Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 196 - 193: Taishan Bearing Down, Calamity Strikes Again

Chapter 196: Chapter 193: Taishan Bearing Down, Calamity Strikes Again

Above the Turbid River, a tremendous official ship bearing the "Xue" flag was cutting through the waves, swiftly approaching the boundary marker of Dengzhou Prefecture.

On board, a host of evil beings were feasting and drinking, indulging in debauchery as the wine flowed freely.

Indeed, Lady Huaiyu was as beautiful in heart as she was in appearance, welcoming all who came, regardless of age or appearance, with open arms.

Although these demonic heretics were no match for the mighty warrior in the dream who could transform wooden wheels, serving dozens at a time was barely enough to satisfy the cravings within her belly.

In the blink of an eye, the vessel, once a symbol of the Court’s laws, was engulfed in vile miasma and dark smoke.

Flap flap flap...

This wild banquet had just passed its midpoint when suddenly, countless colorful butterflies swarmed out of thin air, reconverging into the shape of Young Master Huadie within the upper deck.

After casting a glance at the appalling scene on the deck, he returned to his room without greeting anyone, his face stern as if this was his usual demeanour.

While Young Master Huadie’s attitude was a stark contrast to the affable Lady Huaiyu, no one dared express dissatisfaction with him.

But suddenly, the entire feast fell silent for a moment.

Everyone realized that this proud and solitary "Yin God" Magician, after volunteering for the assassination, had returned so quickly in defeat?

The mission had failed!

Xue Donglou, who had been busily occupied in his room, saw this scene and his face slightly changed. He turned his attention back to the simple copper mirror on the table before him.

Reflected in the mirror was not his own face but rather the notorious protector of the "No-Life Dao"—Inverted Taoist. The most infamous among the Yellow Seal Mages!

This was a long-distance communication enabled by a mysterious magical technique.

The Inverted Taoist in the mirror was unaware that Xue Donglou’s party had already experienced a setback, and unilaterally briefed him:

"That Mirror Lake Goddess, Mrs. Long Shao, has no significant background, nothing but a rogue from the hills. Since she has been acting independently with few reliable supporters, you may strike at will.

However, when searching for Qingfei’s whereabouts, be extra cautious about King Jing, Zhou Jinghuan!

The Bodhisattva once hinted while seeking the Hidden Dragon that this man might also possess Water Virtue Dragon Qi, it’s just that he hasn’t encountered the right moment for his potential to emerge.

Don’t engage lightly unless you’re certain of a fatal strike."

Xue Donglou nodded respectfully,

"Rest assured, Taoist, my father has advised me.

Many in officialdom only know that King Jing’s mother, a lowborn palace maid, died early and had no one within to support him, which is why Emperor Jianming looked unfavorably upon him.

He lost his opportunity for succession early on and was sent to Dengzhou to establish his domain.

They are unaware that he grew up safely in King Jing Mansion thanks to Qingfei’s care and has become a man of profound thoughts and unpredictable temperament.

That hypocrite, Emperor Jianming, who ripped off his concubine’s dragon scales, clearly didn’t want to see this son flaunting his presence, lest it disturbs his conscience.

King Jing probably still doesn’t know where he went wrong, does he?

Luckily, he is not Qingfei’s biological son; otherwise, he would probably have died an ’accidental’ death long ago.

Though the "Long Water Camp" under King Jing’s command appears strong, it has long been satiated by my Xue family. In the event of a conflict, it remains to be seen whose orders the Daoist Soldiers will follow."

Seeing that Xue Donglou was well informed, the Inverted Taoist did not elaborate further, but rather issued a final reminder:

"The Sect Master Marshal has entrusted you with the affairs of Dengzhou Prefecture so that you can distinguish yourself among the northern Sects and solidify your title of Little Ming King.

You only need to carefully execute the theft of the Water Virtue Dragon Scale Armor and find the place where the Azure Dragon is imprisoned.

By the second day of the second month next year, I will personally visit Dengzhou Prefecture myself, and should there be any difficulties, help you clear them all.

You are born of noble descent, a natural Water Virtue Flood Dragon, and are destined to walk the path of a ruler.

Some bumpkins think they are clever, but they don’t realize that in the face of grand destiny, their years of diligent study and decades of arduous cultivation are nothing more than a joke under the immense pressure of Mount Tai!"

"I understand, Taoist."

After ending the communication, Xue Donglou regained his confidence, tucked the treasure mirror into his sleeve, and returned to his seat at the feast. Raising his cup, he looked towards two of the reveling fiends,

"Third Dong, you claim to be highly skilled at handling Flood Snakes. Master Qianxing, hailing from Ninghai State, you have a reputation as a Feng Shui Master.

Are you confident in breaching Mirror Lake and capturing that Flood Snake for me?"

"Young Master Xue, rest assured, my Dong family descends from the Huanlong Clan, a direct lineage from our ancestor Father Dong.

Although I’m merely a "Dharma Seal" Realm Mage, I am adept in all techniques of driving, adorning, trampling, and carrying snakes.

I will surely capture that Flood Snake for you alive and well!"

Calling himself a descendent of the Huanlong Clan, Third Dong smiled broadly, revealing a row of blackened and missing teeth.

Not to be outdone, Master Qianxing quickly assured him,

"Leave it to me.

I’ve long found that affected woman from the Black Water Temple distasteful. With the power of the government at our disposal, we will easily capture her and present her to Young Master Xue as a concubine!"

The other demons tasked with finding Qingfei’s whereabouts also pounded their chests, promising repeatedly,

"We will not fail the trust Young Master has placed in us!"

"Hahaha, then I shall eagerly await the good news from you all! To victory!"

...

While Young Master Xue was reveling confidently on the strength of his powerful backing, unconcerned about the failure,

the atmosphere at the Black Water Temple was heavy and tense, as if the air itself had solidified.

Wang Yuan stayed focused on Huang Wu, even ignoring the Tribulation Energy suddenly churning overhead due to the promise of intervention from the Yellow Seal Mage, Inverted Taoist, his face filled with anxiety.

Such cryptic prophecies, Buddha Verses, and the like are usually easy to predict but challenging to interpret; before any event occurs, there are countless potential readings.

But if something has already happened, tracing its origin then becomes much simpler.

The most typical example was the sixty "Back Massage Maps" painted by Li and Yuan in Wang Yuan’s previous life.

And now, this half a prophecy is just as clear to both of them.

"When wood and fire shine bright, the luan alone takes flight; amidst the turmoil, the back court frost will alight."

"When wood and fire shine bright" is very straightforward—it clearly refers to using Sister Qingyan’s Wood Element Dragon Scales Armor to foster fire from wood, aiding Zhou Wenrui’s Fire Dragon Qi so that he ultimately ascends the Golden Que throne.

The meaning of "the luan alone" is two-fold: One interpretation is a person who has lost their spouse. After committing such a deed, how can they possibly continue as husband and wife?

The other is...

Wang Yuan glanced at Huang Wu, whose face was gradually turning pale, and reached out to hold her tightly in his embrace.

"Wuu wuu wuu..."

At this moment, the little ghost girl could no longer hold back, sobbing heartrendingly as she lay in Wang Yuan’s arms.

It was because her last shred of illusion about Zhou Wenrui, her biological father, had been completely shattered.

The luan is a type of phoenix, undoubtedly referring to Huang Wu, who possessed the "Vermilion Bird Style." This interpretation fits the reality even more closely.

And "alight": to set off from the center, the farther, the better.

The myriad sufferings Huang Wu endured—being kidnapped and brutally tortured, dying a lonely death in the tomb, and then being ignored for over a decade—were not accidental at all.

They were designed from the very beginning!

All expressly revealed by the prophecy—kicking her away, the farther, the better.

Zhou Wenrui himself was never just a victim’s relative, but a vile accomplice from the start, a shameless partner in crime!

Even without King Jing of Luoyang, Zhou Wenye, needing to contribute an elixir to the Owl God Tomb, there would certainly have been other "accidents" befalling Huang Wu.

All to secure Emperor Jianming’s throne.

While gently patting Huang Wu’s back, Wang Yuan sighed deeply in his heart:

’King Jing Zhou Wenye was so careful back then, afraid of leaking any word.

He never would have imagined

that this Emperor Jianming, bereft of his daughter, was no different from him, heartlessly sacrificing his own children for his ambitions.’

The next phrase "amidst the turmoil, the back court frost will alight" thus becomes much easier to understand.

Emperor Jianming, Zhou Wenrui, attained his transformation and rained over the storms at the cost of his wife and daughter’s desolation and misfortune.

In the peoples’ rumors, the more dedicated and loving Emperor Jianming seemed toward his citizens, the more tragic the fate of his wife and daughter who vanished without a trace became apparent.

Bang!

Having heard Wang Yuan’s interpretation of the prophecy, Mrs. Long Shao slammed her palm fiercely on the desk.

"Damn Zhou Wenrui, daring to insult my sister and niece like this!"

As the rage of this Earth God rose, the whole of Mirror Lake rippled in an instant.

After breathing heavily for a while, she composed herself and turned to the siblings with a gentler voice:

"Thirty-five years ago, I was just a newly formed little demon without the dignified demeanor of Mrs. Long Shao, the Earth God.

Even the foundation of the Taoist Sect, the ’Black Water Mysterious Light Technique,’ along with the ’Water Dragon Cultivation Formation,’ was all taught to me by Sister Qingyan.

From now on, Black Water Temple is your home, no need to be polite with your auntie!"

She paused for a moment, then continued:

"Today, your auntie was just overcome with emotion, giving that demon an opportunity to exploit, accidentally falling into a dream realm.

Otherwise, as long as this ’Mirror Lake Magical Domain’ that serves as a pivotal point of my Spirit Mechanism remains intact, nobody below the Mage Realm could be my match.

Within a hundred li radius of Yunhe County, no one could bully you!"

Mrs. Long Shao patted the siblings on the shoulders, finally showing a bit of the Mirror Lake Goddess’ domineering aura.

Wang Yuan and Huang Wu didn’t stand on ceremony with their auntie; they stood up and deeply bowed, formally acknowledging this relative.

However, Wang Yuan’s expression remained calm, but inside, his heart burned with intense emotions.

The blood tie with Huang Wu’s biological father was thus severed in gratitude and righteousness, and also completely cut the worldly ties that restrained Wang Yuan, the "Heaven and Earth Anomaly."

Grasping the centuries’ accumulation of the Xue family’s wealth, he seriously considered for the first time whether to back a reliable Flood Dragon in these chaotic times and to usurp Emperor Jianming and the Great Yan Court once and for all.

Just then, the sweet voice of Xing’er, now a Fire Official, echoed in his mind:

"Dharma Master, Xing’er saw the signal left by Killing Temple beside Mirror Lake; they are summoning the scattered hands to regroup.

The meeting place is set on Red-Tail Island in the East Sea.

I heard that mermaids are often seen near the island, and eating mermaid meat grants immortality! And oh,

before we were dispersed by the Fanatics, I heard that Jianming’s King Jing was embroiled in a fierce conflict with pirates in that sea area.

Killing Temple was discussing whether to accept the pirates’ employment.

Having the meeting point there, I fear the leader has already made a decision."

As a Fire Official, the Fox Spirit felt no guilt selling out the Killing Temple.

No sooner had she finished speaking than the Tribulation Energy above Wang Yuan’s head began to gather rapidly, signifying another life-threatening calamity was quickly approaching.

Tribulation can be broken, fled from, but not forever hidden from, for Tribulation Energy accumulates constantly until one is utterly destroyed in the next encounter, never to transcend.

And it seemed the appointed place of the upcoming tribulation would be at none other than Red-Tail Island!

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