Seeing Xu Fang's insistence, Yang Chan didn't press further. After all, if she didn't go to the Mouth of Guan River, she could stay on Mount Hua with Xu Fang. Wasn't that even better?

  "Then I'll set off right away!" Ao Tingxin didn't refuse either. In fact, she was worried about delaying Xu Fang's plans and prepared to leave immediately.

  However, Xu Fang told her there was no need to rush and that she could wait a few days before going.

  Afterward, he accompanied the two women for a meal before announcing that he would be going into seclusion. There was no other way—he had come to stabilize his cultivation, not to answer endless questions from the two women.

  Only by retreating into the cave did Xu Fang feel somewhat at ease. At least the atmosphere wasn't as oppressive.

  Seeing Xu Fang enter seclusion, Yang Chan and Ao Tingxin naturally didn't disturb him. Yang Chan also began to actively cultivate, which surprised Ao Tingxin. However, remembering Xu Fang's instructions, Ao Tingxin shook her head and quietly left Mount Hua for the Mouth of Guan River a few days after the two had entered seclusion.

  "What? Xu Fang is with my sister on Mount Hua? For a few days already?"

  Erlang Shen, who had been enjoying the mortal world's offerings at the Mouth of Guan River, could no longer sit still upon hearing Ao Tingxin's words. He treasured his sister dearly, and now, hearing this, he couldn't help but feel as though a pig had trampled his precious cabbage.

  Although Xu Fang wasn't bad, she was his own sister!

  "That's right. We've been there for a few days. Then Divine General Xu went into seclusion and asked me to come find you!" Ao Tingxin said without a care for Erlang Shen's reaction.

  Hearing this, Erlang Shen calmed down. With Ao Tingxin present, it meant things weren't as he had imagined. Still, he shot Ao Tingxin a glare. She really had a way with words, making him jump to conclusions.

  "Did Xu Fang say why he sent you to find me?" He was no longer in a hurry and sat back down calmly.

  "He didn't say. He just asked me to bring you to Mount Hua." Ao Tingxin, who had been staying with Yang Chan, wasn't afraid of Yang Jian and spoke casually, quite unlike her demeanor in front of Xu Fang.

  "Alright. The Meishan Brothers and the Howling Celestial Dog can watch the house. I'll go and come back quickly." Yang Jian didn't refuse and made some quick arrangements before heading to Mount Hua with Ao Tingxin. He also had some questions for Xu Fang.

  The two traveled swiftly and arrived at Mount Hua, where Xu Fang immediately exited his cultivation state to greet Yang Jian.

  "Divine General Xu, it's been a while!" Yang Jian noticed that his sister was still in seclusion and felt a pang of emotion, though he wasn't sure what he was feeling. Seeing Xu Fang, he greeted him politely.

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  "True Lord, it's been a while!" Xu Fang responded. "I apologize for summoning you so abruptly."

  Ao Tingxin, knowing the two had matters to discuss, didn't linger and returned to the cave to cultivate. With that, the two men sat down.

  "Why did you call me here?" Yang Jian asked.

  "True Lord, what are your thoughts on the current state of the Heavenly Court?" Xu Fang asked directly after setting up a shielding formation.

  "With the eastward spread of Buddhism, if that were all, it wouldn't be a big deal. But you must know a thing or two about what's really going on."

  "Divine General Xu, you've been in the Heavenly Court longer than I have. You know better than I do what kind of place it really is," Yang Jian said with a faint smile, speaking without reservation.

  He had always disliked the Heavenly Court and had been stationed at the Mouth of Guan River, obeying orders but not attending court. If it weren't for his sister Yang Chan being in the Heavenly Court, he wouldn't have bothered with the Sun Wukong incident.

  "As for the eastward spread of Buddhism, it has nothing to do with me. If they try to involve me and tie me down with karma, so be it. But I stay at the Mouth of Guan River, and everything else is none of my concern."

  This was Yang Jian's attitude—he didn't involve himself in anything, staying at the Mouth of Guan River with the Meishan Brothers and his twelve hundred Grass-Headed Deities.

  But this wasn't the outcome Xu Fang wanted. If he couldn't pull Yang Jian to his side, he would lose a powerful ally.

  "True Lord, as far as I know, the eastward spread of Buddhism isn't just a scheme between the Buddhist and Heavenly Courts. Even the Daoist faction is involved. By then, even if you want to get involved, it might be too late. And the current Heavenly Court is constantly chasing power. Can you guarantee they won't target you?"

  "Even if you try to stay out of the vortex, you might become their first target. By not offending anyone, you might end up offending everyone."

  These words left Erlang Shen momentarily stunned, but upon careful consideration, he found some truth in Xu Fang's words. Of course, he also knew that while the reasoning made sense, whether it would work was another matter.

  "If the Heavenly Court invites Junior Sister Yang to ascend and receive a title, what will you do? The one above is constantly vying for power with the other three, even trying to suppress them completely. Do you think he won't think of you then?" Seeing that Yang Jian remained unmoved, Xu Fang had no choice but to play his trump card.

  Everyone knew that Yang Jian had a weakness—his younger sister, Yang Chan. That was why he had sent her to Master Bodhi, to give her an additional layer of protection.

  But Xu Fang's words were almost a direct attack, and the worst part was that Yang Jian couldn't refute them.

  "Xu Fang, what exactly do you want?" Yang Jian looked at Xu Fang and asked directly. Of course, there was a hint of helplessness in his tone.

  "True Lord, you must know that in forty-nine days, Sun Wukong won't die. With that monkey's temperament, he'll turn the Heavenly Court upside down. And I want to add fuel to the fire!" Xu Fang said bluntly.

  Indeed, Xu Fang was no longer willing to endure passively. As Sun Wukong had said, if cultivators were always bound by rules, how could they advance? If Yang Jian had truly served in the Heavenly Court, would he have reached his current level? It was hard to say.

  "You know the gap between us," Yang Jian said after a moment of silence. "Even if those powerful beings don't personally intervene, their avatars are still beyond our capabilities. And with just the two of us, even if we add fuel to the fire, it won't burn brightly."

  "The Heavenly Court still has thirty thousand Divine Strategy troops. As for the other celestial soldiers, you know better than I do what they're like. As for those avatars, I think someone will eventually step in." Xu Fang was somewhat confident about this. Sun Wukong was part of their plan, but he was the wildcard.

  If something unexpected happened, would their plans still proceed smoothly? Would their agreements still hold? These things were hard to say.

  Yang Jian pondered Xu Fang's words for a long time. Finally, he looked at Xu Fang with a complicated expression and said, "Divine General Xu, what exactly are your intentions toward my sister?"

  This question left Xu Fang completely stunned.