The Villain's Counterattack

Yue Shan, nicknamed Ba Dao, is a veteran master of the evil ways. He was the best swordsman in the world before Song Que. He once defeated Xi Ying, the fourth-ranked Tianjun among the eight masters of the Demon Sect, and was later defeated by Song Que, the Tiandao who was showing his potential in his youth.

Seriously injured, Yue Shan went to a small cottage in a secluded forest in Shu to seek medical treatment from Bi Xiuxin. From then on, he lived in seclusion here with Bi Xiuxin, practicing the "Sun-Changing Method" learned from a strange man in India in order to heal his injuries and avenge his previous shame.

However, Yue Shan was not the young and strong Ba Fenghan, and Bi Xiuxin was not Xu Ziling or Kou Zhong who had practiced the "Eternal Life Secret". Yue Shan, who was unable to practice the "Sun-Changing Art", was not able to transform himself and make great progress in his skills, so naturally he had no ability to seek revenge, until he passed away not long after.

After a quick calculation, it was found that there were still about ten years before the events in the play began, and Yue Shan should have died soon. Yang Xuyan simply packed up, bid farewell to An Long, and left.

Looking at Yang Xuyan's receding figure, An Long couldn't help but shake his head gently, sighing softly: "Yang boy, Yang boy, you still don't give up after all, and still want to work hard on Xiao Qingxuan, but you don't know that you are seeking your own death. In Brother Shi's heart, you are not as good as Xiao Qingxuan. If you fail, it's fine, but if you really hurt Xiao Qingxuan by accident, Brother Shi..."

As if thinking of Shi Zhixuan's furious expression, An Long couldn't help but shudder. Then he shook his head fiercely and whispered to himself, "Youngster Yang has inherited the Way of the Heaven-Repairing Dao, and has also been taught the Tianyi Heart Method and the Huanmo Body Method by Big Brother Shi. He's obviously been trained as a direct disciple. But he's not comparable to Youngster Hou who only has the Huajianyou Skill. Big Brother Shi will definitely not..."

Really not?

An Long asked himself, feeling somewhat uneasy. Thinking carefully, if Yang boy was killed by Brother Shi, it would seem that he would be at a great loss. But could he really directly intervene in their affairs?

"Forget it. They are both a worry to me. I just need to do my best. Let them handle their own affairs." As soon as An Long finished speaking, he suddenly felt a chill on his back and turned around abruptly. He saw a middle-aged man in white clothes with a white jade face and elegant demeanor standing silently three feet behind him.

This person has extraordinary appearance and outstanding temperament. The familiar rebelliousness and loneliness between his brows turned into a hint of confusion and indomitable spirit.

"Brother Shi..." An Long opened his mouth but found that he could not say anything. The person who came was Shi Zhixuan. He looked at the younger brother who always stood behind him and sighed in his heart. This was the leader of the Tianlian Sect of the Holy Gate, the fat Jia Anlong who was ranked fifth among the eight masters of the Holy Gate and was high and mighty in the eyes of others.

You said that among the eight masters of the Demon Sect, Shi Zhixuan is only ranked second, and the first is Zhu Yuyan from the Yingui Sect?

Haha, Anlong will not admit it, and Shi Zhixuan will not admit it either. The reason why Zhu Yuyan ranks first is not because her martial arts are better than Shi Zhixuan, but because the power of the Yingui Sect is several times or even dozens of times stronger than that of the Butian Dao and Huajian Sect combined. In the entire Holy Sect, Shi Zhixuan is not inferior to anyone, contemporary!

"I want to go north to Chang'an and use Yang Guang's hand to conquer the four directions and rule the world." As Shi Zhixuan opened his mouth, An Long couldn't help but tremble all over. As one of the six sects of the two factions of the Holy Gate, how could he not know what this meant.

The battle between good and evil?

No, the dispute between the Shengmen and the Cihang Jingzhai Taoist sect was a real dispute of ideologies, and supporting the dragon to rule the world was the most powerful means of competition. The Buddhist sect helped Yang Jian to rule the world, thereby suppressing the Taoist sect and the Shengmen. Later, the Shengmen supported Yang Guang to successfully defeat Yang Yong who was supported by the Buddhist sect, thus gaining the upper hand for a while.

This was only a temporary advantage. Yang Guang came to power not as a founder but as an inheritor. His achievements were not as great as those of Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian. Therefore, Yang Guang did not have the ability and courage to have the final say at this time. It was also because of this that the Holy Sect did not truly surpass the Buddhist and Taoist sects.

"Brother Shi will surely be invincible on this trip. I wish you victory in every battle and leave your name in history!" An Long bowed deeply. He was willing to do this because of Brother Shi's courage and ambition.

Shi Zhixuan looked at him deeply. An Long raised his head and whispered, "Brother Shi, Yang kid..."

Shi Zhixuan gently waved his hand to interrupt him, saying, "When the little eagle grows up, it will have to fly on its own. You can't grow a towering tree in a greenhouse, and you can't get the fragrant plum blossoms without enduring the bitter cold. It's good for him to touch the rocks. After I'm gone, you don't need to take overly care of the two boys. Just don't let the big guys bully the small ones. The rest depends on their own luck."

An Long nodded timidly, but he couldn't help but hesitate when he thought about what he had promised Yang Xuyan yesterday. Shi Zhixuan saw that he seemed a little curious and couldn't help but ask. After hearing An Long's words, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "After all, Xuyan entered our Saint Sect after he could remember things. Yang Yong and his son treated him very well. It's human nature to not want to see his brother die. He was right not to save Changning Prince Yang Yan, in all aspects."

Shi Zhixuan paused for a moment before continuing, "An eleven-year-old child can calculate to this extent. If he doesn't have a wise counselor around him, it means he's quite scheming and a talent that can be cultivated. You and Yinglong (Cao Yinglong) can work together on this matter, as long as you don't anger Yang Guang. Yang Yong is gone, and the eldest son, Prince Changning Yang Yan, still poses a threat. The other sons are not a concern. Be careful not to reveal your true intentions. Even if Yang Guang finds out, he can just take advantage of the situation and let them die with a clear conscience."

An Long nodded repeatedly, his heart stirring. Is this how those in power operate? Isn't it the status that matters, not the person? The titles of Deposed Crown Prince and Deposed Crown Prince's Eldest Son—these titles are indeed quite useful. If the Deposed Crown Prince's sons were taken by someone with ulterior motives, they could borrow some of their status, but it's only their status they're borrowing. If they're still around, but their status is gone, then their value plummets, and all they have left is themselves.

Would Yang Guang, the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty, really be afraid of these young masters?

The answer is no. Not to mention that Yang Guang himself is a master-level expert. He has fought in many battles in the south and the north and destroyed the Southern Chen Dynasty. His political wisdom and vision are unmatched. He pretended to be the emperor for ten years and eventually surpassed his brother Yang Yong. How could such a person be afraid of the sons of his defeated generals?

Shi Zhixuan knew Yang Guang very well. He was responsible for Yang Guang's rise to power. He had never abandoned the identity of Pei Ju. Shi Zhixuan and Yang Guang had always had a good relationship. It could even be said that he had never concealed his identity. The two were not simply a monarch and his subject, but also very good friends.

Yang Guang and Pei Ju!

In the eighth year of the Kaihuang reign, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty appointed Prince of Jin, Yang Guang, as Marshal to lead the army southward to attack the State of Chen. Pei Ju was appointed as the Recorder of the Marshal's Office. After the Sui army captured Danyang, Yang Guang ordered Pei Ju and Gao Jiong to collect maps and household registers of the State of Chen.

At that time, their relationship was already quite close, or perhaps it was from that time that the Holy Sect began to plan for the struggle for the throne. The defeat of the State of Chen was no accident. Although the State of Chen had the support of Zhang Lihua, the enchanting concubine of the Yingui Sect, she did not represent the entire Holy Sect. Even Zhu Yuyan, another representative of the Yingui Sect, had been constantly pestering Zhang Lihua.

The Buddhist sect supported Yang Jian, while the Holy Sect secretly backed Yang Guang. Together, they attacked Zhang Lihua. Even with her peak Grandmaster strength and the majority of the Yin Gui Sect's power, she ultimately perished. It was during this time that Shi Zhixuan officially became the Evil King and established a close bond with Zhu Yuyan, forging an inexplicable, ill-fated relationship.

After bidding farewell to two acquaintances one day, An Long felt a little empty in his heart. If Yang Xuyan was just a toy for him to pass the time, then Shi Zhixuan was the pillar of his mind. An Long was reluctant to see him leave, but deep down he supported him.

I am a businessman. I have plenty of money and a wide network of contacts, but I am not a mainstream person after all. My influence is just superficial. I can't help Brother Shi in any way. I am even a little bit not presentable. But Brother Shi is different. His talent and ability are enough to make him famous in history!

What I have to do now is to stay at home honestly and wait for Brother Shi to call me. Apart from other things, I still have enough money. Is there any better business in the world than investing in Brother Shi?

Anlong asked himself: No!

Yang Xuyan: Uncle Long, you can’t always focus on the past. Take a closer look. I am the best investment target. Investing at this time will definitely make a lot of money. I will make more money than Lu Buwei.