"Consider yourself lucky."
Regarding the previous actions of Shi Feixuan, if it weren't for considering Shi Qingxuan, Duan Lang truly wanted to slap her to death. After all, Shi Qingxuan and Shi Feixuan had been childhood friends, and after Bi Xiu Xin's death, Shi Qingxuan had stayed at Cihang Jingzhai for several years. It wasn't until Shi Zhi Xuan threatened her that she left.
If things had gone differently, Cihang Jingzhai might have made Shi Qingxuan their successor. The idea that Cihang Jingzhai only has one successor per generation was just a ruse. If it were true, then how could there be a figure like Fan Qinghui? Even in the "Overturning Rain and Clouds," there wasn't just one successor; Qin Mengyao had an older sister, Jin Bingyun.
Had Shi Qingxuan become the successor of Cihang Jingzhai, with her status, she would have greatly furthered their plans, blending both good and evil in one. But unfortunately, Shi Zhi Xuan wasn't a fool. Having been with Bi Xiu Xin, he was naturally aware of Cihang Jingzhai's nature, and despite Fan Qinghui's influence, Shi Zhi Xuan refused to let Shi Qingxuan fall under their control. Fan Qinghui, despite having Ning Daoqi and the Four Great Saints of Buddhism on her side, knew she couldn't afford the consequences of forcing Shi Zhi Xuan.
As the Evil King, Shi Zhi Xuan acted without hesitation. For example, when Duan Lang claimed that Bi Xiu Xin's death had been orchestrated by Cihang Jingzhai and others, Shi Zhi Xuan immediately rampaged, slaughtering several monasteries in anger. Ning Daoqi or the Four Great Saints would never have done such a thing.
Fan Qinghui might have called upon Ning Daoqi or the Four Great Saints, but these experts were top-tier and could only occasionally assist. If she truly intended to use them as henchmen, they would certainly rebel. Besides, Shi Zhi Xuan was doing this for his daughter.
Regardless of everything, Shi Qingxuan and Shi Feixuan had shared a decent relationship when they were young. With Shi Qingxuan's compassionate nature, Shi Feixuan dying at someone else's hand might not have been an issue, but if it were Daniel Davis's hand, it would be different.
Even if there came a time when Shi Feixuan had to die, there was no rush—it wasn't necessary to act immediately.
Interestingly, when Shi Feixuan came to see Daniel Davis, she wasn't trying to persuade him to surrender like in the original plot, where she tried to convince Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling to join Li Shimin. Her aim was for Daniel Davis and Li Shimin to rule the Central Plains separately, dividing the world between them. It was quite optimistic of Cihang Jingzhai to think so.
"Li Shimin and these people dying this way seems like a waste. I could learn from the Qin dynasty's method of exiling them beyond the Central Plains, along with those stubborn aristocratic families."
For Daniel Davis, it was better to use Li Shimin and the aristocratic families for something useful rather than kill them. After unifying the Central Plains, the restoration and development would take at least five to ten years. This time could be spent more effectively, instead of letting it go to waste.
Rather than killing them, Daniel Davis thought it would be better to exile them to places like the Khitan, Shiwei, or the islands of the East Sea. The strength of the aristocratic families in the Central Plains would allow them to establish a kingdom in those regions quite easily. For example, in the original story, Bai Ziting wanted to establish a kingdom in Little Chang'an, which, though a small city, was founded upon the culture of the Central Plains. With the strength of the aristocratic families, they could easily expand into these regions.
Establishing a kingdom outside of the Central Plains could quickly spread Chinese culture, and after five to ten years, Daniel Davis could conquer these regions more easily.
Chinese culture had always been welcomed by the peoples of surrounding regions. Even the Turks were slowly adopting it. Little Chang'an was a prime example, with Bai Ziting admiring the culture of the Central Plains. He modeled Little Chang'an after the real Chang'an, even replicating the 108 districts and the Zhuque Street.
Of course, due to limited resources, Little Chang'an was much smaller than the original Chang'an, but Bai Ziting not only replicated the city but also borrowed various political systems, clothing styles, and more, all to align with the Central Plains.
Once Daniel Davis unified the world, he was already considering granting Bai Ziting an imperial edict to allow him to establish his kingdom.
Daniel Davis didn't want the title of "Heavenly Khan" used by Li Shimin, but some of his policies were worth studying. As a newcomer to ruling, Daniel Davis, despite having vast knowledge, still needed to apply practical methods. After all, this world wasn't governed by extraordinary powers.
The aristocratic families were not ignorant of the surrounding regions. The Silk Road had been very active in this era, and various countries and peoples came through the Silk Road, bringing intelligence with them.
The reason the aristocratic families hadn't thought of expanding outward was simple: they looked down on the so-called "barbarians." While some states might have military power comparable to the Central Plains, like the Persian Empire, they could never match the cultural enjoyment provided by the Central Plains.
Anyone in the Central Plains, unless a fool, would never move to a barbaric land for difficult and thankless work. It was like being in a high-ranking position at a well-paying company, only to be asked to switch to a new company with uncertain wages and conditions. Most people wouldn't accept such an offer.
But all this depended on that company still existing. Daniel Davis intended to destroy that company, leaving no room for them to stay, forcing them to "switch companies."
For the aristocratic families, inheritance was the most important aspect. Everything else came second.
"I didn't expect you to come this far. Please."
"You came here first. Please," Song Que and Shi Zhi Xuan said as they prepared to invade the Li clan and unify the world. With Song Que's immense power, it couldn't be wasted. His target now was Fu Cailin, the last Grandmaster. If he didn't act now, even Fu Cailin might soon be gone.
Song Que and Shi Zhi Xuan, both of the same era, had always been compared to one another. They were both young talents, one from the righteous path and the other from the demonic sect. Many people were curious about who was stronger.
And now, unexpectedly, they had a chance to test each other.
As the battle between Song Que and Shi Zhi Xuan began, many, including the Double Dragons, Zhu Yuyan, Wan Wan, and Dugu Feng, gathered to watch. It was a rare clash of titans.
"Who do you think is stronger?" Kou Zhong asked as he watched the two Grandmasters face off in the center of the martial arts arena.
"Hard to say."
Though Song Que was famous, Shi Zhi Xuan was not to be underestimated. Even more so now that he had recently become a Grandmaster.
As the two exchanged blows, it was clear that neither had gained a clear advantage.
"This is the Immortal Seal? Not bad," Song Que said, his expression calm, hiding his true thoughts, while Shi Zhi Xuan's face grew solemn. The encounter had revealed to him that this was the toughest battle since mastering the Immortal Seal.
Compared to his previous escapes from the Four Great Saints and Ning Daoqi, this battle was much more difficult.
The Immortal Seal was a powerful technique that combined counteracting, absorbing, and borrowing force, paired with his unique Phantom Devil Body, which had made Shi Zhi Xuan stand strong in the martial world. Because of these techniques, Ning Daoqi had failed to kill him three times.
However, now facing Song Que, Shi Zhi Xuan realized he had met his match. In the past, he had used his Phantom Devil Body and Immortal Seal to overcome others, but Song Que's Blade Qi was so pure that it made it difficult for Shi Zhi Xuan to utilize his techniques effectively.
Even with his advancement to a Grandmaster, this battle would have left him severely injured had he not been one.
"Humph."
Realizing his shortcomings, Shi Zhi Xuan let out a cold snort, then activated his Phantom Devil Body, launching a series of attacks on Song Que. Now that he was a Grandmaster, even if only recently, his technique was much stronger.
The Phantom Devil Body seemed to split Shi Zhi Xuan into multiple figures, attacking from all directions.
"Illusions, no, it's more like phantasms. It's quite similar to Feng Wu Liu Huan," Song Que noted.
Shi Zhi Xuan wasn't using a technique like body splitting, but instead, his speed, unique footwork, and true qi created the illusion of multiple figures. Daniel Davis had seen similar techniques before, from Uchiha Shisui's body technique to the Zou Di Ke clan's twisting limbs, or the Feng Wu Liu Huan technique from the Qin era.
Facing Shi Zhi Xuan's attacks, Song Que responded with his ever-constant technique. His Shui Xian Blade unleashed its force, trapping Shi Zhi Xuan within the blade's reach.
For a while, neither side could gain the upper hand. Even though Song Que was familiar with Shi Zhi Xuan's techniques, he couldn't disregard the power of a Grandmaster in the making.
"The arena might need repairs again. When Grandmasters clash, the place becomes a battlefield," Daniel Davis remarked quietly as he observed the destruction of the arena.
Ever since he moved in, the arena had been constantly repaired—after all, it was used by the Double Dragons, Wan Wan, Dugu Feng, and even Shi Qingxuan from time to time.
Shi Qingxuan, trained in both Buddhist and demonic martial arts, was not inferior to Wan Wan in progress. Daniel Davis never lacked resources for her.
"Let's call it a day," Duan Lang said after several exchanges that destroyed most of the arena. After realizing neither could defeat the other, they stopped, knowing this wasn't a life-or-death battle but merely a test.
The two then retreated to meditate, each needing time to digest the experience from the battle.
"Here's the Evil Emperor's Relic. You two should absorb it."
"Thank you, Brother Shen."
After Shi Zhi Xuan and Song Que's battle, Daniel Davis handed the Evil Emperor's Relic to the Double Dragons. After they absorbed it, it was given to Wan Wan, so she could share the essence with her master, Zhu Yuyan.
While it took Shi Zhi Xuan time to absorb the Evil Emperor's Relic, the Double Dragons only needed to slowly refine it using their Longevity Art.
This wasn't because the Double Dragons were stronger, but because Shi Zhi Xuan needed the Relic to restore his spirit and progress as a Grandmaster, which required gradual absorption.
"Immortal Seal, with life and death energy... an interesting concept. But to train this, one needs exceptional talent. Xu Ziling would be perfect for it," Daniel Davis thought as he reviewed the technique Shi Zhi Xuan used.
Duan Lang had obtained Shi Zhi Xuan's martial arts techniques, but he didn't force him to give them up. The materials came from exchanging Bi Xuan's Yan Yang Extraordinary Skill and the Heavenly Demon Strategy.
Born from the Devil Sect's two branches, Hua Jian Sect and Bu Tian Pavilion, Shi Zhi Xuan's martial arts were both profound. Interestingly, Cihang Jingzhai's martial arts were for women only, while Hua Jian Sect's was strictly for men.
However, even then, Shi Zhi Xuan never saw any other secret techniques from the Heavenly Demon Strategy. For the Devil Sect, the Heavenly Demon Strategy was the most suitable for them.
As for the Phantom Devil Body and Immortal Seal, Daniel Davis only reviewed them and didn't practice them. He figured that if it were another form of mystical martial arts, he might have considered it, but there was no need. It was better to focus on his own cultivation of immortal arts.
"Looks like the two Grandmasters are teaching each other. Hou Xibai's talent really does fall behind the Double Dragons and the others."
With Shi Zhi Xuan and Song Que present, alongside Shi Qingxuan's Cihang Sword Classic, the Three Great Books gathered together. Following Daniel Davis's suggestion, they began exchanging ideas. While Song Que and Shi Zhi Xuan didn't cultivate the Longevity Art, they could still learn from it.
Naturally, the Double Dragons and Wan Wan made the quickest progress. Hou Xibai, though participating fully, hadn't grasped as much due to his relatively lower talent.
After his spiritual recovery and with Yang Xuyan's betrayal, Hou Xibai became Shi Zhi Xuan's sole disciple and bore the responsibility of inheriting both the Hua Jian Sect and Bu Tian Pavilion.
Inheritance was a word of great importance.
"Brother Shen, is there anything to drink? I'm exhausted."
Kou Zhong arrived as usual, complaining. While Shi Zhi Xuan focused on training Hou Xibai, Xu Ziling was more of an observer, but Kou Zhong was undergoing one-on-one instruction from the Heavenly Blade Song Que. This, too, was an inheritance.
Though Song Clan had many talents, unfortunately, none could inherit Song Que's Heavenly Blade. Song Shi Dao, a swordsman, had originally thought his blade would be lost after him, but now that he had found Kou Zhong, he wouldn't let him go, especially with the relationship between Kou Zhong and Song Yu Zhi. Kou Zhong was clearly the designated son-in-law.
"Don't be ungrateful. Do you know how rare this treatment is? If this were sold, it'd go for ten thousand taels of gold without a doubt."
"It's time to make a move. Let Duan Lang handle Xieli and Tuli. After all, it was his mess to clean up." After a period of rest and training, the final war to unify the world was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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