with the demon's son, why had she never used the power of the Spirit Spring?
It was the demon's son who always wore a mask whenever he appeared, never revealing his true identity.
So what Mu Qingge said could very well be true. Su Yishui had actually deceived the world and hidden his identity as the demon's son.
At this moment, Wang Suizhi, who was accompanying Mu Ranwu, also spoke up, "Wang's money banks is spread throughout the land. These years, I have been following Master's wish to search for the entrance to the Netherworld Realm to return the Spirit Spring. Master entrusted General Qin Xuanjiu to guard the Spirit Spring, but later, it seems that Su Yishui has taken it away. Recently, the revival of the demonic sect, Fantian Sect, is also evident. The world is in danger, and it will rely on all of you to turn the situation around."
Although this Wang Suizhi didn't have much cultivation, he relied on his immense wealth to collect ancient cultivation artifacts from all over the world. Moreover, he understood the situation clearly back then and didn't blame the three major sects for his master's tragic death.
So the people of the three major sects had dealings with this Wang Suizhi before and accepted his financial support. Now, hearing what he said, many doubts from back then about the sudden disappearance of the demon's son were suddenly cleared up.
"So Su Yishui has still fallen into the demonic path. Since that's the case, we cannot tolerate evil and let him harm the people of the world. When dawn comes, I will draft a proclamation to exterminate Su Yishui and his followers on behalf of everyone… Do you all agree?"
After Master Kaiyuan said this, everyone naturally nodded in agreement. However, Qin Xuanjiu had some doubts at this moment. In his view, Su Yishui was indeed despicable, but those disciples he had taken in were innocent, especially Xue Ranran, such a lovely and sincere girl.