Chapter 280: Captured.

"I didn't expect Zhuge Zhengwo to be so powerful." A hint of ambition flashed in Lian Nishang's eyes.

As a wolf child raised by wolves, Lian Nishang truly respected the principle of the strong and the survival of the fittest. Even after so long in human society, having seen and experienced much,

the principle of the survival of the fittest has never faded, which is one of the reasons why Lian Nishang became the leader of the Green Forest Sect.

So, after discovering Zhuge Zhengwo's extraordinary strength, so strong that she had almost no resistance, she became extremely eager to increase her strength. She wanted to become stronger, she wanted to become stronger than Zhuge Zhengwo.

"Although Zhuge Zhengwo's cultivation level is only at the Profound Realm, after using the Three Realms True Qi, his strength has increased significantly, and he is now on par with a normal Grandmaster of the Celestial Realm," Ye Xiu explained. "

Yes, sooner or later, I will possess a power even greater than his," Lian Nishang said with a firm gaze.

"I believe you." Ye Xiu had great confidence in Lian Nishang. This was partly due to Lian Nishang's inherent strength, but also partly due to his knowledge of his diary as a cheat for her. While Ye Xiu didn't yet know how the diary would enhance Lian Nishang's abilities due to their inability to communicate, he was completely confident in its power.

"Well, but where are we going now? And how are we going to get revenge on that Zhuge Zhengwo?" Lian Nishang was a bit vindictive. Having been driven out of the An Mansion by Zhuge Zhengwo, she was determined to seek revenge. Even if she wasn't Zhuge Zhengwo's match, she could still seek revenge in other ways. "Where are we going? First

, find a place to settle down, and then just watch Zhuge Zhengwo get into trouble. As for revenge, I don't even need to do anything; he'll get into trouble himself." Ye Xiu smiled, a bit gloating.

Lian Nishang looked at Ye Xiu with a hint of confusion.

"In the An family we were in before, there was an old man named An Yunshan. He was very powerful, much stronger than Zhuge Zhengwo. Even if Zhuge Zhengwo used the Three Realms True Qi, he would not be An Yunshan's opponent. And An Yunshan was determined to become emperor, which put him on a different side from Zhuge Zhengwo. Now that Zhuge Zhengwo had killed An Yunshan's only son, An Shigeng, An Yunshan would definitely not let Zhuge Zhengwo go."

"Didn't you kill An Shigeng?" Lian Nishang looked at Ye Xiu in surprise.

"I killed him? Who said that? Who knew? It was Zhuge Zhengwo who attacked the An Mansion and even set it on fire. Many people witnessed it. In particular, An Shigeng's most trusted woman, Ji Yaohua, personally came forward to testify that it was Zhuge Zhengwo who relentlessly pursued the counterfeit copper coin case and finally traced it to the An Mansion, then went on a killing spree, destroyed the An Mansion, and killed An Shigeng. What does it have to do with me?" Ye Xiu said, his smile growing even brighter.

Lian Nishang was slightly stunned when she heard Ye Xiu's words. She realized that Ye Xiu's explanation actually made sense.

The fact that Ye Xiu and Lian Nishang were hiding in the An Mansion, even disguising themselves as An Shigeng, was something only Ji Yaohua and Ruyan knew about. Oh, and Wuqing knew too.

But they obviously wouldn't explain it to An Yunshan.

Ji Yaohua and Ruyan, in particular, could easily shift the blame onto Zhuge Zhengwo by slightly changing their words.

"Originally, I wanted to use An Shigeng's identity to paralyze An Yunshan and delay his return. This way, I could quickly improve my own strength before An Yunshan returned, at least becoming a Grandmaster of Celestial Phenomena or even a Celestial Being. Then, when An Yunshan returned, I could single-handedly smite him, which would be good for both me and the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. But Zhuge Zhengwo just happened to show up and cause trouble."

"In that case, I'll simply leave the An Mansion. Without me transforming into An Shigeng to trick An Yunshan, An Yunshan will definitely know An Shigeng's misfortune very quickly. When he returns, he'll definitely confront Zhuge Zhengwo. That'll be fun to watch," Ye Xiu said gloatingly.

Hearing Ye Xiu mention An Yunshan again, Lian Nishang fell silent. Lian Nishang, who never waited for revenge, now felt a bit of gloating, eager to see how bad luck would be for Zhuge Zhengwo.

...

After Ye Xiu and Lian Nishang fled outside the city, the other Grandmasters in the capital began to appear.

"Lord Zhuge, did you have a conflict with the An residence and simply wipe out the An family?"

"What about An Shigeng? Dead?"

"Lord Zhuge is worthy of being Lord Zhuge!"

"Awesome!"

After arriving at the An residence, several Grandmasters saw Zhuge Zhengwo, who had already controlled the flames, and gave him a thumbs-up. While seemingly praising Zhuge Zhengwo, some also showed a hint of gloating in their eyes.

Of course, some appeared to genuinely care about Zhuge Zhengwo, but the true concern was relatively rare.

"I didn't kill An Shigeng!"

"I came here because a strange Grandmaster appeared at the An residence."

"It's a pity I couldn't capture them, and they escaped."

"An Shigeng? I don't know..." Zhuge Zhengwo tried to explain, but his explanation was hollow and unconvincing.

In fact, some people did believe Zhuge Zhengwo; after all, many knew his character.

Just because you know Zhuge Zhengwo doesn't mean you have to speak for him. He's a Grandmaster who is utterly loyal to the court and the emperor. Other Grandmasters, on the other hand, tend to have their own selfish motives, or perhaps there's a conflict between the Grandmaster's faction and Zhuge Zhengwo's.

Therefore, many people want to prove that Zhuge Zhengwo destroyed the An Mansion, hoping to see him suffer.

Zhuge Zhengwo knows what they're thinking, so in the end, he can only offer a wry smile.

...

"Zhuge Zhengwo suddenly came to cause trouble. In order not to make things too big, I chose to leave the capital."

"After all, my identity is not easy to disclose now. If I fight with Zhuge Zhengwo and make too much noise, my identity will be disclosed, and it might attract Pang Ban's attention." "

After all, the Mongols have always tried to annex the Song Dynasty. There are probably spies planted by the Mongols in the capital of the Song Dynasty. So in order to prevent being exposed, I didn't get entangled with Zhuge Zhengwo."

"But thanks to Zhuge Zhengwo, I have to leave the capital now. I am temporarily staying in Dayu Village west of the capital. Ji Yaohua, Ruyan, you have to come to me quickly. I have a task to arrange for you."

"And Wuqing, don't disclose my whereabouts. The reason why I don't fight with Zhuge Zhengwo doesn't mean that I am not Zhuge Zhengwo's opponent."

"Actually, after Zhuge Zhengwo attacked today, I discovered that although his strength is not weak, and he can even use special means to possess the combat power of a Grandmaster of Celestial Phenomenon, my strength is far superior to his. If Zhuge Zhengwo really came, he might be killed by me."

"After all, Dayu Village is already outside the capital. Even if Zhuge Zhengwo and I fought, it would not alert the Grandmasters in the capital, and they could attack without restraint. If they really killed Zhuge Zhengwo, then it would only be Zhuge Zhengwo's bad luck." "

It's still that I'm not strong enough. If I were to reach the realm of a Grandmaster of Celestial Phenomenon now, I might be able to face the Celestial Being directly."

"With celestial-level combat power, there's no need to flee in a panic in advance to avoid being discovered like we are doing now."

"But it's almost time, a few months at the earliest, and I'll be able to beat Zhuge Zhengwo by then."

"Then I can take revenge and complain - no, maybe soon Zhuge Zhengwo will be beaten like a dog."

"I really hope to see Zhuge Zhengwo regretting it."

"If he hadn't come to me, everything would have been fine, and I could even have easily dealt with that guy An Yunshan. But Zhuge Zhengwo came over and started using his ultimate move right away."

"Damn it, he's sick, really sick!"

"At the beginning it was Tie Shou. Tie Shou inexplicably rushed in and wanted to fight me. After I let Tie Shou go, it turned out to be Zhuge Zhengwo. Are they lining up?"

"After beating the younger one, here comes the older one?"

"Hehehe, anyway, I've taken on Tie Shou and Zhuge Zhengwo."

"..."

Even though it wasn't yet dark, Ye Xiu had already begun writing in his diary for the day.

This diary entry, in effect, was a message to Ji Yaohua, Ruyan, and even Wuqing.

This was a new way Ye Xiu utilized his diary, having realized it would be read by others.

Just like now, with just one entry, Ye Xiu could contact Ji Yaohua, Ruyan, and Wuqing.

He notified Ruyan and the others, then scribbled a few words to make up the word count. Once he had enough, Ye Xiu simply closed the diary.

He didn't have to wait long.

Before nightfall, Ruyan and Ji Yaohua arrived at Dayu Village and appeared before Ye Xiu.

"Master!" Ji Yaohua and Ruyan called out in sweet tones.

Their attitude toward Ye Xiu had completely changed since learning of the diary's power.

If they had previously stayed by Ye Xiu's side and obeyed his orders because of his immense strength and the possession of the Life and Death Talisman, it could be said they had made this change simply to survive.

But now, their mindsets had completely shifted.

The diary was simply too powerful, too miraculous.

Their current focus was to improve Ye Xiu's favorability towards them, so they could gain more benefits and improve their own strength.

Even if their kindness to Ye Xiu was due to ulterior motives, it was at least much better than before.

"Get up, come in and sit down. I have something to tell you," Ye Xiu said, waving at the two of them.

"Yes, Master!" Even at this moment, Ji Yaohua and Ruyan couldn't help but be competitive.

"Next, I need you to spread some news in the capital, such as Zhuge Zhengwo's annihilation of An Shigeng and Zhuge Zhengwo's burning of An's mansion. Try to spread the news of Zhuge Zhengwo's actions this time, and also find a way to bring up the fake copper coin case, and try to create a conflict between Zhuge Zhengwo and An Shigeng in this story," Ye Xiu ordered Ji Yaohua and Ruyan.

"Master, you want An Yunshan to deal with Zhuge Zhengwo?" Ruyan immediately thought of it.

"Well, I was pretending to be An Shigeng, using his identity to relay information to An Yunshan. Now that I've left the An Mansion, that information channel is broken. An Yunshan will undoubtedly know that something's wrong with An Shigeng, and he might even return soon. Do your best to put the blame on Zhuge Zhengwo. Then, a fight will ensue. With Zhuge Zhengwo's strength, he's no match for An Yunshan. It doesn't matter if An Yunshan kills him or cripples him; I'll have avenged myself." Ye Xiu said to Ji Yaohua and Ruyan with a smile.

"Yes, Master!"

After receiving the order, Ji Yaohua and Ruyan didn't even stay overnight. They quickly returned and began making various arrangements. They were trying to pin all the blame for the An Mansion on Zhuge Zhengwo.

This was especially true for the counterfeit coin case, which Ji Yaohua had pinned directly on Zhuge Zhengwo.

That case, however, had already been closed, and the scapegoat had been found.

But Zhuge Zhengwo, filled with chivalry, refused to give up on the mastermind behind the counterfeit copper coin case.

He eventually investigated, bit by bit, and eventually tracked down An Shigeng and discovered the vast quantities of Western Regions divine weapons he had crafted.

Ultimately, Zhuge Zhengwo destroyed all of them, and An Shigeng died at his hands.

Unbeknownst to Zhuge Zhengwo, he had already become An Shigeng's murderer, and Ji Yaohua had even assembled a complete chain of evidence.

When An Yunshan returned, no matter how clever he was, he would inevitably identify Zhuge Zhengwo as his son's murderer.

By then, Zhuge Zhengwo would be powerless to explain himself.

...

"Uncle, you went to the An residence?"

Wuqing, upon reading Ye Xiu's diary, immediately went looking for Zhuge Zhengwo.

"Wuqing, how did you know I went there?" Zhuge Zhengwo was approached by Wuqing upon his return, and he looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Uncle, why did you go to the An residence?" Wuqing's face was filled with a headache and helplessness.

"Wuqing, you know me. I was conferred the title of Divine Marquis by the Emperor, so naturally I must serve the imperial court. I cannot allow any accidents to occur in the capital—Wuqing, do you know who that handsome Grandmaster is?" Zhuge Zhengwo looked at Wuqing sternly.

Wuqing hesitated to speak. She wanted to tell Zhuge Zhengwo about Ye Xiu's identity, but Ye Xiu had specifically warned her not to in his diary. So, Wuqing's lips moved a few times, but nothing came out.

Zhuge Zhengwo, observing Wuqing's expression, waved him off.

Wuqing stared at Zhuge Divine Marquis, hesitant to speak. Before leaving, Wuqing couldn't help but say, "Divine Marquis, you might be in for some serious trouble. It's best to prepare."

Hearing Wuqing's words and watching him walk away, Zhuge Zhengwo was slightly surprised and then lost in thought, pondering what kind of trouble Wuqing was referring to.

Zhuge Zhengwo remembered that back in the An Mansion, Ye Xiu had once said something about him causing trouble. However, Zhuge Divine Marquis hadn't taken it too seriously.

Now, Zhuge Zhengwo calmed down. With time and Wuqing's reminder, Zhuge Zhengwo finally couldn't help but start thinking about what kind of trouble he might encounter.

"An Mansion - the biggest trouble may be An Mansion."

"Then An Shigeng hasn't appeared for so long, and I don't know what's going on."

"Could it be that, as the outside world says, An Shigeng is dead?" Zhuge Zhengwo frowned. He found that if An Shigeng was really dead, it would be a big trouble for him.

Before Zhuge Zhengwo could find any solution, the eunuchs from the palace came to the Shenhou Mansion.

"Zhuge Zhengwo, I borrow your imperial decree!"

"Your Majesty, Zhuge Zhengwo, accept your imperial decree!"

Inside the Divine Marquisate's mansion, everyone except Wuqing knelt on the ground.

"Zhuge Zhengwo..." The imperial edict essentially stated that Zhuge Zhengwo had destroyed the An Mansion, and therefore deserved punishment. He was stripped of his Divine Marquisate title and imprisoned.

Faced with such an order, Zhuge Zhengwo had no choice but to obey.

The eunuch who issued the edict had the plaque removed from the Divine Marquisate's gate, and Zhuge Zhengwo was then placed under guard and imprisoned.

Many people outside the Divine Marquisate watched as the eunuchs ordered the plaque removed, but no one dared to say anything.

Zhuge Zhengwo, however, sighed as he watched the Divine Marquisate's mansion become barren. He still offered no resistance.

Zhuge Zhengwo, however, believed his current situation to be the trouble Ye Xiu and Wuqing had described.

Little did he know, this was merely an appetizer; the real trouble lay ahead.

Seeing Zhuge Zhengwo being captured, everyone in the Shenhou Mansion - Zhuge Mansion, from top to bottom, was in a panic.

After all, Zhuge Zhengwo was the sky of the Zhuge Mansion. Zhuge Zhengwo's capture was equivalent to the collapse of the sky of the Zhuge Mansion.

However, Tieshou and even Wuqing had to stand up and take charge of the overall situation at this time, barely calming the turbulent hearts of the Zhuge Mansion, so that the Zhuge Mansion could still remain quiet.

...

"Wuqing, where are you going?" Tieshou asked hurriedly when he saw Wuqing going out again.

"To inquire about the news of some uncles. I'll be back soon." Wuqing said perfunctorily, and she didn't tell Tieshou a word about the specific content.

But no matter what, Tieshou was still full of trust in Wuqing, so he really thought that Wuqing was going to inquire about the news of Zhuge Zhengwo.