Nine Revolutions Star Transformation

Chapter 284: Chapter 293: Secret Plan

”Alright, let’s talk business. We can enjoy the moon later, otherwise the Second Prince might get upset.” Meng Ji looked at Yuwen Qingkong and laughed.

”Master, you’re joking. How dare Qingkong get angry at Master!” Yuwen Qingkong quickly said, with a tone that showed his deep respect for Meng Ji.

At this moment, Chu Linfeng walked up to the two and asked, ”What exactly are you talking about? I still need to go back and sleep.”

Both Meng Ji and Yuwen Qingkong cast a glance at Chu Linfeng and said, ”Chu Linfeng, are you sure it wasn’t you who killed Ying Tianchou?”

Chu Linfeng didn’t understand why Meng Ji asked this, guessing that what they wanted to discuss was related to Ying Tianchou’s death, so he replied, ”Are you overestimating me? Ying Tianchou was a master of the Second Level of the Celestial Martial Realm. You think I could kill him and get away unscathed?”

”It’s hard to say. Others might not be able to, but you, Chu Linfeng, might be capable because you have too many secrets. Whether you killed him or not, Ying Wanxiong has already determined that it was you. The people of the Prime Minister’s Mansion aren’t scary; what’s truly terrifying is the power behind them,” Meng Ji said.

For Meng Ji to describe a force as terrifying, it must be something extraordinary. Chu Linfeng immediately replied seriously, ”Ying Wanxiong is the current Prime Minister, his power is second only to the Emperor. Are you implying he is just a pawn, possibly of the Sea Dragon Empire?”

Yuwen Qingkong looked at Chu Linfeng and laughed, ”Brother Niu Tian is indeed exceptionally clever. Ying Wanxiong is indeed a pawn placed in the Celestial Dragon Empire by the Sea Dragon Empire. None of us expected this. If it wasn’t for Master coming here, we would have been deceived by this guy.”

Yuwen Qingkong’s words were truly shocking. Chu Linfeng looked at Meng Ji, hoping she would clarify the whole situation.

”Chu Linfeng, don’t be surprised. It’s all true. Ying Wanxiong is indeed from the Sea Dragon Empire, and his real name isn’t Ying Wanxiong but Yun Wanxiong, a member of the Sea Dragon Empire’s royal family.

The so-called Third Prince of the Sea Dragon Empire you killed at the Celestial Dragon Academy wasn’t the real Third Prince. This was just a ploy by the Sea Dragon Empire to instigate a conflict.” Meng Ji explained.

Chu Linfeng was utterly confused; he didn’t expect the situation to be so convoluted. He asked, ”Why would the Sea Dragon Empire do this if they wanted to start a war? Why bother capturing me?”

Yuwen Qingkong explained, ”The Celestial Dragon Empire and the Sea Dragon Empire originated from the division of a single large empire. The ancestors of my Yuwen Clan and the Yun Family were two sworn brothers.

Both ancestors were powerful figures, and the original empire was scattered with no royal divide. The two ancestors unified it, creating the Divine Dragon Empire.

However, this empire could only have one Emperor. The ancestors, though not blood brothers, were closer than brothers and neither wanted to be Emperor. They decided to divide the empire, thus forming the Celestial Dragon Empire and the Sea Dragon Empire.

Because of the good relations between the ancestors, the two empires coexisted peacefully for over a thousand years. With the Celestial Dragon Empire’s vast territory rich in resources unavailable to the Sea Dragon Empire, the latter began to develop ambitions to annex the Celestial Dragon Empire.

Conflicts arose, and about five hundred years ago, a massive war occurred, with neither side able to gain the upper hand. Both Emperors signed a peace treaty, agreeing that no war would be waged for five hundred years.

Now, five hundred years have passed, rendering the treaty void. Over the years, the Sea Dragon Empire has grown stronger, and they finally found an excuse to wage war against us, the Celestial Dragon Empire.”

After hearing this, Chu Linfeng finally understood that it was all a scheme by the Sea Dragon Empire to provoke a conflict, and that Ying Wanxiong was merely a crucial piece sent to assess the Celestial Dragon Empire’s strength.

”What do we do next? It seems the war is inevitable. Does the Second Prince have a plan?” Chu Linfeng asked.

”Tomorrow morning, I’ll report this to Father. Although it’s quite suspicious, I’ll do my best to convince him. Ying Wanxiong, that old dog, has Father’s trust; otherwise, he wouldn’t have as much power as he does.” Yuwen Qingkong said.

”Why don’t we just kill him? That would spare us a lot of trouble, and he might not have shared all his secrets yet.” Chu Linfeng suggested.

”Ying Wanxiong has three top experts protecting him, and he rarely goes out. Killing him is no easy task unless we lure him out.” Yuwen Qingkong replied.

”Why not just storm the Prime Minister’s Mansion? With Meng Ji, Elder Wang, and Grand General Luo Ping, we can sweep through the entire mansion. I don’t understand what you’re afraid of,” Chu Linfeng said in frustration.

”Hehe, Chu Linfeng, you can’t kill Ying Wanxiong openly. His followers are everywhere, and doing so would cause chaos in the Empire. The Sea Dragon Empire could easily defeat the Celestial Dragon Empire, leading to devastation and countless deaths,” Meng Ji explained.

”Tell me your plan. Even if we lure him out, we need a strategy. Secretly killing him seems almost impossible,” Chu Linfeng said.

”Not necessarily. As long as you act as bait, it can be done. But there might be risks involved; are you willing to take them?” Yuwen Qingkong asked.

”Tell me your plan. I’ll see what you come up with. If the strategy is sound, I won’t be afraid, no matter how dangerous it is,” Chu Linfeng said.

”We’re not actually killing Ying Wanxiong; it’s his three tributors we need to eliminate. Once they are dealt with, Ying Wanxiong will be thrown into disarray. At that point, rumors of his betrayal can be spread, forcing him to revolt, and then we can capture him.” Yuwen Qingkong explained.

Upon hearing this, Chu Linfeng immediately understood Yuwen Qingkong’s intention. This guy wasn’t looking to kill Ying Wanxiong but rather to use him to flush out his supporters within the Celestial Dragon Empire, thus resolving the Empire’s crisis.

Otherwise, if war broke out, the Celestial Dragon Empire would face internal and external threats, leading to certain defeat, no matter how strong it is.

”Alright, I’ll agree. But those three are very powerful and could kill me with a single blow. I’ll need someone to protect me,” Chu Linfeng stated.

”Don’t worry. Elder Wang will protect you in secret, and Master will accompany you. With these two guarding you, you’ll be absolutely safe. It would be best if we could lure them out of the city for the kill, to keep things quiet and catch Ying Wanxiong off guard.” Yuwen Qingkong said.

With these two protecting him, Chu Linfeng felt at ease. Successfully dealing with this hidden threat to the Empire would be a great achievement, possibly earning him rich rewards like Yuwen Qingkong’s Fire Spirit Pearl.

Thinking of this, a smile crept across Chu Linfeng’s face, making the three think it was odd.

”What are you smiling about?” Meng Ji asked.

”Nothing, nothing! If there’s nothing else, I’ll be off. Tomorrow I’ll go with Meng Ji out of the city to wait for the fish to bite!” Chu Linfeng said, ready to leave.

”Wait, you still need to accompany me to enjoy the moon. Where are you going?” Meng Ji immediately called out.

”I...” Chu Linfeng felt a sweat starting to creep up his forehead...