Longevity Chronicles
Chapter 472 - 329: The Talents Desire to Seize Power, the Nine Toad Bead Finally Has a Whereabouts_2

If it weren't for this reason, he wouldn't need to act under an alias every time.

Upon knowing that the Evil Curse could be lifted, all the talents in the room heaved a sigh of relief.

What they feared the most after knowing the truth was that Divine Spell, for if it couldn't be lifted, they would have no choice but to massacre their former comrades when the time came to show their true colors.

Now with the Perfect Method, they could proceed with planning against Ying Qingdi with full force.

The Ancestor Dragon Society has its prestige today!

Ying Qingdi, of course, deserves the greatest credit, being the overt symbol and leader.

But the contributions of the others were also considerable.

Like Chen Xiyi, who was suspected to be a True Disciple of Fangcun Mountain, he had not been in the society as long as Zhong Ziyang.

However, his control over the Ancestor Dragon Society was second only to Ying Qingdi, making him the de facto second-in-command.

At this moment, he suddenly spoke up, nudging Zhong Ziyang slightly, "Mr Zhong Daoist need not worry, we established the Ancestor Dragon Society together with Ying Qingdi, although it brought about disaster, it might not necessarily be unable to turn into a blessing."

"Mr Bu Jue and Mr Lin Daoist's proposals are very reasonable, with the New Moon rebellion imminent, affecting the lives and deaths of tens of millions within the province, we should not act rashly at this time."

"Pretending ignorance, pushing for reform with the flow of events, until the day of victory, that's when we'll get rid of Ying Qingdi."

"I control the strategy and calculation within the Ancestor Dragon Society, Brother Ziyang and Daozhen handle the medical and elixir matters, Shazhei brothers lead a Buddha Army, Sister Ruolan is in charge of the Assassination Hall, Brother Qin Ming and Brother Fei Peng manage the Magical Treasures and weapons, Sister Yuying presides over the Calculation Hall, Brother Bu Jue handles part of the intelligence, along with Mr Lin Daoist's newly acquired position as Grain and Grass Officer..."

"Gathered here together, we could strip Ying Qingdi of his emperor's guise in an instant."

As he got to the end, Chen Xiyi became impassioned, and his hometown's coarse language spilled out.

After a pause, as if he had remembered something, he turned to Tao Qian and bowed, "Speaking of which, I also have to thank Mr Lin Daoist, if not for Daoist's reveal of Ying Qingdi's true colors, I, Chen Xiyi, would have no face to meet others if we were exposed later."

"Considering your background and Divine Power, none are inferior to mine, and at the moment, I can't think of any worthy gift for you, so why not give you a piece of news instead."

As the last word dropped.

In Tao Qian's mind, suddenly sounded Chen Xiyi's voice transmission:

"Mr Lin Daoist, I know that your Toad Sect has lost an Exotic Treasure, the 'Nine Toad Bead', and I happen to know the whereabouts of one of them."

"Go to Yinping City in Qiantang Province, there lies Yellow Cloud Mountain, where an old toad demon resides, calling itself 'Swallowing Heaven Great Saint'. It has a great reputation, with powers not to be underestimated, ordinary Cavernous Mystery Realm cultivators are not enough to fill the gaps in its teeth, and what it really relies on is indeed one of your Toad Sect's Nine Toad Beads."

"I passed by that mountain before and fought with it, ending in a stalemate after half a day, and we had to call a truce."

"If Mr Lin Daoist feels uncertain, you can call on me when the time comes, and the two of us will besiege that old toad, making sure to strip it of its stinking skin."

Hearing this, Tao Qian felt both surprised and pleased and got to understand Chen Xiyi a bit more.

He's somewhat eccentric and proud, highly values brotherhood, and does not like to owe others favors.

Benefiting from Tao Qian's reminder, he immediately provided a piece of highly valuable secret intel in return.

Although he mistook Tao Qian's true identity, his accidental insight was exactly what Tao Qian wished for.

Tao Qian smiled, nodded at Chen Xiyi, and silently noted the territory, planning to go there when he had the chance, to use the 'fishing toad technique' to hook the old demon's Nine Toad Bead and enhance the power of his own Toad Pearl.

Within the Senluo Treasure Palace, listening to Chen Xiyi's previous words, the rest of the talents each added their thoughts.

Like Qi Daozhen, the old brother still in his woodcutter guise, uttered wise words, "Brother Xiyi's words hold some truth, indeed, with a few of us, we can hollow out much of Ying Qingdi's authority."

"But under his command, there are still people like Pei Hong, Linghu Ying, and others, plus armies like the Devil God Army, Taiping Army, and many other external members, if we cannot lift the curse in time, even if the New Moon succeeds in reforming, the Ancestor Dragon Society will be greatly weakened."

"As the saying goes, even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit, while we push for reforms, we each must apply our methods and continue to prepare, until that critical moment, join forces to kill Ying Qingdi, to prevent him from getting desperate, using some Secret Technique to introduce Outer Realm Evil Gods into this realm, bringing calamity to the people."

"Excellent!"

"It must be done this way!"

Qi Daozhen finished speaking, and the other Talents unanimously agreed.

Chen Xiyi did the same. He nodded his head and waved his feather fan decisively, following up with, "Great! Elder Brother Daozhen is right, we can't give this scoundrel any chance to struggle. Once we turn back, I will send a secret message back to the mountain and call for a fellow sect member to come here. Although he is my junior, his ability to slaughter in battle far surpasses mine. An ordinary Cavernous Mystery Realm Cultivator would turn to dust with just one strike from him."

Zhong Ziyang also nodded his head, then added, "Similarly, when I ask Mei Su to come, I will beg him to bring a Magical Treasure from my Master, which, even if a Cultivator of the Ultimate Happiness Realm were to suffer a hit, would still be injured."

Shen Ruolan, clad in a red dress with a murderous aura, also spoke, "I have prepared the Cloud Scroll. If the timing is not right, I will ask my Master to come. Even if an Evil God from the Outer Realm invades, she dares to draw her sword and fight."

The Shazhei Monk clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddha's name, "My Beichan Temple's foundation is here; there is nowhere to flee. When the time comes, the entire temple is ready for battle."

Qin Ming, who had the appearance of a noble Great Man, nodded as well and then said with a somber face, "Although I cannot summon powerful mentors, I have a secret Demon-Subduing Technique. When that moment comes, I am prepared to fight with all my might."

Dai Feipeng's expression was cool as he simply uttered one brief sentence, "My master is very fond of me. If I send a message, he will come and behead Ying Qingdi."

...

Tao Qian, at the head of the table, found himself at a loss the more he listened.

The Talents, from initially seeking reinforcements, were now speaking of jade and stone burning together and heroic sacrifices.

He really wanted to say that this was a bit inauspicious. Even though Ying Qingdi was a great hazard and an Evil God sympathizer, his Cultivation was there for all to see. Now that their conspiracy had been forewarned, it seemed unlikely that he would be able to stir up any trouble.

The current plan should not be to discuss such matters but rather something else.

For example, what systems should be implemented after a successful reform? What philosophy should be used for governance?

Or perhaps, these Talents gathering here in secret should consider taking a different name outside of the Ancestor Dragon Society, such as the New Moon Society or the Longevity Association?

Seeing that no one wanted to discuss platforms or new names,

Tao Qian was contemplating whether to remind them when suddenly, a spirit ghost with a chicken's head and a human body burst into the hall.

Without looking at the others, it let out loud screeches.

Lin Bujue came to realization and immediately said,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the day is about to break."

"It won't be long before the Ancestor Dragon Conference is held on the mountain, to discuss the details of the revolution and reforms. To avoid exposure, we should return quickly."

Although everyone felt that there was still much to discuss and many issues were unresolved, they knew what was at stake and got up one after another, allowing the Child Ghosts to come again and tug and pull them back to their quiet rooms.

Beside Tao Qian, the girl who enjoyed watching monks and nuns fight naked appeared once again, grabbing Tao Qian and ready to dash away.

But just at this moment, Chen Xiyi, whose Divine Soul was nearly dissipated, seemed to remember something. He turned his head and shouted at Tao Qian:

"Brother Lin, the Ancestor Dragon Conference will start in one hour."

"Some brutes and fools, knowing that you have obtained an Ancestor God Treasure, will intentionally trouble and provoke you."

"There is a mix of good and bad in the Ancestor Dragon Society, and fools are abundant. You must not hold back or give them face and should teach them a harsh lesson."

...

Not long after, under the girl's pulling and dragging, Tao Qian's Divine Soul returned to his true body.

He reopened his eyes, in which a trace of curiosity emerged.

With his current methods, uncovering the mysteries of various secret realms, small worlds, and Grotto Heavens was not difficult.

However, having gone in and out of the Nine Sons Ghost Mother, he still hadn't deciphered its mysteries.

He only knew that Lin Bujue's origins were indeed extraordinary.

If that was true of him, he thought of Chen Xiyi, Zhong Ziyang, Qi Daozhen, Shen Ruolan, Dai Feipeng, and the powers behind them.

Involuntarily, Tao Qian mourned for Ying Qingdi.

"If this scoundrel had not been exposed by me, and had spent a few more years gradually influencing others, corrupting people like Pei Hong and Linghu Ying, his Great Plan might have succeeded."

"It's just a pity that he was unlucky enough to be seen through by me. Soon he will face the encirclement and suppression of a whole host of terrifying forces."

"Tsk, he deserves it."