Chapter 674: Chapter 675 Conspiracy and Trickery
Chen Yuanyuan lightly sipped her tea, and with a charming laugh, said, “Just like this game of chess, that demon head has been firmly bound by a spider’s web!”

“What’s the next move, and when does the Chen Family plan to take action?”

“Do I need to coordinate anything on the frontier?”

“If that boy really comes to me for the Tiger Talisman, should I actually give it to him?”

Chen Yu inquired.

“Ha ha, how could that be possible? Giving him three thousand troops was already a tremendous favor. To want the Tiger Talisman is pure folly. That boy may seem cold on the surface, but in reality, he’s just a naive young man. Big brother, you just need to lead him on with promises. Controlling such a person is easy,” she said.

“The family has decided that once more than sixty percent of the border soldiers are elevated to the Spirit Refining Realm, we will begin our move to cleanse the Imperial Court,” Chen Yuanyuan said with a cold laugh.

“How then are we to procure the Spirit Realm Technique?” Chen Yu continued to inquire.

“Whether we have the Spirit Realm Technique or not makes no difference. As long as Li Xiaobai manages to enhance the strength of the troops, with military power in our hands, we are an invincible force. When the time comes, the elders of our clan will purge the Imperial Court and establish a new King. You, big brother, will lead the troops to sweep through the world and completely subjugate those Southern Barren Lands. Then, the world will truly be unified, and the Chen Family will establish an unshakable foundation in the Central Plains!” Chen Yuanyuan spoke gravely. From the beginning, her goal was the military force, not the Spirit Realm Technique. No individual martial artist, no matter how powerful, could stand against the world, so she didn’t care about the acquisition of the Cultivation Technique.

“Who is the new King? Has the family already made a decision?” Chen Yu asked with a slight frown.

“Naturally, it’ll be our father, his Lordship. The court is full of his old acquaintances. Let the old man stabilize the situation first, and then let him die a natural death. After that, you and I will ascend to power. In this way, the infamy of regicide and usurpation will not fall on our heads,” Chen Yuanyuan said with a smile. She planned to have their father claim the throne through regicide first, and then they would secretly eliminate him. Chen Yu would then naturally ascend to the throne, and all the ignominy would fall upon their dead father.

“But don’t forget, deep within the Imperial Palace, the Grand Emperor is in seclusion and cultivating. If we kill the young Emperor, I fear that person will not stand idly by. How will the Chen Family cope with him? That one has lived for over a hundred years, and his cultivation level is probably within that legendary realm. To kill us would be as easy as flipping his hand,” Chen Yu said with a tight frown. He felt that the decision of the Chen Family’s high-level strategy was somewhat reckless, as they had decided on such an act as regicide without even consulting him first.

People in the world believe that the Refinement Void Realm is the highest realm a martial artist can achieve nowadays, but as the General of the Imperial Forces, Chen Yu was well aware of the secrets. In today’s martial arts world, there are at least three experts in the Void Merging Realm still alive.

One from the Buddhist Sect, one from the Daoist Sect, and one from the royal family. No one knows how old the Grand Emperor is, the young Emperor is so incompetent, and the reason why the courtiers monopolize power without any resistance is mainly that the Imperial Palace harbors a true god, and no one dares to offend him, not even Chen Yu with his authority over the army.

“Don’t worry, big brother, I have already thought ahead on this matter. The one in the Imperial Palace has been taken care of; otherwise, we wouldn’t dare to act like this,” Chen Yuanyuan said with a laugh.

“How was it taken care of?” Chen Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief. He did not even have the right to meet that person, yet his sister managed to handle him without anyone noticing?

“The Grand Emperor has a fondness for beauty, and Li Xiaobai’s junior sister is a beauty who could overthrow kingdoms, so naturally, we cater to his tastes. Additionally, nine-tenths of the resources obtained by the Imperial Court will be offered up, we will only take a tenth,” she explained.

“After success, the Grand Emperor himself will come forward to help stabilize my Chen Family’s hold over the nation, and as for that Li Xiaobai, he can be easily eliminated.”

Chen Yuanyuan squinted her eyes, speaking slowly.

“That’s why you brought Long Xue into the Chen family estate—it’s all part of this scheme.”

Chen Yu realized, with the lure of resources and beauty, even a practitioner of the Void Merging Realm couldn’t resist such a temptation.

As for the resistance of Li Xiaobai, once the Grand Emperor joins the fray, it naturally becomes insignificant. Currently, Li Xiaobai only possesses the first half of the Cultivation Technique; the whereabouts of the second half of the Spirit Realm Technique are unknown, and the opponent couldn’t possibly have time to search for it. At the frontlines, he’s at most a master of the Refinement Void Realm.

To the Grand Emperor, such a level is merely an ant.

Chen Yuanyuan: “Indeed, once the time comes, I will deliver that woman into the Grand Emperor’s bed. What you need to do, elder brother, is to completely crush the Southern Barrens at the border.”

Chen Yu: “Brilliant! However, little sister, you must not harbor other intentions. Remember, no matter the outcome, the military authority will always be in your brother’s hands.”

“Hehe, elder brother, what are you talking about? Everything I do is for the sake of us two siblings!”

“Excellent!”

…

The next evening, Li Xiaobai arrived at the border without incident.

On the road, he traveled leisurely, intentionally maintaining the same pace as if he were dashing on a steed, so as not to alert those with ulterior motives.

The border was a large fortress, with towering walls over ten meters high on both sides, stretching for tens of miles, securely blocking out the entire Southern Barrens beyond the pass.

In the past, it was an impregnable steel-clad fortress, but its current state was rather pitiful. The flames of war had scorched the walls pitch black, and they were so damaged they seemed as if they’d been blasted by immense force, leaving only ruins and broken walls.

Atop the walls, the guards were exhausted, their bodies stained with blood. The morale of the troops was at rock bottom. Chen Yuanyuan’s warning wasn’t an exaggeration. Seeing the defeated look of the soldiers, if the Southern Barrens were to attack again, they could indeed breach the fortress.

The Imperial Court’s army is really in a sorry state.

Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Chen Yu greeted Li Xiaobai with a bright smile on his face. He had also hurried back and, arriving just after Li Xiaobai, felt reassured that his opponent indeed had no time to look for the second half of the technique.

Without the subsequent technique, one cannot continue to improve. Even with immense talent, one can only stay within the Refinement Void Realm—no serious threat!

“Young Master Li, our profound thanks for your magnanimity. You’re willing to put aside past grievances to help the Imperial army and save the people from fire and water. On behalf of all the soldiers at the border, I express the highest respect to you!”

Chen Yu said excitedly, looking immensely grateful.

“It’s nothing; the common people are innocent. Gather the rank-and-file soldiers for me, I will teach them a basic method of the Spirit Realm Technique, though it will only be effective for Martial Artists in the Essence Refining Realm.”

Li Xiaobai said indifferently, sizing up Chen Yu, who appeared to be a man of great bearing, and noticed nothing amiss.

“Understood, I will ensure the soldiers cooperate with you to their utmost!”

“After you, Young Master!”