The Villain's Counterattack

It has to be said that Duan Tiande had a really bad life. After being interrogated by Guo Jing, he was taken to the back hall and asked Zhu Cong to write the spirit tablet for his father: the spirit tablet of the righteous man Guo Xiaotian.

Duan Tiande was so frightened when he saw Guo Xiaotian's name that he almost lost his soul. Under Guo Jing's threat, he confessed everything, "Your grandfather, the Righteous Guo, unfortunately passed away. Although I had something to do with it, I was sent by orders from above and had no choice."

"It was Prime Minister Han Tuozhou who ordered me to do this. It was because Taoist Master Qiu of the Quanzhen Sect had killed Lord Wang Daoqian. The imperial court and the Jin Kingdom had joined forces to hunt down Taoist Master Qiu. However, thanks to the help of the old men Guo Yishi and Yang Yishi, their efforts failed, and a Jin noble was injured instead. The Jin noble, however, refused to persecute him because Madam Yang had saved his life. This was discovered by the Third Prince of the Jin Kingdom, Prince Rong, Wanyan Hongxi, who notified Prime Minister Han and ordered his men to apprehend them, but demanded that Madam Yang not be harmed."

"Old Master Guo and Righteous Man Yang rose up in resistance, but we killed them. Madam Yang was rescued by Sixth Prince Wanyan Honglie on her way to be delivered to the Third Prince. I later learned that the Sixth Prince was quite grateful to Madam Yang and also had feelings for her. Somehow, this got to Third Prince Wanyan Hongxi, who used it to end the Sixth Prince's hopes of inheriting the Jin throne. How could a man who married a Han Chinese woman become the emperor of the Jin Dynasty?"

"Sixth Prince Wanyan Honglie, upon learning the news, secretly left the country, not only delaying important matters of state, but later even planning to marry a Han Chinese woman as his princess. His reputation among the Jin Empire's high-ranking officials plummeted. Although he was still valued by the Jin Emperor for his talents, his chances of inheriting the throne were essentially cut off."

Yang Kang's soul-transferring technique was quite impressive. It took only two or three attempts to completely transform the story in Duan Tiande's head. The highest level of lying is nine truths and one lie, and that lie is the most deadly. Duan Tiande also revealed how he had sowed discord, sparking a fight between the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan and Qiu Chuji, how he had fled and been assassinated multiple times by Li Ping, and how he had escaped in the chaos outside the Great Wall.

Duan Tiande recounted the entire story in full. The first half made perfect sense, while the second half was based on the personal experiences of the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan and Li Ping. A few minor additions from the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan were enough to prove his credibility. Duan Tiande pleaded bitterly, but was ultimately killed by Guo Jing as a commemoration for his father's spirit.

Lu Chengfeng was a meticulous person. After carefully considering the situation, he suddenly asked, "Is the young prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Kang, a descendant of Yang Tiexin? Does he know his own life story?"

Guo Jing's gaze flicked to his teachers. Zhu Cong nodded and said, "Master Qiu confessed his origins long ago. Ever since Yang Kang learned he was Han, he's been actively preparing. According to Master Qiu, Jiaodong is now a Han Chinese land. Over 99% of the million-strong military and civilian population are Han, and those in high positions are also Han. He's also continuously expanding his navy overseas to expand territory and include Han people."

Lu Chengfeng and his son looked at each other in surprise. They had not expected that there would be such a strange person. They did not pay attention to the little prince or anything like that, but who among them who made a living by water did not know the title of King of Jiaodong?

They plundered Goryeo twice and made crystal salt and snow salt. Even if the imperial palace in Lin'an wanted to eat salt, it could only buy it from Jiaodong at a high price, which was almost the same as the price of gold, not to mention good things like giant clams, corals, pearls and big fish skeletons.

People like this, who are in the Jin Kingdom but whose hearts are with the Han Kingdom, can actually cooperate. The key is that there is money to be made by cooperating with Jiaodong. They work hard to rob and loot on Taihu Lake, and not only do they have a bad reputation, but there are also many dangers. But if they simply trade and cooperate with Jiaodong to sell Jiaodong's specialties, it is definitely a sure profit, and the most important thing is that they have a good reputation.

Putting aside other things, their crystal salt is cheap and in large supply. By selling at a low profit and high volume, they can earn the favor of many lower-class people. Even these water bandits need to eat salt, don't they?

"Jiaodong is too far from Taihu Lake, otherwise it wouldn't be impossible for the King of Jiaodong to seek refuge." Seeing the surprised looks of the crowd, Lu Chengfeng smiled and explained, "The King of Jiaodong endured humiliation for the Han people, so why not seek refuge with him? Moreover, seeking refuge with the King of Jiaodong doesn't mean seeking refuge with the Jin court, but only with Jiaodong. If Jiaodong is taken back by the Jin, we can help the King of Jiaodong rebel and establish his own kingdom. After all, he is of Han descent, isn't he?"

Zhu Cong gave a thumbs-up and said, "Master Lu is quite clear-sighted. However, it would be too conspicuous to defect to Jiaodong while refusing to obey the Jin's orders. It would be better to just call it trade but actually cooperate. The King of Jiaodong roams the Bohai and Yellow Seas and seems to be interested in the East China Sea. Master Lu might as well occupy an island in the East China Sea closest to Taihu Lake to serve as a liaison office. Then, use the Song Dynasty's supplies to develop Jiaodong, and at the same time ship Jiaodong's goods back to the Song Dynasty. Wouldn't that be a win-win for both sides?"

"I see that the King of Jiaodong acts uprightly and is good at using force and power to suppress others. Under his majestic power, all obstacles are reduced to ashes, and he will send troops to invade at the slightest disobedience. However, this is only directed to the outside world. He practices benevolence internally. Although there are some prohibitions, the people are the ones who benefit in the end. He is a king on the outside and a saint on the inside, or it is more appropriate to call him domineering on the outside and kingly on the inside." Zhu Cong had carefully inquired about the situation in Jiaodong, and had a clearer understanding through Qiu Chuji. He also had a better impression of Yang Kang, especially after exchanging martial arts with him.

Guo Jing was preparing to go north to assassinate the third prince Wanyan Hongxi, but Yang Kang was drinking and discussing martial arts with Huang Yaoshi. Huang Yaoshi was called the East Evil, and his knowledge was quite complicated. Yang Kang had the memory of three lives and had a photographic memory. He also had inherited the Peach Blossom Island and read most of his books. The two of them chatted and got along very well.

"I am leaving. Before the barbarians destroy the Chinese civilization, I will transport as many books and talents as possible. If I die on the battlefield in the future, I hope you can help take care of my children." Yang Kang stood up, sang a song and walked away. Just listening to his song, Huang Yaoshi felt inexplicably sad.

"A man should be violent. Affairs and benevolence cannot coexist. A man should kill people, and kill them without mercy. His immortal deeds for thousands of years are all in killing... Don't you see, young scholars rose up and brave men died, and China has been boasting of benevolence and righteousness since then. Once the barbarians invaded the Central Plains, the scholars fled in panic and the cowardly people wept." Yang Kang's voice seemed to still echo in his ears. He didn't understand why the prince of the most powerful Jin Kingdom, who was also in charge of real power in an area, would write so much about the tragic and heroic sacrifice between the lines.

When martial arts have reached a certain level, one can be called a master. The master's mind and courage are different. They may be weird but they will not deceive people easily, especially on matters of principle. This kid acted quite magnanimously, but there was a hint of sadness on his face that could not be wiped away no matter what. He did not look like a young man at all, but like an antique who had seen through the world.

This man has read thousands of books. Although he has a bit of scholarly spirit, he is also one of the few people who can talk to me. The most amazing thing is that this guy's martial arts skills are high enough. He fought with me for three hundred rounds without a clear winner. The reason why he stopped was that he said so himself. The last time he fought with Hong Qigong, he only fought for three hundred rounds. There is no need to treat him equally.

"Quanzhen Sect, the original draft version of the Nine Yin Scriptures, the Wanshou Daozang, an interesting boy." Huang Yaoshi drank the wine in the cup and disappeared in a flash. His precious daughter fell in love with a fool, but she liked him so much, what could a father do?

Humph, it is not so easy to marry the daughter of Huang Yaoshi. I did not defeat Yang Kang, so the "Nine Yin Scriptures" was not passed on to him. Instead, I left a message that if he was interested, he could go to Jiaodong and read the "Wanshou Daozang". You should know that this is the original copy of the Nine Yin Scriptures. However, different people have different opinions. Whether you can comprehend martial arts from it depends on the individual.

Huang Yaoshi had read the second volume of the Nine Yin Scriptures. Although he had not practiced it, he had a general impression of it. He had been living in seclusion on Peach Blossom Island for more than ten years and had been unable to deduce the internal skills of the first volume. It was not because he was not smart enough, but because he had too little information. If he had the help of the Wanshou Daozang, he might have been much better off.