Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Hey, Xiu Chen, wait for me! Where are you going?" Wen Chong saw Xiu Chen running outside in a panic, and guessed that something must have happened, so he quickly chased after him.

After the two ran backstage, Wen Chong said breathlessly, "Hey, what happened? What are you doing here? I was watching that girl speak intently when I turned around and found you had run away."

"Wenchong, look at these flowerpots, do you see anything?" As soon as Li Xiuchen entered, he smelled an increasingly strong smell of gunpowder. He was right!

"Xiuchen, you're really acting strangely today. Why did you suddenly bring me to look at flowerpots? Why are you looking at flowers and plants instead of girls? Besides, it's just an empty pot, there aren't even any flowers in it." Wen Chong said, a little angry.

Xiu Chen ignored him and walked towards a flowerpot. He dug around in the soil for a while, then looked at Wen Chong with a black lump in his hand and said, "Smell this."

Wen Chong took the dark, gooey object and brought it close to his nose to sniff. Suddenly! He realized the gravity of the situation! "This...this is gunpowder?!"

“That’s right, it’s not just this one pot, it’s in all the flower pots in the row. However, these flower pots have been sealed to cover up the smell. I only detected a faint scent from outside, so I rushed over to check.” Xiu Chen said, squinting his eyes.

"So much gunpowder! It's powerful enough to blow up a school! Who put all this in here? What is he trying to do?!" Wen Chong was not only shocked, but also belatedly felt a sense of fear.

"No matter what that person wants to do, we can't let him succeed, and we can't let tens of thousands of disciples be destroyed. There's still an hour before the gathering ends, so let's hurry and secretly remove the gunpowder from these flowerpots."

"We'll play along, but remember not to alert them. If word gets out, it will cause a huge uproar in the academy, and we won't be able to handle it for a while. If someone takes advantage of the chaos to do something else, wouldn't we be just handing them a chance?" Li Xiuchen had already planned everything, and a sinister smile appeared on his lips as he squinted his eyes.

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Time passed second by second. If seeing so many flowerpots at the beginning could be described as shock, now that the two of them were clearing them away one by one, Wen Chong was terrified. He really hadn't expected there to be so many!

With a quarter of an hour remaining, the two men finally removed all the gunpowder and cleaned up the traces at the scene before quickly climbing out the window and leaving.

After finding a secluded spot and hiding all the gunpowder, the two borrowed a room to wash their hands and change into clean clothes. Once the smell of gunpowder was gone, they calmly walked into the gathering, chatting and laughing all the way, as if nothing had happened.

Everything is ready; now all we need to do is lure them in, and tonight we'll see a good show.

The gathering was much larger than during the day, especially at the high platform, where it was incredibly crowded. People were pushing and shoving, and some even had to wait until the afternoon to reserve a spot below the platform in order to get a closer look at the alchemist. They didn't even eat dinner.

It's clear how much of a sensation the alchemist's actions caused. In any case, everyone was immersed in a joyful and lively atmosphere. If it weren't for Li Xiuchen, no one would have thought of bombing the academy.

With a quarter of an hour to go before the alchemist's performance, the students had already begun moving the flowerpots onto the platform in preparation for the alchemist's upcoming act.

When Wen Chong saw the flowerpots, even though all the gunpowder had been removed, he still couldn't help but feel a wave of fear: "Wow, Xiu Chen, if it weren't for your caution and intelligence that you noticed everything, we might all be going to perish at Tianwu Academy tonight along with all the students."

Xiu Chen ignored him and quietly watched the commotion on the stage. Just to be on the safe side, he kept a close eye on things to prevent any unexpected changes.

When the time came, an old man dressed in a black robe and wearing a hat that covered his eyes slowly walked onto the stage, and the eyes of the students below followed him. Judging from his demeanor, he moved with the speed of the wind, exuding the aura of an old man who had cultivated immortality.

After he reached the center of the platform, he slowly opened his mouth and said in an aged voice, "Fellow students, it is my great honor that you have gathered here today to observe my alchemy. I have been traveling around and enjoying the scenery, so I have not met many of you. I hope you will not take offense." After speaking, he bowed respectfully.

The students below were taken aback when a highly respected elder apologized to them. He was indeed approachable and unpretentious. They erupted in cheers, shouting, "We don't mind! We don't mind!"

Wen Chong rolled his eyes and said to Xiu Chen, "Sigh, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Who would have thought that such an approachable old man would deliberately do favors to gain their favor, while secretly plotting to blow them up? The world is cruel!"

Xiu Chen smiled and mocked him, "If I told you the truth, you would surely be misled by this old man. No, I can't even call him an old man; you would be misled by this young man and shout along with the students."

"What! Young man! You mean... this old man is an imposter?" Wen Chong finished speaking, rubbed his eyes, and looked carefully at the old man on the stage.

"Sure enough! Even though he was wearing a hat, I could still see the edge of the human skin mask on his profile from the changes in light! This time, you really can't tell a person's face or their heart. How did you figure it out, Xiu Chen? Now I'm starting to wonder if you have superhuman eyes that can tell a good person from a bad one at a glance."

After Wen Chong finished speaking, he leaned close to Xiu Chen's face and stared into his eyes to see if there was anything unusual.

"You've been looking for so long, have you noticed anything unusual?"

"Yes! It's just... you're a little prettier than me, hehe..." Wen Chong said with a cheeky grin.

Chapter 1262 The Truth Behind It

"Alright, Wen Chong, stop fooling around. Just imagine how good that guy's face will look when he finds out things aren't going his way," Li Xiuchen said with a sly smile.

Wen Chong nudged his arm with his elbow and said with a smile, "You're the smartest kid. I'll follow you from now on, so you'd better take me with you."

Li Xiuchen remained silent for a while, ignoring him. Should he take him along? Li Xiuchen really needed to think this over carefully. After all, they were still in a mutually beneficial relationship. What if Wen Chong was a spy sent by the Wen family to spy on him? He didn't want to keep a wolf in his lap.

Hearing the cheers from below, the old man on the stage felt a surge of pride. Just as he'd planned! Everything was going according to plan; he was just one step away from success!

The old man shouted, "Quiet down, everyone! Now let me make a fool of myself and show you the miraculous medicine I have recently developed."

He pointed to the flowerpots behind him and said confidently, "Please look at the hundreds of flowerpots behind me. They are all filled with seeds and have never been fertilized or watered."

Everyone held their breath in amazement at the miraculous medicine the old man was about to demonstrate, barely daring to utter a sound. Only Wen Chong… was laughing uncontrollably, constantly covering his mouth to stifle any noise. Those around him stared at him strangely, thinking he had suddenly suffered a stroke…

The old man then pulled a bottle containing a purple liquid from his clothes, turned to the audience, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, what I hold in my hand is called a growth agent. One drop will make weeds grow and seeds sprout, and three drops will make an entire forest lush and green!"

The disciples below exclaimed in surprise, "Growth agent! Is it really that amazing?! Have you ever heard of it?!" "I've never heard of it either!"

Only Wen Chong has been laughing since earlier: "Xiu Chen, did you hear what he just said? It sounded like he said, 'One drop can create a huge crater, three drops can blow up the academy,' hahaha..."

Li Xiuchen rolled his eyes at him, ignored him, and quietly looked towards the stage, waiting for a good show.

At this moment, the old man's hand began to tremble slightly. He was just one step away! If he could just drop one drop, everything he had planned over the past few years would be a success. He couldn't contain his excitement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now let us witness the moment of miracle!" After saying this, the old man's hand trembled, and the whole bottle fell to the ground.

"Bang!"

However… nothing happened. Only a flowerpot fell to the ground and shattered as if it were part of the scene. None of the students uttered a sound. They hadn’t recovered yet, and the old man was also in a daze.

Five seconds later, Wen Chong could no longer hold back his laughter and burst into a fit of raucous laughter. The people below gradually realized what was happening, some mocking, some laughing uproariously, their previous reverence for the old man instantly turning into sarcasm.

"Hey, what's going on, old man? You were talking so mysteriously, but after pouring in the whole bottle, there's been no reaction at all. Is the medicine too strong? Hahaha, that's hilarious! I thought it was something amazing."

"Hey old man, I know, you didn't come here today to perform medicine making, but to tell jokes, right? But it's actually quite funny, hahaha, don't you all agree!"

A chorus of voices erupted below: "Yes! That's definitely right! Let's give the old man some applause for his courage!"

How could this be! The old man stood frozen in shock, unable to process what had happened. He had thought all his plans would come to fruition today, so why hadn't the academy exploded?! Impossible! This can't be real!

But the jeers from below gradually pulled him back to reality. Faced with so many questions, he was at a loss. No! I can't be exposed! With that thought, he leaped into the air, took off his robe, and jumped out of the academy.

The students below assumed he was fleeing in embarrassment and didn't think much of it. Seeing this, Li Xiuchen gave Wen Chong a wink, and the two of them jumped out of the academy and chased after the old man in the direction he had fled.

The old man hadn't expected anyone to be chasing him. By the time he realized what was happening, Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong had already blocked him from the front and back.

"You two brats ruined my plans, didn't you!" At this moment, the old man had removed his mask and appeared as a young man.

"I don't deserve it, but the jokes you just performed on stage were really brilliant, they made my stomach hurt from laughing so much," Wen Chong said, still recovering from the laughter.

Enraged, the young man attacked Wen Chong. Although Wen Chong was injured and couldn't win, he still had Xiu Chen.

Xiu Chen didn't even try to block; he struck the young man squarely in the chest, causing him to cough up blood and collapse to the ground.

He hadn't expected this young man to be so skilled, killing him with a single blow and leaving him no chance to resist.

"How about that? Are you convinced now? We secretly removed your gunpowder before your performance. We were just playing along. So everything you did on stage was already under our control. You can't blow up the academy. Stop daydreaming." Li Xiuchen said with a hint of danger.

"Damn it! Everything I've planned and prepared for over the years has been for this day, but now you've ruined it all. It's all fate's cruel joke!" The young man laughed self-deprecatingly at the sky.

To prevent him from escaping and causing further complications, Li Xiuchen used the third move of the martial arts technique taught to him by the mountain man. He clasped his hands together, muttering incantations, and strings of golden scriptures transformed into a golden chain that automatically flew over and wrapped around the man. Even Wen Chong, standing beside him, was dumbfounded, unaware that Xiuchen possessed this skill.

"Now you can tell me who you really are, right? Why did Wenxiang send me to see you? Is it so that I can sabotage your plans and protect the academy?" Li Xiuchen asked.

"Since things have come to this point, and I have nothing left, I might as well tell you. I used to be a servant of the Wen family. After overhearing part of their plans, I harbored evil intentions, escaped from the Wen family, changed my name and appearance, and started my own alchemy. I originally planned to use the academy as a catalyst to test the medicine today, but I didn't expect that you two would ruin it."

Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong prevented the tragedy at Tianwu Academy, thwarting the man's plan. Meanwhile, Wen Long and Han Hu were about to arrive in Linghai City. The Wen family's assassins following behind them remained passive, simply following them without taking any action.

Although Wenlong was very puzzled, he knew he shouldn't alert them, so he didn't try to shake them off or deliberately discover them along the way.

That day, Wen Long and Han Hu arrived at the famous Butterfly Forest near Linghai City. The Butterfly Forest is famous for the many beautiful butterflies that grow there because of the extremely fragrant flowers in the forest. However, few people come here to admire the scenery. This is because the Butterfly Forest is also famous because it is home to one of the most beautiful yet most ferocious large butterflies in the world—the Monarch Butterfly. Those who are targeted by them will have a terrible time, because they are not only very strong but also relentless. Most people will avoid this place.

Wenlong and Hanhu were standing at the edge of the Butterfly Forest.

"Wenlong, are you sure we want to cross the Butterfly Forest? It's very dangerous here," Han Hu said cautiously.

“Yes, time is of the essence. We must reach Linghai City as soon as possible; this is the shortest route. Let’s be careful once we’re inside and try to avoid the Emperor Butterflies.” Wen Long, well aware of the dangers of the Butterfly Forest, spoke, his tone tinged with caution. “Han Hu, stay close to me.” Although Han Hu was resourceful, his low martial arts skills were a fatal flaw that couldn’t be changed.

After resting for fifteen minutes, Wenlong and Hanhu entered the Butterfly Forest.

After they entered the Butterfly Forest, some men in black appeared.

"Boss, should we continue following them?" one of the men in black asked.

"Let's go. We're following orders, no matter how dangerous it is." The leader frowned and said, then led the way towards the Butterfly Forest, with the rest of the group following behind.

After walking for about half an hour, Wen Long suddenly stopped, sensing something was amiss in their surroundings. Han Hu, though weak in martial arts, was very perceptive and also noticed something was wrong. They exchanged a glance and understood each other's intentions.

Wenlong and Hanhu slowed down, cautiously approaching a bush ahead. As they drew nearer, they discovered a monarch butterfly hiding behind it, having just laid its eggs. Unfortunately, they had startled the butterfly.

Wenlong immediately pulled Hanhu towards safety, but the Emperor Butterfly's power was undeniable, so it chased after them. However, they were also lucky, because the Emperor Butterfly had just given birth, and its strength was not at its peak.

Han Hu quickly analyzed the current situation in his mind and then came up with the best solution.

"Wenlong, we can't keep running like this. Once the Emperor Butterfly targets us, it's a fight to the death. We must defeat it," Han Hu immediately said to Wenlong.

"Let me go, I'll help you take it down." Han Hu knew he wasn't strong enough to fight the Emperor Butterfly, but if Wen Long fought with all his might, he might have a chance of winning. So he chose the riskier, but most effective, method.

Wen Long pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Han Hu, protect yourself." He then released Han Hu and turned to face the Emperor Butterfly.

Wen Long fought with all his might from the start, but the Emperor Butterfly was no pushover either. For a time, Wen Long and the Emperor Butterfly were evenly matched, neither able to gain the upper hand. Han Hu, who was standing to the side, was also somewhat worried. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and joined the battle.

With Han Hu's help, Wen Long felt a slight reduction in pressure. After a while, he even began to gain the upper hand. Just as Wen Long was about to kill the Emperor Butterfly, it seized a small opening in Wen Long's defenses and attacked Han Hu from behind. Wen Long had no time to stop it, so he flew over and blocked the attack with his body.

The injured Wenlong was gradually becoming unable to withstand the Emperor Butterfly's attacks. The Emperor Butterfly unleashed a powerful strike, which Wenlong was powerless to block. Just when he thought he was about to die, a man in black rushed out from behind and blocked the attack. Taking advantage of the Emperor Butterfly's weakened state, the man in black killed it.

"Your subordinate is late!" After confirming there was no danger, the man in black bowed to Wen Long, his tone lacking in respect. Wen Long said nothing and dismissed the man in black.

After treating their wounds briefly, Wenlong and Hanhu quickly left the Butterfly Forest and arrived at Linghai City.

After learning of Wen Long's arrival, the city lord of Linghai City sent Li Longcheng to accompany the young master of the Wen family.

When Li Longcheng met Wen Long and explained his purpose, Wen Long had some doubts but didn't express them. After learning that Wen Long was injured, Li Longcheng invited the best doctor in Linghai City to treat him and told him to rest well, not to rush him to investigate. In the following days, whenever Wen Long wanted to look for clues, Li Longcheng would say, "Young Master's injury has not yet healed, and it is not advisable to overexert yourself. Investigating the case is not urgent. Young Master, your recovery is the most important thing."

As Wen Long was repeatedly rejected, his doubts grew. Meanwhile, Han Hu was also puzzled by the intentions of the Lord of Linghai City and was unsure of where to go next.

One day, Wenlong, who was bored, asked Han Hu to take a stroll in Linghai City. As they walked, they discovered an unusual place. Just as they were about to investigate, Li Longcheng suddenly appeared and stopped them, telling them that the city lord of Linghai City requested an audience.

After they returned to their lodgings, the City Lord of Linghai City entered. He first inquired about Wen Long's injuries, then asked about the well-being of Wen family head Wen Mou, and chatted about trivial matters. Whenever Wen Long tried to get down to business, the City Lord of Linghai City would change the subject, and they chatted like this for the entire afternoon. The City Lord of Linghai City then left, saying before departing that he would host a banquet for Wen Long at the City Lord's Mansion in three days and that he absolutely had to attend.