Inside Dragon God Palace.
Fan Li was reclining lazily on a soft couch, legs crossed at the knee. He languidly held out his right palm where Wu Gang very naturally placed a peeled grape.
"I'm so bored." Fan Li yawned and popped the grape into his mouth.
As if muttering to himself, he said, "That whatever Holy Master, at Second Grade of the Great Vehicle Realm. Even the Garrison Army's most elite scouts wouldn't possibly have a chance to sneak close and gather intelligence on the Holy Master and Blazing Fire Sect's movements."
The usually taciturn Wu Gang had a strange look in her eyes. She clearly knew something but was too lazy to retort Fan Li.
Fan Li grinned to himself and said, "But no matter how powerful that Holy Master is, she'd never guess the hawks and falcons soaring overhead are actually spirit beasts raised by my Third Younger Brother's Garrison Army, keeping watch over their movements at every moment. Therefore, by knowing myself and the enemy, I've barely managed to gain the upper hand for a hundred battles."
Wu Gang opened her mouth as if to speak but still held back.
Fan Li went on, "What I fear isn't a god-like opponent but pig-like allies. Wu Gang, do you think Xiang Chong has a human brain? He's practically a pig! My Fan clan dominated court over many years. Relying on him to gather intelligence on me, Fan Li, right after returning to the capital?"
Rolling over, Fan Li discovered lying on his stomach was also quite comfortable.
"If it wasn't for me deliberately leaking the news, how would Xiang Chong know Eldest Brother and that secret manor's locations? How would Third Younger Brother happen to go hunting in the southern mountains and my little sister appreciate peach blossoms when she only likes peonies?"
Fan Li enthusiastically asked Wu Gang, "What do you think? Aren't I clever?"
Wu Gang finally nodded very seriously.
"Back then, if the Overlord King had this sort of scheme, how could the realm possibly split in three?"
People who usually don't flatter others will feel especially satisfied when suddenly praised by someone!
Right now, Fan Li was precisely like this. He was already smiling widely from ear to ear!
"Alas... compared to Lord Jin's plans, this old man can't even glimpse the dust..."
There was a third person inside Dragon God Palace.
This person glanced at Fan Li dejectedly then sighed again. Next, he picked up a book and started carefully reading from the first page despite having long memorized the contents.
***
Outside Peng City at the secret manor.
The manor was hidden deep within the forest. It even had tight security with guard posts every three steps and sentry points every five steps.
But Nanguang Yan only coldly sneered!
He had already investigated. The entire manor had three hundred and sixty-five Fan family guards.
Among them, the strongest were at early Nascent Soul stage while the weakest were first grade of Golden Core realm.
For guards of this caliber, they would even exceed the standards of the Han dynasty's Imperial Guards across the Three Kingdoms of Chu, Han and Ming!
Nanguang Yan felt rather jealous. The Fan family's guards even exceeded the average standards of Blazing Fire Sect's disciples!?
"What a pity! If the Fan clan had Unity and Great Vehicle Realm experts overseeing things, they would've already lorded over the realm!"
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
With Nanguang Yan's cultivation at ninth grade of the Unity Realm, he still couldn't perceive the situation inside the most secret main house of the manor.
The main house probably had some kind of obstruction spell formation or treasure that blocked his sensing.
Nanguang Yan figured that was normal since these were obviously shady dealings that couldn't stand the light of day.
"We can make our move."
Nanguang Yan didn't plan on wasting time against over three hundred guards. He wanted to directly charge into the main house and kill everyone inside with one strike! He was even too lazy to discern how many were inside.
Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo's secret envoy from Han? Since you've come, you can keep the master of Fan company and be buried together!
"Conflagration of Falling Stars!"
Nanguang Yan activated his Sect's secret art. His entire person transformed into a blazing meteorite plunging down from the sky.
This was an extremely formidable large scale attack. Centered on the main house with a hundred zhang radius, everything would be affected by [Conflagration of Falling Stars]!
"They actually escaped!?"
Nanguang Yan only needed a few breaths to descend. Yet he saw the three hundred and sixty-five guards of the manor scattered in the eastern, southern, western and northern directions at the same time, fleeing far away.
Hundreds of people fleeing simultaneously in four directions?
This scene nearly made Nanguang Yan die from laughter!
He had assumed the Fan clan possessed formidable power in Great Chu. Who knew even the raised guards would completely abandon their masters at the critical moment and flee for their lives!?
"Ridiculous! I was too excessive asking my wife to take action and she even mocked me for it!" Nanguang Yan furiously roared!
It was as if he wanted to vent all the pent-up feelings in his heart onto the roof of the structures below! However, the scene of wanton destruction he expected did not occur.
Three profound powers successively rose from within the main house, condensing into defensive barriers that shielded the entire manor.
"How is this possible? There are actually three people at the Unity Realm!?"
Nanguang Yan paled in fright. Although he didn't strike out with full force in that first attack, it still contained tremendous might.
[Conflagration of Falling Stars] was steadily blocked by the three Unity Realm experts from the house. Nanguang Yan's initial attack had completely failed!
"Xiang Chong's intel didn't mention the Fan clan having Unity Realm experts. Moreover, three appeared all at once!?" Nanguang Yan descended from the air and stood outside the house with a cold expression.
Whoosh!
The house doors opened. Three people successively exited.
Nanguang Yan inspected the three's appearances but they weren't Fan Ming of the Fan clan whom he planned to kill.
Only until he finally caught sight of Fan Ming still leisurely holding a teacup inside did Nanguang Yan react. Fan Ming was also smilingly watching him.
"This Fan only has Divine Transformation stage cultivation so I won't embarrass myself before Sect Lord Nanguang." After Fan Ming finished speaking, he drank the tea in his cup.
"What? You knew I was coming to kill you? You specially prepared these three men and expected them to protect you?"
Nanguang Yan faintly sensed the three before him were only at sixth grade of Unity Realm. Despite being in that realm, their cultivations were clearly inferior to himself!
Fan Ming nodded then shook his head. "With my Second Younger Brother directing things, this Fan did know beforehand the Sect Lord was coming. Only, you didn't come today to kill me, Fan. Rather, the three hundred and sixty five guards under me worked with three men—Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan—to kill you, Sect Lord."
Cao, Liu, Sun?
Upon hearing the names, Nanguang Yan was greatly shocked!
The three Unity Realm experts currently inside Peng City were obviously the envoys from Han specially arriving for Princess Chang Le's marriage.
"Grand Marshal of Han, Cao Cao."
"Descendent of the royal Liu lineage of Zhongshan, grandson of Filial Emperor Jing, General of the Left of Han, Marquis of Yicheng Prefecture, Governor of Yu Province—Imperial Uncle Liu Bei."
"General of Agile Cavalry, Sun Quan."
After hearing the three men's self-introductions, Nanguang Yan's expression was extremely ugly.
He sank his voice and said, "If three sirs make a move against me today, could it be Princess Chang Le's intention?"
Cao Cao shook his head. "The Princess is already the Empress of Great Chu. We Han subjects do not take orders from her."
"Then why are you here!?" Nanguang Yan asked in puzzlement.
Liu Bei answered, "It's rare the heavens granted this opportunity for Lord Jin to owe us three men a favor. We can only wrong Sect Lord to go die now."
Nanguang Yan stared blankly before loudly laughing. "With just you? Three half-assed Unity Realm cultivators? You're simply seeking death!"
The scheme had failed and now he had fallen into a pitfall instead. Nanguang Yan was already furious with shame. He vowed to kill everyone present before leaving, ensuring he wouldn't suffer humiliation.
The four engaged in a chaotic battle, creating a scene of chaos that extended over a hundred yards!
All structures in the estate, except the main house, turned into rubble in an instant.
Nanguang Yan suddenly felt something was off. Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan were unnaturally strong!
Their strengths were close to his, far beyond what one would expect from Unity Realm cultivators of the sixth rank!
Sun Quan, fighting effortlessly, explained, "Master, don't be surprised. In terms of cultivation level, the three of us are still beneath you. But coincidentally, our destinies are different. We all have the destiny of emperors, making us a bit stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same rank. Hehehe..."