Chapter 315: Who Is Stirring the Storm?

In the small town of Beining County, on the border between the Central and Northern Domains.

In an unremarkable courtyard, Prince Fuling, Long Haixin, stood under an osmanthus tree with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the bright moon in the sky.

Beining County. Despite its name, which meant “Northern Peace,” the town had never known true peace in its recorded history.

Every time the people of the Northern Domain rode south to plunder, this small town was always the first to bear the brunt of their raids, suffering from arson, murder, and looting.

This happened so often that the town’s residents eventually moved south, and the city was completely transformed into a military town.

These days, aside from military families, the only people who stayed in Beining County were a few traveling merchants.

Prince Fuling, Long Haixin, had also arrived in Beining County, disguised as part of a merchant caravan.

His purpose for coming here was simply to provoke a war between the Northern and Eastern Domains.

‘Seven years ago, in the Miracle Secret Realm… if that person in black hadn’t appeared and resurrected me, I’d probably be nothing but a pile of rotting bones by now!’

‘Four years ago, Chu Fan went to the Central Domain. It was such a perfect opportunity, but to my surprise, he didn’t die despite my scheme. Instead, the Crown Prince sent him to the Hua Xu Secret Realm.’

Although everyone said Chu Fan had died in the Hua Xu Secret Realm, Long Haixin always felt that things weren’t that simple.

But whether Chu Fan was truly dead or just faking it, it wouldn’t stop him from making a move against the Eastern Domain.

Because Chu Fan was from the Eastern Domain, Long Haixin extended this grudge to the entire region. He felt that the whole of the Eastern Domain should pay dearly for his ‘death’.

The Hua Xu Empire had an ancestral rule: Princes and Commandery Princes were forbidden from wielding political power. This meant he, Long Haixin, had no way to move against the Eastern Domain directly.

So, he turned his sights to the Northern Domain.

Over the past few years, through his scheming, his merchant caravans had finally established ties with the South Garden faction of the Dahar Khan Kingdom.

As it happened, the Southern Garden King’s younger brother had died right before his eyes in the Secret Realm that day.

Therefore, he now had a pretext for inciting the Northern Domain to attack the Eastern Domain.

“Prince, the man sent to the Northern Domain has returned.”

A middle-aged man, who appeared to be the estate’s steward, reported to Long Haixin from his position by the Moon Gate.

Upon hearing this, Long Haixin’s eyes lit up. He said, “Have Chang Yongping come see me at once.”

“Chief Guard Chang is already at the door.”

A moment later, a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant walked in through the Moon Gate.

Halting about ten feet from Long Haixin, he dropped to one knee. “This subordinate, Chang Yongping, greets you, Prince.”

“Quickly, rise. Tell me immediately about the situation in the Northern Domain.” Long Haixin bent slightly at the waist, holding out his hands in a gesture for him to rise.

Chang Yongping stood up straight and said, “I met with the Southern Garden King and told him that his younger brother was killed in the Miracle Secret Realm at the hands of Chu Fan from the Lingyun Sect. The Southern Garden King was enraged and immediately dispatched several dozen men to the Eastern Domain.”

“And then?”

Long Haixin asked. After all, Chang Yongping had been in the Northern Domain for a month. If this was the only information he brought back, wouldn’t the trip have been a waste of effort?

Chang Yongping got straight to the point: “The Southern Garden King has already mobilized his forces. However, the Dahar Khan Kingdom needs to conscript soldiers to deploy at this time of year, so they’ve scheduled an attack for the middle of next month on the four military towns along the border of the Eastern and Northern Domains.”

“Oh? So, in about twenty days?”

Chang Yongping nodded and continued, “The dozens of men the Southern Garden King sent to the Eastern Domain are to infiltrate those four military towns. Their goal is to win over some officials and Noble Families. When the time comes, they will coordinate from the inside. Once those four military towns fall, cavalry can sweep through the Eastern Domain from four different directions at will.”

Long Haixin nodded, a look of excitement on his face. He asked, “Do you know how many Cultivators will be participating in this battle? Many of the Eastern Domain’s Sects are overseen by Void Realm experts. Without enough powerful masters, even if we break through those four military towns, I’m afraid it won’t be enough to inflict any real damage on the Eastern Domain.”

“I reminded the Southern Garden King of this. According to my intelligence, they will have twelve Void Realm experts hidden among their forces for this invasion of the Eastern Domain. Four of them are at the Void Realm Late Stage. In contrast, the Void Realm experts overseeing the Sects in the Eastern Domain are only at the Void Realm Early Stage. As for the Integration and Divine Separation Realms, there will be at least fifty or sixty of them. Moreover, the three thousand Profound-Breaking Arrows that the Prince had me deliver will surely play a major role.”

A sinister glint appeared in Long Haixin’s eyes. “Chu Fan,” he said with a cold laugh, “whether you’re really dead or just faking it, I’ll start by pulling the rug out from under you. You pushed for the unification of the Eastern Domain, didn’t you? Well, I’m going to send the Eastern Domain back to an age of savagery.”

What Long Haixin didn’t know was that his every move in Beining County was known to the Carefree Monarch, who was also in town.

At the same time that Long Haixin was meeting with Chang Yongping, in another courtyard at the other end of Beining County, the Carefree Monarch, Long Jingyao, was also meeting with a young man dressed in black.

“It seems King Chen’s ambitions are quite grand,” Long Jingyao said with a sneer after hearing the young man’s report.

“Reporting to the Monarch, King Chen is unaware of this matter. It is entirely Prince Fuling’s own scheme.”

“How can you be so sure?” Long Jingyao asked.

The young man bowed and said, “According to my investigation, seven years ago in the Miracle Secret Realm, Chu Fan had a conflict with Prince Fuling. According to eyewitnesses, Prince Fuling and the other children of nobility all died in the Secret Realm. Furthermore, the younger brother of the Northern Domain’s Southern Garden King—that is, the old Khan’s youngest son—was also killed by Chu Fan.”

“Why are you only reporting this now?” Long Jingyao asked, eyeing the young man askance.

The young man immediately dropped to his knees. “I only just learned of this myself. Moreover, I have also brought one of the eyewitnesses from that year here. Does the Monarch wish to see him?”

“Who is it?” Long Jingyao asked.

“Yao Zhi of the Heaven-Facing Sect.”

“Yao Zhi… If I recall, that name was also on the list of those who entered the Hua Xu Secret Realm four years ago, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, Monarch. He was.”

“It’s not important whether I see him or not. Send him away. Did you just say that this Yao Zhi personally witnessed Long Haixin being killed by Chu Fan?”

“Yes.”

“Then how is he alive and well? Still, this Long Haixin… ever since he came out of the Secret Realm seven years ago, he’s been living in seclusion. Even when he leaves his fief, he does so in disguise. It seems the boy is hiding quite a few secrets.”

“Monarch, shall I capture him for you?”

Long Jingyao glared. “What? Are you telling me how to do my job?”

“I wouldn’t dare!” The young man was so frightened he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Long Jingyao rose from his lounge chair, clasped his right hand behind his back, and stroked his beard with his left as he began to laugh heartily.

Hearing Long Jingyao’s hearty laughter, the young man remained kneeling on the floor, his heart pounding in his chest.

Long Jingyao muttered softly, ‘For Long Haixin to single-handedly provoke a war between the Northern and Eastern Domains… he does have some brains. Regardless of his motives, at least after war breaks out between the North and East, our Central Domain’s northern military towns will have a few years of peace.’

At this, Long Jingyao looked at the young man. “Get up,” he said. “None of you are to interfere with Long Haixin’s plans. However, you are to report his and King Chen’s every move to me immediately. Also, send men to monitor the state of the war between the Northern and Eastern Domains. I will remain here for now. I’m not leaving until their war is over.”