Chapter 562 - Scheme

“The audacity to do something like this in the palace in broad daylight... Do you really think that my Liang Kingdom has no one to defend it? Hmph?” A rough voice sounded from Li Huowang’s left. He turned and saw an elderly warrior clad in heavy armor on horseback.

Li Huowang felt like the wind itself was moving with the elderly warrior. Undoubtedly, the elderly warrior was from a military family and not from a mid-tier family like Peng Longteng!

His aura was perhaps the strongest among the Great Liang's forces!

He wasn’t alone. Six people in total were charging toward Shai Zi in all directions, and all of them were on horseback. It seemed that the commotion in the palace had attracted these monsters.

Li Huowang suddenly found himself experiencing auditory hallucinations. He could hear agonized screams, and he could also smell the rusty stench of blood. He suddenly felt annoyed.

When they gathered around Shai Zi, the oppressive aura that they carried pervaded the air; it was so thick that it was palpable.

Li Huowang even felt like there was an invisible wall ahead of him. The smell of blood on them was much heavier than the smell of blood on Li Huowang.

“When you reach the Yama[1] Temple, remember to say your Grandpa Zhang was your murderer !”

A veteran general with three deep scars on his face raised his heavy mace with lingering afterimages, ready to smash the immobilized Shai Zi on the ground.

“Hold on!” The heavy mace paused. The six veteran generals and Li Huowang looked toward the Imperial Preceptor

“Let me ask a few questions first before we kill him,” Huangfu Tiangang said, walking over with his hands behind his back.

Li Huowang’s heart tensed as he heard that the Imperial Preceptor wanted to talk to Shai Zi.

He knew too well the strengths and weaknesses of the Sitting Oblivion Dao. Everyone knew that they weren't that great at fighting, but they excelled at manipulation and deceit. A conversation was a Shai Zi’s home ground!

“Imperial Preceptor, it’s better to kill Shai Zi quickly to prevent any further complications!”

“I’m way more experienced than you. Do I really need you to lecture me?” Huangfu Tiangang glared at Li Huowang before walking toward the trapped Shai Zi.

The Sitting Oblivion Dao illusion came to Li Huowang’s side again and winked. “Brother, don’t you think something’s fishy about this? What if that old man owes our boss a favor? He might be taking advantage of this opportunity to repay the favor.”

Li Huowang looked at him coldly. “Even at this point, you still want to help Shai Zi trick me? Fine, get ready to be tortured tonight!”

“Hey! What’s wrong with you? I’m just helping you think it through. You’re misinterpreting my kindness as malice.”

Li Huowang couldn’t be bothered to listen to his explanation. He turned to Zhuge Yuan and said, “Brother Zhuge, can you take care of Shai Zi if I materialize you for a short while?”

“Brother Li, we’re almost at the goal. Stay patient. There’s no need to risk exposing your Strayed One identity. Come, let’s go see what questions the Imperial Preceptor has for Shai Zi.”

With that, Zhuge Yuan followed Huangfu Tiangang toward Shai Zi. The Imperial Preceptor seemed to have sensed something. He glanced to his left before walking forward.

Li Huowang’s expression changed rapidly as he watched the two figures.

“Boss Hong Zhong, this kid is definitely hiding something from you,” The Sitting Oblivion Dao illusion came to Li Huowang’s side again.

“Shut up! What do you know? Is being tortured and dismembered not enough for you?” Li Huowang tightened his grip on the spine sword and followed them towards Shai Zi.

As Li Huowang finally arrived next to them, the Imperial Preceptor had already started his questioning, “Tell me, why are you hiding in the palace? I’ve been watching you for a long time. I thought I could lure out the remaining Sitting Oblivion Dao, but you’ve remained quiet all along.”

“Hehehe,” Shai Zi was calm despite being pinned to the ground. He even had the audacity to raise his chin at Li Huowang.

“You think you’ve been watching me, but I wanted you to watch me. I’m here to provide cover for others. I’m not the one doing the job this time, but it’s someone else,” Shai Zi said and blinked at Li Huowang.

“You better spit it out quickly! I have more important matters to attend to!” The Imperial Preceptor’s tone grew more serious.

“Hehehe~ Why don’t you guess how big of a scheme I have pulled off this time?” Shai Zi showed no signs of fear even when faced with the weapons around him.

“Oh, I won’t guess.” The Imperial Preceptor had no intention of indulging him. He drew his Constellation Sword and prepared to strike Shai Zi.

“Hey, what’s the hurry? You’re so impatient. I’ll talk, I’ll talk. After years of hard work, it’s all for this moment.”

“Hehehe, do you guys think that we, Sitting Oblivion Dao, can’t play with the Dragon Vein? We don’t believe in such nonsense! Our goal is the Emperor of the Great Liang.”

“Since we can’t touch the Dragon Vein, we’ll dig up the roots of the Dragon Vein! Hehehe, do you really think that the Emperor of the Great Liang is a chosen one? Seriously? That kid named Ji Lin is a chosen one? Do you really think so?”

“

Hmm?

” The Imperial Preceptor frowned as if recalling something.

“Isn’t Ji Lin of royal blood? Impossible! You must be playing some shoddy trick! I’ve calculated his eight characters[2] with Xuan Pin! He’s of the Ji family bloodline!”

“

Hahaha!

” Shai Zi laughed hysterically.

“That’s right~

Hahaha;

he is of the Ji family bloodline! But I had Ji Lin’s genitals replaced! He’s actually a girl! And she’s infertile[3]! The Dragon Vein of Great Liang has been severed at her section!

Hahaha!

”

Shai Zi laughed until he ran out of breath, and there was a thrilled gleam in his eyes. He looked like he had been waiting for this very day.

Li Huowang’s heart trembled at the revelation. This lunatic had actually given him the task of helping Ji Lin ascend to the throne, all for the sake of deceiving everyone.

“Which one of you wants to tell the emperor this good news? Help me ask him how he feels about suddenly finding out that he’s a girl after being a man for more than ten years. Hahaha!”

Huangfu Tiangang looked coldly at Shai Zi, showing no surprise. “So this is Shai Zi’s scheme? If you think the Great Liang Dragon Vein is so easily severed, then you’ve miscalculated. We knew something like this was going to happen, so we’ve decided to hide some hidden dragons[4] among the people.”

“Hehehe~ There’s no more. We’ve cleaned them all up. What's their token? Is it a white round jade pendant?

Hehehe~”

A white round jade pendant?

Li Huowang felt like he had seen such a thing before.

“Those people are just ordinary people with no bodyguards around them. We don't even need to do anything against them; we just have to provoke them a little, and they’ll seek death by themselves. Isn’t that right, Hong Zhong?” Shai Zi asked.

1. King of Hell ☜

2. birth date and time ☜

3. the term used was ‘stone girl’, which refers to a congenitally missing vagina ☜

4. secret descendants hidden amongst the people ☜