Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 225: The Prince of Tang Dynasty

The elder’s eldest son, Ye Wei, who currently oversaw most of the daily affairs of the Jinzhou Ye Clan, stood silently by his side.

The Tang Imperial Family and the Blood River Sect had both suffered heavy losses. From a results-oriented perspective, this outcome suited the Jinzhou Ye Clan’s interests perfectly. However, the specific details of how it all transpired were somewhat unexpected.

Furthermore, from another perspective, the direct bloodline of the Sui Dynasty’s remnants had also suffered great losses—this was not an outcome the Jinzhou Ye Clan had hoped for.

They certainly had no intention of overthrowing the Tang and restoring the Sui. However, that bloodline had originally been a chess piece they could have leveraged further. The current results had clearly fallen short of expectations.

The White Lotus Sect had undoubtedly obtained what they wanted.

Someone had offered a higher price than Wei Anchang.

For the White Lotus Sect to be willing to pay such a steep price, whatever they obtained must have been of critical importance. It could be foreseen that although they had now made an enemy of the Blood River Sect, this event might actually serve as a key turning point for their own development.

The pressing question now was—who was behind all of this?

The battle at Sleeping Dragon Lake in the Southern Wasteland had already concluded. There was no point in dwelling on it further. But what about the future?

Would the White Lotus Sect continue to engage in similar deals and collaborations?

"Hold off on summoning Ye Liang back for now," the elder finally spoke after a long silence. "I trust Ye Liang will act with discretion."

Ye Wei responded, "Understood, Father."

The elder then asked, "Has the situation in Suzhou begun to unfold?"

Ye Wei replied, "Yes, it has already started."

The elder mused, "A bit rushed, but not necessarily a bad thing."

Ye Wei hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, "Father, should we...?"

The elder shook his head. "We do not need to intervene—just observe how the situation develops."

Ye Wei understood immediately. "Yes, Father."

The elder rose from his seat, walked to the window, and gazed outside. After a long moment, he spoke again.

"The Crown Prince… has he left the capital?"

His thoughts seemed to leap between topics unpredictably.

Ye Wei remained composed and respectful. "Yes, Father. His Highness the Crown Prince has departed, though he is still within the Zhongzhou region."

The elder instructed, "Keep a close watch."

"Yes, Father," Ye Wei replied.

After a slight pause, Ye Wei continued, "Father, Brother Chengming has returned."

The current head of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan was Lin Che, also known by his courtesy name, Chengming.

"Meanwhile, Brother Hongzhen has left Jiangzhou and returned to Qingzhou," Ye Wei added.

The elder nodded slightly at the news.

Ye Zhu and Ye Hongzhen were both senior figures within the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

Previously, with the disappearance of Lin Che and Lin Feng from the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, Jiangzhou had been left vulnerable. Thus, following orders from Ye Yan, the head of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, Ye Zhu had been dispatched to Jiangzhou to assist in stabilizing the situation.

Now that Lin Che had returned, Ye Zhu no longer needed to stay.

While the Qingzhou Ye Clan might not have been particularly eager for Lin Che to return safely, given the current circumstances, they had other, more pressing plans and preferred to avoid unnecessary complications.

With Lin Che's return, the atmosphere between the Jiangzhou Lin Clan and Mount Longhu in Xinzhou became tense once more.

The two factions had been bitter enemies for over a millennium, their grievances accumulating over generations. Their rivalry was not dependent on the presence or absence of the Li Family.

In terms of history, their conflict predated the Li Family's control of Tianshi Mansion.

In terms of geography, their proximity was the true root of their enmity.

Previously, the Battle of Poyang Great Marsh had resulted in heavier losses for the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, forcing them to avoid provoking further hostilities.

However, the recent major battle between the Tianshi Mansion and external forces had changed the dynamics.

Especially now, with Lin Che back and Xu Yuanzhen still missing, the situation was different.

"While timing is critical and opportunities fleeting, Jiangzhou must still proceed with caution," the elder sighed. "I wonder how much Lin Chengming’s approach will have changed after his recent experiences."

Lin Che had already made a name for himself during his older cousin Lin Qun’s tenure as the previous clan head.

Compared to the more decisive Lin Qun, Lin Che appeared more reserved.

But according to the Jinzhou Ye Clan’s observations, Lin Che was, in reality, quite similar to Lin Qun.

Otherwise, at the climax of the Battle of Poyang Great Marsh, he wouldn’t have shifted his focus to Xu Yuanzhen.

"I imagine Brother Chengming will be even more cautious now," Ye Wei commented.

As they spoke, a message arrived from outside.

The elder calmly unfolded the paper and read it, his expression unchanging. After a brief moment, he handed it to Ye Wei.

"A report from Ye Liang in the Southern Wasteland."

Ye Wei read it and shook his head. "Even Yang Fei has perished."

The latest news from the Southern Wasteland:

Yang Fei, the second son of Yang Yuqi and a direct descendant of the Sui Dynasty remnants, had been killed by Xiao Xueting.

Adding to the earlier unconfirmed reports of his elder brother Yang Tai’s death, this meant that both of Yang Yuqi’s promising sons had been completely wiped out in this ordeal.

"Still no confirmation on who killed Yang Tai?" The elder seemed more interested in Yang Tai’s death than in Yang Fei’s.

Ye Wei answered apologetically, "No clear information yet. The Southern Wasteland is still in chaos."

---

The Southern Wasteland was indeed in turmoil.

And some people were even more unsettled than the region itself.

The "Ghost King" Zong Han, Lord of Golden Castle Stronghold, had already withdrawn, retreating from the sacred grounds of Yin Mountain Grotto.

His Ghost Dao lineage had long been despised, and their previous alignment with the Blood River Sect had only intensified the hostility against them.

Although the world's focus was currently on the Blood River Sect and Wei Anchang, sooner or later, Golden Castle Stronghold would also face retribution.

Bitterly laughing at their predicament, they realized that being a universally hated enemy and under siege was nothing new for them.

For now, with the Blood River Sect attracting most of the world's ire, they had the opportunity to rearrange their forces more calmly.

Their newly established sacred ground had been left in ruins after an assault by Wei Anchang, but abandoning it was no great loss.

More importantly, the death of Elder Gao Pu, an Eighth Heaven cultivator loyal to Zong Han, was a far greater blow.

With Gao Pu losing his most powerful evil spirits and corpse puppets, his strength had significantly diminished.

If that were the extent of the damage, Gao Pu’s high cultivation realm would still allow him to fend off most Upper Heaven experts.

However, after being heavily injured by Shangguan Yunbo’s Dangkou Golden Halberd and then pursued by Xiao Xueting, Gao Pu, in his weakened state, was ultimately slain—becoming a stepping stone for Xiao Xueting’s meteoric rise, as she defeated an Eighth Heaven Great Shaman despite being only at the Seventh Heaven Realm.

Zong Han could only temporarily swallow this grudge and focus on leading his remaining disciples into hiding.

Meanwhile, the cultivators of Yin Mountain Grotto, led by their Lord Hu Hengyuan, pursued the fleeing Golden Castle disciples—but more as a symbolic gesture than a serious hunt.

Hu Hengyuan’s thoughts were even more complex than Zong Han’s.

Realistically speaking, he had initially expected the conflict to be a prolonged stalemate, possibly leaning slightly in favor of the Blood River Sect.

As long as Yang Yuqi, Xiong Gang, Yuan Shanji, and Gao Pu did not actively sabotage Wei Anchang from within, the Blood River Sect’s leader—currently the strongest expert in the Southern Wasteland—should have maintained the upper hand.

Not to mention, Hu Hengyuan was aware that Wei Anchang had the White Lotus Sect as his hidden backup.

Yet, in the end, things had taken an unexpected turn…

Yet, in the end, things had taken an unexpected turn…

The White Lotus Sect had indeed acted as a hidden card, but it turned out to be someone else's hidden card.

Moreover, the synchronized movements of Reincarnation Abyss and Gepo Mountain had exceeded the expectations of many, including Wei Anchang and Hu Hengyuan.

Wei Anchang had projected an air of dominance, appearing as if he intended to sweep through the Southern Wasteland and unify the Witch Sect under his rule. But his choice of targets had been deliberate.

His pursuit of Gao Pu and the subsequent assault on Golden Castle Stronghold’s mountain gate might have seemed like an opportunity taken in the heat of battle. However, even if Gao Pu hadn’t trespassed upon Morning Sun Peak of Great Southern Mountain, Wei Anchang’s first target would still have been Golden Castle.

The reason was simple: both the Golden Castle Stronghold and the Blood River Sect were widely despised. Striking them first would not immediately provoke the rest of the Witch Sect into uniting against him.

While the logic of “when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold” was well understood, in practice, the speed of reaction often determined the outcome.

Wei Anchang’s second target appeared to be the Gu Master sacred ground, Yin Mountain Grotto, but in reality, his sights were set on the Divine Dance lineage’s stronghold, Gepo Mountain.

On one hand, Hu Hengyuan himself had acknowledged that he was more inclined to preserve Yin Mountain Grotto rather than engage in a life-and-death struggle with the Blood River Sect.

On the other hand, Gepo Mountain’s defenses were the most fortified, making it necessary to draw out Sang Lu before launching an attack.

By all accounts, Wei Anchang’s plan had almost succeeded—until the Holy Lord of Reincarnation Abyss, Feng Gui, returned earlier than anticipated.

At the Battle of Sleeping Dragon Lake, Sang Lu had been severely injured, while Feng Gui remained in relatively good condition.

Now, Hu Hengyuan was more focused than ever on the movements of Feng Gui and Reincarnation Abyss.

---

"Looks like the Southern Wasteland will remain chaotic for a while longer," Lei Jun commented as he received the latest reports during their return journey. His tone was casual, almost as if he were discussing gossip.

Yuan Mobai, however, replied gravely, "The Great Tang is equally unstable."

Lei Jun turned to look at his master.

Yuan Mobai continued, "We’ve just received word—Tianlong Monastery has been attacked by the Outer Path Buddhist sect, Vast Void Temple."

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow. "That makes three. In just a few years, Vast Void Temple has nearly challenged all four of the Great Buddhist Holy Lands."

First, they had destroyed the ancestral grounds of Bodhi Monastery.

Then, when Vajra Monastery welcomed its new abbot, they were ambushed by the White Lotus Sect and Vast Void Temple, suffering devastating losses.

Now, Vast Void Temple had turned its sights on the third sacred site, Tianlong Monastery.

They truly lived by their doctrine: destruction is the natural state of the world—where there is life, there is war.

However, the previous attacks had been different.

When they struck Bodhi Monastery, the monastery was already vulnerable.

When they intercepted Vajra Monastery’s forces, they had the support of the White Lotus Sect.

Now, they were directly clashing head-on with Tianlong Monastery.

"This could be another test aimed at the Tang Imperial Family," Yuan Mobai speculated.

The battle in the Southern Wasteland had left both Wei Anchang and Yang Yuqi weakened.

Likewise, the Tang Imperial Court had been drawn into the conflict.

Shangguan Peng had perished, while Shangguan Yunbo had been wounded. The Dangkou Golden Halberd had been tainted and required purification and restoration.

Meanwhile, Xiao Xueting and several top experts of the Shangguan Clan were still stationed in the Southern Wasteland.

Although Vast Void Temple was making a frontal assault on Tianlong Monastery, they knew that Tianlong Monastery was currently lacking reinforcements.

"The Suzhou Chu Clan, and possibly the Qingzhou Ye Clan as well," Lei Jun speculated.

Yuan Mobai nodded. "Our own sect must also remain vigilant."

Lei Jun replied solemnly, "Understood, Master."

For now, Mount Longhu remained peaceful, allowing Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai to return safely to Tianshi Mansion.

Surprisingly, Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan, who had left the mountain earlier, had yet to return.

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow. "Did he get kidnapped?"

Junior Brother Chu Kun chuckled. "No, nothing like that. Some of our fellow disciples saw him outside the mountain not long ago. He sent a message saying he planned to stay out for a while longer."

Yuan Mobai smiled. "Rarely does Zhonggui get restless—this is a good thing. As long as he stays safe, let him be. I trust that Zhonggui knows his limits."

Wang Guiyuan had been still for too long, and now he was finally stirring.

Meanwhile, Yuan Mobai, having completed his journey outside, intended to report his experiences in the Southern Wasteland to Tianshi Tang Xiaotang and then enter seclusion for cultivation.

"Focus on your cultivation, Little Martial Uncle," Tang Xiaotang waved him off. "We can handle everything else."

Yuan Mobai’s smile faded slightly. "Something happened on the mountain?"

Lei Jun also turned to look at Tang Xiaotang.

Tang Xiaotang shrugged. "Nothing major."

Compared to the time when the Empress herself had personally visited, it was indeed not a major incident.

As for whether it was important…

At this moment, the Crown Prince of the Great Tang Dynasty, having received special permission from his aunt—the Empress—had embarked on his first-ever journey outside the capital.

And currently, his royal entourage had arrived at another Daoist Holy Land—Pure Yang Palace.

Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu was also part of his itinerary.