Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Fan Xian was shocked for three reasons. First, the glimmer of tenderness with which the Emperor sent him down the mountain had truly been out of his expectations. Second, the Emperor’s tone seemed to be lacking his usual confidence. Third, the last thing that the Emperor said… He can decide who sits on that chair? Were these his last words or what? Even if he was lucky and able to reach Jingdou, thousands of li away, before the Eldest Princess announced and decided reality, what power did he have to turn his ideas into reality?
This was not the Ming family in Jiangnan, Cui family, officials in Jingdou, or pitiful people in the Imperial Observatory. This was the Royal Palace, where the world belonged.
A bitter smile rose to the corners of Fan Xian’s lips. Even if he was a powerful official in Qing Kingdom, he didn’t have a single soldier in his hands. What would he use to stabilize Jingdou for the Emperor? And, with what would he determine who that chair belonged to?
“I won’t lose.” The glimmer of a smile rose to the corners of the Emperor’s lips. The smile was filled with cold murder. “Even if I lost, if I have Ye Liuyun and Sigu Jian accompany me to the grave, what is there to be afraid of? Don’t be worried. Director Chen is in Jingdou, and the empress dowager is in the Palace. Those people won’t be able to cause any big waves. Take my edict and royal seal. If anyone dares to stop you, kill them all!”
A cold sweat broke out on Fan Xian’s forehead. If the Ye and Qin families also rebelled, even if he were a Great Grandmaster, he would, at most, be able to fight some guerilla battles. How could he kill them all?
He had already seen the glimmer of uncertainty in the Emperor’s heart and couldn’t help but feel his mood become dim. If the Emperor actually died on Dong Mountain, what would this world become? Regardless of whether it was the Crown Prince or Second Prince that took the throne, there would probably not be space for him anymore in Qing Kingdom. Would he really have to take his wealth and choose the second path?
However, the situation had not reached the most dangerous time. There was still old Eunuch Hong and Uncle Wu Zhu on the summit of the mountain. In addition, there were over a hundred Tiger Guards. Regardless of what tough enemy they met, they would be able to hold out for a long while.
There was only one way to forcefully ascend the great Dong Mountain. The task of the 5,000 longbowmen at the foot of the mountain clearly prevented communication between Dong Mountain and the rest of the world. They would have to block it for at least three days to give time for the revolt in Jingdou. However, if they really wanted to kill the Emperor, these rebel troops would not be of any use because the Emperor would not stupidly descend the mountain.
So, Ye Liuyun would ascend the mountain.
This was indeed a gamble. If the Qing monarch set up a situation to kill Ye Liuyun, it would certainly be something that Northern Qi and Dongyi would be very happy to see succeed. Ku He and Sigu Jian would not toss aside their identity and interfere.
The cold sweat on Fan Xian’s forehead had already dried. Now, he only felt a chill throughout his body. While he was in Wuzhou, his father-in-law, Lin Ruofu had reminded him that for a sufficiently alluring and magnificent target, the Great Grandmasters may come together.
Fan Xian’s mouth tasted somewhat bitter. If the situation truly developed like this, how could anyone survive on Dong Mountain? Did the Emperor not calculate for this situation from the beginning? He carefully slanted his gaze toward the Emperor’s expression and found that his expression was rather dark. Fire flickered in his eyes in the darkness.
He didn’t continue thinking about this question. In his mind, he quickly analyzed the situation at hand. The result of the situation in Dong Mountain was unknown. If it sank into a stalemate, there would certainly be problems in Jingdou. He had to carry the news that the Emperor was still alive to Jingdou and the empress dowager.
Even if the Emperor died, he had to return to Jingdou and make the empress dowager believe the Emperor was still alive. Otherwise, once she knew of the Emperor’s death, she would definitely choose to have the Qin family support the Crown Prince in taking the throne and stabilizing Qing Kingdom’s court politics.
The Emperor was her son. If someone wanted to hurt the Emperor, the empress dowager would not allow it. If the Emperor’s death became a set reality, as the last elder in the royal family, the empress dowager had to consider the survival of the entire royal clan and the world.
Regardless of whether it was for his own personal safety or for the situation in Jingdou, Fan Xian knew the Emperor’s plan was correct. He had to take the Emperor’s personal letter and seal back to Jingdou to stabilize the situation and deal with the era after Grandmasters.
With one stroke, regardless of victory or defeat, one or two Great Grandmasters would certainly retreat from the stage of history on Dong Mountain.
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He nodded his head heavily and said, “Rest assured, Your Majesty, nothing will happen to Jingdou.”
The Emperor gazed deeply at him and said, “The road before you is very dangerous. You must be careful.”
When he had heard the Emperor say “my four sons” earlier, Fan Xian had felt a cold ridicule and self-mocking deep in his heart. Unexpectedly, hearing such words made his heart soften a great deal.
Tying on his belt and confirming all his equipment was present, Fan Xian quickly changed from an official to a ninth-level nightwalker. His entire body restrained his aura. It was as if he was going to meld into the scenery on top of Dong Mountain.
Only the slightly irritating silver moonlight shone inharmoniously on his body.
The Emperor’s royal seal and a personally written letter for the empress dowager were stuffed in his shirt. They were not heavy, but he felt they were. He knew the news of Dong Mountain being surrounded would soon get back to Jingdou. At the same time, the news of the Emperor being assassinated would also get back to Jingdou. The Eldest Princess had created a perfect time difference. She didn’t even need to do anything in Jingdou. As long as she confirmed the Emperor’s death, the empress dowager would have to talk out sorrowfully from behind the screen and choose a successor from among the three Princes.
At this moment, the worship of heaven had not been completed. Heaven’s will had not descended. Although everyone knew the Crown Prince was about to be deposed, the Crown Prince was still the Crown Prince. Regardless of whether it was from the perspective of stabilizing court politics or some other angle, the empress dowager would choose the Crown Prince to take the throne.
This wasn’t a conspiracy. It was seizing an opportunity. Even if the Emperor had left countless backups in Jingdou, or Chen Pingping and the Imperial Army were completely loyal, once the news of the Emperor’s death had spread throughout the world, who would openly resist the empress dowager’s edict? It would only lead to a second rebellion.
Fan Xian relaxed his limbs as if he was trying to make the burden on his shoulders a little bit lighter. He knew that he had essentially put Qing Kingdom’s dragon throne onto his back.
“They are, after all, your true brothers”, the Emperor said coldly, standing beside a black-clothed Fan Xian. “If you can, try to not kill them, particularly Chengze. But, if you must kill them, then kill them all.”
Fan Xian’s heart trembled slightly as he nodded.
The Emperor’s lips tilted up slightly. He gazed at the little boat in the distance on the ocean and mockingly said, “Why is Uncle Liuyun so slow? Does the Great Grandmaster still feel an uncontrollable fear when meeting me that he needs a helper?”
Fan Xian smiled and didn’t say anything. He raised his head and glanced at the moon in the sky. He then furrowed his brows together.
“During the day, I had once told you why I chose Dong Mountain to worship heaven,” the Emperor suddenly said. “First, of course, it was to invite Lao Wu out of the mountain.”
Fan Xian looked at the Emperor.
The Emperor gazed at him calmly and said, “The second reason is that Dong Mountain is an isolated peak beside the ocean. It is the best place to die. Yunrui had Yan Xiaoyi encircle the mountain and then had Uncle Liuyun ascend the mountain to assassinate me. There is absolutely nowhere for me to go.”
Dong Mountain was isolated by the ocean. Toward land and the foot of the mountain, there was only one path. The back of the mountain that faced the ocean was a precipice as smooth as jade. Even a Great Grandmaster would be unable to execute techniques on its surface to ascend. If the Emperor was assassinated here, it would truly be very difficult for him to escape.
“I chose Dong Mountain to die to mislead Yunrui.” The Emperor seemed to have already shaken off the news that Sigu Jian may come and recovered his self-confident attitude. He looked calmly into Fan Xian’s eyes, as if he wanted to see through to his true heart.
“She thought she could seal off all messages from Dong Mountain so that she could do as she wished in Jingdou. But, she forgot I had chosen to die here because I have someone at my side that can fly out of this forsaken land.”
Fan Xian forced a smile. He thought to himself that his unique skill had not escaped the Emperor’s eye. It looked like there were very few things about him the Emperor didn’t know. In this world, probably only his strange technique could help him slide down that mirror smooth Dong Mountain. So, the Emperor had brought him to Dong Mountain because he had set an ambush here.
The Emperor had indeed thought far and deep enough. Fan Xian’s heart suddenly shifted. He was no longer so worried. Since the Emperor could even make use of him, then how could he not have made a plan to deal with the most dangerous of situations in front of them?
The Emperor smiled slightly and said, “I had once said to Gong Dian that your wall-climbing ability was very like me and much better than mine.”
Fan Xian gazed at the abyss like precipice below his feet. He twisted his neck and made a rare joke. “There is someone climbing over the wall. It’s just a pity that the moonlight tonight is too bright.”
“The moon waxes and wanes. This is something you once said.” The Emperor raised his head to gaze at the sky. “I cannot guess everything that will happen. I know that the moon cannot be as bright as this forever.”
As his words fell, a layer of dark clouds floated across the sky and hid the moon behind the clouds. The silver light immediately disappeared. A dark night once again fell over the world. The summit of Dong Mountain was pitch black.
At the Emperor’s side, Fan Xian’s shadow had already disappeared.
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In woods at the foot of the mountain, the stench of blood was everywhere. It was much stronger than the scent of the sea breeze. Occasionally, the moonlight slipped through the woods, allowing one to faintly see the bodies everywhere in the woods. Some of the bodies were splayed on the ground while others were leaning against the trees. Most of the dead wore the uniform of the Imperial Army. Uniformly, the killed imperial soldiers were all pierced with a number of arrows.
The arrows had entered deep into their bodies, pinning them viciously against the trees and on the ground. The scene was very tragic and horrifying.
The woods at the foot of Dong Mountain were dense. The official road was hidden at the same time by the darkness and woods. It was already difficult to see its general appearance. One could only see countless bodies and puddles of blood. Close to the foot of the mountain, the remnants of the scene announced the intensity of the killing earlier.
A fire flickered into life and then extinguished again. Only the woods near the gates to the mountain were still burning, illuminating one corner of the heavy and dark night. The burning smell lying on the ground began to gradually rise, submerging both the stench of blood and the scent of the sea breeze. It made the army on both sides begin to feel nervous.
“Psh!” A sharp sound broke through the air. A long arrow flashed out like lightning and shot into an imperial soldier closest to the outside of the woods.
The soldier clutched the long arrow in his chest. He wanted to pull it out, but he was already weak from the terrible pain and slowly sat down.
As he was sitting down, three more arrows shot through the air and viciously pierced into his body.
The head of the soldier tilted to the side. A mouthful of blood sprayed out from his mouth as he died.
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Silence fell over the foot of the mountain. Five-thousand rebel soldiers had quietly and secretly come to Dong Mountain and carried out the most despicable and sudden nighttime attack against 2,000 imperial soldiers. The Imperial Army did not react in time. Furthermore, they had come with the royal entourage to worship heaven and had not prepared the heavy armor needed for battlefield operations.
Between Cangzhou and Yanjing, the rebel soldiers circulated while pretending to attack. With Sigu Jian’s implicit consent and purposeful concealment, they crossed Dongyi’s 16 vassal countries and emerged from a secret passage to the north of Danzhou. Using 20 days, they blockaded Dong Mountain like 5,000 spirits.
The scouts along the way to Dong Mountain had all been killed by aces in the rebel army. They didn’t have time to send back any messages.
The rebel bowman had used flaming arrows on the first wave of attack. In an instant, it was as if thousands of lights had been lit up at the same time at the foot of Dong Mountain. Lightly, they flew toward the Imperial Army’s campsite. The moment the flaming arrows landed, they caught fire. The campsite burned. The woods burned. Everything burned. The power was immense. Those were the flickers of fires the Emperor and his group saw from the top of the mountain.
The Imperial Army did not have the extra thought to put out the fire because the immense flames had suddenly lit up the woods. It rendered all their figures completely exposed in front of the enemy’s bowmen. Although the imperial guards were well trained and immediately found a suitable location to hide, the arrows that rained down immediately took out 200 lives.
Afterward, there was a bloody and tedious counterattack that broke through the camp and annihilation after being surrounded. Bodies covered the ground, and fresh blood flowed all over the mountain.
In just a few rounds, the rebel army had broken through the Imperial Army and won an initial victory. They locked the Imperial Army to the left of the mountain gates in an area that was half a li radius. It was at this time that the rebel army’s attacks suddenly stopped. There was only the occasional arrow being fired out, killing those imperial soldiers who attempted to break through to send a message.
The occasional sound of an arrow made the suddenly silent woods even quieter. It became a deathlike silence.
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Suddenly, a blood-covered person stood up from the pile of dead bodies. In such a moonlit night, in a massacre ground such as this, this sudden scene horrified soldiers on both sides. However, they immediately became numb. So many people had died, how could they be afraid of a mutated body?
The fingers of Yan Xiaoyi’s trusted and personally trained soldiers trembled. Ten arrows flew out. The target of each arrow was different. Each aimed at one part of the bloody man’s body. The arrows enveloped his entire body. There was no chance for him to avoid them.
This was a military order. It was forbidden for anyone to break through. Thus, for each person the rebel army shot, they ensured the person died. Suddenly, a person had walked out from a pile of dead bodies. The bowmen unconsciously fired, thinking to themselves, Are you still alive?
However, no one expected that the bloody man would not care at all about the dozen spirit-like arrows in front of him. He casually picked up two bodies from beside him and waved them like shields.
A series of thuds rang out. A dozen arrows seemed to land at the same time on the bloody man. However, it was clear in the next instant that they had landed on the bodies the bloody man had waved around. They sprayed out countless drops of blood and made the bloody man even more horrifying.
The bodies were heavier than shields, yet this bloody man was able to wave them around and block the very fast arrows. It had to be said, the man’s arm strength was astonishing while his eyesight and realm were also a cause for shock.
Someone seemed to have not given an order in the rebel army. Thus, the phenomenon of 10,000 arrows flying out together did not happen.
The bloody man slowly put down the bodies in his hands and bared his mouth. It was as if he was mourning, sympathizing, or moved by something. He slowly walked in the direction of the mountain gate. No arrows disrupted him as he calmly walked.
He walked to the mountain gate. A deafening cheer rang out from the Imperial Army.
They didn’t know who the bloody man was, but they knew he was an official of the Overwatch Council, one of Fan Xian’s trusted aids. Furthermore, he was a definite ace. In the third wave of attacks from the rebel army, this Overwatch Council official had killed 40 longbowmen by himself until he was pushed over by the wave of people and drowned among the bodies.
Everyone had thought he had died. No one thought that he was still alive. In such a terrifying night when the rebel guards could wipe out the Imperial Army at any moment, to suddenly find that they had such a strong ace on their side was enough to lift what was left of the Imperial Army’s morale.
Thirteenth Wang walked out of the burned and charred mountain gate and slowly sat down on a stone step. He accepted a towel that a member of the Qinian Unit beside him handed over to him and wiped at the blood on his face, revealing the bright and handsome visage.
He stretched open his mouth, revealing a mouthful of healthy white teeth. He gazed into the dark night and smiled as he looked at where the rebel army was.
Thirteenth Wang was a truly courageous soldier. He had learned to use bodies to block arrows, yet could not be considered a savage. If Fan Xian had seen this sight, he would certainly have said this with a sigh.
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The sounds of horse hooves rang out. From one area of the rebel army’s campsite, a few horses came out. A person sat on the horse in front. The person was covered in black clothing from head to toe. Their face was also hidden.
Yan Xiaoyi’s trusted soldiers did not know who this black-clothed man was, but they knew of Governor Yan’s strict orders that this battle would be directed by this person.
Although the soldiers strictly followed the military orders, they felt unsatisfied in their hearts. It was not until they had crossed mountains and rivers, the black-clothed man gave out orders to divide and encircle, and they had completely crushed the Imperial Army that this changed.
They were all simple orders carried out very straightforwardly. However, it cleverly brought together the terrain at the foot of Dong Mountain and the environment of the night. This black-clothed man used soldiers like a god.
Reality proved everything. Other than admiration, the 5,000 longbowmen looked at the black-clothed man with fear. Even with the sudden order earlier to retreat, which was not understood at all by the soldiers, no one expressed their doubt.
The figure of the black-clothed man was large. He sat formidably on his horse. It was only a pity that he was enveloped by the black clothes. No one could not see his true face and might hidden under the black clothing.
From a distance, the black-clothed man looked at the bloody young man with pearl-white teeth beyond the mountain gate. A voice came through the black cloth. It was filled with feeling.
“How powerful… He’s still not dead after three attacks. He is truly a courageous soldier. If this man entered the army, in less than a year, there would be one more courageous general in the world.”
The black-clothed man suddenly smiled slightly. “The major part is completed. It hardly took any effort. How is this in defiance of the natural order? It is only a pity that in a while, that powerful soldier is going to die.”
Suddenly, someone gave a sigh beside him. The black-clothed man turned his head to gaze over. He asked in a warm voice, “Master Yun, are you lamenting the loss of a talent?”
The person who sighed was Sigu Jian’s first disciple, the swordmaster of a generation, Yun Zhilan.
Fan Xian had indeed guessed correctly. Dongyi had indeed sent their most elite assassination team to help the Eldest Princess’ rebel soldiers. Furthermore, it was Yun Zhilan personally leading this team.
Yun Zhilan glanced at the black-clothed man beside him and barely managed a smile. He didn’t make a reply to his question. Only he knew who the young man covered in blood was, but he still managed to maintain a smile.
That person was not an official of the Overwatch Council. He wasn’t even a citizen of the Qing Kingdom. He was Thirteenth Wang, his teacher’s favorite disciple, and his most talented younger brother disciple.
“Are you all crazy?” Yun Zhilan muttered to himself. He wondered to himself, since his brother disciple knew their teacher had sent people here, why did he still stand guard at the mountain gate like a ferocious tiger? What exactly was he thinking?
Teacher had you follow Fan Xian, but he doesn’t want to you to actually be of help to Fan Xian. Yun Zhilan looked at the bloody man far away at the mountain gate and he thought in great confusion, Doing one thing and being loyal to it to the point of not even caring about the interests of your school? Was this lunacy or was this the public execution of one’s nature that the teacher was most appreciative of?
“Without going crazy, nothing is accomplished.” The black-clothed man lightly replied to Yun Zhilan’s sigh.
Yun Zhilan shook his head and didn’t say anything. Although he didn’t know why his younger brother disciple would do something like this, as a disciple of the Sword Hut, he respected his younger brother disciple. Thus, he would not expose his secret in front of the black-clothed man.
He didn’t know who the black-clothed man was, but all of the troops were commanded by him. After watching from the side for a long time, he had to admit that this black-clothed man was indeed very good at using troops. He took no risks. Everything was fought steadily. His use of the all the resources in the rebel army neared perfection. He didn’t give the Qing Imperial Army any chance to counterattack or break through.
Yun Zhilan let most of the aces from the Sword Hut out in full strength and cooperated with Yan Xiaoyi’s trusted army. At first, there were great problems with the two working together. If the Sixth Bureau swordsmen or Tiger Guards with powerful martial training on top of the mountain broke through, it would not be easy to completely seal everything.
However, the black-clothed man on the horse seemed to have a pair of godlike eyes that could see every detail on the battlefield. At the beginning of the sudden attack, he had forcefully commanded the Dongyi aces to various unremarkable locations to wait in ambush.
At the beginning, Yun Zhilan did not understand. However, as each attack in the darkness happened and as each attempt to breakthrough on Dong Mountain was viciously crushed by the black-clothed man’s actions, Yun Zhilan finally understood. This black-clothed man was certainly not an average person. He was able to lead the entire battle and not let slip any possible loophole.
To be able to use soldiers in such a way, it was impossible to reach such a level without dozens of years of practice on the battlefield. Yun Zhilan was very confused.
Why didn’t Yan Xiaoyi lead the troops here personally, and who was this black-clothed man?
He had his guesses, as did many people in the rebel army. This black-clothed man had only joined the rebel army because of two trusted soldiers. He had come with nothing but directed troops like a god and killed with confidence. It made one very admiring.
The black-clothed man did not explain to his subordinates the meaning of stopping the attack. He only looked coldly at the abruptly rising mountain in front. On this mission, leading the rebel army in an attack was only one part of the agreement. If he didn’t have the other side temporarily hold this power, the Emperor… It would be very difficult for him to make that decision.
Suddenly, a black cloud floated across the sky and completely hid the bright moon. The area around the mountain gate was pitch black. The black-clothed man sat on his horse without moving. Only the short weapons in cloth bags that were held in the hands of his two subordinates to either side of him that shone with a faint light.
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Fan Xian didn’t know how long the cloud would block the moonlight. He silently slid down the mountain. His speed didn’t decrease or increase. Terrified, he maintained a steady speed. The precipice facing the sea that was like jade during the day gave off a faint light in the night. It perfectly melded with him.
The knife-like boundary line between the two sides of Dong Mountain that followed the mountain entered directly into the ground beside the ocean. Dongyi aces were waiting in ambush there, so he would not choose that path. He could only go down on the side facing the sea breeze.
In this world, no one could slide down in such an extreme environment, other than Fan Xian. Thus, he was not worried about people on the ocean and the rebel soldiers on land finding his tracks. He remained very nervous because he consistently felth that there was a pair of eyes behind him watching him calmly through the dark night and whistling sea breeze.