Dead. Finally dead…
Xu Qi’an slowly exhaled a long breath. After the intense tension, extreme fatigue washed over him, affecting both his body and mind. The series of fierce battles had left him in poor condition. Especially the dragon-riding duel – while it appeared he had ruthlessly and decisively slain Zhen De, in reality, it was a mutual wounding, killing the enemy at great cost to himself.
Zhen De’s counterattacks and the backlash from the jade shattering had inflicted severe injuries on Xu Qi’an. But it was all worth it. It was all worth it.
Standing on the spiritual dragon’s back, Xu Qi’an gazed out over the vast land, slowly exhaling. He released all the pent-up frustration that had been building in his heart for so long.
After a moment of silence, he tore off a strip of cloth, tied back his loose hair, and adjusted his tattered clothes. He then bowed deeply towards the northeast.
Duke Wei, farewell on your journey.
Duke Wei, may you reign supreme in your next life!
…
Dead. Father Emperor is dead… The Crown Prince stood on the city wall, staring blankly into the distant horizon.
Scenes from the past flashed through his mind: the majestic Emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, the imposing Emperor shouting sternly, the dignified Emperor wearing Daoist robes, the serious Emperor controlling the court. Such an Emperor, who had held power for nearly forty years, had died at the hands of a commoner. The Crown Prince… shed tears of excitement.
Prime Minister Wang was also gazing into the distance. The old man’s face and eyes were incredibly complex, filled with elation, sorrow, emotion, and heartache…
He stared blankly for a long time without moving, probably reminiscing about his official career that had ended along with the Emperor’s demise.
The assembled officials wore complicated expressions, momentarily unable to speak, immersed in the scene of the Emperor’s end.
Xu Qi’an had committed regicide!
In the six hundred years since the founding of Great Feng, except for Emperor Wuzong’s purge of corrupt officials along with the deposed emperor… no emperor of Great Feng had ever been killed by another.
Yuan Jing, or Zhen De, was the first emperor in Great Feng’s history to be slain by a commoner in the capital.
Today’s events will surely be recorded in the history books in great detail. Even after thousands of years, when later generations discuss this period of history, they will undoubtedly find it fascinating.
Starting from the 16th year of Yuan Jing’s reign, all the way to the 37th year, it would surely include Duke Wei’s sacrifice and the annihilation of 80,000 soldiers. This emperor of Great Feng history, obsessed with Daoist cultivation, was ultimately slain in the capital by the commoner Xu Qi’an.
As the officials were lost in their thoughts, suddenly the sound of weeping was heard.
Looking toward the source, they saw Censor Zhang Xingying leaning against the wall, crying with tears streaming down his wrinkled face.
Former members of the Wei faction, one by one, had tears in their eyes. Some lowered their heads to wipe them away, while others held their heads high, refusing to let the tears fall.
A moment later, including the openly weeping Zhang Xingying, these powerful members of the Wei faction did something incredibly bold in front of the other factions.
They straightened their clothes, bowed towards the northeast, and then turned to bow towards the figure on the horizon. They remained bowed for a long time.
…
At this moment, on the other side of the imperial city, Huai Qing stood facing the wind, her plain-colored dress fluttering.
The wind lifted her hair, gently caressing her exquisitely beautiful face. The eldest princess slowly unclenched her delicate fist, sighing inwardly with relief.
He had never disappointed her. Brave, domineering, wise, capable of anything… Although this battle had its twists and turns and moments of worry, such as when the Imperial Sword took to the sky, Huai Qing still didn’t believe Xu Qi’an would lose, because he had never lost before.
He was an extraordinary man, one whom even she couldn’t help but admire and respect.
Huai Qing tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear. Unlike the Crown Prince who shed tears of emotion, she felt a mix of excitement and heaviness in her heart.
Zhen De Emperor’s death was just the beginning. The aftermath that followed would be of utmost importance.
This mainly consisted of two aspects: First, an explanation of the entire Central Plains.
This included the common people in various states, local governments, armies, and jianghu figures.
Regarding the common people, the core consideration was the concept of “popular sentiment.” Whether to be open and honest or to conceal the truth, both approaches could lead to a complete loss of public trust.
The same principle applied to the army. In a sense, stabilizing the army’s morale was even more important than stabilizing public opinion, especially for the soldiers in the Northern Border and the three northeastern states.
These were the groups most likely to mutiny.
If Xu Qi’an had lost this battle, the more than ten thousand soldiers in Yuyang Pass would surely have rebelled.
Local governments needed to be reassured to prevent them from becoming anxious about this matter. This way, they could help stabilize the people’s hearts and prevent jianghu organizations from taking advantage of the situation.
The second aspect was the new emperor.
For the current capital, the most crucial matter now was the ascension of a new emperor.
The new emperor’s ascension was the prerequisite for everything. Only with a new emperor on the throne could all parties be stabilized. If Great Feng were to be without a leader, coupled with Zhen De Emperor’s actions, the Central Plains would surely fall into chaos.
“The Crown Prince has finally made it through,” Huai Qing said, gazing towards the small crowd on the city wall at Wumen Gate. Her smile was strange, seeming both mocking and disdainful.
…
“The dog emperor is finally dead!!” Li Miaozheng clenched her fists, both excited and exhilarated. She wanted to let out a long cry to express the joy in her heart.
But at the same time, she felt a bit lost. The dog emperor was dead, and her youth had come to an end.
The Tianzhong Holy Maiden had come down from the mountain fresh-faced years ago to make a name for herself in the jianghu. For two years, her catchphrase had been:
“I’ll stab the dog emperor to death sooner or later.”
Now, two years had passed in the blink of an eye. The dog emperor was dead, and she suddenly felt a sense of “things change, people are no more,” as if a certain journey in her life had come to a complete end.
Chu Yuanzhen didn’t speak. He had long since been in tears.
Ten years of scholarly ambition had finally cleared away the frustration in his heart.
Heng Yuan put his palms together, bowing his head slightly, silent as if remembering the disciple he had raised.
“My father would be very happy to know that the Great Feng emperor has been killed. He would think about going to war,” Lina said. “He loves war. He says the women of Great Feng are the best, the clothes are the best, the houses are the best, everything is the best. He wants to take it all.”
Lina’s father was a Great Feng enthusiast, just in a somewhat misguided way.
“I greatly admire Great Feng culture and everything about Great Feng, so I want to take it all.”
…
“Useless, useless, useless!”
The Black Lotus Sect Leader, standing on a black lotus, screamed hoarsely:
“Zhen De was just useless. Forty years of cultivation, and it all went to the cats. Killed by a boy who hasn’t even practiced martial arts for a year.”
He was somewhat exasperated.
Emperor Zhen De had entrusted him to intervene and restrain Luo Yuhen, with the reward being helped in dealing with the Golden Lotus after the matter was settled.
The Black Lotus had been craving a complete primordial spirit for many years. His defeat at Luo Yuhen’s hands today wasn’t due to lack of strength. They were both at about the same level of the Tribulation Realm peak, neither weaker than the other.
But his primordial spirit was incomplete, and the Dao School’s most powerful techniques relied on the primordial spirit realm.
He had been severely injured by Luo Yuhen, but if Zhen De had won, it would have been worth it.
In the end, not only did he fail to gain anything, but he also lost what he had.
The Black Lotus Sect Leader was so angry he could explode on the spot.
Luo Yuhen, with her ample bosom, slender waist, and captivating beauty, shook her sword and said, “I’ve only been cultivating for thirty-four years, Uncle Master~~”
The Black Lotus’s expression froze. Luo Yuhen was a generation younger than him, but in the current situation, he was being overpowered by her.
He had just finished cursing Emperor Zhen De for wasting his cultivation on cats when Luo Yuhen turned and gave him a sharp slap.
The next moment, he roared like an enraged lion:
“Don’t be so smug, don’t be so smug! Your energy is boiling now, like surging tides, but the karmic fire settling beneath will erupt at any moment. Let’s see how you escape this tribulation.”
Luo Yuhen had lived in seclusion in the capital for many years, never engaging in combat with others, at most manipulating an avatar to act in her place.
This was because she needed to use her cultivation to suppress the karmic fire.
Now that she had exerted her full power, the karmic fire she had firmly suppressed for years would surely backlash.
After cursing, the Black Lotus suddenly froze. He saw Luo Yuhen smile brightly.
She tilted her head slightly, glancing towards the capital.
That guy was now at the Third Realm and had slain Zhen De. Whether in cultivation or spirit, he was now a worthy match for her.
…
At the Star-Observing Tower.
Salun Agu stood at the edge of the Eight Trigrams platform, squinting at the proud figure on the horizon. He took a breath and said:
“So half of Great Feng’s fortune is on him. Is this your plan?”
The Supervisor stood beside him, hands behind his back, and said calmly:
“You could say that.
“Zhen De thought that with the nation’s fortune on him, I wouldn’t and couldn’t touch him. Indeed, for a mage, regicide is self-destructive. The higher the rank, the greater the backlash.
“Whether a foolish ruler or a tyrant, as long as he sits on the dragon throne for a day, he is the ruler of a nation for that day. For other high-level cultivators, with the fortune of a mortal emperor on him and the karma of regicide, unless necessary, no one wants to contend with him.
“Zhen De was full of confidence, thinking everything was under his control. But he forgot that while cultivators above the Third Realm might not want to contend with him, I could nurture someone who would.
“A pawn that has crossed the river, with no way to retreat, can still kill the king. He finally grasped this ‘intent’, not wasting my various gifts.”
Salun Agu squinted and asked, “So, was Wei Yuan’s death also part of your plan?”
The Supervisor reached out into the void, grasped a wine cup, took a sip of mellow wine, and said leisurely:
“Wei Yuan sought death himself. What does it have to do with me? I merely foresaw this step and made arrangements in advance based on what would happen in the future.”
Salun Agu exhaled: “Did Wei Yuan know?”
The Supervisor nodded and chuckled:
“He figured it out. Otherwise, why would he leave behind the blood pill? He could seal the Shaman God without worries because he was certain Zhen De would die.”
As he spoke, the Supervisor’s gaze turned to the distance, and he sighed: “He even calculated that far. This was indeed something I hadn’t anticipated.”
Salun Agu frowned, not understanding the meaning of the Supervisor’s words.
The Supervisor smiled and said, “Don’t think too much about it. The heavenly secrets have been blocked, and it has nothing to do with you. You, as a great shaman, can’t divine anything.”
With Emperor Zhen De’s fall, the contest between the two First Realm experts slowed down. The Supervisor didn’t take the opportunity to kick a man when he was down. Although this was his home turf, killing a great shaman who had lived for thousands of years…
The price would be the capital turning into a wasteland.
It wasn’t worth it.
Salun Agu frowned and pondered: “Have you blocked the heavenly secrets for him?”
“He” referred to Xu Qi’an.
The Supervisor asked in return: “Why do you ask?”
Salun Agu replied frankly: “Before coming to the capital, I cast a divination. Zhen De’s hexagram showed both fortune and misfortune, meaning he would face a life-and-death crisis. But I also cast a divination for Xu Qi’an. Guess what the hexagram showed?”
The Supervisor remained silent.
Salun Agu revealed a strange smile: “A sign of great misfortune!”
…
At Yunlu Academy.
With the help of the academy students, Uncle Xu was loading heavy luggage onto the carriage, piece by piece.
These included antique paintings and calligraphy, bedding and clothes, and daily necessities, in complex quantities.
The Xu family planned to move to Jian State to settle down, away from the troublesome capital.
Since waking up this morning, the whole family had lost their smiles, their mood heavy. For Uncle and Aunt, the only consolation was that Xu Erlang would also be going to Jian State.
This was good; the family wouldn’t be separated.
As for the eldest son, the couple deliberately didn’t mention him.
Zhang Shen, Xu Erlang’s mentor, was responsible for escorting the Xu family to Jian State.
The journey to Jian State was long, and the Xu family’s womenfolk were exceptionally beautiful. Although Xu Pingzhi was a Seventh Realm warrior, a Spirit Refinement realm expert was considered formidable in the jianghu.
But if they encountered organized and large-scale bandits, Xu Pingzhi’s two hands and two feet might not be enough to protect his wife and daughters in time.
Warriors were, after all, crude and not versatile enough. They might be skilled at killing, but not so much at protection.
One carriage, two flatbed carts, and two horses were all prepared.
Uncle Xu sat on horseback and cupped his hands: “Thank you for seeing us off, sir.”
Zhang Shen nodded with a smile.
He was about to say something when he suddenly saw Uncle Xu clutch his head, his face contorted in pain, and his body swaying and falling from the horse.
Zhang Shen was shocked and quickly jumped down from the carriage to check on him.
“My lord!!”
Aunt screamed, lifting her skirt and jumping down from the carriage. Just as she was about to rush to her husband’s side, she suddenly stopped.
Aunt raised both hands to her head, feeling waves of pain in her brain.
“Father, Mother?”
Xu Lingyue was stunned, at a loss, her beautiful face filled with fear.
“Mother!”
Xu Lingyin, with her hair in two buns, saw her mother’s pained expression and quickly jumped down from the cart, rushing towards Aunt.
Aunt groaned and fainted from the collision.
“Mother’s dead, Mother’s dead…”
Xu Lingyin wailed loudly.
At this moment, Uncle Xu recovered from his state of excruciating headache. Panting heavily, his face as white as paper, he muttered:
“No, no, no…”
Zhang Shen frowned deeply, glancing at the unconscious Aunt, then at Uncle Xu, and tentatively asked: “Lord Xu, what’s happening?”
Uncle Xu ignored him completely, not even looking at his unconscious wife. He leaped onto the horse, whipped it, and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
Zhang Shen stared blankly at his retreating figure, his mind filled with the image of Xu Pingzhi’s face as he left – a mix of determination, sorrow, and despair.
…
In the capital.
High in the sky, just as Xu Qi’an was about to ride the spirit dragon back to the city, suddenly, the world before his eyes lost all color.
It was like a scene from a black and white television.
His five senses were blinded, his warrior’s instinct for danger muffled. This state lasted for less than a second before returning to normal.
Xu Qi’an slowly looked down and saw a golden nail piercing his chest.
The nail’s surface was inscribed with Buddhist scriptures. It easily penetrated the physique strengthened by the Vajra Divine Skill and the black skin.
“Argh…”
He heard agonized screams, unable to tell if it was his voice or Shenshu’s.
“Don’t scream. This is just the first one.”
A gentle voice came. A white-robed mage appeared before Xu Qi’an, his fingertips holding eight golden nails.
The white-robed mage picked up a nail and tapped it on the top of Xu Qi’an’s head.
Puff!
The nail pierced the Baihui acupoint.
Shenshu’s screams stopped abruptly. The black skin returned to its normal color, and the glow of the Vajra Divine Skill dissipated.
Xu Qi’an’s aura plummeted, becoming like that of an ordinary person.