Chapter 421: Chapter 421

Fang Junmei, Fang Xiwu, and the other Han Dynasty cultivators stepped forward together, saluting Lei Jun, who now appeared in the guise of Wang Xu.

Fang Yue also straightened his robes and stepped up to offer a bow:

“Junior Fang Yue, long have I heard of Master Dongyang’s name. To meet you in person today is a blessing beyond measure.”

“Wang Xu” stood at the bow of the boat, not stopping, only nodding toward Fang Yue, Fang Junmei, and the others in acknowledgment:

“The floodwaters still remain. Don’t lower your guard.”

Fang Junmei then said, “His Majesty has issued a decree, inviting Master Dongyang to Chang’an for a private audience.”

“Later,” Wang Xu replied coolly.

Then, looking at Fang Junmei: “You’ll come with me.”

He turned to Fang Yue and Fang Xiwu and said, “Thank you both for your hard work here.”

Fang Yue replied, “Just as Master Dongyang said, there are still flood issues to be resolved. I was about to lend a hand.”

Fang Xiwu gave Fang Junmei a long, meaningful look. Whatever he thought, now he could only silently watch Fang Junmei depart.

Fang Junmei hurriedly stepped into the water and boarded the boat, which drifted smoothly downstream.

“Wang Xu” stood calmly at the bow in his raincloak, hands behind his back, and asked quietly, “You’re from the Fang Family?”

Fang Junmei replied, “I am Fang Junmei. Master, please just call me by my courtesy name—Chixing.”

Wang Xu didn’t comment. “How is His Majesty these days?”

Fang Junmei cautiously answered, “His Majesty is well, though often reminiscing about the old days and lost friends. When he heard you had returned from your travels, he was very pleased.”

“Wang Xu” said, “The Han realm has changed a lot in recent years.”

Fang Junmei responded, “Indeed. The times are shifting dramatically, and the pace of change is staggering. Thankfully, Master has returned. Without your intervention today, that Flame Island Turtle Emperor would surely have ravaged the shores of Lake Poyang...”

“Wang Xu” cut him off calmly, “That demon turtle managed to slip past the Jiangnan waterways and surface at the northern edge of Lake Poyang because someone helped it.”

When Fang Junmei had seen the Turtle Emperor captured by Master Dongyang’s Nation Under Heaven, he had already begun speculating about how it would end.

In theory, while Confucian scholars who cultivated the Nation Under Heaven technique could create independent worlds, their sealing ability wasn’t this strong.

If Master Dongyang were personally presiding within the Nation Under Heaven, that would explain it.

But if he were outside and left a Nine Heavens Demon like the Turtle Emperor inside, it should’ve caused chaos by now—if not broken free entirely.

Such an overwhelmingly powerful sealing domain was more reminiscent of a Daoist Great Ascension Realm domain.

But a Daoist cultivator maintaining such a domain would need to be inside it. It couldn’t be this detached figure standing before him.

And yet, Master Dongyang cultivated all three Confucian branches and had attained Pacify All Under Heaven. His abilities truly defied expectations.

While Fang Junmei was marveling, he also pondered what “Wang Xu” had said:

“Just as you said, Master—if a great demon can enter our Han mountains and rivers undetected by the Dragon Qi of the land, someone must’ve helped it. And that someone… must be from our own Han realm—not some Southern Wasteland cult.”

“Wang Xu” looked out over the wide river and said, “It was someone from the Witch Sect.”

He hadn’t slain the Turtle Emperor outright because he wanted to investigate.

Fang Junmei’s heart skipped a beat at these words.

He looked at the cloaked figure’s back, caught in a dilemma.

Just moments ago, he’d been in awe of this man’s cultivation. Now, he could only feel dread.

“Wang Xu” didn’t continue speaking.

After a pause, Fang Junmei quietly said, “Master, your insight is piercing. I dare not conceal anything.”

He took out a brocade pouch from his person, opened it, and poured out a jade-like bone:

“This item was a gift from an old acquaintance. It is indeed of Witch Sect origin, but I have never conspired with any demon. Please judge me justly, Master.”

“Wang Xu” finally turned and looked at him.

Fang Junmei held the Witch Bone Jade calmly and offered it up.

“Wang Xu” did not take it. He only said coolly, “Conduct yourself well.”

“Yes, Master.” Fang Junmei breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Master Dongyang was deep in thought.

It’s also from the Kongsang Witch Sect, but not the same branch... Lei Jun thought.

The jade Fang Junmei carried matched clues brought back by Tang Xiaotang from the Khanate Realm—likely of the Dudu Branch of Kongsang.

But the Witch Sect techniques used to aid the Turtle Emperor belonged to a different lineage.

The fabled Kongsang Heavenly Capital, perhaps?

Inside Lei Jun’s Great Ascension Domain, the Turtle Emperor was already being tormented near death by the Hanhai Sword and Guangmo Sword.

Upon entering the Xuanhuang Universe, the demon immediately realized it wasn’t trapped in a Confucian domain, but a Daoist Great Ascension Realm.

As for the terrifying sword aura it had encountered earlier, that was Lei Jun using the two sacred Confucian swords—Hanhai and Guangmo.

These had originally been refined to suit his magnetic flying sword techniques, but retained their Confucian essence.

With the Haoran Jade concealing him, Lei Jun could use them to convincingly mimic Haoran Sword Qi, making it appear like the work of a Confucian grandmaster.

Only by entering that "Nation Under Heaven" could one see the truth.

Just like the Turtle Emperor now.

Sadly, it would never live to tell the tale.

As for the arrow it had taken—by its understanding, that had clearly come from a master of the Divine Archery Lineage.

Which only confused it more.

The enemy simultaneously mastered Daoist Talismanic Arts and Confucian Divine Archery—and to such a terrifying level?

“For now, I can only mimic White Arrow. I’ll have to skip Territory-Setting Arrow Domain.” Lei Jun shook his head.

While the Rising Sun Bow was indeed the treasure of Wang Xu, that light arrow had not come from it—it had been fired directly from Lei Jun’s brow.

Channeled through the Haoran Jade, the Yin-Yang Divine Radiance appeared just like a top-tier Confucian archer’s strike.

Confucian Divine Archery grandmasters at the Nine Heavens were also known to have reached Pacify All Under Heaven—specifically through the Five Shots:

White Arrow (Bai Shi)

Linked Stars (Can Lian)

Piercing Stream (Shan Zhu)

Mutual Measure (Xiang Chi)

Well Alignment (Jing Yi)

The first realm, White Arrow, delivered a near-invisible strike fast enough to pierce the void. Unless opponents had forewarning, it was nearly impossible to dodge—except perhaps for Martial Saints.

Even a Daoist Artifact Refining Sect Grandmaster at Nine Heavens would need to have mastered Boundless Earth Qi to react in time.

Back during the Battle of Datong, Fang Xing of the Fang Family had used such a strike against Tang Xiaotang, who only avoided it thanks to her Heavenly Insight Talisman.

Lei Jun found Yin-Yang Divine Radiance perfect for mimicking White Arrow.

But the Territory-Setting Arrow Domain from the Eighth Heaven was different—it involved four arrows forming a territory seal, limiting movement. Lei Jun couldn't replicate that—at least not fourfold.

Nor could he mimic the Linked Stars technique, which fired multiple overlapping arrows in a cascade of damage and suppression.

However, he could simulate Piercing Stream (an instantaneous soul-piercing arrow that required no bow) and Mutual Measure (a reactive step-and-shoot movement technique).

The latter was especially useful against Martial Saints who closed in—essentially a dodge-then-counterstrike technique with speed rivaling a Martial Saint’s close-quarters assault.

Lei Jun found this quite easy to pull off.

He was immensely grateful that Wang Xu, the Dongyang Hermit, had mastered all three Confucian branches.

Had Wang Xu only been an Exegesis Scholar, many of Lei Jun’s tactics would’ve been unfeasible.

Now, his “patchwork” arsenal actually offered strategic flexibility—and was even enjoyable to reconfigure.

Of course, fully entering his “Nation Under Heaven” was another matter entirely.

The Turtle Emperor was tough and kept its mouth shut.

Still, Lei Jun gleaned one valuable clue:

A name—Longfeng, related to the Great Shaman connected to Tan Muwei.

So they were of the Heavenly Capital Lineage of Kongsang?

And they weren’t operating in the Southern Wasteland, but had long been embedded in the Han territory?

Even though Lei Jun shared a boat with Fang Junmei, the disparity in cultivation was so great that Lei Jun could openly communicate via Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Talisman without Fang noticing.

“Heavenly Capital and Earthly Capital—interesting naming.”

From Lei Jun’s ear came the voice of his Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen:

“There’s also the issue of Taiqing’s Salvation Grotto and Kunlun. We should go investigate later.”

“Feels like the Kongsang Witch Sect is planning something big—or maybe already did, but had to halt halfway due to Dongyang,” Lei Jun said.

“Too bad Wang Xu died early, and because of curse entanglements, couldn’t say a word.”

“What about you?” Xu Yuanzhen asked casually. “Planning something big in the Han realm?”

She, of course, understood Lei Jun’s stance on the aristocratic clans.

“Still observing.” Lei Jun answered honestly.

“First, I get the feeling someone wants to use me as a knife, and I’d rather not play into their hand.

Second, some noble families in Han seem to be undergoing internal shifts—I’d like to see where that leads.”

Xu Yuanzhen replied nonchalantly, “Alright, up to you.”

As Lei Jun conversed with Xu Yuanzhen, the Zhou Heavenly Mirror of Jade Purity was surveying the surroundings.

Before long, familiar faces appeared within its view.

The Wang Clan of Langya.

Some had rushed to Lake Poyang upon hearing of Master Dongyang’s appearance there. Others were heading downstream, hoping to run into him by chance.

Lei Jun, drifting naturally with the current, had no intention of rushing ahead.

Thus, Wang Jian of the Wang Clan of Langya, along with the others, made it just in time to intercept him at a downstream riverbank.

"…There he is!" Wang Bujiu looked out across the river and was the first to speak: "It’s Sixth Uncle!"

The others looked and indeed saw a small skiff drifting effortlessly with the current.

The scene appeared relaxed and unworldly, completely devoid of mortal tension.

Yet beneath that fragile-looking skiff, the great river surged and roared.

The Great River of the Han human realm, like that of the Tang, was a true natural barrier. Ordinary people couldn’t cross it, and even cultivators of lower and mid-tier realms would be torn apart by the chaotic spiritual currents within.

Yet now, the seemingly frail lone boat moved peacefully upon the raging river, strangely calm and serene.

Lei Jun, in the form of the Eastern Yang Hermit, Wang Xu, stood at the bow clad in a rain cloak.

When he spotted the Wang Clan disciples—Wang Jian, Wang Bujiu, and the others—his expression remained unshaken. He nodded calmly in greeting.

Wang Jian saw that “Wang Xu” didn’t slow the boat and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. As righteous Qi rippled around him, his figure floated to the side of the skiff and glided along with it.

Wang Bujiu, whose cultivation was comparable, followed suit. The remaining clan members dared not enter the water and instead sent urgent messages to the ancestral estate while tracking them from the riverbank.

“Sixth Brother, how have you been?” Wang Jian asked.

“Wang Xu” glanced at the two men walking in midair over the river and replied evenly, “Long time no see, Third Brother. Come aboard and let’s talk as we go.”

Wang Jian thanked him and quickly brought Wang Bujiu aboard.

“Wang Xu’s” gaze fell upon Wang Bujiu.

Wang Jian introduced, “This is Fourth Brother’s second son. His name is Wang Bujiu, seventh among his generation.”

Wang Bujiu stepped forward and bowed. “Sixth Uncle.”

Wang Jian’s attention now shifted to Fang Junmei, curious why this person had been given such special regard to share a boat with “Wang Xu.”

This Fang clan member had a terrible reputation in the circles of Han’s noble families.

Though the Fang Clan of Jingxiang had tried to place pawns across multiple factions, Fang Junmei was considered the worst among them.

Many noble scions had pledged to the court, but only he had earned a name as a sycophantic flatterer.

And yet, this man appeared to have Wang Xu’s special favor, which sent complex signals and left Wang Jian guessing.

Fang Junmei greeted Wang Jian and Wang Bujiu with a calm expression.

But inwardly, he was no more at ease, despite standing beside the Eastern Yang Hermit.

“The estate has kept your residence in order all these years,” Wang Jian said softly. “There are dedicated attendants to keep it clean and maintained.”

“Wang Xu” replied in his usual tone, “I appreciate it.”

Wang Jian paused briefly, then continued, “These years, we’ve been trying to contact you, but no word ever came. The whole family was deeply concerned.”

“I was recovering,” “Wang Xu” said calmly.

Wang Jian, Wang Bujiu, and Fang Junmei were all taken aback.

“I’m not fully recovered yet, but the timing felt right, so I’ve emerged.”

He gazed over the riverbanks. “The mortal realm has changed so much… even Mount Longhu is no more.”

Wang Jian noted that he never brought up past events, nor spoke of returning to the Wang Clan ancestral land. With a silent sigh, he could only follow the thread and briefly describe recent changes in the Han human realm.

“Has the Vast Void Temple reached the Jianye region?”

“Wang Xu” asked casually.

Wang Jian nodded. “The Li Clan is holding on with great effort. Fortunately, Mister Chaoshan is there, keeping Jianye from falling.”

The Suzhou Chu Clan, once one of the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans of the Han, had long been struck from the rolls.

Now, the regional powerhouse in Suyang was the newly risen Suzhou Li Clan, much like the Wang Clan of Langya.

As the Vast Void Temple pushed north toward Jianye, they also posed a threat to the Suzhou Li Clan.

Juexiang, one of the Han’s top cultivators, had moved in person, and Ye Zhao, clan leader of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, had personally gone south to resist.

The “Mister Chaoshan” Wang Jian referred to was Ye Zhao’s courtesy name.

This was a period when the elite families of Han and the imperial court worked closely together. Ye Zhao’s personal engagement against Abbot Juexiang of the Vast Void Temple was proof of their commitment.

“Wang Xu” nodded slightly and changed the subject. “What’s your take on the Tang human realm and Datong?”

Fang Junmei glanced at Wang Jian and Wang Bujiu.

He had heard about the Wang Clan’s internal debates.

Wang Jian, in turn, looked at Fang Junmei and Wang Bujiu before answering:

“They come with hostile intent. Though there are rumors the Five Noble Clans of Datong once intended to assist the Tang’s Ye, Lin, Fang, and Chu families, that alliance never came to be.

And yet, Tang still launched a full-scale assault on Datong, showing they weren’t just vying for territory.

Even though the Tang court and Daoist sects haven’t acted rashly within Han’s borders, I believe we mustn’t let down our guard.”

“Wang Xu” neither agreed nor disagreed and instead looked at Wang Bujiu.

Under Wang Jian’s gaze, Wang Bujiu maintained his composure and said, “Uncle, your concerns are valid. I share them. However…”

He paused briefly before continuing, “I think the Tang Dynasty—both court and Daoist sects—aren’t targeting Datong or our Han territory, but rather… our scholarly family model, our lineage of Confucian learning.

Also, likely the Mount Longhu lineage of Han. Though both are from the Talismanic Branch, the doctrines between them have diverged greatly.”

“Wang Xu” asked calmly, “What will the Wang Clan do?”

Wang Jian hesitated, then fell silent.

Seeing this, Fang Junmei thought to himself: The rumors were true. The Eastern Yang Hermit and his clan are not as close as the Wang Clan claims. They may have borrowed his name before, but now that it's about their future, there’s no pretending anymore.

Fang Junmei took a deep breath.

The Eastern Yang Hermit didn’t seem concerned about how the Tang treated the noble families.

Reflecting on all he’d heard about this man, it wasn’t surprising.

But that made the Wang Clan’s future even more uncertain.

This is a huge variable that the Han court will need to consider carefully, he thought.

Just then, Wang Bujiu calmly replied, “Before I came, I had hoped to meet with Chancellor Fang from Tang. I’d like to consult him—and ideally, visit the Tang human realm myself. Until then, I can’t answer Uncle’s question.”

“Wang Xu” turned to look at him, then at Wang Jian.

Fang Junmei quietly added, “I visited Datong previously and have recently been entertaining Chancellor Fang. We’ve spoken at length.

Beyond the Tang and Han realms, there’s more than one human realm—all originating from the Great Calamity over four thousand years ago. That’s when history splintered.

After the split, time passed differently in each realm. Some moved faster, others slower. By comparison, our Han realm is relatively recent.

In more than one realm, time has advanced over a thousand years beyond ours. And in those realms…”

He exhaled slowly. “The Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans have long since vanished into history.”

Wang Jian remained silent.

As a high-ranking figure of the Wang Clan, he wasn’t ignorant of such matters.

Wang Bujiu bowed to Fang Junmei. “Thank you, Brother Chixing.”

Fang Junmei replied, “You’re too kind.”

Though he had long made up his mind, as a scion of the Fang Clan of Jingxiang, Fang Junmei still felt a wave of emotion.

“According to Chancellor Fang, before the pivotal Battle of Luoyang, the Five Great Clans in that realm had already begun to realize the fate awaiting them—but being caught in the tide of history, it’s not easy to cut off one’s arm to save the body.”

Wang Jian shook his head slightly.

If only it were that simple. The real fear was that even cutting off half your body might not be enough…

“Chixing speaks the truth,” Wang Bujiu nodded.

Though he wasn’t close to Fang Junmei, they were now aligned in thought.

Fang Junmei hadn’t misread the situation—there were indeed internal disputes within the Wang Clan over what direction to take.

And Wang Bujiu was one of the central figures in the debate.

The surge in spiritual Qi within the Han human realm was a double-edged sword. While it aided cultivators, it also made it harder for noble families to suppress emerging talents from the common folk.

For now, the chaos brought by the Vast Void Temple and rampant demons had distracted everyone from this tension. But beneath the surface, the pressure was rising.

Change is life. Stagnation is death.

But coming from Wang Bujiu, the proposal was more controversial.

He was the most outstanding of the Wang Clan’s younger generation—like Fang Yue or Chu Yu in the Tang realm.

The Wang Clan shrinking from a great house to a small one wouldn’t hurt him much.

But for the more mediocre members of the clan, it would be a collapse.

And it wasn’t just the Tang realm eyeing them. Even within Han, the competition was fierce.

Meeting his legendary Sixth Uncle today had solidified Wang Bujiu’s determination.

The Wang Clan must change.

Whether they were already too late was another matter.

Wang Bujiu still planned to investigate the Tang and other realms personally before finalizing his path.

But some things could already begin.

Like his cousin Wang Jianan, who was closely connected with the Shushan Sect and Wang Clan disciples—he would need to choose carefully.

“Wang Xu” silently listened to their conversation, offering no comment.

Wang Jian, watching from the side, sighed once again in his heart.

Their father, eldest brother, and other elders—including himself—had now lost their last hope.

Though… that outcome had long been expected.

Otherwise, eldest brother wouldn’t have insisted Wang Bujiu accompany him on this trip.

But there were many others in the clan with different views.

And for the Wang Clan as a whole, the future was now more uncertain than ever.