Chapter 663: That Night’s Brilliant Fireworks

Chapter 663: Chapter 663: That Night's Brilliant Fireworks

"Zhong Shan, aren't you being too ruthless?" Yi Lan Que laughed, watching the fireworks filling the distant city.

"Ruthless?" Yin Luo Yue didn't understand.

"Xing Taidou is already in dire straits. The Great Yan Heavenly Dynasty has collapsed, and now the Xingdou Imperial Dynasty is also crumbling. Yet, you didn't think that was enough. You crushed him during the first phase of the Heaven-Crushing Plan and now you're rubbing salt into his wounds, the most painful kind!" Yi Lan Que sighed.

"Who is Xing Taidou? The founder of a great dynasty, his psychological resilience is incredibly strong. The collapse of his heavenly dynasty and imperial dynasty can't shake his composure. To turn him into a spear aimed at the Tian family, he must be driven mad. Are those measures alone enough? Even if the Tian family issues a worldwide bounty, it won't make Xing Taidou lose his sanity. So, I had no choice but to resort to this plan!" Zhong Shan shook his head and sighed.

"But will setting off fireworks here be enough?" Yin Luo Yue asked curiously.

"Sometimes, attacking the heart causes the deepest wounds! Only such wounds can drive a person to madness and make them lose their rationality," Yi Lan Que shook his head.

In Xingdou City.

Xing Taidou stared blankly at the endless fireworks. In the night, the beautiful display could soothe some psychological wounds.

Watching the sky full of fireworks, Xing Taidou seemed to forget the worldly troubles, his previous desolation, and his repeated failures. His eyes were filled only with appreciation.

"What's going on? Why are there so many fireworks in Xingdou City tonight?" Ye Qingcheng wondered.

"We don't know, Lord," replied a member of the Immortal Realm.

"Go investigate!" Ye Qingcheng ordered.

"Yes!"

Before the person could move, another firework shot up, flying higher than the others. It exploded in the sky, forming a line of colorful characters:

Congratulations to the Immortal Realm's Lord Ye for Eternal Longevity!

"Huh?" Ye Qingcheng was slightly taken aback.

This is for me? Ye Qingcheng looked at the sky, puzzled.

Following this, another firework shot up:

Congratulations to the Immortal Realm's Lord Ye for Longevity Equal to Heaven!

And another:

Congratulations to the Immortal Realm's Lord Ye for Everlasting Immortality!

Congratulations to the Immortal Realm's Lord Ye for Sharing Longevity with Heaven and Earth!

...One after another, fireworks exploded, each with words celebrating Ye Qingcheng's grand birthday.

Ye Qingcheng's first reaction was, is today my birthday?

"Forgive us, Lord, for failing to celebrate your birthday. We are deeply sorry!" a member of the Immortal Realm said fearfully.

"Forgive us, Lord!" the others echoed immediately.

"Forget it, there's no need. I never planned to celebrate. Go, find out what's going on and who set off these endless fireworks," Ye Qingcheng ordered, frowning.

Ye Qingcheng instinctively felt something was amiss, as if being used as a pawn, but couldn't discern the details.

In an instant, everyone turned their gaze towards the source of the roar.

Outside the city, Zhong Shan stared intently at Xingdou City. Only when Xing Taidou's roar echoed, changing the wind and clouds in the sky, did Zhong Shan clench his fist in excitement and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Did it work?" Yi Lan Que asked, surprised.

"It did," Zhong Shan confirmed with a deep breath.

Yi Lan Que's eyes flashed with astonishment. Earlier, he had playfully teased Zhong Shan about the strength of his methods, but deep down, he didn't believe it was possible. It seemed inconceivable that mere fireworks could completely change a person and alter their character.

"Is Xing Taidou now willing to attack the Tian family?" Yin Luo Yue asked, equally surprised.

"Xing Taidou's previous mentality was like a frog being slowly boiled in warm water. He had a grudge against the Tian family, but it hadn't reached the point of risking everything. He still had an alliance with the Immortal Realm, a glimmer of hope, and a place to stay. But just now, in his moment of despair, I showed him the final fate of the frog in the pot—his death trap. Now, he's changed," Zhong Shan said confidently.

"A death trap?" Yin Luo Yue looked puzzled.

"I understand now. You planted a seed in Xing Taidou's heart, letting him amplify this emotion to its maximum. This is the emotion you wanted. Given Xing Taidou's resilient nature, no amount of persuasion from others could have the same effect as an emotion he cultivates within himself. Only his self-generated emotions would be perfectly reflected in his character," Yi Lan Que said in astonishment.

At that moment, Yi Lan Que finally saw the terrifying side of Zhong Shan. He could hide things in your heart without you realizing it and make you believe the thoughts were your own!

The most difficult thing to cultivate is not a particular spell but the human heart. Yet Zhong Shan could manipulate people's hearts. This level of manipulation was terrifying. He could change an opponent without them even realizing it.

Yi Lan Que felt a chill in his heart. Was Zhong Shan a demon? How could he be so terrifying? Just this move, "A Lone Man," was several times more potent than the entire "Heaven-Crushing Plan" from the past. He even timed the Heaven-Crushing Plan perfectly with Ye Qingcheng's birthday celebration. This level of calculation was frightening.

The second step, a lone man?

"Alright, today's task is essentially complete. Let's go back and rest," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"That's it?" Yin Luo Yue asked incredulously.

"It's more than enough. Once the time comes, Xing Taidou and his Heaven-Realm eunuch will definitely attack the Tian family with all their might. With this second step, a lone man, you've removed another major obstacle, and the Tian family has gained another headache!" Yi Lan Que explained.

Zhong Shan left, and the fireworks continued to light up the city.

Xing Taidou's roar had drawn everyone's attention. Looking around at the crowd, Xing Taidou took a deep breath.

"Let's go back," Xing Taidou said to the old eunuch.

"Yes!"

The old eunuch noticed that after the roar, the emperor seemed to have changed somehow, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly how.

Ye Qingcheng looked at Xing Taidou curiously but said nothing more.

The next day, the events in Xingdou City quickly spread far and wide. The night of fireworks celebrating Ye Qingcheng and Xing Taidou's roar all hinted at something strange.

The news spread to all corners and soon reached Tian Xiao.

Tian Xiao read the report, his brows furrowed deeply.

"What is going on? I feel something is off, very off. Xiao Wang, take a look. Do you see anything unusual?" Tian Xiao handed the report to Xiao Wang.

"Yes!" Xiao Wang took the report and examined it carefully.

"I'm sure Zhong Shan's hand is in this. The fireworks must be related to him. But what is the issue? And why did Xing Taidou roar?" Tian Xiao pondered, frowning deeply.