Chapter 79 Eternal Cemetery
The battle outside the capital carried on in the inky darkness of night.
The strategy the Longdu Empire had planned to employ was centered around their surprise attack. They had aimed to use Marquis Xian Yu, as well as the group of experts with him, to weaken the defenses of Grand Xia from the inside.
As a Core Qi Stage martial artist, Marquis Xian Yu only needed to suppress Fang Chen. Once he did that, he could confidently walk into the Imperial Palace and parley with the emperor on his own terms. If the invasion had developed in such a manner, the capital would've been breached in only a matter of an hour or two, and the entire capital would’ve fallen into the hands of Longdu.
Unfortunately for them, Marquis Xian Yu had failed, perishing along with his men. Since their main strategy had failed, Longdu’s cavalry morale fell, and naturally, they became easier to deal with, and Grand Xia held the upper hand in the skirmish.
Add to that, the fact that their commanders had been assassinated by Xu Ge and the others left the morale of Longdu cavalry in shambles. Left with no choice, they began to retreat, leaving the battlefield loitered with the dead bodies of their comrades.
Meanwhile, Fang Chen's divine soul was still standing in the dark night sky, systematically searching the city. He found no traces of Spirit Blood Sect cultivators. Everything seemed normal.
It was impossible to identify both the traitor and those that played a role in exacerbating the situation. With a thought, his divine soul arrived at the imperial palace.
Outside the study, a large group of officials stood, occasionally listening to the reports from outside and letting out sighs of relief.
Inside the study, the crown prince looked serious. He glanced at the emperor and said, "Father, Marquis Xian Yu died at the hands of Xu Ge. Not long ago, mysterious experts appeared at the four major capital gates, including Xu Ge and Huang Sihai. These people are likely all subordinates of Fang Chen..."
The emperor looked at the crown prince and said lightly, "What are you implying, Yu’er?”
“Fang Chen seemed to be behaving all strait-laced and proper, Father; living peacefully in his manor. But he has clearly secretly nurtured powerful individuals like Xu Ge who can even kill a Core Qi martial artist. His wild ambitions are clear to see!”
Fang Chen’s soul was right beside the crown prince, and he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
The emperor remained silent for a moment, then said, "The Fang Family has always been loyal to the empire. Not to mention that they are descendants of the founding heroes of our empire. They have served Grand Xia without ever showing any signs of disloyalty for many generations. Do you really think Fang Chen would rebel?"
Xia Yu gritted his teeth, then said, "If he has no intention of rebelling, then why is he hiding and concealing so many things? I even suspect that in these five years he never stopped cultivating. He might even be pretending to be blind.” He paused, then said, "Father, even if he has no such intentions, he’s gradually recovering his reputation. And after what happened today, he’ll sooner or later recover the former glory he once had. His faction had overwhelming power in the capital five years ago, and only collapsed after his defeat at Three World Mountain. If his supporters rise again, even if he does not hold any official position or military power in the court, he will still pose a threat to the foundation of Grand Xia!”
"What you said makes sense, but with his cultivation, I cannot act against him. Moreover, there are many in the court who won't stand by and watch me make a move against him. Li Guozhu is one of them, not to mention others, like Elder Wu and Jiang Yushu." The emperor suddenly chuckled. "I know why you’re so anxious about him; you’re afraid of him bringing back your third brother and threatening your position as the crown prince, isn’t that so?"
Xia Yu was startled, then he lowered his head and fell to his knees. “I dare not think that way. If my third brother returns to us safely, I’d be overjoyed!"
The emperor rubbed his temples for a moment, then said calmly. "Leave, and tell those outside to go back and sleep. We will continue the discussion at the morning court tomorrow,”
Xia Yu dared not speak further and left the study respectfully. He then relayed the message to the ministers outside.
An official smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, how can we fall asleep knowing that the capital is under attack?"
Xia Yu turned around to leave, saying, "His Majesty understands the situation clearly. Do you still not realize it? With Marquis Xian Yu dead, Longdu won’t be able to breach the capital not matter what. By tomorrow morning, it’ll all be over.”
The officials present looked at each other and then turned their gaze to Li Guozhu.
Li Guozhu swished his sleeve and turned to leave too. "Let's leave," he said.
Back inside the Imperial Study, Fang Chen was quietly observing the emperor, who was engrossed in reviewing the daily memorial.
*
Early the next morning, after a night of endless battles, Grand Xia troops finally managed to successfully push the Longdu forces fifty miles back and returned victorious. As for Longdu’s cavalry, it was estimated that only two or three thousand of them had survived.
People in the streets discussed the events heatedly, and many went outside the capital to see the remnants of battle, while others helped collect the corpses; if the bodies were left to rot out in the scorching summer heat, a plague might ensue and terrorize the city.
Naturally, what had happened the day before at the Jade Immortal Boat spread quickly in the city by word of mouth. Some things were just hard to conceal.
Everyone heard the news, be it the martial artists, scholars, or the commoners.
"Let me tell you; last night was absolutely thrilling! I went with my master to the Jade Immortal Boat yesterday, and it turned out that the envoy from Longdu, who was there too, was Marquis Xian Yu in disguise.
"He turned out to be a Qi Core martial artist, and I remember him boasting that his cultivation was higher than even Divine General Fang’s. He not only wanted to trap the Divine General inside the Jade Immortal Boat, but he had also planned to launch an attack on the capital from both the inside and outside simultaneously.”
"But guess what? He died at the hands of Fang Chen’s subordinate, Xu Ge!”
"Xu Ge!? Windy Cloud Swordsman, Xu Ge? Can he even deal with a Qi Core martial artist?”
"That's exactly what I thought too! Marquis Xian Yu didn’t even have the qualifications for Divine General Fang to fight him personally”
"I also heard that several mysterious experts joined the battle at the four major gates. They killed many Longdu cavalry commanders and helped our army hold out until reinforcements arrived."
"I think... they were all followers of Divine General Fang. He's really a dragon amongst men, and he’s the top divine general of Grand Xia. It’s not surprising that there are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers under him!”
Listening to the passersby's conversations, Tao Yu, Ye Qinghe, and others looked somewhat strange. Ye Qinghe couldn't help but rub his swollen cheek, his eyes turning a shade darker.
"Qinghe, you were lucky to survive on the Jade Immortal Boat last night."
Tao Yu chuckled, then said, "I heard you got slapped by Xu Ge a few times."
"Don't mention it. I can almost still feel the prickle of those slaps on my face."
Ye Qinghe snorted, then said indifferently, "My father asked me to go and thank Fang Chen. Do you all want to come with me?”
Tao Yu's gaze flickered slightly. "Sure," he replied.
With that, the group left for the Fang Manor, and it wasn’t long before they arrived.
However, when a servant learned they were here to see Fang Chen, he shook his head and said, "The young master is not in the manor. He went to the Eternal Cemetery. If you’re looking for him, you can find him there.”
Eternal Cemetery?
The expressions of Ye Qinghe and the others changed!
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