If not, then you will never see your senior sister again!"

Yu Yuan's expression changed.

His senior sister really did run into trouble!

However, fortunately, the person who kidnapped her only wanted to use her to exchange for Virochana Immortal, not out of some retaliatory intent to harm her!

Immediately, he hurriedly took out the Central Palace Bronze Mirror to contact Wen Zhong and Bai Ling.

Fortunately, both of them were safe and sound.

Yu Yuan exchanged news with them, only then did he learn that Huo Ling'er and Fairy Yun Hua had already set off from Linhuan Pass more than a month ago.

He then sought out Bai Li Heavenly Monarch to investigate whether there had been any unfamiliar faces appearing in the East Sea in recent days.

The news came quickly.

Someone had seen a Luan Chariot they had never seen before, pulled by a Green Bird.

A Green Bird pulling a chariot?

A hint of doubt flashed in Yu Yuan's eyes.

To his knowledge, within the Three Realms, there were few who could have a Green Bird as a mount, let alone to pull a carriage.

Who exactly was this person?

Why would they want to rescue Virochana Immortal?

…

Chaoge.

The capital of Great Shang Country.

This magnificent city was the largest in the Southern Continent, located in the Yellow River Valley, symbolizing the power of Great Shang Country.

Tall city walls stood within the city, with arrow towers and watchtowers built on them, making it extremely secure.

Surrounding the city walls, a moat stretched for tens of miles, rendering the entire city impregnable. Tall stone pillars stood on both banks of the river, the side facing the water carved with various patterns, forming a unique landscape.

Inside the city, merchants bustled to and fro, a ceaseless stream of activity.

In every street and alley, one could see people busy rushing around.

All kinds of delicacies and tea houses were abundant.

At this moment, above Chaoge, an Auspicious Cloud the size of a hundred acres quietly floated in the sky, immovable even under the fierce northwest wind, drawing amazed remarks from many passersby in the city.

What they didn't know was that atop that Auspicious Cloud, there was currently a crowd of people gathered.

Some wore Daoist robes, appearing to possess an air of immortality; some were dressed in official attire, looking refined and amiable; others wore battle armor, appearing valiant and extraordinary.

These were all ministers of Great Shang, and at the same time, disciples of the Jie Sect.

Indeed, they were those Jie Sect disciples who cultivated using the Human Dao Destiny.

Among the entire Jie Sect, these disciples were a relatively special and somewhat independent branch.

This branch was not very powerful overall, but because they had long lived among the human world, had extensive connections, and maintained good relationships with all parties, they could unleash considerable power at critical moments.

Usually, they were scattered across Great Shang, only gathering together when major events occurred.

At this moment, the crowd gathered here because today was the coronation ceremony of the new King, Di Xin.

For decades, Great Shang had weathered many storms.

Previously, when King Wen Ding, Di Xin's grandfather, ruled, the national power was abundant, and peace reigned over the Four Seas, with all 800 vassals bowing their heads, and no barbarians from the four directions daring to confront them.

Especially when facing the increasingly powerful Zhou Clan, he ingeniously used imperial strategies to confer the title of Marquess to Ji Li, the Zhou Clan leader, and married off a daughter to him, commanding him to lead 200 vassals to conquer the Western barbarians, becoming a sharp sword for Great Shang.

After the barbarians were subdued, Wen Ding deceived Ji Li to come to Chaoge, then concocted a crime to imprison and execute him, crushing the rising momentum of the Western Zhou Clan in one fell swoop.

However, not long after executing Ji Li, Wen Ding also passed away.

Until his death, he never realized that the true leader who would bring prosperity and strength to the Zhou Clan was not Ji Li, but his son, the new Western Marquis—Ji Chang!

Decades henceforth.

Western Marquis Ji Chang actively developed agriculture and animal husbandry, attaching great importance to these sectors and caring about the common people's hardships. He respected virtuous people, was diligent in political affairs, and recruited talents extensively, leading to a gradual strengthening of the Zhou Clan in Xi Qi.

At the same time, the Great Shang met a mediocre ruler.

He was Di Yi, the father of Di Xin.

When Di Yi took the throne, barbarians from all sides rebelled again, reigniting border wars and using up a great amount of human and material resources, causing the country's fortunes to slide down bit by bit, squandering the efforts of several previous Kings of Shang.

In his later years, he became increasingly muddled and incompetent, indulging in pleasure, holding lavish banquets with pools of wine and forests of meat multiple times, and frequently performed human sacrifices to worship ancestors and spirits, causing many of the subjects of Great Shang to complain.

Not long ago, this King of Shang reached the end of his life.

His youngest son, who was also his legitimate heir, Di Xin, unopposedly took the throne to become the new King of Shang!

For such a big event, naturally, the immortals of the Jie Sect gathered together.

Firstly, to share what they knew, and secondly to assess the capabilities of the new king.

After the coronation ceremony, the immortals had their answer.

"Our king is sharp and quick-witted, very observant; he fights fierce beasts with his hands, and is as reliable as a pillar... Such a man of both pen and sword is undoubtedly a ruler who will bring about a revival!"

A middle-aged general, who was a towering height of two zhang and four chi, spoke in a deep voice.

His face resembled a lively crab, with a beard like copper wire and carrying a long sword on his back, looking extraordinarily wise and valiant.

Nearby were three equally tall and mighty middle-aged generals who also began to speak.

"The elder brother speaks rightly; I see that the destiny of Great Shang indeed shows signs of recovering."

"The king excels in both literary and military pursuits. In the past few years during the campaigns against the Eastern Yi, the king himself led the charge, sweeping through all directions, truly convincing all the soldiers!"

The speakers were the four brothers of the Mo Family, known as Mo Liqing, Mo Lihong, Mo Lihai, and Mo Lishou.

These four brothers were not only advanced in their Daoist practices but also each possessed exotic treasures, holding high status among the immortals.

When these brothers spoke, the other immortals also nodded in agreement.

A thin, dark-skinned Daoist in a black robe said with a smile, "As long as the king diligently governs and is assisted by esteemed Daoist friends like you, the destiny of Great Shang will undoubtedly rise again!"

These words praised the immortals of the Jie Sect who were present.

Mo Liqing replied with a smile, "Perhaps you should also stay and help; I could recommend you to the king to serve in the government."

"If I could serve in the government like the rest of the esteemed Daoist friends here and cultivate using Great Shang's destiny, that would be ideal..." The black-robed Daoist said, his tone shifting and sighing, "Unfortunately, I, Shengong Bao, am just a discarded disciple of the Chan Sect, and spreading the word might embarrass you esteemed friends."

"You speak too gravely."

Mo Liqing was just making a casual suggestion and seeing Shengong Bao decline, he did not persist.

"Let us call it a day, esteemed Daoist friends, my brothers and I will take our leave."

"Please wait, dear friends!"

At that moment, as if Shengong Bao remembered something, he spoke up to halt the Mo brothers, hesitatingly saying, "Have my esteemed friends ever heard of Linhuan Pass?"

Mo Liqing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you referring to that abandoned fortress near the downstream of the Huai River in the southeast of Great Shang?"

"Correct," Shengong Bao nodded and shared, "I passed by this place earlier and noticed that the city of Linhuan Pass is grand and the people are prosperous, comparable to Chaoge City... At the time, I actually thought I had arrived at Chaoge, but when I asked around, the locals had no idea about Great Shang."

"They don't know about Great Shang?"

Mo Liqing's thick eyebrows immediately rose.

He turned and scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on the Vice General of the Three Mountains Pass, Hong Jin, and curiously asked, "Three Mountains Pass is located in the south, have you heard any news about Linhuan Pass?"

"There are indeed some rumors..." Hong Jin replied, "Many people of the Three Mountains Pass speak of a prosperous place downstream of the Huai River where people can live warmly and eat well, without worries for food or clothing, and they also say that the land there is extremely fertile, producing several times more crops than other places... These rumors indeed incite many people to move there with their families."

"That's no rumor," Shengong Bao stated seriously, "I saw with my own eyes many villages deserted and the villagers all migrated to Linhuan Pass..."

"Hmph!"

Mo Liqing let out a cold snort, "Tomorrow I will make a report to the king to investigate thoroughly. If Linhuan Pass harbors any treasonous intentions, they must not be taken lightly!"

Shengong Bao's gaze flickered, a hint of triumph flashing in his eyes.

...

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