Chapter 275: Change in the Capital City

The Great Li Country. The Capital.

Duke Dingbei’s Mansion.

At the head of the main hall sat a middle-aged man. His features were chiseled and resolute, his eyes deep and profound. A crimson glint flickered within them as he blinked, and he possessed an imposing aura without a trace of anger. Dressed in a long, black robe, he was none other than the Great Li Country’s Duke Dingbei and Grand General Longwu, Nangong Lie.

A personal guard stood beside him, whispering in his ear.

Nangong Lie’s expression remained placid, betraying no emotion.

Just then, a young man strolled in from outside.

The young man was dressed in a dark brocade robe, with a Cyan Jade Belt fastened at his waist. He had sharp, slanting brows and phoenix eyes whose upturned corners gave him a look of innate indifference.

No one announced his arrival, nor did anyone try to stop him.

Yet Nangong Lie showed no sign of displeasure. His expression unchanged, he waved a hand, and the personal guard swiftly withdrew.

“Huang’er, why have you come out of seclusion?”

Nangong Lie gazed at his son—the most talented and accomplished of his three sons and one daughter. A hint of warmth flickered in his eyes as he asked softly.

Nangong Huang had been at Golden Core Realm Perfection for thirty years. Only after his cultivation had recently progressed did he choose to enter seclusion this year to prepare for a breakthrough into the Nascent Soul Realm.

Even so, Nangong Huang was just over a hundred years old and had held the title of Great Li’s First True Master for three decades!

But Nangong Huang had not broken through; he had chosen to emerge from his seclusion early.

Nangong Huang had a high-bridged nose and pale, thin lips. A flash of icy coldness crossed his eyes as he said in a grim tone, “Father, I heard Third Brother was killed.”

The ‘Third Brother’ he spoke of was Nangong Bo, who had died in the Longling Mountain Range.

Nangong Lie remained silent.

Nangong Huang continued, “According to those who escaped and made it back, the one who killed Third Brother is a man from the Wu Country named Lu Bai.”

“Mm.”

Nangong Lie gave a slight nod. “You need not concern yourself with this. Just continue your seclusion and focus on breaking through as soon as you can.”

“Are you worried about something, Father?”

Nangong Huang asked with a frown.

‘He didn’t understand. With his father’s status and power, why had so much time passed with no action taken?’

Nangong Lie smiled, then shook his head. “Rest assured, Huang’er. That Lu Bai is already a dead man.”

“Oh?”

Nangong Huang’s eyes lit up. “Have you already made arrangements, Father?”

Nangong Lie said slowly, “At the end of the year, the Wu Country will be holding the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion.”

Nangong Huang snorted. “I’ve heard. It’s a shame I’m past the age limit. Otherwise, I alone would be enough to sweep aside every True Master of the Martial Dao in the entire Wu Country! I would let all the Martial Artists under Heaven witness my power!”

“Heh.”

Nangong Lie chuckled. “That competition is nothing. Even if they select the Wu Dynasty’s ‘First True Master,’ he would be no match for you. When the time comes, a great upheaval will rock the Wu Country Capital City. No one will care about the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion.”

“Lu Bai has offended Marquis Jingzhong in the Wu Country. We don’t need to lift a finger; he won’t live to see the new year.”

Nangong Huang asked, “Isn’t Marquis Jingzhong under house arrest? Does he still have that kind of power?”

“Heh.”

Nangong Lie let out a soft laugh. “It’s not just Marquis Jingzhong he has offended. When the time comes, forget Lu Bai—even that girl, the current King Wu, will not escape death.”

Nangong Huang’s brow furrowed slightly. “I’ve heard from my subordinates that the Wu Country’s Overlord Blade Chen Shihu has already stepped into the Dharma Realm. With him there, it’s not impossible that he could quell the upheaval in the capital.”

“Chen Shihu, you mean?”

Nangong Lie smiled faintly and shook his head. “A mere brute. He’s not worth worrying about.”

“He’s grown arrogant commanding his own army at the border, showing no restraint. The rift between him and King Wu has deepened, and his rebellion is only a matter of time. Why would he care if King Wu lives or dies?”

After a pause, Nangong Lie added, “Even if he were to rush to the capital, he would have no say in the coming upheaval.”

“Not even the power of a Daoist Monarch Dharma will be enough?”

Nangong Huang was inwardly alarmed.

‘It seems the heavens are truly about to change for the Wu Country!’

Nangong Lie asked in turn, “Huang’er, do you know who is pulling the strings behind this upheaval in the Wu Country’s capital?”

Nangong Huang shook his head.

“Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan.”

Nangong Lie uttered the four words.

Nangong Huang’s heart skipped a beat, and then a look of sudden understanding dawned on his face.

There were many Daoist Monarchs in the Dharma Realm across the Celestial Divine Land, but the four with the greatest fame, widely acknowledged as the most powerful, each hailed from one of the Four Great Dominator Countries. They were known as the Four Daoist Monarchs of Celestial, their names renowned throughout the Divine Land, their might shaking the world.

Each of the four Daoist Monarchs’ titles contained the name of their country, a testament to their status within their respective nations.

Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan hailed from the northern Great Abyss Country.

And Nangong Lie was not only the Great Li Country’s Duke Dingbei and Grand General Longwu, but he was also one of the Four Daoist Monarchs of Celestial, known by the Daoist title Li Lie.

With Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan masterminding the plot, forget one Chen Shihu; even a few more Daoist Monarchs in the Dharma Realm likely couldn’t make a single ripple.

Above the Dharma Realm was the Integration Realm, and those who reached it were known as Great Powers.

But since the death of the Wu Country’s late king, the nation no longer had any experts at the level of an Integration Great Power.

Nangong Huang suspected that even if there were still an Integration Great Power, it would likely be useless.

‘Since Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan has chosen to make a move, the Wu Country is destined for a regime change!’

Nangong Huang took a few deep breaths, slowly digesting this information. As he looked at Nangong Lie, his eyes flashed with a newfound reverence.

‘Father is stationed here in the Great Li capital, yet he knows of matters thousands of miles away. His methods are truly unfathomable.’

‘After all, he is also one of the Four Daoist Monarchs of Celestial.’

‘Furthermore, Father is extremely knowledgeable about the affairs of the Wu Dynasty Capital City and all the powers at play.’

‘Yet I’ve never seen him set foot in the Wu Country.’

After a moment, Nangong Huang couldn’t help but ask, “If the Wu Country falls and Great Abyss benefits, can’t our Great Li take advantage of the chaos to get a piece of the pie? Or… have you already made arrangements, Father?”

“We need only watch how things unfold.”

Nangong Lie narrowed his eyes and said softly, “There have long been rumors on the Celestial Continent that the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor chose to establish the Peace Alliance in the Wu Country Capital City because he had some connection to the Wu Country. It is difficult to tell whether this is true or not.”

“This is the perfect opportunity to see if the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor left behind any contingency plans after his ascension. If he didn’t…”

Nangong Lie’s voice trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.

Nangong Huang understood his father’s unspoken implication.

For all these years, the Celestial Continent had been almost entirely free of large-scale warfare. The primary reason was the Peace Alliance, which the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor had forced upon the powerful experts of every nation eight hundred years ago.

For eight hundred years, no one had dared to break it.

Eight hundred years after the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor’s ascension, his lingering authority remained!

In truth, the death of the Wu Country’s late king had been a test of those limits.

And this time, if the Wu Country’s regime was completely overthrown and no contingency from the Eastern Desolate Martial Emperor was revealed, it would prove that he had no special relationship with the Wu Country after all.

The Peace Alliance would then exist in name only.

At that point, the nations of the Celestial Divine Land would no longer have any restraints, and the flames of war could be ignited at any moment!

“It seems that in this great upheaval, that Lu Bai is nothing more than an insignificant ant.”

Nangong Huang murmured, “Once the capital of Wu Country falls, no one will be able to protect him.”

Nangong Lie said, “Huang’er, you need only focus on your cultivation. Do not trouble your heart with this matter. I have already given the order. When the time comes, someone will deliver Lu Bai’s head to me as an offering for Nangong Bo.”

“Then I will take my leave.”

Nangong Huang nodded, bowed, and withdrew.