Chapter 218: 144, Capturing Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi, the loss of Lady Wu
With Xu Xing, someone at the same Realm as Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi, to tie him down.
Coupled with the two Great Demon Immortals providing long-range support...
No matter how strong Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi was, he would eventually be worn down and killed.
Moreover, Xu Xing and Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi shared an irreconcilable feud, so there was no concern that Xu Xing would defect mid-battle and unite with Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi to hunt *them* down.
The plight of Universal Salvation Sect Saintess Shi Yuyan during her three months in the Shooting Sun Marquis Mansion was known throughout the world!
More importantly, Shi Yuyan had been imprisoned by Demon Immortal Kou Chun in Moyun Palace. If Xu Xing wanted to save his birth mother, he had to enter Moyun Palace. Otherwise, as time dragged on, Shi Yuyan’s fate would be uncertain.
The three of them shared the same goal, making them ideal allies.
"This is the Lithographic Stone left by Kou Chun that day..."
"Your birth mother is imprisoned here."
At this, Heavenly Fox King Xiang Jun tossed Xu Xing the Lithographic Stone that Demon Immortal Kou Chun had given her.
"Eighteen years ago, Universal Salvation Sect Saintess Shi Yuyan entered Shenjing’s Yicui Building as a prostitute to select a ’Dragon Contender’—a candidate for the legendary true Son of Heaven. Thus, she chose Wu Yi, who was then a Flower-wearing Scholar..."
Next, to demonstrate her sincerity and further fuel Xu Xing’s hatred for his father, Heavenly Fox King Xiang Jun recounted all the secret affairs of that year. "Unexpectedly," she said, "Wu Yi not only had no intention of rebelling but was a staunch believer in Confucianism. The Universal Salvation Sect was enraged, and because the blood of the Ink Qilin was lost due to this, your birth mother was expelled by the Universal Salvation Sect..."
Hearing this, Xu Xing finally understood why Shi Yuyan had met such a miserable end.
Confucian principles emphasized loyalty to the sovereign. The Three Cardinal Guides are: the sovereign is the standard for the subject, the father is the standard for the son, and the husband is the standard for the wife. It could be said that Wu Yi, the man Shi Yuyan chose, not only failed to meet the criteria for a "rebel" as sought by the Universal Salvation Sect but was, in fact, the very antithesis of one.
If I were a high-ranking member of the Universal Salvation Sect, I’d consider it merciful not to have had Shi Yuyan killed.
As for her working as a prostitute in a brothel, that wasn’t particularly suspicious; it was common for scholars to frequent such establishments. If one wished to encounter newly-accepted scholars, aside from the Golden Luandian during the palace examinations, brothels were the most accessible places. In the brothels, there were also selections for their own "Zhuangyuan," "Bangyan," and "Tanhua"—titles given to the top Courtesans—who would then be paired with the newly-accepted scholars.
Furthermore, Shi Yuyan wasn’t a prostitute in the brothel indefinitely; she merely used Yicui Building as a stepping stone. It was by chance that she encountered the newly-accepted scholar Wu Yi there.
"Heavenly Fox King..." Xu Xing frowned, interrupting her. "My birth mother shouldn’t have been so blind as to misjudge Wu Yi’s character. Choosing the wrong person is excusable. But to pick someone who fervently believes in Confucianism as the true Son of Heaven? That seems impossible!"
That day, Shi Yuyan had ruthlessly struck down Huang Zhu with a single palm. Her astuteness was evident.
"Afterward..."
"The various sects throughout the land had their own speculations."
Blood Snake King Dai Feng nodded slightly. "Some believed Wu Yi had been possessed, causing his temperament to change drastically. So, the Sect Leader of the Universal Salvation Sect—Teacher Wen Jun, who was also Shi Yuyan’s birth mother—personally went to Wu Yi’s residence to investigate him. She discovered that his physical body and Divine Soul were perfectly fused, showing no signs of possession or reincarnation; he had never changed."
"And on that very day, Teacher Wen Jun was also pursued by the Yujing Royal Family and met her end at Wild Wolf Ridge. This is one reason why your birth mother could not return to the Universal Salvation Sect."
Since it wasn’t a case of possession or reincarnation, it meant Shi Yuyan had simply been terribly mistaken in choosing Wu Yi as the true Son of Heaven.
This was the only, and most fitting, explanation.
Although it seemed absurd, far more preposterous things happened in the world.
The Royal Family... Xu Xing mused, recalling the abnormal relationship between Emperor Hongcheng and Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi.
In the Main World, he too was an emperor. Even with the Immortal Path available to him, he wouldn’t have delegated excessive power to his ministers. Yet, Emperor Hongcheng of the Jiang Dynasty seemed to have no defenses against Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi, treating him as if he were his own brother.
No, even actual brothers within the Royal Family aren’t that close!
"Does the Jiang Dynasty’s Royal Family have any experts stationed there?" Xu Xing looked towards the two Great Demon Immortals.
Although he had gathered some intelligence on the Jiang Dynasty’s Royal Family, his previous insights and cultivation Realm were limiting. The information he possessed was merely superficial and certainly not as comprehensive as what the two Great Demon Immortals knew. And when it came to storming the Shooting Sun Marquis Mansion, one couldn’t afford to ignore the Jiang Dynasty’s Royal Family.
"Yes!" Heavenly Fox King Xiang Jun inclined her head slightly. "Emperor Hongcheng’s imperial uncle... the King of Chu. Forty years ago, King Li Hong of Chu was already a Leakproof State expert. Whether he has since reached the Golden Body Realm is currently unknown. However, the King of Chu did not get along with the previous emperor and doesn’t reside in Yujing. Instead, he lives on Imperial Dragon Mountain, forty miles from the capital."
"He doesn’t meddle in Yujing’s affairs."
"As long as his Flame Dynasty foundation isn’t threatened, he won’t intervene," she added.
"But we must still be wary of him," Blood Snake King Dai Feng interjected. "Only the three of us are going this time. While we have a good chance of success, for utmost caution, this king believes we should invite another demon immortal."
Inviting another demon immortal to join them was not only a precaution against King Li Hong of Chu from the Jiang Dynasty but also against Xu Xing himself.
Against Leakproof State Martial Arts Experts, the two Great Demon Immortals could only fight them to a standstill. If Xu Xing were to turn on them, they would find themselves in a stalemate similar to the current one with Wuyi, which would be disadvantageous.
"Alright, let another demon immortal join us," Xu Xing nodded, not refusing the proposal.
He, too, could foresee the danger if the three Great Demon Immortals were to truly unite against him later. However, until Shooting Sun Marquis Wuyi was dead, all four of them shared a common objective. What the situation would become after Wuyi’s death was hard to say.
Besides, no demon immortal was a benevolent sort; they wouldn’t simply obey Blood Snake King Dai Feng and Heavenly Fox King Xiang Jun. Furthermore, he could use this intervening time to build his Immortal Base.