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"My lord, are we really letting that person head to Daqing Mountain just like that?"

At the checkpoint, the newly promoted Deputy General Yan Lei frowned deeply.

He didn’t know the true identity of the Princess Royale, but with his newfound Transcendent abilities, he could instantly discern that she was an exceptionally dangerous figure.

Jiangnan’s internal defenses were already flimsy, and now they were letting someone so terrifying inside. Wouldn’t that risk even greater chaos?

"What else can we do? Stop her?" Tian Heng sighed bitterly, a wry smile touching his lips.

If they had blocked the Imperial Army from entering in the first place, there might have been a chance to refuse.

Leveraging the natural barriers, no matter how powerful that woman was, she wouldn’t have been able to break through his defenses.

But now? The Imperial Army was already within the gates, and if she approached him directly, with his injuries still unhealed, he couldn’t withstand even three of her blows. What would he use to stop her?

Moreover, the situation was dire. Letting her in might even help resolve the eerie Buddha Light issue and stabilize the troops’ morale. The Siao Family was capable of considering the bigger picture, which was safer than letting some inexplicable ancient malevolence manipulate the Imperial Army.

"My lord..."

As the two conversed, a Colonel hurried over to report: "Lan Shang has returned."

Tian Heng: "..."

Ever since entering that Buddhist Temple, Lan Shang’s personality and aura had drastically changed, growing increasingly perilous.

Among all those who had worshipped the Buddha Light, he was the most treacherous of them all.

It was said that two days ago, he had gone to the area around Daqing Mountain.

He had deliberately led the Princess Royale there, hoping they would fight each other.

Who would’ve thought she had circled back instead?

"Let’s go and see..."

-----------------------------------

"Am I perhaps a little late?"

When Wei Gongcheng arrived, the two were already waiting there. It was his first time meeting the King of Qin, but he recognized him instantly. The white-robed youth bore an almost identical appearance to his former master, whose renown back then rang like thunder in his ears.

"Great Official of the Hell Ruler, you’re not late. You’ve arrived just in time." The Princess Royale smiled faintly. Sitting in the pavilion, she personally poured Wei Gongcheng a cup of tea.

This scene didn’t go unnoticed by the Hong Family father and son, whose expressions turned complex.

Wei Gongcheng was someone they both knew. Back then, Patriarch Weichi had personally promoted him, elevating him from a minor figure in the Wei Family to the position of First Deputy General by his side.

Such a thing was unprecedented within the noble family circles of that era.

A major Bloodline Noble Family would naturally have many vassal families under it.

These vassals followed the nobles, seeking benefits in return.

Lineage and bloodlines were highly valued among families.

To recklessly promote a minor figure while sidelining a legitimate heir inevitably felt like interfering in the internal affairs of another household.

Thus, even if some vassal family scions had talent, without their family head’s recommendation, the main family typically wouldn’t arbitrarily elevate them.

But Old Weichi broke the mold back then. And indeed, it turned out that Wei Gongcheng was a rare gem. His talents greatly contributed to Weichi Peng’s rapid fame and his ability to secure massive victories at a young age in the Border Army.

Everyone knew Weichi Gong was an exceptional military talent, but the logistics, strategic planning, and overarching direction were, in fact, largely handled by Wei Gongcheng.

A select few elders were even aware that Patriarch Weichi’s ability to stabilize the Northern frontlines back then also bore Wei Gongcheng’s mark.

He was someone whose capabilities were in no way inferior to Weichi Peng’s.

Yet, regrettably, his lowly bloodline predestined his ceiling. After Weichi Peng was enshrined as a Duke, Wei Gongcheng had a slim chance of becoming a commander among the four city gates as head of the Imperial Guards, but that was his utmost potential.

After his injury crippled him, even Weichi Peng couldn’t protect him anymore. Yet who would have thought that under Chen Qing’s wing, he would find such a prominent opportunity?

And who could have imagined that a mere vassal scion, long suppressed by his own family, would one day rise to a status worthy of having the Princess Royale pour him tea herself?

One wonders how the Wei Family would feel if they saw this sight.

"May I ask what brings His Highness King Qin here?" Wei Gongcheng turned toward him, smiling as he asked.

The King of Qin nodded faintly. Back when he inhabited Chen Qing’s body, Chen Qing had already seen something special in Wei Gongcheng.

Though aided by the Mirror Demon, Chen Qing’s ability to discern talent was undeniable.

He had immediately granted Wei Gongcheng considerable authority, which proved a wise decision.

In a few short years, even when faced with figures like himself and the Princess Royale, Wei Gongcheng no longer wavered.

At the very least, he had already transitioned from a lowly vassal scion into a true man of importance.

"Time is short, so let’s set aside pleasantries..." The King of Qin smiled. "I’m here to propose a temporary alliance."

The term ’temporary’ might seem unreliable, but uttered in this context, its credibility heightened.

Wei Gongcheng nodded slightly. "May I know how His Highness intends to cooperate?"

"The anomalies of the past few days must have caught your notice. Great chaos is imminent, and Jiangnan is rife with unexpected occurrences. The most unstable factor lies in the Imperial Army. The key generals have all fallen under the sway of the Buddha Light and are on the verge of rebellion. I can tell you this—once these generals defect and join the Buddha Kingdom, they’ll gain the ability to influence their subordinates. "

"Influence their subordinates?" Wei Gongcheng chuckled faintly. "From what I understand of the Buddha Kingdom, isn’t it all about glimpsing past lives?"

"Oh?" The King of Qin glanced at him, then murmured, "It seems... your past life wasn’t ordinary either."

"I’m genuinely curious. Even if those temples allow one to reclaim fragments of their past life, how exactly do they sway their soldiers?"

"It’s the same trick—temptation using past-life abilities," the King of Qin chuckled. "Not everyone is as wise as you, able to resist such enticements."

"Does everyone even have a past life?" Wei Gongcheng sneered coldly. "I don’t buy it. As an official of Hell Ruler judgment, I’ve sentenced countless Evil Spirits on the Path of Yin Yang. Every day, many Spiritual Bodies are devoured, and only a fraction manage to reincarnate."

"Most indeed don’t, but... it can be fabricated."

"Fabricated?" Wei Gongcheng paused. "How could they fabricate something like that?"

"The Buddha Kingdom’s true Divine Skill lies in manipulating dreams. Some elements are real, and others are false.

But within a dream, how can you decipher the difference?

" The King of Qin gazed at the distant Buddha Light, his tone eerie.

"Even for those with past lives, what they see might not always be true. A mix of truth and lies—now that’s the easiest deception. "

Wei Gongcheng: "....."

False memories? Could they truly fabricate them?

On reflection, it made sense. Ever since recovering fragments of his own past, Wei Gongcheng had occasionally doubted them. He was a cautious man who always believed there was no such thing as a free lunch. Any perceived advantage likely carried a steeper price beneath the surface.

He harbored no faith in the Buddha Light.

If the dreams conjured within those temples wove half-truths and half-lies, then that painted a far more intriguing picture.

And suddenly, he understood the King of Qin’s implication.

If memories could be fabricated, every soldier might be led to believe they had an extraordinary past life.

To imagine oneself as a great figure or hero of the past, only to face the stark reality of being a low-ranking soldier on the verge of violent death.

.. the dissonance would be unbearable for many.

Had it not been for his fortuitous encounter with Chen Qing in this life, Wei Gongcheng might well have succumbed to the allure of those memories.

The more discontented one was with their current reality, the easier they were to ensnare.

The Flying Dragon Army’s loyalty was renowned, but soldiers were human too, and humans had desires. There was no allure more potent than the prospect of instant elevation to greatness.

It seemed the King of Qin had guessed correctly. Once those Deputy Generals returned, it would take mere days for the Imperial Army to fall under their sway...