My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

68  Chapter 68 The Great Zhou Turbulence Leads to Speculation

Historical records state that before Great Yan had unified the land, there were nine major feudal states in this world. These nine states waged wars against each other, killing each other. At that time, both the court and Jianghu were in extreme chaos, giving rise to countless experts and figures of great significance.

The Old Man of Lost Souls was just one of them. Aside from him, many other masters emerged, and to this day, among the seven major factions of Great Yan, the Yu Heng Sword Sect and the Blue River Sect were founded then and have continued to this day.

Moving further back in time, before the chaos of the Nine Kingdoms, there reigned the immensely powerful Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, the historical records only document the prosperity and glory of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As for why such a dominant dynasty fell into decay, suddenly crumbling and disintegrating, there is no record, as if out of the blue, the powerful Great Zhou Dynasty had declined.

As a result, the nine major kings of the land divided it among themselves, establishing the nine great feudal states, and initiating an era of sprawling wars and warriors galloping through battlefields.

What puzzled An Jing was that neither the historical records nor popular folklore detailed anything about the sudden decline of the Great Zhou Dynasty, as if this were a blank chapter in history.

Although the Nine Kingdoms waged war against each other, there seemed to be an unspoken natural agreement among them to burn and bury this chapter of history.

As for why the Nine Kingdoms did this, not many people knew, and perhaps those who did were no longer in this world.

"I'm not exactly sure myself."

Jiang Sanjia shook his head.

"In this world, there's something even your Ghost Valley Sect doesn't know?" Mu Xiaoyun raised an eyebrow. "Besides, isn't your Ghost Valley Sect a lineage that has continued from the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

As the oldest sect in today's Jianghu, and especially skilled at calculating the heavenly secrets and knowing many of the world's mysteries, Jiang Sanjia had previously served in the Qintian Bureau of Great Yan and had access to some of the royal secret scrolls. Logically, there should be very few things in the world that he wouldn't know.

"Heavenly secrets must not be fully calculated; that is the rule of our sect."

Jiang Sanjia pondered for a long while before speaking, "All I know is a little. The decline of the Great Zhou Dynasty is definitely related to the thing sealed underground. This is stated in the Ghost Valley scrolls. There are six seals under the world to this day, and these seals have existed for a long time, back in the Great Zhou Dynasty, they were suppressed by Buddhism, and now the Human Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty has constructed the Dragon Locking Well in Yujing City, which seems to have established a new seal. So, in total, there are seven underground seals."

"Right, Fa Xi Temple has one of the seals, and the thing sealed is nearly breaking. It's just not clear what will happen if this seal breaks."

Mu Xiaoyun shook her head, "I've heard of these things, but they seem to be related to the nation's fate."

Hearing this, An Jing became even more puzzled about the seals.

The downfall of the Great Zhou Dynasty was actually related to that seal, but what exactly lay beneath that seal? And why did the feudal kings of the Nine Kingdoms erase this chapter in history?

Why, as the seal in Fa Xi Temple neared rupture, was his Life Fate continually rising?

And what exactly was he and that dragon, or what did they symbolize? Why did seeing himself drive the dragon mad?

Could it be that his Life Fate was sealed, and hence with the breaking of the seal, his Life Fate was rising?

All of these things filled An Jing's heart with doubts.

After a few more brief exchanges, the three fell into a brief silence.

"Since that's the case, I plan to leave after burying Xue Chen's body."

Mu Xiaoyun picked up Xue Chen's corpse and rose to bid farewell to the two.

An Jing watched Mu Xiaoyun leave, sighing silently in his heart.

An invaluable Ancient Jade Essence Blood was exchanged for a corpse that was already dead, it was hard to imagine that was a choice made by Mu Xiaoyun, known in Jianghu as the Viper Beauty.

"Go ahead, leaving Great Yan might be for the best," Jiang Sanjia said with a sigh.

"Sanjia, do not create your own prison, trapping yourself within," Mu Xiaoyun looked at Jiang Sanjia seriously, then said, "The mountains are high and the waters long, until we meet again in Jianghu."

"I hope the next time, we meet not in Jianghu," An Jing said with a light smile.

"Good, 'Meeting not in Jianghu'."

Mu Xiaoyun paused, a knowing smile on her face, and then with a leap, she headed off into the distance.

...... n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Yujing City, Yonghe Palace.

The courtyard was vast, extending as far as the eye could see, with white stone slabs covering the ground. Grass and flowers were arranged among the trees, and pine trees stood tall and elegant.

In the middle of the courtyard, a pair of Huabiao, each over ten meters tall, stood on Sumeru bases. They were made of white marble, with Flood Dragons entwined around them, and featured clouds emerging from the wind, topped with a cloud board, water-catching basin, and crouching beasts, all imposing and solemn.

On a stone bench in the courtyard, a young man sat dressed in a red robe, wearing a Yishan Crown and a Jade Glass Belt around his waist. His features were not particularly handsome but had a certain appeal, with thin lips that were memorable.

He held a jade birdcage in his hands, amusing himself with the spirit bird inside.

"Second Prince."

At that moment, a middle-aged man entered at a slow pace, led by a guard.

The man's face was full of wrinkles, bearing the marks of years past, yet his eyes were bright. He was none other than the current Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Yue Tingchen.

And the young man before him was Zhao Mengtai, the second son of the reigning Human Emperor.

"The tremors from the Dragon Locking Well just now, have they been investigated?" Second Prince Zhao Mengtai asked nonchalantly while looking at a birdcage.

"There's no major issue," Yue Tingchen said blandly. "In recent years, the tremors at the Dragon Locking Well have become more frequent. The State Preceptor once said that it's due to the loosening of other seals throughout Great Yan, but as long as the last seal of the Dragon Locking Well remains secure, we can rest easy."

"The State Preceptor did say that," Second Prince confirmed.

Zhao Mengtai put down the birdcage, then clapped his hands and said, "However, my father the Emperor has a different opinion. He says that not a single seal throughout the land should be missing, and no error can be afforded. This matter requires further investigation."

Yue Tingchen nodded and responded, "You are quite right, Second Prince."

Zhao Mengtai nodded slightly with a smile, "I have heard that there has been unrest in Jiangnan Dao recently. Have you heard about this, Mister Yue?"

"I have, it seems a master from the Demon Sect has been spotted," Yue Tingchen replied, his brow furrowing.

The Demon Sect had once instigated a rebellion in Great Yan, so in the courts of Great Yan, the Demon Sect was feared like a tiger.

"I'm not talking about the Demon Sect." The Second Prince narrowed his eyes, "I'm referring to Jiang Sanjia."

"Jiang Sanjia?"

Yue Tingchen appeared puzzled.

He was naturally very familiar with Jiang Sanjia, who had previously served in the Qintian Bureau. What kind of place was the Qintian Bureau, after all? Jiang Sanjia was a key figure who specialized in divination for the Emperor, a role not just anyone could fill.

However, Jiang Sanjia was known to be quite peculiar. Various powers within the court had tried to court him, but he was uninterested. Furthermore, after a series of incidents, he lost the trust of the Human Emperor. When the Qintian Bureau was favored, it basked in utmost prestige, but once it fell from grace, the situation turned quite tragic—after all, the bureau knew many secrets, not only making the Emperor suspicious but also worrying many others in the court.

Eventually, two years after Jiang Sanjia resigned, he was imprisoned on charges of corruption and bribery. Later, he seemed to have been secretly transported to Jiangnan Dao.

The Daoist Master of Jiangnan, Chu Nanying, was one of the Crown Prince's men. Without a doubt, the Crown Prince must have employed certain methods to have Jiang Sanjia transferred to the Heavenly Prison in Yu State City.

According to intelligence gathered through investigation, Chu Nanying, the Daoist Master of Jiangnan, also had an exceptionally close relationship with the Gang Leader of the Cao Gang, Liu Qingshan. As an old fox who had navigated the court for decades, Yue Tingchen naturally smelled something different in the air.

"What do you mean, Second Prince?" Yue Tingchen asked with a grave voice.

Zhao Mengtai slowly said, "The offenses Jiang Sanjia committed back then were mere trifles. Besides, wasn't it Assistant Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang who impeached him? Now, most of the Qintian Bureau are nothing but inept bureaucrats, whereas Jiang Sanjia is a descendant of the Ghost Valley Sect. Why shouldn't we make good use of him?"

If the Crown Prince wanted to facilitate the forming of the Five Gangs Alliance and seek a sliver of support within Jianghu, then the Second Prince could not possibly remain indifferent...

21:40

"Moreover, this brother of mine, the Crown Prince, has ambitions that are not small—he actually wants to stir up this vast expanse of Jianghu."

The Assistant Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang also belonged to the Crown Prince's faction. Exonerating Jiang Sanjia would not only draw him to our side but also help eliminate and weaken the influence of the Crown Prince's faction.

Most importantly, it could hinder the Crown Prince's next moves.

The Five Gangs Alliance—if it were to be realized, then the Crown Prince would wield a formidable force within Jianghu...

Upon hearing this, Yue Tingchen's heart skipped a beat. With only a hint of information revealed by Zhao Mengtai, he had guessed some of the details. He hadn't expected the Crown Prince to have such deep schemes, his hands reaching stealthily into Jianghu.

By nature, Zhao Mengtai was not someone who would fail to respond.

If the Crown Prince wanted to facilitate the forming of the Five Gangs Alliance and seek a sliver of support within Jianghu, then the Second Prince could not possibly remain indifferent...

Yue Tingchen seemed to have realized something, suddenly feeling a chill in his heart.

"What's the matter?" Zhao Mengtai, noticing Yue Tingchen's expression, couldn't help but ask with a smile.

Zhao Mengtai's mouth curved in a smile, but his eyes were sharp as swords, making others dare not look directly at him.

However, Yue Tingchen, after all an old fox in the court, maintained his composure and smiled, "Your plan is very clever, Second Prince. Jiang Sanjia is indeed capable. If we can win him over, it would indeed be a significant aid."

Zhao Mengtai nodded and said, "Good, then let's proceed accordingly. How should we go about arranging this, in your opinion?"

After pondering for a while, Yue Tingchen said, "Use the Dragon Locking Well as a pretext. The Emperor cannot refuse."

"That's a good pretext."

........