Chapter 49: Who Draws the Line Between Enemy and Friend

  The fierce battle between the three great divine weapons, Long Xuan, Xiao Hun and Bu Yuan Man, truly broadened Yang Zhao's horizons. From his perspective, the true martial arts of Guardian Wutu, Feng Ye Yu, Mu Xing He and others were not necessarily on par with Yan Qing Hui and Ning Dao Qi, and even more so, far inferior to his own cheap master, Mohe Ye. However, once they grasped the divine weapons, they could rely on the help of the divine weapons to burst forth with powerful strength that far surpassed their own abilities. The role and importance of the divine weapons cannot be overstated, no matter how one evaluates them.

  Actually, Yang Zhao had long known this principle. However, since crossing over, the only top-grade divine sword he had ever come into contact with was the Heavenly Sword. Although it had caused a stir when he drew the Heavenly Sword, it could be said that this imperial divine sword indirectly acknowledged Yang Zhao's qualifications to become its next master. Nevertheless, as the current owner of the Heavenly Sword, Emperor Yang Jian of the Great Sui Dynasty was still alive, so the Heavenly Sword did not display any extraordinary and astonishing power or divinity in Yang Zhao's hands.

  It wasn't until today that Shou Wang and others wielded the divine weapon with all their might. Scene after scene, unbelievable yet true to life, unfolded before his eyes, using facts to make the most intuitive explanation, allowing Young Master Wang to truly evolve from "knowing" to "understanding".

  Incomplete and soul-stirring, dragon rotation, although it is said that its power surpasses the Earthly Divine Soldiers, but it is still far from being comparable to the Heavenly Divine Soldiers. The Yin-Yang Command, however, is a true Heavenly Divine Soldier. What degree of power can it actually reach? After witnessing the giant sleeping Buddha composed of Wuyou, Lingyun, and Guicheng's three mountains, the young king had already fully understood the true meaning behind White Cloud's words "Dragon swims in Min River, paying respects to the Tathagata". At that moment, his chest felt a surge of heat. And he made up his mind to obtain the Yin-Yang Command hidden within Lingyun Mountain, determined to get it no matter what.

  The Wu Ya giant ship was stranded on the riverbank near Minjiang River in Lingyun Mountain, entangled in a fierce battle between Guardian Wutong and Mo Xinghe. Mo Xinghe, Feng Yeru, and Yan Wangong, three great masters wielding divine weapons, escaped from the ship with the protection of the Tangmen Seven Kills, led by Tang Zhongqing and Tang Jixue. King Yang Xiu of Shu was furious and shouted loudly, personally commanding the "Bai Zhan" soldiers to regroup and organize rescue efforts for the remaining two warships that had been swept into the river.

  In this situation, both the riverbank and the middle of the river were in a state of complete chaos. Even those with slightly lower martial arts skills were unable to take care of themselves, let alone pay attention to the movements of others around them. The young master who had disguised himself as an ordinary sailor was taking advantage of the situation. Since he had already reached his destination, there was no need for him to continue mixing with Yang Xiu and the others. He took the opportunity to slip away and quickly made his way towards Lingyun Cave. Meanwhile, Yang Zhao did not head outwards but instead re-entered the cabin and broke through the hull. The icy river water immediately poured in, causing Yang Zhao, who had always been afraid of the cold, to shiver. He cursed under his breath as he jumped into the broken hole and swam out with all his might.

  Before, the Guardian and Shang had pulled in the river water to form a tornado, and also destroyed two warships. The Min River's flow was affected, and underwater currents were everywhere, making it twice as difficult to swim. Yang Zhao's swimming skills were average, and several times he almost got swept away by the river. Luckily, he grabbed onto rocks at the bottom of the river in time, or else he would have been washed away to who-knows-where. After finally swimming around the river bend to the other side of Lingyun Mountain, Little Prince Wang hastily climbed ashore and took a few big breaths. Before he could even lift his head to take in his surroundings, suddenly someone behind him spoke up and sighed: "Good, good! Little Prince Wang, you truly have impressive skills. The Shu King was deceived, Ning Shixiong was deceived, and even Qinghui and Mingyue sister were also tricked by you. Little Prince Wang, you never actually got hurt, nor did the Tangmen's Locking Needle control your mind, right?"

  Yang Zhao was startled and turned his head to see that the current heir of the Ci Hang Jing Quan, Fan Qinghui, was standing on the sandy beach by the river. She wore a coarse linen shirt like Yang Zhao's, with light makeup to conceal her extraordinary beauty, but her elegant and refined temperament could not be hidden. Looking at her appearance, it seemed that she had also disguised herself as a sailor and followed the fleet.

  In an instant, Yang Zhao felt unspeakable annoyance. He let out a loud "huff" and said in a bad temper: "It's you again? How can I get rid of you no matter where I go?! You're a nun, right? Always following men around everywhere, do you still want to save face?"

  "Although Jingzhai is a sacred place of Buddhism, ..." Fan Qinghui did not get angry, but instead said in a low and clear voice: "The Buddha has no form and does not stick to things. Therefore, the disciples of this Jingzhai all have hair and cultivate, they are not Bhikkhunis who have left home."

  "I don't care if you're a nun or not." Yang Zhao waved his hand impatiently and said, "To sum it up, I can no longer tolerate your endless entanglement with me. Whether it's a fistfight or a sword fight, come on over whenever you want."

  Fan Qinghe didn't show the slightest intention of taking action, and sighed: "Young Master Wang, since you've appeared here, I suppose you already know what your uncle has planned, don't you?"

  Yang Zhao frowned and sneered, "Of course, Tang Zhongqing told me everything. Ha! My fourth uncle is so infatuated with the emperor's dream that he's gone crazy, and can even come up with such a rotten idea. It's really none of my business after I'm dead. But what does it have to do with you?"

  "Little Prince, your preconceived notions are indeed too deep." Fang Qinghui shook his head and said: "Jingzhai is not only a part of the Wulin sect, but also a Han Chinese from the Central Plains, a descendant of the Yan and Huang emperors. If... if the King of Shu's plan were to succeed, Jingzhai would still be unable to remain hidden and aloof, and could not bear to see the people suffer again in war. Therefore... therefore... Qinghui has come this time to think..."

  Yang Zhao impatiently said: "If you want to do something, then just say it quickly. What's the point of being hesitant?"

  "For the sake of the fortune and misfortune of all living things under heaven, Qinghui cannot stand idly by while watching the schemes of the Shu king. If the young king can temporarily put aside his preconceptions, then Qinghui is willing to join forces with him, working together to ensure the peace and stability of the divine state."

  "What? You want to join forces with me and deal with Yang Xiu together?" Yang Zhao was first stunned, but then burst out laughing coldly, saying: "I didn't hear wrong, did I? You people always say that the Li family is the true destined ruler. But now the great Sui dynasty's fortune is at its peak, this imperial crown won't just fall from the sky and land on someone with the surname Li, will it? If my fourth uncle really causes chaos in the world, wouldn't the Li family have a good opportunity to rise to power, and wouldn't you people be able to take advantage of the situation?"

  Feng Qinghui's lips tightened, and she took a step back, her face already showing displeasure. With a hint of anger, she asked, "Young Master Wang, what are you talking about? Are you saying that in your eyes, Jingzhai and I are the kind of shameless people who will stop at nothing to achieve our goals, even if it means disregarding human life?"

  The beauty suddenly burst out, and there was no longer a few points of the so-called "immortal fragrance" on her body, but instead added a few points of human fireworks. Yang Zhao involuntarily retreated half a step. Not because he was afraid, but just felt very unaccustomed for a moment. Frowning, he said: "What's gotten into you? Hey, day and night spreading the absurd theory that the Yang family will destroy the Li family and prosper, and even kidnapping and illegally detaining the Crown Prince of Great Sui, and daring to attempt to murder him. Am I wrong in thinking this?"

  Young Master Yang paused for a moment, getting angrier by the second, and scolded: "You're always talking about the fate of the people, but do you really think you're saviors? Go ask the common people if they support your 'Mandate of Heaven' theory! My Yang family has brought peace to the four seas, everyone lives in happiness and contentment. What's wrong with that? Why must you bring down our Yang family and replace us with a Li surname? In the end, it's all about your personal interests, resenting being suppressed by the Orthodox Sect. But since you can't defeat them, you want to change emperors to one who supports you! What does this have to do with the fate of the people? Now you're blaming others for framing you? I spit on that!"

  Yang Zhao scolded one sentence, and Fang Qinghui's face turned even paler. Such straightforward words, she had never heard before, not to mention thinking about it. Although every word was piercing her heart, but after careful consideration, she couldn't say a single word to defend herself. The creed that had been upheld for the past twenty years, as if it were a matter of course, now seemed to be crumbling. She felt anxious, angry, ashamed, and furious, and forced out: "Young Master Wang, you...you..." The words got stuck in her throat, and no matter what, she couldn't get them out. For a moment, her mind was in turmoil, her vision blurred, and she almost fainted on the spot.

  After all, the effort of guarding one's heart for over a decade wasn't in vain. In an instant, Qinghui forcibly suppressed all sorts of distracting thoughts and managed to steady herself once more. Shaking her head, she said: "If Young Master Wang wants to think that way, then Qinghui... has no choice but to go along with it. As for who was right or wrong in the past, whether the empire belongs to the Yangs or the Lis is not worth mentioning for now. Let's just discuss the current situation - the Shu King has numerous powerful experts under his command and possesses three great divine artifacts. Even if the secrets within the Lingyun Cave are guarded by a Qilin, it's still impossible to guarantee absolute safety. Young Master Wang should think carefully about this. If you believe you can stop Yang Xiutu's schemes with your own strength, then Qinghui will turn around and leave, not saying another word. But if you can't, then what harm is there in temporarily joining forces with Qinghui?"

  These words also make sense. The key to the matter lies in the secret of Lingyun Cave, which cannot be moved at all. Otherwise, the divine state will be shaken, and the beacon fires on the Central Plains will never stop from now on. As a Chinese or a citizen of the Great Sui, Yang Zhao can by no means allow this worst result to appear. Therefore, obtaining the Yin-Yang Order is important, but stopping Yang Xiu is also a must.

  "After hesitating for a long time, Yang Zhao finally said hesitantly: 'Wanting to join hands... isn't absolutely impossible. But honestly speaking, let's not just talk empty words, we'll be small-minded first and then become gentlemen. How can I believe that at the critical moment, you won't stab me in the back?'"

  Feng Qinghui's face was expressionless, and she casually pulled out something from her sleeve. "Clang" - it fell to the ground at Yang Zhao's feet, and it was precisely that treasured sword, Di Shen Bing [Fei Yi], which had been lost and then recovered. She said calmly: "Now Feng Qinghui no longer has a sword in hand. Young Master Wang, can you feel at ease now?"

  "Fei Wing? So you've already taken it back..." To be honest, with so many things happening in recent days, Young Master Wang had almost forgotten about this sword. Now that the divine sword had entered his eyes, he couldn't help but feel astonished. However, his doubts did not disappear because of this. He hesitated for a moment, picked up Fei Wing and secured it at his waist, without saying another word, turned around and left. After walking several zhang away, he heard the sound of wind behind him, and Yan Qinghui had indeed caught up. A faint cold smile appeared in his heart, and he suddenly activated the Infinite Electric Heart Method, breaking through the wind and speeding towards Lingyun Mountain's Qixia Peak.