NOVPUBThey had finished eating.
The senior and junior disciples began to leave one after another.
Chen Sansi's expression was as still as water.
Make plans before acting!
For the past two months, he and his fourth senior brother had been exchanging letters frequently.
Now,
all that was awaited was for the wind to rise in the Capital City!
This time, he would be the one to lead the chessboard!
...
Capital City.
Duke Wu'an Mansion.
Inside the pavilion, in front of the chessboard.
"Prince, I trust you've been well."
Fang Qingyun fiddled with the chess pieces without looking up and greeted.
"Mr. Fang."
Cao Zhi took a seat across from him without reservation, grabbing some pastries from the table and stuffing them into his mouth. While eating, he said with an urgent tone, "Can't you persuade him to call my elder brother to the Capital City?"
"What good would my persuasion do?"
Fang Qingyun solemnly said. "He won't come."
"Without my elder brother, our chances of winning are indeed less!"
Cao Zhi lowered his voice, reminding, "Mr. Fang, I must remind you, after the Mang Mountain Ancestor Vein was secured, Shengyun Sect has already delivered the Foundation Establishment Pill to the Longevity Palace. Soon after, my father will retreat to Kunlun Mountain. If he succeeds in Foundation Establishment, he might truly achieve immortality!"
"You're speaking so straightforwardly today, Prince?"
Fang Qingyun said with a wry smile, "Aren't you afraid of walls having ears?"
"In a life-and-death situation, who can care about so much?"
Cao Zhi sternly said, "Mr. Fang! After Foundation Establishment, no one in the entire Eastern Continent could be my father's opponent. By then, you and I will never have a day of uprising!"
"Prince."
Fang Qingyun twirled a chess piece, seemingly battling himself, "Why don't you speak of your own plan?"
"Alright, today I shall be honest with Mr. Fang."
Cao Zhi reached out and disrupted his chess setup, using pieces to represent the Capital City. "Before each Kunlun retreat, my father first holds a grand ceremony outside the Capital City. At that time, all the guards will be my men,"
"including my uncle!"
"And the entire Seeking Immortal Tower, as well as some cultivators from the Cultivation World!"
"..."
Fang Qingyun's eyes imperceptibly twitched. "Prince, at such a young age, you have such profound accumulation? Not only can you control the entire Seeking Immortal Tower, but also reach out to cultivators from the Cultivation World behind His Majesty's back?"
The current Tower Master of Seeking Immortal Tower is my master, and I am its young master! As for other cultivators... The Ancestor Vein naturally intrigues several sects. There are many sects that want it. Even if Shengyun Sect got it, they can't truly monopolize it."
Cao Zhi paused. "In any case, on the day of the grand ceremony, there will be no other cultivators by my father's side. We will attack together, and once successful, we will establish authority over the realm!"
"You won't win."
Fang Qingyun poured cold water on the plan.
"That's why I want General Chen to also come to the Capital City!"
Cao Zhi emphasized, "Times have changed, my elder brother has already advanced above the Martial Saint, and in his realm, he has no rivals. With him here, we will surely increase our chances of success."
"In the face of a life-or-death predicament, if Dragon Abyss is employed, what will you do?"
Once Fang Qingyun had spoken,
Cao Zhi fell into silence.
After a long pause, he finally said resolutely, "This is the last chance, I can only gamble on it."
Fang Qingyun shook his head slightly, moved all the chess pieces that Prince Yan had placed, rearranged them, and spoke unhurriedly:
"Instead of gambling on a risky venture, it's better to be more conservative, leave a way out for yourself. Even if you don't succeed at once, you can still make plans gradually.
"Your present arrangement won't receive Prince Jin's support, right?
"If that's the case,
"why not deal with Yan first?
"Originally, that was my plan,"
Cao Zhi spoke helplessly, "together with my Sixth Brother, we were planning to eliminate Yan the bandit, then have my father abdicate. But plans can't keep up with changes. Who knew my elder brother would set fire to Wu City and break West Qi so quickly, with the Foundation Establishment Pill falling into our hands this soon?"
"No."
Fang Qingyun shook his head, "I'm talking about overthrowing Yan, not killing him. The Yan father and son are the legitimate way out for everyone."
As he spoke, he took out a brocade bag he had prepared beforehand.
"It seems Mr. Fang has long been prepared."
Cao Zhi opened the brocade bag, and after reading the contents, he immediately understood, "Mr. Fang is truly worthy of the title 'Phoenix'; this can indeed drag my Sixth Brother down. With him, even if the grand venture doesn't succeed, we can still leave the Capital City and raise an army. With this in mind, Mr. Fang's Beiliang is willing to cooperate with this prince."
Fang Qingyun acquiesced.
"Good!"
Cao Zhi put away the brocade bag, "If one day we truly succeed, I will definitely keep my word. My elder brother as Beiliang King, will only obey commands and will not be doubted."
"Lastly."
Fang Qingyun raised his head, "I want to ask you, Prince, you and His Majesty are ultimately father and son, do you really want to go this far?"
"Father and son?"
Cao Zhi burst into laughter, his laughter tinged with madness and hatred. After a long while, he spoke, "Mr. Fang, do you still need to ask me? You should know best what kind of man he is. In his eyes, what are brothers, father and son? Everything in this world is merely fuel for his delusions!
"Mr. Fang!
"This realm lacks spiritual energy.
"Even the method to seek immortality left by my great-grandfather on Ziwei Mountain requires the transmission through a jade token to the Heavenly Water Continent for cultivation!
"Yet, why was he able to start cultivating many years ago?
"And even now, he's at the peak of Qi Refining, about to establish his foundation?!"
Fang Qingyun considered for a moment, then answered, "'Immortals aid my crown and I receive eternal life.' This has been proclaimed by His Majesty many years ago, that he unexpectedly encountered an immortal fate on Kunlun Mountain, thus entering the Immortal Path." 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
