Zhuge Liang's Journey to Dominate the World: Starting from Another World

The strange thing is that Kongming did not leave a good impression on her; he used all sorts of tricks, such as drugging, cheating, and deception.

"Master Zhuge is not that kind of person. There must be some misunderstanding here!" Li Muling said helplessly in defense of Kongming, seeing that there were witnesses and evidence to prove it.

"Ling'er, this guy is no good, why can't you listen to him?" Qu Hongling pulled Li Muling over and said earnestly.

As dusk fell, Zhao Yun returned to the courtyard.

"Zilong, how did you do with the task I assigned you?"

"Prime Minister, rest assured, I have trained a group of loyal assassins to act as eyes and ears in recent days. They have been dispersed to various places, ready to either ignite news or gather information, just waiting for your order."

"Hmm!" Kongming nodded, then said, "Tomorrow, go and find a quiet and secluded place. I plan to go and stay there for a while."

"Why does the Prime Minister suddenly need to go out? Could it be...?"

Along the way, Zhao Yun heard some rumors, but how could he believe them? Given Kongming's status, why would he need to do such a thing?

"Zilong, you misunderstand. I am showing signs of a breakthrough, but there are too many people around here!" Kongming explained.

"Oh!" A look of joy flashed across Zhao Yun's face, and he immediately said, "Zilong understands!"

Kongming nodded. If he had to say who he trusted most in the world, it would undoubtedly be Zhao Yun.

……

Chang'an City, the Prime Minister's Residence.

Du Ruhui's face was gloomy. He slammed his hand on the tea table, and the scalding tea splashed onto his hand, but he seemed to feel nothing at all.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings allowed Li Guangling to take Yuliang County without firing a single shot!"

"Prime Minister, according to our informants, Li Guangling's ability to form a marriage alliance with Qu Qianchou and even gain access to the Jade Cauldron Sect is entirely due to a cultivator under his command!" a staff member below said.

"Cultivators?" Du Ruhui frowned, a hint of doubt and wariness flashing in his eyes. "There are even cultivation sects involved?"

"This man is named Zhuge Kongming. His cultivation level is not very high; he is a half-baked cultivator. However, his strategies are indeed extraordinary. Li Guangling was able to break out of the predicament entirely thanks to this man's planning."

"Zhuge Kongming?" Du Ruhui repeated the name in a low voice, having absolutely no recollection of this person.

"Have you sent anyone to investigate this Zhuge Kongming? I need to know everything about him!" Du Ruhui said in a deep voice.

"This person is a disciple of the Qinglan Sect. He is only in his early twenties and is the son-in-law of the Qinglan Sect Master. However, there has never been any news of such a person before."

"Qinglan Sect? Hmph, a small sect that doesn't know its own limitations, actually dares to interfere in the royal family's struggle and try to stir up trouble?" Du Ruhui's lips curled into a sneer, and his eyes flashed with a gloomy light.

As the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, he held great power and abundant resources, but he rarely dealt with behemoths like the three major sects on a daily basis.

However, he had gathered a large number of powerful cultivators around him, as well as some smaller cultivation forces at his disposal. He didn't even consider small sects like the Qinglan Sect, which were only fit to make a living in a single prefecture, a threat to him.

Only a cultivation force like the Jade Cauldron Sect, which occupies one or even multiple states, would make him wary.

After all, cultivation forces at this level all have certain backing within the three major sects. They pay huge annual tributes to the three major sects, thereby gaining their recognition.

The three major sects turned a blind eye to his actions, no matter how much he plundered, as long as it didn't affect their interests or cause him to do anything outrageous.

In the mortal realm, imperial power reigns supreme. In the cultivation world, however, the three major sects are the leaders. This is a rule recognized by any nation.

"What does the Prime Minister think we should do?" a staff member asked cautiously.

Du Ruhui remained silent for a moment, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes: "This person has ruined my grand plan, how can he be forgiven? Send word to wipe out the Qinglan Sect and make an example of him!"

Upon hearing this, the advisor felt a chill run down his spine. He knew Du Ruhui's temperament; once he made up his mind, he would never change it easily.

Moments later, dozens of carrier hawks flew out of the Prime Minister's residence...

……

Ten days later, Kongming went to bid farewell to Li Guangling.

"Master Zhuge, I must teach that woman a lesson!" Li Guangling looked at Kongming apologetically.

"Does Your Highness think I'm guilty and ashamed to stay here any longer? I've simply encountered some problems in my cultivation and need a quiet place!" Kongming said with a dark face.

"I see. I would never believe that Master Zhuge is such a despicable person. Should I have Ling'er come with you so she can take care of your daily life?"

"I have hands and feet, I don't need them!" Kongming decisively rejected Li Guangling's offer. Women are always a hassle; who knows what kind of trouble they might cause.

……

After Zhao Yun, along with Kongming and Zhu Bajie, crossed numerous mountains, they heard the sound of a waterfall.

After crossing a hill, a waterfall appeared, like a silver river hanging upside down, cascading down from the top of the cliff, which was quite spectacular.

Below is a clear pool of water, surrounded by lush forests. However, judging from some of the layout, there are obvious signs of human intervention.

Above the pool, there is an exquisite manor, with the four characters "Wolong Manor" written in small seal script on the high outer wall.

"Prime Minister, what do you think of this place? I've also prepared a secluded retreat room for you behind the villa," Zhao Yun said, pointing to the villa in front of him.

Kongming carefully surveyed his surroundings. The place was located in a valley halfway up the mountain, with an exquisite layout and an air of elegance throughout.

"Zilong, you've put in a lot of effort; it suits my taste perfectly," Kongming said, waving his feather fan with satisfaction.

"This place is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If time were not so tight, we could add some more fortifications," Zhao Yun explained, clearly showing that he dared not be careless about Kongming's safety.

"It's alright, we can improve it later. This place can be considered our true home in this world." Kongming said, and then walked towards the manor.

"What's so great about this place? I, Old Pig, just came down the mountain and haven't even had a few days to enjoy my retirement before I've been driven back here." Pigsy muttered to himself as he carried his luggage.

"Don't worry, Pigsy. I've arranged for reliable people to deliver fresh ingredients every day. It's just as good as what you get outside."

Seeing that the dead pig kept complaining, Zhao Yun tried to appease him.

Although this pig was greedy, it wasn't entirely useless; its culinary skills were superb, and Zhao Yun had the good fortune to taste its food several times.

After everything was settled, Kongming began his secluded cultivation to attempt the Foundation Establishment stage.

During the Qi Refining stage, the magical power within the body exists in a gaseous form, but once the Foundation Establishment is successfully completed, it liquefies.

The amount of magical power stored up will increase exponentially, and its power will be far greater than before. Only at this point can one be considered to have entered the inner sanctum and can be called a true cultivator.

Kongming sat cross-legged in the secret chamber, his eyes closed, his mind focused, and he was circulating the 'Lianshan' technique.

With his current level of insight, he could naturally see that this set of techniques was no longer complete, and at most it could support him until he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, but there was no better technique to replace it.

After all, the most taboo thing in the cultivation world is the leakage of cultivation techniques, so no amount of resources can buy such a thing.