Chapter 149 Bombarding the Imperial Palace, Civil War Erupts

At the same time, inside the Lritang Palace, which was sealed off by the Five Mountains Grand Display Formation.

Wang Cheng looked healthy and full of vigor, his complexion rosy and his spirit robust. Wearing a loose Daoist robe, he slowly concluded yet another session of Qi-ingestion.

However, placed before him were not the international trade currencies capable of producing the Myriad Nations Market Exchange Precious Qi, but a slightly withered green flower—the Liver Flower of the Five Temples Divine Store Flowers!

Feigning to have been ambushed to show weakness to the enemy, and having enjoyed several days of leisure, Wang Cheng suddenly remembered that he had also seized this treasure of immense hidden danger.

After careful study, he finally figured out a utilization method that, while somewhat wasteful, was the most practical:

"Do not consume the Five Temples Divine Store Flower entirely; ingest only its Qi. Three mouthfuls are optimal, taken in three separate doses with an interval of one day between each session. This allows one to forcefully open the Liver Temple completely without any side effects."

Having discovered this method to eliminate side effects while reaping the benefits, Wang Cheng spared no hesitation in using the immortal medicine of immortality in his possession.

Today was the third time. The Liver Flower, which had remained vibrant ever since it was plucked, had now noticeably withered quite a bit.

Pop!

With a crisp sound, deep within Wang Cheng's pitch-black body, alongside a tiny Kidney Temple, a Liver Temple emerged once more.

This spared him anywhere from several months to several years of grueling polishing time.

The two temples resonated with each other, and a speck of heart-light became increasingly lively. The area it illuminated expanded significantly, and even the Horn Wood Dragon and the dual Qi of wind and thunder benefited from it.

His combat power visibly elevated by a small tier.

From now on, even if he burned the midnight oil every day writing military books and practicing the mace technique, he would still be able to wake up the next day looking utterly refreshed.

As Wang Cheng opened his eyes, he saw raging flames nearby. A fiery red, giant fox standing as tall as a person was flicking the four tails at its hindquarters, scattering a sheet of golden-red fox fur.

Upon landing, the fur unexpectedly transformed into dozens of foxes made of fire, each with a single strand of fox fur growing on its forehead, fueling the inferno to burn brighter and fiercer.

With a shake of its body, the giant fox transformed back into the appearance of Shen Yueye.

"It took a total of seven days back and forth, but my Ocean-Crossing Star-Pulling Technique has finally reached the second layer, and incidentally, I've preliminarily forged a squad of Fire Fox Soldiers.

Considered just in time for this civil war."

In theory, let alone ten days or a half month, some people couldn't even forge their own temple army ghosts and soldiers in a lifetime.

However, for cultivators of the Ocean-Crossing Star-Pulling Technique like them, as long as they achieved the second layer, they could take shortcuts by borrowing the power of the Twenty-Eight Mansions.

Unlike Wang Cheng, who walked an ascension route of the Twenty-Eight Mansions: Horn Wood Dragon, the Four Symbols: Azure Dragon, and the Three Enclosures, Shen Yueye specialized in the Heart Moon Fox, progressing from an initial single tail to three tails, then from three tails to six tails, and finally from six tails to the highest nine tails.

Coupled with the fact that her fox robe, much like Wang Cheng's dragon robe, was crafted from the finest materials, she had indeed managed to accomplish something remarkable just upon entering the Fifth Rank.

These Fire Fox Soldiers forged from fox fur were certainly far inferior to veteran temple army ghosts and soldiers, but they were at least usable in battle.

Shen Yueye also sighed with a hint of regret:

"It's a pity that our folk do not have the Secret Scrolls of the Military Dao circulating widely, so we cannot form various formations.

Even if we forge our own temple army ghosts and soldiers, it's very difficult to contend with the imperial court's grand army; we are inherently suppressed by a notch."

Wang Cheng walked up to her and comforted her:

"That's not necessarily true. In fact, there is a great opportunity this time.

I heard that Wang Boan of this dynasty, who reached the First-Rank Confucian Saint realm during his lifetime, single-handedly wrote four military books: Records of Military Affairs, Yangming Military Strategy, Reviews of the Seven Military Classics, and Records of Strategic and Tactical Shortcuts through Dynasties.

The Secret Scrolls of the Military Dao evolved from them must be quite numerous.

Our rivals happen to have his fourth-generation disciple Jiang Wenyuan, a follower and descendant of his. With some luck, we might actually get to witness them.

Of course, even if we can't snatch a copy from the imperial court's hands, the day your junior brother's own military book is published, I will definitely take you along to soar!"

Shen Yueye clearly did not believe a word of this upon hearing it. She stretched out her delicate, jade-white finger to lightly scratch her fragrant cheek and teased him without any mercy:

"Braggart! Merely writing a book is nothing; receiving the feedback of public will and aspiration is the hardest part. How many such military books have there been throughout history?

As long as the military book you write can produce even a single Secret Scroll of the Military Dao, this senior sister of mine will immediately pack her bags, move into Lritang Palace, and serve as your rough-work maid, fetching tea and water without a single refusal."

Though she had seen him writing and sketching whenever he had free time lately, she simply did not believe that this junior brother, who had just turned eighteen by nominal age, possessed the ability to write military books.

Slap!

Wang Cheng raised his hand and slapped palms with her in agreement:

"A heavy word carries a single promise, the heart harbors no double vows, it's a deal!

Whoever dares to break the oath shall hunt each other down!"

"Who's afraid of whom?"

At that moment, Wang Cheng raised his head and saw a corner of Pinghu Port ablaze with towering flames.

There was no trace of surprise on his face. Calmly, he ignited an incense stick and sent a signal to Luo Wenlong:

"Lord Luo, it's time to make a move."

On the other end, Luo Wenlong's eyes were completely bloodshot:

"Alright. Days have felt like years to me during this period. The emissary fleet has already reached the designated position under the pretext of meeting pirates, and they've been waiting for your words.

After the three-way melee among them, we will take charge of the second wave of attack."

Earlier, Wang Cheng had dispatched the formless and intangible dual Qi of wind and thunder to track Mao Haifeng.

Initially, nothing was discovered, but by the time Mao Haifeng began exhibiting abnormal reactions due to the influence of the sorcery and cursing arts, Wang Cheng watched as he moved into his own camp's water fortress.

After searching, it was basically confirmed that Wang Cuiqiao had been taken aboard the sailing warship San Diego, which had been previously captured by Mao Haifeng (Chapter 109).

However, no one had seen her since; it remained unknown what this eldest sister-in-law was actually doing inside the self-contained spatial realm of the bountiful garden.

Wang Cheng had immediately shared the intelligence with Luo Wenlong under the alias Wang Fugui, and also reported the good news that he had persuaded the Prince of Wang to agree to an alliance.

He had met the Painted Person in his true physical form, and the two had established a legal covenant in their respective capacities as the Lord of the East Sea Realm and the Chief Imperial Envoy, supervised and enforced by the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Rhythm.

By the time Wang Cheng pinched out the incense tip, the towering flames surging from the direction of the Black Peak Banner had already become clearly visible to ordinary people in Pinghu Port.

"A lower-third-rank prince should theoretically die within three days. Even if the carpenter performing the sorcery applies no cursing arts whatsoever and relies solely on the effect of the tung-wood figurine itself, he can hold on for no more than seven days.

The Xuanwu Gate plaque can monitor whether competitors are dead or not; any normal person would have grown suspicious by this point.

Not to mention, I have a group of turncoats among them.

I know better than anyone that if I don't strike first, the main force of the Black Peak Banner will come to besiege my palace."

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Before his voice had even faded, two warships moored in the port that appeared unrelated to any faction simultaneously adjusted their artillery firing arcs and launched a bombardment against the palace not far from the shore.

The flash of gunfire abruptly illuminated the night sky.

Without a doubt, this was precisely the vanguard force dispatched by Mao Haifeng's command.

He had clearly realized that something was amiss and, just like Wang Cheng, had chosen to strike first without prior consultation. Between them, only one could survive until tomorrow!

To rewind slightly.

Ever since the witchcraft tung-wood figurine was buried, Mao Haifeng had observed from the palace for two days before moving to the water fortress garrisoned by the Black Peak Banner.

Under his command were nearly twenty sailing warships serving as the absolute main force. Even if they were merely cruisers, adventure ships, and armed merchant vessels, lacking even a single fourth-rate or higher ship-of-the-line, their firepower was still far stronger than that of the four-hundred-liao or five-hundred-liao hard-sailed Fuchuan junks.

Meanwhile, that sailing warship San Diego, which had already been entirely revitalized and transformed into a talismanic-response suppression artifact, had become Mao Haifeng's new flagship.

The Kidney Flower among the Five Temples Divine Store Flowers was also aboard this ship.

Draped in a dark-ink Qilin robe, Mao Haifeng stood at the bow of the ship, his complexion frighteningly pale, as though he had contracted some severe illness.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

In truth, he had harbored ominous forebodings for quite some time.

Because of the effect of the Xuanwu Gate plaque, the moment a "brother" died, they would be able to sense it immediately.

Yet after three, four, and five days passed, he discovered that Wang Cheng still had not died, while the symptoms on his own body grew increasingly severe.

He had consulted all the renowned physicians in the East Sea Realm, yet none could diagnose the cause.

This was not merely the effect of the tung-wood figurine.

It was a triple superposition of the loyal confidant Gao Ren, the shifting of public aspiration dictated by destiny, and the witchcraft tung-wood figurine. Even Jiang Wenyuan, the mastermind behind it all, wasn't entirely certain whether he had mistakenly struck the wrong target.

Not even a calamity of witchcraft and sorcery could be this ill-fated.

As for the carpenter Chen who was responsible for the sorcery, some accident must have befallen him, as he had lost contact long ago, making it difficult to seek verification from him.

"Something must be terribly wrong with me.

I cannot wait until the seventh day according to the original plan; it's uncertain whether Wang Cheng or I will fall first.

Under the current circumstances, my only option is to strike first, breach the palace, and assassinate Wang Cheng. Even if there are some lingering troubles, I can no longer afford to care about them.

The death-sworn men I raised have entered in batches the corresponding berths whose artillery range is sufficient to cover the palace.

Wait a little longer, and the main force under my command can march over in the name of suppressing a riot, flattening them in one fell swoop.

Right, and there is also this..."

He turned his head to glance at the Five Temples Divine Store Flower—the Kidney Flower—sprouting from a crack in the ship's cabin.

"The kidneys govern reproduction" is one of the core theories of contemporary medicine, which holds that the kidneys play a dominant role in the development and functional maintenance of the reproductive system.

The kidneys store the congenital essence, regulating the maturation of reproductive organs and the rise and fall of reproductive capacity through "Tiankui" (heavenly Kuei); the degree of abundance of essence and Qi directly determines an individual's fertility.

Therefore, the domain at which this "Kidney Flower" excelled most was reproduction!

Mao Haifeng had specifically procured a formula for the Immortal Offering Infallible Pregnancy Pill.

Principal herb: Dipsacus, Radix Glehniae, Eucommia (mainly nourishes the kidneys and strengthens Yang, promotes reproduction); Ministerial herbs: Angelica, Cyperus, Motherwort (regulates Qi and blood circulation, improves the uterine environment);

Assistant herbs: Chuanxiong, citrus peel, Amomum fruit (regulates Qi and dispels dampness, enhances drug absorption).

He had replaced the Eucommia in the formula with a "Kidney Flower," compounded it into pills, and fed them to Wang Cuiqiao!

"Perhaps in the next hour, perhaps in the very next moment, the official star upon her will belong to me.

Luo Wenlong, the Official Star Peach Blossom Grid is mine; you will never even dream of taking it away."

With a wave of his sleeve, he was just about to order his fleet to set sail.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The vanguard forces under the command of Xu Weixue and Peng Laosheng preempted his death-sworn men's bombardment of the palace by shelling his camp a step earlier.

A civil war that dragged every single mountain stronghold of the Five Peaks Banner into its vortex erupted abruptly.