Chapter 24 Lifespan
Jiashan also looked at her in surprise.

She takes thirty years of a person's life just by opening her mouth. Is she here to save people, or is she a living devil who comes to take lives?

San Gong's face turned pale and even his breathing became rapid and difficult.

Xu Shanshan raised his eyes slightly and said, "There is nothing else on you that I like, so it is up to you to decide whether to exchange or not."

If she asked for money, they might think Xu Shanshan was cheating them again, but the "reward" she wanted them to pay was something illusory, but it was something they valued very much.

Who can easily promise to exchange lifespan? Especially since the three of them are already quite old. If they lose another ten years, who knows how long they can live?
Lord Hai always had a bad temper. He glared at Xu Shanshan and said, "You can still take away someone's life span? Xu Shanshan, I'm afraid even your master wouldn't dare to say such a big thing!"

"Whether you take it away or not is my business, and whether you agree or not is your business. I once said that although your Tang family may fall into eternal damnation if you make a mistake, you still have another choice, which is to rise to prominence."

"What choice?" Mr. Nong asked.

At present, they only have two choices: agree to King Chen or reject King Chen.

But they couldn't estimate which side would lead to eternal damnation and which side would lead to smooth sailing.

Xu Shanshan just smiled and said nothing.

Obviously, if you ask for more, the price will be different.

The three officials all had different expressions, but at this moment they were all heartbroken. How should they choose between their own lifespan, the safety of the Tang family, and their future wealth?

As the saying goes, those who are involved are often confused. They really dare not take any step lightly.

Before they came to see Xu Shanshan, they were just nervous and worried, but now they are also in a dilemma and afraid of death and anxious.

Xu Shanshan has that poisonous mouth, and just a few words from him could kill them all!

San Gong's face was gloomy and he walked away with his feet unsteady. Jia Shan then asked her, "Did you really mean what you said just now?"

Xu Shanshan picked up a manuscript copied from Jiashan. The handwriting was like seeing the person, and every stroke was written with care and sincerity.

Recalling her own erratic and "rugged" handwriting, she said nonchalantly, "Really."

Jiashan was silent for a moment, then asked, "What if you want to exchange it for my life span?"

Xu Shanshan glanced at him and said, "I said that I want to exchange for something extremely important to a person. Lifespan is not extremely important to you, so you cannot replace them."

Jiashan could vaguely guess that her attitude towards the Yu Tang family was very ambiguous. It was neither evil nor good.

So he couldn't tell whether she deliberately left a "bait" to hook and punish San Gong, or to take revenge on the entire Tang family because of his regret of the engagement.

"You can take whatever you want from me that is necessary and important."

He was quite generous, worthy of being the "holy father" she had identified.

Xu Shanshan suddenly smiled brightly: "What about chastity? Is that okay?"

Jiashan seemed unable to understand the meaning of the word at first. After comprehending it for a moment, he seemed to be frozen in an expression of disbelief.

She rolled her eyes away, covered her lips and chuckled, saying regretfully: "It seems that it won't work."

Jiashan took a deep breath and said, "Xu Shanshan, what exactly do you want to do by coming to the Tang family?"

"Didn't you invite me here... to copy and recite Buddhist scriptures?" She looked puzzled.

Jiashan's kind face was cold, just like the Buddha who adhered to his beliefs and precepts: "You wanted to come."

He vaguely understood that he couldn't change her will unless she wanted to.

This guy is really sharp-minded.

Xu Shanshan said, "You don't want to know what I'm here for. Besides, aren't you planning to completely break away from the secular world and yearn for your peaceful Buddhist altar? Since you are a person who is not in the secular world, why bother to wade into this muddy water?"

"I brought you to the Tang family. No matter what you do, it will be my responsibility." But he refused to give in.

In this case, Xu Shanshan might as well tell him: "To destroy the entire clan or to kill one person, it all depends on what the Tang family will decide." At this moment, even if Jiashan did not use the "Qi-Reading Technique", he could sense that a torrent must have swept through Xu Shanshan's body, and black cracks spread silently and terrifyingly from under her feet.

No matter how gentle and harmless her smile was, no matter how much she claimed to help people get rid of disasters and misfortunes, her essence... was dark.

-

That night, dark clouds blocked out the moon. “Clouds covered the moon, ghosts knocked on the door.” Everything seemed to be hinting at something. The wind blew through the treetops like the sharp cry of a ghost.

Xu Shanshan stood quietly in the deep and dense courtyard, while Maomao stood on her shoulder.

"Shan, can you figure it out now?"

"I rely on the vitality I drew from Tang Jiashan to nourish my body. I managed to use the Taiyi Divine Numbers to predict the national situation, but it's too late. The Jing Kingdom is divided into eight parts. It is a foregone conclusion and cannot be changed by human power."

The disaster that befell this continent will also come into being in accordance with destiny.

"Shan, you said that the mastermind who swapped your soul with Xu Shanshan and caused the current situation was one of the seven kings, right?"

The more Maomao thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was right: "They secretly conspired with that man to turn the world upside down. Everyone knows that as long as the Grand Master is gone, Emperor Yue alone will not be able to defend Jingguo."

Xu Shanshan slowly raised his eyes, and the dark clouds in the sky were reflected in his dark pupils: "Why guess? If we catch the seven kings one by one and interrogate them, we will know."

Maomao loved her arrogant look at this moment, and he rubbed her hard.

"By the way, King Chen intends to pull in the Longtang family. If the Tang family chooses to be traitors and associate with the traitors, they should be punished."

Xu Shanshan touched its soft and warm feathers and said, "When you are ruthless, you are just like the legendary mountain bird."

"Probably, the object resembles its owner." The red eyes were cold.

-

After Sangong returned, he immediately convened an internal family meeting in the meeting hall.

Basically all the direct descendants of the Tang family were urgently recalled and gathered together.

Jiashan and his younger brother Tang Jiayu were also among them.

Fu Gong specially wore the clothes of the clan elders, which were only worn on important occasions such as ancestor worship. He was dressed in a solemn manner just to let everyone know the seriousness of the matter.

"I've told you the truth. Now the Tang family needs to gather the wisdom of all the clansmen to decide how to move forward or backward. Whether to conspire with King Chen or to reject it outright, it will be decided by us together!"

"Grandpa, why don't you agree? Although our Tang family is the richest in Jiangling, it has always been difficult for the people to fight against the officials. If King Chen really wants to become the heir in the future, won't our Tang family have the merit of following the dragon?"

"No, I've heard of Prince Chen a long time ago. I'm afraid he's courting disaster. If he takes over, he'll definitely settle accounts with those who knew about his criticisms in the past. Who knows what will happen to our Tang family in the end."

"I think it's better to entrust it to Xushe first, and then find another way later?"

"Nonsense! Do you think this is just a game? You can just leave if you don't want to do it? Once you are involved in the rebellion of King Chen, there is no turning back!"

The tribesmen below were discussing the matter in a flurry. Although the Three Dukes at the top were sighing in their hearts, they had to pretend to be as confident as a rock on the surface, as if to calm people's hearts.

"Since everyone has their own opinion, why not take a vote?"

Tang Jiayu secretly tugged at Jiashan's sleeve: "Brother, which side should we vote for?"

"As you wish."

"Follow your heart?" Jiayu was only fifteen years old and didn't quite understand the word. She hesitated, "I... I don't really want to be a traitor, but I don't want to die either."

Jiashan looked at him with a tolerant and gentle look in his eyes: "Not wanting to die is human nature, but not wanting to do something is up to one's heart."

Jiayu's eyes lit up: "I understand."

A green-feathered parrot was squatting quietly on the beam, staring at the voting results below with its eerie red eyes.

　By the way, Jing has received rewards from book friends these days. They are on various websites under her. Some are in a circle, with special names, but some names are just a string of numbers, which are not easy to remember ==. Are our book friends now just a string of codes?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)