The clothes are already on, so it’s impossible to burn them. Maybe Xie Lian will be burned with them. Xie Lian suggested: “Why not just put them on and forget about it. Anyway, it can’t suck my blood, and Ling Wen shouldn’t be able to issue commands.”

A puff of blue smoke drifted past, and where Ling Wen had stood, only a blue tumbler remained, looking very serious, and holding a stack of files in his hand. Xie Lian put it away and stuffed it into his arms. The two of them left the fort and sneaked into the main hall.

It was not an illusion. The Lord of Lingwen looked more formidable than before. The mountains of books and scrolls piled from the ground to the top seemed to be full of dangers, and might fall down at any time and kill people. The two did not encounter any guards and went straight to a red door in the depths.

Before he even got close, Xie Lian heard a shocked and trembling voice coming from behind the door: “…How is this possible? How could this happen?”

It’s the Imperial Master! Could it be that someone got there first? Xie Lian immediately kicked the door open and shouted, “Let go!”

As expected, there was more than one Imperial Master in the room. After the door was kicked open, they all turned around to look at him. The shock on Imperial Master's face had not yet faded: "...Next?"

“…”

“…”

The Imperial Master did not raise his head for a moment, then immediately lowered it again and said, "Wait a minute - how could this happen? What kind of luck is this!"

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were both speechless.

Inside the room, the Imperial Master and three other people sat at a table, playing cards with great enthusiasm and fascination. The three "people" were not real people, but just random paper figures made with crude fabrication. I don't know what kind of tricks they used to move and play cards with him. The Imperial Master's words just now were his sigh after he got the cards.

Xie Lian had originally thought that the Imperial Master might be being tortured in there, looking haggard, but he hadn't expected him to still be playing cards at that moment. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel extremely cordial.

Isn't it kind! When he and Feng Xin lived in Huangji Temple, when they went to see the national master, he was playing cards, playing cards, playing cards most of the time! After 800 years, seeing him playing cards again was like seeing him again yesterday. Even the arrogance on the national master's face was exactly the same. He stared at the cards in his hand and said without turning his head: "You are finally here, but let me finish this game first..."

Xie Lian knew that his old habit of not recognizing his relatives had come back once he sat at the table. He looked completely different from the one he had on Shenwu before. He couldn’t bear to look at him straight, so he went up to him and dragged him down from the table: “Master, it’s already so late, stop fighting!”

The Imperial Master's eyes were red as he shouted, "No, no, let me finish!!! It will be over soon! Just this one round! Wait until I finish this round! It will be over soon, I might even win soon!!!"

Xie Lian: “You won’t win. You really won’t win!”

…

Fortunately, the game was over very quickly. Although the national teacher swore that he was about to win, in fact, he still didn't win. After waving his hand to collect the three paper figures, the national teacher finally regained his calm and normal state.

He sat upright, frowned and said, "Next, I knew you would come, and I have been waiting for you."

“…”

Xie Lian thought to himself, “I really didn’t realize that you had been waiting for me…”

But of course he didn't say it, because he still had to respect his elders. The Imperial Master said again: "I know you must have a lot of questions in your mind."

Hua Cheng stood aside, leaning against the door, seemingly casual, probably keeping watch. Xie Lian also sat upright in front of the Imperial Master and said, "Yes."

After a pause, he said, "First, I want to confirm, is Jun Wu...really Bai Wuxiang, also known as Prince Wuyong?"

The Imperial Master said, "Don't doubt it. He is it."

Xie Lian said, “I have nothing to do with Prince Wuyong, right? We are two completely different people.”

The Imperial Master said, "The only connection between you and Prince Wuyong is that he destroyed your country, Xianle."

“…”

Xie Lian whispered, “But, Imperial Master, you once told me that you didn’t know what Bai Wuxiang was, but you were sure that he was born because of me.”

The Imperial Master said, "Sir, at that time, I really didn't know what it was. By the time I knew, it was too late. Besides, it's not wrong to say that he was born because of you."

Xie Lian asked, “What does that mean? And, the same question again - why did he want to destroy Xianle Country?”

The Imperial Master stared at him and said, "Because of what you said."

Xie Lian was stunned: "My words? What words?"

The Imperial Master said: "'In the realm of the universe, the heart is in the paradise.'"

“…”

After a long silence, Xie Lian asked incredulously, “…Gone?”

The national teacher said: "No more."

Xie Lian asked, “…Just this sentence? Is there anything wrong with this sentence?”

The Imperial Master said in a deep voice: "This is a huge problem. Everything started with this sentence of yours!"

Xie Lian had a vague feeling that what the Imperial Master was going to say next would be very hard for him to accept, and he wanted to call Hua Cheng, but before he could do so, Hua Cheng had already come over and sat down next to him.

The Imperial Master said, “You have seen the murals on Tonglu Mountain, right?”

Xie Lian said, “I see. Did you leave those murals?”

The Imperial Master said, "It's me. Every time the Tonglu Mountain is opened, I sneak in. On the one hand, I want to prevent the Ghost King from coming out. On the other hand, I want to find ways to leave some clues in various ways to tell others about the Wuyong Kingdom and the Wuyong Crown Prince."

Xie Lian concentrated and asked, “Then why not just tell others directly, why must you use such an obscure method?”

The Imperial Master asked, "Sir, why do you think almost no one in the world knows about the Wuyong Kingdom now?"

Before Xie Lian could reply, Hua Cheng said, “Everyone who knew about this has been cleared out by him, right?”

The Imperial Master said, "Yes. If the clues are too obvious or spread out directly, not only will I be exposed, but everyone who sees it may disappear from this world. It's the same for many people. Even if it's a city, he can raze it to the ground within three days. You should know that I'm not kidding."

Xie Lian naturally knew. Ironically, he once lamented that it was fortunate that Jun Wu was a god and not a fallen ghost, otherwise the world would be in chaos. The Imperial Master said, “So I can’t let him know that there are still people in the world who know these things. But I’m not willing to let no one know except me. I think that if someone is careful enough and courageous enough, they will naturally discover it. Since you can’t resist, then just let it go.

"I have been hiding for so many years, and I have been hiding very well. Except for the time eight hundred years ago when I almost couldn't escape, he has never been able to catch me. He was able to catch me this time because he found the murals I left in the temple of the Red Forest of the Copper Furnace. In addition, you later guessed his identity in the Copper Furnace, so he realized that I might not be dead, and that I left behind a lot of things that he didn't want others to know."

@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City

Xie Lian recalled that when they passed the last temple in the Copper Furnace Red Forest, the last few murals inside had been destroyed, which could be said to be the most important ones. At that time, he and Hua Cheng suspected that someone was hiding there, but they didn't find it. Now thinking about it, it is very likely that Bai Wuxiang was hiding in a corner of that temple at that time.

Xie Lian asked, “But, Imperial Master, why are you hiding here and there?”

The Imperial Master said: "Of course that's because..."

Hua Cheng said: "Betrayal."

This word was a bit hurtful, and the Imperial Master glanced at him. Hua Cheng's expression did not change, and he said, "You betrayed him, didn't you?"

The Imperial Master said, "That's about right. That's it."

He turned to Xie Lian and said, "How should I put it, next...

"Everything described on the mural is true. The Crown Prince of Wuyong is like the unrivaled sun of Wuyong. When you were the Crown Prince of Xianle, you were so glorious. He is several times more glorious than you.

"My three fellow disciples and I, a total of four people, were once his attendants. After the crown prince ascended to heaven, he took us with him. We have also seen many different kinds of celestial beings. It is no exaggeration to say that even in the heavens where many gods gather, he is like the sun, so dazzling that others are eclipsed."

As the Imperial Master spoke, he inadvertently revealed a fleeting smile. Xie Lian always felt that when he addressed the other person as "Your Highness," he was not referring to "Jun Wu" or "Bai Wu Xiang," but simply the young prince from two thousand years ago.

He said, "I think you said something similar to me before."

"Really? People don't remember things clearly when they get old."

"Yes. But you said he didn't ascend. He died."

The Imperial Master said, “That’s probably because I would rather he didn’t ascend.”

Xie Lian asked, “Is it because of the eruption of the Tonglu volcano?”

The Imperial Master did not give a direct answer, but simply said: "The Crown Prince's magic power is too strong.

"In his dream, he predicted that Wuyong's future would be a sea of ​​fire, so he began to think of ways to save his people. If I were me now, I would definitely not let him do that. However, at that time, none of us had any idea of ​​what would happen. We all thought that someone was going to die now, so what was wrong with saving them?

“But it’s not that simple.

"The volcanic eruption cannot be stopped. If we want to avoid casualties, we have to migrate. But the volcanic eruption covers too large a range, and it is not just a matter of one or two cities. For the princes, nobles and ordinary people, the best way is to conquer other countries and occupy new territories. Otherwise, other countries will not allow so many Wuyong people to migrate in so easily.

"But for His Highness, this is not a solution at all. War will inevitably lead to bloodshed, and once blood is shed, people will become jealous and cruel, and no longer human.

@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City

"The Wuyong Kingdom still rushed to send out its army. Wherever the soldiers went, not a single piece of armor was left, not a blade of grass grew. Moreover, in order to make room for the Wuyong people who would migrate there in the future, the generals ordered the massacre of civilians from other countries. The more people killed, the better, until blood flowed like a river and corpses piled up like a mountain.

"When the Crown Prince found out, he was very angry. As you can see, he descended on the battlefield and punished the Wuyong soldiers."

When Xie Lian thought about this, he felt strange. The Imperial Master continued, "But he wasn't the only one who was angry. This incident also made the princes and nobles of Wuyong and some of the people very angry. Many people went to the gods to question the Crown Prince: We just need more land to survive, so we invade others only when we have no choice. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"The impact of this incident exceeded all of our expectations and it became increasingly serious. Some people began to clamor to tear down his statue and burn down his temple, but His Highness the Crown Prince resisted.

"He said that if Wuyong was the invaded party, he would defend it to the death and not let the enemy take a single step, but they themselves must never invade others. He begged everyone to give up the war and wait for him to build something - his bridge to heaven."

The Imperial Master said slowly, "There is no more land on earth, so let's send people to heaven to take shelter. Although this method is incredible, the four of us have full faith in His Highness the Crown Prince and firmly believe that he can do it. It should be said that no matter what he wants to do, we will fully support him. Of course, other priests don't think so, and the entire heaven is against it, but His Highness the Crown Prince still resisted.

"He had to withstand three things at the same time: the confusion and complaints of the people of Wuyong and the nobles, the angry voices of the gods and immortals, and the giant bridge that reached the sky."

Hua Cheng sneered and said, "Oppose? I'm afraid it's more than just opposition."

The Imperial Master nodded slowly and said, "If it's just opposition, that's fine. But..."

Xie Lian vaguely guessed what was going on, but still asked, “But?”

The Imperial Master said, "It would take a lot of time and a lot of magical power to build that bridge, and His Highness couldn't be distracted at all. He almost never went to other places, did other things, or listened to the prayers of other believers. He could only do this one thing."

"But a god who can only do one thing will certainly not be able to retain believers. On the first day when he held up the bridge, people thanked him and remembered him. The same was true on the second, third, and fourth days. One month, two months, people still thanked him and remembered him. But after a long time, it stopped working.

"The volcano hasn't erupted yet, and the prince has been quietly accumulating magical power without doing anything else. People can't help but feel that he is not as powerful as before, or even as dedicated as before. At this time, it is inevitable that new gods need to be worshipped.

"The Wuyong Kingdom has a large population and strong financial resources. The faith of its believers is also very strong. Just look at the prosperity of His Majesty the Crown Prince. Many priests have long coveted this land and the believers, so..."

Xie Lian understood.

He said, "So... the priests picked this opportunity, took advantage of the resentment of the people of Wuyong towards the prince's departure from the battlefield to summon the gods to withdraw the troops, and lured them to divide up his believers and the source of his magic power... Is that right?"