Chapter 652 - - 518 Getting it all without effort_1

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Long Yichen fell silent for a moment before asking, “How shall we cooperate?”

Duge said, “You help me understand this world, and I’ll help you survive and get promoted.”

Long Yichen’s eyes contained a trace of scorn as he let out a sneer, “You don’t even understand this world and are still just a child, on what grounds do you claim to help me get promoted?”

Duge laughed, “Village Master Long, it’s true that I don’t understand this world. Yet, even so, the vast Dragon Willow Villa has already fallen by my hand, and you, Village Master Long, have been driven into a corner by me. Isn’t that proof enough of my capabilities?”

Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be in peril,

Constantly mixing with the lower ranks will never allow one to understand the true nature of this world. Duge’s ranking was forcibly elevated, and he had to quickly strengthen himself for self-preservation.

Long Yichen had connections reaching up to the royal family and down into the jianghu, and he also knew much about the various Cultivation Sects, making him the perfect partner to help Duge understand the world.

Long Yichen didn’t speak for a long while, his gaze fixed on Duge as if pondering the possibility of cooperating with him.

“Village Master Long, your abilities surpass mine. If you don’t wish to cooperate, you can leave at any time. Can I really force you to stay?”

Duge continued, “I know that you don’t trust me, just as I don’t trust you. My cooperation with you, Village Master, is to learn about this world through you; your cooperation with me, on one hand, allows you to use my martial strength, and on the other, to treat me as a ladder to the heavens.”

He paused for a moment before adding with a smile, “A demon of chaos in tumultuous times isn’t much less significant than that so-called Hundred Souls Spirit Sealing Jar, right?”

“…” Long Yichen’s eyes suddenly widened in shock, having never expected to hear such words from Duge,

Is this the demon of chaos?

Indeed, it cannot be judged by common reasoning; he tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Carefree… you jest.”

Long Yichen instinctively wanted to call Duge “Senior,” but upon seeing his young face, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to lower his dignity to say it. He asked with a darkened expression, “How should I address you?”

He was not willing to talk cooperation, but agreed immediately when it came to selling me out.

Tirelessly Ruinous is indeed a divine skill!

It just tends to make enemies too easily!

Duge’s brows lifted slightly as he said, “My real name is Carefree Man.”

A name was just a name, to Long Yichen it mattered not; he looked at Duge and asked, “Carefree Man, how shall we cooperate?”

“Start by telling me about the power distribution of New Moon Country,” Duge said with a smile, “and all the insider details of Dragon Willow Villa.”

“The emperor of New Moon Country is approaching eighty years of age and is quite elderly. There are four princes who are eligible to succeed the throne – the Crown Prince, the second son Prince Duan, Fourth Prince Su, and eighth Prince Han,” Long Yichen detailed, “The Crown Prince has the largest influence after years of operating within the court, Prince Su controls the West Army, King Han has the State Preceptor’s support, and Prince Duan has the Prime Minister’s backing.

Prince Su has always been on good terms with the Crown Prince. Once he supports the Crown Prince wholeheartedly, Prince Duan and King Han will no longer stand a chance. Dragon Willow Villa was established by Prince Duan, and the creation of the Hundred Souls Spirit Sealing Jar was intended to target the Crown Prince and Prince Su.”

Indeed, without understanding the situation, even bluffing becomes problematic.

With a single comment about the divine mandate not favoring King Han, Long Yichen lightly uncovered his probe…

The identity and status of the possessed character at the start greatly influence the subsequent developments.

Duge inwardly sighed and asked, “Is it permissible for the princes of the court to blatantly collude with cultivators?”

With that question, Long Yichen was sure that Duge really didn’t understand this world, and he nodded, “Since ancient times, the royal family has always been a battleground for the various Immortal Sects.

Intervention in the choice of the heir by Cultivation Sects is a common affair.

The emperor carries the Dragon Vein, ordained by heaven, and can directly appoint the Mountain God and other local deities, thereby directly influencing the fate of numerous Cultivation Sects. Whenever there is a struggle for succession within the royal family, there will always be cultivators involved.”

Duge was taken aback for a moment, recalling the myths of Earth where many immortals were directly appointed by the emperors of the Mortal Realm.

So, it seems that in this world, the emperor of the Mortal Realm holds considerable power.

“Since it’s ordained by heaven, isn’t the emperor’s position predestined?” Duge asked.

“When a prince is born, they carry a heavenly mandate, but there’s never anything predestined,” Long Yichen looked at Duge with contempt and spoke, “Unless a great power from the heavens reincarnates to Overcome the Tribulation with destiny’s protection in the shadows, otherwise, the position of the emperor goes to the one who seizes it. If not, wouldn’t everyone just become an actor on a stage, merely performing their parts as decreed, then what would be the purpose of living?”

“Can the emperor practice cultivation?” Duge asked.

“The emperor can practice martial arts but not the Immortal Dao,” Long Yichen replied, “However, with the Dragon Vein Protection, cultivators cannot strike at the emperor, or they will suffer the backlash of the Dragon Qi – at the least, their cultivation will be utterly destroyed, and at the worst, their soul will disperse.”

He furrowed his brow, adding, “Carefree Man, this is pointless. Manager Ma’s people have already left, and within two to three days at most, the affair of Dragon Willow Villa will be known to Prince Duan. The situation cannot see the light of day, and to keep the secret of the Hundred Souls Spirit Sealing Jar, Prince Duan will not let anyone from Dragon Willow Villa live. Our urgent priority is to leave Dragon Willow Villa first.”

“So, what do you plan to do?” Duge asked.

“Take the Hundred Souls Spirit Sealing Jar and seek refuge with Prince Su,” Long Yichen stated, “to completely nail down Prince Duan. Using Evil Skills to harm his brothers is intolerable by heaven’s law, and once this is exposed, in New Moon Country, no one will be able to protect him.”

“Why not go directly to the Crown Prince?” Duge asked with a smile.

“The journey to the Capital City will undoubtedly be fraught with difficulty; should any cultivator attack us along the way, none of us stand a chance of reaching the Capital City alive,” Long Yichen explained, “Prince Su is at the border; if we can meet with him, with his protection, we won’t have to worry about not reaching the Capital City.”

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