novelScheming Lay Buddhist Xin
| ← Ch.550 | Ch.552 → |
Lord Shen's troops have surrounded the capital. They are beating drums as a signal to attack the city. Famous generals of the Yinyue Kingdom are now defending the frontier. Recently, Qiang people are making troubles in the west. If these generals come to support their king, the Yinyue Kingdom will soon be smashed by the Qiang people.
Only the south garrison can come to support. However, it is in summer that the frequent floods totally slow down the southern army. Reinforcements are delayed and the capital is isolated and helpless.
Before the reinforcements from the south arrive, the only arm which can protect the capital is the 80, 000 imperial soldiers subordinated to the old king. The capital is surrounded by Lord Shen's fifty thousand cavalries. One side is fighting desperately, while the other side has to make sure all the king's relatives all over the city survive Lord Shen's anger. Such a contrast is really ridiculous. The king's army is defeated in continuous three battles. People in the capital city are all in panic, including princes, nobles, and even the street beggars who were spreading sarcastic gossip a month ago.
People are not united at all. The capital probably can't witness the day when reinforcements are here. The old king seems to finally make up his mind. When Lord Shen's army attacks the city again, almost all imperial troops are sent out.
Lin Luoran squeezes onto the city wall under such circumstances.
War has always been cruel no matter when or where. It will not be less fierce because it's the cold weapon era. Soldiers climb up ladders and are stabbed to death, full of holes. Some soldiers are cut in the middle by the cavalry... The large yellow land under the high city wall now has been covered with broken limbs, and the soil has been stained red-brown. Horses sometimes stumble because of piles of corpses. There is screaming, clamoring, and the blunt sound of swords cutting into the body.
Under these circumstances, Lin Luoran suddenly sees Xin Yuanping.
On the frontline of the bloody battlefield, a beautiful Taoist nun in a lotus white Taoist robe walks on the battlefield compassionately, holding a black lotus. She does not mind blood polluting her embroidered shoes with white satin and pink sole.
That black lotus is too familiar for Lin Luoran. Otherwise, she will never believe that this nun is actually the devil Xin Yuanping!
That woman broke her arm at Dragon Palace and was rescued by the old Taoist Hui Zhu. Qingcheng Taoist Temple's people have totally disappeared since then. Hundreds of years pass quickly. Lin Luoran has never seen Xin Yuanping again. However, this woman once brought her unforgettable memory. She can always remember Xin Yuanping's appearance very clearly.
That summer, on the eve of a heavy rain, a woman in black suddenly appeared in front of Villa No. 18 of Qingcheng Villa.
Xin Yuanping was definitely a charming woman who knew how to pretend to be weak and shy. At first glance, people might be off guard in front of her. They would never hate her natural charm. However, under her charming appearance, it was huge hostility.
Using living people to make elixir—Xin Yuanping was definitely a devil.
Now she has a peaceful face. She looks at the battlefield with a compassionate look in her eyes. It almost deceives Lin Luoran—without the black lotus in her hand absorbing the bloody breath as she walks, Lin Luoran will totally believe that Xin Yuanping is now a nice person.
Lin Luoran soon realizes that Xin Yuanping must be "Lay Buddhist Xin" who shopkeeper Wu talked about.
This female devil must have used some tricks to remove her devil power. However, she can't hide her personal ability. Her personal ability is lower than middle Gathering Vitality. After more than four hundred years, Xin Yuanping's personal ability enhancement speed is not fast since she is a demonized cultivator. In her prime, even Lin Luoran had to fear her.
Lin Luoran destroyed all the lotus seeds of the black lotus when she was in the Palace of the Void in the Dragon Palace. Maybe it's the reason why Xin Yuanping couldn't cultivate at the normal speed as other demonized cultivators.
Lin Luoran stares at the female Taoist nun on the battlefield who has cast an invisibility spell. Mu Tiannan follows her gaze and looks at the nun. Her strength may not beyond his, however, her way of personal ability enhancement is a bit strange.
"It's so strange. She looks like a devil but she is actually not. Someone may cover her ferocious look forcibly. I seem to be familiar with her."
Lin Luoran nods, "Three people have survived the Chaos Spirit Spring—you, me, and she."
Mu Tiannan can't hide his shock, "She is Xin Yuanping?!"
Lin Luoran glances at him suspiciously. When Xin Yuanping made trouble, Mu Tiannan was still an ordinary person. She doesn't expect that he knows her.
Mu Tiannan smirks, "When I was a kid, she seemed to have held me in her arms."
Master Mu and Master Guo were close friends. When Mu Tiannan was young, Xin Yuanping was still a student of Master Guo. It was reasonable for her to hold a child of her teacher's close friend. Later on, Xin Yuanping knew the truth of her background and betrayed her teacher. Mu Tiannan was just a kid so he only had a vague impression. However, he can remember her very well now. Even after hundreds of years, he can still recognize her after her temperament has changed dramatically. It's because of the "truth" that Mu Tiannan found out during the three years when Lin Luoran was missing in Jinling.
At that time, Master Mu was caught between Master Guo and Hui Zhu when Mu Tiannan was tracking down Lin Luoran's whereabouts desperately. Master Mu couldn't stop him, so he had to tell him the reason.
Xin Yuanping was not only the daughter of the old Taoist Hui Zhu, but also the only student of Master Guo. Mu Tiannan felt overwhelmed by her two identities. He couldn't find Xin Yuanping. Even if he found her, there was nothing he could do. The only thing he could do was to hire foreign mercenaries and search Jinling over and over again, hoping to find Lin Luoran.
Lin Luoran feels both happy and worried when she sees Xin Yuanping. No matter how much she hates her, at least Xin Yuanping can prove that the earth cultivators leaving by the Tower of Babel after the Shelter of Gods really came to this world.
It's just that everyone's situation is different. Xin Yuanping became the senior guest of Yinshan School with her personal ability of Gathering Vitality period. However, she still doesn't know where the Lins and her old friends of the world of cultivation are.
"If we catch her..." Mu Tiannan immediately reacts. Devil Xin should have heard of the whereabouts of other people since they were sent to this world together.
Lin Luoran shakes her head, "Maybe they are on different stars. What's more, Xin Yuanping hates me very much. If we expect her to tell us something, maybe she will only deliberately confuse us with false news."
She thinks to herself. For the worst scenario, they act rashly and alert their enemy. Fake messages maybe not a big deal. However, with Xin Yuanping's evil means and her relationship in Yinshan School, she may set up traps for them. Lin Luoran has to protect a few young people with poor personal ability and she can't handle the female devil at the same time.
Mu Tiannan no longer says a word. In fact, if they want to get the truth from a Gathering Vitality cultivator, there are some bloody methods. However, Mu Tiannan also knows that Lin Luoran is naturally good and she rarely kills on her initiative.
After the two disappear on the city wall, Xin Yuanping seems to feel something. She stops and looks towards the city wall.
It's noisy on the wall. The war is going on fiercely but everything seems to be normal.
She thinks someone was peeking at her. Maybe she is wrong? Xin Yuanping is confused, and she loses interest in collecting blood breath on the battlefield. She enters the city with a black lotus in her hand and goes to the small shop run by Yinshan School in a hidden place.
"Lay Buddhist Xin! Finally, you are here!"
The smile on shopkeeper Wu's face is totally genuine. Lord Shen has besieged the city, and cultivators of Yinshan School in the capital have discussed it several times. The order from their school is to close the transmission circle. However, no one talks about playing hardball to the force behind Lord Shen. Cultivators are worried that if they just stay indifferent, the owner of this star may change from Yinshan School to others.
Such a mild way is not the style of their school. They are apprentices far from the core of the school. Therefore, they are naturally worried that the school will change soon.
There are many planets with abundant Reiki in this world, but the Tiankui star is never one of them. Yinshan School is not too concerned about the benefit from the Tiankui star. It sends apprentices here mainly for selecting students with good qualifications as fresh blood for the school. Therefore, among these cultivators, the one with the highest personal ability is only in the early stage of the Gathering Vitality. In terms of strength, Xin Yuanping is actually the best even though she is just a senior guest.
Seeing that Xin Yuanping is here, all cultivators in the secret room greet her. The old man who has just borne essence doesn't show great concerns. He has been closing his eyes and resting. Xin Yuanping takes her seat and he finally greets her.
Xin Yuanping sneers. The old man surnamed Cheng just bore essence six months ago. Gathering Vitality cultivators are distinguished even in some famous schools like Yinshan School. He knows that his school will not leave him wasting time on obsolete the Tiankui Star. Therefore, he no longer ingratiates her as he did. Now he accords with his identity of Gathering Vitality cultivator.
After living in such kind of world for hundreds of years, Xin Yuanping has seen a lot of people like him. She curses this reckless man secretly. However, she still looks gentle without showing her feelings.
"Previously, Senior Feng told us the message that another big school was also interested in the Tiankui star. At this moment, we still haven't received the order to take action. It should be that our school has reached an agreement with the big school. It is ready to give up the Tiankui star."
Xin Yuanping holds up the tea cup in an elegant posture, only slightly moistening her lips with tea. She casually tells them such a big news. It not only shocks all the cultivators present. The Gathering Vitality cultivator Cheng also feels complex.
He has managed this star for his school for many years, and he advanced Gathering Vitality half a year ago. However, he does not know anything about this news. His school actually trusts a senior guest more that him?
The cultivator surnamed Cheng frowns and says, "I have not received the order to evacuate..."
Xin Yuanping has turned her head to another direction, "Shopkeeper Wu, what is the background of the Gathering Vitality individual cultivator you mentioned a few days ago?"
The old man surnamed Cheng is disgraced. He kind of hates Xin Yuanping. However, his personal ability is not as good as hers, so he can only suck it.
How can shopkeeper Wu describe the woman? He only met her once. Lin Luoran looked ordinary when she entered the shop. Therefore, he really doesn't know how to describe her at this moment. As for the three of Ma Shuangshuang, they all had their own characteristics. However, Xin Yuanping doesn't even know them.
Later on, Mu Tiannan and others gathered in the capital one after another. With their personal ability, they didn't alert Yinshan School at all.
A very strange Gathering Vitality individual cultivator? Is she the person who was peeping secretly on the wall?
Xin Yuanping doesn't get any useful information. There is an uncontrollable force lurking around her. She feels that it is an unknown threat.
Xin Yuanping ignores a group of Yinshan School apprentices who are looking at her eagerly. She only reminds Wu shopkeeper who she has been along with—close the shop as soon as possible and be ready to give up the Tiankui star at any time.
Shopkeeper Wu glances at the old man surnamed Cheng carefully. He changes the topic to the figure paper consigned by Xin Yuanping.
"Recently, the situation of the Tiankui Star is unclear, so individual cultivators are generous to protect themselves. The figure paper sent by Lay Buddhist Xin is selling very well. Do you want to get the spirit stones on your account?"
Xin Yuanping nods.
Xin Yuanping gave some ordinary figure paper to the shopkeeper Wu for sale. She draws a few figure papers casually to make her life in the Tiankui Star less boring. Xin Yuanping doesn't even care about the spirit stones as payment.
Xin Yuanping gets the spirit stones and leaves immediately. She totally ignores the dark face of the old man Cheng after she goes out.
Xin Yuanping's place is in a mountain forest designated as a forbidden area by the royal family. It is a large-scale nunnery with blue tiles and red bricks. The interstellar transmission circle is only a mountain away from the nunnery.
"Grandmaster." Some beautiful young nuns greet and smile at Xin Yuanping.
Xin Yuanping nods, "Did your little school sister come back?"
Nuns shake their heads. Their little school sister's personal ability is not high but she is charming. She was selected from the slave market by the Grandmaster. After several years of training, she was sent to the palace and became the favorite concubine of the old king. In the past ten years, the king has been loving her. Their school sister once tyrannized Lord Shen who is now besieging the city. He was the prince who was the most likely to inherit the throne. However, he was exiled far away, which is the reason why he rebels against his father.
They really can't figure out why their grandmaster wants to participate in the struggle for power with her extremely high personal ability. However, a nun still replies respectfully, "Half a month ago, the little school sister came to offer incense. But now, if she comes out again, it will be too eye-catching."
Xin Yuanping chuckles, "The king of this country is about to change. As an imperial concubine, shouldn't she come here to pray?"
Nuns nod and agree. They go to arrange it.
Soon, the majestic carriage of the imperial concubine leaves the palace and comes to the nunnery at dusk.
Pretending to offer incense and pray for blessings, the imperial concubine then says that she wants to bathe before abstaining from meat. She asks her servants to stay in the yard where the nunnery treats guests, and she goes to the secluded backyard by herself.
If Lin Luoran is here, she will be a little surprised—the imperial concubine dresses up luxuriously and her way of pretending to be weak and shy is kind of like Xin Yuanping. No wonder the old king of the Yinyue Kingdom loves her so much.
Waiting for Xin Yuanping to put down the silver wolf pen of drawing figure paper in her hand, the imperial concubine is not arrogant as she usually is in front of the palace people. She calls her "grandmaster" affectionately.
Xin Yuanping shows more concerned about her than before. She asks a few questions about her daily life. Just when the imperial concubine is overjoyed by her grandmaster's attention, Xin Yuanping suddenly changes the topic, "Yinshan School is about to give up the Tiankui star. I also receive a message from your school uncle that day. I will take your senior school sisters to leave soon."
The imperial concubine smiles with joy, "Grandmaster, do you mean I don't have to go back to the palace?"
She is a young local woman. Following her teacher's order, she has served an old man for ten years. This imperial concubine has a low personal ability, so after Lord Shen conquers the city, he can kill her a hundred times because of what she has done in ten years. No matter how good the power of the world is, only a living person can enjoy it. Besides, being a cultivator with a high personal ability like her grandmaster can be above the imperial power of the mortal world and travel freely in a vast world. It is much better than being an imperial concubine trapped in the palace! In the past, she once heard senior school sisters describing the truly wonderful world of cultivation outside the Tiankui Star. How can the imperial concubine not yearn for it?
After hearing her question, Xin Yuanping smiles mysteriously.
"Your senior school sisters will leave with me, but you will stay here. Not only that, something will change, but you still have to be the imperial concubine."
The imperial concubine kneels down and sobs, "Grandmaster, what did I do wrong?"
Her senior school sisters all leave, but she has to stay in the Tiankui Star? The ruler will change and Lord Shen will become the new king. How can she continue to be an imperial concubine?
Xin Yuanping wipes away her tears for her, "Stupid girl, there is a precedent in the Yinyue Kingdom that the father died and his son married his concubine. You have to use your advantages... I really have something important to do and I can't take care of Tiankui Star recently. Among all apprentices, you are the most suitable person to do this for your teacher."
Xin Yuanping teaches the imperial concubine carefully, and her apprentice is totally dumbfounded. Xin Yuanping has lived for so long. As a native of the Yinyue kingdom, the imperial concubine messes with the court relying on her natural charm and some cultivator methods. She is very good at being charming. However, when it comes to manipulating power, her scheming knowledge is not enough.
The interstellar transmission circle is near the imperial palace. No matter which school takes over the Tiankui star, the imperial family of Yinyue Kingdom is always a key.
Although Xin Yuanping wants to leave Tiankui Star, she does not intend to completely give up on power. If cultivators are involved, the school which takes over will never feel relaxed. As for a naturally charming concubine, even if she can play some tricks, the superior cultivators will never care about her.
The world of cultivation was surging a few years ago. The prophet god who is good at deduction said something mysterious about it. Xin Yuanping thought that only outsiders who were sent here by the Tower of Babel could understand it.
The Tiankui Star would change. Well, it's must be that someone would be sent to this world from the earth.
Xin Yuanping felt that the prophecy of the prophet god would definitely be related to the woman she hated most in her life.
She must be the first to get the news without anyone noticing.
How to take action under the watchful eyes of the people is very challenging, but Xin Yuanping likes challenges.
After four hundred years, if that woman is still alive, she should be in the Bearing Essence period.
Anyhow, their personal ability level will not be very different. After all, with the Earth's Reiki, even if she has extraordinary talent... Xin Yuanping smiles.
...
In the courtyard of Xihua Lane, Liao picks his ears and stops the holy spell.
"What happened, Uncle Liao?" Lin Luoran is a little impatient. She hopes that the holy spell "clairaudience" Liao talks about can really be useful—it sounds pretty cool. However, Liao has always been unreliable. People can't help but doubt his ability.
Liao has guessed what she is thinking, so he does not feel happy at all. He really wants to grab this idiot by her shoulders and shakes off her head. The Master of Blue Waves is definitely very reliable! In the past, he had amnesia and had no personal ability. His wretchedness was just to cover up!
When flattering Lin Luoran offers him tea, the unwillingness in Liao's heart vanishes immediately, and his old face is full of smiles.
Hu Ji secretly despises the "sister-con" Liao who has no moral integrity. Liao completely ignores him and shows off the news he has "heard".
He tells the story that Xin Yuanping left the battlefield, went to Yinshan School's shop, and called her female apprentice who has been an imperial concubine in the Yinyue Kingdom.
Liao summarizes it into several points—
Firstly, Xin Yuanping is just a senior guest of Yinshan School, but she has a very close relationship with this school. Yinshan School wants to evacuate from the Tiankui star, and she even gets the news earlier than the apprentices of the school.
Secondly, Xin Yuanping hides her devil personal ability very well. She has lived a seclusive life. Others only think of her as someone good at drawing figure paper. In addition, she mentioned "school uncle" to her apprentice. It means that she has a teacher in this world, and she is not an individual cultivator.
Thirdly, Xin Yuanping will temporarily leave the Tiankui Star for some irresistible reason. However, she does not forget to leave her apprentice in the mortal world. She obviously has an obsession with the Tiankui Star. There isn't something she wants to get here. Then there must be someone she wants to get.
Xin Yuanping is now good at drawing figure paper, and even she has a teacher?!
Lin Luoran and Mu Tiannan look at each other. They have the same idea in their mind. This devil only knew how to make "elixirs" with living people. It must be Hui Zhu who taught her how to draw figure paper. Are her friends of the same school those Taoists from Qingcheng Taoist Temple?
Everyone has never heard of Yinshan School, so they choose to forget about it first. Xin Yuanping is guarding the Tiankui Star which is almost abandoned. What is she looking for?
"A bold guess—she wants to kill you... Hey, we were teleported from the earth to this world. Maybe someone has already noticed it?"
Most of the time, Unscented keeps silent. Sometimes she says something, and her words always get to the truth.
"So, we only need to—" Han Weiya mutters to herself, drawling. Everyone then says in unison, "Follow Xin Yuanping!"
Following Xin Yuanping may not lead to the Lins family, but they will likely find the people from Qingcheng Taoist Temple first.
It is the best choice since they don't know the various forces in this world. Lin Luoran also cannot oppose such an attractive proposal.
| ← Ch. 550 | Ch. 552 → |