novelslam Chapter 240 The Evil Jade Dragon in the Antique Shop
Chapter 240 The Evil Jade Dragon in the Antique Shop
P.S.: These chapters have been too drawn out, so I'm adding one more to catch up.
.......
Sudden, For some reason, I fell into a deep sleep.
Cao Ye sensed something and looked towards the living room.
He got up, put on his clothes, and left the bedroom.
Moonlight streamed in through the French windows, turning the floor into a silvery-white lake.
A figure sat on the sofa, dressed in linen clothes and cloth shoes, with a thin face, looking like a person who had stepped out of an ancient painting.
The Grand Preceptor of the Way of Peace, the Cowherd.
Cao Ye's brain completed countless deductions in an instant.
He did everything meticulously, tidying up every single thread.
The Cowherd should not have known that it was he who had plotted against Prince Heng.
But the Cowherd is sitting here.
How much does he actually know? Did he hear what he just said?
Cao Ye stepped forward and sat down opposite the Cowherd.
His posture was relaxed, and his expression respectful, like a loyal subordinate awaiting instructions from a superior.
"Your Excellency, Imperial Preceptor."
The Cowherd raised his head, his gaze piercing through the moonlight and landing on Cao Ye's face.
His voice was unhurried, carrying a hint of weariness from a long journey:
"The capital city is really far away."
We traveled for an hour to get here from the United States.
Cao Ye bowed slightly:
"What orders does the Imperial Advisor have for you coming so late at night?"
The Cowherd's lips curled slightly upward, his smile like a deep pool under the moonlight, seemingly calm, yet with undercurrents surging beneath.
"Can't I have a heart-to-heart talk with you?"
Cao Ye smiled:
"I couldn't have gotten it."
The Cowherd looked up at the ceiling and sighed deeply.
"Prince Heng is dead. The Way of Peace is completely without anyone to rely on."
What a pity, what a shame.
Cao Ye lowered his eyes, his tone tinged with just the right amount of sorrow:
"It was my dereliction of duty that I failed to rescue Prince Heng from the clutches of the Twilight."
It's all because the twilight is too domineering, completely disregarding the dignity of Your Excellency, Grand Preceptor—"
"It's not the twilight's fault," the Cowherd said with a smile, waving his hand. "It's my fault."
Cao Ye was taken aback: "Is it your fault?"
The Cowherd looked at him, his gaze suddenly sharpening, a half-smile playing on his lips:
"If I hadn't been so foolish as to listen to your suggestion, why would I have sent Prince Heng to find Xie Yujiao?"
"Thank you so much for providing Zhang Lina's location; you've chosen a very auspicious spot for Prince Heng's back."
His voice was very soft, like a falling leaf.
"Hehe, I've really upset Her Majesty for no reason."
He shook his head again:
"I never imagined that I would be so easily fooled by a mere mortal like you."
Cao Ye's pupils suddenly contracted.
His eyes instantly transformed into a pair of golden vertical pupils, and a powerful pressure surged within him, ready to strike at any moment.
The Cowherd glanced at him in surprise, his gaze lingering on those vertical pupils, and he paused slightly in surprise.
"Your Highness Mingdeng?"
It turns out it was hidden here with you.
Still with you...
His expression softened, and he waved his hand:
"You don't need to be nervous."
I heard everything you said to that woman in the room.
Cao Ye's heart sank, but his face remained unchanged.
"I've come to make a deal with you," the Cowherd said, his tone regaining its calm. "It's up to you whether you're willing."
"speak."
The Cowherd pondered for a moment:
"In Xia Kingdom, the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs truly reigns supreme."
Dealing with Twilight is simple: just take the lead in one of my plans, and Twilight will surely die.
The Way of Peace is about to clash with Dusk; this is the best time for you to carry out your plan.
Cao Ye remained silent and did not answer.
A plan to kill Twilight?
Is it really feasible?
Even if it really works...
If Huang Hun dies, then Niulang will have the sole power.
Without the threat of dusk, the situation in the Xia Kingdom would be even more difficult than it is now.
As if reading his mind, the Cowherd continued:
"Rest assured. Once Huang Hun dies, I will never set foot in the Xia Kingdom again."
Cao Ye frowned and decided to be blunt:
"Never again will I set foot in the Xia Kingdom?"
Do you think I would believe that?
If you had no interest in the Xia Kingdom, why would you have founded the Way of Peace there?
If I'm not mistaken, your Taiping Plan is for the "restoration of the Qing Dynasty," right?
His voice turned cold:
"Cowherd, I can't let that happen."
The Cowherd chuckled:
"Who said the Taiping Plan was for the purpose of 'restoring the Qing Dynasty'?"
Cao Ye was taken aback.
The Taiping Plan... wasn't it a restoration of the Qing Dynasty?
"You have no need, nor are you qualified, to know what the Taiping Plan is."
The Cowherd continued:
"I created the Way of Peace in the Xia Kingdom solely to target the twilight."
If twilight falls, I naturally have no reason to linger in the Xia Kingdom.
He shook his head, a bitter smile appearing on his lips:
"Twilight...is more complicated than you imagine."
As long as he lives on earth, there will be no peace on earth.
Believe me, if he were alive, a disaster ten thousand times worse than any unusual event would inevitably occur on Earth sooner or later.
His gaze became distant, as if he were looking at a very, very far place:
"I witnessed it thousands of years ago..."
Cao Ye took a cigarette from the cigarette box and lit it.
The flame flickered in the darkness, illuminating half of his face.
"How can I trust you?" He exhaled a puff of smoke.
"I'm not talking about the dangers of 'twilight'... I'm not interested in that, and I might not believe it anyway."
I mean... how can I believe you really won't set foot in Xia Kingdom again?
The Cowherd remained silent for a long time:
"I will hold the Empress hostage and keep her here with you."
Cao Ye suddenly narrowed his eyes.
The Cowherd remained silent for a long time:
"I will hold the Empress hostage and keep her here with you."
Cao Ye suddenly narrowed his eyes.
The supreme leader of the Way of Peace—the Goddess of Light.
It is said that she was originally a concubine of a Qing emperor, and was resurrected after obtaining a forbidden object.
In the Taiping Dao, an organization that revered lineage and status, this concubine of the Qing emperor held a god-like status and was the spiritual pillar of all believers.
"Okay," Cao Ye said.
The Cowherd smiled, took out a small booklet from his sleeve, and handed it over.
"If we follow this course of action, Hun will surely die."
Cao Ye took the booklet.
The Cowherd stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his robes:
"Please give my regards to Prince Mingdeng."
Before he finished speaking, he had already transformed into a wisp of seven-colored smoke and dissipated into the moonlight, leaving only a faint scent of sandalwood in the living room.
Cao Ye opened the booklet.
His eyes widened, his pupils throbbing rapidly on the page.
The handwriting in the booklet was neat and meticulous, each line like a key that opened a door he had never seen before.
"So... this is Twilight's weakness."
His voice was very soft, with an unbelievable tremor:
"It's that simple."
The booklet reads:
Dusk has fallen under a curse, and can only be walked on rainy days.
This is exactly the same as Baiju's guess—Baiju also said that one can only travel during the rainy season at dusk.
The booklet also contains a lot of information about people and locations.
If we kill these people, the forbidden items in their possession will become ownerless...
This would plunge Twilight into an even deeper curse, sealing it within the Tranquil Street of the South China Sea, never to rise again!
Cao Ye closed the booklet:
Whether the contents of the booklet are true or not is still unknown.
If implemented, it would be tantamount to waging war against twilight.
We can't recklessly risk the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs, and we certainly can't let the Taiping Dao use us as pawns.
He put down the booklet and gazed wistfully out the window:
"Assuming what's in this booklet is true... that the way to kill Twilight is that simple..."
A smile slowly crept onto his lips.
"Then we can't attack Twilight first; we should kill the Cowherd first."
He placed the booklet on the coffee table, lightly tapped the cover with his finger, and a plan began to form in his mind.
If this plan succeeds, the life of a male prostitute will end.
Furthermore, the Bureau of Anomalies will also have the right to sit at the same negotiating table as Twilight.
He murmured:
"Who says... humans can't slay gods?"
......
South China Sea, Zero Antique Shop.
Jiang Chaosheng sat behind the counter, looking at Xie Yujiao kneeling in front of him.
"Is the headquarters of the Taiping Dao located at Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain?"
Xie Yujiao lowered his head, his voice respectful and clear: "Yes."
She has revealed everything about the Taiping Dao—its organizational structure, personnel distribution, activity patterns, and secret strongholds.
Every word was checked repeatedly, for fear of missing anything.
Jiang Chaosheng pondered for a while:
"What exactly is the Taiping Plan?"
Xie Yujiao thought for a moment and said:
"The Taiping Plan... is for the sake of peace throughout the world."
Jiang Chaosheng raised an eyebrow.
"Is the world at peace?"
These four characters sound too grand and have absolutely nothing to do with the Taiping Dao, an anti-social organization.
It's like a murderer saying his dream is world peace.
Xie Yujiao explained:
"The Taiping Plan actually has several options."
Any plan that brings peace and an end to war can be included in the peace plan.
Jiang Chaosheng stared at her, finding it somewhat amusing.
What are the available options?
"Three kinds." Xie Yujiao held up three fingers. "One is my brother Xie Qilin's plan, called 'Universal Bliss'."
Jiang Chaosheng nodded slightly:
"I've seen it all."
The evil Qilin has already tested that plan with his life.
With his cunning and treacherous left eye, he weaves an eternal dream, immersing everyone in bliss.
There will be no more war, no more suffering, and no more truth.
One plan is the Empress's plan—to restore the Qing dynasty.
The Way of Great Peace will rule all nations and restore the Qing Dynasty.
Jiang Chaosheng nodded.
That's a bit far-fetched.
But let's consider this one method.
Xie Yujiao raised his head and glanced at him, then quickly lowered it again, his voice tinged with caution:
"The last way... is... about you."
Jiang Chaosheng's gaze fell on her, but he did not urge her.
"The Imperial Advisor believes that you are the root of all chaos in the world." Xie Yujiao's voice grew softer and softer: "Killing you will bring peace to the world."
Actually, many people don't understand this last point.
However, the Imperial Advisor's words were too profound; it's normal that no one understood them.
........
P.S.: I know many people will dislike Cao Ye's part, but the plot really needs this character. Please forgive me for the sake of the author's 10,000 words today!