Time seemed to have been put on fast-forward.
Li Fan carried out his plan in a steady, methodical manner.
With two lifetimes of experience, everything proceeded as smoothly and naturally as water flowing into an established channel.
He sat for the imperial civil examinations once again.
This time, however, enriched by decades of governing at the pinnacle of power, the essays he produced far surpassed those of his previous life. He took first place in the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination, sweeping all three tests in succession. His name echoed across the entire realm!
Afterward, citing his youth and a desire to build his credentials, he petitioned for an official posting outside the capital. His destination, naturally, was Wen County.
Though many in the imperial court felt puzzled and lamented the choice, they nonetheless approved his request.
And so, in Anchor Year 3, he arrived in Wen County once more.
This time was vastly better than the last. Thanks to his towering fame, combined with his intimate understanding of the temperaments of every official in the county, he brought all of Wen County thoroughly into line with virtually no effort at all.
Then he began promoting and grooming the trusted confidants from his previous life, steadily expanding his power.
At the same time, he drew schematics for flintlock muskets and commanded artisans to manufacture them according to the designs, detailing every single production bottleneck. Afterward, he sent men across the realm to quietly recruit skilled craftsmen, striving to develop even more advanced firearms.
The extraction of mineral resources in the mountains was not neglected either. Li Fan wiped out all the bandits inhabiting the mountain ranges near Wen County and rounded them up to work the mines. Relying on the mining areas, he established numerous workshops deep within the mountains, mass-producing handicrafts and iron tools. In the meantime, he secretly organized merchant caravans to travel to various regions and peddle their wares, accumulating funds.
In Anchor Year 4, through discreet inquiries, Li Fan finally tracked down the body double of Emperor Kangning. It was the existence of this very double that had nearly derailed his assassination plot in his previous life. Fortunately, he had always acted with caution, and his numerous backup measures had kept his efforts from failing at the threshold of success. Li Fan personally trained the body double; after half a year, the performance was virtually flawless.
In Anchor Year 5, a severe drought struck Jiangnan. Li Fan ordered his trusted men to disguise themselves as displaced refugees and storm the manor of the Prince of Langya. Leading his forces under the guise of mounting a rescue, Li Fan coordinated from the inside and outside, secretly slaughtering the Prince of Langya and his entire family. At the same time, he brought the body double onto the stage.
From then on, Li Fan usurped the nest like a cuckoo, taking covert control of the Prince of Langya's household.
The news that the Prince of Langya's family had been butchered—with only the prince himself surviving—shocked the court and the populace alike. The emperor flew into a fury and dispatched troops to suppress the refugees. For his meritorious service, Li Fan was promoted to prefect of Jianghuai Prefecture.
Li Fan's power expanded even further. Afterward, however, he grew increasingly prudent. Instead of continuing outward expansion, he kept a low profile, advancing technology and developing production capacity.
In Anchor Year 7, the locust plague arrived right on schedule. Having prepared well in advance, Li Fan ensured that Jianghuai Prefecture suffered no disaster. He also petitioned the imperial court to open granaries and distribute grain to aid victims from neighboring regions. The court granted approval.
Seizing this opportunity, Li Fan gained a vast population. The refugees settled down under his administration, and Li Fan's overall strength expanded explosively.
In Anchor Year 9, the wedding between the Prince of Langya and the Chief Grand Academician's granddaughter took place as scheduled. That night, Li Fan broke into the bridal chamber, scaring the new Princess of Langya half to death. Upon learning that Li Fan had slain the real Prince of Langya and planted a double to usurp his position, she furiously denounced him as a treasonous rebel. Unfazed, Li Fan laughed heartily and instructed her to write down this shocking truth in a letter, recounting every single detail.
Carrying this letter, Li Fan disguised himself as a messenger from the Prince of Langya and secretly entered the capital to meet with the Chief Grand Academician.
Li Fan remained completely composed, laying out the entire truth of how he now controlled the Prince of Langya's household, and asserted that he and the grand academician's granddaughter had already consummated their relationship on the night of the wedding feast. Though startled, the Chief Grand Academician did not lose his composure; he asked what Li Fan intended to do.
Li Fan spoke plainly: the grand academician had held power for many years and made far too many enemies, while his sons were utterly useless. Once the grand academician passed away, he would hardly be able to safeguard his family. So long as the grand academician lent Li Fan a hand at critical junctures, Li Fan guaranteed that his clan would enjoy wealth and honor for a century.
The Chief Grand Academician pondered for a long time before slowly asking what would be required of him. Li Fan merely smiled, saying that time would reveal all, and drifted away into the night.
In Anchor Year 10, the Princess of Langya gave birth to a son. It was obvious that the child was Li Fan's flesh and blood. Li Fan sent a letter to the Grand Academician Manor to deliver the joyous news.
In Anchor Year 15, the emperor finally fell gravely ill. Upon receiving the imperial decree designating the succession, Li Fan led his trusted aides and rushed to the capital, traveling day and night beneath the stars.
After the Prince of Langya's double ascended the throne, Li Fan made use of imperial edicts to place his confidants in key positions throughout the court. With the Chief Grand Academician covertly cooperating, he took control of the political landscape without causing any major ripples.
In Anchor Year 16, rebellions erupted across the realm. Li Fan seized the opportunity to plant his trusted men within the military, subsequently promoting them on a massive scale based on their military achievements in putting down the uprisings. Within a mere three or four years, the armed forces were firmly within his grasp as well.
In Anchor Year 20, the realm gradually recovered from the turmoil of dynastic succession. At this juncture, Li Fan decisively poisoned the fraudulent Emperor Kangning, nipping the last lingering threat in the bud.
After installing his own son as emperor, Li Fan conferred upon himself the title of Grand Preceptor, stepping from behind the scenes to the forefront of the court to reign supreme over the realm once more.
Thereafter, the gears of the Great Xuan Kingdom's development did not grind to a halt; rather, propelled by Li Fan's will, they turned at an even faster pace!
***
Anchor Year 35, the Grand Preceptor Manor.
Li Fan looked at the secret missive handed to him by a subordinate. After reading it carefully for a moment, he could not help but knit his brows.
"So you are saying that the mist hanging over the Ruins Abyss disperses for half a day every fifteen years?"
"In reply to the Grand Preceptor, that is precisely the case. Our Immortal-Seeking Battalion was ordered to garrison beside the Ruins Abyss and observe day and night. Just a few days ago, we finally achieved a breakthrough." The kneeling immortal-seeking officer recalled the scene, lingering shock still painted across his face. "After the dense fog cleared, faint light shone up from the depths of the abyss. When we observed through our spyglasses, we actually discovered all sorts of inverted sights.
"Although what each man saw differed slightly, there were rolling stretches of a hundred thousand mountains, amidst which magnificent structures were faintly discernible; there were towering cities standing upon plains, bustling with smoke and life, home to no fewer than a million people; and there were even floating cities in the sky enveloped in brilliant auroral glows, with rare birds and exotic beasts soaring between them. It was truly..." The officer paused before letting out the awe from his heart. "...truly incredible."
"As expected, they come from the Ruins Abyss." Though he had long deduced this information, having it confirmed firsthand by his subordinate still stirred a ripple of excitement within Li Fan's chest. Even so, his decades of experience had long taught him never to reveal emotion on his face.
He asked impassively, "Have you found a way to descend to the bottom of the abyss?"
The officer's breath caught, and his face turned somewhat pale. Hastily kowtowing in apology, he said, "Your subordinate is incompetent! We tried every method imaginable, but anyone who descended past a certain depth was shredded to pieces by sudden astral winds. The astral wind is ferocious—not even our sturdiest armor could withstand it for a moment."
Hearing this, Li Fan showed little disappointment.
Waving his hand to dismiss the officer, Li Fan murmured to himself, "It seems I still have to wait for the two of you."
***
Anchor Year 50, Great Xuan Kingdom, Xuanjing.
The usually bustling city of Xuanjing was now eerily quiet.
Under the edict of the current Grand Preceptor, the vast majority of Xuanjing's residents had been forcibly relocated to surrounding cities a month ago under the pretext of avoiding an impending calamity. Many naturally dismissed such a ridiculous excuse. Still, the Grand Preceptor had not pushed things to extremes; those who genuinely refused to leave were not coerced, but merely advised to dig basements in their homes to take shelter. Those people treated the warning as a laughingstock.
When Li Fan received the reports, he did not intervene further. He had already done everything benevolence and duty required.
Now, within the streets and alleyways of Xuanjing lay special forces he had meticulously prepared over these past decades specifically to deal with the two immortals.
Everything was in place; all that was missing was the east wind!
Night fell. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the two immortal cultivators arrived right on schedule!
"Dao Xuanzi! Do not push me too far!"
Kou Hong's furious roar echoed across the city of Xuanjing.
*Rat-tat-tat-tat...*
Countless tongues of fire abruptly flared to life, and tens of thousands of bullets poured out like a torrential waterfall, blasting into the two immortals simultaneously in an instant!
Chapter 3