Chapter 108: A Change of Dynasty

Fan Li had just arrived at his residence within the Guest House of the Honglu Temple.

Suddenly!

Several beams of cold light seemed to envelop him. A subtle, hidden murderous intent locked onto several lethal points on his body.

Fan Li was startled. In the capital of the Han Dynasty, within the offices of the Honglu Temple in Chang'an, who could possibly want him dead? After a moment of thought, however, he guessed the identity of his assailant.

"Holy Master Hanyue is joking again," Fan Li said calmly. "If I were to die here, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan would certainly seek vengeance for me. I imagine you would find it difficult to leave the Han borders alive. To trade your life for mine—it truly isn't worth it, Holy Master."

As soon as he finished speaking, the killing intent and sword energy dissipated instantly.

The voice of Holy Master Hanyue seemed to drift down from the heavens. "Those three may indeed have some power in the Han, but why would they hunt down a Holy Master of the Pure Land just for you?"

Fan Li looked up in the direction of the voice. He saw Holy Master Hanyue, dressed in a simple green robe with her hair tied back in a neutral style, holding a spirit sword as crisp and white as snow, drifting slowly down from the sky. Her movements were elegant, carrying the lonely, proud aesthetic of a plum blossom in the snow.

*What a pity,* Fan Li thought to himself, *such a beautiful woman, yet she has to be an enemy.* He kept his tone polite, however. "Those three lords are iron-clad allies of the Fan clan; we stand and fall together. If I were to die within the borders of the Han, they would certainly avenge me to provide the Fan clan with an account!"

After Fan Li finished speaking, Holy Master Hanyue remained silent for a long time. The air around them seemed to freeze.

"Hmph..." After a long while, she let out a soft snort. "I saw you had been out for a long time and decided to wait here. When did I say I wanted to kill you? Are all men in this world as suspicious as you?"

Fan Li’s expression turned strange. Was this Hanyue a sword cultivator or a master of mental gymnastics? If not for his quick-witted retort, she would likely have already struck.

"Setting aside the facts..." Fan Li said with a forced smile, "Thank you for waiting, Holy Master. If there is nothing else, I shall return to my room to rest."

"Go ahead."

Holy Master Hanyue stepped aside to clear the path, her gaze still complex. She wanted to kill Fan Li, but she found him to be like a hedgehog—there was no place to strike. To kill him in the Han would mean being hunted by the forces of Cao, Liu, and Sun; to do it in the Chu territories would mean contending with the power of the Fan clan. Where and when, then, was she supposed to act?

Holy Master Hanyue frowned deeply, lost in contemplation.

...

Chang'an City, the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion.

The guests had all departed, yet a faint scent of blood lingered in the air. Fan Li did not know that after he left, more than a dozen Han civil and military officials had been killed. Their bodies, along with those of Yang Biao and Huang Wan, who had been killed first, were sent into a secret underground palace beneath the mansion.

Dong Zhuo was soaking in a pool of water within the palace. The water was dark red, pungent, and terrifying. But more horrifying than the pool was the "small mountain" piled up beside it—the remains of the dozen Han officials killed at the banquet were all stacked there.

Dong Zhuo appeared to be in deep cultivation. His expression was calm, almost blissful. The dark red water was being absorbed into his body at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After a long time, Dong Zhuo opened his eyes. They were blood-red, with wisps of evil aura swirling within.

"The Taotie Demonic Arts... excellent..." Dong Zhuo murmured, clearly pleased.

Sometime later, a graceful figure entered the palace and stood before him. It was Diaochan.

"Grand Preceptor, I have returned." Her voice was flat, unmoved by the gruesome scene before her, as if she were accustomed to it.

"Oh?" Dong Zhuo looked her up and down. "That brat Fan Li actually managed to restrain himself and didn't take you?"

Diaochan nodded.

Dong Zhuo did not show anger, only a cruel, cold smile. "Although his cultivation is low, his ability to wield power in the Chu state shows he is no ordinary fool. I intended for you to stay by his side as a pawn. When I conquer the world, your role as an inside agent would have made swallowing Chu much easier. Since it didn't work out, so be it."

As he spoke, the water in the pool grew shallower. "Diaochan, look at my cultivation of the Taotie Demonic Arts. I am now at the peak of the first grade of the Mahayana Realm and have the opportunity to step into the second grade at any time. Does it seem steady?"

Dong Zhuo’s cultivation level was undeniably the highest in the Han. It was strange that he would ask Diaochan for advice.

Diaochan stared at him intently for a long time before saying, "Grand Preceptor, you hold the power of the Han Dynasty and have countless resources. By using the civil and military officials as blood offerings, your demonic arts have progressed significantly. There is no error."

"Oh?" Dong Zhuo laughed hideously. "Then look again—what is my destiny?"

Diaochan observed him even more closely. After a long while, she seemed to reach a conclusion. "You have excavated the tombs of the past Han emperors, extracting fragments of the 'Son of Heaven's Destiny' from their corpses to devour with your demonic arts, rewriting your own fate. You are at the final threshold, the most critical moment..."

"Hahahahahaha!!!!"

Dong Zhuo roared with laughter, causing the entire underground palace to tremble. Then, he spoke something truly shocking!

"Diaochan! You taught me the Taotie Demonic Arts. Once I devour that child Liu Xie, using his destiny as a living Emperor as the catalyst, I shall forge my own destiny as the Son of Heaven! When I defy the heavens and change my fate to establish the Dong Dynasty, you shall be my Empress! The forces behind you will never regret their investment in me!"

"Hahahahahahaha..."

Amidst his laughter, demonic energy surged throughout the palace. Dong Zhuo was the source, like a deep, bottomless black vortex, terrifying and grotesque. Diaochan’s delicate body stood like a single white lotus in a vast swamp—untainted, yet fragile and swaying, on the verge of collapse.

...

That night, a crescent moon was veiled by dark clouds, casting only a faint, dismal light.

Diaochan walked out of the palace, moving quietly through the night. Eventually, she reached her own residence within the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion—a secluded pavilion surrounded by lotus leaves and flowers.

Inside the pavilion was a warm spring, emitting gentle heat. A maid stood by the pool, having clearly waited for some time. Seeing Diaochan enter, the maid expertly removed her clothing and jewelry, watching as she stepped into the water.

At this moment, a hint of color returned to Diaochan’s beautiful, pale face. Her expression shifted, however; she occasionally showed signs of pain, biting her lip, her body trembling slightly.

After a long time, she finally washed away the last trace of the scent of blood, and her expression eased.

"Is there any news?" Diaochan asked, as if speaking in a dream.

By the pool, the maid knelt, her tone extremely respectful. "Reporting to the Holy Master: A message has arrived from the Pure Land. You need not participate in any of Holy Master Hanyue's actions. Your task remains to bewitch Dong Zhuo and keep the Han in chaos."

Diaochan nodded wearily. "I understand. My elder sister's plan remains unchanged. We shall still use the land of the Han... to create a new dynasty..."