All The Female Disciples Want To Kill Me

Chapter 383 - 240: To amass greatly, one must give generously. _2

"This is a risky move, but one can only plan for the best and leave the rest to fate. Whether I can win this game and see light at the end of the tunnel depends on fate’s whims."

"Ji Nanjue has disappeared? How much of this is true and how much is false?"

"Perhaps he is using this opportunity to secretly wait and bait me, the big fish."

"In this world, how many things are truly foolproof? But this South Emperor is quite interesting, controlling Ji Nanjue with some unknown methods."

...

At this point, he paused for a moment and sighed, "Is he merely after taking control of Hua Province?"

"It’s nothing but a futile attempt to deceive oneself..."

His eyes were complex; he saw right through this grand scheme. The South Emperor perhaps wanted to incite chaos in Dongfeng Ancient Country, letting it descend further into disorder. Through this, he probably aimed to achieve some goals, though what those goals were, he still couldn’t guess. If the vast Dongfeng Ancient Country were to be torn apart, the Old Eastern Emperor, if his spirit were watching from the heavens, would probably die of anger a second time.

...

Liu Zizhan couldn’t figure out why the King of An Nan hadn’t allowed him into the palace. However, his visit to the King of An Nan must have already fallen under the watchful eyes of all the spies in Luodu. And with that, one of his goals had also been achieved.

Just as he was walking back, a peddler carrying a pole hurried past him and accidentally spilled the radishes from his basket.

He quickly picked them up and continued on his way.

Liu Zizhan indifferently watched as a small piece of paper was slipped into his hands without his noticing. Glancing at the words on it, he headed towards a nearby opera house.

The crowd was dense and noisy.

Inside one of the small booths, the door was opened for him before he even knocked.

Liu Zizhan stepped back to take a good look at the two people in front of him.

One was a middle-aged man with handsome features, dressed so ordinarily that he wouldn’t stir any attention in a crowd. However, the occasional condescending aura in his eyes made him seem quite out of place.

Behind him followed a man with an expressionless face, dressed like a butler, his back bent.

Liu Zizhan’s heart stirred, and he took the initiative to salute, "Liu Zizhan greets Your Highness."

Ji Pingsheng didn’t put on airs and casually returned the gesture before sitting down on a chair.

He lowered his gaze and didn’t offer Liu Zizhan a seat.

He lifted a cup of tea from the low table, blew on it gently, and softly began to speak, "Speaking of which, Brother Zizhan, you’ve really put Mr. Ji in a tough spot."

"It was indeed quite a surprise."

"Mr. Ji enjoys wine and beauty, and it’s well-known that he’s not one to strive for greatness. Whatever he does is taken for granted."

"Brother Zizhan must have some explanation for Mr. Ji."

...

The man behind took a step forward. He emitted no Spiritual Energy, yet a terrifying presence instantly enveloped the room, causing Liu Zizhan to break out in a cold sweat.

Liu Zizhan knew all too well that walking so openly towards An Nan Palace had undoubtedly been interpreted ambiguously by those with ulterior motives. The Eastern Emperor had just disappeared; what was the meaning of the King of An Nan’s conspicuous actions? Although the King didn’t meet with him, those with hidden agendas had already sensed something suspicious.

Liu Zizhan took a deep breath, bowed deeply to Ji Pingsheng, and said, "It was my abruptness that caused Your Highness to be misunderstood; allow me to apologize first."

"My apologies to Your Highness."

Ji Pingsheng’s lips curled into a knowing smile as he spoke faintly, "Let’s not bother about whether it was abrupt or not. There’s no need to beat around the bush."

"Mr. Ji, on the other hand, was hoping to hear some news that would truly warrant your apology."

...

As his voice faded, he gestured towards a chair in front of him, inviting him to sit down and talk.

Liu Zizhan smiled awkwardly and reassessed the King of An Nan in his mind.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke, "Has Your Highness ever heard of the ’Blood Refining array’?"

A hint is all that’s needed for some things.

Ji Pingsheng’s eyebrows twitched, though his expression remained unchanged as he set down his teacup and nodded, "Of course, I’ve heard of it."

But inside, his mind was already churning. Liu Zizhan was a smart man; the South Emperor wouldn’t send a fool to visit Dongfeng. Therefore, mentioning the Blood Refining array at this time must have some intriguing implications. The disappearance of the Eastern Emperor wasn’t a deep secret among those at their level, but he couldn’t fathom who would have the influence to orchestrate such a feat. What was the relationship between the person behind the Blood Refining array and the South Emperor? Was the South Emperor a collaborator or the executor? If it was the latter, then...

His eyes held a spark of eagerness, as if he were seeing the first light of dawn.

He gently tapped on the low table, his rhythm following the drama playing out in the theater beyond the private compartment.

"The South Emperor has promised to support Your Highness with all his might in ascending to the Eastern Emperor’s throne, and in return, he asks for Hua Province up the Cang River!"

...

To be fair, Ji Nanjue had controlled Dongfeng Ancient Country for hundreds of years, and Ji Pingsheng had grown accustomed to his current idle state. Even as the power of the King of Zhenbei and King Fuzhong soared, he had chosen to stay in Luodu. But he had longed for that position for quite some time. He also understood the principle that to receive greatly, one must first give greatly.

"Brother Zizhan, you might have found the wrong person; everyone in Dongfeng knows that Mr. Ji is nothing but a pile of useless mud," he said.

"Besides, is the South Emperor so sure that my good brother won’t come back?"

Ji Pingsheng played with the cup in his hand, his gaze playfully fixed on Liu Zizhan.

Liu Zizhan, however, spoke with profound significance, "The truth will be clear in tomorrow’s court session."

...

The two men looked at each other for a long time, and the room fell into a lengthy silence.

Ji Pingsheng knew the South Emperor’s ambitions, but he understood even better: would a mature emperor ever tolerate a second emperor in the world? Taking a step back, even if the South Emperor truly had no desire to unify all Twenty-One Provinces and was willing to share the world with the Eastern Emperor, could he, Ji Pingsheng, really secure that position?

He waved his hand and closed his eyes.

This was a high-stakes gamble. If the Eastern Emperor had indeed perished in the Blood Refining array as this man suggested, Dongfeng would surely fall into chaos. Preparations needed to be made early. The King of Zhenbei had the backing of Multi-Bao Pavilion, and his relationship with the Cang Sect was also unclear. Even King Fuzhong had the Buddha Gate behind him.

Liu Zizhan stood up, took a step back, and said, "It’s getting late; I mustn’t stay long as I still have a journey ahead. I’ll take my leave now..."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Moments later, the attendant looked at Ji Pingsheng and spoke softly, "Your Highness."

Lost in thought, Ji Pingsheng collected himself and asked, "How much truth do you think there is in his words?"

The attendant pondered for a moment and then said slowly, "The South Emperor of old possessed both ambition and courage."

Ji Pingsheng picked up the teacup from the low table, gently blew on the tea leaves, and muttered to himself, "There are many people with ambition and courage in this world, but few ultimately succeed."

"Do you think this is a gamble worth taking?"

...

The attendant didn’t answer, his brow deeply furrowed. After a long while, he finally said, "Your Highness, to take greatly, one must give greatly."

Ji Pingsheng stood up, hands clasped behind his back, and laughed, "But if I lose Hua Province, won’t I become a sinner for all time?"

...

...

「After the rain, the sky cleared.」

The vast blue sky was washed clean, and the once-green mountains were now shrouded in a thin mist, as if jade peaks from a celestial court had mistakenly fallen to earth.

Gnarled, ancient willow trees were adorned with fresh greenery, swaying like graceful young maidens, their every branch captivating the soul.

——Su Bei hurried back to the Sacred Land, feeling somewhat guilty.

He had snuck out without saying goodbye and had been away for an entire day.

After tidying his clothes, he headed towards Key Smoke’s residence. The surrounding Sacred Land Disciples looked at Su Bei without any surprise, greeting him one after another:

"Is Elder Su feeling better?"

"Elder Su has finally come out!"

"You’ve been asleep for a day and a night."

Su Bei was puzzled. Did they not know he had gone out?

He made his way to the entrance of Key Smoke’s courtyard. Just as he was about to knock, he was suddenly stopped by a woman.

Her attire was distinct from the others. A green glass and silver hairpin was inserted obliquely at the base of her slightly unsteady bun, from which twin loops of black hair cascaded like flying clouds.

The full curves of her chest, resembling precarious peaks, complemented that familiar face.

A three-petal plum blossom design, in a delicate cherry-red, was drawn between her brows.

She wore a white, red-edged, fine-cloth jacket and skirt set. Roses were embroidered on the skirt’s hem and cuffs. On her feet was a pair of blue silk shoes with rolled green edges, each toe adorned with a feathered cicada. When she moved, her hands held primly, the cicada wings trembled lightly, as if about to take flight.

A fluttering butterfly.

With one hand on her hip, she huffed, "Aunt is cultivating!"

"You cannot go in."