Meng Junzi Alone Is Enough

"Girl Yun, don't talk nonsense! What do you mean by 'this immortal told Little Yangzi things he shouldn't know'? Little Yangzi is clearly sharp-witted and figured them out all on his own!" Naturally, the Immortal Fairy could not admit that she had idly chatted with Lu Yang about knowledge only immortals could possess whenever she had nothing better to do. She hadn't told him anything; Lu Yang had comprehended it all by himself. Lu Yang: "..." *Fairy, do you really think I could comprehend the powers of a Dao fruit on my own, or comprehend immortal characteristics?* Yun Zhi stepped out from beneath the old tree, her plain white dress gleaming dazzlingly in the sunlight. "Little Junior Brother, it seems you have lived quite well in the Imperial City." When Man Gu arrived at the Imperial City, Yun Zhi had also arrived in secret. While waiting for Guan Shanhai to take the bait, she had casually looked into what Lu Yang had been up to in the city. She had hardly expected his three short months here to be so eventful: battling Imperial City prodigies, composing poetry on the Shangyuan Festival, reporting the Fourth Prince for rebellion, encountering Ao Ling and the two other women, persuading the Fifth Prince's subordinate to surrender, having Emperor Xia act as chancellor, sneaking into the Imperial Palace at night to steal the throne... For ordinary prodigies, accomplishing even one of these feats would be as difficult as ascending to heaven, yet her little junior brother had done them all. Yun Zhi cast a glance toward the corner of the Imperial City where Ao Ling and the two other women were fighting. She was quite surprised; she hadn't expected Ao Ling and Jiang Lianyi to be here, nor had she expected the Ancient Heavenly Court to gain yet another half-immortal. "Eldest Senior Sister, I've been wronged! The Fairy did all those things using my body!" Lu Yang hastily cried out his innocence. For the sake of his future, if selling out an emperor could buy him wealth and glory, he had to sell out the emperor—there was no room for faint-hearted mercy! "Eldest Senior Sister, you know me. I've always kept a low profile and never do such things. "The Fairy used her authority as Acting Sect Master—governing only me—and demanded the use of my body. A mere mortal like me was powerless to resist. Please judge clearly, Eldest Senior Sister!" The Immortal Fairy stiffened her neck. "What's wrong with this immortal using the authority of Acting Sect Master? That was what Girl Yun promised this immortal back then." "Then Fairy Senior, do you wish to continue serving as Acting Sect Master?" Yun Zhi remembered promising to let the Immortal Fairy serve as Acting Sect Master for a year, and many months still remained. "I've had my fill of fun, so I won't do it anymore." The Immortal Fairy had enjoyed herself immensely these past few days, and for the moment, she had no interest in continuing as Acting Sect Master. Lu Yang hurried to flatter her. "Since ancient times, those who hold power have invariably coveted it. Yet the Fairy remains unmoved by authority, willingly stepping down at the very peak to make way for future generations. That is truly extraordinary—a blessing for the Dao Seeking Sect and a blessing for the entire world!" Hearing such heartfelt praise from her loyal subject, the Immortal Fairy chuckled incessantly. "So Emperor Xia's lifespan really was borrowed by Senior Meng Junzi?" "Yes. There was never anything wrong with Emperor Xia's lifespan from the start. "Meng Junzi and Jiang Ping'an noticed very early on that Guan Shanhai coveted the power of national destiny to restore Great Yu. However, Guan Shanhai is cautious by nature and would not act rashly. "Having an immortal constantly eyeing the power of national destiny is never a good thing, after all. Constant vigilance is exhausting, so the two of them planned this incident together. "The power of national destiny rests upon each successive Emperor Xia. When the reigning Emperor Xia dies, the national destiny settles upon the next Emperor Xia. Even if Guan Shanhai could lure Jiang Ping'an away, he wouldn't dare strike an Emperor Xia who wields the power of national destiny, because an emperor possessing that power could hold out until Jiang Ping'an rushed back. "Therefore, the two of them first borrowed Emperor Xia's lifespan, making him feign being near the end of his days, while also having the Eldest Prince refuse to inherit the throne. That way, once Emperor Xia died, the power of national destiny would lose its tether, and only then would Guan Shanhai take action—just as he did today." Lu Yang said thoughtfully, "In other words, all of the Eldest Prince's previous behavior was an act, and he actually wanted to inherit the throne?" "No, only that part was not an act." "..." "The original plan was for Emperor Xia to fake his death a few years later, but your arrival in the Imperial City alongside Junior Brother Meng caused me to change that idea, and I suggested they move the plan forward." Meeting Lu Yang's bewildered gaze, Yun Zhi patiently explained. "I told them that considering your luck, Little Junior Brother, Guan Shanhai would have a much higher probability of making a move with you present in the Imperial City." Lu Yang felt that Eldest Senior Sister deeply misunderstood him. Taking down the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince, which convinced Guan Shanhai that something was truly wrong with Emperor Xia's health—all of that had clearly been the Fairy's doing! "Still, Eldest Senior Sister, you could have told me in advance so I'd be mentally prepared." Lu Yang gave her a plaintive look. He had always been tight-lipped; even if he had known the truth about Emperor Xia, he wouldn't have breathed a word of it. Yun Zhi sighed softly. "Naturally, you would not have leaked the information, Little Junior Brother. I was merely worried that once you knew the truth, you would attract too many immortals, making the situation difficult to resolve." "..." "Then Eldest Senior Sister, did you come here to intervene as well?" Yun Zhi looked up at the two immortals fiercely battling in the sky. "Judging by the current state of the battle, Meng Junzi alone is enough." ... Meng Junzi and Guan Shanhai had not only grasped true Dao fruits, but could also simultaneously employ several rudimentary Dao fruits. The effects of a rudimentary Dao fruit in the hands of a half-immortal compared to an immortal were as far apart as heaven and earth, completely beyond comparison. The two constantly shifted positions, exchanging blows with alternating advantages. Guan Shanhai possessed both the rudimentary Longevity Dao fruit and the rudimentary Rejuvenation Dao fruit, allowing any injuries he suffered to heal rapidly. Meng Junzi, by contrast, seemed to lack any means of recovery. He was covered in wounds, including a particularly deep gash on his chest that exposed the bone within. Guan Shanhai sneered as he looked at the wounded Meng Junzi. "I wondered what tricks a junior like you might have, but it seems you are nothing special. If not for my concern that you would seize my immortal artifact, I would have used it to slay you long ago!" With his rudimentary Dreamland Dao fruit, Guan Shanhai could manifest several immortal treasures from within a dream, and then use his rudimentary Displacement Dao fruit to exchange those treasures for the desired immortal artifact! However, looking at Meng Junzi's history of combat, whenever anyone fought him during his half-immortal days, their treasures would end up borrowed by him. Using one would simply be aiding the enemy—an unacceptable risk. Meng Junzi was entirely unconcerned by his injuries. He smiled indifferently and activated the Loan Dao fruit. "I see that Daoist Guan is in robust health, lacking in ornamentation and rather plain to look at. How about I lend you this body full of wounds?" Guan Shanhai's expression changed drastically. Before he could react, he felt as though his entire body were being attacked all at once, and a horrifyingly deep gash ripped across his chest, exposing the bone within! Meng Junzi, on the other hand, was completely devoid of wounds. Meng Junzi appraised the battered and bloodied Guan Shanhai, showing a satisfied smile. "Now you look much more ornate, Daoist Guan. "Daoist Guan, shall we keep fighting?" "Meng Junzi!" Guan Shanhai roared, channeling both rudimentary Dao fruits to mend his wounds. Yet these wounds had originally been dealt by his own hands with immense ferocity. Now that they had all appeared on his own body at once, they could not be healed in a mere instant! Unless he possessed a true Longevity Dao fruit or a true Rejuvenation Dao fruit. "Why shout so loudly? It wouldn't do if your injuries were to worsen further," Meng Junzi chuckled with the same nonchalance, activating the Loan Dao fruit once again. "I borrow strength from the past and the future." As the words fell, two figures traversed time itself, arriving from the past and the future to fight shoulder-to-shoulder alongside Meng Junzi.