Chapter 711: The Inevitable Trend (High Energy Chapter)

Qiu Zhiheng looked at Juanzi, Mengzi, and Xiaoshan, then turned his gaze to Lian Budai, whose face was flushed.

"Senior, are you a grandmaster of the Sliding Cultivation Sect?" Qiu Zhiheng was well-informed, but he had never heard of Sliding Cultivation. However, since Juanzi and the others kept referring to it as such, he could only follow their lead and inquire further.

He inferred that Lian Budai was a grandmaster because this senior was capable of disassembling the Three-Headed Person's body.

This master's cultivation level far exceeded Qiu Zhiheng's comprehension.

Lian Budai, feeling embarrassed to keep silent, simply told the truth: "I am from the Oil Cultivation Sect, and my identity cannot be disclosed."

Qiu Zhiheng nodded. "Senior, rest assured, what we discuss today will absolutely not leave this courtyard. I have witnessed your technique, and I admire it from the bottom of my heart. I am certain your sect will flourish in the future. If there's ever a need for my assistance, I will not hesitate. For now, I only have one question: once this technique is deployed, can it be reversed? We have an urgent matter, and these three people cannot be separated."

Everyone stared at Lian Budai.

Lian Budai was very nervous, head bowed, constantly rubbing his hands. "Let's consider this logically. You see, when a gear is rusted, a little oil makes it move again. When some parts are stuck too tightly, a bit of oil helps them come apart. When have you ever heard of oil being used to stick things together?"

Qiu Zhiheng confirmed again, "So, it's not possible?"

Lian Budai nodded. "I certainly can't. If you were to find a Glue Cultivator, perhaps they could."

Qiu Zhiheng was speechless and bewildered. At this critical juncture, where could he possibly find a Glue Cultivator?

Lian Budai sighed, looking at Qiu Zhiheng. "Actually, I don't think this is a bad thing. Juanzi and the others have been together for many years. They seemed compatible, but in reality, they were ill-suited, just making do with life. Juanzi is a decent girl from a good family, eager to find someone to marry. Mengzi only knows how to wield weapons; he's cut out for the battlefield. Xiaoshan has grand ambitions; he wants to build a harem. These three simply weren't meant to be together. Now that they're separated, it's actually for the best!"

Xiaoshan nodded. "I think it's a good thing too. With them around, how was I ever supposed to build my harem—"

Juanzi slapped Xiaoshan, who then rubbed his face.

Although a little wronged, Xiaoshan was quite pleased; being able to rub his face was a good sign.

Mengzi lowered his head and said, "How are we going to explain this to Seventh Master—"

Qiu Zhiheng looked at everyone, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

He couldn't hear what anyone was saying, but their movements were perfectly clear to him.

He remembered trying his best to maintain his composure and politeness as he left the 'New Monarch's' residence.

As he walked, Qiu Zhiheng's hearing remained impaired. A cool breeze swept across his face, but he couldn't hear even the slightest whisper of wind.

When Lian Budai first arrived at Three-Headed Fork with Deng Pao, Qiu Zhiheng hadn't fully trusted him.

However, later, when Qiu Zhiheng encountered powerful enemies, Lian Budai assisted him multiple times, convincing Qiu Zhiheng that this extraordinary master was truly there to help.

The safety of the 'New Monarch' had always been Qiu Zhiheng's biggest concern. He had assigned this master to be near the New Monarch, never imagining such an outcome.

Upon returning to the underground city, Qiu Zhiheng entered his own residence and was lost in thought when Luo Zhengnan and Tan Jinxiao came looking for him.

"Master Qiu, how did things go?" Tan Jinxiao repeated his question several times before Qiu Zhiheng could barely hear a little of it.

"Things are pretty good, quite alright!" Qiu Zhiheng nodded. He wasn't sure if he should tell them the truth at this moment.

Luo Zhengnan said, "I also visited once before. I've never seen an emperor, but Juanzi and the others certainly looked imposing, with an indescribable aura about them."

"Yes, quite imposing," Qiu Zhiheng said, clutching his chest. He felt a throbbing pain in his heart.

Tan Jinxiao was uneasy. "I'm telling you, we can't be careless about this. I've seen Juanzi; no major issues, but she has constant minor fidgets when she moves her hands or looks up. Especially Mengzi, he's a natural for fighting but useless at acting. All that needs to change. When that old bastard Qiao Yi arrives, Juanzi must be able to intimidate him. While they're still exchanging pleasantries, we'll strike from the shadows and surely succeed!"

Qiu Zhiheng felt his hearing failing again. He watched them mouth words but had no idea what they were saying.

After Tan Jinxiao and Luo Zhengnan left, Qiu Zhiheng sat in the courtyard, muttering to himself, "What am I going to do?"

At eleven o'clock that night, Qiu Zhiheng's wife, Zhuzi, arrived.

Before coming, Zhuzi had sent word. Qiu Zhiheng knew she was arriving today, but consumed by anxiety, he hadn't thought to go to the station to pick her up.

Zhuzi didn't blame Qiu Zhiheng. She entered the house and affectionately embraced him for a while, but found him staring blankly, completely unresponsive.

Zhuzi sensed something was wrong. "Zhiheng, what's wrong?"

Qiu Zhiheng's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face. "Wife, what are we going to do?"

"What do you mean 'what are we going to do'? Why are you crying?"

"Seventh Master created a new emperor for Neizhou, displacing their old one. Thanks to this new emperor, we've accomplished many significant things on our side."

Zhuzi nodded. "I know about that, but why are you crying about it?"

Qiu Zhiheng cried, "Seventh Master entrusted this new emperor to me, but I couldn't keep an eye on him. The Three-Headed Person has split into three separate people! Now, people from Neizhou are coming to meet their new emperor. What am I going to show them? If Neizhou finds out, everything we've done will be for nothing, and Seventh Master will be ruined. Such a huge matter has fallen apart in my hands!"

Qiu Zhiheng was no stranger to difficulties, but a less sensitive person wouldn't have cried like this. It was precisely because he was intelligent that he grasped the full consequences of the situation, consequences he could not bear.

Zhuzi pondered for a long time before fully understanding the ramifications. She wanted to comfort Qiu Zhiheng, but fear overwhelmed her, and she punched him. "I told you not to run around aimlessly, to live honestly in Yaowanggou, but you wouldn't listen to me! Now what? How am I supposed to know what to do?"

The couple was at their wit's end when the gatekeeper suddenly announced that someone wished to see them.

Zhuzi went out and invited them in. The visitors dismounted their carriage: one person had two heads, and another had one head.

The two-headed individual was Liang Wucai, and the single-headed one was Zhong Er.

Zhong Er greeted Qiu Zhiheng with a cupped-hand salute. "Brother Qiu, we're not too familiar, but I'm Seventh Master's subordinate. These two sisters can vouch for me."

Liang Wucai nodded. "Master Qiu, this is Seventh Master's most loyal subordinate from the Outer Provinces."

Liang Wucai added gloomily, "This young man, I don't know what method he used to win over Seventh Master's heart."

Qiu Zhiheng had a fairly good impression of Zhong Er. He had accompanied Deng Pao and Lian Budai and had helped Qiu Zhiheng with many tasks.

Zhong Er said to Qiu Zhiheng, "Brother Qiu, I heard from the two sisters that no one else has seen the New Monarch, besides the Luo family sisters and their retainers, right?"

Qiu Zhiheng frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Zhong Er replied, "It's exactly as it sounds. Since no one else has seen the New Monarch, let's seize the opportunity and create a new one."

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "It's not that simple."

Zhong Er said, "It's not that difficult either. Juanzi and the others didn't have royal blood to begin with; they were created by Seventh Master. Now, as long as we find an absolutely reliable Three-Headed Person, what's wrong with recreating one?"

Qiu Zhiheng still shook his head. "This is too risky. An absolutely reliable Three-Headed Person is hard to find, and convincing the Luo family sisters won't be easy either."

Zhong Er had considered all these points. "Brother Qiu, I know it's not easy, but it's better than doing nothing. You might not be aware of some things happening in the Outer Provinces, but Seventh Master, relying on his identity as Prince Pingyuan, has secured many benefits for Puluo Province. If the New Monarch situation isn't clarified, Prince Pingyuan's standing will become untenable, and many of Puluo Province's interests won't be maintained."

Qiu Zhiheng rubbed his forehead. Zhuzi, by his side, advised, "Zhiheng, I think this brother makes some sense."

After much deliberation, Qiu Zhiheng called Ma Wu.

Ma Wu put down the phone, feeling a throbbing sensation in his temples.

The matter of the New Lands hadn't been thoroughly investigated, and now something else had gone wrong at Three-Headed Fork.

Feng Daiku had earnestly advised Ma Wu to stay out of the New Lands affair, but Ma Wu couldn't avoid it. Since the Ma family was involved, he was likely to be implicated.

Fortunately, Lu Chunying, Chu Huaiyuan, and Qin Tianjiu were all willing to help, and the investigation had made some progress.

Lu Chunying arrived at Xiaoyao Dock and reported her findings on the New Lands to Ma Wu. "Fifth Brother, He Jiaqing has also increased his manpower. He hasn't really investigated the Ma family's land; he's focused his attention elsewhere. I suspect this matter isn't so simple."

Ma Wu carefully reviewed the information Lu Chunying provided, but he couldn't fathom He Jiaqing's intentions.

He Jiaqing looked at the photos Da Tou had brought back, listening to Da Tou's explanation.

"These photos were taken in different New Lands. They're all barren, with no grass growing."

He Jiaqing nodded and smiled. "Brother, you've found the right place."

Shen Rongqing didn't understand. New Lands didn't grow grass; what was special about that? Why had Da Tou found the "right place"?

Duan Shuqun carefully examined Da Tou's investigative materials and understood the reason: these New Lands were connected.

Newly generated New Lands were randomly dropped into Puluo Province by Neizhou, scattered here and there, interspersed among other New Lands.

Several newly generated New Lands being completely connected—this was the greatest anomaly.

After seeing the data, Shen Rongqing was convinced. Da Tou had received more manpower and material support from He Jiaqing, but he truly put more effort into his work.

He Jiaqing said to the three of them, "Earlier, I received some intelligence that Chaoge had doubled the security at Wenyuan Pavilion. Do you know why?"

Shen Rongqing thought for a moment and said, "The local earth gods' covenants are still hidden in Wenyuan Pavilion. They don't want them to be stolen again."

He Jiaqing nodded. "Any other theories?"

Shen Rongqing thought for another moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "Another, even more important covenant has been added to Wenyuan Pavilion."

"Not one, but a group," He Jiaqing said, shaking a stack of photos in his hand. "All these local earth gods' covenants are in Wenyuan Pavilion. From now on, Neizhou must protect them with all their might, because they have invested a huge amount in these territories."

Duan Shuqun said, "Neizhou deliberately connected these local earth gods' territories, but how was that accomplished?"

"'Bestowal by Carried Earth'!" He Jiaqing had already seen the clues when he got the information from Zuo Anna. "Neizhou is making a huge gamble with this, but if they win, the profits will be enormous."

Shen Rongqing's face was filled with shock. She had to admit that all her previous ideas seemed shallow in He Jiaqing's presence.

"Isn't Neizhou afraid of retaliation from the Peddler for doing this?"

He Jiaqing looked at Da Tou. "When you went to the New Lands, what did these local earth gods do?"

Da Tou thought for a moment. "I didn't see anything special. I didn't even see any local earth gods."

He Jiaqing smiled. "Did you hear that? The local earth gods did nothing, didn't even show their faces. What can the Peddler do to them? Just because their lands are connected, he should kill them? That makes no sense, and it doesn't align with the Peddler's own established rules."

Shen Rongqing considered again, then said, "If they do nothing, they won't pose a threat to Puluo Province in the future either."

He Jiaqing shook his head. "They're not doing nothing; rather, they're waiting for the right time to act. Neizhou is very patient. Their numbers will only grow, and more local earth gods from the surroundings will join them. When they truly decide to act, it will be difficult to stop them."

Donning night clothes, He Jiaqing prepared to leave. Before he left, he specifically warned, "Under no circumstances should this matter be spread."

Following the address Da Tou had found, He Jiaqing went alone to the New Lands and traversed all thirteen territories using his traveling cultivator's artifact.

This place wasn't remote, but it certainly wasn't conspicuous among the New Lands either. It was somewhat distant from the main territories. There would be some difficulties with material transport, but He Jiaqing made a preliminary calculation and found this problem to be within the realm of conquerable challenges.

He drew a map and smiled with satisfaction.

The Peddler, standing nearby, praised him, "Such a large territory—even seeing it in a dream would make you wake up laughing."

He Jiaqing was startled. He put away the map and bowed to the Peddler.

The Peddler waved his hand. "You spread the news everywhere, didn't you, simply to let me know about this? You calculated that I would come, so why pretend to be so flustered?"

He Jiaqing shook his head. "It's not fluster; it's because I have a request, and one must act carefully when seeking help."

The Peddler chuckled, rolling a cigarette. "You have a request for me?"

"Yes, an important matter."

"What is it?"

"I wish to ask you to grant me an opportunity to eliminate a threat to Puluo Province."

"Eliminate a threat?" The Peddler looked around. "They haven't caused any harm in Puluo Province. How would you eliminate them?"

He Jiaqing said, "By the time they start causing harm, it will be too late to eliminate them. So you need someone to do the dirty work for you."

"Dirty work?" The Peddler took a puff from his cigarette. "Do you think I don't have people for dirty work?"

"You do, but that person isn't suitable," He Jiaqing replied, clearly prepared. "If the goal were to exterminate all life in a territory, Cui Tike would be very suitable. However, there aren't many living beings in these territories, only thirteen local earth gods. Although they've only recently taken office, they are also cultivators from the clouds. Thirteen cloud masters working together—Cui Tike might not be able to handle them. Moreover, even if Cui Tike succeeded, the aftermath would be messy; he's too ostentatious in his methods. What you need is a thief, someone who can discreetly get the job done for you."

The Peddler held his cigarette, considering. "And once the task is done, these territories will belong to you?"

He Jiaqing did not deny his intentions. "You are a fair person, and there are always rewards for helping you. Silently eliminating thirteen local earth gods won't be easy. At that time, you can decide what reward is appropriate for me. This matter isn't worth your trouble; you have many other concerns. I've heard there are also many issues at Three-Headed Fork. Please leave these territories for me to handle."

The Peddler smiled and nodded at He Jiaqing.

At Three-Headed Fork, in the New Monarch's residence, Qiu Zhiheng, Tan Jinxiao, and Luo Zhengnan watched as Ma Wu presented the "new new monarch" he had found.

The overall composition of the "new new monarch" was consistent with Juanzi's group: one male, one female, and one child.

Ma Wu introduced them. "These three are named Asong, Axiu, and Afu. They are absolutely reliable, but they need to be slowly taught some etiquette."

As he spoke, Asong took out a pancake and secretly gave Afu a bite.

Afu ate too quickly, sneezed, and sprayed pancake crumbs and snot everywhere.

Axiu quickly used her sleeve to wipe Afu's face, then licked the pancake crumbs from her sleeve.

Luo Zhengnan said nothing.

Qiu Zhiheng didn't know what to say.

Tan Jinxiao couldn't hold back. "Are you kidding me? Are you trying to trick us? What kind of nonsense is this? How is this an emperor? I was planning to fool Qiao Yi so we could strike from the shadows, but who could *this* fool? Fifth Master, you can't be like this! If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have bothered with you all. I'd just go rally people and wait for war to break out!"

Luo Zhengnan advised, "Master Tan, don't be so anxious. Let's just focus on training them. None of us have seen what an emperor looks like, so with a few more days of practice, they'll be convincing enough."

Tan Jinxiao shook his head. "How can this be achieved in just a few days? How long did Juanzi and the others train? Where is Juanzi? Why did they stop? What exactly happened?"

Qiu Zhiheng still didn't dare to reveal the truth. Lian Budai's ability to separate the Three-Headed Person—if that news got out, what a massive stir it would cause?

Luo Zhengnan said, "Let's all calm down and not rush. We don't even know when Qiao Yi is coming yet!"

Xie Gong asked Qiao Yi, "Brother, when are we going to Puluo Province?"

Qiao Yi smiled. "What would we do in Puluo Province?"

Zhu Jin was taken aback. "Didn't we agree to go to Puluo Province to meet the monarch? I've prepared all the manpower; I was even thinking of fighting them!"

Qiao Yi shook his head. "I said I was going to Puluo Province, but I never told them when. If this matter hangs for a month, they'll have to be on guard for a month. If it hangs for a year, they'll be on guard for a year. I'll make them vigilant every day. Tell Haocheng to prepare; we'll hold the sacrificial ceremony three days from now."

Zhu Jin was startled. "Brother, another sacrificial ceremony? How many New Lands are you going to create?"

Xie Gong remained silent; he knew there was more to it.

Qiao Yi sighed deeply. "Creating New Lands is merely a means; their quantity is for establishing a situation. As for the greater trend, you still don't see it clearly. One New Land can make him highly vigilant, ten New Lands can make him anxious, and a hundred New Lands can throw his mind into disarray. The chaos in the Demonic Lands is hard to break, and the difficulty lies in the Peddler's intention to win through disorder. I will use chaos to counter chaos, pushing him to the brink of exhaustion. Then, capturing that rabble will be as easy as reaching into my pocket!"

Zhu Jin didn't quite understand, but Xie Gong generally grasped it.

Having expelled the Saint, Qiao Yi had just taken power, and Xie Gong already saw the hope of conquering Puluo Province in him.

A gentle breeze swept in. Qiao Yi stood by the window, looking towards Haocheng. "What is the prevailing trend? The New Lands, that is the prevailing trend!"

Haocheng, at its Nine City Gates, upon the altar.

Ayi unleashed her Mad Cultivation technique, rendering the guards on the altar insane and witless.

These guards appeared normal on the surface, but in reality, their minds were blank. They didn't know why they were on duty there, nor did they understand the consequences of someone intruding upon the altar.

Ayi and Li Banfeng, with a brush and a small knife, carefully dug soil from the cracks in the altar's stones, excavating the residual "seed earth" left over from the last sacrificial ceremony.

This was hard work; every crack in the stones had to be dug through. In the end, they only managed to collect a small bag of "seed earth."

Li Banfeng whispered, "All this trouble, just for this little bit of soil?"

Indeed, getting here was not easy. Ayi had to utilize Hulu Village's power to its absolute limit to infiltrate Haocheng's Ninefold Gates.

And to accomplish anything within these Ninefold Gates, many special techniques were required to evade various traps and weapons.

No one else could be relied upon; Li Banfeng, relying on his talent as a Cloud Four Dwelling Cultivator, could only assist Ayi.

"This amount of soil is plenty," Ayi said, wiping sweat from her brow. She weighed the pocket; it felt like over a jin.

Li Banfeng said, "We've been at this for over two hours."

Ayi tied the soil to her waist, then took out a chisel and gently probed the stone cracks. "To get more soil, we need to understand how this altar was built. If we could get a piece of stone to take back, we might be able to discern its special materials and construction methods."

As she spoke, Ayi produced pliers, a wrench, and a small saw.

Seeing the tools she had prepared, Li Banfeng knew this wasn't her first time doing such a thing. He waited another two hours, but Ayi couldn't remove even a single stone.

The altar stones were indeed sturdy, but not so much that a fragment couldn't be chipped off. Ayi's actions clearly showed hesitation.

Li Banfeng leaned closer and said, "How about I help you?"

Ayi shook her head. "No! This altar is riddled with mechanisms underneath. Even a slightly incorrect force would activate them."

"So what if they activate? It's not like we can't escape!"

Ayi shook her head. "Even if we escape this time, what about next time? This is the territory of the Nine Gates. Is it easy to get in here? Once Neizhou tightens security, we won't have another chance to return."

Li Banfeng was stunned. "You're unusually lucid today."

Ayi's expression was very serious. "I can't afford not to be lucid! When doing something this important, I absolutely cannot go mad. I must prioritize clearly. If we don't get the stone and also lose this lead, wouldn't that be a complete failure?"

Another ten-odd minutes passed. Ayi wiped her sweat and gave up.

"Old Seven, let's go."

"Why are we leaving?" Li Banfeng was startled. "We haven't gotten the stone yet."

"There's no time," Ayi shook her head. "The 'seed earth' will lose its potency five hours after leaving the altar. I need to quickly take this soil back to Hulu Village."

Digging the soil took over two hours, and trying to get the stone took another two hours. Time was indeed running out.

Ayi touched a button on her sleeve, and the entrance to Hulu Village appeared.

"Let's go, Old Seven!" Ayi walked to the entrance, realized Li Qi wasn't beside her, and looked back to see Li Qi walking toward the center of the altar.

Ayi widened her eyes, waving her hands, but still dared not shout loudly, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go!" Li Banfeng waved his hand, signaling Ayi to go first.

Ayi didn't understand what he was waiting for. She then saw Li Banfeng take out a black and white glove.

He said something to the glove; Ayi didn't know what it was, but she saw a white cloth bag emerge from the glove.

She recognized this cloth bag. When Li Banfeng first came to Hulu Village, he had weighed out ten jin of explosives using this very bag.

Two jin of explosives could blow up half a mountain; this was ten jin.

Ayi's eyes went wide. She whispered urgently to Li Qi, "Are you crazy? What are you doing?!"

Li Banfeng embraced the bag of explosives, a familiar, intimate smile spreading across his face.

Ayi knew that smile well.

Mad Cultivation technique: Lunatic Rampage.

Boom!A cloud of smoke and dust rose.The altar of Dashang Haocheng had exploded.