Fan Li had just arrived at Honglu Temple, his residence.

Suddenly, it seemed that several cold lights enveloped him!

A subtle killing intent locked onto several vital points on Fan Li's body.

Fan Li was startled. Someone actually wanted to kill him inside the official residence of Honglu Temple in Chang'an, the capital of Great Han?

But after thinking for a moment, he guessed the other party's identity. "Sage Ruler Han Yue is joking again." Fan Li said indifferently, "If this duke dies inside Honglu Temple, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan will definitely avenge me. Sage Ruler, you will probably find it difficult to leave the borders of Great Han alive. Trading life for life, this duke is really not worth it for Sage Ruler."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sword qi of killing intent immediately dissipated.

Sage Ruler Han Yue's voice seemed to come from the sky. "Those three indeed have some influence in Great Han, but why would they chase down and kill a Pure Land Sage Ruler for you?"

Fan Li looked up in the direction of the voice. He saw Sage Ruler Han Yue, with her hair tied up and dressed in a teal robe with an androgynous appearance, slowly floating down from the sky while holding a spiritual sword as bright as snow in one hand.

Her movements were extremely graceful, yet exuded a few points of the lofty beauty of a plum blossom withstanding the cold snow.

‘What a pity, such a beautiful lady, but she happens to be an enemy.’ Fan Li complained inwardly, but his words were very polite.

"The three lords are iron-blooded allies with my Fan clan, advancing and retreating together. If this duke dies within the borders of Great Han, in order to give the Fan clan an explanation, the three lords will definitely avenge me!"

After Fan Li finished speaking, Sage Ruler Han Yue fell silent for a long time. At this moment, even the air around the two seemed to freeze.

"Humph..."

After a long time, Sage Ruler Han Yue only let out a light snort. "I saw that you were away for a long time and specially waited here for you. When did I say I wanted to kill you? Are all men in the world not good-hearted like you?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Li had a strange expression.

What exactly was Han Yue, a sword cultivator or a fist master?

If not for his own barrage of words just now, she might have already made a move.

"Putting aside the facts..." Fan Li said with a fake smile, "Sage Ruler took the trouble to wait specially. If there's nothing else, this duke will return to his room to rest."

"Please go ahead." Sage Ruler Han Yue stepped aside to make way, but her gaze was still complex. She wanted to kill Fan Li, but found that this guy was like a hedgehog, making it hard for her to find an opening.

Killing him within the borders of Great Han would lead to being pursued by the Cao, Liu, and Sun forces?

Making a move in Chu lands would have to consider the power of the Fan clan.

In that case, when and where should she take action?

Sage Ruler Han Yue's beautiful eyebrows knitted tightly as she fell into deep thought...

***

Chang'an City, Grand Tutor's Residence.

The guests had all dispersed, but a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air.

Fan Li did not know that after he left, more than a dozen civil and military officials of Great Han were killed.

The corpses of these civil officials and generals, along with the first to be killed, Yang Biao and Huang Wan, were sent to a secret underground palace in the Grand Tutor's Residence.

Dong Zhuo was soaking in a pool of water in the underground palace. The pool water was dark red, pungent and terrible, fierce and horrifying.  But even more terrifying than the pool water was a "small mountain" piled up high beside it.

The corpses of more than a dozen Han officials who died at the banquet were actually all piled up here!

Dong Zhuo seemed to be cultivating. His expression was calm, and he even seemed to be enjoying it a little. But the dark red pool water was being continuously absorbed into Dong Zhuo's body at a visible speed!

After a long, long time, Dong Zhuo opened his eyes. His eyes were blood red, vaguely showing a hazy evil aura.

"[Devouring Demon Art]... good..." Dong Zhuo opened his mouth and happily said five words. Who knows how much time passed again.

A beautiful figure entered the underground palace and stood in front of Dong Zhuo. It was Diao Chan.

"Grand Tutor, I'm back." Her tone was flat, not moved at all by the horrifying scene in front of her, as if she was used to it.

"Oh?" Dong Zhuo looked Diao Chan up and down. "That little kid Fan Li actually endured not wanting you?"

Diao Chan nodded.

Dong Zhuo did not get angry, only letting out a cruel, cold laugh. "Although his cultivation is low, being able to control the power of the Chu state is indeed no ordinary mediocre person.

This old man originally wanted you to stay by his side and be a chess piece. In the future when this old man conquers the world, with you as an insider, annexing the Chu state would have a few less obstacles. Since this didn't work out, then forget it."

As Dong Zhuo spoke, the pool water became a few points shallower again.

"Diao Chan, you see this old man cultivating the [Devouring Demon Art], now already at the peak of the first-tier Great Vehicle stage, having the opportunity to step into the second-tier realm at any time, is it still going smoothly?"

Dong Zhuo's cultivation realm was the true number one in Great Han!

Strange. But he asked Diao Chan for advice?

Diao Chan gazed at Dong Zhuo seriously for a long time before saying, "Grand Tutor controls the power of the Han court with countless resources. And using the blood food of the civil and military officials in court, your devil arts have greatly improved, without any mistakes."

"Oh?" Dong Zhuo grinned hideously, "Then take another look, how is this old man's destiny?"

Diao Chan looked even more carefully. After a long time, she seemed to have a conclusion.

"Grand Tutor has excavated the imperial tombs of past Han emperors, extracting fragments of the [Son of Heaven's Destiny] from their corpses, devouring them with devil arts to change your own destiny, already reaching the last crucial step..."

"Hahahahaha!!!!"

Dong Zhuo laughed wildly, even causing the entire underground palace to tremble slightly. Next, his words were even more shocking!

"Diao Chan! You impart to this old man the [Devouring Demon Art]. After this old man devours that little kid Liu Xie, using his destiny as the living Son of Heaven as the catalyst, this old man can create his own Son of Heaven's destiny!"

The day this old man defies the heavens to change destiny and establish the Dong imperial dynasty, you will be this old man's founding empress! The forces behind you will definitely not regret their investment in this old man!"

"Hahahahahahaha..."

Amidst the laughter, demonic qi ran rampant in the underground palace. Dong Zhuo was the source of that demonic qi, like a bottomless black vortex, terrifying and frightening!

Diao Chan's weak body seemed to be the only white lotus in a huge mud pit. Although unstained coming out of the filth, it was fragile and on the verge of collapse...

***

That night, a crescent moon was shrouded and covered by dark clouds, only occasionally shining down with a dim, faint light.

Diao Chan walked out of the underground palace. Quietly, she walked slowly under the night. After a long time, Diao Chan arrived at her own residence inside the Grand Tutor's estate.

A tranquil waterside pavilion, surrounded by lotus leaves and flowers, secluded and serene. Inside the waterside pavilion, there was actually a warm spring pool, emitting gentle steam.

A maidservant stood quietly by the pool, obviously waiting for a long time. Seeing Diao Chan enter, the maidservant skillfully removed all her clothes and ornaments, watching as she soaked in the warm spring pool.

At this moment, a hint of blood color also appeared on Diao Chan's extremely beautiful but pale face. But her expression changed, occasionally revealing a pained look, even biting her silver teeth, her body trembling slightly.

After a long time, she finally washed away the last trace of bloody smell on her body, and her expression also relaxed accordingly.

"Any news?" Diao Chan spoke as if sleep-talking.

By the pool, the maidservant knelt on the ground, her tone extremely respectful. "Reporting to the Sage Ruler. A letter came from the Pure Lands saying that you don't need to participate in any of Sage Ruler Han Yue's actions. Your task is still to bewitch Dong Zhuo and cause chaos within Great Han."

Diao Chan nodded tiredly. "Understood, Elder Sister's plan remains unchanged. It's still borrowing the lands of Great Han... to create a new dynasty..."

 

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