Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1091
Li Yao sniffed. "Why do I have to tell you the secrets of my wife and my disciple?"
Long Yangjun's eyes shone. "So, you have figured out the truth of the whole event, too? It does make sense. If Han Baling has discovered eighty percent of the truth merely as an outsider, you must've found out what Ding Lingdang and Jin Xinyue were up to long before he did as someone who knows the two women best. How about this? I don't need you to tell me anything. I will tell you my speculations, and all you need to do is to say if they are right. Does that work for you?"
"No." Li Yao shook his head.
"That's a bit ungrateful, don't you think?" Long Yangjun snorted. "I tried so hard to cover for you during the meeting just now, and you are doing nothing in return for me?"
Li Yao thought quickly. Then, he seemed to have figured out something. Staring at Long Yangjun solemnly, he said, "Alright. You will make guesses, and I will tell you if they are right. But this event is not as simple as it appears. There may be a series of subsequent changes. Once you learn the truth, you will never get to jump off the boat anymore. I will not allow you to stay out of it."
"I never planned to stay out of the event in the first place." Long Yangjun smiled. "Monster Li's thigh is thick, strong, and dependable. Now that I have clung to it, how could I bear to let it go easily?"
Li Yao coughed and said, "You may begin."
"Alright!" Long Yangjun nodded and spoke in great excitement. "In fact, Han Baling deserves to be one of the rare talents in strategies in the Ancient Sages Sector. It is no exaggeration to call him a great monarch. Also, everything he did when he demolished all the sects on the prairie, established the Eight Units of Cloud Qin, and became the leader of the Dark Cloud Prairies is similar to what is happening in the federation right now. The new powers are crushing the old interest groups that have gradually decayed and are no longer used to the latest changes.
"Therefore, his speculations on the whole thing are shockingly precise. The truth is a fatal trap that has been prepared for a hundred years like he described!
"However, it is impossible for him to know that the trap was not prepared by Monster Li but Monster Li's disciple, Jin Xinyue!
"Jin Xinyue is truly one of the best strategic schemers in the federation who has grown to an extent far beyond her master!"
Long Yangjun suddenly paused and sighed, while she eyed Li Yao with envy and jealousy.
Li Yao was slightly dazed. "Why are you looking at me in such a way?"
"Because I'm jealous. I'm jealous that you recruited such a distinguished disciple when you didn't do anything!" Long Yangjun said. "For the experts of our level who have reached the Nascent Soul Stage, what we want are merely two simple things. Firstly, to further move upward in our training. Secondly, to find a few loyal, gifted disciples who will pass on our lifelong knowledge and perfect it!
"The path of training gets more and more difficult as you walk further. To break through from the Nascent Soul Stage into the Divinity Transformation Stage is a challenging task for anyone.
"However, to recruit a real good disciple, one that both has distinguished talents and abilities and is loyal to their master, is a hundred times more challenging than breaking into the Divinity Transformation Stage!
"It is essentially the greatest achievement of your life to have recruited such a perfect disciple as Jin Xinyue who is loyal and willing to sacrifice for the interests of her master. I believe that you will rest in peace even if you die abruptly right now!"
"Is that a compliment? Why does it sound so weird to me?"
Long Yangjun smiled. "Of course it does. It sounds weird because it is not true. At first, I read a lot of biographies about Jin Xinyue and Ding Lingdang. But the thing about biographies is that they are often embroidered to cover the mistakes of the persons and to highlight their achievements, just like how the figure in the 'Chronicles of Li Yao' is not the real you. Therefore, it is impossible to tell the real character of the persons and the logic of their actions.
"Later, I began to analyze the videos of their speeches. You know that a lot of videos of their public speeches are available on the Spiritual Nexus for them to run for the Supreme Speaker.
"I carefully studied almost a hundred clips of their speeches. I dare not say that I know them as well as you do, but I believe I have found something that Han Baling and the rest of them didn't."
"What is it?" Li Yao asked.
"Ambitions. Undisguisable ambitions that flow out of every pore on Jin Xinyue's body," Long Yangjun said. "Jin Xinyue is an ambitious woman who has the strongest lust for power. Even if she truly regards you as the dearest and most respected master, it is impossible for her to sacrifice herself for you or your wife.
"Then, at first glance, the whole plan appears quite illogical.
"After her 'self-detonation', Li Yao's group will certainly rise and will completely control the federation, but she might be sentenced to prison, and all her possibilities on the surface will vanish.
"After all, no matter how despicable the traditional conglomerates are, she is the center of the scandal. Suffering such a destructive strike, not just the important posts such as Speaker of the Federation, leader of the Ministry of Equality and Development, or president of the Dim Moon Fund, even the places of a lower level will not be open for her.
"For such a woman who was practically born with ambition for power, it is more excruciating than to be minced into pieces. Is my speculation on your little disciple correct?"
"Yes. She is indeed such a woman." Li Yao nodded. "I learned about it a hundred years ago."
"But back then, you didn't know that her appetite was so huge," Long Yangjun said. "Or maybe, Jin Xinyue, who was relatively immature a hundred years ago, did not have such a huge appetite then. A minor 'Speaker of the Federation' was enough to satisfy her at that time.
"However, after a hundred years of training and expansion, Jin Xinyue has grown into a rapacious, gigantic beast. What she desires is not a meaningless title such as Speaker of the Federation but the real power of the entire Star Glory Federation!
"The term for the Speaker of the Federation is five years, and one can only serve two terms at most, which will be ten years. Even during the ten years, they will be hamstrung by parliament and the many big shots in other aspects. They must take the influence and interests of other parties into account, too. So, does the Speaker really have the dominating power?
"No. Speaker of the Federation is just a vain title. There's a post that is even more critical than Speaker. Sometimes they overlap, but sometimes they do not, in which case one can totally manipulate everything behind the curtain. The post is the helmsman of Li Yao's group!
"In the New Federation that is deprived of the traditional conglomerates and the obsolete forces, Li Yao's group will rise unstoppably. Whoever works as the helmsman of Li Yao's group will control the entire federation!
"Also, Speaker has terms and is bound by checks and balances, supervision and exposure, but 'helmsman of Li Yao's group' does not have terms and will not necessarily be checked. It does not need to answer to the general public, either! If the person is capable enough, they can work for fifty years, a hundred, or even longer, controlling the federation for the next century! Am I right, Monster Li?"
Li Yao gave neither approval nor disapproval. "However, even if a 'Li Yao's group' does exist, Ding Lingdang is its helmsman right now."
"But your wife is neither the materials for the Speaker of the Federation nor for the helmsman of Li Yao's group." Long Yangjun chuckled. "She is not even willing to take the jobs herself, is she?
"That's why Jin Xinyue went through all the trouble of pushing her to the stage, because Jin Xinyue is very clear that Ding Lingdang will not fight for power with her!
"On the surface, everything Jin Xinyue did was self-sacrifice to pave the way for Ding Lingdang. Such loyalty is truly touching!
"But on second thought, the core circle of the so-called 'Li Yao's group' is only four people—Li Yao's wife and his three disciples.
"Li Yao's wife Ding Lingdang and first disciple Wu Mayan are both warriors. They are incapable and uninterested in political power or managing Li Yao's group.
"There's no need to mention his second disciple, Xie Anan, who is the purest refiner. Her ambitions are perhaps even smaller than Ding Lingdang's and Wu Mayan's. She was not born to be a leader at all!
"Then, if a helmsman must be chosen from the core circle, who is more qualified than Jin Xinyue, capable, loyal, and willing to sacrifice herself for Li Yao's group?"
Chapter 1687: Queen of Darkness! |
Li Yao was still expressionless. His face seemed to have been locked by a gate of a thousand tons, which prevented any emotion in his heart from leaking out. He calmly said, "Even if Li Yao's group does exist, it is not a dynasty after all. Its leader does not necessarily have to be my wife or disciples. I believe that I'm more openminded than that.
"The slightly more peripheral members can also control the interest group. For example, Bai Kaixin, Chief of Staff of the Burning Prairie Fleet right now, or Guo Chunfeng, director of the Secret Sword Bureau, or my senior brother Fiend Blade Peng Hai, whose Double Dragons Union is likely to rise to become the biggest sect in the federation after the traditional conglomerates are wiped out.
"Are those people worse than Jin Xinyue in terms of strategic wisdom? I think that each of them is suitable to be the spokesperson of the enormous group. I don't see any reason why I should object."
Long Yangjun smiled and unhurriedly said, "Although I do think that Bai Kaixin, Guo Chunfeng, Fiend Blade Peng Hai, and the rest of them are not as good as Jin Xinyue, it is not what really matters here. The key to becoming the 'helmsman of Li Yao's group' is to win the support of the internal big shots.
"In fact, the way I see it, the strife in the modern Cultivation civilization is no different from the conflicts in the court in the world of ancient Cultivators or the battles between gangs in the underground world.
"How can you distinguish yourself in a gang? You must be brave and make great contributions to the gang, but that's only part of it.
"Contributions and sacrifices do not necessarily strengthen you. It is also possible that you take a blow for the gang and get imprisoned for ten years, only to discover that all your influence is gone after you are out of prison. Your previous sacrifice would be in vain.
"Contributions and sacrifices are necessary, but what matters more is the appreciation and support of the big shots!
"This is exactly the dangerous situation that Jin Xinyue is faced with. Now that she is at the center of the scandal storm, if she intends to drag the traditional conglomerates into the abyss and demolish them, she will have to pay an equally high price. Even if she is not sentenced to prison, she will have to lay low for quite a long time.
"At that time, if the big shots of Li Yao's group support Bai Kaixin, Guo Chunfeng, or Fiend Blade Peng Hai, they will be taking Jin Xinyue's fruit and become manager of Li Yao's group. Even Jin Xinyue rises again later, everything will have been settled, and she will barely be able to change anything.
"Therefore, before Jin Xinyue starts the whole thing, she must have the support of the big shots.
"Then, which big shot in Li Yao's group has the biggest voice? Of course, you are the number one big shot. But your whereabouts are unknown. She doesn't know when you will come back, and she is not sure that she can manipulate you when you do.
"Right below you, the second one on the rank is definitely Ding Lingdang!
"As your wife, Ding Lingdang boasts the legal rights of the many shares that you have left behind. She is great shareholder in the Glorious Sunlight Group, the Double Dragons Union, and even Skyfire.
"Also, Ding Lingdang has discovered two Sectors in a row in the past hundred years herself. Her reputation is even higher than yours for the unbelievable legends that she has created!
"It is needless to say that her Patriots Front, having toiled in the new worlds for a hundred years, is well-supported in the four new worlds and is a remarkable force in parliament.
"Therefore, Ding Lingdang is the most influential big shot in Li Yao's group. Whoever is supported by her is very likely to be the helmsman of Li Yao's group!
"However—
"Ding Lingdang does not like Jin Xinyue. Not at all. Right?"
Li Yao did not say anything, but the bitter smile on his lips betrayed him.
Long Yangjun grew more and more delighted. "Understandable. Totally understandable. How can a masteress be fond of her husband's young, beautiful, and even slightly exotic female disciple?
"In such a case, things are quite tricky for Jin Xinyue.
"Ding Lingdang dislikes and is wary of her. It is obvious that she will not support Jin Xinyue. Then, even though Jin Xinyue can facilitate the rise of Li Yao's group with all her schemes and ploys, somebody else will claim the spoils in the end. How can the ambitious woman have worked hard for a hundred years for nothing?
"Jin Xinyue is a very smart woman. She dare not end on bad terms with her masteress no matter what because she knows that you will return sooner or later. She does not have the courage, nor is it necessary for her, to stand against you.
"Since betrayal is not an option and she needs to find a way to win Ding Lingdang's support, she plays the most delicate move in the entire scheme! Yes. When I inferred her whole scheme, this particular move was the biggest surprise for me!
"Hey, Monster Li, do you think that Jin Xinyue informed your wife when she prepared the entire scheme? Is it possible that they are role-playing?"
"No."
"I thought so, too." Long Yangjun nodded confidently. "Ding Lingdang and you are as opposite as can be. She is not the kind of person who likes acting. Also, the fewer people who know such a delicate scheme, the better. It was absolutely necessary for Jin Xinyue not to let Ding Lingdang know anything.
"Therefore, it is safe to assume that Ding Lingdang is unaware of the truth even to this moment. She really regards Jin Xinyue as a… ruthless, treacherous, churlish, insane woman who has no boundaries, right?"
"I agree."
"If I were Jin Xinyue, I would even find a way to meet Ding Lingdang, pretending that I am too arrogant to care about the bond between us, in order to infuriate Ding Lingdang!
"Hehe. Ding Lingdang would've been angry enough after knowing what Ding Lingdang did on the surface even without provocation. She will only be even more so after it.
"As a result, Ding Lingdang will truly dedicate all her resources to the investigation and crucifixion of Jin Xinyue.
"Then, in the near future, after all the traditional conglomerates are wiped out and Li Yao's group dominates the federation, Jin Xinyue will certainly let Ding Lingdang learn the truth in a clever way.
"The little witch will let her masteress know that she has been making sacrifices and contributions while bearing the curses and misunderstandings in silence not for herself or the demons, but for her master and masteress and for the rise of Li Yao's group!
"It means that Ding Lingdang truly wronged the little witch, and the little witch was unable to defend herself in the situation and therefore could only hold back her tears while continuing to make contributions for Li Yao's group, even if it means that power, reputation, and other things that she cherishes would be shattered!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. How shocked will Ding Lingdang be after she learns the 'truth'?"
Shaking her head, Long Yangjun could not help but applaud. "Awesome. Truly awesome. Jin Xinyue has truly grasped every possible change in her masteress' mind! Of course, that is also partly because your wife is too easy to predict. But still, I cannot praise your disciple enough!"
Li Yao sniffed and said, "Jin Xinyue is not nearly as awesome as you. She certainly couldn't figure out so many things with only a hundred videos of public speeches."
"I am not nearly as awesome as you, Monster Li, because I can tell from your countenance that you have long realized Jin Xinyue's tricks, haven't you?" Long Yangjun smiled. "What, since there are only the two of us here, you don't even bother to pretend to be shocked?"
"Ding Lingdang and Jin Xinyue are both most intimate to me," Li Yao said. "A lot of Jin Xinyue's tricks and acting skills were even taught by me. Is it strange at all that I can see through her? Hehe. It is outrageous for her to trick her masteress like that. I'm going to punish her good after I return!"
"Of course you will punish her—by asking her to drink three cups of wine, right?" Long Yangjun smirked. "What Jin Xinyue has done is all open strategies. No surreptitious schemes are involved at all. At the very least, within Li Yao's group, and in front of Monster Li, she is absolutely able to justify herself.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm growing to like Jin Xinyue more and more. She knows that it is difficult to resolve her masteress' hate and wariness for her. It is not just the private contradiction between two women but also the deep-rooted vigilance of a human against a demon. It may have something to do with the checks and balances within Li Yao's group, too.
"Under normal circumstances, her masteress, as a 'big shot', would never support her. However obedient and dutiful she appears, it will only add to her masteress' alert.
"In such a case, she might as well go the exact opposite way. She set up a trap on purpose to make her masteress misunderstand her deeply or even strike her hard. Then, after what is done is done, when she is riddled with bleeding wounds because of her masteress, she will suddenly reveal the truth that she is actually a good person who has always been loyal to her master and masteress. She made sacrifices in silence for everyone in Li Yao's group!
"Your wife is a straightforward and upright woman. Such people always have the most extreme emotions, both love and hate. They cannot bear owing somebody else a favor just as much as they cannot tolerate themselves for wronging a good guy.
"Therefore, after discovering the truth, Ding Lingdang, who can't be more regretful, will definitely try her best to make it up to Jin Xinyue, the 'loyal little disciple'. Or rather, haunted by a certain weird sense of guilt, she may even walk from one extremity to the other. She may begin to absolute trust and support Jin Xinyue instead of hating her!
