Imperial henchmen? Never been struck by the sword of the Six Doors (a secret police agency).

Nightmare Demon Palace

"During the winter visit, the number of elders from both the Taoist and Buddhist sects that we control is decreasing with each passing year."

"It's a good thing that we don't need to use our resources now that they're fighting so fiercely."

"But... what good would it do us if we instigated an internal war between Taoism and Buddhism?"

"We should not surrender to the Demon Emperor; let's lie low for now."

"It's not too late to make plans after the Great Qian Dynasty has passed its peak."

Xiao Shuo looked at his nephew and carefully considered his words before speaking.

"Second Uncle, you're right."

Xiao Fangdong leaned back in his chair and nodded.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shuo felt slightly relieved.

"The reason for pushing the Daoist and Buddhist forces to go to war is precisely for the sake of the Nightmare Demon Palace's stability."

“Once they start fighting, the dynasty’s attention will no longer be on us.”

"What we need to do now is to control the intensity of the clashes between the two sides."

"We can't let them settle down, but by the same token... we can't let them really get into a fight either."

"Even if they want to really fight, they have to wait until the imperial dynasty conquers the Western Regions."

"At that time, the last foreign tribes will perish, and the ley lines will reach a new peak."

"The appearance of Maitreya may lead to the appearance of the Jade Emperor as well."

"The arrival of the Taoist and Buddhist era will completely ignite the world."

"At that time, who would pay attention to us?"

Xiao Fangdong looked at Xiao Shuo and smiled calmly.

"A good idea, but what if the Taoist and Buddhist sects join forces to crush us during the winter?"

Xiao Shuo breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and then asked.

According to Xiao Fangdong's plan, the spies planted in the Taoist and Buddhist sects would definitely be activated.

What if the Taoist and Buddhist sects really get desperate and join forces to wipe them out?

"That's easy. I plan to join forces with the imperial dynasty."

Xiao Fangdong smiled faintly.

"To join forces with the dynasty?"

Xiao Shuo was stunned.

"Now, the only foreign land that belongs to the enemy is the Western Regions, that's right."

"But... there are still two major foreign kingdoms."

Xiao Fangdong looked at Xiao Shuo and smiled.

"And...two more foreign kingdoms?"

Xiao Shuo was taken aback.

"Yes, Silla and Baekje still exist."

"Their royal family lived very comfortably by obtaining trade opportunities through tribute to the dynasty."

"But once the Western Regions are destroyed, these two major powers will become a bit of an eyesore."

"But...given the emperor's personality, he wouldn't do something like deliberately killing these two obedient dogs."

"So, our opportunity has come."

"We can first control the Silla royal family, and once the Six Doors know that we are involved, they will take the initiative to send troops to the dynasty."

"After the dynasty sends troops, we will surrender voluntarily, allowing the dynasty to take Silla without bloodshed."

"In this way, the imperial court can perceive our intention to cooperate."

"If the dynasty relaxes its strangulation against us later, then we can use Baekje's strategy to offer it to the dynasty."

"After that, the Nightmare Demon Palace lay dormant, waiting for the era of the Emperor and Prince An to pass."

“If the dynasty does not loosen its grip, then we will infiltrate Baekje, establish a base there, and influence the royal family to be loyal to the dynasty in order to ensure its continuation.”

Xiao Fangdong tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers and said with a smile.

"wonderful."

"But Fang Dong, how can you be sure that the dynasty won't turn on us directly after conquering Silla and Baekje?"

Xiao Shuo nodded, agreeing with Xiao Fangdong's idea, and then asked.

"Because the emperor and Prince An are righteous people."

Xiao Fangdong propped his face up with one hand and smiled helplessly.

"Or rather... they won't discard them after they've served their purpose."

"Not because of fairness or personal conscience."

"It's not that they disdain to do it."

"The only difficult step in cooperating with this kind of person is..."

"That is, how to cooperate with them."

"The road ahead is very simple."

Xiao Fangdong looked at Xiao Shuo and patiently explained.

"so..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shuo thought about it and realized it was true.

If someone were more ruthless, they could have chosen to conceal the fact that He Chang was from Sword King City while in Lingnan, and killed him as a credit.

But Prince An did not keep the news a secret; He Chang is still alive and well.

"Where is He Ning, Fang Dong?"

Xiao Shuo suddenly looked up as if he had just thought of something.

"The only thing we can do is hand over the elders and disciples who were involved in the incident."

Xiao Fangdong spoke calmly, with the decisiveness befitting a leader of the Demonic Cult.

......

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a leader of a "demonic cult" is about to appear.

In front of the statue of the White Lotus Mother at the Royal Palace

The emperor looked at the statue in front of him and washed his hands in a golden basin brought by a servant.

After washing his hands, he accepted the incense offered by Yun Wujing.

Soon, the sacrificial ceremony began.

The emperor began to burn incense.

The musicians began to play music, and the dancers began to dance.

The emperor came to the statue and stuck the incense stick into the incense burner.

The moment the incense stick was inserted into the incense burner, the white clouds in the sky surged.

The white clouds transformed into a magnificent lotus flower.

Auspicious symbols swirled around the lotus, and auspicious light shone brightly.

Buddhist symbols reappeared and swirled around the lotus.

And on the lotus petals, Dao patterns spread out.

At the center of the lotus throne, literary energy continuously rises.

Between heaven and earth, the sound of Buddhist chants arose, followed by the chanting of sutras.

Upon closer listening, it was discovered that the chanting was actually from the Book of Songs.

This scene took even the emperor by surprise for a moment.

The other ministers picked at their ears.

The solemn and dignified chanting of Buddhist scriptures was quite eerie.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle breeze blew by.

The people in the imperial city felt like they had become several years younger.

This was not an illusion, but rather the gentle breeze carrying the vibrant life force of spring, which seemed to have extended the lifespan of the people slightly.

The ministers' faces were contorted in disgust.

Their lifespans have increased again.

"No, we have to look for a way to increase cultivation by consuming lifespan."

Fang Xuanlin thought to himself.

In this way, they could die faster and also have a chance to gang up on the emperor.

Of course, it's just thought.

It wasn't that the ministers were afraid of death.

Rather, they were afraid that after going to the underworld, they would be brought back by the Immortal Master Wujing or the Prince An.

As Fang Xuanlin gazed at the sky in contemplation, he suddenly saw a graceful figure coalescing on a white lotus.

The figure was dressed in a magnificent white and gold gown.

She wore a veil and had a figure as voluptuous as the White Lotus Mother.

However, beneath the flowing, luxurious robes, one could only perceive an air of dignity.

But... as the earth's veins fully reflected it, this dignity vanished.

Instead, it exudes an ethereal and otherworldly aura.

No one could be more reclusive and detached from the world than this.

The white lotus fully bloomed, and the first Holy Mother slowly opened her eyes.

The First Virgin Mary's black eyes were pure, with golden lotuses occasionally flashing in their depths.

This added a touch of nobility to it, making it look even more like an immortal.

The Holy Mother looked at the crowd below, then at the direction of Prince An's mansion, and tilted her head.

She could sense that she had a successor in the Prince An's mansion.

"You... went further than me."

The First Holy Mother withdrew her gaze and looked at Yun Wujing below.

“You...can go even further.”

Yun Wujing looked at the First Holy Mother and spoke slowly as well.

The other party has a strong sense of artistic conception and temperament.

He was a top-tier Martial Venerable from the moment he was born, and now that a Supreme Venerable exists, he can go even further.

What's even more remarkable is that the other party possesses an aura of immortality.

This is also why Yun Wujing admires the First Holy Mother.