Chapter 2549: Chapter 118: Three Truths Pursue Evil, An Age of Peace and Prosperity (Part 3)
"How are the preparations on Yue Country’s side?"
"Ge Fei, who has already reached God Arrives, is in charge of this matter. He says he has secretly laid down a net of heaven and earth, and the moment Zhang Linchuan crosses the border, he’ll be dragged out." This was Zuo Guangshu’s reply in his letter.
In his heart, Jiang Wang quietly put a "doubtful" mark on Yue Country. He knew Ge Fei’s strength; even now that he had achieved God Arrives, Jiang could roughly gauge his combat range. If this man could keep from arrogance and impatience and fully mobilize Yue Country’s national power, then there was no fear he couldn’t handle Zhang Linchuan. But saying it with such absolute confidence actually made the whole thing seem unreliable.
"You also pass them the latest information about Tan Wenqi being killed. Ge Fei has only just become God Arrives, and what kind of God Arrives was Tan Wenqi? Tell them to pay more attention... How is the situation at Southern Dipper Palace?"
Dan Country, Longmen Academy, Southern Dipper Palace, Sword Pavilion, Yue Country, Zhuang Country.
Among the targets listed by Zhongxuan Sheng.
As for Sword Pavilion, he had personally communicated with Swordsman Ning, and knew that Master of the Archive was currently sitting in town at Tianmu Peak; there would definitely be no problem there.
Over in Zhuang Country, both Zhuang Gaoxian and Du Ruhui very much understood the principle of a lion using full strength even when hunting a rabbit, and both had very cautious temperaments. Having received the warning, they wouldn’t give Zhang Linchuan any opening. They might even turn around and set a trap to ambush and kill Zhang Linchuan, in order to earn Jiang Wang’s promise—when it comes to disgusting Jiang Wang, they would not miss the chance.
A battle of wits and courage between Zhang Linchuan and the ruler-minister pair of Zhuang Gaoxian would certainly be a fine show.
But it was not something Jiang Wang wanted to see right now. If that scene really came to pass, he would find a way to barge in and interfere, aiming for the best outcome of Zhang Linchuan taking Zhuang Gaoxian and Du Ruhui down with him.
What he was asking Zuo Guangshu about in his letter were the spots he wasn’t quite reassured about.
In Zuo Guangshu’s reply it said: "Zhongxuan Sheng probably doesn’t understand the situation in the Southern Territory very well; that’s why he listed Southern Dipper Palace as one of Zhang Linchuan’s targets. The entrance to Southern Dipper Palace is extremely concealed, and entry and exit are strictly controlled. For Zhang Linchuan to do evil within Southern Dipper Palace’s sphere of influence is extremely difficult... Still, I’ve already sent word over. Heavenly Mechanism True Man Ren Qiuli says he will pay attention."
Zuo Guangshu’s words made a lot of sense, and of course Zhongxuan Sheng must also have his reasons. But since Ren Qiuli was already watching this matter, it seemed that in any case, there wouldn’t be a big problem with Southern Dipper Palace.
"You’ve worked hard, Guang Shu. What about Dan Country?" Jiang Wang asked again.
This time Young Lord Zuo sounded quite angry in his letter: "I told them to be loose on the outside but tight on the inside, to give Zhang Linchuan a chance to take advantage, and then catch the turtle in the urn at the end. They have someone called Zhang Jing—the person who replied was named that—Zhang Jing. That same piece of trash Zhang Jing Chu Yuzhi mentioned before, truly trash! I don’t know how, but he’s stirred this matter up into a huge spectacle. They’ve even plastered Zhang Linchuan’s portrait all over the border cities of Dan Country. Besides startling the snake in the grass, what use is it?"
Jiang Wang also felt some anger, but he forced himself to calm down and think it through, and he more or less understood Zhang Jing’s reasons for acting this way.
Dan Country didn’t care whether this Unborn Sect Founder Zhang Linchuan stirred up storms, whether he was seeking death or going mad. As long as Zhang Linchuan didn’t come to Dan Country to cause trouble, then it had nothing to do with them.
What Zhang Jing was doing was precisely to startle the snake in the grass! To make this vicious python Zhang Linchuan steer clear of them from afar.
Strictly speaking, Zhang Jing’s response wasn’t stupid—it was just a bit selfish.
Choosing this way was truly letting down the painstaking effort of Jiang Wang’s warning.
But he couldn’t change Dan Country’s decision either. After all, each person has their own aspirations, and every nation has a different understanding of responsibility.
Keeping his composure, Jiang Wang wrote back and asked: "How are things over at Longmen Academy?"
As one of the Four Great Academies, Longmen Academy’s strength was not to be underestimated; it shouldn’t by rights have been on Zhang Linchuan’s list of target options.
However, within Longmen Academy’s sphere of influence, outside the Academy itself, there were also vast tracts of academic fields, large stretches of land, and numerous farmers who supported scholars’ studies. Longmen Academy, after all, was not a national institution; it had no grand formation that could encompass its entire sphere of influence. Those ordinary farmers were very hard to protect in a comprehensive way.
If Zhang Linchuan chose them as his target, it really would be impossible to guard against in all directions.
Twilight Drum Academy, likewise one of the Four Great Academies, did not have this problem. Twilight Drum Academy was supported more by several nearby countries, and did not have that many academic fields or commoners directly under its governance. Moreover it sat at the foot of Book Mountain. Let alone Zhang Linchuan—even if Bai Gu descended upon the world and returned to the peak, he still wouldn’t go there.
Zuo Guangshu replied: "Longmen Academy takes Brother Jiang’s reminder very seriously. The True Disciples still in the Academy, as well as most of the Teaching and Training staff, have already all been sent out, disguised as farmers, to participate in the autumn harvest of the academic fields. Several Great Scholars are also watching the situation. If Zhang Linchuan goes to Longmen Academy, I don’t think he’ll have any chance to look for another target."
Looked at this way, Yue Country was the least reliable. Hopefully Zhang Linchuan wouldn’t just happen to choose Yue Country.
Jiang Wang emphasized again in his letter: "Have those God Arrives experts I asked you to help organize split into two teams—one close to Yue Country, and one coming toward Song Country. They are to move in concealment without startling the snake in the grass, ready to support me at any time. Zhang Linchuan should have a clear sense of his situation, so he’s in a great hurry right now. His next move won’t wait too long."
Zuo Guangshu only replied with, "You can rest easy when I’m handling it."
Jiang Wang thought it over carefully, made sure there were no loose ends, then ended his correspondence with Zuo Guangshu and continued flying with Chen Si Wu toward the wilderness where Tan Wenqi had died.
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After concluding the court discussion about the alchemical cauldron reform in the Alchemy Dao, Zhang Xun returned home with a weary mind. As expected, the large residence was still brightly lit; in this deep night smothered under thick ink-like clouds, it was still as bright as broad daylight.
