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Novel: [The Primordial Law]
Volume 4: [Shuangsheng Dao Sect (Twin Rice Sect)]
Chapter 120 (375): [Do You Think I'm Jealous?]
(120th of Volume 4)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
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Jiang Ning said, "This matter is too serious. I'm afraid..."
Li Weiyi picked up his chopsticks and began eating, "If you report this, I'll be betraying the Twin Rice Sect and will surely die. You asked me to trust you, and now that I do, you're going to condemn me to death?"
Jiang Ning's dark eyebrows furrowed tightly, torn between two agonizing choices.
"Since you emerged from the Underground Immortal Mansion, it proves the Heretical Sect's headquarters truly lies beneath Fu Prefecture. The tombstones and burial mounds spreading outward from Fu Prefecture must be the Heretical Sect's Corpse Cultivation Rice."
"A great calamity will befall the world. If Lingxiao Palace doesn't swiftly eradicate the Sui Sect, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Li Weiyi said, "I know that my life is insignificant compared to the lives of countless innocent people. But does that mean I deserve to die?"
"You... sigh!"
Jiang Ning looked at the list in her hand, her face etched with worry.
"What is this list?"
Li Weiyi replied, "I don't know much about it, only that many Imperial Court experts who investigated the Underground Immortal Mansion were captured by the Divine Sect. Thirty of them have been released, but we don't know which thirty. I want to find them and eliminate them, to do what I can to protect the people of the world."
Jiang Ning's eyes lit up, sensing that Li Weiyi hadn't changed.
Li Weiyi's expression turned solemn, and he lowered his voice, "My plan is this: I possess the Death Spirit Fire, so I can't directly reveal that the Sui Sect is a Twin Rice Sect force. But I can incite conflict among the Twin Rice Sect's internal factions and use their hands to eliminate the Sui Sect."
Jiang Ning nodded, "It's one of the few ways to break the deadlock, but executing it will be like climbing to heaven. You'll need powerful allies within both the Imperial Court and the Sui Sect."
"The Jiu Li Hidden Sect has someone high-ranking within the Sui Sect," Li Weiyi said.
Jiang Ning countered, "But within the Imperial Court, Zhuang Yue alone won't be enough."
Li Weiyi asked, "Who else could I turn to? Tai Shi Bai?"
"The Tai Shi Clan oversees defense matters; they probably wouldn't be much help. Besides, do you and Tai Shi Bai truly have such a deep friendship? Does he truly not care at all about your identity as the Divine Son of a heretical sect? Can you truly trust him completely?" Jiang Ning asked.
Li Weiyi suggested, "What about Ge Xiantong?"
"Even worse than Tai Shi Bai," Jiang Ning replied.
Li Weiyi sighed in frustration, burying his head in his food, "I'll think of something."
Jiang Ning stared at him intently, seeing his complete lack of understanding.
After a long moment, she finally couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you considering me?"
"Lord Jiang is naturally my top choice. In terms of friendship, wisdom, ability, and character, he's impeccable. There's just one thing that worries me."
Li Weiyi spoke seriously, "I heard from Yang Qingxi that the Second Palace Master intends to marry Yao Qian to subdue the Sui Sect. And the intended bride is you, the direct lineage daughter of the Jiang Clan. A marriage between the Sui Sect and the Jiang Clan would allow the sect to quickly integrate into the Imperial Court, avoiding attacks and marginalization..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Ning interrupted, "Nonsense. I've never heard of such a thing."
Li Weiyi replied, "This rumor originated with Yang Shenjing, so it's likely true. Perhaps your absence at the Calamity Crossing Temple delayed the matter. Yao Qian entered the Immortal Realm during the Jiazi year. His character, appearance, innate talent, and eloquence are all First-Grade in the world. I don't know what you truly think, so..."
"Slap!"
Jiang Ning slammed the list onto the table in front of him.
"You may not know what I think, but I know what you think. Just like that shout you made at South Yan Pass - 'My beloved is here to help!' - when I think back on it now, I suspect you were quite displeased at the time."
"Pfft!"
Li Weiyi couldn't hold back.
The tea he'd just drunk sprayed across the floor.
Feigning composure, he said, "Do you think I'm jealous? Yes, the Feather Immortal's reputation precedes her. The number one beauty in the world, countless men lose sleep over her. But isn't my fiancee, Hong Ting, just as remarkable? In her Daoist robe, she descends like a celestial maiden, and with her feather fan, she's both elegant and heroic. In what way does she fall short of you?"
Jiang Ning lost interest in continuing the conversation.
She donned her veil, put on her Spiritual Artifact Nightwalker's Garment, and prepared to leave.
"I can help you deal with the Sui Sect. Our goals align. When you need my assistance, have Zhuang Yue or Grandpa Zhuang send me a message."
"There's something right now!" Li Weiyi said, flipping through a list in his hand, "Tomorrow at the sixth moment of the you hour (evening), find a way to have a powerful figure from the Phoenix Terrace visit Yao Qian."
"Is that all?" Jiang Ning asked.
Li Weiyi replied, "Yao Qian is incredibly powerful. When you fight with him, you can't leave too many traces. Otherwise, it will backfire."
Jiang Ning walked out of the courtyard, raised her misty almond eyes to the starry sky above, and let out a long, melancholic sigh.
She could sense the precariousness of Li Weiyi's existence.
Facing behemoths like the Sui Sect and the Heretical Sect, he still managed to force a smile.
"Praised by the world, he remains unmoved. Denounced by the world, he remains undeterred."
The Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival brought him fame and fortune.
Though his Ancestral Field lay in ruins, his resilience remained unbroken.
Through life's greatest trials, he never wavered from his original aspiration.
Jiang Ning's slender, solitary figure gradually receded, swallowed by the swirling snowflakes.
What lay ahead would be a difficult and dangerous struggle.
Li Weiyi finished the remaining food, and seeing the heavy snow approaching, he called out, "Zhuang Yue, get me a room ready. I'll stay here tonight!"
Utterly exhausted, he slept soundly through the night.
He didn't wake until noon the next day. When he opened the door and deactivated the Formation, a fierce wind howled in, and the sky was overcast.
Heavy hammering echoed from the courtyard.
Li Weiyi descended the pavilion and followed the sound.
He saw the lame, white-haired Elder from the previous night, stripped to the waist, wielding a sledgehammer with all his might.
A pile of damaged Spiritual Artifacts lay beside him.
The Elder was melting them down, hammering them into iron blocks.
"Grandpa Zhuang!" Li Weiyi called out, preparing to take his leave.
Old Zhuang set down his warhammer. His face was gaunt, but his entire body was knotted with muscle, radiating vigor and vitality. He chuckled, "Zhuang Yue has gone to the Phoenix Terrace! Don't rush off yet. Shall we chat?"
"Alright," Li Weiyi replied.
"We won't eat at home today. Let's go to a restaurant."
Old Zhuang led Li Weiyi out the door, his right leg crippled, as they trudged through the half-foot-deep snow.
Li Weiyi offered to help him, but Old Zhuang refused.
He chuckled, "During the Blood Battle of Cangyuan, my entire leg was severed. Though it was reattached later, the Demon Clan's power had severely damaged my flesh, tendons, and bones, leaving them beyond full repair."
"Grandpa Zhuang, are you a Western Sea Slave?"
Li Weiyi had long sensed Old Zhuang's profound cultivation, certain he had cultivated a Dao Fruit.
Old Zhuang nodded: "Most residents of the Azure Cloud Market are veteran Western Sea Slaves like me - either disabled or with their cultivation crippled. Fortunately, we still have some use: we can refine Spiritual Artifacts."
"The materials for crafting Spiritual Artifacts are incredibly precious."
"For instance, the standard-issue Slave-Horse Cleaver used by Western Sea Slaves must be forged from the densest metal from the Chen Mountain Mine."
"Ordinary soldiers' Spiritual Artifacts are forged from Chen Mountain Black Iron. A Hundred-Character Artifact Slave-Horse Cleaver requires Chen Mountain Black Copper. A Thousand-Character Artifact demands Chen Mountain Profound Silver."
"But Yun Prefecture, where the Chen Mountain Mine is located, was swallowed by the Nether Realm of the Dead a thousand years ago. Entering to mine there comes at a great cost."
Arriving at a noodle shop not far from the Minglun Ward gate, Old Zhuang ordered two bowls of soup noodles.
He was familiar with the shop owner, a comrade from his days as a Western Sea Slave.
Old Zhuang continued, "Zhuang Yue's parents both died in the Great Cangyuan War. I knew I couldn't care for her properly, so I sent her to the Phoenix Terrace. That child has always been rather lonely. Perhaps it's because she grew up without her parents, but she's always been a bit... off. She's stubborn and sticks to her beliefs rigidly."
Li Weiyi understood Old Zhuang's unspoken meaning, "Grandpa Zhuang, rest assured. I'm not the type to resort to any means to achieve my goals. I always see things through to the end."
Old Zhuang smiled and waved his hand.
"Last night, Zhuang Yue told me a great deal. She trusts you deeply and speaks highly of you... In fact, the entire Lingxiao City is now singing your praises."
"This morning, several old friends were excitedly recounting your legendary exploits at the Palace last night: breaking through the Dao-like diagram, severely injuring Xie Chucai, cultivating Golden Crow Flame Psychic Power and the Fusang Divine Tree Spiritual Light. Your talent in Psychic Power is rare in the world, not far behind those Young Celestial Emperors."
"I didn't even have the heart to tell them that this world-renowned genius was sleeping right in my house."
"By the way, how should I address you? Zuo Ning?"
Li Weiyi replied, "Li Weiyi."
Old Zhuang nodded: "Young Li, I'm telling you all this not to blame you, but to ask for your help. I'm exactly one hundred and twenty years old this year, and my lifespan is limited to these next few years. After I die, Zhuang Yue's personality won't allow her to survive long in the Imperial Court or in these chaotic times. Jiang Ning can protect her for a while, but not for a lifetime. Just like those two years she spent away at the Calamity Crossing Temple."
"It would be best if you took her away from the Imperial Court, to Li Prefecture, and let her live as a commoner. If fate allows, keep her by your side as a maid."
Old Zhuang had clearly been worrying about Zhuang Yue's future all along, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Li Weiyi said, "Grandpa Zhuang, rest assured. I will definitely take her away."
"Eat your noodles, eat your noodles..."
Two bowls of steaming noodle soup were served.
Li Weiyi asked, "Actually, there's something I've always been curious about. What exactly caused the Western Sea Slave's devastating defeat back then? The forces of the Far Western Ashlands and the Demon Clan at the time shouldn't have been strong enough to completely overwhelm you, should they?"
Old Zhuang fell into a pensive silence, his expression heavy with sorrow, "In the Battle of Cangyuan, the Western Sea Slave suffered thirty thousand casualties, nearly all of them elite soldiers at the Five Seas Realm or higher. That blow shattered our spirit, and we could never regain our former glory."
"Many of our old comrades have secretly analyzed the reasons for our defeat countless times."
"First, of course, was the enemy's strength."
"Second, many Ember Spirits had infiltrated our ranks."
"Third, I've heard a conspiracy theory that some within the Imperial Court saw the Western Sea Slave as too great a threat and wanted to weaken us."
"Fourth, the Xiaotian Edict was enacted at the time, and some officials tried to force its implementation within the army, causing chaos and disarray. Perhaps the Imperial Court never anticipated the Western Sea Slave's defeat would be so catastrophic, resulting in such heavy casualties and plunging the world into a decade-long period of chaos."
"Do you harbor any resentment toward the Imperial Court?" Li Weiyi asked.
Old Zhuang sighed deeply: "Yes, but if war ever spreads to Lingxiao City, we will still take up our Slave-Horse Cleavers to defend the honor of the Western Sea Slaves and all lives worth protecting."
Li Weiyi asked no further questions.
After finishing his noodles, he asked Old Zhuang to contact Song Lin.
Later, under a different identity, he and Song Lin quietly entered the Palace to help Song Qingli refine the demonic energy within her body.
By the time they left the West Sea Royal Manor, it was already the hour of the Rooster in the afternoon.
They rented a carriage and set off toward Phoenix Terrace.
Inside the carriage, Li Weiyi examined the box of Star Spiritual Pills Song Lin had given him.
There were thirty in total, worth several million Yongquan Coins. With this vast resource, becoming a six-star Spiritual Master was now within reach.
He put the box away.
His gaze sharpened as he released his Psychic Field, enveloping the carriage's interior.
Only then did he activate the Buddha's Relic, pulling Tang Wanzhou from the Blood Mud Space... or rather, inviting her out, which was why the Young Lord hadn't put up much resistance.
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END OF CHAPTER
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