Beiluo, Lake Island.
Lv Dongxuan was anxious and ill at ease. The water in the teapot was boiling, and tea leaves were tumbling about within it, floating and sinking.
But he had lost the mood to drink tea.
Although he had made that guarantee with a firm pat of his chest, he still had to guess at Lu Fan’s intentions carefully.
After all, this Tianji Order was the very first one to be issued after Tianji School had become White Jade City Tianji Pavilion.
White Jade City’s standing in the Great Zhou Dynasty today spoke for itself; its existence had long surpassed the Hundred Schools of Philosophy of the past.
Because of this, any order they issued would attract great attention and cause an uproar.
On the lake…
Lv Mudui returned from his fishing trip. He had his fishing rod in one hand, and fat fishes were struggling in his basket.
Lv Dongxuan stared at the fat fish in the basket of his, his other hand reaching up to stroke the big gold beaded necklace on his neck.
Lv Mudui’s heart jumped. Old Lv…was Old Lv coveting his fish?
After staring at the fish for quite some time, Lv Dongxuan seemed to have thought of something and finally made his decision. He stood up and headed toward the second floor of the White Jade City Pavilion.
The second floor of the pavilion…
Lu Fan was setting up his Go board.
He did not seem surprised to see Lv Dongxuan walking toward him.
“Sit,” Lu Fan said.
Lv Dongxuan sat on the other side of the Go board.
Lu Fan swept a finger out, and a bowl of Go stones floated and landed beside Lv Dongxuan’s hands.
Lv Dongxuan kept to himself the words he had wanted to say. He picked up a stone and placed it on the board.
Lu Fan had a palm supporting his chin as he placed a stone on the board.
The second floor of the pavilion was silent, save for the sounds of stones being placed on the board.
“Young Master, that Tianji Order you spoke about the other day…”
A light breeze blew by, leaving the white shirt on Lu Fan to billow gently in the wind.
Lu Fan leaned back in his wheelchair. He tilted his chin up slightly and huffed through his nostrils lazily, signaling for Lv Dongxuan to continue talking.
“The war is to stop for three months? Why three months?” Lv Dongxuan asked. He could not wrap his head around this.
Indeed, he could not really understand what Lu Fan was thinking.
What special meaning was there to three months?
“During these three months when war is banned, what will we do if the barbarians come and attack us?” Lv Dongxuan continued prodding.
“The cessation of war extends only to internal war. If the barbarians… Of course, we’ll wipe them out,” Lu Fan flatly responded as he placed a stone on the board.
He looked up slightly to glance at Lv Dongxuan. “It’s your move.”
Lv Dongxuan hummed, rolling up his sleeves and placing a stone on the board.
“As for why I’m suspending the war for three months, you know how to fortune tell, no? You can get your answer,” Lu Fan said.
“Just as well, all the cultivators can take the time to relax and focus on properly cultivating.”
“The people are too impetuous,” Lu Fan said.
Lv Dongxuan’s heart clenched. Lu Fan’s words caused some degree of anxiety to settle in his chest. Was something terrifying going to happen in three months?
As Lv Dongxuan looked at the mysterious and unpredictable Young Master, he gulped…
Only to find out the game on the Go board had lost any suspense.
Lv Dongxuan got up and took his leave and then promptly left the second floor of the pavilion.
Lu Fan made no move to stop him, only nodding slightly. His turned his wheelchair around to move toward the railing and stared out at the light in the center of Beiluo Lake. He could feel the change in its energy.
Lv Dongxuan went down the pavilion.
Anxiety settled in his chest.
He found a stalk of Heaven Facing Spiritual Chrysanthemum and sat cross-legged beneath it.
After thinking for some time, his eyes glinted.
He raised his hand and stroke the gold chain hanging on his neck. There was a shrill noise as every single gold canister started spinning rapidly.
Lv Dongxuan stirred. He started making his deductions according to the Tianji Calculation Technique that Lu Fan had amended.
Three months…
Just what would happen after three months?
Every single gold canister was floating in the air now and giving off a dazzling radiance. He could vaguely see gold words standing out against the gold canisters, lingering around him.
Lv Dongxuan clapped.
After that, he coughed out a mouthful of blood, and the gold canisters fell onto the floor.
The astonishment was evident on Lv Dongxuan’s face.
Because the hexagram of the gold canisters had indicated… Terrible!
In the far distance…
Lv Mudui hurried over.
“Prepare some Divine Paper…” Lv Dongxuan ordered Lv Mudui as he waved his hands.
Lv Mudui picked up on how tense the atmosphere was. Without hesitating, he turned to rush toward the pavilion.
Lv Dongxuan sat with his back straight. He looked toward the second floor of the pavilion.
The Divine Paper was brought to him swiftly.
This time, Lv Dongxuan wrote the order himself.
Lv Mudui was astounded as he watched from the side. He had never expected the news to be this shocking.
A Tianji Order to stop the war for three months?
Would the powers of the world adhere to this?
Lv Mudui knew full well that this was not something instigated by Lv Dongxuan; it was probably Lu Fan’s idea. So what was the point of stopping wars for three months?
Lv Mudui recalled Lv Dongxuan’s fortune-telling that had left him coughing up blood, and then he came to his senses.
Three months after… Something big will likely happen.
Lv Mudui dared not stay idle any longer.
After Lv Dongxuan finished penning the Tianji Order, he found a pigeon on the island that had become much more beautiful after soaking in Spirit Qi.
He gently tossed it out.
The white feathers of the Tianji Pigeon floated down.
With the Tianji Order in its grip, it flew out of the island.
******
South County.
Tang Xiansheng’s hands trembled as he opened the wooden box that was stained with blood.
In the wooden box lay a familiar head with its eyes still open.
Tang Xiansheng’s face trembled. The wooden box fell and smashed into the ground, causing the head to roll out of it.
The informant soldier who had been kneeling on the ground trembled. Even Tang Yimo, who had his hand wrapped around a servant’s throat some distance away, could not help but look over.
As he looked at the rolling head, he was slightly stunned. Then, he frowned.
The head in the wooden box belonged to Tang Baiyun. Tang Xiansheng had collapsed into a heap on the ground. There were not many changes to his expression, and all he did was stare at Tang Baiyun’s head.
“Mayor, Tantai Xuan from North County ambushed our army. He joined forces with the West County to completely overwhelm all of our troops, and First Young Master… He died in battle.”
The soldier kneeled on the ground with bated breath, trembling.
Tang Xiansheng clutched his chest. It was as if he had aged several years in an instant.
He had poured so much time and effort into conspiring and scheming only to yield such results.
Tang Xiansheng was no fool. He had deduced the reason for Tantai Xuan’s sudden attack on South County, and it was most likely because Tang Baiyun had exposed their collusion with the barbarians.
“This stupid…”
Tang Xiansheng clutched his chest and coughed violently, tears about to spill over.
Not a single person in the Tang Manor knew what to say.
The total annihilation of the South County Army was a great loss to them.
They had lost their right to fight any longer.
The world, from here on out, would only include West County, North County, and the Great Zhou. These three powers would be the only ones contending for control of the world.
Tang Xiansheng, he had taken his leave from the fight.
And this exit was all because of one slip up by Tang Baiyun.
“Where are my mother and younger sister, Tang Xiansheng?”
Tang Yimo’s chilling words reached him.
Tang Xiansheng could not help but turn his head.
Tang Yimo was shocked because at this moment, Tang Xiansheng looked like he had aged an entire decade in an instant. His eyes had become lifeless.
“Your mother and younger sister were probably detained by people sent by Baiyun. He was probably worried you would threaten his position as the crown prince, but now… You really won’t be able to threaten him at all.”
After he spoke, Tang Xiansheng covered his mouth. He could not stop coughing, and he ended up coughing up blood.
Tang Xiansheng had not anticipated for Tang Baiyun to pull such a move. It was fortunate that it did not cause too much trouble.
Tang Xiansheng quickly found a few servants and had them lead Tang Yimo to search for his mother and younger sister.
Just as Tang Yimo had taken one step out the door, he turned to look at Tang Xiansheng who was swaying and cowering.
After that, he walked straight out of the Tang Manor.
The looming, expansive Tang Manor—it seemed somewhat lonely and desolate.
Tang Yimo followed the servants to a farmhouse outside Nanjiang City and found his mother and sister detained there.
He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his mother and younger sister were well.
It was clear that Tang Baiyun had, indeed, planned on using these two people to threaten Tang Yimo. Unfortunately, he had died in North County before he could even begin to threaten the man.
******
News about the situation of the war in North County had quickly spread to the capital city.
Yuwen Xiu was restlessly pacing up and down in Zijin Palace as he listened to the eunuch read out the news. Impatient, he snatched the secret letter over.
His eyes flew across the paper as he skimmed through the text.
After quite some time, he finally sat on his Dragon Throne and heaved a long exhale.
Jiang Li was not dead.
Tang Xiansheng’s South County troops had been completely wiped out.
This was good news for Yuwen Xiu, but for every piece of good news, there was also a piece of bad news that came along with it. Jiang Li and the rest had been taken away by Mo Beike.
The balance among the great powers of the world had been destroyed with the defeat of Tang Xiansheng’s 100,000 strong army.
However, Mo Beike had still ended up taking away Jiang Li with him. After all, a Militarist disciple like Jiang Li would likely become a thorn in his side once he returned to the capital city.
Although Tantai Xuan had not laid a single finger on Jiang Li, he was still Mo Beike’s advisor, and there was no way he would pass up on a chance like this.
Of course, although Jiang Li had been detained in North County, he was eating and drinking well, so there was no threat to his life.
As long as Jiang Li was not dead, Yuwen Xiu felt that he could still retrieve the man back for a ransom.
Yuwen Xiu slammed the secret letter down on the table.
Outside Zijin Palace, the old eunuch was kneeling.
He had failed in his pursuit to kill Tang Xiansheng, so it was only natural that he had attracted the ire of Yuwen Xiu. The young emperor had ordered him to keep a close eye on Tang Xiansheng, but still, that sly old fox had escaped, and the old eunuch could not escape from shouldering the blame.
Yuwen Xiu strode out of Zijin Palace and saw the old eunuch kneeling with his head to the ground. He huffed and waved his hands to have the old eunuch stand up.
“Have some of the younger eunuchs feed my Black Dragon. Its appetite has been growing these days, so prepare more raw meat,” Yuwen Xiu ordered.
Yuwen Xiu, who had been awake for two days straight, gently massaged the area between his eyebrows. He disappeared into the long corridor.
The old eunuch let out a sigh of relief. This meant that Yuwen Xiu had forgiven him.
In the palace…
Yuwen Xiu took off his imperial robes. With the help of the maid, he laid in bed.
He needed to sleep.
He shut his eyes, but all of a sudden, a black light kept appearing in front of him. The black light was glimmering incessantly. Soon after, the sight in front of his eyes had morphed into the image of the Black Dragon stretching open its maws.
He startled awake suddenly, his back drenched in sweat.
And outside…
The old eunuch was in a flurry to get to him.
“Your Majesty, White Jade City sent out a message…”
Yuwen Xiu, whose back was completely covered in sweat, startled. He strode out hurriedly and took the piece of Tianji Pavilion Divine Paper over from the old eunuch’s grip.
“All war to cease for three months?”
“What’s White Jade City planning? What is Lu Ping’an planning?”
Yuwen Xiu stared at the Divine Paper and took in a deep breath.
The old eunuch had his fly-whisk in his grip, and he stared silently at Yuwen Xiu.
“Cessation of war for three months… Does he think everyone will just listen to him?”
“West County, North County, and South County—will the three of them really stop their war just because he said so?”
Yuwen Xiu frowned. He skimmed through the letter in his hand over and over, looking like he was deep in thought.
“Don’t understand… I don’t understand. Why three months? Is it because something big is going to happen in three months?”
“But stopping the war for three months is not a bad thing for Great Zhou…”
Yuwen Xiu squinted.
“But this move from White Jade City, they think my imperial power is nothing.”
The old eunuch’s heart seized when he heard what Yuwen Xiu said. He hurried to speak. “Your Majesty…”
Yuwen Xiu glanced at the old eunuch and then waved his hand to stop the man.
“Spread the order for Great Zhou to… cease the war.”
The old eunuch heaved a sigh of relief and nodded in acknowledgment.
“I understand.”
After a while, he took quick, short steps and walked away.
******
West County, in the camp.
Xiang Shaoyun sat in the camp. He looked at the letter in his hand, and he could not help but raise an eyebrow.
“White Jade City issued a Tianji Order to suspend the war for three months?”
“Why three months?”
“What is Lu Ping’an trying to do?”
The Overlord took in a deep breath, but he quickly gave out an order.
“West County… stop fighting.”
As a top-class cultivator, the Overlord knew very well that White Jade City was powerful but not just because of Lu Ping’an.
Even Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao—these two who were in the Internal Organs Realm—were more than enough to suppress the world.
The Internal Organs Realm… It was powerful enough for a single individual to rewrite the outcome of this war.
White Jade City might be some distance away in Beiluo City, but that did not mean they did not care about the war at all.
They might be quietly watching the flowers bloom and wither or idly looking at the clouds.
But in reality, all the major powers were closely observing White Jade City’s stance on this.
Whether it was Yuwen Xiu, the Overlord, or Tang Xiansheng, they had gone to White Jade City in Beiluo to ask after Lu Fan’s stance.
Of the three of them, the one to secure White Jade City’s support would naturally become king of the world.
The Overlord knew this clearly.
After all, he had once experienced for himself the power and terror of Lu Fan.
In the Overlord’s eyes, Lu Fan was just… not human!
******
North County.
Tantai Xuan read the notice, and he found it unbelievable.
He looked at Mo Beike and Mo Ju and asked, “White Jade City… What’s the meaning of this?”
Mo Ju shook his feather fan gently, not saying a single word.
Mo Beike, on the other hand, was resting with his eyes shut.
“It’s as it says…”
“What does White Jade City think it is? He thinks we’re just going to suspend the war for three months just because he said so?”
Tantai Xuan was somewhat indignant.
But very quickly, he realized he was the only one in the tent who was dissatisfied about this, and it made him feel rather embarrassed.
He sat in the chair and took a sip of his tea.
He muttered, “This White Jade City, they’re going too far.”
“But they got one thing right. If the barbarians come attacking during the cessation period, then to hell with them. I do like the sound of that.”
After that, Tantai Xuan called for one of the generals, and he instructed him solemnly.
“Heed this order. The West County…”
“Is to stop fighting.”
******
South County.
Rain drizzled down incessantly.
Tang Xiansheng was lying in his bed. The thick, pungent scent of medicine lingered in the room.
He had fallen ill.
The failure of the South County Army and the tragic death of Tang Baiyun had made him ill.
An attendant entered the room to read the news from White Jade City to him.
Tang Xiansheng’s face quivered, and then he laughed.
“My army had just been annihilated… And White Jade City’s given out this order. Had this come a second earlier, wouldn’t that be great? That Young Master Lu, he probably waited until my army had fallen before he gave out this order.”
“This Young Master Lu, he’s quite sentimental, in a way.”
Tang Xiansheng’s tone betrayed some degree of helplessness.
After a while, he waved his hand and gave out an order of his own.
“South County will stop fighting.”
******
A Tianji Order floated out of Beiluo City.
The war would cease for three months.
Several powers could not help but sneer once they received the news.
White Jade City, who had stayed out of the war for the most part, had really thought this highly of itself?
An order and the world had to suspend the war for three months? Even the Great Zhou Dynasty—which had once been peerless and had the world in the palm of its hands—was unlikely to achieve this, no?
However…
Following the news that the capital city was ceasing the war on their end…
West County, North County, and South County sent out news declaring the cessation of war for three months.
The world fell into shock.
After that, the powers from all over the world were in an uproar.
As it turned out…
When White Jade City asked for the war to cease for three months…
The world…really did so.