Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 409 - 231. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
The Youzhou Forest Clan is a local power in the Northern Border and one of the oldest Noble Clans in the Great Tang Dynasty.
The Jiangzhou Lin Clan was originally a branch that split off from the Youzhou Forest Clan and established itself after migrating south.
For the past few hundred years, the Youzhou Forest Clan has had constant friction with Prince Zhao’s Mansion, whose fiefdom is also in the Northern Border. This has made them appear more subdued than before. However, their latent power has always been substantial, and their deep-seated influence extends beyond Youzhou.
Throughout the Great Tang’s Northern Border, their presence is profoundly felt.
Despite sharing the same ancestral roots, the relationship between the Jiangzhou Lin Clan and the Youzhou Forest Clan is not harmonious.
Expecting the Youzhou Forest Clan to go out of its way to help the Jiangzhou Lin Clan is unrealistic. At best, not hindering them is already doing Lin Che and the others a great service.
If the Jiangzhou Lin Clan were to make any significant moves in the Northern Border, they would most likely be unable to hide them from the Youzhou Forest Clan.
If there were any disturbance in the Northern Border Great Black Mountain area, one could glean some insight from the Youzhou Forest Clan’s reactions.
At this moment, Taiyin Yueyao interjected, "What specific information about the Youzhou Forest Clan are you looking to gather, Sir?"
Lei Jun asked, "Do they have any large-scale or extensive secret operations in the Northern Border?"
Yueyao pondered for a moment. "As far as I currently know, there’s no unusual activity. I’ve only heard that recently, the atmosphere between the Youzhou Forest Clan and Prince Zhao’s Mansion has been somewhat ambiguous. Also, some time ago, the Old Patriarch of the Jinzhou Ye Clan personally visited the Lin Clan Ancestral Land."
Lei Jun asked, "Is there any more detailed information?"
Yueyao replied, "Not at this time."
The others either remained silent or stated they didn’t know.
Lei Jun’s voice was steady. "My need for information on this matter is long-term. If anyone has relevant news, please feel free to contact me."
After he finished, Taiyang Riyao spoke, "My question is: does anyone know Fang Jingsheng’s current status?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
They’ve changed targets, no longer fixating on Wei Ancheng... Lei Jun mused.
Wei Ancheng was not killed in the battle of the Southern Wilderness.
However, with his Ninth Heavenly Layer cultivation, his only current option is to go into hiding again, nursing his injuries while trying to escape his perilous situation of being an enemy to the entire world.
Even if he recovered and re-emerged, he would first have to clean house within his own fractious Blood River Sect. Moreover, it’s more likely he would seek retribution against the White Lotus Sect.
Of course, the Lord of Blood River might also act in unexpected ways.
But now, he is hiding even more cautiously than before. It is very difficult for the outside world to find him unless he chooses to appear.
So it seems Riyao has temporarily set aside the matter of Wei Ancheng and has finally chosen a new target: Fang Jingsheng.
The current Clan Chief of the Jingxiang Fang Clan, a Great Scholar at the Perfection stage of the Eighth Heavenly Layer.
When battles erupted due to disturbances in the Western Regions, Fang Jingsheng had personally led some of the Fang Clan’s experts to participate.
In that battle, although Fang Jingsheng didn’t die on the frontier, he was seriously injured.
After returning to the Jingxiang ancestral land for a long recuperation, he made only occasional appearances. He has since lived a reclusive life, delegating most clan affairs, both major and minor, to the numerous elders.
Consequently, the Jingxiang Fang Clan has also become more low-profile in recent years.
Before the battles in the Western Regions, Fang Jingsheng was always considered one of the prime candidates to advance from the Eighth to the Ninth Heavenly Layer.
He was already one of the youngest leaders among the Five Clans and Seven Families of the current era. In his youth, he earned renown as a prodigy, genius, and marvel, ascending to the Upper Three Heavens at a young age.
However, the severe injury he sustained in the Western Regions seemed to have halted his upward momentum.
But now, Riyao has shown interest in this once prominent figure who has kept a low profile in recent years.
Hearing this, the others naturally speculated that perhaps Fang Jingsheng’s injuries were not as severe as rumored.
Could it be that the current Clan Chief of the Fang Clan is quietly cultivating, preparing to break through to the Ninth Heavenly Layer?
Inside the Celestial Book Starry Sky, the stars twinkled. For a moment, it grew silent as several people fell into contemplation.
After a while, Lei Jun came to his senses and glanced at Taiyang Riyao.
Is this really Empress Zhang Wantong? The questions she poses are always so tricky, rendering everyone silent...
"I’m not familiar with the affairs of either Youzhou or Jingxiang," said Shen Qubing, the Mars Fire Radiance, whose true identity Lei Jun had already confirmed. He sounded somewhat distressed. "This means I can’t exchange for the answers I want."
Yueyao asked, "What do you want to know?"
Fire Yao Shen Qubing said, "Actually, quite a few things. I want to know the whereabouts of Wei Ancheng, the Sect Leader of the Blood River Sect, and Yang Yuqi, the remnant of the Former Sui. Uh, also, I’d like to ask if anyone knows about any grudges between the White Lotus Sect’s Future Maitreya and Wei Ancheng?"
Lei Jun glanced at Age Star Muyao.
He could also confirm this person’s identity.
It was the White Lotus Sect’s Future Maitreya.
As for why this person turned coat and blindsided Wei Ancheng... Master Lei gazed up at the sky.
The Future Maitreya spoke in a calm and serene tone, "Regarding the battle in the Southern Wilderness, I have heard some things, but I am not privy to the details and cannot answer your questions."
Fire Yao Shen Qubing said helplessly, "Alright then..."
Yueyao commented, "The information everyone wants to exchange is becoming more critical and valuable, and it’s increasingly difficult to obtain answers. However, looking at it from another perspective, this is a positive development. It shows that our exchanges and cooperation are deepening."
The Future Maitreya neither confirmed nor denied this, instead asking, "I would like to know the detailed circumstances of Monk Jitong’s death from the Great Void Temple. Does any friend here have this information?"
Lei Jun raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
The name Jitong sounded familiar. He quickly recalled that during the initial attack on the new Scholarly Mansion in the Capital City, the assailants included disciples from both the Yellow Sky Sect and the Great Void Temple.
