Chapter 2590: The Choirboy at the Seat

Upon the See-Hear Immortal Boat, He Lian Yunyun and Zhao Rucheng were startled almost simultaneously.

"Something's not right." Zhao Rucheng subconsciously grasped He Lian Yunyun's hand, signaling her to calm down, but his own brows were tightly furrowed.

During his time in the Underworld, he had always thought of himself as being isolated, striving for the great Mu Li Qing for the sake of the country.

But upon suddenly learning of Bo Er Zhi Jin · E Ke Lie's death, he was startled to realize that he was likely a cut-off kite deliberately released!

With his current position in Mu Country, he naturally understood what kind of critical period Mu Country was in.

So when he risked his life to rush to the East Sea, discovered that Zhi Di Zang had already been eliminated, and the war had ended, he still took over Tu Hu's task to clean up matters related to Guang Wen Zhong in the East Sea. And after that, he entered the Underworld alone, fighting for Mu Country's rights there in solitude.

He established the Cang Tu God Account in the Underworld and had already negotiated the submission of three honored True Gods! These were figures who had once been Yang Gods but had degraded, possessing very deep foundations in the Underworld.

The grassland had widespread belief in gods, and if these True Gods received Mu Country's support, they all had a great chance to re-prove the Absolute Peak.

He knew Mu Country couldn't spare too much manpower and didn't covet more support.

Mu Country's internal and external faith paths were isolated, and the hidden Heavenly Son's conscription of gods allowed the Supreme Royal Court to avoid external scrutiny of its true situation.

With no assistants and no strong support, he maneuvered alone among various factions in the Underworld, demonstrating the principle of "Vast Great Mu needs no baring of fangs and brandishing of claws; one person holding a section is enough to stabilize the Underworld."

He maximally exploited the Underworld interests that could be pried from the grassland. The remaining unextractable parts could only be divided by military force. In his identity as Min He Temple Master, he had done enough.

But what if, from the beginning, the one who transferred him to the Underworld didn't expect Mu Country to gain anything in the Underworld at this stage?

What if, from the beginning, he was simply a resource expended from the grassland?

The Emperor's expedition to conscript the Cang Tu Heavenly Country, the Mu Court central's busy efforts against the White Hair Wind, protecting the grassland people, himself as the Fu Ma on duty far away in the Underworld – at this critical moment, the chief elder of the joint elders group was executed and questioned, and he, this Li Qing, was completely unaware of such major events, already isolated both internally and externally...

As a descendant of Emperor Qin Huai, his first half of life had been turbulent with the fate of a political struggle loser. Zhao Rucheng could almost smell the bloody scent carried by the north wind.

His father, his grandfather, and this entire lineage had died in coups. How could he not think about what would happen to the internally and externally isolated grassland?

So he sliced through wind and snow, suddenly returning north.

So he called upon his third brother.

But from beginning to end, he never truly considered whether Tu Hu's assignment to him was entirely based on He Lian Zhao Tu's instructions, or whether Tu Hu had already thoroughly sided with He Lian Zhao Tu.

Because it wasn't necessary.

As the second most powerful figure in the entire Great Mu Empire, Tu Hu had no need to openly support any one imperial heir. He only needed to be loyal to the Great Mu Heavenly Son.

One could even say... if Tu Hu wanted to overtly support He Lian Zhao Tu, it wouldn't need to be so complex.

With his strength after shedding the Illusion Demon Lord mask and discussing the Dao with the Penglai Head Teacher, where was the need to go through such elaborate efforts to perform a play like this?

But the appearance of Wan Yan Qing Shuang within this sword, as a Chang Demon, was already a clearer stance.

A Chang Demon, like a Chang Ghost, theoretically has no possibility of growth.

Wan Yan Qing Ping, in her lifetime, never touched Dong Zhen. After degenerating into a Chang Demon and being defeated several times, she unexpectedly appeared within this sword, possessing killing power at the Dong Zhen level. This must certainly be related to Tu Hu.

Tu Hu returning this power to the Wan Yan clan could also indicate that the old grudges between him and the Wan Yan clan had been erased.

Then what could still prevent "Wu Tu Lu"'s support for He Lian Zhao Tu?

Facing Wan Yan Qing Shuang, who held this sword but was not a Dong Zhen herself, Wan Yan Du could only be afraid and unable to withstand.

That is to say, what He Lian Zhao Tu kept saying about not letting He Lian Yunyun test the Wan Yan clan was a lie. In fact, the hidden trouble on the Wan Yan clan's side had already been eliminated by Tu Hu!

So what was the purpose of this play today?

This is also not right!

"He absolutely impossible, and absolutely should not—" Zhao Rucheng's words stopped halfway: "Third brother, is it safe to talk on this Immortal Boat?"

Jiang Wang said calmly: "Just as I mentioned the God Crown Great Priest, the See-Hear Immortal Boat has already flown into my Yin-Yang Realm. The grassland you all saw is a See-Hear illusion. What the outside world sees of the Immortal Boat is also just the See-Hear's virtual shadow. I can't say it's absolutely safe here, but unless a Transcendent is flying alongside, no one can possibly hear our conversation."

He Lian Yunyun followed up: "Have we flown out of the grassland yet?"

Jiang Wang understood the implied meaning and focused on driving the boat and tracking. After a moment, he said: "It is absolutely safe now. We have not only flown out of the grassland, but also jumped into the Tai Xu Illusion Realm."

Zhao Rucheng didn't care to sigh at his third brother's mysterious methods and went straight to the point: "In terms of cultivation, Tu Hu is already at the Absolute Peak. In terms of power, Tu Hu is second only to one person in Mu Country. What is he doing this for? He has no reason to take sides in the heir struggle. Unless..."

He looked at He Lian Yunyun: "Unless Your Majesty has already failed in the Cang Tu Heavenly Country, Tu Hu might want to turn and be loyal to the Cang Tu God, or perhaps seek the Supreme."

He shook his head again: "But what kind of person is He Lian Zhao Tu! If Tu Hu truly had different intentions, he couldn't possibly let him be manipulated."

"It's too contradictory." Zhao Rucheng couldn't resolve his confusion: "The current situation is that He Lian Zhao Tu already has a cooperation with Tu Hu—He Lian Zhao Tu's cooperation with Tu Hu must be based on Tu Hu's loyalty to Mu Country. But if Tu Hu is still loyal to Mu Country, how would he detach from Your Majesty to declare and publicly support He Lian Zhao Tu's coup?"

He Lian Yunyun also shook her head: "If my mother fails in her far expedition, Tu Hu won't get the news before we do. Moreover, the White Hair Wind is still rampant, divine blood is continuously spilled, and the war inside the Cang Tu Heavenly Country hasn't stopped and is becoming increasingly intense."

"Standing at Tu Hu's level, besides the leap in individual strength and the pursuit of power, one cannot ignore that there are still ideals. Is there such a possibility—" Jiang Wang asked: "Could Tu Hu be the God Hero?"

He analyzed: "In the Zhong Duo Chan incident, there was a key link, which was Min Ha Er's preaching in the Middle Domain many years ago. And in the Heavenly Capital Blood Rain against the Six True Ones, Tu Hu was also a bystander. People from Jing Country have evidence indicating that precisely someone activated a Zhang World Honored Heavenly Contract at that time, which in turn affected the Feng Chan Well Middle Moon."

He looked at He Lian Yunyun, his tone deliberate: "The Cang Tu God Teach God Temple Great Priest... the God Hero, could there be some connection between these?"

Activating the World Honored Heavenly Contract during the Heavenly Capital Blood Rain could still be a private action. Min Ha Er's preaching in the Middle Domain that year, an attempt to save Zen, was a Mu Country national policy! If Tu Hu were the God Hero, it would also be inseparably linked to Mu Country's support!

"Tu Hu impossible is the God Hero." He Lian Yunyun calmly denied this possibility: "The timeline doesn't match. On the day he shed the Illusion Demon Lord mask, he only formally ascended to the peak. Before that, he was always divided between human and god, not the Absolute Peak—Bei Gong Nan Tu was always very vigilant towards him. If he had advanced to the Absolute Peak, he wouldn't have been able to hide it."

Bei Gong Nan Tu was once called the "existence on the grassland closest to god."

At that time, Tu Hu, as the Gold Crown Priest, and Bei Gong Nan Tu's struggle was also a long-term, treacherous process, and Tu Hu was always on the weaker side.

The two words "vigilant" from He Lian Yunyun's mouth then describe a segment of extremely dangerous history.

No one ascends to the peak casually.

This is especially true for someone in Tu Hu's position.

So his choices shouldn't be so strange.

To be able to operate under Bei Gong Nan Tu's long-term vigilance, he must be someone who doesn't make mistakes!

"You are right." Jiang Wang seemed lost in thought: "With Tu Hu's wisdom, if he really had some plan, he wouldn't show such obvious flaws to me. This Chang Demon named Wan Yan Qing Ping is instead more like a kind of reminder to me—because I precisely saw this Chang Demon."

He Lian Yunyun and Zhao Rucheng exchanged a glance and suddenly realized—when did Tu Hu publicly support He Lian Zhao Tu?

If Jiang Wang hadn't arrived in person, with only the two of them, they fundamentally wouldn't have seen the problem within Wan Yan Qing Shuang's sword.

It wasn't just that Jiang Wang saw the Chang Demon named Wan Yan Qing Ping, but also that he connected it to Tu Hu.

So things just appear more contradictory.

Why would Tu Hu want to obscurely support He Lian Zhao Tu? Since he chose to be obscure, why would he expose himself in a place like this?

And then personally transfer Zhao Rucheng away, specifically with Wan Yan Qing Ping—a person like Tu Hu, even if he makes some mistakes or has leaks, it's impossible for him to make two mistakes simultaneously in such major matters!

"My judgment of He Lian Zhao Tu is based on his independent and autonomous foundation. And this point is beyond doubt." Zhao Rucheng analyzed: "As a Great Mu imperial heir, bearing the country's momentum and tied to the country's fate, it's impossible for He Lian Zhao Tu to be silently controlled. Especially as he has just extraordinaryly ascended to the peak—in a controlled situation, he couldn't possibly complete this step."

"Is there a possibility that his extraordinary ascent to the peak was precisely to confirm this point to us?" He looked at He Lian Yunyun: "Now that I think about it, if he purely wanted to force you to bow and leave a life shadow on you, it would indeed be too petty and not his style. Perhaps, Tu Hu and He Lian Zhao Tu are indeed cooperating, but the purpose of their cooperation is not to strive for the heir."

A sudden coup completely subverted their inherent understanding of He Lian Zhao Tu.

He Lian Yunyun indeed saved lives at any cost, but how could He Lian Zhao Tu have ignored this terrifying White Hair Wind for so long? He even personally risked his life to rescue Hu Yan Jing Xuan.

It was only because both siblings had indeed given sincerely that this grassland coup happened so suddenly and unprepared.

But before the two words "power," everything also has historical cause and effect. Flipping through history books, conflicts within the same family are repeatedly seen and are not new. He Lian Yunyun could only grit her teeth and accept it, feeling only that she was not sharp enough, not ruthless enough, and not wise enough.

But at this moment, her face was pale!

Even when He Lian Zhao Tu forced her to swear to withdraw from the heir struggle, she wasn't this composed!

"Yunyun. Tell me and third brother—" Jiang Wang knew she was finding it hard to think calmly at this moment, so he actively guided the conversation: "This time, how much confidence does the Mu Heavenly Son have in this far expedition to the Cang Tu Heavenly Country?"

He Lian Yunyun didn't answer directly but recited from historical books: "《Mu Book》 records that in Dao Calendar year 107, the Too Ancestor abdicated and ascended to the Heavenly Country, serving before the Cang Tu God's seat. As a child singing poems beneath the seat, forever bathing in divine grace."

Jiang Wang's eyes subtly widened. He had also read 《Mu Book》 and remembered that this passage was not in it.

However, the Mu Too Ancestor established the country in Dao Calendar year 28 and abdicated in Dao Calendar year 107, reigning for only seventy-nine years. Among the founding lords of all overlord countries, he was counted as the one with the shortest reign, far less than a hundred years of political term—which founding hero didn't aim to unify the world and forever prove the six directions? Who didn't sit until their political term was about to end, determining they couldn't advance, and only then had to leave their seat?

If what He Lian Yunyun recited from this historical material was true, then the Mu Too Ancestor's abdication that year was likely greatly related to the Cang Tu God.

After all, a grand founding emperor who created an overlord enterprise, only to become a child singing poems beneath the Cang Tu God's seat—this divine power is too high, and the imperial power is too low!

No wonder generations of Mu Country emperors were unwilling and launched challenges against divine power one after another.

"This is the 《Mu Book》 from the year of Too Zong's ascension." He Lian Yunyun said: "But history doesn't remain unchanged. After Too Zong abdicated, the record about the Too Ancestor's abdication in 《Mu Book》 became—'Listed among the twelve main gods of the Cang Tu Heavenly Country, managing heavenly phenomena'."

History, of course, will change!

Just like Feng Five Classes became Feng Nine Classes.

Jiang Wang vaguely saw a path similar to Huang Wei Zhen but completely different.

"The change in Too Ancestor's status within the Cang Tu Heavenly Country was the result of his own efforts after entering the Heavenly Country, and also the result of Too Zong's tireless work in the human world." He Lian Yunyun continued: "So after two more generations, during Ren Emperor's time, 《Mu Book》 thus records—'Too Ancestor ascended to the Heavenly Country, becoming the first main god of the Cang Tu Heavenly Country, to show his honor'."

Mu Too Zong He Lian Hong and Mu Ren Emperor He Lian Zhi Fei are both famous wise rulers in Mu Country's history.

That is to say, at this time, Mu Too Ancestor He Lian Qing Tong's status within the Cang Tu Heavenly Country was already second only to the Cang Tu God.

This was more than just a small change in text in 《Mu Book》; it was clearly He Lian Qing Tong's history of struggle in the divine realm!

In the human world, he rose from being a simple shepherd boy to create an overlord country. After going to the Cang Tu Heavenly Country, he again struggled from a singing child to become the first main god!

What kind of inspiring legend is this?

Especially since He Lian Qing Tong abdicated after only seventy-nine years in power and immediately went to the Cang Tu Heavenly Country to become a singing child before the divine seat, which clearly implies a sense of being demoted.

That is to say... the Cang Tu God already had some reservations about him.

So He Lian Qing Tong's history of struggle in the Cang Tu Heavenly Country was even more difficult than his struggle in the human world.

To be able to walk step by step upward in this situation, he must have held a key that the Cang Tu God could not do without.

Then what did He Lian Qing Tong leave behind when he abdicated that year?

Besides the He Lian royal clan, who inherited his ambition and advanced towards divine power generation after generation, what else was key?

He Lian Yunyun's voice continued: "And by the time of Wei Emperor... in 《Mu Book》, there is already no record of Too Ancestor ascending to the Heavenly Country, and in all records of the Cang Tu God Teach, no such divine position appears."

Jiang Wang's heart stirred.

From a singing child to one of the twelve main gods, then to the first main god, and finally to his divine name disappearing... Obviously, during the Mu Wei Emperor period, He Lian Qing Tong's history of struggle within the Cang Tu Heavenly Country welcomed a major turning point.

According to the view of mainstream historians, it was Mu Wei Emperor He Lian Ren Rui and Mu Lie Emperor He Lian Wen Hong together, two generations of monarchs, who jointly established the parallel rule of kingly power and divine power on the grassland.

Then could this turning point be understood as turning in a direction that benefited He Lian Qing Tong?

He couldn't help but think of what Mu Fu Yao had told him about seizing a god!

In 《Shi Dao Zao Hai · Mu Lue》, there was only one line on this: "Dao Calendar year 107, Mu Too Ancestor He Lian Qing Tong abdicated."

Mister Si Ma Heng, when recording emperors, always only recorded until the end of their political life. There was indeed a reason for this. Otherwise, he would have had to revise his manuscript several times for the Mu Too Ancestor.

"Was the Mu Too Ancestor's struggle in the Cang Tu Heavenly Country ultimately to replace the Cang Tu God?" Jiang Wang asked: "Is the contemporary Mu Heavenly Son's far expedition to the Cang Tu Heavenly Country just to complete the last step?"

He Lian Yunyun looked at him in surprise but was also used to her third brother's extraordinary understanding: "This is indeed the endeavor of our He Lian royal clan for a hundred generations. Every dynasty has regarded it as the highest secret, only passed down to the emperor. It is to say that only now, when kingly power has already surpassed divine power, can my brother and I know."

"After Too Ancestor became the first main god of the Cang Tu Heavenly Country, his divine power increased day by day, and the faith of the Mu people on the grassland in him once surpassed that in the Cang Tu God."

"The Cang Tu God, on one hand, enjoyed the expansion of the divine realm that Too Ancestor brought Him. On the other hand, He couldn't tolerate Too Ancestor's growth, so He repeatedly issued divine decrees to reduce Too Ancestor's divine position—under Wei Emperor's full support, Too Ancestor directly launched a seizure of the divine position in the Cang Tu Heavenly Country!"

"This war directly led to the closure of the Cang Tu Heavenly Country. We couldn't contact Too Ancestor, and the Cang Tu God Teach also couldn't directly contact the Cang Tu God. Only the Cang Tu God's divine power continued to be broadcast."

"We have always kept this matter hidden from the outside world. Whether it's the Cang Tu God Teach or the imperial family, our interests in this matter are consistent."

"And this divine war never ended, always continuing until today."

"Today, when kingly power on the grassland has already suppressed divine power, our emperor's reopening of the Cang Tu Heavenly Country and personal expedition inside is just to draw the final conclusion to this divine war. According to reason, it is already a nine-out-of-ten certainty."

Her tone could no longer suppress her unease: "But my mother still hasn't returned until today..."

Her worry for He Lian Zhao Tu lay precisely in this. She suspected that He Lian Zhao Tu's forcing her out of the grassland had another reason!

People can endure coldness, but it's hard to face warmth.

"No way." He Lian Yunyun stood up: "I must go back—"

She then stopped herself: "No, going back now is meaningless. Since they knew the news before me, there must be a reason why they knew it earlier. They made such arrangements, and there must be corresponding considerations. I cannot mess things up."

This Great Mu imperial daughter quickly calmed down: "Tu Hu wouldn't do meaningless things... Why would he expose Wan Yan Qing Ping? Why would he provoke third brother?"

She looked at Zhao Rucheng: "Rucheng, when Tu Hu sent you to the Underworld, did he give you any instructions?"

"It was just normal diplomacy—" Zhao Rucheng said, then suddenly looked up: "When I rushed to the East Sea, Tu Hu had someone send me the Great Mu Symbol Section. I held the section and established the Cang Tu God Account in the Underworld!"