Chapter 962, Four Months Ago
Those people brought to Prison No. 18 by Li Shu suddenly realized many things: "Gunshots rang out during the meeting, someone wanted to kill the patriarch, but the Heartless Bell didn't ring, so it was all an act, right?"
Li Shu: "Mm."
"So the patriarch is forcibly conscripting city residents to send them to the southwest to join the Qing clan?"
Li Shu: "Mm."
"Why put the tyrant here? He could have been sent to the other side."
Li Shu: "City No. 18 is the most ideal forward base in the Western Continent. It has mature transportation routes, a mature airport and labor force. It is also the granary of the entire Central Plains and the best passage into the southwest. If we blow it up, the area within a radius of 600 kilometers will be impassable. The Qing Clan will have two months to prepare to fight the enemy, and my master will also have two months to prepare for his own affairs. There is only one tyrant. Placing him on the other side is not as cost-effective as placing him here."
"But it will kill a lot of people, and there are still many residents in City 18!"
Li Shu calmly said, "This is war. We simply chose the optimal solution from among many options."
"Then why bother sending so many civilian and military airships to besiege the Blackwater? We have enough missiles."
Li Shu: "The head of the family said that because there is a fortune teller present, we must hold out for 20 minutes."
The civilian airships are tasked with escorting military airships, and the military airships are tasked with engaging in combat with the Blackwater air fortress. Only once the battle begins will the Jester's judgment principle be triggered.
The most fatal moment will come 20 minutes later.
Therefore, the purpose of the 830 civilian airships and 191 military airships is simply to trigger the Judgment of the Fate Master, making the opponent watch them die here.
Does it make sense?
have.
If they intended to detonate the tyrant directly, the other side wouldn't have come at all.
Li Yunshou knew that the efforts made by those civilian and military airships would be fruitless, and the general in the military airship also knew that it would be fruitless, but they still did it anyway.
All for this moment.
Sacrifice the small for the big
In times of crisis, one must abandon
They are strong and they protect themselves.
Isolated and seeking peace
Although Li Xiurui was no match for Qingxun in Go, the principles that the Qing family understood were also understood by the Li family.
The young man who had once cursed Li Yunshou recalled that even though Li Yunshou knew the outcome, he did not offer any explanation in the face of contempt.
At that moment, a shadowy door opened, and Qing Ji stepped out and said to them all, "Set a 10-minute countdown. Everyone evacuate."
The young man said, "Wait, what about the people in the hillside manor? Should we go and help them?"
Qing Ji glanced at him and said, "It's too late."
The young man asked, "But since you knew all this in advance, why didn't you prepare for the evacuation? Don't your parents' association have some kind of magic door?"
“Because there’s a puppet in the Half-Mountain Manor, we need him to verify the intelligence with the informant in Blackwater City so that the Blackwater City fleet will be willing to come,” Qing Ji replied expressionlessly. “What, are you regretting it?”
The young man lowered his head and thought for a moment: "That's true. What I can think of, the patriarch can also think of. The Li family has never been afraid to pay such a price. I don't regret it, I'm just very sad."
What's making you sad?
"What's sad is that I'm the one who survived."
Qing Ji turned and retreated behind the Shadow Gate: "Then live well for the others."
At this moment, Li Dongze and the members of Hengshe also arrived and left through the Shadow Gate one after another.
A countdown began on the control panel in Prison 18: 600 seconds.
...
...
On the Blackwater, Li Yunshou looked at the women of the Li family and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I've dragged you into this."
"It's alright. When it comes to matters of principle, the Li family made the right choice."
The Duke of Blackwater had already sensed something was wrong. He roared and ordered his soldiers to quickly increase the altitude of the Blackwater and sail away into the distance, but it was too late.
Li Yunshou stood alone, awaiting his fate.
A blinding light erupted from the ground, in the direction of Prison 18, as if a star had suddenly appeared from nothingness and then burst forth.
The massive shockwave rippled outwards from Prison 18 at a speed of several kilometers per second.
Li Yunshou stood in the light, smiling as he looked at Duke Blackwater: "This is the indomitable will."
The next second, the light destroyed everything.
...
...
Four months ago.
The cabin on Ginkgo Mountain was quiet and peaceful; even the mute servants had been driven away early in the morning.
The Shadow Gate opened, and Shadow Qingzhun stepped out, saying to Li Xiurui and Li Yunshou behind him, "This is it."
Li Xiurui looked around curiously, looking down at the brilliant lights of City 5 from the mountainside: "I've always heard about this place, but this is my first time here."
The Li and Qing families are two behemoths standing tall in the Eastern Continent Federation, but they are like kings who never meet, and the heads of the families rarely see each other.
They had no political affiliation; it was their family members who took the lead in public appearances.
Therefore, Qingxun had never been to the Half-Mountain Manor in City 18, and Li Xiurui had never been to the Ginkgo Manor in City 5.
Li Xiurui looked at the quiet little wooden house and smiled, "I dared to come here without Li Yunjing, don't I have more guts than you?"
Kyung Joon raised an eyebrow.
But then the old man in the wooden house sighed, "You're like a child who never grew up, so competitive."
“You’re still as annoying as ever,” Li Xiurui laughed as he pushed open the door and entered, as if the two had known each other for a long time.
Inside the room, Qingxun had already set up a chessboard, and Li Xiurui sat opposite him: "One game to decide the winner?"
"One game decides the winner."
Qingxun made his move, and the two exchanged dozens of moves. Li Xiurui said with a smile, "Your chess skills aren't very good either."
However, Qingxun was at a disadvantage in every aspect and soon showed signs of being completely defeated.
Then dozens more times.
Li Xiurui suddenly turned serious and looked at his opponent in the dim light. At that moment, a black dragon suddenly appeared on the corner of the chessboard and could no longer be killed.
When the game reached this point, he realized that everything the master of Ginkgo Mountain had done before was paving the way for this black dragon.
In just over a hundred moves, Qingxun demonstrated exceptional skill in applying the Ten Principles of Go.
in.
Greed will not lead to victory
Sacrifice the small for the big
In times of crisis, one must abandon
They are strong and they protect themselves.
Isolated and seeking peace
Qingxun used it to its fullest potential.
Li Xiurui tossed the white chess piece he was holding onto the board: "There's a message in chess. People from the Qing clan like to beat around the bush. Just say what you mean."
Qingzhun was dumbfounded. The dignified head of the Li family had actually ruined the game in this way. He decided to stop playing!
In chess, how could an ordinary person possibly beat someone with Qing Zhen's bloodline? Qing Xun could not only win, but also win in the way he wanted.
This is something Li Xiurui can never match.
And within this game of chess lies what Qingxun wanted to say to Li Xiurui.
Qingxun said, "The Federation is in great turmoil. When the building collapses, neither you nor I will be spared. But I have a way, or rather, I have seen a way to win."
Li Xiurui was both amused and exasperated: "You old rascal, are you trying to trick me into cooperating with you to unify the Federation? Don't try to play tricks on me."
Everything Qingxun saw was something Li Xiurui had never seen, so he didn't believe it at all.
However, at this moment, Qingxun picked up the chess pieces that Li Xiurui had just thrown away from the chessboard one by one.
He continued placing the black and white pieces, and without looking up, said, "Only Li Yunshou can watch this game. Xiao Zhun, you and the Li family head go out and wait."
Li Xiurui glared at him: "Do you even know what political treatment is? I came all this way to play chess with you, and you want me to go outside and wait?"
Qingxun glanced at him: "I called you here to drink, not to play chess. The person in charge is Li Yunshou, and he is the only one who can watch the game."
Li Xiurui looked at the chessboard in front of him: "Is this what you asked my son Li Shutong to retrieve from Prison No. 18?"
Qingxun did not answer.
Li Xiurui asked again, "You must have seen something important, so why can't we see it? More people looking at it can pool our wisdom. Don't think you're smarter than everyone else, as if only your ideas are feasible."
Qingxun looked up at him: "Greed will not bring victory."
These four words encapsulate almost the entire outline of the Qingxun Plan: if the ending is acceptable to you, then embrace your destiny and don't try to gain more.
Other endings might not be better than this one.
Li Xiurui pursed his lips and stood outside the cabin door, smiling at Qing Zhun as he said, "Young man, what future is there in being a shadow in the Qing family? Come to the Li family, I'll make you an independent director. I still have a few daughters who aren't married yet, and I think you're quite good. Get to know them... Of course, they have to be willing."
Kyung-joon smiled and said, "Grandpa, I've been married."
“Ah… I’ve heard about you. Seventh Brother said you came to our house to look through our files around that time,” Li Xiurui smacked his lips. “But life goes on.”
Kyung Joon said with a smile, "She'll be lonely."
Li Xiurui sighed, "What a pity... but you can still come to my Li family."
An impatient voice came from inside the wooden house: "If you want to dig people up, go somewhere else. Don't do it on purpose in front of me!"