Faced with Sarun Agu’s question, the Jianzheng gave a faint smile and replied calmly,
“I only have confidence in myself.”
Sarun Agu shook his head slightly. “My disciple was never as arrogant as you. Let’s change the wager: I bet Xu Qi’an will die today, with certainty.”
The Jianzheng agreed. “The stake will be your shepherd’s whip, and my Heaven’s Secrets Disc.”
Sarun Agu laughed, “Why not!”
As the words fell, it was as if, based on this wager, some unseen rule was established between them.
…
The physique a third-rank martial artist prided himself on had been pierced through the heart by a single sword. The wound’s flesh and blood wriggled, but could not heal instantly.
That razor-sharp sword intent gnawed away at his life force, slowing the healing of the wound.
Just a mere unranked, mixed path swordsman, how could he produce such a terrifying sword intent… King Huai’s face twitched, barely containing his pain.
He was filled with rage, jealousy, murderous intent.
And though he didn’t want to admit it, also a trace of fear.
If Chu Yuanzhen could unleash a second, or a third sword strike, or even more sword intent, he might just suffer a humiliating defeat today.
“Heaven Sect Holy Maiden, Qinglong Temple monk, Chu Yuanzhen, the barbarian girl from the Southern Marches…”
King Huai shouted fiercely, “Once I’ve killed Xu Qi’an, not one of you will escape. I’ll hunt you all to the ends of the earth and kill you myself.”
Brazen and vicious, vengeful to the extreme.
He no longer wasted time chasing down these four “ants”, and hurried off to the Southern Gardens.
…
The Southern Gardens was already in ruins.
The land was scarred, the mountains collapsed, wildfires burned, yet the sky was overcast, ready to pour at any moment.
This was not the work of their battle disturbing the natural order; martial artists were not that fancy. All these omens were the doing of Emperor Zhende.
A second-rank Daoist was called transcending tribulation, and the point of transcending tribulation was to refine an Aspect. Daoist Aspects had four powers:[^1]
Earth, wind, water, fire!
Thus, a tribulation-transcending Daoist had basic control over these four elements.
If one became first rank earthly immortal, alchemical acts like turning gold to stone were trivial.
Xu Qi’an was trapped in a chaotic world; blade winds cut his face, gradually eroding even his Vajra divine technique, and the special fire halo at the back of his head was nearly snuffed out.
Tongues of flame spewed from the forests, seeking to scorch him.
The ground beneath his feet multiplied its gravity, trying to rob him of his agility.
But the worst of all was the dazzling sword-light and flying swords, blazing as fire, swift as lightning.
Human Sect sword control paired with the Heart Sword, an endlessly vexing combination.
With Shenshu awake, their souls had partly merged, so he no longer feared Zhende’s soul attacks as much.
But they were still a constant threat.
If a martial artist got close, it meant death, but at the peak of every system, life-saving trump cards were common.
Zhende’s Yang Spirit rode the blade winds, now appearing in front, now behind, ghostlike.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Emperor Zhende stood atop the wind, looking down at Xu Qi’an and sneered,
“If that’s all you can do, I’ll do you a favour and send you to meet Wei Yuan.”
Just then, a figure shot across the sky, bare-chested, muscles knotted, a savage hole in his chest, the flesh wriggling but refusing to heal.
His aura was not even as strong as Xu Shenshu Qi’an.
The Zhenbei King!
“Pity that my strength was worn down by a few ants, or killing you would have been effortless.”
In that moment, the Zhenbei King and Zhende fused, with the third-rank King Huai as the main body. A terrible power swept the world, his presence shaking the heavens and earth.
The King of Yan, Nurhaci, had been a dual-system peak fourth-rank, said to be the strongest below third rank.
What, then, of Emperor Zhende, master of both Dao and martial paths, both second and third rank?
So powerful, he was nearly unbeatable beneath first rank.
Had the Zhenbei King not been weakened from his peak, even the word “nearly” would be unnecessary.
“Here, I am invincible!”
Zhende said leisurely, seeming to have reined in his malice for the moment, calm and supremely confident, like a god above.
Invincible? Xu Qi’an’s lips curled.
…
By now, the palace was in total chaos.
The civil and military officials, who had earlier fled in terror from Xu Qi’an, found themselves locked in, the palace gates barred, the Imperial Guards refusing to let anyone in or out.
The capital’s officials were furious. They interrogated them, and even ranted at them.
However the imperial guards did not give way, rather they even drew their blades to scare away the many officials. After all, they were on orders of His Majesty the Emperor and the Cabinet to seal the gates.
The officials had no choice but to return to Jinluan Hall, only to find everything was peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
All the ministers gathered in the hall, their faces wooden and numb, not like the nation’s most powerful elites, but more like a group of childless old men with nothing to live for in a city health clinic.
“What happened? Where’s His Majesty? Where is that rebel Xu Qi’an?”
“My Lords, say something!”
“My Lords, please say something!”
At this point, etiquette no longer mattered, officials swarmed into the hall.
Say what?
Ministers, vice-ministers, censors, and even the dukes and princes of the royal family were all dumbfounded.
No one was shocked that Xu Qi’an had stormed the palace, this dog had even killed a duke; no one was surprised at him rebelling.
What truly muddled everyone’s minds was Xu Qi’an’s sentence: “Former Emperor Zhende.”
And Emperor Yuanjing’s: “You even know Our true identity.”
Son was father, father was son?
“His Majesty, the former emperor…”
One censor murmured, “Was teleported out of the palace together with Xu Qi’an.”
The flood of officials broke the silence; a clamour rose as they discussed how Xu Qi’an had single-handedly carved a path through the palace guards and then vanished from the hall with the emperor.
“We can’t just wait here. We need to leave the palace and rescue His Majesty!”
“But the order was for us to stay put.”
“But His Majesty is the emperor, why would he order all his guards and troops to wait, while he goes off to fight?”
“This order really is strange, it makes no sense…”
Anyone who had the status to attend morning court was not a fool.
Suddenly, Qin Yuandao shrieked, “The decrees are fake! They’re fake!”
He ignored the civil officials and looked at the princes and dukes: “Quick, open the city gates, mobilise the five imperial battalions, rescue the emperor!”
True or not, he was going to declare the decrees fake, for him, the emperor’s life was everything, for if His Majesty died, he would not live long either.
Thus, rousing the army and martial artists to go out and save the emperor was the best course, even if the decree was genuine, he would never admit it now.
Qin Yuandao glared at the nobles, “Don’t you want the glory of saving the emperor?”
The nobles were indeed tempted.
At once, some left the throne hall, crossing the square and Jinshui Bridge towards the Meridian Gate.
But the gate was tightly shut, and the guards had brought chevaux-de-frise to block the way.
An earl strode forward, barking, “Open the gate at once, gather the men, come with us to rescue His Majesty!”
The guards ignored him, they answered only to the emperor, and a decree with the imperial and cabinet seals took precedence over all else.
Another earl pressed forward menacingly: “Open up!”
Still, the guards refused, hands on their sword hilts.
A prince pointed his halberd and shouted angrily, “Open the gate immediately!”
Now that the royal family had joined in, the guards wavered, protesting, “His Majesty ordered that no one may leave.”
“You fools, those orders are fake, the emperor has been taken from the palace by the rebel Xu Qi’an. If you don’t open the gate, and something happens to His Majesty, your families will be executed!”
Qin Yuandao stepped forward, trying to frighten them.
Behind the stockades, the guards looked at each other, increasingly unsure.
…
Outside the crowd, Prime Minister Wang looked at those around him and said calmly,
“Crown Prince, Your Highness, this is the time for you to step forward.”
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, glanced at the chaos at the Meridian Gate, and shook his head, “The ministers will sort it out. The gates will open soon and the Imperial Guards will bring Father back.”
The Prime Minister quietly replied, “What I meant was, go shut the gates yourself. No one is to leave.”
The Crown Prince jumped in shock, exclaiming, “Prime Minister, what are you saying?”
“Does Your Highness know that His Majesty is no longer in the palace?”
“Yes.”
“Does Your Highness know Xu Qi’an is attempting regicide and rebellion?”
“Hmph, that brat is audacious beyond belief.”
“Don’t you think, Your Highness, that this is a good opportunity?”
The Crown Prince heard this, retreated several steps, and looked at the Prime Minister as if he were mad.
“His Majesty is over fifty, still with thick black hair and outstanding Daoist cultivation. And you, Your Highness, are twenty-six. Wait much longer, and you’ll go grey while still young. How long will you wait?”
The Prime Minister continued, “You’ve been Crown Prince for over a decade, can you really be attached to the position? With His Majesty’s present health, his Daoist skills are flourishing and his life is long. Year after year you sit in the Eastern Palace, have you seen any hope?
“You’ve been Crown Prince over ten years. Wait another ten and what chance will you have left? Even if you become emperor one day, how many years could you even sit the throne?
“Forgive this lowly servant’s bluntness, but this is all for Your Highness’s sake. Please consider it carefully.”
The Crown Prince’s face shifted through a range of emotions, elation, excitement, confusion, fear, timidity, determination, such complex feelings were astonishing.
He seemed to reach a decision, gritted his teeth, and strode towards the gate.
“Everyone be silent!”
The Crown Prince roared, cutting off the nobles and giving the guards a moment’s relief.
All eyes turned to him.
One wrong step here and it could mean ruin… Thinking this, the Crown Prince clenched his jaw even tighter and said in a deep voice,
“What is the meaning of this commotion at the Meridian Gate? His Majesty has ordered that no one is to leave the palace!”
Qin Yuandao hurriedly said, “Your Highness, the decree is a fake!”
The Crown Prince’s eyes went cold: “Disgraceful thing! You mean the ministers can’t recognise His Majesty’s handwriting? Or the imperial seal?”
Looking at the Crown Prince, the ministers began to understand.
No one said another word, but all understood.
After twenty years of Emperor Yuanjing’s Daoist cultivation, how many had secretly longed for a new sovereign?
…
Meanwhile, although the city gates were closed, it didn’t affect most ordinary people who had no need to leave the city. What truly shocked them was the uproar at the palace gates that morning.
Silver Gong Xu hurling a head over the city wall, a lone man and sabre storming the palace.
And the words he’d shouted, “A coarse man’s wrath, will spill blood five steps, and the world will mourn,” had already spread far and wide.
“What a muddle-headed emperor, cutting off supplies for an army of a hundred thousand, conspiring with traitors to ruin loyal subjects, how could the Great Feng survive with such a ruler?”
“It’s just too unbelievable, not that I don’t trust Silver Gong Xu. But remember, Wei Yuan was the chief of the Nightwatchers.”
“What are you getting at, that Silver Gong Xu would slander the emperor for personal reasons?”
“Right? If Silver Gong Xu says it, then it must be true.”
Most of the people still trusted Xu Qi’an; the court and Emperor Yuanjing had already broken their hearts with the Chuzhou massacre.
But an emperor was still the emperor, the ruler of the nation. It was hard for people to accept that he’d actually betray his country, however plausible it sounded.
“There was no more commotion after that. We waited outside the city for ages but the gates stayed shut, and we never saw Silver Gong Xu again.”
“After he broke into the city, he just vanished, maybe something happened to him.”
“We’ll see what comes next. I trust Silver Gong Xu, but this is just too big, let’s wait and see… I still can’t believe the emperor would do such a thing, he’s the emperor, after all.”
In every street, teahouse, and brothel, everyone was talking about it.
Some believed, some did not.
All were waiting for the truth.
…
Zhende no longer feared close combat with Xu Qi’an, the raging blade wind made him faster than ever, his afterimages trailing as his real body appeared behind Xu Qi’an.
Martial instinct made Xu Qi’an sense the threat behind, but Zhende’s soul attack was even faster.
With more than ten magic artefacts ruined in battle, he could now only use this primitive method to attack the brute’s spirit.
A martial artist under soul attack from a second-rank tribulation-transcending Daoist was frozen in place for a moment.
The Zhenbei King’s peerless fist intent exploded, slamming into Xu Qi’an’s chest.
Clang!
A bell-like sound echoed across the heavens.
Xu Qi’an was knocked flying; as he flew, he thrust out a hand, aiming at the oncoming Zhende and intoned:
“You shall not kill!”
Useless.
“Turn back and see the shore!”
Useless.
“See compassion in your heart!”
Useless.
Buddhist precepts had no effect on a second-rank Daoist master.
Shenshu was only an arm, he could only use a handful of Buddhist spells, mostly precepts, nothing like the powers of an Arhat or Bodhisattva. At least, not with just this arm.
Clang, clang!
Two arcs of sword light struck sparks from Xu Qi’an’s body, though not powerful, for they were Heart Sword strikes.
Sword slashes to the soul.
But this time, Heart Sword had no effect, because Xu Qi’an, as he flew back, pressed his palms together and folded his legs into a lotus position.
Sixth-rank Buddhist: Dhyanacarya! Master of Zen!
When a Buddhist monk assumed this posture, no magic could harm them.
The zen meditation pose.
Zhende ghosted forward, grabbed Xu Qi’an’s head, and in one motion slammed and dragged him back, the scenery blurred, until Xu Qi’an’s back crashed into something solid.
It was the city wall.
Zhende pressed his head and, in one surge, shoved him all the way back to the capital.
The wall shook; formation patterns lit up, dispersing the devastating force.
Even border fortresses had defensive arrays, how much more so the capital?
Clang!
Xu Qi’an headbutted Zhende, sending him flying.
Zhende slid gracefully back, battle spirit ablaze.
Last time in Chuzhou, this man had burned a quarter of a blood pill, using forbidden techniques to force his power to second rank.
This time, he had no more blood pills, unless he burned Xu Qi’an’s blood.
But Zhende could always retreat and use Daoist spells to wear his enemy down, waiting for Xu Qi’an to exhaust himself, then come in for the kill.
The Chuzhou situation could not be repeated.
What’s more, the being beneath Sangpo, while Buddhist in origin, did not possess true core Buddhist powers (Arhat or Bodhisattva techniques), and Xu Qi’an was just a martial artist; their powers overlapped.
But Zhende, mastering both Dao and martial paths, was a perfect dual-system cultivator.
Sword light flashed and struck Xu Qi’an, throwing up dazzling sparks, his flesh was terrifyingly strong, even Human Sect swordsmanship couldn’t do much harm.
After being headbutted away, Zhende didn’t immediately counterattack.
He pointed his fingers like a sword at the sky and cried: “Sword control!”
A moment later, a humming arose from within the city, like a vast swarm of locusts.
The soldiers on the wall were still recovering from the recent “earthquake”, and now peered down, discovering Silver Gong Xu was brawling with someone.
His opponent was a bare-chested, muscular middle-aged man, none of the common soldiers recognised King Huai’s appearance.
At that moment, they heard the humming, turned around, and were stunned.
From within the city, countless iron swords rose into the air, converging beyond the walls.
There were so many, it was impossible to count, like a swarm of locusts.
“An im… an immortal…”
The soldiers stared up, muttering in awe.
There was no shortage of experts in the capital, many had already sensed the fluctuations of power outside the city. When the scene of ten thousand swords soaring appeared, they could no longer hold back: they shot into the sky from all quarters, or bounded over rooftops, hurrying toward the outer city.
Of those drawn by the battle, a few were from the outer city, but most were from the inner city and imperial city.
He deliberately pushed me back to the capital, was he hoping to force the five imperial guard battalions to intervene, and increase his chances? Xu Qi’an’s ears twitched as he caught the angry humming of “iron” in the air.
Ten thousand swords swept through the sky, gathering above Emperor Yuanjing. It was as if they had been drilled and trained, each blade found its place: some as the hilt, some as the body, some as the tip…
A giant sword, six hundred feet long, was slowly taking shape.
Anyone in the outer city just needed to look up to see half the massive blade sticking up above the distant city wall.
On the ramparts, martial artists ignored all decorum, climbing up to stand along the battlements and watch.
At first, they were stunned by the terrifying sword. Then, they remembered to see who had wielded such supernatural power.
One look, and they were aghast.
“King Huai?!”
“Zhenbei King!!”
Shouts of astonishment rang out.
More and more martial artists arrived, scaling the walls, and heard the outcries.
King Huai?
Wasn’t King Huai dead, killed in the Chuzhou massacre?
The later arrivals landed on the walkway, crowded along the parapet, and peered down at the figures beneath the giant sword.
“King Huai?!”
They were dumbfounded.
“Is it really King Huai, or has someone disguised themselves? Why is he duelling with Silver Gong Xu, and what’s happened to Silver Gong Xu, wait, since when could he fight King Huai?”
Someone stammered.
Xu Qi’an’s body was jet black, with a flaming halo behind his head, his bearing as forbidding and cold as a god or demon.
If it weren’t for the sabre and that face, no one would have recognised him.
The onlookers all kept silent, unable to answer. Whether or not King Huai’s identity was genuine, or how Silver Gong Xu could possibly face him, these were questions far beyond their reckoning.
Just then, a few high-ranked martial artists from the imperial city, some retainers from noble mansions, said quietly,
“Did you forget? This morning, Silver Gong Xu rebuked the emperor and declared the world would be in mourning, he’s rebelling.”
At these words, the uninformed martial artists looked at each other:
“Ah, that did happen. I didn’t believe what Silver Gong Xu said, but seeing King Huai resurrected, I’m suddenly not so sure.”
“My lord says that day, King Huai was torn apart by a mysterious expert, dead, and very dead.”
“What’s going on? Duke Wei died in battle, Silver Gong Xu rebelled, King Huai is possessed…”
“Let’s just ask!”
Someone shouted this, then leaned over the parapet and yelled down,
“Silver Gong Xu, what’s happened here, and who are you fighting, really King Huai? Was what you said at the palace gates this morning true?”
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