23: Chapter 23 The Tragic Little Prince's Nobleman 5

Lu Zhan pondered what the Sect Master had just said in his mind before speaking slowly.

"Sect Master, the Sacred Sect stands upright and does not fear a crooked shadow; since we have done nothing, we should have a clear conscience. However, in Daoist Xuanchen's view, this matter seems like someone intentionally set a trap, framing us for their own selfish gain.

The Sacred Sect is currently on the cusp of a storm, and because of Daoist Xuanchen, we have fallen out of favor with Your Majesty. I fear that if they wish to incriminate us, they will find a pretext.

It would be better to withdraw now and announce to the world that the Sacred Sect knows it is at fault, and from now on, we will close our mountain gates, focus on cultivation, study the Dao, and pray for the blessings of the people of the Jing Kingdom."

The high-level members of the Sacred Sect were all wise individuals; hearing Daoist Xuanchen speak to this point, they basically understood.

The Sacred Sect had always been reclusive and had never held grudges against the powerful in the imperial court; the only one dissatisfied with the Sacred Sect was that gloomy, tyrannical ruler who had killed his brother and father to ascend the throne two years ago.

Therefore, I fear the person who set the trap is none other than that young emperor.

This Your Majesty, who was now leading the Imperial Guards here in person, was coming with great momentum; I fear he comes with ill intent and unfathomable motives.

The high-level members exchanged glances and all nodded in agreement with what Daoist Xuanchen said. Retreating to advance—although they would lose their transcendent status, they could protect themselves, which was not a bad strategy.

Seeing that everyone had no objections, the Sect Master decided immediately.

"Daoist Xuanchen, we will do as you suggest. There is no time to lose; we will start making arrangements now, announce it to the public, and from today, the mountain gates will be closed."

Lu Zhan nodded slightly and gave a hum of acknowledgment.

The high-level members followed the Sect Master and walked out one after another, while Shadow Guard An Yi turned and re-entered the hall.

The great hall suddenly became empty, leaving only Shadow Guard An Yi and Lu Zhan.

Lu Zhan glanced at Shadow Guard An Yi.

"Leader, there is no one else here. Speak, what message do you have?"

"My Master said: The entire foundation of the Sect, built over thousands of years, rests entirely on a single thought from the State Preceptor."

Shadow Guard An Yi's voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, reached his ears.

"Rests entirely on a single thought from me... That letter from two years ago, so that was what it meant...

As an emperor, his methods are so insidious and despicable; to achieve his goals, he disregards the law and maliciously frames others...

As a Disciple, he has no respect for his elders, bullies his master and destroys his ancestors, and ignores moral principles...

Such a tyrant is someone I taught with my own hands... Good, very good, truly excellent!"

Lu Zhan paused here, his words trailing off, and closed his eyes.

Shadow Guard An Yi watched the State Preceptor, who had been calm and steady just a moment ago, his body seemingly trembling slightly with anger, his intermittent, cold words harboring traces of fury.

His expression, laughing in extreme anger, was hard to tell if it was disappointment or hidden rage. The indifference and coldness in his eyes were even more intense, yet they were mixed with something complex and hard to discern; before one could look closely, they had already slightly closed.

The chill around him rapidly intensified, making him look even more aloof and noble, untouchable, like a snow lotus on the Heavenly Mountain!

After a short while, the State Preceptor before him opened his eyes slightly; his eyes were calm and indifferent, exactly as they had been when they first met, as if the loss of composure just now had been an illusion.

"Leader, please go back and tell your Master. The people of the Sacred Sect are just a group of young Disciples who are devoted to cultivation, studying the Dao, and are pure and harmless.

Moreover, as we have now closed our mountain gates, I ask him, for the sake of the kindness Daoist Xuanchen showed him in the past, not to make things difficult for us."

Lu Zhan stopped here, paused for a moment to deliberate, and then continued, speaking without sorrow or joy.

"What your Master seeks, Daoist Xuanchen cannot give; in this life, I only wish to accompany the Dao.

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form; all that has form is illusion.

I ask him not to engage in meaningless entanglement and to let go of his obsession as soon as possible. If he insists on forcing it, I would rather be a shattered jade than an intact tile."

After finishing these calm and indifferent words, without waiting for Shadow Guard An Yi to say anything else, he turned and walked away.

...

No matter how dire the situation, one cannot lose their integrity and demeanor, nor can their pride be broken. One must not be cowardly when one needs to be tough, and should yield when one needs to yield—like hitting someone with a stick and then giving them a sweet date.

Always tugging at the other party's emotions, thereby controlling his joys and sorrows, turning passivity into initiative.

The best hunters often appear in the form of prey. Who is the bird in the cage, and who is the master—until the final outcome, who can say for sure?

This was the solution Lu Zhan had temporarily decided upon after careful consideration during this period.

Only by breaking through Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan's psychological defenses and peeling away the layers of his shell could one face that fragile, burning heart, and only then would there be hope of eliminating the blackening value.

Lu Zhan believed that all of his actions today would be perfectly presented to Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan by Shadow Guard An Yi.

The bait had been set; now, he just had to wait for the prey to bite the hook.

...

Three days later, the tranquility of the mountains was broken; birds flew up in alarm, small beasts fled, the crisp sound of horses stepping on stone slabs, uniform footsteps, a long, endless procession, with a carriage being escorted in its midst.

It was luxurious and exquisite, eye-catching, exuding nobility and majesty. A gentle breeze blew, golden bells swayed all around, and the crisp clinking sound was incessant.

Shadow Guard An Yi, who had returned to the team a day ago, rode his horse on the right side of the carriage. Not long after the procession started moving, Shadow Guard An Yi drove his horse close to the window.

"My Master, the Sacred Sect's mountain gate is not far ahead. Should this subordinate go ahead to prepare?"

Shadow Guard An Yi asked respectfully.

"Hmm, go ahead."

A voice full of majesty came through the curtain, and Shadow Guard An Yi selected a team of guards and went ahead.

Inside the carriage, the young emperor was seated on a chair; beside him, on the tea table, was a set of hibiscus jade tea ware and a few plates of exquisite snacks.

Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan rested his right elbow on the armrest, supporting his forehead with his hand. His left index finger moved slightly, gently turning the jade thumb ring on his thumb, as he muttered to himself.

"Thinking that with a few words, you can make me let go of the obsession in my heart...

Master, six years have passed, why are you still the same as before, so naive and pure...

Accompanying the Dao, hehe, how can that compare to this Disciple taking you to climb to the ultimate bliss of the human world...

You would rather die than fulfill my wishes; this heart of yours is as cold and heartless as ever. However, whether you live or die, I fear it is not up to you to decide...

You have already called me insidious, despicable, and a bully of my master who destroys his ancestors, so how could mere past kindness bind me? Moreover, if I do nothing, wouldn't that live up to your praise for this Disciple!"

Thinking that by making the Sacred Sect show weakness and close its mountain gates to win public praise, I wouldn't dare to take action.

The young emperor's eyes were indifferent, but his face was determined to succeed!

...

At the entrance of the Sacred Sect, everyone except State Preceptor Xuanchen had gathered there, just to wait for the arrival of the young emperor, Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan, whom the world called a tyrant.

The Sect Master sent someone to invite him, but only Disciple Kong Yu was brought back, along with a few words from Daoist Xuanchen.

Master said, what needed to be said has already been said; since there is nothing more to say, he will not come, to avoid adding unnecessary trouble.

Although the high-level members of the Sacred Sect did not understand his meaning, Daoist Xuanchen always had his own methods for doing things, so they did not say anything more.