A Mortal’s Schemes
Translator: Cinder Translations
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Above the clouds.
"I and Ji Yin will go ahead. The rest of you, follow on your swords shortly," Zhu Yin transmitted telepathically to the Foundation Establishment cultivators inside the Jing Fu Palace.
Then she turned to Song Wen and said, "Daoist friend, let's go. Follow the Bloodthirsty Bees."
The two kept a distance of over a hundred miles behind the swarm. The sheer size and loud buzzing of the bees ensured they wouldn't lose track.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators followed far behind Song Wen and Zhu Yin.
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Once the cultivators had left Shan Fu City, King Cui Zai Shi's previously sorrowful expression turned cold and indifferent.
He strode toward the inner palace.
The inner palace was in chaos. Countless concubines and maids were frantically packing. Clearly, they were aware of the turmoil in the city.
Though many were barely dressed, they prioritized gathering gold, silver, and jewels, preparing for escape.
As Cui Zai Shi passed by, they ignored him entirely, as if they didn't recognize him as their king.
The inner palace was no longer Cui Zai Shi's domain—it belonged to Jing Kai and the other cultivators.
In front of the shepherds and sheep herders, Cui Zai Shi was nothing more than a dog, wagging his tail to earn their favor.
To curry favor with Jing Kai and the others, he had not only offered up his wife and daughters but also scoured the Cold Mountain Kingdom for beauties to present to them.
Looking at the beautiful yet disheveled concubines and maids, Cui Zai Shi's expression grew even darker. He walked through the winding palaces to a dilapidated courtyard deep within the royal palace.
After confirming no one was following, he pushed open the door and entered.
Cui Zai Shi approached an old well in the courtyard and leaped down.
Though he had no cultivation, he possessed considerable mortal martial skills, moving with agility.
The well was about ten zhang deep, with only a shallow layer of stagnant water at the bottom that emitted a faint odor from neglect.
Using a rope, Cui Zai Shi descended steadily to the bottom. After feeling around the well wall, his hand found a faint protrusion.
With a gentle press, the stone wall opened, revealing a small tunnel barely three feet high.
Hunching over, he crawled into the tunnel.
As soon as he entered, the opening closed behind him.
After crawling through the tunnel for about a hundred zhang, he reached a vertical shaft.
Climbing up the shaft, Cui Zai Shi emerged in a room.
He was now outside the royal palace.
The room was a study. He approached one of the walls and knocked on it.
The wall opened to reveal a hidden door, and Cui Zai Shi stepped inside.
This was a small secret chamber, about two zhang in both length and width. In the chamber sat a middle-aged man in a gray robe, his features somewhat similar to Cui Zai Shi.
After closing the door to the chamber, Cui Zai Shi respectfully knelt on the ground and addressed the man,
"Your son greets the Imperial Ancestor."
The middle-aged man replied, "Rise. I am now a cultivator and no longer bound by mundane formalities. Have the shepherds and sheep herders left?"
Cui Zai Shi responded, "The signal smoke rose from the capital's defense city, warning of the incoming Bloodthirsty Bees. The sheep herder Zhu Yan relayed the message using the Starlight Array within the royal palace, then fled. Not long after, six shepherds arrived at the palace."
"However, they stayed hidden in the palace, not daring to step outside. These so-called 'immortals' are nothing but cowards. After the bees retreated, the six shepherds left the palace together, seemingly following the swarm."
The middle-aged man asked, "Where did Zhu Yan go?"
"He headed west, likely to the Qingfeng Mountain palace 500 li away. Its defensive array is much stronger. When Jing Kai and the others arrived, he likely feared that the palace's array couldn't withstand the bees," Cui Zai Shi replied.
The Qingfeng Mountain palace was a structure built by successive generations of shepherds and sheep herders for their own indulgence.
The middle-aged man asked, "How is the training of the death warriors I had you organize progressing?"
Cui Zai Shi replied, "Of the thousand death warriors recruited, a hundred have reached the level of first-rate experts, with ten achieving the realm of innate martial prowess."
"And their weapons?"
"They are all equipped with powerful crossbows, and every arrow is laced with deadly poison."
Cui Zai Shi's expression suddenly grew excited. "Imperial Ancestor, is it time to act?"
The middle-aged man stood, gazing at the wall ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
"Your royal grandfather stumbled upon a cultivator's tomb decades ago. From the texts within, he learned the truth: we inhabitants of Sheep Island are livestock raised by Wu Ji Island. When our population grows too large, they slaughter us all.
"Back then, cultivators were far too powerful for mere mortals to resist. We had no choice but to await our fate."
The man clenched his fists tightly, his tone filled with resentment and anger.
"However, within the tomb, your grandfather found a miraculous token capable of sensing the presence of demonic beasts. Using this token, he discovered the Bloodthirsty Bees in a mountain 3,000 li to the southeast.
"To delay the day of harvest, he began feeding the bees with countless live humans. After decades of effort, the bees have grown so formidable that even Wu Ji Island must take them seriously."
"Yet, despite this, we have little time left. The day of harvest approaches swiftly. With prosperous weather and bountiful crops, the population of Cold Mountain Kingdom has surged dramatically. The harvest will not be far off."
"Our Cui family, rulers of Cold Mountain Kingdom, must not end up like ordinary mortals, slaughtered as livestock. Some of our bloodline must escape Sheep Island to ensure the family's survival. At the same time, we must remember the crimes Wu Ji Island has committed against our family, Cold Mountain Kingdom, and the entire human race of Sheep Island. One day, they will pay the price."
"As the only member of the Cui family with a spiritual root, the duty to continue the bloodline falls on me. Sheep Island is shrouded in a maze formation. To escape it, one must possess a pass token, and only the shepherds and sheep herders have them."
"I am now at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. With the strength of a thousand martial death warriors and the element of surprise, I am confident in defeating Zhu Yan at the eighth level of Qi Refinement."
Cui Zai Shi clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. "We have waited long enough for this day. I've longed to tear Zhu Yan to pieces. It's a pity we cannot kill Jing Kai."
The middle-aged man cautioned, "Do not act recklessly. A grand undertaking cannot be hindered by personal vendettas. Jing Kai's insult to your wife and daughters is trivial. He is a Foundation Establishment expert, far beyond our ability to confront. Your death warriors are nothing but paper tigers before him."
"Because of Foundation Establishment cultivators like Jing Kai, we mortals tread so cautiously. Fortunately, the tomb yielded several grains of starlight sands. Carrying them on me shields my presence from a cultivator's spiritual sense. Without it, my identity as a cultivator in the royal city would've long been exposed."
Cui Zai Shi said, "Rest assured, Imperial Ancestor. I will not let personal feelings interfere. When should we strike against Zhu Yan?"
The middle-aged man replied, "The Wu Ji Island experts are preoccupied with the Bloodthirsty Bees. Now is the best time to act."
Cui Zai Shi stood, his expression resolute. "Very well. I'll make the preparations immediately."
(End of the Chapter)
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