Chapter 284 - 178: Chain of Deadly Calamities

Chapter 284: Chapter 178: Chain of Deadly Calamities

Even after watching General Shi disappear at the end of the street, Lu Changyuan still hadn’t figured out what could possibly sate one’s fortune.

’It couldn’t be eating people, could it?’

’Eat that general, and your desire for wealth will be satisfied.’

’That makes no sense.’

The three of them left the tavern and walked to a place not far from the Dragon-Seeking Pavilion.

Before the soldiers could even react, the trio had already entered the Royal Family’s ancestral hall.

Su Youwan said softly, "Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?"

’Three Immortals sneaking into the Royal Family’s ancestral hall when no one’s looking... it’s rather rude.’

Lu Changyuan said, "We’re just looking. As long as we don’t touch anything, it’s fine."

’He was certain something within Great Xia was up to no good, but for the moment, he couldn’t figure out what it was.’

Lu Changyuan glanced at the memorial tablets of Great Xia’s past Emperors. His eyes quickly found one covered by a cloth. He strode over and unveiled it.

’Just as I thought. My Evil Disciple.’

Qiu Yuehan leaned in beside him to look. "What is it?"

Lu Changyuan said, "Only dead people have memorial tablets, right?"

’A memorial tablet for someone who isn’t dead... isn’t that just like that burial mound someone made for me?’

"This person isn’t dead?"

There was no Emperor’s name on the tablet, so Qiu Yuehan had no idea it belonged to Leng Moyuan. "Whether they’re dead or not, their descendants have to put up a tablet to commemorate them, right? ...You couldn’t possibly have a thing with the Holy Virtue Empress, could you? Is she your lover?"

Lu Changyuan replied irritably, "Don’t be ridiculous. This is your eldest sister."

’There’s no need to hide it from Qiu Yuehan, I suppose.’

’She’ll find out sooner or later.’

Qiu Yuehan sighed softly. "Oh, I see. So she’s *still* your lover, then?"

"Don’t you dare slander the pure master-disciple relationship between your eldest sister and me."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, right, right... But I’m your Named Disciple too."

Lu Changyuan was speechless.

’But Lu Changyuan really had put his heart into teaching Leng Moyuan. Even if his methods were less than honorable, causing her to suffer both mentally and physically... Whatever. A teacher for a day is a father for life. Everything he did was for her own good.’

’In the Mortal World, if you apprentice yourself to a carpenter, you have to do odd jobs for three years before you can even learn the trade.’

’To become a disciple of the great Chang’an Daoist, isn’t it only natural to suffer a little grievance? Besides, wasn’t it precisely because of that high-pressure environment that Leng Moyuan comprehended the Profound Dao and even rapidly mastered Yao Guang?’

’It was all part of the plan.’

Everything had been within Lu Changyuan’s control. He just wanted to see how his disciple would react when faced with a series of deadly calamities: would she be stubbornly resilient and refuse to give up, or would she surrender to her fate and wait for death?

Fortunately, this disciple’s personality was quite compatible with his own. Even with death looming, she remained as calm as ice, tenaciously searching for an opportunity to turn the tables.

’As expected of a former Empress.’

’Wait a minute.’

A thought suddenly occurred to Lu Changyuan.

’If the Nether Monarch is considered Yu’s mother, and the Chang’an Daoist is considered Leng Moyuan’s father, then wouldn’t Leng Moyuan have to call her own little junior sister... what would she call her?’

’Grandma?’

’That’s just weird.’

’What a disgrace to the sect.’

’Sigh.’

Su Youwan hadn’t been listening to their conversation. Instead, she was weaving something with a thread in her hands.

She was tugging at the Dragon Vein of Great Xia.

In the eyes of the Destined Celestial Dao, Great Xia’s Dragon Vein had become a bright golden thread, connected to this ancestral hall.

’This Destined Celestial Dao is really useful. It’s even better that the maiden can use it without fear of backlash.’

Lu Changyuan gazed at the Silver-haired Maiden’s profile and couldn’t help but wonder. ’Such a beautiful woman, and so powerful... why does she like sticking so close to me?’

’I was always lucky, but now I’m even luckier.’

’I suppose good people get rewarded after all.’

"Even if Youwan is pretty, Young Master Lu shouldn’t stare so intently. Youwan herself doesn’t mind, but I think Miss Qiu might get angry."

Lu Changyuan came back to his senses, feeling Qiu Yuehan’s gaze from behind him.

He said with a perfectly straight face, "I was just looking at the thread in Miss Su’s hands."

"And what did Young Master Lu see?"

Lu Changyuan said, "The Dragon Vein is strange."

’In truth, Lu Changyuan could only sense it vaguely. After all, this wasn’t the Dao he cultivated.’

The Silver-haired Maiden tilted her head. "You can tell, Young Master Lu? The Dragon Vein of Great Xia is very strange. It seems to be obscured by something."

"You can see it?"

"I can. Youwan is actually quite capable, you know."

If she weren’t by Lu Changyuan’s side, the Silver-haired Maiden would probably go her entire life without ever saying something like, "Youwan is very capable."

It was only with Lu Changyuan by her side that she felt her emotions stir to life... ’Do I even possess such a feeling as liveliness?’

Su Youwan didn’t know.

’But she had recently grown fond of saying playful things in front of Lu Changyuan.’

"The Dragon Vein here is both powerful and weak," Su Youwan said, seeing the golden thread clearly. "That is why Great Xia’s national fortune is prosperous, yet its national power is fragile."

This was a complete contradiction.

Usually, it’s strong national power that leads to a prosperous national fortune.

’Great Xia has fought one war after another, its National Treasury is empty, so how was it able to conquer the Great Yue Kingdom and devour its national fortune?’

’Could it be that the Great Yue Kingdom was just that weak? So weak that Great Xia could destroy it with a wave of its hand?’

Lu Changyuan said, "Did a Cultivator use Magic to help Great Xia win?"

This was an easy conclusion to deduce.

For example, if Su Youwan were to intervene and forcibly ensure Great Xia’s victory, then no matter how strong the opponent or how weak Great Xia’s national power, Great Xia would be guaranteed to win—so long as there was no one of a comparable Realm to interfere.

But with the Daoist Sect watching from above, who would be reckless enough to do such a thing so openly?

But Su Youwan just shook her head. "Youwan doesn’t know either. Great Xia’s fate is bizarre... Beneath the surface of what seems normal, there is something distinctly abnormal."

Lu Changyuan understood Su Youwan’s meaning.

’Some culprit had concealed and obscured its fate, making it appear normal.’