The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 45 Roadlessness (2)

The injury on his shoulder was not serious, so Li Ye bound it up quickly. He looked up and looked around. Nothing could be seen in the mountain except for trees and mountains. The lake was rippling in the sunshine, and the color of blood made the lake look gloomy.

“It’s neat and tidy. And no living person is left, like the last time.” Shangguan Qingcheng was angry. “Your Highness, do we need to examine the bodies?”

Li Ye shook his head. These attackers were not so foolish and would not leave any marks on their bodies. He asked Shangguan Qingcheng to pull Wu You over and stop her from arguing with Li Jing’an.

“Helping others is a good deed, not a compulsory thing. Whether Li Jingan had the opportunity to help me or not, there is no need to argue now. At present, we are in a dilemma. So we should try our best to unite.” Li Ye consoled Wu You. He looked at Fang Zheng beside Li Ji’s body with an inexplicable look. “The road ahead may not be easy to walk.”

At this time, all the people around the lake were in a state like it was after a war. Nobody noticed that two people stood against the wind at the top of the mountain, under the dense pine trees and coldly looked at them.

“Duke, we did not send people to attack them. What is the identity of those attackers who suddenly appeared and disappeared?” It was Wei Tianhe who asked and he felt doubtful.

Li Guanshu on the other side was also doubtful. They followed Li Ye and the others to the mountains and wanted to stop them from going to Sanqingguan. But they hadn’t expected to see Li Ye and the others getting attacked before they appeared.

Li Guanshu looked up at the direction of the main peak of Niushou Mountain, and his voice was deep. “Now, what forces are there in Niushou Mountain, beside you and me?”

Wei Tianhe answered, “Except us, there is the Sanqingguan... Ever since the implementation of the Duke’s plan, we have been closely monitoring Niushou Mountain. There are cultivators guarding every road, and no outsiders can enter Niushou Mountain.”

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Li Guanshu meditated for a moment and suddenly gave a sneer. “Since there are no other forces here and it was not done by us. There is naturally only one answer.”

Wei Tianhe was surprised and said, “Duke, you mean this matter was done by the Taoist priests of Sanqingguan? Why did they do that?” “These youths are on the same boat as them. The Taoist priests of Sanqingguan should welcome them, and then they should unite to break through our blockade and go to Chang’an City to complain to the Imperial Court!”

Li Guanshu clasped his hands behind his back and his look was extremely cold and serious at the moment. “I’m afraid that we all underestimated the Taoist priests in Sanqingguan. These days, I have been thinking about this matter in Hu County. The more I think about it, the weirder I feel. There are many unreasonable things. This time I lost in Luoping Village, I’m afraid that the reason is that it was calculated by someone!”

Wei Tianhe was puzzled. “Duke, do you mean that the whole situation has problems?”

Li Guanshu’s voice became deeper. “When we bought Rich Fang’s farmland, it was okay that he didn’t want to sell it. But his attitude was too tough. He even swore at the officials of Hu County for being corrupt and said that I was a treacherous minister. Wasn’t he scared of annoying me? Why did he dare to do that? Was he supported by somebody? And because he had provoked me, so when Song Yuanqiao framed him, I did not object.”

“Secondly, the attitude of Rich Fang’s younger brother was also tough. Didn’t he know that I was powerful in the Imperial Court? He wanted to go to Chang’an with Rich Fang’s wife to complain to the Imperial Court. His idea was naive. I wouldn’t let them go to Chang’an. And even if they arrived at Chang’an, who would dare to take the case?”

Wei Tianhe thought for a while and said, “Yes, what Rich Fang and Fang Zheng did was really like a three-year-old child’s behavior.”

Li Guanshu’s voice was cold. “But it was the same Fang Zheng who asked his Senior Apprentices to follow him secretly. And when you tried to assassinate him, he succeeded in escaping with Rich Fang’s wife... They acted rashly before, why did they suddenly become thoughtful?”

Wei Tianhe said, “This does not make sense.”

Li Guanshu snorted, “The most unreasonable thing is that the Taoist priests of Sanqingguan had a tough attitude and did not agree to reconcile with me when I sent people to negotiate with them. A townsperson and a Taoist priest couldn’t recognize the situation, but for the Great Taoist of Sanqingguan to also be muddle-headed? Why did they dare offend me openly for the sake of a townsperson?”

Wei Tianhe said, “Of course it’s not because of justice.”

Li Guanshu continued, “These days, I deal with Sanqingguan courteously but without sincerity while building the illusion that they are rebels. It’s unexpected that they did not take advantage of this time to go to Chang’an with Rich Fang’s wife!”

Wei Tianhe tried to say, “Maybe they can’t break our blockade?”

Li Guanshu snorted. “The cultivation of the Great Taoist of Sanqingguan is in Level 5 of Qi-refining. It’s only one level lower than mine. And in Sanqingguan there is more than one master like him. I’m afraid that if he insists on absconding with others, I cannot stop them because they’re familiar with Niushou Mountain... But they did not flee, nor did they go to Chang’an. Instead, they continued to deal with us courteously but without sincerity.”

Wei Tianhe felt puzzled and said, “Maybe these Taoist priests of Sanqingguan have fallen into our trap and didn’t realize that.”

Li Guanshu’s face was gloomy. “I thought so before, but if I still think so now, then I’m too foolish!”

He looked down at the small lake, which was almost invisible, and shrewdness flashed in his sharp eyes. “Now I finally understand that what happened in Hu County was a trap that Sanqingguan set for me to intentionally frame me! Their purpose is to make this matter big and well known to the whole world. They just want to ruin the reputation of an official of the court. They want to disgrace me in order to slander the Imperial Court!”

Wei Tianhe was shocked and speechless. After a while, he said, “So, what happened in Hu County is a conspiracy designed by Sanqingguan long ago?”

Li Guanshu gritted his teeth and said, “I feel that the so-called Rich Fang is a man of Sanqingguan. I have been buying farmland in Hu County for years. They must have been waiting for me. Rich Fang’s tough attitude and abuse of me is not the way to solve the problem, but it was to intensify the conflict and make things worse. When I sent you to assassinate Rich Fang’s wife and Fang Zheng helped her escape to Sanqingguan, the matter became worse!”

Strong hatred showed in Li Guanshu’s eyes. “So Sanqingguan did not agree to reconcile with me and was held off by me. They were waiting, waiting for my confusion to carry out the next step... I had never considered before that I was deceived by these evil rebels!”

Wei Tianhe was astonished. “Why does Sanqingguan want to ruin the reputation of you and the Imperial Court?”

Li Guanshu swung his sleeves and burst into anger: “They are afraid that the world will not be chaotic! They want the world to be chaotic!”

Wei Tianhe felt incredible. “Why does Sanqingguan dare to do that?”

Li Guanshu angered. “It is not Sanqingguan who wants to do that, but the Taoist sect!”

Fear appeared on the face of Wei Tianhe. “Taoist sect?”

Li Guanshu calmed down, and he said in a low voice. “Every few thousands of years, when the Empire was going to collapse, people of the Taoist sect would appear and declare that the old Empire had exhausted its Luck and tried every possible way to make trouble for the world while supporting a new Empire, so that when the new Empire was established, the Taoist sect could rule the world!”

Wei Tianhe said, “However, since this Empire, the ruler of the world is the Imperial Court, not the Taoist sect!”

Li Guanshu coldly said, “Taoism has been flourishing for thousands of years, and most of the methods that cultivators practice are methods of the Taoist sect. So the Taoist sect is ambitious and wants to override the Imperial Court and become the real ruler of the world. Nevertheless, in any Empire, which emperor would be willing to give away his authority? Which emperor can tolerate someone is above him? Therefore, all the founding monarchs will find ways to restrain the Taoist sect. And all the monarchs will suppress the Taoist sect. Why did Confucianism and Buddhism flourish in this dynasty? That’s the reason!”

Li Guanshu slowed down his breath and continued, “With Confucianism and Buddhism restraining the Taoist sect, the Taoist sect must be subject to the Imperial Court’s jurisdiction although it is still powerful. So His Majesty set up the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to take charge of the Taoist sects of the world for the Imperial Court.”

Wei Tianhe answered, “The Taoist sect is bound not to be convinced.”

Li Guanshu said, “Of course the Taoist sect is not convinced, so they have always waited for the opportunity to revolt!”

Wei Tianhe suddenly realized something and his face turned pale. “This time Sanqingguan set a trap to frame Duke. Does it mean that the Taoist sect is going to appear again? If the Taoist sect appears, does it mean that the Tang Empire has arrived at its end?!”

“Bastard!” Li Guanshu instantly became angry and slapped Wei Tianhe. “The Tang Empire is in its heyday and will last forever! If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will kill you first!”

“I made an indiscreet remark, please forgive me!” Wei Tianhe knelt down on one knee, panicked. He felt Li Guanshu’s anger which contained killing intent. Because of this sentence, Li Guanshu wanted to kill him.

Li Guanshu said coldly, “This time I’ll spare you, but I won’t for the second time!”

Wei Tianhe quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and thankfully stood up and asked Li Guanshu, “Duke, this is the end of the matter. What should I do next?”

Li Guanshu was silent for a moment and then had an idea. “Sanqingguan sent people to assassinate Li Ye and the other youths just in order to make things big. But if you always walk around the river, your shoes will get wet. This assassination exposes their flaws, giving me a chance...”

By the lake, everyone had recovered from the fierce battle.

Because of Wu You’s attitude, Li Jing’an now was in a delicate situation. Other youths looked at him with doubts. Everyone knew Wu You’s character, knowing that she was unlikely to lie.

Therefore, the youths intentionally or unconsciously stayed away from Li Jing’an and isolated him. He and his attendant stood aside, ostracized.

Li Jing’an’s look was bad, but he had no choice.

“You guys, it seems that Li Guanshu hasn’t given up yet. Let’s go as soon as possible.” Fang Zheng came up and said to the crowd.

The crowd was about to nod their heads. Suddenly, a dark shadow rose from the ground. With a warning from Shangguan Qingcheng, they raised their heads. Only then did they realize that the shadow on the ground was cast by a huge stone falling in mid-air.