184: Zhao Yutai murdered Li Changan! Under the Mo Dao

Chapter 183: Zhao Yutai Attempts to Assassinate Li Chang'an! Under the Blade of the Mo Dao, Both Man and Horse Shatter! (23)

Northern Liang Royal Mansion.

Xu Xiao was in the midst of negotiating with Han Shengxuan.

He was reluctant to part with Chu Lushan, but he could not give up the hereditary succession.

"Luqiuer is skilled in both civil and martial arts, and he is loyal to Feng Nian."

"We've already lost Xu Weibear; if we lose Luqiuer as well, Feng Nian's situation will become difficult."

Li Yishan was an absolute confidant, and his words were very direct.

"Luqiuer is far from comparable to the hereditary succession of the Xu family's royal banner."

Xu Xiao said in a deep voice, "We have been planning for this hereditary succession for over ten years."

"But... is Luqiuer truly beyond saving?"

Li Yishan said, "Of course there's a way. If he can't be saved openly, then save him secretly."

Xu Xiao bared his teeth and said, "Feng Nian's secret move cost us over two thousand Northern Liang elites!"

Li Yishan, however, shook his head, "For the growth of the Young Master, two thousand men died in their rightful place."

"Your Highness, first employ a delaying tactic, slowly dragging out and deferring with Han Shengxuan."

"We will fully infiltrate Yong Province, as well as the surrounding mountain bandits and powerful clans."

"With Northern Liang's influence, using all sorts of methods, it shouldn't be difficult to snatch Luqiuer out."

The Northern Liang Royal Mansion's secret agents, open contacts, and former subordinates were spread throughout the land.

Xu Xiao raised an eyebrow and said, "Feng Nian must also be involved in this matter."

"We need to let him know how difficult it is for us men!"

Yong Province, Tieshuang City.

Wu Shizhen had just met Li Chang'an when Li Chang'an slapped him to the ground.

Wu Shizhen's face was in severe pain, and a few molars fell out of his mouth.

Wu Shizhen was not only extremely arrogant but also lewdly ogled the female attendants, so Li Chang'an naturally wouldn't tolerate him.

"This King and your father were both personally enfeoffed by the late emperor. According to custom, this King is your uncle!"

The art of physiognomy in the world encompasses everything.

There is the art of judging horses, and even the art of judging people, of which there are many types.

Wu Shizhen only picked the one he was most interested in and found most practical: how to identify a Dual Cultivation Cauldron.

When he stepped out of his sedan chair, he noticed that the two women behind Li Chang'an had excellent Aptitude.

The woman in the red dress was enchanting and charming, with a magnificent figure, a High Grade among Cauldrons!

The other woman in the green dress had a cold and beautiful expression, with heroic sword-like brows.

This one was even more coveted, an Immortal Grade with inner charm, almost reaching his father's so-called second-grade Immortal, the "Sitting Lotus Bodhisattva Aspect"!

The prescient Li Chang'an naturally knew Wu Shizhen's background.

Li Chang'an's slap made Wu Shizhen dizzy and almost faint.

This slap also stunned the prefect and all the civil and military officials on the spot!

In the Qingcheng Mountain area, Prince Qingcheng Wu Lingsu was like a god!

This Wu Shizhen was the son of a god, referred to by the common folk as the Son of Heaven.

Such an arrogant title showed the chaotic state of local governance in the Li Yang Dynasty.

Eight charming Daoist nuns, like orioles and swallows, all drew their long swords from their waists!

"How dare you! You actually dared to strike the Young Master of Qingcheng!"

The Brocade-Clad Guards behind Li Chang'an also drew their embroidered spring sabers and stood in front.

"Protect Your Highness!"

Most of these Daoist nuns had not Cultivated martial arts before Dual Cultivation with Wu Shizhen.

However, they were diligent in Dual Cultivation, serving the old Immortal and then the young Immortal.

Therefore, they all now possessed a cultivation of the third or fourth rank.

But in front of the stern, Killing Intent-filled Brocade-Clad Guards, these Daoist nuns could barely hold their swords steady.

The officials of Tieshuang City were all as silent as cicadas in winter.

No matter how bad Li Chang'an was, he was still ordered to suppress bandits.

The matter of Li Chang'an castrating Chu Lushan had already spread throughout Yong Province.

Perhaps Li Chang'an wouldn't lead troops, but he was truly a fierce individual!

The eight Daoist nuns were kept far away, and Wu Shizhen lay on the ground like a dead dog.

He had enjoyed prestige around Qingcheng Mountain for many years and had never suffered such humiliation.

He circulated his Internal Energy and slowly got up.

"Li Chang'an! You..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Chang'an kicked him in the back again!

"Thud!"

Wu Shizhen was caught off guard and fell forward again!

His mouth hit the ground directly!

The pain in his teeth was excruciating, and his heart was even more terrified!

A second-rank Grandmaster was utterly helpless against Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an's physique and True Qi were extremely overbearing. The True Qi poured into Wu Shizhen's body, making his Meridians feel as if they would tear apart!

Wu Shizhen, who enjoyed the pleasures of Dual Cultivation daily, cherished his life the most.

No matter what, preserving his life was paramount!

"Your Highness! Your... Royal Uncle!"

"Royal Uncle is above! Your nephew respectfully greets Royal Uncle!"

Wu Shizhen knelt on the ground obediently, shouting loudly!

This submissive appearance made Xu Weibear and Hong Shu roll their eyes in disgust.

Hong Shu fiddled with her slender fingers, a sentence escaping through clenched teeth.

"Initially aggressive but later submissive, it's laughable to think about!"

Li Chang'an took the two women back to the carriage and then headed directly south.

The Brocade-Clad Guards had already thoroughly investigated the terrain and the distribution of bandit forces in this area.

Wu Shizhen, kneeling on the ground, heard Li Chang'an's gradually fading words.

"Tell your Royal Father that after this King eliminates the mountain bandits, I will definitely pay him a visit!"

"Have him prepare a few more High Grade Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals for this King."

Wu Lingsu Cultivated the authentic Dual Cultivation Dao, which could simultaneously advance the cultivation of both male and female practitioners.

Wu Shizhen, who had always been tyrannical and extremely concerned about his image, was almost exploding with rage!

"Li Chang'an, just a subjugated remnant!"

"He actually publicly humiliated this Young Master!"

"I think you've reached the end of your rope!"

The enraged Young Master Wu stood up, got straight into his gauze sedan, and left Tieshuang City.

Enraging Wu Shizhen and drawing out the mountain bandits for a decisive battle was the first step in Li Chang'an's plan.

According to intelligence from the Brocade-Clad Guards, the vicious bandits in the mountains had long aroused public resentment.

The collusion between the mountain bandits and Qingcheng Mountain was almost an open secret.

Coupled with the abduction of innocent women by Wu Lingsu and his son, it further fueled widespread anger and resentment!

Eliminating Wu Lingsu and his son could also be considered ridding the people of a menace.

That same night.

The bandit leaders from several strongholds gathered in Qingyang Palace to discuss countermeasures.

Among the dozen or so bandit groups in Qingcheng Mountain, Azure Dragon Stronghold and Black Tiger Mountain were the largest.

Liu Sandao, the leader of Azure Dragon Stronghold, was the head of these bandit leaders.

"Son of Heaven Wu, these few girls are the finest we've snatched in the past six months, all virgins."

"Their companions and families have all been thoroughly killed, so there are absolutely no future troubles."

"Among them, there's even a pair of aunt and niece, which is even rarer than sister flowers!"

Six women stood outside the door, each of them exceptionally beautiful.

Wu Shizhen nodded and accepted them.

Liu Sandao continued, "Son of Heaven Wu, I heard that the King of Tang has already arrived at Qingcheng Mountain."

"The King of Tang is coming to suppress bandits, Son of Heaven Wu, you must support us!"

Wu Shizhen had long planned to use the strength of these people to kill Li Chang'an, who had insulted him!

Wu Shizhen said coldly and expressionlessly, "This Young Master explicitly tells you, the imperial court has not sent a single soldier to Li Chang'an!"

"Li Chang'an only recruited two thousand new soldiers three months ago!"

Upon hearing this, the bandit leaders immediately looked relieved!

"These new soldiers not only lack cavalry but also have extremely poor combat strength!"

"Two thousand men were wiped out by small groups of mountain bandits along the way, losing a thousand!"

"This afternoon, Li Chang'an, with a thousand men, directly camped in Yinping County."

This was, of course, a deliberate deception created by Li Chang'an; a thousand Bai Er Soldiers were secretly marching through the mountains, intentionally misleading Wu Shizhen.

After Wu Shizhen finished speaking, the bandit leaders all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Even two thousand men, scattered into this Qingcheng Mountain, wouldn't even find a fart!"

"Fortunately, Your Royal Highness informed us; we no longer need to live in fear!"

Just as the bandit leaders were celebrating and making noise, Wu Shizhen suddenly coughed twice.

"You bandits are truly short-sighted. I'll tell you another piece of news!"

"Li Chang'an came here carrying ninety percent of the Tang Royal Mansion's savings!"

"The old Southern Tang was the wealthiest of the Nine Kingdoms in the Spring and Autumn period; even Li Chang'an's chamber pot is worth a thousand taels of silver!"

"Although Li Chang'an has few men, the money in his carriages amounts to a full three hundred thousand taels!"

Wu Shizhen fabricated this news to incite the greed of these bandits and use their hands to eliminate Li Chang'an!

Those two exquisite Cauldrons of Li Chang'an must also be snatched!

Such exquisite Cauldrons, he thought, should be kept hidden and not shared with the old man!

After Wu Shizhen finished speaking, he began to leisurely drink tea.

Next, several bandit leaders were expressing their opinions, all deciding to strike first.

Just then, a middle-aged man in his thirties suddenly entered through the door.

This man had a dignified appearance, somewhat resembling Wu Shizhen.

Wu Shizhen quickly rose and said, "Royal Father, why have you come!"

The bandit leaders all bowed in unison, "Greetings, Immortal Wu!"

Wu Lingsu sat in the seat of honor that Wu Shizhen had vacated, "Gentlemen, even as bandits, you must act with discretion."

"The King of Tang is still a minor vassal king; you must not harm his life!"

When he spoke the last few words, Wu Lingsu emphasized his tone.

The meaning was clear: things could be stolen, personal guards could be killed, but Li Chang'an could not be killed!

If Li Chang'an remained alive, the imperial court would still use him as an example when reducing the power of the vassal states.

Liu Sandao immediately agreed, "Yes, yes, yes! We respectfully obey the Immortal's teachings!"

The imperial court had ordered Wu Lingsu to keep an eye on Northern Liang, and Wu Lingsu had actually been very diligent.

However, the actual helmsman of Qingcheng Mountain was not him.

It was his wife, Zhao Yutai!

Zhao Yutai had her own Disciples and influence, and Wu Lingsu truly did not know what she was doing behind the scenes.

Zhao Yutai was a martial artist in the Zhi Xuan Realm, and her combat power was stronger than his Daoist Zhi Xuan Realm.

Raising these mountain bandits was Zhao Yutai's idea.

The purpose was to make Qingcheng Mountain a dead mountain, impenetrable to the imperial court's power.

Keeping these mountain bandits also made it convenient for Wu Lingsu and his son to forcibly abduct Cauldrons.

When they saw a woman with good Aptitude passing by, they would kill her family, abduct her up the mountain, and directly pin the blame on the bandits.

Wu Lingsu and his son had done such things countless times.

Otherwise, where did the hundreds of Daoist nuns in Qingyang Palace come from?

Of course, Wu Shizhen had no objection to Wu Lingsu's words.

However, the Prince Qingcheng's next sentence made Wu Shizhen's vision go black.

"Li Chang'an's two concubines, both of them, are to be brought up the mountain to this King!"

It turned out that after Li Chang'an entered Guangping Commandery, Wu Lingsu had also been paying attention.

As soon as Wu Lingsu finished speaking, an angry shout suddenly came from the doorway.

"Leave no one alive, kill them all!"

A tall woman appeared at the doorway, a prominent scar on her face!

This scar was even more ferocious than the three saber scars on Liu Sandao's face.

Seeing Zhao Yutai appear, Wu Lingsu and his son immediately felt their legs go weak.

The bandit leaders were also terrified out of their wits when they saw Zhao Yutai.

"Thud!" The sounds were incessant as the bandit leaders knelt in unison.

"Greetings, Immortal Aunt Zhao!"

Years ago, Zhao Yutai had casually killed several major bandit leaders and propped up these men before them.

These people flattered Wu Shizhen and revered Wu Lingsu.

But for Zhao Yutai, they had a fear that permeated their very bones!

Zhao Yutai's expression was icy cold, "I don't care how you two mess around normally."

"But this Li Chang'an must die. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility!"

"Did you hear me!"

Zhao Yutai's sharp shout made the burly bandit leaders tremble like sieves!

"We respectfully obey Immortal Aunt's decree!"

Zhao Yutai resented Li Chang'an for targeting Northern Liang, and she was determined to use the mountain bandits to kill him.

"Within ten days, I want to see Li Chang'an's head!"

On Qingcheng Mountain.

Liu Sandao had already assembled the elite bandits from the mountain, preparing to take down Li Chang'an in one fell swoop.

He excitedly licked his lips, his eyes revealing a cruel, bloodthirsty glint!

They had gathered fifteen hundred cavalry and fifteen hundred infantry.

According to their intelligence, their opponents were a thousand greenhorn soldiers.

How could this battle be lost?

The advantage is ours!

Liu Sandao, facing the three thousand bandits before him, was emotionally charged!

"Brothers, today, follow me to kill into Yinping County!"

"As long as you can wipe out the King of Tang's forces, the county town is yours to plunder!"

"Money, wealth, and women, whoever grabs them, they're theirs!"

Upon hearing these words, the three thousand bandits immediately became agitated!

They had rarely encountered such unrestrained slaughter and plunder!

No need to say more, this operation must have received permission from the Immortals of Qingyang Palace!

Then, Liu Sandao ordered, "Cavalry first, slaughter Li Chang'an's personal guards!"

"As for the infantry, if you run too slowly, you'll miss out on the benefits!"

The fifteen hundred cavalry were just third-rank martial artists or strong men on horseback, who had never undergone cavalry training.

But encouraged by the bandit leader, their enthusiasm immediately soared!

The shouts reaching the heavens almost overturned the mountaintop!

"Rob the money!"

"Rob the food!"

"Rob the women!"

Immediately after, the sound of hooves rumbled!

Fifteen hundred mounted bandits galloped down from the mountain forest!

Fifteen hundred infantrymen ran for their lives, scrambling to keep up, fearing they wouldn't even get a taste of the soup!

An hour later, the bright moon hung high in the night sky.

Dust flew at the foot of the mountain, and fifteen hundred horses galloped like the wind!

As the horses sped down, the fifteen hundred infantrymen had already fallen far behind.

On both sides of the forest, 青甲士兵 (green-armored soldiers) stood ready.

The repeating crossbows in their hands were forcefully lowered.

The King had ordered that the Bai Er Soldiers were only to target the infantry!

Liu Sandao led the cavalry down Qingcheng Mountain and waded across the river at the shallow beach of Yanzi 磯.

Familiar roads, familiar smells, and soon, familiar victory!

However, after crossing Yanzi 磯 this time, the situation was somewhat different.

On the road ahead, a large group of figures was faintly visible!

The moonlight was hazy, and Liu Sandao almost thought he had misread it!

The ground was bathed in moonlight, and a chilling Killing Intent permeated the night wind!

The blades of Mo Dao shimmered with cold light under the moonlight!

Liu Sandao clearly saw the enemy's formation and immediately burst into laughter!

"I laugh at Li Chang'an for indeed not knowing military tactics!"

"Since there are defenses, why not attack at Yanzi 磯 when they are halfway across the river!"

"There are only a mere thousand men, and they are using infantry to block cavalry!"

"This is simply courting death!"

Upon hearing Liu Sandao's roar, a heaven-shaking roar erupted from the Mo Dao squad!

"Under the Mo Dao!"

"Both man and horse shatter!"

"The King of Tang's Mo Dao Army is here!"

"No bandit horse shall pass!"

The Aura of the roar reached the heavens, shaking for a hundred li!