Chapter 289: The Plan

"How could he not be dead?"

Li Qinghe's eyes were bloodshot, and he muttered the words over and over.

Ever since Wanyu divined that taking back the imperial destiny required Luo Sheng to die, Li Qinghe had lost all appetite and could barely sleep. Even in his dreams, Jing Huan was bringing back news of Luo Sheng's death.

Now, hearing that Luo Sheng had survived the Heavenly Punishment, he was driven half-mad.

Without a second thought, he pulled a Great Seal from his pocket.

It was an Official Seal carved from jade, square at the base and round at the top, crystal clear and unlike anything of the mortal world. Coiled atop it were five intertwined, soaring dragons, their eyes gleaming brightly like scorching sparks in the night. The moment Wanyu sensed Li Qinghe bring out the Official Seal, her expression instantly changed, and she spoke up in haste:

"Your Majesty, you mustn't! If you mobilize the remnant dragon power, the people from the East Lake Prefecture will definitely notice. Even if you kill Luo Sheng, you will inevitably face even stricter surveillance afterward."

"For the sake of the bigger picture, please endure this, Your Majesty. As for Luo Sheng, though he took away the imperial destiny, he ultimately hasn't fulfilled the words of the heavenly divination. Your Majesty is the one chosen by heaven's mandate; there will be other opportunities to kill him later."

"..."

Faced with Wanyu's pleas, Li Qinghe fell silent for a second or two.

Then, he turned his head, looked at Wanyu, and said slowly, "I can feel it. Luo Sheng is the one chosen by heaven's mandate."

As he spoke, his voice was so heavy it felt like condensing water.

Wanyu's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly dropped to her knees and prostrated herself before Li Qinghe, her voice trembling.

"Your Majesty is undeniably the one chosen by heaven's mandate."

Li Qinghe's voice drifted down faintly from above her head.

"When he accidentally stumbled into the Ninth Lake Prefecture in his early teens, I only thought of him as a toy."

"Yu'er, when you divined that he carried the imperial destiny, do you remember what you told me?"

Wanyu didn't dare answer, and Li Qinghe continued, "You said that the imperial destiny had actively chosen a wise ruler."

"But it's been nearly twenty years now. The Martial Saint is by his side, the imperial destiny is by his side. What about next time? Will the divine bird be by his side as well?"

"If I don't kill him now, am I supposed to wait until the Fate Turning Day arrives in a few years? Wait for him to bring the Martial Saint, the divine bird, and the heavenly official back to Minhu, and then take everything that rightfully belongs to me?!"

"Look!!!"

With a sweeping wave of his large hand, Li Qinghe pointed at the Ninth Lake Prefecture below. At this moment, the lights of ten thousand homes dotted the night like a constellation of stars.

"Look at this Ninth Lake Prefecture! Is it not stronger than the prefectures outside?! Go and ask around. Who here doesn't praise my civil governance and military achievements all these years!"

"Why? Why does it have to be him?"

His eyes turned incomparably dark.

"My only regret is that I didn't kill him right then, when the imperial destiny left him!"

"I only hate my soft-heartedness at the time!"

...

Wanyu lowered her head, not daring to speak.

She remembered that when the imperial destiny had drifted away from Luo Sheng back then, she had casually suggested that Li Qinghe simply kill him.

But Li Qinghe hadn't had his fill of fun yet. He allowed Luo Sheng to leave and sketch from nature, and later, after Luo Sheng returned to the Sixth Lake Prefecture, he specifically wrote letters to check up on him.

After that came the destruction of Luo Sheng's family.

But right now, in the face of the emperor's wrath, she didn't dare to speak out of turn.

"Therefore, I'm going to kill him right now! Tell me, Yu'er, am I right or wrong to kill him?"

Li Qinghe looked down at Wanyu.

"It's... it's right."

Wanyu whispered.

Li Qinghe was overjoyed and began to laugh.

"Good! Then he dies! Once the imperial destiny returns, even if I'm held accountable by those lowly commoners from the East Lake Prefecture, I will only have to bide my time a little longer. This empire will ultimately be mine."

As his words fell, weird energy surged in his palm. Clumps of fresh blood gushed from his hand and were instantly absorbed by the Official Seal.

The eyes of the five dragons immediately turned blood-red. A resonant dragon's roar erupted from the Official Seal. As if responding to the seal's call, the sound rippled outward from the Ninth Lake Prefecture toward the horizon. Streaks of golden dragon aura surged from beneath the ground, roaring and galloping as they converged toward the giant eye in the sky.

Far away on the horizon.

On the road to a remote village, the Vice Prefecture Master witnessed this scene. His expression changed drastically, and he flew into a rage.

"Remnants of the Imperial Era! To think you would dare attempt a rebellion during such troubled times!!!"

"You're truly tired of living!"

Meanwhile.

Huang Family Village.

The Old Man watched Ye Jinyuan's figure slowly disappear into the blood-colored door, then looked at the rising dragon aura around them. He could have rushed to the Ninth Lake Prefecture, but his eyes flickered, and in the end, he didn't move.

With one more person being punished, his own penalty would be a little lighter.

Besides, it was already too late.

With that dragon aura, the New Heaven—which originally could only mobilize its power once—would be able to unleash a second punishment.

Sure enough, a trace of human-like delight flashed through the pupil of the giant eye that seemed to shroud half the Minhu Domain.

It had been very dissatisfied about failing to kill that human.

Now, this dragon aura had arrived at exactly the right time.

Hum—

Accompanied by a massive rumbling sound, streaks of black light gathered once more within the giant eye. They locked onto Yan Jing, who was speeding away on a motorcycle, and murderous intent saturated the entire world.

Sitting in front of Yan Jing, Fei Yu's expression changed drastically at the sight.

Already scrambling to heal Yan Jing, she panicked completely.

The power Tiger had given them was nearly depleted. In Yan Jing's current state, it was impossible for him to withstand a second strike.

She hugged Yan Jing's bleeding body, frantically wiping away the blood as she poured a continuous stream of origin power into him.

"How do we break the Life Substitution Method? Young Master, didn't you just say you asked Mr. Huzi about it?"

Anxious as an ant on a hot pan, Fei Yu placed her hands on Yan Jing's blood-soaked face and cried out, "Hurry up and cancel the Life Substitution Method! Undo it, quickly!"

"There's no way to cancel it. I never asked him at all."

Yan Jing smiled.

Fei Yu froze.

Yan Jing burst into loud laughter. His every internal organ was in agony; it felt as if his entire body was covered in bloody holes, steadily oozing fresh blood.

History seemed to be repeating itself. The way he was fleeing from Minhu right now was exactly how he had escaped from Old Sin City back then.

But things were different now.

Back then, if he had failed, he would have lost everything. But now, even if he failed, it would still be a success.

Mantou would be fine. Chen Nian would be fine. Fei Yu would be fine. The Old Man, Tiger—none of them would be harmed.

He wouldn't be harmed either.

It was only one of his identities that would perish.

"Xiao Yu, do you remember our original plan?"

He looked at Fei Yu, his voice gentle.

By now, Fei Yu's face was covered in tears. In her mind, scenes of memories surged rapidly.

The afternoon their group arrived in Dangdangli, the Old Man had sought her out.

"Xiao Yu, I'll be slipping away tonight to go to the Third Lake Prefecture. Don't tell the Young Master."

The Old Man said, looking at Fei Yu.

"Why are you going to the Third Lake Prefecture?"

Fei Yu's heart skipped a beat. She had also planned to leave that night for Huang Family Village. If possible, she hoped the Old Man in front of her could stay behind to protect her young master.

"To take care of something."

The Old Man smiled.

"You keep an eye on the Young Master here and make sure he doesn't run off. Once I succeed, I'll bring some people back to help you slay that human chasing you, and then I'll help send Huzi away."

"Don't tell the Young Master, alright? It's a secret plan."

This afternoon.

After Tiger came out of the room and listened to her explain the plan her young master had laid out, he spoke up:

"Miss Xiao Yu, listen to me. I have a plan."

"The Old Man is fine now, and that human has his hands full. The Path of Destiny will grant me a new surge of power. I'll stay behind to withstand the Heavenly Punishment, and you and the Young Master will leave."

"You're staying behind alone?"

Fei Yu's eyes widened.

"Mhm."

Tiger smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll use that power to keep myself alive, and then I'll head back to Bianliu County to look for Mr. Yi Ji."

Tiger said it so casually, but Fei Yu fell silent.

Just how far was it from here to Bianliu County?

After enduring the Heavenly Punishment, could Tiger really walk all the way back?

This plan was just as unpolished as Master Liu's plan. But seeing Tiger's simple, honest smile, she didn't know what to say and could only nod.

Finally, there was the conversation she'd had with her young master the night before last.

"Someone has to endure the Heavenly Punishment. Even if I use a divine ability to hide inside someone's body, it just shifts the Heavenly Punishment onto them. Though feasible, that person must have an extremely high cultivation base, and from then on, I would be under their control."

She had said at the time.

Hearing this, her young master had spoken:

"What would happen if you hid inside my body, Xiao Yu?"

She had widened her eyes then, before shaking her head.

"It won't work. It would take someone of at least the Sixth Tier for that to be possible."

"Otherwise, even if you don't die, you'd absolutely be on the brink of death, completely beyond saving. And I can't use the Method of Nirvana right now either."

Unexpectedly, Yan Jing simply nodded.

"Listen to me, Xiao Yu. I have a plan."

"When Mr. Yi Ji came over this time, he brought a motorcycle."

"That motorcycle can travel through space. If Huzi doesn't wake up tomorrow, we'll take it to the New Domain."

"If Huzi does wake up tomorrow... didn't you say the New Heaven is quite stupid? We'll open a passage at the exact same time. Since you're there, the New Heaven will definitely lock onto you."

"You'll hide inside my body, and then we'll endure the Heavenly Punishment together to cover Huzi's escape."

"No!" she had refused flatly. "Even with my help, it's absolutely impossible!"

"You'll die! What's the point of me going to the New Domain alone?! It'll just be another few hundred years!"

Her voice had trembled violently, but Yan Jing burst into hearty laughter:

"Xiao Yu, how could I ever leave you all alone?"

"Don't worry. Your young master is far stronger than you think."

"Just do as I say!"

In the end, she could only nod helplessly.

Fei Yu's tears fell like pearls. If each of those teardrops was mixed into well water, they would be enough to extend a person's lifespan.

Yet now, they were falling carelessly, as if they cost nothing.

Actually, she had also formed a plan of her own a long time ago.

At the thought of it, a cluster of flames seemed to ignite fiercely within her heart.

Smiling with hot tears in her eyes, she reached out a warm palm and gently stroked Yan Jing's face.

"I remember, Young Master. We'll do exactly as you originally planned."

With that thought, her figure dissolved into specks of red light and transformed into a small bird with divine light surging across its wings, before diving straight into Yan Jing's body.

A pair of blood-red wings unfurled from Yan Jing's back.

Yan Jing smiled.

Then, he snapped his fingers.

Gurgling black mist billowed around him, and the silhouette of a massive, pitch-black tree emerged. Threads extended from the tree's shadow, wrapping around his entire body. Fissures cracked across his skin as winged tentacles stretched outward. Then, beside the blood-red wings, a gigantic pitch-black wing composed of eighty-one smaller wings materialized, overlapping the crimson ones.

At this moment, he had completely transformed into a monster.

Inside Yan Jing's body, Fei Yu had no time to process this shocking change. She instantly pushed her origin power to the absolute limit, attempting to break free from Yan Jing's body to block the strike from behind him.

But streaks of white power suddenly extended from all directions within Yan Jing's body, trapping Fei Yu firmly in place.

"This is...!"

Fei Yu flapped her wings desperately, but she couldn't break free from the cage formed by the white power at all.

"Let me out! Young Master!!! Let me out!!!"

"I knew you wouldn't listen. Xiao Yu, if you die, wouldn't all my hard work be for nothing?"

Yan Jing laughed as he braced to crash directly into the black light!!!

"Don't worry, Xiao Yu. How could I ever let you go there alone?"