Chapter 91: Speak Boldly What’s on Your Mind
The grand hall of the Mechanism City stood solemn. Xiang Shaoyun sat high upon the chief's seat. Below him, his cadre of warriors and generals stood clad in armor slick with rain, their faces alight with exhilaration. The Mo family's Mechanism City was famed as the most impregnable fortress in the world, yet now it lay under siege, having fallen to the iron cavalry of Xiliang. Every Xiliang warrior brimmed with a profound sense of accomplishment. Their fervent gaze fixed upon the lord seated above—their indomitable pillar of spirit.
Xiang Shaoyun perused the dispatch in his hand, bearing news from the imperial capital. Upon finishing, he crushed the letter into a tight ball. "Yuwen Xiu remains too inexperienced... Mo Beike is indeed treacherous." Xiang Shaoyun reclined against the broad chair symbolizing his dominion over the Mo clan.
"Jiang Li is undeniably a formidable general. With him present, even if the original Chi City falls, the Northern Command's forces dare not dream of a swift advance."
"Therefore, since Mo Beike's brute force failed, he now resorts to cunning... The imperial court of the Great Zhou has long since rotted; save for Grand Tutor Kong Xiu, the ministers are but a band of fame-seeking sycophants."
"Mo Beike seizes upon this, intending to cleave through Jiang Li's steadfast defenses with a velvet dagger." Xiang Shaoyun spoke deliberately.
Below, the Xiliang commanders listened intently, knowing the lord was about to issue his next command. The true target was not merely a Mechanism City but the entire realm.
After a long silence, the lord tapped his fingers lightly upon the armrest. With Mo Beike gone, he lacked an advisor, but Xiang Shaoyun needed none. With his martial prowess and the fearless valor of Xiliang's warriors, victory was certain. Any stratagems or intrigues were but illusions against absolute power—a truth he had grasped deeply during the siege of Wolong Ridge.
If he possessed even a fraction of celestial might, the world would lie within his palm with but a flick of the hand.
Rising to his full, imposing height, Xiang Shaoyun strode forward, his surging vitality suffocating those around him.
"Raise the troops. March straight to the imperial capital."
His eyes blazed like twin stars as he fixed his gaze upon the cliff beyond the gate, his voice booming like thunder. His warriors' eyes ignited with fanatical zeal, their war cries shattering the air.
Original Chi City, Great Zhou Military Camp.
Inside the command tent, clad in gleaming silver armor, Jiang Li held the emperor's edict, his expression utterly impassive. The imperial envoy knelt motionless before him. After a long pause, Jiang Li sighed deeply. He folded the edict away and turned to the envoy.
"Return and report to His Majesty: The general stationed at the front does not yield to imperial commands."
The envoy trembled. Jiang Li intended to defy the imperial decree.
"If I enter the capital, the elite Great Zhou forces will be leaderless... The Northern Command's army will seize this opportunity and collapse like a landslide."
The envoy kowtowed low. "His Majesty understands this but is pressured by ministers' accusations and the officials' tearful pleas. Moreover, the ministers have petitioned that only one thousand troops remain to guard Original Chi City, while the rest retreat thirty miles away... It is a show of deference to Great Zhou's might, signaling the end of hostilities. Thus, the general is urged to enter the capital posthaste."
Jiang Li sat upon his command chair, his face as cold as ice. Even he clenched his fists involuntarily. The corrupt ministers, scheming aristocrats, and the Mo family's dark hand behind the scenes—imperial politics churned like a storm. Should he abandon the front and return to the capital, the next day the Northern Command's army would surge forward in slaughter.
Jiang Li closed his eyes, and after a long moment, opened them slowly. He had resolved to defy the order.
The imperial envoy galloped swiftly back to the royal city, and in an instant, the entire capital erupted. Impeachment memorials poured into the Purple-Golden Palace like a torrential downpour. The old eunuchs within could only hear the heavy breathing echoing through the halls, as if a tempest brewed unseen.
Once more, Yuwen Xiu arrived at the library, only to be barred by Mo Tianyu.
"Your Majesty, the tutor refuses to see anyone," Mo Tianyu smiled.
"Except the young master of Beiluo Lu..." He added after a pause.
"Why?!"
"I am lost and seek the tutor's guidance," Yuwen Xiu's eyes reddened, veins visible beneath the surface.
He once suspected Jiang Li of assassinating his father. As rumors spread, the seed of doubt within him sprouted. He had asked the Grand Tutor about this once, but now even the tutor was implicated in the rumors, throwing Yuwen Xiu's heart into turmoil.
Mo Tianyu shook his head. "The tutor will not meet anyone."
"Perhaps... allow me to divine a prophecy for Your Majesty? My divinations are quite accurate."
Hearing this, Yuwen Xiu's disappointment deepened. His gaze drifted to the library, where a shadow rocked gently in a chair by the second-floor window.
As for letting Mo Tianyu cast a prophecy—Yuwen Xiu turned sharply and strode away without hesitation.
Mo Tianyu muttered, "...That cuts deep, Your Majesty."
Returning to the Purple-Golden Palace, Yuwen Xiu found it empty. His soul tormented by internal struggle, the war within.
The Northern Command's retreat from Original Chi City was suspicious.
"Your Majesty, ministers kneel outside the palace, beseeching you to punish General Jiang Li's insubordination."
"Your Majesty, civilians march the streets demanding justice for the late emperor..."
"Rumors spread that Your Majesty is a puppet of the regicide, the Great Zhou is no longer the Great Zhou..."
Messages flooded Yuwen Xiu's ears. His visage twisted almost grotesquely as he removed his crown, his hair disheveled, madness gleaming in his eyes.
Nine edicts lay completed upon his desk, their ink still fresh. He hesitated whether to dispatch them. Yuwen Xiu was no fool; he fully grasped the catastrophe these edicts would unleash upon Great Zhou.
His heart wrestled fiercely.
Suddenly, amidst his wild tresses, Yuwen Xiu recalled Mo Tianyu's words before the library.
"The tutor refuses all, except the young master of Beiluo Lu."
In the pitch-black Purple-Golden Palace, his eyes flickered with a sudden light.
"Is this the tutor's guidance?"
"Beiluo Lu, be safe..."
Breath quickening, Yuwen Xiu commanded, "Send for the carriage... to Beiluo City!"
Outside the palace, the old eunuch was stunned by Yuwen Xiu's excitement. Then, as if recalling something dreadful, his body trembled but he forced down his fear and bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Beiluo, Heart Lake Island.
Lü Mudui faced the island, an inexplicable chill running through him—an ominous premonition.
He swallowed hard. The island had transformed dramatically; the air was purer, as if a single breath could elevate the soul.
The strange chrysanthemums flourishing wildly.
Nearby, young Ni Yu was enveloped in pale blue energy, a black cauldron hovered before her, bubbling ominously.
Elsewhere, Nie Changqing wielded a butcher's cleaver from afar, cleaving the lake's waters to form a serpent-like white scar, stubbornly lingering.
Yi Yue practiced her martial arts, her whip technique refined by Lu Fan, elusive and shattering the air with each lash.
Ning Zhao, breathtakingly beautiful in flowing white, stood poised on the lake's surface—seemingly normal...
Suddenly, as Ning Zhao opened her eyes, a terrifying pressure crushed the lake's surface into a concave bowl.
Lü Mudui shuddered. These cultivators were terrifying beyond measure. Now, he only wished to claim the promised celestial grace from Young Master Lu and flee this dreadful island at once.
Second floor of the Jade Capital Pavilion.
Lu Fan leaned on the railing, dressed in white, smiling warmly and beckoning to Lü Mudui.
Lü Mudui's gaze fell upon the couplet adorning the pavilion's entrance. The overwhelming aura prevented him from meeting it head-on. Bowing his head, he ascended to the second floor.
At last, he beheld the graceful, refined Young Master Lu.
His nervousness inexplicably subsided.
Lu Fan smiled at Lü Mudui, a cup of plum wine levitating to hover before him.
"The matter at Wolong Ridge was handled admirably," Lu Fan praised.
"Your praise honors me, Young Master. Today I come on account of your promise," Lü Mudui said earnestly.
"I am a man of my word. The celestial grace I promised shall not be withheld."
With a gentle wave, a stream of spiritual energy flowed into Lü Mudui's body, causing his hair and beard to bristle. The qi within his dantian surged, suffusing him with an ethereal, immortal aura.
"This is... spiritual energy!" Lü Mudui's beard trembled with excitement.
"Sit, Old Lü," Lu Fan said, reclining in his wheelchair, hair fluttering in the breeze. One hand propped his chin; the other rested upon the woolen blanket covering his knees.
"Let us discuss another matter," Lu Fan said.
Lü Mudui's exhilaration froze.
"Young Master, what is it?"
Lu Fan smiled gently, sipping his warm plum wine. "Nothing grave. You must know, the opening of Wolong Ridge's celestial palace heralds the dawn of the cultivators' era. Yet the world remains ignorant of cultivation systems, techniques, and secrets. As the foremost cultivator faction, Jade Capital bears the responsibility to disseminate such knowledge."
"Thus, a comprehensive intelligence network is essential."
"But I dislike troublesome affairs, so I wish to discuss incorporating the Tianji family into Jade Capital."
Lu Fan sipped his wine delicately. "No worries, I am patient. Speak freely your thoughts."
"If none arise, inform the Tianji disciples to come to Heart Lake Island for detailed talks."
Lü Mudui's heart chilled. Despite Lu Fan's radiant smile, a terrifying pressure gripped his chest.
Young Master, your 'good temper'—I hardly believe it!
Dazed, Lü Mudui descended the pavilion, boarded a lone boat, pushing off into the lake.
Only after drifting far did he regain clarity. His heart felt no joy over the celestial grace.
With a heavy thud, he knelt upon the boat.
Though he came to claim his celestial grace in Beiluo City... why did he so swiftly betray the Tianji family?
Heavens—what had he truly done?