Afterward, Li Ye and the others had known that the Taoist sect in Zhongnan Mountain had been aware of Nangong Diyi’s appearing in Niushou Mountain and destroying Sanqingguan with three swords, so masters had been sent as they worried about the pond of green lotuses. Nangong Diyi had been under siege for a long time.

“Greetings, Your Highness Prince An.” Nangong Diyi retrieved his sword as he saw Li Ye. He came forward to salute Li Ye, while he cupped his hands to the others. And then he began to pour out his grievances. “Li Guanshu, that asshole, told me that the Taoist priests in Sanqingguan had arrested the youths of the Imperial Clan who participated in the examination in Niushou Mountain and that they had the intention of rebellion. He wanted me to cooperate with him to rescue you.”

Nangong Diyi spat out a mouthful of blood and continued, “Originally, it was not a big deal. How would they not be frightened to death as they saw me? However, once I had fought them, I had found that it hadn’t been that case. After I had finished my three swords, an old man of high-level Qi-refining had shown up and challenged me. When did Sanqingguan have a cultivator of high-level Qi-refining?”

“That was it. I would be able to win the old man easily, however, not until I had dealt with him, there were cultivators of high-level Qi-refining coming to kill me one after another. All these respectable people, with their faces covered, had behaved like bandits. Moreover, four swordsmen, who had been famous in Zhongnan Mountain for more than ten years, had also appeared. Did they really think that I was unable to recognize them as they had their faces covered? These bastards, how dare they fight me? Had I done anything to provoke them? This was a rebellion!”

The more he said, the angrier he became. “No one would believe that the situation in Niushou Mountain was neither complicated nor dangerous. Li Guanshu, that asshole, disappeared from the beginning of the fight and he hadn’t come to find me. Although I didn’t need his help, what did it mean when he hadn’t shown up at all? Fuck, I was unable to make it clear what had happened to Niushou Mountain and why the masters in Zhongnan Mountain could lay siege to me. What was their intention as they were so fearless? Were they not afraid that the Imperial Astronomical Observatory would wipe them out?”

Speaking of this, Nangong Diyi remembered the “business”. He asked Li Ye, “Prince An, did you see Li Guanshu?”

Li Ye looked confused as he listened to Nangong Diyi, however, he was well aware of the situation in his mind. Niushou Mountain was located next to Zhongnan Mountain. The latter had dispatched masters to stop Nangong Diyi because they thought that Nangong Diyi had found out the pond of green lotuses and wanted to plot the green lotuses. The fight was fierce. The cultivators of Zhongnan Mountain, who came here without an acceptable reason, had no time to explain their intention and they would not do so.

In the end, Nangong Diyi had defeated all the masters and Li Ye had taken advantage of the chance. In this way, Li Ye should be thankful to Nangong Diyi. Without the unfair fight of Nangong Diyi, Li Ye would not be able to have the great chance.

Li Ye felt very kind for Nangong Diyi as he realized this. “I did not see Duke Xing…”

He looked back at the youths of the Imperial Clan. They all shook their heads and they did not know where Li Guanshu was. Wu You had some doubts because Li Jing’an had told her that Li Guanshu would make troubles for Li Ye. Of course, she would not say anything at this moment.

“When I find Li Guanshu, that asshole, I will let him know the consequences of offending me!” Nangong Diyi was so angry that he gnashed his teeth.

In the beginning, he was taking the newcomers of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to Lingzhou in the northwest for increasing their experience. On his way back to Chang’an, Li Guanshu had found him in Hu County and dragged him into the complicated situation.

Nangong Diyi believed in the personality and prestige of Li Guanshu who was a high-ranking minister of the court. He did not believe that Li Guanshu would lie about the rebellion of Sanqingguan to him. What’s more, Li Guanshu made him believe that the situation of the youths of the Imperial Clan was very critical. Therefore, Nangong Diyi came immediately. The result was that he made himself very embarrassed because of his credulity.

Fortunately, Nangong Diyi had high cultivation and he was powerful. If other people came instead, how would he be able to survive and beat them off under the siege of the masters of Zhongnan Mountain?

Nangong Diyi was so angry that he wanted to give Li Guanshu a lesson. It was like destiny. Li Guanshu died in Li Ye’s hands, which could be considered as revenge for Nangong Diyi. At first, Nangong Diyi had helped Li Ye to stall the masters of Zhongnan Mountain, and then, Li Ye had helped Nangong Diyi to kill a person, which might not be spoken out. It could be considered that they had fought side by side and helped each other.

Li Ye smiled at Nangong Diyi who was furious and felt comfortable with him.

Song Jiao always had the desire to win in cultivation, so she was afraid that she could not help but fight him if she looked at Nangong Diyi for a long time. The scene that Nangong Diyi chopped the masters down with three swords and won the fight made her feel excited.

Anyway, the big deal had already come to an end. The youths of the Imperial Clan were repeatedly frightened in the official examination in Niushou Mountain. Nangong Diyi, who was standing in front of them, made them feel relieved because they all believed in his prestige and power.

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory took charge of all the Taoist sects for the Tang Empire. Its brilliance declined with the recession of the empire, but it still remained its deterrence. It played an important role in the disturbance.

The reason was Nangong Diyi. At present, in front of the youths of the Imperial Clan, Li Ye stood on the platform with Nangong Diyi, Song Jiao, and the others under the night sky. Bathing in the mountain breeze, he watched the night sky gradually brighten, the dazzling stars gradually disappear, the morning star appear alone in the east, and the sun rise and illuminate the misty clouds above the mountains. At this moment, purple clouds came from the east.

Li Ye was deep in thought and he was inspired.

“I’m going to find Li Guanshu, that asshole!” Nangong Diyi said goodbye to Li Ye.

Since the fight stopped in the air, there was no more Spiritual Qi spreading to Niushou Mountain like swords. The chaos of Sanqingguan had been eliminated. In the mountain and the Taoist temple, the cultivators of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory were dressed in black star-and-moon robes and the disciples of Sanqingguan were dressed in different kinds of robes. They healed their wounds against the wall, rested on the ground, or patrolled around. The morning sun, shining on the ruins, illuminated their vacant looks.

Finally, the cultivators of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory found Li Guanshu’s body in the stream. Nangong Diyi rushed over there. When he saw Li Guanshu who was fished out of the water, he looked confused. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory made a lot of effort to confirm Li Guanshu’s identity because of the separation of the corpse.

Last night, the masters of Zhongnan Mountain had fled and the injured had been taken away by their companions. There was no evidence left behind. The last time the cultivators of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory had seen them when they were standing in front of the ruined lotus pond before the waterfall. They were so furious that someone had cut down the shack in front of the peach tree.

In the afternoon, after the youths of the Imperial Clan had rested for half a day, Nangong Diyi “escorted” them to leave Niushou Mountain personally. He left some people in Sanqingguan waiting for the people dispatched from Chang’an to deal with the aftermath.

Soon after Li Ye and the others had returned to Chang’an, the news about Duke Xing, Li Guanshu, framing Sanqingguan for rebellion and Sanqingguan actually trying to plot a rebellion spread quickly. Therefore, details of the matter had been told in the marketplace and evolved into different thrilling versions. In less than a month, the matter had spread over half of the Tang Empire, causing an uproar.