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Chapter 982: Chapter 982: Zhong Shan Angers Zilu

Zhong Shan stood at the forefront of his ministers, calmly gazing southward.

Towards a certain valley in the south.

Sekong was visibly startled.

"Shishu-zu, how did Zhong Shan discover us? Didn't you use the Heavenly Dao to conceal our presence?" Sekong asked nervously.

Zilu furrowed his brows, clearly also puzzled by how Zhong Shan had detected them. Within the Heavenly Dao, it should have been impossible for anyone below the Ancestral Immortal level to sense them. What Zilu didn't realize was that it was precisely because they were hidden within the Heavenly Dao that Zhong Shan noticed them.

Zilu and Sekong had concealed themselves well. The Heavenly Dao was formless; anyone below the Ancestral Immortal level would be unable to detect it. Even among Ancestral Immortals, those with weaker cultivation might not notice it if they practiced a different Heavenly Dao. However, Zhong Shan was different. His Hongluan Heavenly Sutra had reached the ninth level, and with the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao, he could see the immense presence of the Heavenly Dao in that direction at a glance.

How could Zhong Shan pretend not to notice something so obvious? It was like a bright moon in the dark night, so glaringly apparent!

Realizing they had been discovered, Zilu waved his hand and soared into the sky, emerging outside the Southern Heavenly Gate. He stood in the void, coldly staring at Zhong Shan in the distance.

Their gazes locked from afar. Zhong Shan once again faced off against an Ancestral Immortal.

"Zilu? The disciple of Confucius, Zilu?" one of Nezha's subordinates recognized him immediately.

As they flew through the air, Sekong couldn't help but complain, "Shishu-zu, why not just find an opportunity to kill Zhong Shan? Why give him the chance to face off with you?"

Zilu looked at Sekong with a stern expression, "Do you think I, Zilu, am the kind of person who resorts to sneak attacks? Do you think I need to ambush someone like him—a mere Great Immortal?"

Zilu's character was upright, disdainful of such tactics. But Sekong, pouting, was unimpressed by Zilu's righteousness.

"Yes, I was wrong. Shishu-zu is a noble gentleman, open and straightforward! I will follow your lead!" Sekong quickly conceded.

"Very well. In that case, do you want to avenge your father, Kong Lietian? You've obtained a lot of magical weapons from the family; you should be able to fight Zhong Shan," Zilu suggested.

"Fight Zhong Shan?" Sekong was suddenly struck by fear.

He turned to look at Zhong Shan in the distance. Zhong Shan's expression was calm as he looked at the two men and their beast. The moment Sekong met Zhong Shan's gaze, a sudden and intense feeling of danger welled up inside him, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end.

That feeling again? Sekong's forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

"Well? What's your decision?" Zilu asked.

Zilu had clearly already "seen through" Zhong Shan, having judged Zhong Shan's "strength" from a glance.

"Maybe not..." Sekong responded, his face showing a hint of bitterness.

"What do you mean, 'maybe not'? Don't you want to avenge your father?" Zilu's eyes widened in displeasure.

"Oh no, my old ailment is acting up again. Shishu-zu, my stomach is hurting again. Why now? I really wanted to avenge my father, but my stomach just won't cooperate. I hate it!" Sekong wailed.

Zilu: ".........!"

Looking at Sekong's current state, Zilu didn't know what to say about this disciple of the Kong family. Even the iron-armored beast behind them cast a look of disdain at Sekong.

Zilu had long heard that Sekong was... unique, but he never expected him to come up with such a flimsy excuse at this critical moment. This wasn't just a matter of his character; it was an issue of personal dignity.

Zilu had led such a grand expedition to seek vengeance, yet Sekong claimed he had a stomachache.

"Shishu-zu, how about you handle the fight first? I'll find a place to rest. Once you've killed Zhong Shan, I'll meet you back at the city where we last rested. I'll be waiting for you there!" Sekong suggested, eager to slip away. The situation with Zhong Shan was simply too uncanny. Even when facing an opponent who was already an Ancestral Immortal, why did Sekong still have this instinct to avoid him?

A monster! You're even more monstrous than I am!

After speaking, Sekong prepared to fly off.

"Stop!" Zilu's voice thundered.

His face was filled with frustration and disappointment—how could a disciple of the Confucian sect behave like this?

"Shishu-zu, I really..." Sekong tried to excuse himself again.

"Endure it! What kind of behavior is this?" Zilu's patience was wearing thin. Had he known this would happen, he wouldn't have brought this troublesome character along.

"Alright, Shishu-zu, but you must protect me. I'm the last remaining descendant of this lineage!" Sekong finally voiced his true concern.

Realizing he couldn't escape, Sekong resigned himself to the situation.

Zilu felt as though the gentlemanly demeanor he had cultivated over hundreds of thousands of years was being exhausted by Sekong. He turned away, refusing to look at Sekong any longer. What a disgrace!

Sekong, however, obediently hid behind Zilu.

At the entrance to the Longevity Hall in the distance, Zhong Shan had grown more serious upon learning the identity of Zilu, and he began to piece together the reasons for their presence.

From his earlier use of Heavenly Dao power, Zhong Shan was certain that Zilu had been the one tracking him.

The enmity with the Confucian sect was now deeply rooted, and Zhong Shan knew it was irreversible. However, he hadn't expected that the Confucian sect would send an Ancestral Immortal so soon.

And that man who bore a striking resemblance to Kong Lietian—at the moment Zhong Shan saw him, he knew who it was. That familiar, sleazy demeanor that always appeared whenever they crossed paths—it could only be Sekong!

Sekong? Zhong Shan's eyes narrowed slightly. Sleazy? Others might think Sekong was just sleazy, but Zhong Shan knew better. Behind that facade was a formidable figure, someone who could endure long enough to eliminate Kong Lietian and deceive even the Sage Confucius. Could such a person be taken lightly?

"Xiaojin Beast!" Master Shi spoke gravely.

"Holy King, be careful of that Xiaojin Beast. It ranks twentieth among the most powerful beasts in the Grand Thousand World. Its voice can shatter stone and sever gold, and it's a fully grown adult. Its sonic attacks can even harness a trace of the Heavenly Dao's power!" Master Shi warned with extreme caution.

"Twentieth?" Zhong Shan immediately grew more cautious.

Not only could it harness the power of the Heavenly Dao, but its ranking alone was enough to make Zhong Shan take it seriously.

An Ancestral Immortal and a Xiaojin Beast capable of manipulating a trace of the Heavenly Dao's power—this was no ordinary confrontation.

"Are you Zilu of the Confucian sect?" Zhong Shan asked solemnly.

"Yes. Are you the one who killed Yan Hui and Kong Lietian?" Zilu stood in the air, coldly staring at Zhong Shan.

Zilu prided himself on his gentlemanly demeanor, preferring to engage in a formal confrontation rather than launching a sneak attack. This was what led to the current standoff. If Sekong had the strength, he wouldn't have bothered with such formalities. He would have already ambushed Da Yin if he could.

Yan Hui had indeed been killed by Zhong Shan, and as for Kong Lietian, Zhong Shan had only done half the job—the other half was up to Sekong.

Zhong Shan's gaze shifted to Sekong, whose fear only deepened. He retreated even further, ignoring Zilu entirely this time.

Zilu felt a deep sense of shame as he stood at the forefront. He couldn't even bring himself to turn around. With him, an Ancestral Immortal, and a Xiaojin Beast present, what was there to fear?

Sekong, seeing that Zilu didn't stop him this time, abandoned all pretense of etiquette and took off without looking back. Zilu, though wanting to stop him, realized that doing so would only further damage his own dignity. It was simply too embarrassing!

In the blink of an eye, Sekong was gone, leaving behind a trail of dust.

The situation grew awkward. The officials of Da Yin exchanged surprised glances, witnessing Sekong's hasty departure. Zilu was left seething in silence, utterly frustrated with Sekong, while Zhong Shan turned his attention back to Zilu.

"Confucius once said, 'How should one repay virtue? Repay virtue with virtue, and repay enmity with justice!' Yan Hui ambushed me—how should I respond to that? I could only strike back and kill him. Kong Lietian and I contended for the world; our duel was a matter of life and death, determined by fate. What do you think, Zilu?" Zhong Shan countered.

Having opposed Confucius and the Confucian sect, Zhong Shan had naturally studied the teachings of its disciples, including Zilu. Zilu was known for embodying the gentlemanly spirit passed down by Confucius.

Given this, Zhong Shan used the same gentlemanly logic to counter Zilu, positioning himself on the side of righteousness and challenging Zilu's sense of honor.

Sure enough, Zilu was momentarily taken aback by Zhong Shan's response. Confucius had indeed said those words, so how could Zilu contradict them without discrediting his master?

"You actually understand our Confucian teachings!" Zilu's face darkened.

"The teachings of the Confucian sect are vast and profound; I am deeply impressed. But as a disciple of Confucius, do you have any objections to what I've just said?" Zhong Shan pressed further.

This was Zhong Shan's way of questioning whether Zilu agreed with his actions in killing Kong Lietian and Yan Hui. Would Zilu, in the name of righteousness, side with him?

This put Zilu in a difficult position. On one side was personal vengeance, on the other, the principles of justice. He could afford to lose neither.

Zilu hadn't anticipated Zhong Shan being so skilled in debate. His eyelids twitched as he maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and said, "Yan Hui died by your hand, as did Kong Lietian. So, I would like to see just how capable you are, Zhong Shan!"

"Just to test my capabilities?" Zhong Shan suddenly smiled.

"Just a test!" Zilu replied. How could he admit that it was for revenge? Zhong Shan had already separated revenge from righteousness, and to maintain his sense of honor, Zilu couldn't openly declare it as vengeance.

"You, an Ancestral Immortal, and I, a Great Immortal—we're two realms apart. Even if I were to lose, it wouldn't be shameful. In terms of power, I concede defeat. Is that satisfactory to you?" Zhong Shan said with a smile.

Zilu: "...!"

Zilu was stunned. Concede defeat? How was that possible? If this had been a private conversation, Zhong Shan might have conceded, but this was said in front of the entire Da Yin empire. Was he not afraid of losing face in front of his people?

How could a reigning king say such a thing? Wasn't he afraid his people would look down on him?

Zilu was left speechless, unsure how to proceed. He simply hadn't expected Zhong Shan to have such thick skin, to admit defeat so openly in front of the entire Da Yin nation.

How could this be? Zilu finally understood what Sekong meant by Zhong Shan being "uncanny."

Would Zhong Shan lose credibility with the world? Of course not. A Great Immortal going up against an Ancestral Immortal was practically suicide. The people would naturally see it as reasonable. Any disappointment in Zhong Shan's cultivation would be dispelled by the fact that he had once fought Old Ancestor Xuemei to a standstill, leaving Xuemei gravely wounded. That was an undeniable fact.

Zhong Shan's admission of defeat simply meant that he saw no point in engaging with Zilu.

"Since you, Zilu, have already claimed victory, you may as well return from whence you came!" Zhong Shan made a dismissive gesture.

Zilu: "...!"

The officials of Da Yin, caught in the tense atmosphere, couldn't help but feel their faces twitch, stifling the urge to laugh. At the same time, they couldn't help but admire the Holy King's logic—every word he spoke was a trap, step by step drawing this "gentlemanly" Zilu into a corner.

Righteousness demanded that Zilu leave immediately, that he not cause any more trouble. With a few words, Zhong Shan had blocked all paths of righteousness for Zilu.

If Zilu wanted to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, he would have to leave. If he wanted to continue the fight, he would have to shed that gentlemanly facade. In other words, if Zilu made a move, he would lose—at the very least, his reputation as a gentleman would be tarnished.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8