Chapter 96

Outside the city of Yueyang, there stands a Taoist temple.

Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with white walls and blue bricks, the ancient and elegant temple is shaded by lush trees and pines. Inside, a statue of a deity is enshrined, its sleeves and sashes fluttering, exuding a divine and Taoist aura.

Before the statue, an ancient bronze incense burner stands, with incense sticks inserted, emitting wisps of smoke. A Bagua diagram hangs nearby, and the yellow curtains flutter. On four yellow mats, three Taoist priests sit cross-legged.

All of them have their eyes closed, cultivating their spirit, their faces gaunt.

A Taoist in a green robe enters from outside, his hair tied with a golden crown, his face as fair as jade, his brows arched, exuding a chilling aura. His gaze sweeps over the three Taoists, then he approaches them.

"Three Uncles, I have found the entrance to the Dragon Palace!"

The three Taoists open their eyes together. The one in the middle raises an eyebrow and says calmly, "Are you sure he is inside the Dragon Palace?"

"Yes, although I don't know who spread the news, we have already searched around Dongting Lake, and now only the lake remains." The Taoist in the green robe nods.

"What about the Heavenly Demon Sect, the Moon Worship Sect, and the Blissful Sect?"

"They are already heading towards Dongting Lake, likely preparing to take action on the Dragon Palace."

The three Taoists exchange glances and look at the green-robed Taoist. "Go and make preparations. The secret he carries must not fall into the hands of evil and heretical sects. If we cannot obtain it, we will destroy it. The Dragon Palace of Dongting?"

Inside the city of Yueyang, in a small courtyard.

Zhang Daoyuan and Zhang Qing are playing chess, the board filled with black and white pieces. Behind Zhang Daoyuan, Xiao Yixuan, dressed in a scholar's robe, is intently watching the game.

A general in armor and holding a halberd walks in. Xiao Yixuan quickly approaches him, and the general whispers a few words in his ear. Xiao Yixuan frowns, then relaxes, and dismisses the general.

Xiao Yixuan returns, and soon, Zhang Qing, holding a chess piece, raises an eyebrow and puts the piece back in the box, laughing. "Uncle, your chess skills are superb, I cannot match you!"

Zhang Daoyuan's weathered face relaxes, and he laughs. "Very impressive. Your chess skills have become much more stable compared to when you were young. Unfortunately, your heart is not in scholarship. If it were, your achievements would not be lower than mine!"

Zhang Qing smiles but says nothing, his gaze falling on Xiao Yixuan.

"Xiao Xianzhi, have you received any news?"

Zhang Daoyuan also looks at Xiao Yixuan. Although they were focused on the chess game, they could still hear some of the commotion.

"Yes, someone has spread the word that Ning Wuxie is hiding in the Dragon Palace of Dongting Lake. Now, all the evil and heretical sects have gathered at Dongting Lake, and some of the righteous sects like the Xuanxin Sect and the Yuxian Sect have also appeared."

Zhang Daoyuan's white eyebrows twitch. "These outsiders are becoming increasingly restless. The court used their power to quell rebellions, thinking they had transcended worldly affairs, but they dare to interfere with the state. The Xuanxin Sect is colluding with the Prince of Qin, and the Heavenly Demon Sect is aligned with the Crown Prince, trying to interfere with imperial power?"

"Is the emperor's anger this time due to the Yang Wengan incident?" Zhang Qing, though in Jiangnan, has heard some court affairs, especially the widely known Yang Wengan incident.

Throughout history, the imperial family has no kinship. Emperors are wary of their ministers and relatives holding great power, monitoring them in various ways. The struggles within the palace are no less intense than those in the bureaucracy, and are even more cruel.

"In the seventh year of the Tang Dynasty, the current emperor is already in his sixties. The country is gradually at peace, and the struggle for the throne between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin has become intense and is now out in the open. The Crown Prince controls the internal affairs but is disliked by the emperor for colluding with the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The Prince of Qin has fought many battles and achieved great military success, holding significant power and talent. The emperor indeed intends to pass the throne to him, but the Prince of Qin is too impatient, wanting to use Yang Wengan to overthrow the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, his plan backfired, and the Crown Prince lost a significant force, revealing his disloyal intentions, which has made the emperor wary."

Zhang Daoyuan, holding a chess piece, speaks slowly.

"The emperor is in good health. If he does not fall ill, he could remain on the throne for another ten years. The Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin can no longer wait. Especially the Prince of Qin, who has already achieved great power and could potentially usurp the throne. The emperor is using this opportunity to eliminate the wings of the two princes?"

Zhang Qing, with his keen mind, quickly understands Zhang Daoyuan's meaning.

"Yes, to be precise, Jinshan Temple and White Horse Temple are supporting the emperor, preparing to strike against Taoism. The emperor is merely using the power of Buddhism. It is said that not long ago, the Buddha of the Western Paradise appeared at Jinshan Temple, giving a dream to the abbot Fahui, intending to transmit the scriptures and spread Buddhism to the East, requiring a monk from the Tang Dynasty."

"Is this a struggle between Taoism and Buddhism? It could endanger the state. What is the emperor thinking?" Zhang Qing is worried.

Zhang Daoyuan smiles lightly. "The emperor has already found the locations of the eighth and ninth imperial edicts. Perhaps he needs time. As a minister, why speculate on these matters? By the way, I remember Luo Ying should be eighteen now. Has she found a match?"

Zhang Qing smiles bitterly, feeling a headache. "Don't mention it. She is as wild as her mother. Two years ago, she ran away from home and went to Chang'an, even beating up Li Gongtai. She is already so old and has not been married yet."

"Oh? So the one who beat the prince is your niece. Ha ha ha..."

Zhang Daoyuan strokes his beard and laughs. Two years ago, he was not in Chang'an and did not know about this. After laughing, he says, "I see that Yixuan is also unmarried. He is a distant relative of Chancellor Xiao Yu and would be a good match for the Zhang family. Why don't we arrange a marriage for them?"

Zhang Qing glances at Xiao Yixuan, seeing that he has no objections and guessing that it might be the intention of the Zhang and Xiao families in Chang'an. He has heard of Xiao Yixuan, a disciple of Zhang Daoyuan, well-versed and knowledgeable.

"I will consider it, but there is no rush. Xiao Yixuan is a fine young man, but my daughter is quite unruly. Let's wait until they meet before making any decisions."

"Very well, that's a good idea!"

Zhang Daoyuan smiles faintly. He knows Zhang Qing's character; he was also very unruly in his youth. The Zhang family arranged a marriage for him, but he fled on the wedding day and later married a woman from the江湖, almost driving his father to despair.

Zhang Daoyuan places a chess piece on the board and says slowly, "Now that the fish have gathered, it is time to cast the net."

In the Dragon Palace of Dongting Lake.

Ning Wuxie stands beside a crystal bed, where the Dragon King of Dongting is treating Chen Qinglong's injuries. Chen Qinglong's hair is disheveled, and his body is covered with large and small wounds, the most terrifying being the deep sword cuts on his back.

"At the time, we were in the lake and saw a person jump into Dongting Lake, with many human experts chasing after him. Before jumping, he mentioned the name of the Dragon King. We thought he might know the Dragon King, so we saved him and brought him back to the lake."

Shrimp Three and Shrimp Four stand beside him, recounting the events.

Ning Wuxie frowns, wondering who could have inflicted such severe injuries on Chen Qinglong.

What about the others? What happened?