Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 557 - 308 Accidental Killing_2
He waved his hand to dismiss Li Junxian, but he muttered to himself, "Wuniang, Marquis of Wulian County, Xuanwu Gate." It all seemed to be conveying some message to him.
Li Shimin began to observe Li Junxian secretly, and the more he observed, the more alarmed he became. This young general seemed to have a peculiar charm that could easily unite the people around him, and he seemed to be very adept at socializing. With all the Military Generals of the court being proud and unyielding, he was able to interact with them effortlessly, without making any of them feel annoyed, what an ability that was.
"The air of a sovereign ruler." These words suddenly flashed through Li Shimin's mind. With this judgment, the more he watched this man who was talking and laughing amidst the generals, the more dangerous he found him. His gaze gradually became icy cold, fixed intently on Li Junxian, like a ravenous dragon that was opening its hideous maw to choose its next victim.
Li Junxian seemed to sense something, feeling a sudden chill on his skin which perplexed him. He was in the prime of his life, his robust vital energy usually protecting him from the cold and heat, yet today he felt a trace of coldness.
Instinctively turning his head, he saw Li Shimin, who was smiling warmly at him and gave a slight nod. His heart couldn't help but surge with excitement. A nod and a smile from an Emperor who had ruled the world for many years—did this not signify that he was soon to rise high in Qingyun?
When the banquet ended, the officials left one after another, leaving behind a messy banquet scene and the Emperor sitting in the high seat, exuding a chilling presence.
At this moment, he seemed like a ferocious dragon, baring his terrifying fangs, and it felt as though the temperature in the great hall had dropped several degrees.
"Look into this man called Li Junxian; I want his detailed information," he said.
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Immediately a voice responded from the darkness, and soon a shadow left the Imperial Palace, while Li Shimin gently stroked his Dragon Throne, a fierce look flashing across his face: "This throne, can only be sat upon by someone of our house."
Meanwhile, on Dragon Tiger Mountain, a new grave stood tall with a stone tablet in front that read "Tomb of Yuan Tiangang." Wild grass was already growing around it, flourishing in this season. Two figures stood in front of the stone tablet, and upon closer look, it was no other than Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang, who was supposed to be lying in this grave.
"The watchers have all dispersed. It seems our Emperor truly believes that I am dead," Yuan Tiangang said with a laugh.
At this moment, he was wearing a Taoist Robe, his aura natural, his speech calm and serene, giving off an incredibly comforting feeling.
Hearing this, Li Chunfeng smiled and nodded, "It's still elder brother who has abundant techniques, to think that there's even a Technique like the 'corpse dissolution.' The body was indistinguishable from your own, and what's most commendable is that even the breath was deceptively real, otherwise, it would not have been possible to fool the Emperor."
"After all, it's just a minor technique. This 'corpse dissolution' may seem magical, but in reality, it's just a Deceptive Technique. It might fool the commoners, but against someone of high cultivation, it will reveal its true form. Brother, you must not treat this as the essence," Yuan Tiangang earnestly advised.
"Elder brother, rest assured, Chunfeng understands well. The essence of the Great Dao does not lie in these things. Cultivation is the foundation. Now, without the encumbrances of the secular world and calamities averted, it's the perfect opportunity to devote ourselves to deep cultivation," Li Chunfeng replied.
"Haha, what junior brother said is very true, it's just a pity that in the past, we were blinded by the six desires of the mortal world and missed the wonderful scenery of the land. How about we brothers travel the world together, to witness the grandeur of heaven and earth, the abundance of its kinds?" Yuan Tiangang proposed.
"That is indeed my desire, I dare not ask for more," Li Chunfeng said with a bow.
The two looked at each other and smiled, then together they disappeared into the forest, and from that day forward, the names Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng were no longer known in the world. However, the realm was now home to two more Taoist Priests with profound cultivation and strong Mana.
"Alas! I've even promised that girl three conditions, I just hope they won't be too difficult when the time comes," a voice could be heard drifting with the wind deep in the forest.
In Changan City, Li Junxian, who had always been highly esteemed, had fallen into misfortune. He was a man who liked making friends, and among the common people there was an adept in Buddhism who could fast indefinitely after entering meditation. Li Junxian greatly admired him, so the two became close friends, and their interactions were exceedingly frequent.
This matter quickly landed on Li Shimin's desk. He lightly skimmed the long scroll in his hands, densely filled with all kinds of intelligence concerning Li Junxian.
"What exactly is the story with this person?" Li Shimin asked, pointing at the information about the person who had an intimate association with Li Junxian.
"He's just a fraud, someone who's good at boasting, without any real substance. He's always liked to flatter others, and Li Junxian became friends with him because he was taken in by his convincing bluster," the covert informant replied truthfully. Their job was to report the most accurate information to their lord.
Li Shimin slightly furrowed his brow. He trusted his spies, and from the intelligence, it seemed that Li Junxian didn't have significant ambitions and didn't appear to be someone who would attempt to usurp the throne.
But the words of Yuan Tiangang were like a thorn firmly embedded in his heart, making him repeatedly reflect on the information about Li Junxian, with his intent to kill growing stronger the more he thought about it.
He whispered a few words of instruction to his trusted informant, who nodded solemnly then quickly left the Imperial Palace.
Two days later, someone accused Li Junxian of consorting with Demons and plotting treachery. One stone stirred up a thousand ripples, and the peaceful political scene of the Great Tang started to churn tumultuously at that moment.
Li Junxian, on the other hand, was stunned by the news. He had never imagined such a thing would befall him, so he desperately protested his innocence, but for Li Shimin, whose mind was set on murder, everything was powerless.
In the end, Li Junxian was executed. A star of the military fell in such a manner—not dying in battle against an enemy, but at the hands of an Emperor's paranoia. Perhaps that is the very nature of sovereigns, extremely selfish beings who, when they sense a possible threat to their core interests, rip off their mask of warmth, smothering all potential threats in the cradle.
Meanwhile, in a distant place, Lu Xun started his path to becoming a sovereign. During this period, the outside world was in turmoil, with countless heroes taking their turns singing on the grand stage and shining with their own unique light, yet none had the power to unify the realm under one ruler.
As a result, changes of the banner on the city tower became common, to the point where even the common people grew numb, feeling as if, after a good night's sleep, they awoke to find their tax collector had changed.
And often, this was the beginning of a tragedy, for the first thing any conqueror of a city did was collect taxes from its people, regardless of how many times they had paid before.
This forced many commoners, unable to bear the burden, to embark on the road to refuge, seeking to preserve their lives amidst the chaos.
Mountain Luoxia gradually became known amongst the countless refugees as a heaven on earth, rumored to be home to a kind General who imposed few onerous taxes and instead often helped those without a shelter.
Thus, countless refugees flocked toward the mythical Mountain Luoxia, and the mountain range seemed like a towering Giant Beast that swallowed countless refugees, whose fates remained unknown, leading some to speculate that Mountain Luoxia was a grand deception, a place where Demon and shadow fed on people.
But what was the true situation in Mountain Luoxia?
At that moment, the refugee Wang Qiang looked at what lay before him with astonished eyes. He felt as if he had entered paradise, seeing the neatly arrayed houses and the genuine happiness radiating from the faces of the people coming and going made him feel as though he was living a beautiful dream.
"Even if this is a dream, I wish I never wake up," Wang Qiang murmured to himself.
