Walking by the Abyss on Thin Ice

Chapter 188 – General trend of events

Xue Qingfu's heart sank when he saw Qiu Shuijing. After looking around, he smiled and said, "We are all serving the emperor, so why can't we take a step back? If I take a step back, can Left Supervisor also take a step back?"

Zuo Songyan hoarsely said, "Why should I?"

"Because I have already taken control of the Shaofang city defense army, and with my prestige as a holy man, with a wave of my arm, 300,000 border troops in the north will gather under my command!"

Xue Qingfu solemnly said, "I have civil and military officials, city defenses, and border troops under my command. The Hun-Turk Khan will come from outside the Great Wall and must pass through the Heavenly Market Enclosure. I can control the old no-man's land to intercept the Hun-Turk Khan and prevent him from entering Shaofang even one step! Can the old gourd handle this?"

Zuo Songyan was silent for a moment and said, "Are you saying that if I take a step back, you will command the army in the north to intercept the Hun-Turk Khan?"

Xue Qingfu nodded and said with a smile, "What the old gourd cannot do, the Shaofang holy man can do."

Zuo Songyan laughed heartily, sweeping away his depression, bowed deeply to the ground, and said, "If the holy man can save the people of Shaofang from fire and water, I will take a step back and send the treasure to your mansion!"

Xue Qingfu hurriedly stepped forward and held him up, saying with a smile, "The old gourd can wait a few more days. Watch me lead the army to pacify the rebellion in the north and repel the Hun-Turk Khan."

Qiu Shuijing jumped down from the Phoenix Palace and frowned slightly at the scene.

Xue Qingfu looked at Qiu Shuijing and smiled, "Shuijing has achieved his goal, and I have achieved mine. After we return to the capital, we can compete again."

Qiu Shuijing bowed and said, "I don't understand what my teacher is doing."

Xue Qingfu said, "What don't you understand?"

"After the teacher pacified the rebellion of the seven great families and saved Shaofang from danger, he already had enough fame and prestige. If the teacher returns to the capital and is promoted to holy status, and with the support of civil and military officials, I will also report to the emperor, and the emperor will definitely confer sainthood on the teacher. Why does the teacher still want this military merit that shines like a star?"

Qiu Shuijing said, "Please enlighten me, teacher."

Xue Qingfu smiled and said, "With my current reputation and the command of a large army, it is easy to do this."

Qiu Shuijing frowned.

At this time, troops from all over the north rushed to Shaofang, including the armies of the lords of the various regions. The city defense army of Shaofang also sent troops to join the border troops of various cities, led by Zhou Bo, Niu Biao, and other residents of the Holy Man Town.

He couldn't help feeling a chill in his heart when he saw this scene from afar.

Xue Qingfu smiled and said, "You kicked me out of the capital, so I have to prepare well before I can return. When I return to the capital, no one can kick me out again."

Su Yun looked at the army of the 17 states in the north from afar, and he also felt a chill in his heart. Among these armies, besides the lords of the various regions, there were also people from the seven great families. But no one expected that there were also people of Xue Qingfu among them!

The conversation between Xue Qingfu and Qiu Shuijing just now made him realize this.

After Xue Qingfu was kicked out of the capital, he prepared for many years and arranged many people in the 17 states of the north, waiting for the right moment.

When the seven great families started fighting, Xue Qingfu's forces took advantage of their mutual damage and seized power, taking control of the armies of the 17 states in one fell swoop!

It can be said that now Shaofang and even the entire north have fallen into the hands of Xue Qingfu!

Now, with a wave of his arm, the people of Shaofang and even the entire north regard him as a saint, a saintly king, and a holy Buddha who protected the 17 states!If he leads his troops to repel the army of the Hun-Turk Khan and drive him back beyond the border, then his prestige will spread not only in the north, but throughout the 360 counties and districts of the 56 states of Yuanshuo. He will be regarded as a saint, a sage king, and a holy Buddha!

"At that time, when he returns to the capital, without the need for the officials to petition the emperor, Emperor Di Ping will have to confer upon him the title of saint. Such prestige will completely overshadow the glory of the emperor."

Su Yun's eyes flickered, and the light in his eyes gradually dimmed. He thought to himself, "Why do I care about these things? I came to the city just to study."

Xue Qingfu walked up to him and smiled, "Su Shizi overturned the table, smashed the chessboard, and controlled the chess game in Shuofang and even Shuobei with one hand. It amazed me."

Zuo Songyan and Qiu Shuijing were surprised and looked at Su Yun.

Su Yun bowed and said, "Although I can play another game, the saint is still better than me. I admit defeat."

"You didn't lose."

Xue Qingfu laughed heartily and shook his head. "Because we are not opponents. Since there was no game, how can there be a winner or loser? Besides..."

He walked past Su Yun and looked at the strange people of Tongtian Pavilion behind him with a smile. "You have grown up. The master of Tongtian Pavilion aims to reach the sky. You will have a place in the future world."

Su Yun turned around and looked at him with some surprise. The words "you have grown up" puzzled him. This was not something Xue Shengren would say.

Xue Qingfu came to the cage of the old demon king and smiled, "Can the pavilion master release him?"

The mute senior brother looked at Su Yun, and Su Yun said, "Saint, I want to know the life and death of the Marquis of Shuofang and the Ye family."

Xue Qingfu said, "They are the rulers of Shuofang. Without them, who will rule Shuofang?"

Su Yun understood. Xue Qingfu could not stay in Shuofang. He had to leave someone behind to manage Shuofang for him, and subduing the Marquis of Shuofang and the Ye family was the easiest way!

Ye Luo, Li Muge, and others breathed a sigh of relief. In any case, the lives of the Marquis of Shuofang and others were saved.

Su Yun nodded slightly, and the mute senior brother took the drawing. The spirit of the old demon king was able to return to his own body, and he was grateful.

Xue Qingfu walked out and greeted the border army entering the city, and the sound of the crowd shouting "saint" came in waves, shaking the sky!

Tens of thousands of troops marched and shouted the name of Xue Shengren, their momentum was so strong that even Su Yun and others turned pale, feeling as if a towering wall was pushing towards them!

Xue Qingfu stood in the air, opened his arms, and welcomed the cheers of the various military lords.

Qiu Shuijing's face turned pale and he murmured, "His momentum has become..."

"So what?"

Zuo Songyan came to his side and asked, "Shuijing, I know what you're thinking. But let me ask you, how does the emperor's momentum compare to Xue Shengren's in the capital?"

"Not as good as his."

"How about the people's hearts? Does the emperor have more support than him?"

"No."

"What about cultivation?"

Qiu Shuijing hesitated for a moment and said, "That's beyond my knowledge."

Zuo Songyan took out a piece of clothing from his own spiritual realm, changed out of his tattered robe, and put on another robe. He smiled and said, "So what are you worried about? Even if the capital changes, it may not be a bad thing. Even if we have a new emperor, it's better than Emperor Di Ping who only seeks longevity."

His words were blasphemous, causing Qiu Shuijing to furrow his eyebrows slightly.

Su Yun walked up and said, "Teacher..."

Qiu Shuijing's face changed slightly, and he quickly stepped aside and paid his respects. "The pavilion master is not my disciple. Shuijing dare not accept the title."Su Yun was stunned. He looked back at the people of Tongtian Tower and then at Zuo Songyan. Zuo Songyan rubbed his nose and said in annoyance, "What are you looking at me for? When I was overseas, I wanted to join Tongtian Tower, but you didn't accept me, which made me lose face. Fortunately, I'm doing well on my own..."

Qiu Shuijing said seriously, "I have received help from Tongtian Tower many times while overseas and am very grateful."

Su Yun was a bit confused and didn't know what to say.

Qiu Shuijing saw his confusion and said, "If you have any questions, I can help you answer them."

Su Yun became more alert and said, "I heard from Bao She and Master earlier about Di Ping's quest for immortality, and it reminded me of my own speculation. I suspect that Xue Shengren's plan this time is not just about achieving sainthood, but also about obtaining the Eight-Faced Heaven's Gate. One of the gates has fallen into the hands of Zuo Shangshu."

Zuo Songyan coughed repeatedly, trying to cover up.

Qiu Shuijing said, "I already knew about this. Xue Shengren wanted him to step down earlier, which meant this treasure. As long as he surrendered this treasure, Xue Shengren would lead his troops to defeat the Hun-Tuo Khan. However, he didn't expect that even if he didn't surrender this treasure, Xue Shengren would still lead his troops to defeat the Hun-Tuo. He gave away the Eight-Faced Heaven's Gate for nothing."

Zuo Songyan's face turned red. Suddenly, he reached out and tore off the clothes he had given to Qiu Shuijing.

Qiu Shuijing sneered, "You get angry at the slightest thing, just like when we were kids. A gentleman is always open and aboveboard. Can't I borrow a piece of clothing from you?"

Su Yun looked over Qiu Shuijing's shoulder and saw that his front clothes were neat and tidy, but the clothes on his back were burned clean, revealing his fair back muscles, buttocks, and two long legs.

"No wonder Zuo Shangshu gave away a piece of clothing," Su Yun suddenly realized.

Zuo Songyan threw the clothes back to Qiu Shuijing and said in annoyance, "I won't give it to him. It's difficult to make things right at this time! If he can't get the Eight-Faced Heaven's Gate from me, he will definitely take action. Can we resist him then? He destroyed the Ten Jinxiu Diagrams! "

Qiu Shuijing fell silent.

Zuo Songyan sneered, "If Di Ping wasn't a foolish ruler, he wouldn't have ordered you to return to the Eastern Capital at this critical moment. What's wrong with asking about longevity instead of people's livelihood? What if we had a different emperor?"

Su Yun couldn't help but say, "Xue Shengren is probably also someone who seeks longevity. He may have already collected all eight of the Eight-Faced Heaven's Gates."

"He hasn't," Qiu Shuijing said calmly. "He can never collect all eight of the Eight-Faced Heaven's Gates."

Su Yun was stunned. Qiu Shuijing walked out of the Ten Jinxiu Diagrams and looked down at the various military lords of the Northern Frontier advancing towards the Tian Shi Yuan.

"He has pacified the turmoil outside the Great Wall. Going to the Eastern Capital now is the general trend, even with an aura that can crush the imperial court," Qiu Shuijing sighed with concern.

The border troops opened up and headed straight for Tian Shi Yuan. Su Yun didn't have time to rest and continued to travel, restoring the Shaofang high-rise buildings he had sealed and restoring the cloud bridges in the sky.

The turmoil in Shaofang City had already subsided, and only the remnants of the seven major aristocratic families had escaped from Shaofang. However, the city defense army went after them. These remnants were no longer a threat to Shaofang.

The Wen Chang Academy had also returned to normal. Scholars went out to help the people affected by the disaster, but Zuo Songyan counted the manpower and found that Idle Cloud Taoist and Master Lingyue were missing.

Su Yun returned to Shanshui Residence and looked for a few little foxes. Qing Qiuyue, Hu Buping, and Li Xiaofan were all there, but Hua Hu was nowhere to be found.

He couldn't help but frown and asked Zuo Songyan to search around, but even after searching the Wen Chang Academy, there was no trace of Hua Hu.Zuo Songyan comforted: "During these days, Hua Hu has been hanging out with Master Lingyue. With Master Lingyue around, there should be no big problem."

Su Yun was still a little uneasy, thinking to himself: "I hope my second brother and Master Lingyue will be okay."

On the border of the Shuofang region, there was Tianyun Mountain.

Master Lingyue and a handsome young man stood on the top of Tianyun Mountain, watching the fleeing Wen family spiritualists. Master Lingyue said: "The one who killed my senior brother Ye Hu is Wen Lifang, the Wen Prefect. Hua Hu, do you want to take action?"

Hua Hu had grown taller than before, becoming tall and handsome, and his clothing had become more elegant. However, his ears were still fox ears, sticking out from his hair, with a yellow-red color.

"Teacher, who is Mr. Ye Hu?" Hua Hu looked at the approaching Wen family spiritualists and asked.

Master Lingyue said: "Ye Hu is my senior brother. After he died, his spirit attached to a fox and forgot who he was in his past life."

"But why isn't his spirit in the ghost market?" Hua Hu asked in confusion.

"His spirit isn't there?"

Master Lingyue was stunned and frowned, saying: "Are you sure Ye Hu's spirit isn't in the ghost market?"