Ascending to Godhood: I Can Foresee All Futures

As Chen Sheng spoke, his aura seemed faint and his face was slightly pale, giving the distinct impression that he was seriously injured.

He had completely concealed the aura of his Profound Mastery Realm Cultivation, leaving not a single trace exposed.

"As you command!"

The men didn’t dare say more and replied in unison.

...

「Inside the brightly lit main hall of Luoyun Manor.」

Manor Master Lu Canghai and Monk Xuanbei of Golden Spring Temple sat facing each other. The atmosphere was heavy. On the sandalwood table between them, a secret letter with still-wet ink lay spread open.

Lu Canghai’s face was thunderous. He slammed his palm on the table, causing the teacup to jump.

"Damn it all! To be played for a fool by that young upstart!"

"Amitabha Buddha."

Monk Xuanbei softly chanted the Buddha’s name, but his eyes held not a shred of compassion—only grim killing intent and the sting of being made a fool.

"The boy’s cunning is profound and his responses are shrewd. He is truly no ordinary person. The moment he took office, he turned the tables and set a trap... It’s a shame Donor Gu made a move. We’ve wasted a perfect opportunity."

They had intended to take advantage of Chen Sheng’s recent arrival in Yunze City, before he could secure his footing or fully deploy his men. Their plan was for Gu Shuangjia to strike with overwhelming force, nipping the threat in the bud.

But unexpectedly, he had anticipated everything. The so-called "exact location" was nothing more than a trap designed to lure them in.

Based on Gu Shuangjia’s failed assassination attempt and his hasty retreat, they inferred that besides Chen Sheng, another expert had likely been lying in wait within the City Lord’s Mansion.

The most likely candidate was the Jingwu Bureau’s Vice Governor, Sun Yuzhi, who was known to be close to Chen Sheng.

Otherwise, given Gu Shuangjia’s cultivation and strength, he never would have returned empty-handed.

What infuriated them most was that they had undoubtedly tipped him off. Finding another good opportunity to assassinate Chen Sheng would now be nearly impossible.

"Master, we’ve been outmaneuvered. What should we do now?" Lu Canghai asked, forcing his anger down.

"A move once made cannot be taken back."

Monk Xuanbei’s withered fingers slowly toyed with his Buddhist Beads as he mused aloud.

"The more troublesome this Chen Sheng proves to be, the more urgently we must eliminate him. Since he’s so fond of deceitful tricks, we’ll do the opposite. We will use a straightforward, open strategy to apply pressure, forcing Zhou Kuohai to go all in."

"An open strategy? Please explain, Master."

"You and I both know that Chen Sheng’s claim of ’knowing the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance’s exact location’ is a lie. But Zhou Kuohai doesn’t know that. And neither does anyone else in the Alliance."

A cold glint flashed in Monk Xuanbei’s eyes.

"We will make Zhou Kuohai believe the Government Office knows the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance’s location, that they are in a precarious position, and that the government will soon strike at their very heart. Didn’t Chen Sheng announce he would sweep that area of the waters the day after tomorrow?

That will be the place we have chosen for Zhou Kuohai’s... decisive battle."

"But what if this is just another one of Chen Sheng’s elaborate deceptions?"

Lu Canghai remained doubtful.

’This Chen Sheng is far more difficult to deal with than I ever imagined.’

’I absolutely cannot underestimate him in the slightest.’

"That is why this time, our main approach will not be assassination or surprise raids," Monk Xuanbei said, narrowing his cold eyes.

"Starting tomorrow, our two houses will simultaneously stir up trouble all over Ning’an Prefecture. We must cause a large enough commotion to force the Government Office to dispatch its Profound Mastery experts to quell the unrest and maintain stability.

By then, most of the government’s experts will be tied down, and Chen Sheng will have, at most, only Sun Yuzhi by his side.

And we, in turn, can persuade Zhou Kuohai to commit the full might of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance to lay a heavy siege on Chen Sheng’s ’unavoidable path.’ With absolute superiority in numbers, they will deliver a devastating blow!"

Lu Canghai’s expression flickered as he listened, and he hesitated.

The plan certainly struck at the heart of the matter, but it also meant bringing their conflict with the government completely into the open.

"But if we do this, it’s tantamount to a complete, open break with the Government Office. The delicate balance we’ve maintained for years could be destroyed in an instant..."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Monk Xuanbei’s tone was adamant, filled with an unshakeable resolve.

"That boy Chen Sheng’s heart has already been corrupted by a demonic path. If we don’t eliminate him, given time, he will undoubtedly unleash a bloodbath across Ning’an Prefecture. When that happens, neither Luoyun Manor nor Golden Spring Temple will find peace.

If a few unspoken rules must be broken, so be it. Once that boy is dead and the situation is stabilized, we can make amends after the dust settles. It won’t be an issue."

Lu Canghai fell silent for a long time, his gaze shifting between Monk Xuanbei and the secret letter. At last, he gave a heavy nod, his mind made up.

"Very well! We will proceed with your plan, Master!"

...

Once Luoyun Manor and Golden Spring Temple reached an agreement, they immediately put their plan into action. The two great powers began using various methods to quickly stir up significant unrest within Ning’an Prefecture.

On the very next day after the assassination attempt on Chen Sheng, the entire Ning’an Prefecture was thrown into chaos.

Several minor families began to openly challenge the authority of the Government Office.

Golden Spring Temple and Luoyun Manor publicly backed them.

This forced the Government Office to intervene.

However, this played right into Chen Sheng’s hands.

Luoyun Manor and Golden Spring Temple thought they were luring away the Government Office’s top experts, but in doing so, wasn’t their own attention being diverted as well?

The last thing Chen Sheng wanted was for Luoyun Manor and Golden Spring Temple to interfere when he made his move against the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance. In the ensuing free-for-all, it would be difficult for him to steer events to his liking.

’Now, everything is perfect.’

...

「The Yunze Waters, within the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance headquarters.」

Zhou Kuohai’s brow was deeply furrowed as he read the message from Luoyun Manor.

’The worst has come to pass, after all.’

Not only had the Government Office roughly pinpointed the location of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance’s headquarters, but Chen Sheng of the Jingwu Bureau somehow knew the *exact* location and was preparing to strike.

’I can’t afford to wait and plan any longer.’

’I have to capture or kill Chen Sheng as soon as possible, which will then force Luoyun Manor and Golden Spring Temple to fully commit.’

’And the best opportunity is to lay an ambush for when Chen Sheng makes his move.’

However, something made Zhou Kuohai vaguely uneasy.

’According to the message from Luoyun Manor, Elder Gu’s assassination attempt on Chen Sheng clearly failed. So why hasn’t he returned to the Alliance headquarters?’

’Could it be that he’s looking for another opportunity?’

To Zhou Kuohai, this seemed the most likely explanation.

After all, Elder Gu was known for his tenacity; he never gave up until his objective was met.

Zhou Kuohai wasn’t particularly worried that Elder Gu might be in trouble.

Although Gu Shuangjia was only at the Primordial Sea Realm, the initial stage of Profound Mastery, he possessed an extraordinary foundation. If he wanted to escape, even Zhou Kuohai himself would have a hard time stopping him.

Within the Government Office, the only person strong enough to kill Gu Shuangjia was the Governor of the Jingwu Bureau, Nie Xuanfeng, who was at the late stage of the Profound Mastery Realm.

But according to the message from Luoyun Manor, Nie Xuanfeng was at the Jingwu Bureau on the night of Elder Gu’s attack. The only high-ranking official who wasn’t there was Vice Governor Sun Yuzhi.

Thus, Luoyun Manor had offered its own theory.

The reason Gu Shuangjia’s assassination failed was likely that Sun Yuzhi had reacted in time, forcing Elder Gu to ultimately flee.

The failed attack wasn’t a total loss, however. At the very least, it had revealed that Sun Yuzhi was hiding in the shadows, protecting Chen Sheng.

Furthermore, Luoyun Manor had assured him that they had now officially entered the fray, drawing the attention of most of the Government Office’s experts. This meant that, at most, Chen Sheng only had Sun Yuzhi hidden by his side.

At this thought, Zhou Kuohai clenched his fists inside his sleeves. After a brief moment of contemplation, he swiftly came to a decision and immediately issued two orders.

First, he would send someone to immediately contact the Blood River Sect and request the aid of their Profound Mastery Realm experts. That way, even if Sun Yuzhi was hiding by Chen Sheng’s side, he could guarantee his success when he made his move.

The Government Office had a limited number of Profound Mastery experts. With Luoyun Manor and Golden Spring Temple distracting the majority of them, the government would be able to send, at most, only Sun Yuzhi to deal with the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance.

He, on the other hand, was preparing to invite two Profound Mastery Realm experts from the Blood River Sect to oversee the battle. Including Gu Shuangjia, who was most likely still seeking an opportunity, that would make a total of four Profound Mastery Realm experts.

Four against one. The advantage was undeniably on the side of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance.

His second order was to immediately select a team of elite masters from the Alliance. They would follow him tonight to lay an ambush along the unavoidable path the Government Office would have to take to reach them. If their enemies truly dared to come, he would ensure they would never return.

Zhou Kuohai wanted to make the Government Office understand that they could not destroy the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance without paying a heavy price. This would give him some bargaining chips!

Of course, this was all predicated on him not going too far. He couldn’t kill the Government Office’s Profound Mastery experts; capturing them alive would be best. Otherwise, the government would most likely fight them to the death.

And at that point, his only option might be to abandon the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance and seek refuge with the Taiping Dao.

---