Qin Yi really got it wrong this time.
He thought that since he was ambushed, the whole situation was initiated by Dong Huazi, and he believed that Dong Huazi was in control and could arrange things however he wanted.
In reality, Dong Huazi only planned to ambush Qin Yi. He didn't dare to make any reckless moves with powerful monsters since Ming He was right there at his Longsheng Temple…
Even the two who sneaked into the princess's residence were brought out by Mang Zhan on his own accord.
If they really wanted to deal with Li Qinglin, the strategies they were considering involved false edicts, deposing the crown prince, or ambushing him during court sessions. There was absolutely no way they would attack the Crown Prince's residence; after all, that was the capital of the South Li Kingdom. Dong Huazi didn't have that much power, and Li Qinglin was certainly not in such a weak position. Just like the city’s guards, although some had sided with Dong Huazi, most were still loyal to Li Qinglin.
Politically, Dong Huazi held a significant advantage, almost covering the entire court. However, in terms of actual combat strength, Li Qinglin was the one who came out on top, which was the foundation for their stalemate.
With the failure to ambush Qin Yi, shouldn’t there be some support from those with magical abilities? They couldn’t come because they were too busy taking care of themselves.
It wasn’t the Crown Prince's residence that was under siege, but Dong Huazi himself.
The gates of Lihuo City swung open, and a fierce army poured into the city, heading straight for Longsheng Temple.
On the ninety-nine stone steps, the red-armored soldiers were everywhere, attacking any Taoist they saw, charging straight into the temple.
South Li’s most elite army, the Southern Ming Lihuo Army, was stationed just outside the city, led by General Xie Yuan, a seasoned veteran who had fought in the Western Wilderness for thirty years. He was Li Qinglin’s true ally.
This was all part of Li Qinglin's plan—when the day came to force his father to abdicate.
Now, there was no need to turn the army against his father, but they could definitely target Longsheng Temple. Killing his father wasn’t the goal; the real target should be the enemy.
Originally, he couldn’t do this because moving troops into the city would be seen as treason. But now that he knew his father was going to die, what was there to worry about?
Li Qinglin knew that Dong Huazi was secretly plotting to kill him, so he wouldn’t take his time preparing, waiting for his father to pass before revealing his cards to Dong Huazi. Perhaps Qin Yi thought this way, and Dong Huazi too, but seasoned generals thought about speed and surprise.
Dong Huazi definitely didn’t expect Li Qinglin to suddenly mobilize troops into the capital at this moment, while he was still leisurely plotting against Qin Yi. Little did he know that the elite troops were already at his doorstep.
Even Qin Yi didn’t expect this. He thought Li Qinglin would be busy preparing, and couldn’t imagine that the seemingly unprepared Li Qinglin would turn the tables in just one night with overwhelming force!
Even Qin Yi, who had shared heartfelt conversations with Li Qinglin, couldn’t have foreseen this, let alone Dong Huazi.
Fire erupted all around Longsheng Temple, and Taoists were injured and killed. Li Qinglin led the charge, thrusting his spear forward into the temple without hesitation, heading straight for the Ascension Platform.
“Boom!” A fireball came rushing toward him.
Li Qinglin thrust his spear, and a powerful force surged forth, like a fierce wind, pushing the fireball off course and causing it to hit a nearby tree, which burst into flames.
Li Qinglin looked up and saw several high-ranking Taoists sitting cross-legged ahead, forming various magical seals. The ground before them was dotted with signs, indicating the presence of a formation.
He raised his hand, and the soldiers on both sides halted in unison, collectively drawing their bows and aiming at the Taoists ahead.
The Taoists’ calm expressions changed instantly.
Li Qinglin chuckled, “Taoist magic, throwing fire and lightning, looks impressive… but how can it scare the elite who have crawled out from among the dead?”
In the next moment, a rain of arrows shot forth, like a storm. The Taoists hadn’t even had time to unleash their spells, and they could only barely form a protective shield. How could they withstand such relentless volleys from strong bows and crossbows?
In an instant, the shield shattered, and several Taoists screamed as they were shot to pieces.
A few Taoists who lagged behind scrambled into the Ascension Platform.
On the high platform, Dong Huazi’s expression darkened: “Li Qinglin, you are committing treason!”
He truly hadn’t expected Li Qinglin to move his troops at this time. Not only did it catch him off guard, but it also struck at his weakest point—most of the monsters he secretly raised had been decimated by Ming He’s Seven Stars Formation, leaving only a handful barely alive. Otherwise, even if Li Qinglin had a large army, he would have had one too.
But it was unfortunate that he ran into Ming He, who casually unleashed a large formation, causing his strength to plummet in an instant. Before he could recover, Li Qinglin’s army was upon him.
It was precise and ruthless.
Li Qinglin replied coolly, “It’s the same for both of us. As the Crown Prince, isn’t the National Master also plotting against me? We are both guilty of treason.”
As he spoke, he tossed out two severed heads: “Don’t you find it strange that you didn’t hear about my troop movements? My ‘trusted aides’ have been thoroughly bought by the National Master.”
Dong Huazi said, “You never trusted these people?”
Li Qinglin sneered, “I don’t trust anyone who holds a position in the capital. Just like that General Liu’s betrayal; even without Qing Jun blocking the door, he would have ended up in a terrible situation. How many strong crossbows are there near Ye Ling’s residence? Even Ye Ling himself doesn’t know.”
Dong Huazi stared at Li Qinglin for a moment, then suddenly laughed: “The Crown Prince is indeed a remarkable person, but unfortunately, you are limited by your perspective and don’t realize there are many things in this world that even your clever strategies can’t handle.”
“Like this formation?” Li Qinglin walked around the formation in front of him and tossed a stone into it. With a loud bang, flames erupted, turning the stone to ashes.
“A powerful fire! So you were using the blazing flint for this.” Li Qinglin smiled slightly and turned to give orders: “Listen up, dig from the sides down to the earth’s core and see what kind of core is beneath. If there isn’t one, just dig straight up.”
A group of soldiers immediately started digging without a word, and Dong Huazi’s expression changed dramatically.
Li Qinglin patiently waited for the soldiers to dig, saying, “Perhaps there are some strange techniques that even a million troops can’t overcome, I admit that. But unfortunately, you, Dong Huazi, clearly lack that capability. Maybe you still have some powerful monsters like Ye Ling hidden away? But first, their numbers are limited, and second, their skills are shallow. Even if their cultivation is decent, one or two monsters in this army won’t change the tide—just like you, Dong Huazi.”
Dong Huazi gritted his teeth and suddenly sent up a signal.
Li Qinglin looked up and said calmly, “What does this signal mean?”
“As you said, those monsters are of little use here, so I told them not to come to aid this place, but to go to your Crown Prince’s residence,” Dong Huazi grinned maliciously. “I wonder what’s more important to you, defeating the enemy or protecting your family?”
“You really sent them to my residence?” Li Qinglin’s expression turned strange. “Then let them go.”
As he spoke, the ground was breached, as if some core was destroyed, and the formation covering the courtyard slowly dimmed. Li Qinglin tossed another stone, but there was no reaction.
He looked up and smiled: “Now it’s our turn to set the fire. Listen up… bring firewood over and burn this Ascension Platform.”
Dong Huazi was so angry he almost spat blood. This platform had nine levels, filled with mechanisms and formations. He had originally thought they wouldn’t be able to break through, hoping to delay until the king intervened, but now Li Qinglin was acting completely out of the ordinary!
He stopped talking and retreated quickly, heading straight down.
This platform had been built over many years; it wasn’t just a high platform, but also had an underground palace.
That couldn’t be solved with just fire; it all depended on whether Li Qinglin dared to go in!
Li Qinglin watched the flames blaze and quietly ordered those around him: “Go check on the Crown Prince’s residence. If things are settled there, please invite Mr. Qin here for assistance.”
(End of Chapter)