Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds
Chapter 52. Monk Shang (Request for Further Reading)

Chapter 52: 52. Monk Shang (Request for Further Reading)

Indeed, apart from King Xing Tian, who else could come up with such a brilliant plan? Lu Xiaohou thought.

Though the Three Great Kings were wise, they were not adept at strategy. As far as he knew, Wei Wentong, the commander of the official soldiers, had been forced to resign. This was not solely due to the opposition from Shenjing and the dirty tricks played by rivals; a joint petition by Forbidden Army Generals and local military leaders had also provided "evidence" for Wei Wentong’s political enemies.

Everything was connected!

This was the real reason for Wei Wentong’s downfall.

"I will head to Heyang Mountain immediately."

Lu Xiaohou acknowledged the order without hesitation. He left, mounted his horse, and galloped towards Heyang Mountain.

「The next day.」

All Eighteen Rebel Kings gathered at the Righteousness Hall on Heyang Mountain.

Of course, it was not realistic to expect all the besieged Rebel Kings to come in person. However, even if the Rebel Kings themselves could not attend, they had dispatched key figures from their factions—those with authority—to represent them at this alliance assembly.

This assembly would not only decide the first major confrontation with the Imperial Court Soldiers.

More importantly... it concerned the future division of spoils after defeating the official soldiers and securing victory for the various Rebel Kings.

On the main seat in the hall sat a bald, burly monk. His face was rugged, marked by six ordination scars on his bald head. A purple-red kasaya was draped over him, leaving one arm bare, giving him a very coarse and imposing appearance.

This man was the Alliance Leader of the Eighteen Rebel Kings—Eight-armed Dharma King Monk Shang.

Standing beside him, a scholar holding a Feather Fan and wearing a silk headscarf quietly whispered into Monk Shang’s ear, "King of Law... Heavenly Kun King and King Xing Tian from Mount Siming have arrived."

"King Xing Tian has arrived?"

Monk Shang narrowed his eyes. That scholar, putting me on the spot like this... quite the character. When did Yao Dang get so fortunate as to recruit such a venomous advisor while just sitting at home?

Mount Siming, uniting with other Rebel Kings, had distantly honored him as Alliance Leader.

While this was an extremely prestigious position, he alone knew the true extent of his own strength. Although he ranked first among the Rebel Kings, he was not yet strong enough to completely dominate the others.

He had accepted the position of Alliance Leader for two main reasons.

Firstly, the Imperial Court Soldiers viewed him as a major threat and had him cornered. Nearly half of the Imperial Court’s 200,000 imperial troops were stationed near Heyang Mountain. If he had not accepted the role of Alliance Leader, death was almost certain. The official soldiers were pressing him too hard. By becoming the Alliance Leader and uniting the other Rebel Kings, he gained a chance of survival.

Secondly, while becoming Alliance Leader and ostensibly championing a righteous cause seemed fraught with peril, if he played his cards right, it could also be a great opportunity.

"King of Law," the scholar with the Feather Fan suggested, shaking it gently, "since you’ve used the Alliance Leader’s authority to summon King Xing Tian to this Heroes’ Assembly, why not seize this chance? Detain King Xing Tian at Heyang Mountain and make him serve you."

"This... is not appropriate."

Monk Shang frowned. "Mister Gongyang, you are the military advisor of our Mountain Stronghold. If we were to keep King Xing Tian, what position would that leave for you? With Mister Gongyang here, a mere King Xing Tian is not worth mentioning."

"Furthermore, I used my authority as Alliance Leader to order Yao Dang to send King Xing Tian to this assembly for a meeting. If I were to detain King Xing Tian now, the other Rebel Kings would surely lose faith in me."

He knew that his recent, excessive praise for King Xing Tian had caused Gongyang Yi some displeasure.

There can’t be two tigers on the same mountain.

Compared to King Xing Tian, he valued Gongyang Yi more.

Besides, King Xing Tian was also one of the Rebel Kings. If he detained him, what would the other Rebel Kings think? His status as Alliance Leader, even before he could truly flex his authority, would instantly become nominal. Detaining the subordinates of other Rebel Kings could perhaps be justified under some pretext of righteousness, claiming it was a temporary "borrowing" of talent. But at the level of a Rebel King, such actions were unacceptable.

As they were speaking, Xu Xing and Heavenly Kun King stepped into the Righteousness Hall.

"What a scholar!"

Upon seeing Xu Xing, the assembled Rebel Kings couldn’t help but inwardly exclaim their admiration.

Previously, Mount Siming’s reputation among the Eighteen Rebel Kings was unremarkable. Yet, in a very short time, they had orchestrated everything: elevating Monk Shang to Alliance Leader and maneuvering the Imperial Court Soldiers into replacing their commander.

Among the Eighteen Rebel Kings, Mount Siming’s fame had instantly soared.

Each and every one of these deeds not only built Mount Siming’s renown but also cemented Xu Xing’s formidable reputation.

"Xu Xing greets the Alliance Leader."

Upon entering the hall, Xu Xing clasped his hands and bowed respectfully to Monk Shang.

"Seeing you in person surpasses hearing of your reputation. King Xing Tian, you’ve certainly kept us waiting."

A smile stretched across Monk Shang’s face. He rose and walked three or four steps towards Xu Xing to personally greet him. Then, taking Xu Xing’s right arm, he guided him to the seats designated for Mount Siming. "Please, King Xing Tian, take your seat. Everyone has been awaiting your arrival for some time."

The other sixteen Rebel Kings watched Xu Xing, their eyes glinting with amusement.

Xu Xing was The Fourth King of Mount Siming. Even though, in the eyes of many, his prestige already rivaled that of King of Sorrow Yao Dang, surpassing the second, King of Might, and the third, Heavenly Kun King, seniority and order still mattered.

Monk Shang’s gesture was clearly laden with ill intent.

"Alliance Leader," Xu Xing said, "Third Brother is still in the hall. Though we may have risen from humble origins, we must not forsake etiquette, lest we become a laughingstock."

With Xu Xing’s intelligence, how could he fail to see through Monk Shang’s petty scheme? After a moment’s thought, he responded with perfectly chosen words, defusing the immediate crisis.

"Look at me, how forgetful." Monk Shang roared with laughter and went to invite Heavenly Kun King. As he walked, he said, "This Third Brother of yours isn’t as outstanding as the Old Fourth, so it’s no wonder my eyes played tricks on me. Wouldn’t you all agree?"

This move was a deliberate attempt to sow discord within Mount Siming. After the Imperial Court Army was defeated Today, the other Rebel Kings would not be a major concern. However, Mount Siming, now bolstered by Xu Xing, was the real thorn in his side.

"The Alliance Leader jests..."

"Just now, we too were momentarily confused about who was senior."

The remaining Rebel Kings chimed in their agreement.

Xu Xing wanted to retort, but after a moment’s reflection, he chose to remain silent and observe coolly.

Although the methods used by Monk Shang and the others were despicable, they could also be seen as a type of Positive Strategy. This time, Xu Xing had not only established his prestige within Mount Siming, but also among the Eighteen Rebel Kings, and indeed, across the land. It would be impossible for the other three Heavenly Kings of Mount Siming not to feel some resentment; Monk Shang was merely bringing it into the open.

The crisis was not external; it originated from within Mount Siming itself.

Once they achieved victory against the Imperial Court, the external crisis would be resolved...

"Alliance Leader, you jest," Heavenly Kun King said. He could see Monk Shang and the others harbored ill intentions, but being poor with words, he could only offer a weak rebuttal.

Shaoqing. Xu Xing and Heavenly Kun King then took their respective seats.

Xu Xing was seated in the first place after Heavenly Kun King.

"Now, we request Mister Gongyang and King Xing Tian to explain the battle plan in detail to us," Monk Shang finally addressed the main agenda after a brief pause. "How we are to repel the official soldiers!"

Provoking discord among the four Heavenly Kings of Mount Siming was merely a secondary gambit for him. If it succeeded, excellent. If not, it was just a minor expenditure of effort. The paramount issue confronting the assembled Rebel Kings remained the Imperial Court’s 200,000 official soldiers.

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