Chapter 466: Altering Fate
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"It"s better to teach a man to fish than to give a man to fish. Have you heard this expression before?" Chi Guyan asked Ping Yang.
"Of course. Giving a man a fish may solve his immediate problem, but it"s not a lasting solution. In order to feed him for life, it"s better to teach him to fish. Am I right?" Ping Yang replied.
"Yes." Chi Guyan nodded.
"But... I still don"t understand. What has this got to do with Canyang sparing Fang Zhengzhi?" Ping Yang blinked in confusion.
"There is another meaning to that story, it is the story of a master laying the path for his disciple."
"A path?"
"Canyang is a great master. He is so good that he is willing to give up a chance for revenge for Yun Qingwu." Chi Guyan explained.
"Give up a chance for revenge for Yun Qingwu? What you"re saying is..."
"Yes, Canyang is doing the groundwork for Yun Qingwu."
"Groundwork?" Ping Yang was increasingly confused.
"If I am right, Canyang probably has very little time left." Chi Guyan watched the two figures in the distance.
One was dressed in blue, the other in white.
The two figures stood quietly in the middle of the field. One looked extremely calm, whilst the other had an expression of care and unwillingness.
"Sister Yan, you"re saying that the blind man is about to die? That"s not very possible, is it? He is a Sage! Shouldn"t his lifespan be extended as a result?" Ping Yang queried.
"Normally, that would be the case." Chi Guyan nodded.
"Normally? Are you saying that he didn"t truly enter the Sage State but instead forced a breakthrough?" Ping Yang was in shock.
"There are six Daos in the Rebirth State. Once you grasp the Heavenly Dao, then you are a mere step away from attaining Sage. Canyang had wielded the Heavenly Dao for over a decade. There can be only one possibility why he didn"t attain Sage earlier."
"What is it?"
"He only cultivated one Dao!"
"Only one Dao? Erm... you mean he entered the Heavenly Rebirth State without going through the Star Conglomerate, Heavenly Reflection, and Supernatural States? How is that possible?" Ping Yang couldn"t believe this even though it had come from Chi Guyan.
"It is extremely difficult for humans, but it is not impossible for a demon. They have accessed Dao from the moment of birth." Chi Guyan explained patiently.
"That... that is unbelievable!"
"Canyang was relatively unknown for most of his life. He only showcased his abilities over the past decade. Such great improvement may only be possible for someone like Canyang. Of course, this is just my guess." Chi Guyan continued.
"Even the Emperor buys into your guesses and postulations. However, I still don"t understand. Since he knew that he couldn"t be a Sage, why would he waste his life and breakthrough forcefully?" Ping Yang pressed.
"Maybe he didn"t have much time left anyway."
"Oh..." Ping Yang was silent. If what Chi Guyan said was true, then there may be a reason for the demons linking up with the Southern Region now.
Canyang was out of time...
Was that the driving force behind this plan?
If that was so, was Canyang breaking through to Sage also part of the plan? Ping Yang"s face was filled with shock.
No wonder...
Yun Qingwu was the Young Master of the demons.
She was known for her ability to predict the future.
However...
She had failed to calculate Fang Zhengzhi into the equation. Even if she did, she didn"t know that Fang Zhengzhi had The Vast World, nor could she have known that Fang Zhengzhi could face up against Canyang.
This was Heaven"s will.
It had nothing to do with Yun Qingwu"s plan.
"I understand now. Canyang was worried that this failure would affect Yun Qingwu"s standing amongst the demons. Since he won"t be able to be by Yun Qingwu"s side for long, he decided to take this course of action." Ping Yang finally saw the light.
"Mm." Chi Guyan nodded.
By leaving behind a "threat" that only Yun Qingwu knew well, he could ensure that Yun Qingwu was still valued in the Demon community.
However...
.
There had to be another reason why Canyang was willing to let Fang Zhengzhi live.
In his mind, he was sure that Fang Zhengzhi could not harm the demons anymore.
In other words, Fang Zhengzhi was...
Chi Guyan looked at Fang Zhengzhi, her eyes glittering. Her mouth twitched, but no words came out.
Fang Zhengzhi knew what Chi Guyan was thinking.
However...
Even he didn"t have the answers.
What was the aftermath of eating his Fruits of Dao?
No one knew.
Fang Zhengzhi didn"t bother thinking about it. There was no use anyways. All he knew was that when Canyang pressed on his chest, he had stared death in the face.
However...
Canyang didn"t kill him.
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if it was because of Yun Qingwu, but he couldn"t be bothered. All he knew was that if Canyang didn"t kill him then...
He wouldn"t kill him now.
That was enough. The rest was up to him.
"How about we talk about the hereditary n.o.bility? After I get it, would I be getting any land? Would I have my own guard?" Fang Zhengzhi spoke up as he walked towards the gates of the settlement.
Marry someone?
That was a must.
Else, who will inherit the knighthood? Who was he going to marry? Chi Guyan was out of the question. Yun Qingwu? Pui, that was even worse...
He would have to go on a blind date...
With his qualities, he should be able to land a good lady.
Hang on, those ladies from n.o.ble families tend to be aloof and unable to work. He should find someone who is capable of doing ch.o.r.es.
Yes!
That was something important!
Just as Fang Zhengzhi was busy planning his life...
Ping Yang looked at him with disdain. She was concerned about his safety, but all he cared about was land and a squad of guards?
"Can you show some appreciation? Why do you only think of land and a squad of guards?" Ping Yang pouted as she looked at Yun Qingwu and Canyang.
Behind Yun Qingwu and Canyang...
There were hundreds of thousands of demon soldiers, their armor glistening in the sun. This was a terrifying army to face off against.
"Hahaha, what do you know? This is my reward for surviving that catastrophe." Fang Zhengzhi couldn"t be bothered to debate with Ping Yang.
Now was his time to celebrate.
Everything else...
Could be pushed to the side for now.
Of course, there was one other thing he had to take care of. That was Yan Xiu.
Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Chi Guyan and Ping Yang, "Do either of you know how Yan Xiu is?"
"Yan Xiu? He went back to Western Liang." Ping Yang replied without hesitation.
"He returned to Western Liang? Okay then..." Fang Zhengzhi nodded. He had heard from Teng s.h.i.+sheng that Yan Xiu suffered serious injuries at the battle at the Icy Monkey Settlement.
It was normal that he would return to Western Liang to recuperate.
That being said, he would have to find time to visit Yan Xiu. The only problem was he may not live to see that day...
Fang Zhengzhi shook his head and walked into the Iron Hill Settlement.
When the Southern Region soldiers guarding the gate saw the three of them approach, they stepped aside.
The three of them disappeared into the settlement.
Nangong Hao also stood up as he looked at the pink figure. He clenched his fists.
Then unclenched them almost as quickly.
"My lord, I need to make a trip back."
"Make a trip back?" Xing Yuanguo knew that Nangong Hao meant the Nangong Family"s residence.
"Yes, my brother is waiting for me at the gates. This is the treaty signed by the Southern Region. Please hand it to the Emperor for me. I will visit the Emperor in the capital in a month"s time with my brother." Nangong Hao handed the treaty to Xing Yuanguo.
"I understand." Xing Yuanguo nodded as he took the treaty in his hands.
...
Time flew by.
Before long, the vanguard of the reinforcements arrived. This was the Great Xia"s army garrisoned at the Icy Monkey Settlement. Shan Ling was not happy to see this.
Four hours later...
The rest of the reinforcements arrived.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers marched into the settlement. Their morale and confidence were high
Then...
When they saw the demon army outside the city, all of their expressions changed.
They simply couldn"t imagine what had happened here...
How did the army hold out in the face of such a domineering onslaught?
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Great Xia is here!" One of the settlement chiefs whispered to Shan Ling.
"Mm." Shan Ling nodded.
At that very moment, Ling Tianrong, dressed in a silver robe, walked over with Xing Yuanguo.
"I am the Crown Prince of the Southern Region, Shan Ling. Greetings, your highness!" Shan Ling was pale, but he still accorded Lin Tianrong with the appropriate respect.
"Crown Prince, you can do away with the formalities. The Demons are a troublesome bunch, waging war on Great Xia lands. You must have been through a lot. When I return, I will request for a garrison to be permanently stationed here!" Lin Tianrong"s eyes were filled with concern as he looked at Shan Ling"s wounds.
Shan Ling squinted.
The Great Xia"s lands?
A garrison?!
He knew what the Crown Prince was referring to. He also knew what Lin Tianrong had done since stepping foot in the Southern Region.
However...
He could not afford to antagonize Lin Tianrong.
His chest heaved as he smiled. However, his attention had already turned to the demon army on the field.
"Even though they cannot take the Iron Hill Settlement, they aren"t withdrawing. What is their motive? Crown Prince, do you have any intention to withdraw?" Shan Ling spoke.
"Haha..." Lin Tianrong chuckled. He did not show any signs of unhappiness at the question as he looked at the demon army.
"There are two reasons why they are not withdrawing. The first is posturing! Even though they have lost the battle, they have not lost the momentum. If they withdraw immediately, they will lose morale. Furthermore, it takes time to prepare for such a large-scale withdrawal. Yun Qingwu is smart not to give the order immediately!" Xing Yuanguo"s voice rang out.
"You are right. Since Yun Qingwu is merely posturing, Shan Ling, you need not worry. Just increase the defences a little just in case." Lin Tianrong nodded.
When Shan Ling heard this, his eyes glittered but he maintained his smile.
"Lord, you said that there were two reasons. What is the second?" Shan Ling asked sincerely.
"Robbery! The demons must have used up many resources in this campaign. They had intended to take the capital. Now that the capital is off the table, they will definitely look for secondary rewards." Xing Yuanguo added.
"Robbery?! Are they going to ransack Nan Ling?" Shan Ling"s expression turned to shock.
However, he did not ask for help.
He knew that Lin Tianrong was waiting for him to do so.
However, if he asked for help...
The price that he would have to pay would definitely be greater than Nan Ling Settlement. More importantly, the demon army was a force to be reckoned with.
Even if the Great Xia was willing to help, they would not risk their lives for some gold.
As a result...
Any request for help would be meaningless.
Shan Ling didn"t speak.
After a moment of silence, Crown Prince Lin TIanrong chuckled, his eyes glittering.
"Since the lord has spelled it all out, let"s just guard the Iron Hill Settlement for three days. Is that okay?"
"Yes, thank you for your a.s.sistance!"
Shan Ling nodded and left the wall.
"Your Highness, we will be taking our leave too!" The settlement chiefs followed Shan Ling"s lead.
"Okay, it has been tough on all of you. I will take over the defense." Lin Tianrong smiled and bowed.
Shan Ling and the settlement chiefs returned to the settlement.
Lin Tianrong turned back and looked at the sea of demon soldiers in black, his gaze icy.
...
Nightfall.
Inside a huge stone house in the Iron Hill Settlement...
The house"s interior was beautiful. It was adorned with leather on the walls as well as leather carpets.
Gems also hung from the ceiling, lighting up the entire room.
Lin Tianrong wore a white robe and he lay down on an exquisite piece of leather. He squinted, his eyes icy.
Having arrived here...
He had heard about the battle and the events in The Vast World.
"Fang Zhengzhi! I never expected... that the battle here would shoot you to fame!" Lin Tianrong"s chest heaved but he calmed himself down.
"Your Highness, Official Su is here!"
At that moment, the voice of one of his servants rang out.
Then, Official Su, donning a black robe, entered the room.
"Official Su, what great timing." Lin Tianrong glanced at Official Su. He didn"t give Official Su the permission to sit.
Su Qing wasn"t surprised by this. He knew exactly how Lin Tianrong was feeling.
Lin Tianrong wasn"t alone in his shock.
When he heard about the events here, he was stunned as well.
"Your Highness, are you worried about Fang Zhengzhi?" Su Qing asked softly as he bowed.
"Fang Zhengzhi? Haha... Official Su, I have known you to be a great reader, but I must disappoint you this time. No matter how much Fang Zhengzhi achieved here, he is of no threat to me. Furthermore, he has been rendered useless." Lin Tianrong replied disdainfully.
"You are right, Fang Zhengzhi cannot threaten you, but..." Su Qing stopped himself.
"But what? Spill it!"
"Your Highness, did you forget about the messenger you sent to the Icy Monkey Settlement?"
"I have already made arrangements and there is no evidence the order came from me. Even if Fang Zhengzhi complained to the Emperor, it will not link back to me."
"There is no evidence, but this doesn"t mean that Fang Zhengzhi will not hate you for it." Su Qing nodded.
"So what?" Lin Tianrong replied dismissively.
"With his contributions this time, Fang Zhengzhi may be accorded a t.i.tle and his family may be promoted to n.o.ble status. Do you know that the Minister Of Rites is dead? If I am correct, the Emperor had tried to push Fang Zhengzhi to that ministry. Now, with his achievements, it is only a matter of time before he becomes the minister." Su Qing added.
"Continue." Lin Tianrong"s interest had been piqued.
Ministry of Rites!
One of the six ministries, in charge of rites and diplomacy. It was one of the most important domestic ministries. He had control of the ministry in the past.
Of course...
That was not the most important point.
Most importantly, Lin Tianrong knew that the Emperor had been meaning to combine the Imperial Academy and the Ministry of Rites. If that were to happen...
The influence of the Ministry of Rites would be gargantuan.
"Your Highness, I"m sure you haven"t forgotten that Fang Zhengzhi and Chi Guyan have a wager that could result in their marriage. Previously, the possibility of this was close to none. But what if he is the Minister of Rites?" Su Qing smirked.
"Are you talking about the Divine Constabulary?" Lin Tianrong"s gaze was icy.
"That"s right. Chi Hou has always been King Duan"s strategist. Even though Fang Zhengzhi and King Duan have a bit of history, if Chi Guyan and Fang Zhengzhi wed, what would his att.i.tude be?"
"Carry on."
"If Fang Zhengzhi is the Minister of Rites and a son-in-law to the Divine Constabulary... taking into account Xing Yuanguo"s att.i.tude towards him today... do you think the 13 constabularies... will still remain silent?"
"Impossible! The Stabilization Constabulary has never taken part in the battle for the throne. This is something that will never happen!" Lin Tianrong replied a.s.sertively.
"Theoretically, that is true, but what if it happens? If the 13 Constabularies are linked to King Duan... together with the Yan Family of Western Liang... you may not be able to hold your position."
"Smack!"
A crack appeared in Lin Tianrong"s bed.
Lin Tianrong finally sat up, his eyes squinted and filled with iciness.
"What is your plan?"
"I have a plan that will help take care of all these concerns and will also give you all the credit here. If it works, no one will be able to contest your position!" Su Qing"s eyes glittered.
"It"ll give me all the credit? Haha... you must be joking. Fang Zhengzhi"s exploits here are clear for all to see, how can I take that away?" Lin Tianrong couldn"t believe what he was hearing.
"Stealing is the lowest of all methods. This plan of mine will not steal anything, but it could change the course of events!" Su Qing shook his head.
"Haha... you plan to help me take all the credit without stealing? That is ridiculous. Why don"t you tell me how confident you are of this plan succeeding?" Lin Tianrong chuckled.
"10%!" Su Qing replied without any hesitation.
10%? You must be joking." Lin Tianrong froze as he stared at Su Qing.
"If it doesn"t work, I am willing to die for my actions!" Su Qing fell to his knees.
"Okay then, tell me what your plan is!" Lin Tianrong stood up and walked over to Su Qing to help him up.