Chapter 553: Victory Report; An Unrivaled Xiliang Was Bound to Make People Restless

Prince Yu was assassinated with poison.

He first sent assassins to kill the Sovereign of Xiliang and failed, and this was the grim retaliation he suffered.

Afterward, the Xiliang Kingdom stated outright that anyone could play dirty. If you use such tactics, you can’t blame others for doing the same.

The situation instantly became a whirlwind of turmoil.

The various factions weren’t shocked by the assassination of a prince, but by the fact that the Xiliang Kingdom had actually succeeded.

Normally, all major powers have practitioners of the Daoist Lineages protecting them.

It should have been impossible for poison to succeed, yet Prince Yu was dead.

This implied that the spy planted by the Xiliang Kingdom within Prince Yu’s faction had climbed to an extremely high position.

Not even the practitioners of the Daoist Lineages had been able to stop it.

‘If they could plant a spy in Prince Yu’s faction, could they have planted one in ours?’

The poisoner was found—a chef brought in on a temporary basis. But was that really possible?

Thus, all the major powers believed the real traitor had yet to be exposed.

Unfortunately, finding that person would now be difficult. With Prince Yu’s death, his faction had crumbled overnight.

Following that, every faction began a rigorous internal investigation, determined to find any potential spies within their own ranks.

None of them wanted to end up poisoned to death one day, or have their head lopped off in their sleep.

Miaoyu was also puzzled by this. He had seen Qi Suian make certain arrangements and give orders, but he simply couldn’t comprehend how they had led to this outcome.

“Oh, you’re asking why Prince Yu was poisoned to death.” Hearing the question, Qi Suian didn’t bother to hide the truth. “It was just his bad luck, naturally.”

“I originally only intended to give him a scare. But he’s not me; he doesn’t treat his subordinates very well.”

“So, through a series of coincidences, he ended up drinking that poisoned wine.”

“Under normal circumstances, he never would have drunk it.”

“This so-called spy is a complete fabrication.” Qi Suian put on an expression that said, ‘You’ve all misunderstood me; it was purely a matter of luck.’

But Miaoyu didn’t believe it for a second. ‘Succeeding through coincidence and luck? A three-year-old wouldn’t buy that.’

However, given Qi Suian’s status, Miaoyu didn’t press the matter.

‘If you say so, then it must be so. It’s not like I can argue.’

But in his heart, his estimation of Qi Suian grew even higher.

‘Devising strategies in a tent and winning a battle a thousand miles away.’

‘To be able to throw the world into chaos while sitting in a palace… he’s terrifying.’

‘Thankfully, he chose our Buddhist Family Daoist Lineage. It means we’ll receive a greater reward.’

‘If this enterprise of seating a new emperor succeeds, several new Bodhisattvas are sure to be consecrated. Perhaps I could even be one of them.’

‘In the past, when seating an emperor, the spoils were divided among the three Daoist Lineages. But if the Xiliang Kingdom succeeds, our Buddhist Family Daoist Lineage will be the sole victor—winner takes all.’

‘This would even affect our foundation for future struggles between the Daoist Lineages.’

‘And it’s not just about consecrating Bodhisattvas. The number of Arhats, high monks, and the like would also see explosive growth.’

“Your Majesty has an affinity with the Buddha and is blessed by his protection,” Miaoyu said, essentially thinking, ‘Since you claim it’s luck, let’s just give the Buddha credit.’

Qi Suian heard this and thought Miaoyu was quite quick on the uptake. “Exactly, exactly. It was all the Buddha’s protection.”

Qi Suian had no intention of refusing a scapegoat delivered right to his doorstep.

If any more absurd things were to happen, they could also be attributed to the Buddha’s protection.

As long as someone was there to take the blame, Qi Suian couldn’t care less who it was.

Besides, the Buddha was certainly big enough to carry this particular pot.

The two chatted idly, and Qi Suian occasionally flipped through official business to approve it.

In truth, very little official business ever reached his desk.

But this also proved that anything that did was of the utmost importance.

“Report… a victory report…”

“Master Miaoxin has crushed the Imperial Army! He has slain fifty thousand, captured one hundred fifty thousand, and seized countless provisions and supplies…” A rushed, excited voice rang out.

Then, a Posthouse Soldier presented a battle report, placing it on Qi Suian’s desk.

Qi Suian opened it, a smile spreading across his face, and handed it to Miaoyu.

“A reward! A great reward!” Qi Suian was genuinely delighted, as he felt the bottleneck in his own cultivation loosen.

But in the next instant, the Posthouse Soldier abruptly drew a dagger and lunged at Qi Suian.

The report was real, but the Posthouse Soldier had been swapped out en route.

The purpose, of course, was to assassinate Qi Suian.

Some had seen how Prince Yu’s death led to the collapse of his faction. They figured that if Qi Suian, the Sovereign of Xiliang, were to die, the Xiliang Kingdom would surely suffer the same fate.

As the man most likely to unite the world, the various rebel lords were naturally eager to see him dead.

Therefore, such an attempt was perfectly normal.

As for the risk of collateral damage? They could worry about that later.

But in the next instant, Miaoyu effortlessly reached out, caught the dagger in his hand, and crushed it to dust.

He was a Fifth Realm Arhat, while the attacker was merely an ordinary man.

The dagger was intercepted long before it could get anywhere near Qi Suian.

“Take him alive. Interrogate him thoroughly and find out which faction sent him.”

“I will be sure to repay them handsomely afterward,” Qi Suian said calmly.

Miaoyu squeezed the assassin’s neck, causing him to fall unconscious immediately.

Several guards rushed in and dragged the man away.

“Your Majesty, I fear your previous retaliation has backfired.”

“They have not only seen the dire consequences of failure, but also the immense benefits of success,” Miaoyu said.

It wasn’t that he was afraid. To have attained the Arhat’s Righteous Fruit meant he had experienced a great deal, to say nothing of the far more terrifying things he had witnessed in the conflicts between Daoist Lineages.

However, he feared not the expected, but the unexpected.

Qi Suian was now his guiding light to attaining the status of a Bodhisattva.

If Qi Suian were to die, or if he were to miss this chance, the next such opportunity would be nearly impossible to come by.

He might not see another chance like this even after a lifetime of arduous cultivation and breakthroughs.

That was why he was so deeply concerned for Qi Suian’s safety.

“That is true. But never mind that. Isn’t this better?”

“How many Fifth Realm practitioners do their Daoist Lineages have compared to my Xiliang Kingdom?”

“If you alone are not enough, Master Miaoyu, then just have a few more people protect me. If my enemies can still succeed then, I can only say that all of you have been derelict in your duties.” Qi Suian said with a smile, skillfully shifting the blame.

This made Miaoyu a little awkward, mainly because Qi Suian was right.

“Master Miaoxin crushed the Court’s three-hundred-thousand-strong army. How many who remain can possibly pose a threat?”

“So, as things stand, there is nothing left to fear. The greatest hurdle has already been overcome.”

Qi Suian said this, but in his heart, he was pondering something else.

‘There isn’t enough conflict yet.’

‘The ones dying now are mostly commoners and practitioners of the first three realms.’

‘Since this is a low-rent version of the ‘Investiture of the Gods,’ I’ll have to find a way to get these high-realm Extraordinary Beings onto the list.’

“That’s true. Without the Court, who under heaven can stop the Xiliang Kingdom?” Miaoyu agreed.

“There are some, actually. The Xiliang Kingdom owes its current momentum to the support of the Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage. If another power were to gain the equivalent support of the Confucian and Daoist lineages…”

“Then the Xiliang Kingdom’s advantage would vanish instantly.” Qi Suian pointed out the crux of the matter.

“That… should be impossible. They…” As he spoke, Miaoyu’s confidence wavered.

On the surface, the enterprise of seating a new emperor was a fair contest, but everyone knew that was complete bullshit.

This time, if the Xiliang Kingdom were to win and unite the world, it wouldn’t be a case of sharing the spoils like before. The Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage would be taking it all for themselves.

At that point, the overall power of their Daoist Lineage would ascend to a new level. They might even be able to use this growth to dominate the Confucian and Daoist lineages.

Everyone has their own selfish ambitions. They were merely concealed for the moment, but the other lineages weren’t fools; they would absolutely understand the consequences of the Xiliang Kingdom unifying the world.

Unsurprisingly, the other factions would either form an alliance, or one or two powers would suddenly emerge, eventually becoming rivals on par with the Xiliang Kingdom.

If it were one power, it would be a Confucian-Daoist alliance. If it were two, they would both naturally harbor the same winner-take-all mentality as the Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage.

Moreover, such a development would also affect the landscape of future conflicts between the Daoist Lineages and the very nature of seating new emperors.

“Does Your Majesty have any words of advice?” At this point, Miaoyu could only ask Qi Suian. After all, the Xiliang Kingdom was his.

“Master Miaoyu, rest assured. The Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage gained the initial advantage, and now by striking first, you have secured it. You could say you’re already two steps ahead.”

“How could the leaders of those other powers possibly trust their Daoist Lineages as much as I trust yours?”

“In the end, their alliances will be united in appearance only.” Qi Suian was essentially saying, ‘Don’t worry, you have my full support.’

However, Qi Suian didn’t mention the other possibility: the Daoist Lineage could simply sideline the faction’s leader and turn him into a puppet. That would solve the problem just as well.

—————–

“Their momentum has surged. This Xiliang Kingdom is destined to be the next dynasty,” the Buddha said calmly.

This so-called surge in momentum was not, of course, referring to the Xiliang Kingdom’s victory over the Imperial Army, but to his own Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage.

He had given the general directive, that was true, but the actual execution was left to the members of his Daoist Lineage.

Investing so heavily in the Xiliang Kingdom had not been his order.

“The balance must not be broken,” the Saint said slowly. “The Xiliang Kingdom may become the next dynasty, but the Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage must not be allowed to grow stronger.”

“Otherwise, the Celestial Dao will be tilted, and all three of us will suffer for it.”

The Buddha lowered his eyelids, then said, “Agreed.”

The three of them were Taoist Lords, yet they existed in opposition to the Celestial Dao, maintaining their own equilibrium through the balance of their lineages.

The struggle between the lineages was a part of this balance. Therefore, the three Daoist Lineages had to remain evenly matched; one could absolutely not be allowed to become dominant, nor could one be allowed to wane.

Of course, the number of practitioners in each Daoist Lineage could not be too great, either. Besides maintaining comparable numbers, their populations also had to be kept within a certain range.

This was also why the previous conflicts between the Daoist Lineages had devolved into such bloody frenzies.

“The Sovereign of Xiliang reveres the Buddha and respects only the Buddhist Family’s Daoist Lineage,” the Deity spoke up at this moment. “We must consolidate another power to become a strong rival. In the future, it can be integrated into the Xiliang Kingdom to restore the balance.”

The Buddha nodded in agreement and continued, “Furthermore, this founding emperor of Xiliang should not live a long life. After he unifies the world, he shall be granted one more year to live.”

The meaning was clear: for the sake of balance, they did not need an emperor who revered the Buddha. Once the world was stable, he was to die and be replaced by an emperor more suited to their interests.