Chapter 773
Chapter 773
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 773
>Chapter Title: Method
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Chapter 773: Method
“Xuanyin died just like that? While I was fighting Matuo, what exactly happened on your end?”
This was the question Li Huowang wanted to know the most right now. Did Xuanyin and the others overestimate themselves and get involved in the battle between the Sages? Or were they ambushed by the Dharma followers?
Both were possible, but thinking back on it now, the former seemed unlikely.
After all, this guy’s duty was with the Astronomical Bureau. There was no way he didn’t know the strength of the Sages. And his group weren’t idiots—they wouldn’t have recklessly charged into White Jade Capital to cozy up to a Sage.
If it was the latter, then it was probably the worst possibility Li Huowang could imagine. If the Dharma followers had the spare capacity to summon Matuo’s incarnation to deal with him while also attacking Xuanyin and the others...
Then the Dharma’s strength had long surpassed everyone else. If they wanted to, they could crush them at any time.
The Dharma probably retreated to Nanping not because they were beaten back, but to bide their time and gather strength for a decisive strike to swallow them all whole.
They absolutely could not lose now. All of Si Qi, Hou Shu, Qingqiu, and Da Liang had thrown everything they had into this. If they lost, those lands would fall to the Dharma, and in the end, everywhere would end up like Da Qi today.
Hearing Li Huowang’s question, the lesser supervisors of Da Liang’s Astronomical Bureau didn’t answer right away. They whispered among themselves and occasionally sought Gao Zhijian’s input.
“Let me explain. They don’t know much either. Xuanyin didn’t tell the others some things.”
Hearing the unfamiliar voice from the crowd, Li Huowang looked around and stood up. He spotted a man wearing a massive Nuo opera mask, sitting in the farthest corner.
Looking at that wooden Nuo mask with two twisted faces fused together, Li Huowang recognized him. He was Hou Shu’s Astronomical Bureau leader. When Xuanyin died, this guy hadn’t gone, so he’d survived.
“Xuanyin divined through the celestial omens that White Jade Capital was about to descend into chaos. He came up with a method, trying to use the three dragon veins as array anchors to aid the Sage battling Yu’er God.”
“How did he do it? Don’t ask me, I don’t know. Xuanyin’s abilities were bizarre.”
“Wait here. Which Sage was he trying to help?”
Li Huowang asked in detail.
“Ji Zai, Kui Yin, Doumu, Wusheng Laomu, Jiangxiang Shou, Wu Zhi Rulai, Sanqing Yuanzun, Ba Hui. Gu God.”
“Wait! Yin-Yang Doumu is in on it too? She’s helping the other Sages fight Yu’er God?”
If he remembered right, hadn’t Ji Zai and Doumu been fighting to the death before? How were they suddenly united against a common enemy?
If everything this guy said was true, Li Huowang couldn’t even imagine what had happened in White Jade Capital.
The leader didn’t answer and continued, “I didn’t go that day. I stayed with the others by the dragon veins to guard against any Dharma feints.”
“I don’t know what happened there, but judging from the Dharma corpses on the ground, Yu’er God must have tipped them off about the location, so they sent people to disrupt.”
“So...” Li Huowang clenched his fists involuntarily. “So Xuanyin was ambushed by the Dharma while setting up the array and casting the spell? That’s why it failed and he died?”
“No.” The leader shook his massive Nuo mask with its two twisted faces. “No, Xuanyin and the others succeeded. They died, but now Yu’er God is dead too.”
“What did you say!?”
Hearing this, it wasn’t just Li Huowang—everyone else in the room shot to their feet.
At this point, no one was ignorant enough not to know that Yu’er God was the deity worshipped by the Dharma. If Yu’er God was truly gone, the Dharma would completely collapse before long!
“No, that’s not right!” Li Huowang’s words calmed the others down. “If it was just one Yu’er God, there’s no way it would take so many Sages to deal with him together, and still need Xuanyin and the others helping from below!”
The leader slowly nodded, confirming Li Huowang’s suspicion. “Correct. Yu’er God is dead, but the Dharma has more than just Yu’er God. There’s also Shi Du, and who knows what else lurking in the shadows.”
Hearing this, everyone sank back into their chairs. The atmosphere grew heavy once more.
Li Huowang, however, let out a long breath. Xuanyin’s death wasn’t in vain. They’d at least taken Yu’er God with them. Though the situation was still dire, there was at least a chance.
Seeing Li Huowang fall silent, a mummified lama from the Bardo Temple stood and approached Gao Zhijian, whispering in his ear.
Hearing what he said, Gao Zhijian looked shocked. “Is that true? Then invite them in quickly!”
“What, have the Bardo Temple lamas figured out a way to deal with the Dharma?”
Seeing the lama go out to fetch someone, Li Huowang grabbed the cup of cold tea from the table and downed it in big gulps.
“Senior Brother Li, why are you wearing Archmage Xuanyin’s Daoist robes?”
Hearing Bai Lingmiao’s question from beside him, Li Huowang felt the robes on his body, his expression turning complicated as many thoughts flashed through his mind. After a moment, he finally spoke. “They’re tough. Fireproof.”
Li Huowang ran his hand over the strange characters slowly flowing across the red Daoist robes. “Anyway, Xuanyin’s dead. He doesn’t need them anymore.”
He didn’t care if they were a dead man’s clothes. If they had value, he’d use them.
Plus, they could shrink or grow, so he could pass himself off as Xuanyin in front of the Dharma followers later and fool the Gang followers.
Just then, as the mummified lama led someone in, Li Huowang quickly set down his teacup.
It was an old man with milky-white eyes. He leaned on a white banner, tapping the ground unsteadily as he shuffled forward.
Li Huowang’s eyes roamed shamelessly over the man, but he still couldn’t figure out who he was.
As Li Huowang pondered in his mind, the blind old man groped his way to the floor and, following the eunuch’s guidance, kowtowed to Gao Zhijian. Then he pulled a turtle shell covered in crisscrossing stripes from the satchel on his back.
He took a few copper coins from his bosom, tossed them into the shell, and shook it while muttering incantations under his breath.
Once finished, the old man dumped the shell onto the ground. Six heads-up coins and two tails appeared before them.
His wrinkled hands fumbled over the coins’ faces, and joy spread across his face. He knelt and kowtowed in a random direction. “Your Majesty! It’s a most auspicious omen!”
“My god!” Li Huowang clutched his head in agony with both hands and shot to his feet.
“What the hell are you people doing!? At a time like this! Can you stop being so superstitious!? Can your divination kill all the Dharma followers!?”
(End of chapter)