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

Su Yao then leaped ashore, while Kong Ming was carried by two Qinglan Sect disciples towards the mountain gate. Although it wasn't a pretty sight, it was fast.

"Sect Master, is it not appropriate for you to just bring someone of unknown origin into the sect like this?" said the Third Elder Shi Junyi, who had not yet expressed his opinion, in the council hall.

The other two elders have already made their positions clear. Lu Yunhe almost killed Kongming, and Su Zhuo stepped in to protect Kongming. Only he could put pressure on him further.

He was naturally in the same camp as the First Elder and the Second Elder, and firmly opposed the Qinglan Sect's involvement in the royal family's struggle.

"Now that Senior Brother Zuo Ci has passed away, I don't think Prince Li Chengqian of Zhongshan would be so foolish as to bother my Qinglan Sect again. As Senior Brother Zuo Ci's only remaining disciple, do the three of you really have to be so ruthless?"

Su Zhuo sat on the main seat in the hall, his eyes sharp as he swept over the three elders present.

His words carried an undeniable air of authority; as the head of a sect, he naturally had his own way of making decisions.

"Sect Master, that may be true, but can you guarantee there's not a single selfish motive involved?" Shi Junyi asked again.

"Insolence! Although you are my senior brothers, remember, I am the sect leader. Everything I do is for the future of Qinglan Sect." Su Zhuo slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and a powerful aura emanated from him, enveloping the entire council hall.

Seeing Su Zhuo's anger, Shi Junyi immediately fell silent. Although he was resentful, Su Zhuo was, after all, the sect leader.

Seeing this, the other two elders knew that further arguing would be futile, since Zuo Ci was dead and an ordinary mortal could not possibly cause any trouble.

……

Here, Kongming was settled in Zuo Ci's secluded place of cultivation. This place was once a gathering place for Zuo Ci's disciples, but since that battle, it has been deserted. Only the green bamboo covering the mountains and the clear streams seem to be telling the story of the past prosperity and liveliness.

Kongming lay quietly in the bathtub, washing away the dust and weariness accumulated over the past few days. His mind drifted back to his past experiences, as if in a dream.

Just over ten days ago, he was the Prime Minister of Shu, commanding thousands of troops, but now he's in this unfamiliar world. How could he encounter such an unbelievable thing? Who knows what awaits him next...

The two Qinglan Sect disciples who had brought him up the mountain stood in the outer courtyard. Although they were curious about Kongming's origins and identity, they dared not slack off in the slightest since the sect leader had given the order.

After bathing, Kongming changed into a clean set of clothes, a standard outfit for Qinglan Sect disciples, blue and white, which made him appear even more otherworldly.

Facing the bronze mirror, he coiled his hair on top of his head and gazed at his reflection, lost in thought. It was as if he saw himself decades ago, a naive young man, but his state of mind was now incomparable to that of the man he was back then.

As Kongming walked out of the house, the two disciples on duty couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse; at this moment, Kongming was no longer the rustic villager he once was.

Standing eight feet tall, his blue and white robes accentuated his refined and scholarly demeanor, while his eyes revealed a wisdom and depth that belied his age.

"The sect leader has ordered that we proceed to the main hall of the main peak immediately after bathing," a disciple said as he approached Kongming.

Kongming nodded slightly. He knew that Su Zhuo would definitely summon him alone, so he straightened his robes and followed the two disciples toward the main hall of the main peak.

Inside the main hall, Su Zhuo was resting with his eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Kongming who was walking in.

After glancing at the stunningly beautiful woman standing beside him, Kongming hurriedly walked up to Su Zhuo and bowed, saying, "Disciple Zhuge Kongming greets Sect Master."

"What a handsome young man."

Su Zhuo nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, and then continued.

"Kongming, now that you have been accepted as a disciple by Senior Brother Zuo Ci, you are a member of my sect. Although he has passed away, you can come to me if you encounter any trouble."

"Thank you, Sect Master," Kongming said, bowing again.

Then, Su Zhuo gave Su Yao a wink, and the latter left the main hall.

"I wonder if Senior Brother Zuo has anything you would like to give me?" Su Zhuo's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared directly at Kong Ming.

"My master didn't have anything for me to pass on to the sect leader. It was because I couldn't bear to see him die far from home that I sent him back to the sect from afar. I hope the sect leader will investigate!"

Kongming answered without hesitation, knowing full well the principle of "when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked." Without understanding Su Zhuo's true attitude and purpose, he needed to secure his own escape route.

Although he was in an unfamiliar world, his composure and superior mindset remained unchanged, and he was able to handle any situation with ease.

"Oh!" Su Zhuo was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Kong Ming to answer in this way.

He glanced at Kongming again, seemingly trying to glean more information from this young disciple. However, he was disappointed.

"Since your master left nothing behind, let's leave it at that. You are not to mention today's events to anyone."

Then, Su Zhuo waved his hand, indicating that Kongming could leave. Kongming bowed, turned around and walked out of the main hall.

A short while later, Su Yao returned to the main hall.

"Yao'er, did you have any success?" Su Zhuo looked at Su Yao with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Su Yao shook her head and said, "Father, I don't think Kongming is lying. Perhaps Uncle Zuo really didn't get that thing."

Su Zhuo frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "Yao'er, do you know the importance of that thing?"

"Isn't this just a token of a mortal's creation of a kingdom? Even if it's special, why would we cultivators care about it?" Su Yao asked, puzzled.

Su Zhuo sighed and slowly said, "How could something capable of slaying a terrestrial immortal be simple? Ancient profound techniques are astounding, so how could they not leave something behind when refining treasures!"

"Father, are you saying there's more to this than meets the eye? But these treasures have been passed down for millennia. If what you're saying is true, then it's probably not our Qinglan Sect's place to get our hands on them!"

"Just as you said, the top forces in the cultivation world have all borrowed these treasures from the royal family, but none of them have been able to figure them out, so they gradually lost interest." Su Zhuo paused, then continued.

“But Prince Li Chengqian of Zhongshan once revealed to Zuo Ci that he had overheard the late emperor’s conversation and said that he might be able to unlock the secrets of these national treasures. So the two reached an agreement to each get what they wanted.”

“Father, have you ever considered that these are top secrets of the royal family, and it is absolutely impossible for cultivators to know them? If they were to be revealed, the royal family would probably be doomed. I suspect that this is just Li Chengqian deliberately releasing bait to make Uncle Zuo and you risk your lives for him.”

Su Yao analyzed that she seemed somewhat indifferent to this so-called treasure; what she cared about was her father's safety and the peace of the Qinglan Sect...