Banshee Family Training Record

Page 173

No wonder he misunderstood, uh...

Never mind, I'll explain it slowly later when I have another chance.

Yun Chu'an remained silent, nodded slightly, landed with Chen Shuling, and then walked back.

The officials looked around and sensed that Chen Shuling might be in grave danger. They hesitated for a moment, unsure whether it was the right choice to betray him at this moment.

But looking at Yun Chu'an's retreating figure, and recalling the thunder he had just summoned, and Chen Shuling's respectful address of him as "Dragon Prince"...

This person may seem like a hermit cultivator in the mountains, but in reality, he has a powerful background?

They were unsure and their guesses were uncertain. Seeing Chen Shuling walking further and further away, they finally obediently followed him.

Zhu Yunqing and the middle-aged cultivator had also finished their battle and turned to follow Yun Chuan and the others. Chen Shuling walked at the front, never once glancing at the Golden Core cultivators who had come to provide support.

The three who came to help watched his departing figure and sighed, "Sigh, what's wrong with Chen Shuling!"

The bald, red-robed old man said this, to which the rugged-looking, seemingly bold and straightforward man chuckled and said, "After all, he's not stupid, is he?"

The other two chuckled softly, each knowing perfectly well what the situation was, and said nothing more.

Several official cultivators stayed behind to clean up the battlefield and appease the rogue cultivators, while the three of them quickly left, far away from the battlefield.

Xu Yanwei also found the Qin ambassador, who seemed to be in a very imposing manner, but in reality, he was exhausted and was just putting on a brave face.

Looking at Xu Yanwei, he didn't say much, but let out a deep sigh and said, "Go back."

The fact that the Corpse Transporters took the initiative to attack was beyond his expectations. After a fierce battle, both sides were injured. So now, even if they confirmed that the Demon Consort's crystal crown was deep in the tomb, they could not use it as an excuse to fabricate a pretext for war.

After all, all of this could be framed as "the corpse-driving faction causing trouble."

Xu Yanwei nodded, his mind a jumble of thoughts. He decided to stop thinking about it, reached out to help the old man up, and led his men away quickly.

The once bustling battlefield was quickly emptied, leaving only a few people behind. Only a few officials specially arranged by Chen Shuling were left to reset the seal, seal the tomb, and clean up the mess on the battlefield.

Deep within the tomb.

The Corpse-Driving Sect members fled in a sorry state. Although no one had caught up with them yet, they knew that with the strength of the several Golden Core cultivators in Zhongmu City, catching up from this distance would be a piece of cake.

They had little time to waste and had to retreat swiftly without stopping.

Fortunately, given the crisis they were in, they had prepared for their evacuation well in advance. They packed up the most valuable treasures deep within the tomb, such as the Yinming Corpse Pill and the treasures left at the very bottom of the tomb by Qin Haihou.

Therefore, they didn't need to linger. They quickly took the things they had packed and fled from the secret exit at the bottom of the canyon.

They flew three hundred miles in one go before finally stopping to rest. This daring and risky attempt had resulted in a complete failure, but after careful review, they immediately came to a conclusion.

Li Changsheng!

If it weren't for his cooperation with Chen Shuling, whose strength suddenly surged under the latter's blessing, and who might even have stepped into the Golden Core realm, eliminating the two bronze-armored corpses in the blink of an eye and destroying the incantation emitted by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, how could they have gained nothing?

At the very least, the life of the Qin ambassador and his golden elixir should already be in their hands!

The more You Wensi recalled the battle, the more regretful she felt. Unable to control her anger, she turned to Ye Jinglan and growled, "Didn't you say he was seriously injured and unable to fight?"

"Why is it that what we see is him fighting us at almost his peak, even stronger than he did that day?"

Ye Jinglan raised an eyebrow, showing no respect for You Wensi even in front of outsiders: "You blame me? Wasn't it because Chen Shuling's Songyue Bianzhong was too powerful, forcibly making his strength equivalent to the Golden Core stage?"

"Even if he wasn't so badly injured that he couldn't fight at all, is that my fault? I don't even know the map inside this tomb, yet I have to fight by stepping on every trap. He knows this tomb much better. It's more like he's fighting on his home turf, and I'm getting beaten up on my away turf!"

She was unyielding in her demeanor, glaring at You Wensi without the slightest fear in her heart.

She knew very well that You Wensi had been quite exhausted from the battle just now, and if they really fought now, it was hard to say who would win.

The two sides were on the verge of exchanging blows, but several corpse-driving cultivators from the rear quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Nothing is perfect, and besides, we had already anticipated the possibility of failure before we even started."

"Our immediate priority is to find a safe place to recuperate. We can no longer stay in Zhongmu City; we should go to a safer place next."

You Wensi pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "In that case, why not go to my current family, Huai Mountain?"

Ye Jinglan's eyebrows twitched, and she felt a sense of foreboding.

Oh no, this is terrible! How did it end up in my house?!

……

Meanwhile, in Zhongmu city.

Chen Shuling led the group back to his family's manor. After dismissing everyone and telling them to go about their business, he took Yun Chuan to a guest room in the family compound.

Here are wooden tables and chairs painted with thick black lacquer, and a copper kettle with green tea that is always boiling is placed on the coffee table.

Chen Shuling invited him to sit down and personally served him a cup of tea. Yun Chu'an accepted the teacup with both hands, and then the man abruptly asked, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

"You are not a dragon, for if the Yellow River Dragon Clan had someone like you, they wouldn't need to support the current Yellow River Dragon Prince. However, you do wear purple-gold armor bearing the dragon's mark, are skilled in thunder magic, and can use the dragon clan's unique secret technique, 'Three Thousand Springs'..."

His tone was hesitant, clearly indicating his extensive knowledge and experience; however, the more he spoke like this, the more confused he felt.

However, this also shows that his respectful address of Yun Chu'an as "Dragon Son" outside was actually for ulterior motives.

Yun Chu'an also weighed the options. The person before him was both the leader of a powerful family and an official of the Zhao state. Zhou etiquette bound his words and actions, and on this matter, they shared the same stance.

“I’ve come for the Corpse-Driving Sect,” he said. “I’m hiding my identity and disguising myself to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

"Senior Chen, you must promise me that you will not reveal my true identity to anyone."

Chen Shuling's expression changed, and he immediately nodded: "I promise I will not tell anyone your identity."

So Yun Chu'an removed his mask, revealing his true face: "I am from the State of Jin, my surname is Yun, my given name is Chu'an, I am a wandering cultivator in the mountains, I have no reputation, I only came to the State of Zhao because of the Corpse-Driving Sect."

Chen Shuling suddenly realized: "So that's how it is."

As he spoke, his expression became quite complex. Thinking about what he had been doing, his expression became rather subtle: "Ah, indeed, the relationship between the two countries is quite complicated right now, with many misunderstandings between them. It is only natural that you are careful to conceal yourself."

The State of Zhao had always harbored the idea of ​​annexing the State of Jin. However, just as the State of Qin could not find a pretext to attack the State of Zhao, the "rites of Zhou" held sway, preventing them from taking direct action. They needed a pretext first.

Chapter 375 A Perfect Union?

Therefore, under the pretext of "eliminating the Huang Mang family," Chen Shuling had been involved in and arranged the infiltration and reconnaissance of the Jin state for quite some time, trying to find out the situation on the other side of the mountain and on both sides of the Wei River. Finally, under the pretext of suppressing bandits, he suddenly launched an attack and occupied and annexed the entire area in one fell swoop.

This was something he had been doing all along, so when he heard Yun Chu'an say that he came from the State of Zhao, he was immediately embarrassed: "Ahaha, I see..."

He turned his face away, as if he dared not look Yun Chu'an in the eye. After all, in terms of interests, Qin and Jin seemed to be on the same page.

After all, their enemies were all from the State of Zhao...

After a pause, he suddenly gave an awkward laugh and said again, "Although we are each in our own country and serve our own masters, we are all subjects of the Great Zhou. We just have different specific roles, and we should just do our duty."

"But beyond that, there is justice, and there is the bond between us; these are the things that are even more worth pursuing."

He spoke with righteous indignation, and after he finished speaking, he hurriedly added, "Fellow Daoist Yun, you have helped me a great deal today and have done me a great favor. It is a pity that we are each serving our own masters. I really don't know how I should repay you."

"If you need anything, just say so. Otherwise, I really can't let go of this knot in my heart."

Yun Chu'an rolled his eyes, shook his head, and said, "Senior, please don't say that. I act only according to my conscience. What I have done is simply my duty to fight evil. I have no intention of seeking favors in return."

As he spoke, he gave a wry smile: "So, I don't know what to say when you suddenly say that, senior."

Chen Shuling pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Well then, since that's the case, I'll take the liberty of giving you something."

As he spoke, he took out a small booklet from his storage bag: "I observed that in your previous battle against the Corpse-Driving Sect, although lightning could restrain their minds, it was completely ineffective against the mind-controlling spell of the black-robed man, which ultimately led to your failure."

Yun Chu'an's expression suddenly turned serious; this had indeed touched a nerve.

He would have to fight You Wensi sooner or later, but even though he had some strength now, he was still weak and no match for this woman.

With the help of outsiders today, he originally wanted to test the strength of this old locust tree spirit, but unexpectedly, she was able to immobilize his soul with a little skill, leaving him with no power to resist.

Fortunately, he had backup today, and You Wensi didn't have a chance to execute him, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable. But it was also fortunate that he made a move today. Next, he needs to specifically address this weakness of his.

Chen Shuling nodded: "Therefore, you need a skill to train your will and set up defenses around your mind. Next time you encounter such methods, it can also serve as a buffer, giving you a chance to react and escape."

He was sincere and earnest, as if he were a senior figure looking out for a promising young person.

As he spoke, he took Yun Chu'an's hand, placed the booklet in his hand, and finally expressed his truest hope: "We are friends, and you are my benefactor. In the future, if something really happens between Zhao and Jin... our friendship must be above all of this. You and I must take care of each other!"

If an outsider were to hear him say this, they would certainly find it utterly absurd.

Nowadays, the Zhao state is far stronger than the Jin state, and Chen Shuling's cultivation is far superior to Yun Chuan'an's. What ability does the latter have to "take care of each other"?

But in reality, at this very moment, Chen Shuling was thinking about something much more distant.

He originally thought that the major families in Zhongmu City could cooperate with each other amidst their mutual scheming, at least providing a safety net so that things wouldn't escalate too much and become unmanageable.

But today's events chilled him to the bone. He suddenly realized that the other families might no longer be playing this power game with his family. They truly wanted to destroy his Chen family.

In that case, shouldn't I leave myself a way out?

As for Yun Chu'an, even in that tiny state of Jin, he would surely have a bright future. If the other families insist on destroying my Chen family, I will go and join Jin to help them in their time of need. That way, at least I will have a way out.

As for the future, with thousands of years of land and hundreds of owners, it's impossible to say who will rise and who will fall.

This was Chen Shuling's thought; he felt no psychological pressure about betraying the Zhao state. Just as he had declared, he was a subject of the Great Zhou, loyal to the Emperor of Great Zhou, so this action could not prove his disloyalty, much less that he had violated the rites of Zhou.

Of course, that's the official explanation, but the details of the revenge behind the scenes are unclear—but even if there is revenge, it's probably better than having the rest of the family in Zhongmu City divided up, so he's not afraid.

He thought this as he looked earnestly at Yun Chu'an. The latter also found it extremely unbelievable at first, but upon closer reflection, he felt it made perfect sense.

Suppressing the absurd exclamation in his heart, he nodded to Chen Shuling with a serious expression: "Yes, we are friends, so taking care of friends is only natural!"

Chen Shuling raised his cup to him, then drank it all in one gulp. Yun Chuan also drank his tea, everything understood without a word.

Meanwhile, on the other side, inside the Qin embassy.

"Uh-"

The Qin ambassador, exhausted of blood and energy, sat on a futon by the bed. After circulating his energy for a full cycle, the damage to his body was finally mostly healed.

He exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his cloudy eyes. Beside him, Xu Yanwei, dressed in official robes, was carefully attending to him. Seeing that he had opened his eyes, he cautiously asked, "Sir, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the Qin ambassador said in a deep voice. "Don't worry about me. But you, go and arrange something right away."

Xu Yanwei nodded: "Please go ahead."

"Immediately send another batch of spies," the ambassador said in a deep voice. "Go and catch up with those corpse-driving people. We can let the others go, but that person who can control the storm, ah, she is most likely a woman."

"Find out exactly what's going on with her, who her associates are, and then arrange for people to take her out!"

Xu Yanwei was puzzled; this was the first time he had seen his superior so serious: "Sir, why is this...?"

The Qin ambassador initially wanted to say, "Don't ask me that," but then he thought that Xu Yanwei would take over sooner or later, so it wouldn't hurt to tell him these things.

“She’s involved in a major case,” he said. “Back then, within the territory of our Great Qin, several meritorious demon cultivator families secretly plotted a joint rebellion. Are you aware of this matter?”

Xu Yanwei nodded: "Of course I understand. Fortunately, the King of Qin was insightful and acted first, eliminating the threat in time, thus preventing a greater disaster."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused, "Could it be..."

The ambassador said in a deep voice, "Don't make wild connections about things you shouldn't!"

Xu Yanwei lowered his head: "Understood!"

"In short, it was a painful lesson, and it made us deeply realize that those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts," the ambassador said. "However, since the incident happened suddenly and everyone was unprepared, the task of silencing them could not be completely accomplished."

"If these people continue to evade justice, and in the future they reach a higher level of cultivation and become honored guests of a certain country, they may suddenly use the past events to attack our Qin state, which will inevitably be detrimental to our country. Therefore, it is best to eliminate these potential threats as soon as possible."

Xu Yanwei nodded, his expression serious: "Understood! I'll immediately arrange for a new batch of assassins to hunt them down and make sure we take her head!"

The Qin ambassador nodded slightly, indicating that he could proceed. Xu Yanwei turned around, then suddenly hesitated.

Should we recall the group that went to assassinate Li Changsheng?

Ok……

Let's forget about it. They've been preparing for this for a long time. Canceling this order might displease the assassin organization, and they'd have to pay many times the price later.

Forget it, let's finish this order first.

Chapter 376 The Efficacy of the Three Talents Devouring Spirit Cauldron

As the ambassador said, to be an official, one must be ruthless. On the battlefield just now, Li Changsheng saved his life, but he only expressed his gratitude verbally and didn't mention asking me to cancel the assassination attempt on him.

I need to learn from the ambassador, learn his ruthlessness...

Xu Yanwei's mindset is undergoing some changes, but he is unclear about who he is fighting against.

……

In the following days, Yun Chu'an stayed at Chen Shuling's house to recuperate while waiting for the storm to break in the city.

The fact that the other major families in Zhongmu City failed to fully achieve their goals and completely ruin Chen Shuling's plan made them realize that they could not completely crush the Chen family this time.

So they began to actively remedy the situation, contributing manpower and resources. Even Golden Core cultivators personally ventured into the secret realm of Qin Haihou's tomb, braving the dangers of the Nine Yin Soul-Locking Array, and turned it upside down.