CHAPTER 360: 211. UNITE IN FRIENDSHIP, GIVE ALLIES "OPPORTUNITIES

Within the True One Altar Cave Heaven, Lei Jun quietly listened to the conversation between Shangguan Peng and another, his state of mind showing no ripples of disturbance, only slightly raising his eyebrows.

The voice of the middle-aged colonel continued from the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, "Given the temperament of the new Celestial Master, it is indeed possible. Even if she doesn’t take the Celestial Master’s Sword with her when she leaves the mountain, she will surely not be able to restrain herself. However..."

He stopped short, then Shangguan Peng spoke with a calm voice, "Naturally, it must be remnants from the previous dynasty or people from the Blood River Sect who take action. We must not get involved, otherwise we would be overplaying our hand. But there are always some... coincidences in this world."

The middle-aged colonel understood. "Just like how it was a coincidence for Xiong Gang from the Blood River Sect to appear in Nangu Valley Plain, causing the enmity with the Mount Shu Sect to deepen."

Despite saying so, this middle-aged colonel, also from the Shangguan Clan, still had some worries, "General, it was Her Majesty’s initial decree to protect the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion and let it recuperate for a while. Now there has been no new decree from Her Majesty. By acting this way now, could we be..."

Shangguan Peng responded, "Times change. When Her Majesty protected Longhu Mountain, the remnants of the previous dynasty were not as rampant as they are today, intending to reestablish the national destiny pulse in the Southern Wilderness. Nor was Wei Ancheng of the Blood River Sect confirmed to have reached the Ninth Heavenly Layer.

"With the situation undergoing such drastic changes, we naturally need to adapt to the circumstances. It’s just that the Golden Decrees of Her Majesty should not be changed easily. We must interpret Her intentions and shoulder Her worries.

"As long as our actions are meticulous, everything will be unrelated to us. Even if the truth leaks out in the future, taking some blame for Her Majesty is only appropriate."

Oh? That sounds reasonable, but is it truly so... Lei Jun listened calmly, deep in thought.

"What the General means is..." the middle-aged colonel said softly.

He let out a long breath. "These past few years, whether it’s the Divine Strategy Army or our Shangguan Clan, we’ve all suffered heavy losses for the Great Tang. The Buddhist and Taoist factions received much support but kept to themselves, skirting behind. Now it’s also time for them to offer some heartfelt contribution to the Great Tang!"

Why should my Shangguan Clan always shed blood and sweat, while the Buddhist and Taoist factions can rest and recuperate in the background? If anyone is to rest and recuperate, it should be us. Now is the time when we need the Buddhist and Taoist factions to stand at the forefront. Otherwise, what was the purpose of our support?

This line of thought likely has a significant following within the Shangguan Clan, as well as among the nobility of the Great Tang, not just a few individuals... Lei Jun understood clearly in his heart.

As to whether it’s really as Shangguan Peng said—to take on Her Majesty’s worries and do what is inconvenient for Her to say—that remains questionable. It’s not certain who ends up carrying the blame for whom.

It’s not that Her Majesty the Empress will definitely favor the Buddhist and Taoist factions, but her actions are indeed somewhat unusual.

Opening new Scholarly Mansions fundamentally shakes the foundation of the noble families, but it also makes the emerging noble families—the base of the Tang Imperial Court—uneasy.

This is especially true since the Shangguan Clan and other noble families have also suffered heavy losses after the continuous wars.

The Shangguan Clan shares the fate of the nation. On a grand scale, they will not waver, always being a pillar of the Great Tang Dynasty. But when it comes to minor details, they may have their own ideas.

Shangguan Peng spoke indifferently, "Longhu Mountain has indeed encountered a great catastrophe before, but with the current chaos in the world, which family is not navigating through the stormy seas? Soldiers are trained for a thousand days to be used for one moment. Now we can only overcome this difficult period together."

The middle-aged colonel replied, "Yes."

After a pause, he said in a low voice, "But currently, Lei Jun’s whereabouts are unknown. And Yuan Mobai, after all, is a High Merit Master, and it is rumored that his strength even surpasses that of He Dongxing from Mount Shu..."

Shangguan Peng said, "Surprises are everywhere. If everything proceeded according to common sense, there would be no surprises to speak of. The key is to have enough accurate information and intelligence... People are easily ensnared when they desire something."

In the True One Altar Cave Heaven, Lei Jun lay on his side, propping his head with one hand, nodding slightly.

Although everyone has different stances, I basically agree with this.

The middle-aged colonel asked, "General, what should we do next..."

Shangguan Peng said, "We must prepare for matters related to the Celestial Master Mansion, but we cannot ignore the remnants of the former dynasty. We’ve received the latest news: you should visit Kongliu Mountain, where there may be a secret camp of the former dynasty’s remnants."

After a moment of contemplation, he reminded, "In the short term, do not approach the vicinity of Silver Flute Rock."

The middle-aged colonel was startled. "General..."

Shangguan Peng said, "Hmm, there’s a camp of the former dynasty’s remnants at Silver Flute Rock as well, but... although I can’t fully confirm it yet, I’ve acquired information that Xiong Gang from the Blood River Sect may have gone there after leaving Nangu Valley Plain."

Xiong Gang is an Elder of the Blood River Sect, an expert of the Eighth Heavenly Layer. Ordinary people are no match for him. The middle-aged colonel was instantly on alert. "Understood, General. I will keep this secret and ensure others do as well."

He suddenly remembered something. "Since someone from Mount Shu is coming, what about Xiong Gang?"

In the previous battle at Nangu Valley Plain, Xiong Gang killed Elder Jiang Dongyu from Mount Shu.

Shangguan Peng said, "Let’s not hurry to inform them of Xiong Gang’s whereabouts yet."

The middle-aged colonel complied, "Yes, General."

Without stating it explicitly, Shangguan Peng clearly wanted to wait and see the situation with the Celestial Master Mansion.

Though pinning the "accidents" involving both the Celestial Master Mansion and Mount Shu on Xiong Gang might seem inappropriate, tracking the movements of an Eighth Heavenly Layer expert was undoubtedly difficult.

For now, Shangguan Peng could only try to extract as much value as possible.

Shangguan Peng continued, "Yuan Mobai’s cultivation realm is, after all, of the Upper Three Heavens, and Xiong Gang wouldn’t be certain of capturing him. Therefore, the focus is still on Lei Jun." Then he instructed, "Order our men to continue collecting information on Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun. Since they’ve come to the Southern Wilderness, they must have a purpose and won’t leave easily. If there’s any news, report to me immediately."