160. A Simple Plan
Jing Yuan looked at the projection provided by Xiling. The image showed two Supreme Beings battling to the edge of the universe, their very essence from their battle obliterated the surrounding space.
He then looked at the sunny, cheerful young man before him, a face identical to the two figures in the projection.
That was Kevin, whom Xiling had just summoned.
Feeling Jing Yuan's intense gaze, Kevin felt somewhat awkward.
"I know I'm powerful and handsome, but you don't have to look at me like that," Kevin thought to himself.
Welt was very curious about what the Loufu General was currently watching.
From his angle, he couldn't see the projection's content at all, but as a mature and reliable adult, he skillfully suppressed his curiosity.
Therefore, he perfectly missed the shocking scene that would have caused even this well-traveled former Herrscher of Reason to crash on the spot.
"Look, do you see that?" Xiling stood beside Jing Yuan, pointing very naturally with his thumb to the Kevin projected on the screen.
"This is him! No deception, no fakes." Xiling then withdrew the projection.
Jing Yuan's smile seemed to freeze, or as if glued to his face; no matter how hard he tried, the radiant smile following his initial shock wouldn't fade.
"Ahem," Jing Yuan cleared his throat, trying to make his smile appear natural.
"Lord Xiling, you jest. How could I not believe you?"
He seemed to have a great weight lifted from his shoulders, letting out a heartfelt sigh. His tone was filled with emotion:
"I originally thought that a Lord Ravager infiltrating Xianzhou Luofu and causing trouble was already a once-in-a-century 'spectacle'..."
His gaze swept between Xiling and Kevin, and he sighed again, "But the arrival of these two guests... truly opened my eyes and left me in awe!"
Jing Yuan solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, his expression utterly sincere:
"On behalf of Xianzhou Luofu, I thank you both for your great assistance, and also thank the Astral Express for their chivalrous help!"
"You're too kind. This is Dan Heng's hometown, after all, and we are righteous people. How could we stand idly by and do nothing about such a thing, right?" Xiling gently nudged Kevin beside him with his elbow.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes." Kevin, clutching his back, nodded in agreement.
"Anyway," Jing Yuan's smile faded, his expression becoming solemn and dignified, "Once this matter is settled, Xianzhou Luofu will surely offer a generous reward! This is Jing Yuan's solemn promise to everyone."
"Really? Then let me make this clear, the promise must be substantial, you know. Our Astral Express has taken a huge risk, a very, very huge one!" Xiling frantically hinted.
Looking at Xiling's expression, Jing Yuan seemed to understand his meaning and nodded.
"Of course. Jing Yuan's promises are always quite reliable. After the matter is accomplished, there will definitely be something that Your Excellency can absolutely not find fault with."
"Great! General, you're so generous!" Xiling immediately switched to business, "Then let's quickly discuss the plan! How to keep that Lord Ravager as a guest on Xianzhou Luofu forever!"
However, facing Xiling's words, Jing Yuan only tilted his head slightly, with a puzzled expression on his face.
Xiling was taken aback by his reaction, blinking in confusion.
"What did I say wrong?" Xiling looked at Kevin. Kevin immediately shook his head, his eyes clear and innocent.
"Don't look at me, I'm just a passerby."
As if seeing through the question marks on their faces, Jing Yuan's smile returned, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it revealed a calm and certainty like an icy spring.
"Plan? Your Excellency Xiling," he gently shook his head, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable power, "Given that you have already seen through the identity of the Lord Ravager, exposed her disguise, and understood her schemes, and... with two 'extraordinary' beings like Your Excellency overseeing things..."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "This self-righteous cat-and-mouse game... It's time for us to call it to a halt."
As the Divine Strategy General, renowned throughout Xianzhou Alliance for his unparalleled wisdom and strategy, Jing Yuan has always been synonymous with meticulous calculation and long-term planning.
But at this moment, an unprecedented, almost extravagant, confidence and assurance filled him.
His mind raced through all the information he had about Phantylia: a schemer who had prematurely revealed her trump cards. Faced with three genuine… well, at least "Emanator-level" beings, what could she do? What waves could she possibly stir up?"
Jing Yuan could answer without hesitation: she couldn't do anything.
If it were Zephyro or Celenova, he might have to be more cautious and plan carefully… but a mere Phantylia?
Jing Yuan's gaze swept over the two "reinforcements" beside him, his heart utterly calm.
He simply couldn't imagine what this Lord Ravager, a master manipulator, could do in the face of such a vast disparity in raw power. Pure brute force is sometimes the most unsolvable tactic!
"Everyone," Jing Yuan cut straight to the point, his gaze sweeping over Xiling and Kevin, his tone steady yet carrying an undeniable decisiveness, "I would like to trouble you two to lure Phantylia... to a designated grotto-heaven?"
"Lure her there? Of course!" Xiling readily agreed, but a hint of curiosity and inquiry flashed in his eyes, "Tell me your plans?"
Jing Yuan nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade:
"I will do my utmost to disperse all the people within that grotto-heaven beforehand... That is the final battlefield we have prepared for her, and also her... burial place."
Jing Yuan's words sent a chill down Yukong's spine. Sacrificing a grotto-heaven! Phantylia was no fool; on the contrary, she was a master of intrigue, skilled in calculation and manipulating hearts! She probably wouldn't go to small or unimportant grotto-heavens, which meant... what they would be willingly giving up would inevitably be crucial locations like the Alchemy Commission, the Central Starskiff Haven, or the Cloudford. Yukong's heart pounded violently at this resolute price.
However, after the initial shock, a cold rationality quickly overwhelmed everything. Yukong's eyes hardened. Sacrificing an entire grotto-heaven... in exchange for the complete demise of one of Lord Ravagers? This was not recklessness, but an irresistible deal, one that any leader would regret but had to decide—a blood-for-money trade.
Xiling, standing nearby, frowned slightly upon hearing this. Sacrificing an entire grotto-heaven? In the original story, Luo Fu didn't pay such a high price! Although Phantylia escaped, the losses were kept within acceptable limits.
Now... with two "extraordinary" combatants—Him and Kevin—the strength comparison already had an overwhelming advantage, so why sacrifice an important piece of territory on Xianzhou Luofu?
Isn't this... a bit too much of a price to pay? Xiling couldn't help but ask, "General, isn't sacrificing a grotto-heaven too high a price to pay?"
"Lord Xiling, surely you jest," Jing Yuan said, shaking his head slightly. His voice was low and frank.
"To be honest, in all my original calculations and plans... without your tremendous help today..." He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the dome of the Seat of Divine Foresight, seeing the future scenes that hadn't yet unfolded, but were highly likely to be filled with carnage:
"The entire Xianzhou Luofu might have to suffer the agonizing sacrifice of more than half of its soldiers and civilians... just to have even a sliver of hope that the manipulative, life-devouring Lord Ravager... merely be expelled from the territory." Jing Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck the hearts of his listeners like a hammer blow.
He looked at Xiling again, his eyes clear and resolute:
"Right now, all we need to sacrifice is one grotto-heaven—a cold, reconstructable grotto-heaven—to end her threat and eliminate future troubles completely."
Jing Yuan's tone was resolute:
"This price, compared to the future that would have required the devastation of countless lives, is simply... insignificant!"
A grotto-heaven destroyed can be rebuilt.
This was the weighing and decision he, Jing Yuan, as General of Luofu, had to make.
"Um, can't we follow her plan and wait until she reaches Jianmu before killing her?" Xiling brought up the plan from the original work.
Jing Yuan slowly shook his head. His deep gaze turned to the window, where the colossal shadow of Jianmu, piercing the starry sky and exuding an ancient and desolate aura, was clearly visible. His voice was soft, yet carried an unshakable weight:
"If we weren't driven to desperation, neither I nor the other Xianzhou generals would have chosen this path."
The meaning was crystal clear. Xiling shrugged, giving up on persuasion. This was Luofu's decision, and also Jing Yuan's weighing of his options and responsibility as a general.
"Alright, I understand." He then asked, "So, when will we make our move?"
"Within three days." Jing Yuan stated decisively, giving an unquestionable deadline.
"As for the location," his gaze deepened, "it's at the Alchemy Commission."
"The Alchemy Commission… I understand." Xiling nodded.
"Does the General have any further details to add? If not, we'll take our leave."
Jing Yuan smiled and nodded:
"Please, everyone. During this time, all your expenses in Luofu will be charged to my account."
"General, you are so generous!" Xiling immediately beamed, giving him a bright thumbs-up without hesitation.
Just as he was about to leave, Xiling seemed to suddenly remember something and turned back to Jing Yuan:
"Oh, right! How about we help the General deal with that 'Secret Medicine King' problem while we're at it? We're just killing time anyway!"
Jing Yuan was slightly taken aback, then chuckled, a hint of helplessness and amazement in his smile:
"Lord Xiling is truly... omniscient. Fortunately, we're not enemies, otherwise Jing Yuan would probably be restless, unsure how to deal with someone like you."
The other party knows far too much!
"Oh, don't worry about it," Xiling waved his hand dismissively.
"I just know a little bit about what I know."
Jing Yuan laughed heartily, readily accepting, "Haha, very well! If you gentlemen are willing to lend a hand, I'll shamelessly entrust the task of eradicating the Secret Medicine King teachings to you! It will save me a lot of trouble."
"General, you're too kind. Leave it to us! We'll be going now..."
"Wait a moment, gentlemen." Jing Yuan's voice rang out again, stopping the group who were about to turn around. He calmly reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out his jade tablet (cell phone).
"How about... we exchange contact information? It'll make communication easier later."
...
"Where is she?" Xiling asked, raising an eyebrow as she walked out of the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Dan Heng sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"...I guess she couldn't resist her curiosity again and went off to explore somewhere."
"Indeed, that's Stelle and March 7th's style." Welt Yang adjusted his glasses, his tone tinged with a habitual helplessness.
Yukong stepped forward and politely inquired, "Distinguished guests, your accommodations have been arranged. Would you like to proceed now?"
Xiling's gaze fell on Welt: What to do?
Welt understood and gave Yukong an apologetic smile.
"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Yukong. However, we'd like to wander around the neighborhood first, and while we're at it... Pick up those two companions."
"Understood." Yukong nodded.
"Then I'll send the accommodation address to you all. I have some official business to attend to at Exalting Sanctum, so I'll take my leave." Her fingertips traced the delicate jade...
Meanwhile, Dan Heng had already expertly pulled out his phone and started dialing Stelle and March 7th's number.
Meanwhile, the two "lost children" were happily posing in a charming little pavilion.
Beside them sat a serene, blind woman.
Stelle's phone suddenly rang.
Stelle pulled out her phone and exclaimed, "It's Dan Heng!"
March 7th instantly covered her face, lamenting, "Oh no! I told you I shouldn't have sneaked out with you!"
Stelle, however, was quite self-righteous:
"Oh dear, it's too disloyal for you to say that now! We didn't do anything wrong... Hello? Dan Heng?" She answered the phone.
"Where are you now?" Dan Heng's voice was as direct as ever.
Stelle looked around at the unfamiliar scenery and stammered, "Uh... this..." She had no idea what this pavilion was called!
Just then, the blind woman sitting quietly beside him spoke gently, her voice clear and melodious:
"This place is called Ruomu Pavilion."
Xing's eyes lit up, and she quickly repeated, "Ruomu Pavilion! We're at Ruomu Pavilion!"
"Stay where you are, we'll be there soon." Dan Heng hung up the phone crisply.
After putting down his phone, Dan Heng turned around and saw Welt taking pictures of Xiling and Kevin with his phone.
Xiling struck what he thought was an exceptionally handsome pose, not forgetting to direct, "Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Welt, this is the angle! Make sure to capture my perfect aura and handsome profile! Remember to turn on the beauty filter!"
Kevin, on the other hand, looked disgusted and tried to push away Xiling's hand that was blocking his face:
"Hey! Can you stop being so narcissistic? And you're blocking my lens! Are you jealous that my face is more popular than yours?"
Welt: "....."
Can't you just stand still and not move when I'm taking pictures? And don't be so exaggerated with your pose!
And making that expression on Kevin's face... the visual impact is too strong, I need a moment to process this...
Dan Heng walked over, and just when Welt thought Dan Heng was about to take on the important task of receiving them, Dan Heng walked past him, stood beside the two of them, turned sideways, and, facing the camera in Welt's hand, struck a pose that, while still calm, conveyed a clear meaning:
Count me in.
Welt: "..."
A moment later, the "three-person photo at the entrance of the Seat of Divine Foresight" was successfully obtained.