The Great Wei Music Bureau

Last time, we talked about how both Buddhism and Taoism had their eyes on Western Chu, a land they had previously forbidden from setting foot on. This was precisely the opportunity for Li Yi's plan to conquer Chu in three months. So how will the story unfold next? Let's find out together.

After arranging the affairs of the Asura Hall, Zhang Hongchen returned to Li Yi's side. At this time, the talented Li Yi was leisurely sitting on the mountaintop, sipping tea and watching the battle between Xiang Xiong and Dugu Yan. Zhang Hongchen refilled his tea and stood behind him.

Li Yi casually asked, "If I were to ask you to stop those two now, would you be confident?"

"No. It seems Your Majesty's five senses have recovered quite well."

"My sense of smell is still not good. As for my hearing and vision, I've gotten used to them over the years. My sense of taste has recovered somewhat, and at least I can taste something in my mouth now. Sigh, I don't even remember how I got through that period."

"After refining the Western Chu's fortune, Your Majesty's five senses should all be restored, right?"

"Who can say for sure? Half of the fortune of Western Chu was stolen by the Gu God. Miao Jiang has never provided any fortune to Chu. It has only been a few years since the destruction of the Gu Cult. It probably doesn't have much left. Let's not have too high hopes."

The battle between Xiang Xiong and Dugu Yan spread to this side. The powerful energy base sliced ​​through the rocks where Li Yi was, just like cutting tofu. The latter curled his lips, casually stuck the wooden sword under his feet, and countless vines broke through the rocks on both sides and intertwined with each other, actually putting the two boulders back together.

Li Yi put down his teacup and asked, "Do you think they did that on purpose just now?"

“Dugu Yan would definitely not dare, but I can’t say for sure about Xiang Xiong.”

"Yes, the reason my second grandfather favors Xiang Ying is precisely because they have the most similar temperaments. It's good to be competitive, but it's not good to be ignorant of the times! Go and invite my second grandfather over."

Zhang Hongchen bowed and said yes, then transformed into Xiang Ying and joined the battle. Soon he had Xiang Xiong tied up and kept cursing Xiang Ying for being a traitor. But when he got to Li Yi's side, Zhang Hongchen reverted to his true form, and Xiang Xiong immediately lost his temper.

Li Yi said unhappily, "Look, I asked you to invite my second grandfather over, and you brought him here tied up!"

"Your Majesty, we fear we cannot persuade them to come without binding them."

Xiang Xiong glared at Li Yi and roared, "Li Yi, you're just taking advantage of the fact that Tianjiao of my Great Chu is dead! If Wei Le were still alive, how dare you invade!"

Li Yi shook his head helplessly and bowed to Dugu Yan, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, General Dugu. Now that the battle is over, you can return to the Northern Border."

"I will now return, but I hope Chief Li will not forget our agreement."

"Don't worry, old general. Once the matter in Western Chu is settled, I, Li, will definitely go to the northern border to find you."

Dugu Yan bowed and took his leave, then flew north.

Li Yi walked up to Xiang Xiong and untied the ropes binding him. The latter immediately threw a punch at Li Yi's face, but his fist was bound by an unseen force. No matter how he tried to mobilize his qi, he could neither throw the punch nor break free.

“I told my second grandfather that the second rank of martial arts, the Dao Integration, is to unite oneself with the world and the Great Dao. It seems that my second grandfather has not yet understood the meaning of this sentence. In order to unite with the Great Dao, one must first comprehend the Great Dao. It was not me who blocked this punch, but the Dao. When I unite with the Dao, the Dao will protect me. This is the difference in realm.”

"Nonsense! If it were as you say, how could we cross borders to kill enemies! When fighting against the demon race, didn't our Great Chu soldiers kill powerful demons at the Transcendent Realm with their mortal bodies?"

"That only applies to third-rank demons. If it's a second-rank demon, no matter how many mortals there are, they're all for nothing."

"Then how do you explain the three rank members joining forces to kill a second-rank member?"

"Is Second Grandfather referring to the battle where he defeated Xiang Tongtian?"

"There are two misunderstandings here. First, I was already at the second rank at that time, although it looked like I was at the third rank, but that was not the case. Second, it was not me who defeated Xiang Tongtian, but Guang Sheng Bodhisattva. It was the Bodhisattva who used my body to demonstrate how to overcome superiors from inferiors."

However, the hierarchy within Buddhism is somewhat chaotic. Some first-rank Bodhisattvas might not even be able to defeat third-rank Vajras, so his claim of overpowering an opponent doesn't count. Ultimately, it was just a first-rank Bodhisattva suppressing his cultivation to beat a second-rank elephant demon.

Xiang Xiong was suddenly stunned because Li Yi not only addressed him as "Second Grandfather" so affectionately and naturally, but also explained the battle between Wei Le and Xiang Tongtian so thoroughly that he had to re-evaluate the person in front of him.

"Second Grandfather, don't look at me like that. Actually, I am Wei Le."

"Nonsense! Wei Le doesn't look like you at all!"

Li Yi shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Alas, it's no use trying to reason with him. There's nothing I can do but trouble Second Grandfather for now." After saying that, he reached out and grasped the Panlong Brush, gathering his righteous energy to write the character "seal" on Xiang Xiong's arm, and then released the restraints on him.

Xiang Xiong discovered that he was unable to mobilize his Qi foundation. He looked at Li Yi with a look of horror and asked, "What did you do to me?"

"It's just that my second grandfather's energy channels have been sealed with magic. Once this matter is settled, we will unseal them for you."

Xiang Xiong glanced at Zhang Hongchen, who immediately tensed up: "You old fool, do you still dare to act recklessly now that your cultivation has been sealed? If I accidentally hurt you, the Lord will blame me!"

Li Yi laughed, "It's alright, he can't cause any trouble..."

However, Xiang Xiong suddenly drew the short knife from Zhang Hongchen's waist and then cut off his own arm with one stroke, blood gushing out! He thought that severing his arm would break the seal, but that was not the case.

Li Yi never expected Xiang Xiong to cause such a scene. He immediately used the Medicine Master's Technique to heal Xiang Xiong's injuries, but the other party would rather commit suicide than cooperate. Helpless, he could only stop the bleeding first and then talk about taking over.

Just as things were getting awkward, Li Yi suddenly spoke up: "Second Grandfather, how about we make a bet? We'll play a game of chess. If you win, I'll withdraw my pieces. If I win, you'll stay here with me for seven days. After seven days, we'll play another game and decide what to do next. How about that?"

"Can you play chess?"

"Oh, Second Grandpa, come on over!"

Li Yi reached into the burlap sack and pulled out his golden nanmu chessboard and pieces. Xiang Xiong couldn't help but marvel at how exquisite it was compared to the one Wei Le had given him. Now that he knew he was no match for Li Yi, and given the conditions Li Yi had offered, Xiang Xiong had no reason to refuse.

"Hey, are you going to keep your word?"

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, so please rest assured, Second Grandfather!"

"You say you're withdrawing, and the Wei army will obey you?"

"General Xiang, my lord is the head of the Great Wei's Xuanjing Division, independent of the Six Ministries. It is no exaggeration to say that he is second only to the emperor. His Majesty has granted my lord special permission to enter the palace without prior notice. Such honor is not to be taken lightly."

"All's fair in war, and a general's ability to seize opportunities is paramount. Who can guarantee that this kid won't use tricks? Even Zhu Xi of the Southern Liang Dynasty was fooled by him; wasn't he using the same tactic?"

"General, you're overthinking it! But look, although you say you're being cautious, your actions speak louder than words. Even with just one hand, you've already set up the pieces!"

Xiang Xiong glanced down and realized that he had just placed the old general and was ready to play a game. He scratched his head awkwardly.

Li Yi laughed and said, "Second Grandfather, don't worry about it. As usual, I'll give you a chariot and a cannon first."

The scene before him was incredibly familiar to Xiang Xiong, instantly transporting him back to when he first learned chess and played against Wei Le. But he still couldn't believe that the Li Yi before him was Wei Le, stubbornly insisting, "Who asked you to give me a handicap! Just play normally, so you don't use this as an excuse to refuse to back down later when you lose!"

Li Yi laughed and said, "Alright, alright, then Second Grandfather, you mustn't flip the table later!"

"Nonsense! If I'm not as skilled, I'm willing to accept defeat. When have I ever overturned the table!"

"Alright, Second Grandfather, there are no outsiders here, everyone knows who we are! Back then, Xiang Ying pestered me to teach her a few moves. After she learned them, she challenged you to a game and won seven games in a row. You not only overturned the table, but you also crushed your rooks, knights, and cannons. You even said you would never play chess again. If it weren't for that, why would I have given you that golden nanmu chessboard and pieces?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Xiong was stunned again. He couldn't understand how Li Yi knew such a private matter. Even so, he still couldn't believe that Li Yi was Wei Le, so his stubbornness was truly undeniable. Xiang Xiong took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then began to place his pieces.

Li Yi laughed, "A cannon shot right from the start? That's it, Second Grandpa's going to wipe you out completely this round!"

"You've got quite the big mouth, kid!" Xiang Xiong had barely finished speaking when he was pulled back into the memory of playing chess with Wei Le. For a moment, he couldn't tell if this was reality or a dream, and could only play the game in a daze.

Just as Li Yi predicted, Xiang Xiong was utterly defeated. Looking at his lone old general, Xiang Xiong was furious. He was about to overturn the table when he saw that Li Yi had already prepared and held down the chessboard. Helpless, he had no choice but to abandon his piece and admit defeat.

"Second Grandfather, we made a promise beforehand, and we can't go back on our word! Here, let me help you reattach your hand."

"No need. I'm afraid that if my arm is reattached, I'll have more distracting thoughts. Let me calm down for these seven days and see what kind of person you are."

"Okay, then I'll play a few more games of chess with Second Grandpa."

"No need! I have to give up this game."

"That won't do. We'll have to play another game in seven days."

"No need. The gap in our chess skills cannot be bridged in seven days, and the outcome will not change even if we play again."

"Alright then, let's do as Second Grandfather says."

Thus, Xiang Xiong became Li Yi's prisoner, who put Xiang Xiong's severed arm into a burlap sack, intending to reattach it later.

Speaking of chess, Xiang Xiong really couldn't control himself. The next day, he took the initiative to challenge Li Yi to another game, and naturally, he lost again.

However, a change quietly occurred on the chessboard. Xiang Xiong actually used the game to open his acupoints and enter the Confucian path. Although his cultivation was unlikely to improve, entering the Confucian path gave Li Yi an opportunity. The latter took the opportunity to help Xiang Xiong break the illusionary memory curse. Although it took a lot of effort, they were finally able to recognize each other.

However, Li Yi couldn't do anything about Xiang Xiong's stubbornness. Even after recognizing him, Xiang Xiong insisted that Li Yi remove the seal and reattach his arm, otherwise they would fight. Helpless, Li Yi had no choice but to take the armless Xiang Xiong with him.

However, in order to help Xiang Xiong see his destiny clearly, Li Yi took him to the front line to watch the battle, but the attack on Jianmen Pass on the northern front was still not going well.

Looking at the battle situation, Xiang Xiong said smugly, "Look, we've held our ground and are determined to win. Even if you have a strong army, you won't be able to get through!"

Li Yi laughed and said, "Second Grandfather, have you ever heard of the immortal pointing the way?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything is preordained by Heaven! In the past, Western Chu exclusively practiced witchcraft and sorcery, and neither Buddhism nor Taoism was allowed to spread their teachings. Now that Buddhism is crossing eastward and wants to open this door, Taoism will not sit idly by. So this change is coming soon."

"What variables? Could it be that those otherworldly beings would interfere in worldly affairs?"

"Of course not, but Heaven cherishes life, and even a reclusive cultivator would not stand idly by and watch lives be lost."

"What do you mean?"

Li Yi pointed into the distance and laughed, "Second Grandfather, look, a change is coming!"

An old Taoist priest was riding a donkey, singing a folk song as he walked along a mountain road, when Wei soldiers came forward and stopped him.

"Master, where are you going? There's fighting ahead, you'd better not go any further."

"Oh, why did they suddenly start fighting?"

"Master, you have lived in the mountains for a long time and are unaware of what is happening down below. Our Great Wei is determined to unify the nine provinces. Right now, only Western Chu is still in a corner of the country. We originally wanted to persuade the King of Chu to surrender, but during the negotiations, the hostages of Western Chu defected back to their country, so we can no longer negotiate."

"Oh, I see. But if this humble Taoist wishes to travel to Sichuan to spread his teachings, there is no other way but this route!"