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Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Setting a Trap for Mr. Shui Jing

"Oh? Are you planning to target Mr. Shui Jing?" Princess Qianyou's interest was piqued.

Princess Qianyou had entrusted Zhongshan with full authority, observing each of his ideas and actions closely. Zhongshan's value in her eyes was rising rapidly. She was eager to see how talented Zhongshan truly was and whether he could match up to Mr. Shui Jing. This entire voting campaign had essentially become a battle between two strategists: Zhongshan and Mr. Shui Jing.

In this unseen war of votes, with Zhongshan on the offensive and Mr. Shui Jing on the defensive, each exerted immense effort. Though their actions were subtle, Princess Qianyou could see the peak of their strategic confrontation.

But who was truly stronger?

Now, Zhongshan suggested specifically targeting Mr. Shui Jing, which made Princess Qianyou even more eager to see the outcome.

"This is exciting," thought Princess Qianyou, finding it more thrilling than the mere gain or loss of a city.

"Haha, if it were a direct confrontation, I wouldn't be certain of the outcome. However, since Mr. Shui Jing doesn't know me, I can use this advantage to set a trap for him, waiting for him to walk into it," Zhongshan said with a confident smile.

"A trap? Waiting for Mr. Shui Jing to fall for it? What will be the result?" Princess Qianyou asked, a bit excited.

"Once Mr. Shui Jing falls into the trap, it will lead to a complete collapse of the opposition, causing them to lose all public support. Mobeili will have no chance to rise again," Zhongshan said with confidence.

"I'm very much looking forward to it," Princess Qianyou smiled.

"Haha, Mr. Shui Jing's wisdom is something I've witnessed these past days. I'll strike unexpectedly. Whether it works or not will depend on fate," Zhongshan laughed.

"Man proposes, God disposes. I look forward to your great victory," Princess Qianyou said with a smile.

"I will do my best," Zhongshan nodded and smiled.

In a grand hall on a floating island in the north of Wushuang City.

Gulin sat on the throne, with Mr. Shui Jing standing beside him, fanning himself. Below, Mobeili stood respectfully, with five men waiting quietly behind him.

"Sir, these five are from my Northern Camp. In recent days, they were approached by Shuitianya's subordinates, attempting to buy them off," Mobeili reported.

"Oh? Buy them off? For what purpose?" Gulin asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure. These five are my trusted aides, so they refused immediately and reported to me," Mobeili said respectfully.

"They're coming on strong and without fear," Mr. Shui Jing frowned as he shook his feather fan.

Over the past few months, Mr. Shui Jing had realized that this was not the style of Princess Qianyou. There was another powerful strategist behind her, hidden in the shadows, whose every move was shocking. If not for Mr. Shui Jing's countermeasures, Mobeili's campaign would have been in grave danger.

Mr. Shui Jing was extremely curious about the person behind Princess Qianyou. Who could it be? Did he know them? However, he hadn't mentioned this curiosity. Despite being on Gulin's side, he seemed to lack a deep master-servant relationship with Gulin, always attributing actions to Princess Qianyou.

In Shui Jing's view, as long as the opponent remains unchanged, knowing alone is sufficient. A duel between experts requires focus, and he wanted to see just how capable this shadowy figure behind the scenes truly was.

"Shui Jing, what do you mean by 'coming on strong'?" Gulin frowned, and everyone turned to look at Shui Jing.

"The fact that they came to inform you proves that Shuitianya is trying to buy your people. These individuals are loyal to you, but what if there are those who couldn't resist the temptation and didn't report it?" Shui Jing shook his head.

Hearing this, Mobeili was suddenly startled. Indeed, there might be others who hadn't come forward and might have been bought.

Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on Mobeili's forehead.

"Shui Jing, what should we do now?" Gulin asked immediately.

"Currently, you lead Shuitianya by two million votes, a seemingly unshakable advantage. However, the opponent's actions must have a deeper meaning. We need to understand why Shuitianya is trying to buy your people." Shui Jing frowned.

"What do you suggest, sir?" Mobeili looked at Shui Jing.

"Counter with a ruse," Shui Jing shook his feather fan, his brows furrowing as he felt a fleeting sense of unease but couldn't pinpoint the source.

"Are you suggesting that my people pretend to be 'bought' to uncover Shuitianya's plans?" Mobeili's face lit up with a smile.

"Indeed. Instead of passively being schemed against, it's better to actively probe their intentions to formulate a response." Shui Jing nodded.

"Yes, I'll arrange it immediately." Mobeili said excitedly.

"Go ahead," Shui Jing nodded.

Outside the practice room of Zhongshan's residence.

Zhongshan wiped off his sweat and emerged from the room filled with lightning.

Princess Qianyou, Ada, A'er, and Shuitianya were already waiting outside.

"Sir, I have successfully bought two of their people—one is Mobeili's cousin and the other is one of his subordinates," Shuitianya reported immediately.

"Oh?" Zhongshan walked to the group, grabbed a bowl of tea from the table, and drank it.

"Two people. These two recently had a slight rift with Mobeili, but they were originally his trusted aides and core members of his group," Shuitianya explained.

"Haha, a slight rift? Likely staged for our benefit. No matter, I want them to know about it. You, on the other hand, should pretend not to know and have these two spy on Shui Jing's plans," Zhongshan said with a smile.

"I asked, but they can't see Shui Jing. He always meets with Mobeili alone and gives instructions through him," Shuitianya replied.

"No matter. Just keep them for now. When the crucial moment arrives, we'll use them," Zhongshan said.

"What do you want them to do, sir?" Shuitianya asked, puzzled.

"What are their cultivation levels?" Zhongshan asked instead of answering.

"The subordinate is in the late Jindan stage, while Mobeili's cousin is in the Yuanying stage," Shuitianya said.

"Good, that will do. For now, just keep them in place. When there are five days left, I'll tell you what to do," Zhongshan smiled.

"Understood," Shuitianya nodded.

"Sir, is your blatant buying of Mobeili's people meant to be noticed by Shui Jing?" Princess Qianyou, sitting to the side, asked with a smile.

"Correct. By buying their people, I'm making Mobeili and his men overthink and rack their brains. However, given Shui Jing's past tactics of using one's own methods against them and the habits he's developed from my previous actions, when he can't figure out the reason, he'll likely use the same tactic against us. Shui Daren, be prepared for your subordinates to be 'bought' by them, and when that happens, make sure to extract plenty of benefits," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"Yes," Shui Tianya responded, a peculiar look on his face.

"Alright, go and make your preparations," Princess Qianyou said.

"Yes," Shui Tianya replied, bowing before leaving.

"Sir, what's your ultimate goal with this strategy?" Princess Qianyou asked Zhong Shan with a smile.

"Shui Jing is a rare genius, making it extremely difficult to trap him. Given this, I'll lead him around in circles, then tie a knot, causing his infinite wisdom to divert at this junction and extend in a different direction," Zhong Shan explained with a smile.

"Good. I'm looking forward to seeing how Shui Jing maneuvers in the maze you've set," Princess Qianyou said with a smile.

"Rest assured, Princess. I'll ensure you witness a truly spectacular show," Zhong Shan said confidently.

"Meeting you has been a great fortune for me. Is there anything you need for your cultivation?" Princess Qianyou asked.

"I need an opponent," Zhong Shan said, after a moment of thought, without hesitation.

"An opponent?" Princess Qianyou asked, surprised.

"Indeed. Practicing behind closed doors will always leave one at a disadvantage. I need combat. Princess, find some strong opponents who can truly hone my skills to be my sparring partners. I want to fight, to keep fighting, even if I'm covered in wounds, I need to keep moving forward," Zhong Shan said directly.

Finding sparring partners who could maintain a balance without causing serious harm meant looking for experts at the Yuanying stage or higher. Having Yuanying stage experts as sparring partners was a luxury that was previously unimaginable. But now, with the opportunity at hand, Zhong Shan was willing to give his all in cultivation. He had clear goals: short-term, mid-term, and long-term.

His long-term goal was immortality, to establish a heavenly dynasty and resist the might of the heavens, achieving the destiny of an immortal.

His mid-term goal was to kill Prince Lietian to avenge his wife, Kui'er.

His short-term goal was to strengthen the Dazun Dynasty and to retrieve his wife, Tian Linger, from the Dali Heavenly Dynasty.

Achieving the Yuanying stage was necessary to qualify for these challenges. Currently at the second layer of the Jindan stage, Zhong Shan was determined to reach the Yuanying stage as soon as possible.