Chapter 152: Chapter 148: I Won’t Be the One to Die
In the Capital City of the Wu Kingdom, before the southern main gate of the Imperial Palace.
"Halt! Trespassers of the Imperial Palace will be put to death!"
As the officer on duty spoke in a cold voice, several armored soldiers leveled their spears.
If the newcomer did not halt, they would run her through with their spears.
The newcomer appeared to be just a delicate beauty. They didn’t think the woman in red—clearly unarmed and with no martial arts training—posed any real threat. But military law was absolute.
The moment their officer gave the order, they would thrust their spears without hesitation.
"Sigh, I really don’t want to kill you all... It’s just that some bastard set up a no-fly Array in this Imperial Palace, and I’m a bit too weak to ignore it and force my way in." Although Liao Minmin was over forty and a mother of six, she still looked as youthful as a girl, as if time had not stolen any of her beauty.
With a charming smile devoid of any killing intent, she gave a small wave. A grim, ghostly banner appeared in her delicate, fair hand—a hand that looked like it had never known a day of labor. "Could you let me pass? I’m in a hurry, and I really don’t want to accumulate needless slaughter."
The officer’s expression changed instantly. Wasting no words, he began to draw his saber and roared, "Kill!"
The soldiers reflexively thrust their spears forward with all their might.
The banner swept out.
"Ah..."
A faint sigh seemed to echo in the depths of each of their hearts.
And the figure of the beauty in red vanished from their sight.
Instead, what they saw were several armored soldiers slumping limply to the ground, and their fully armored officer, his saber only halfway drawn, the light already fading from his eyes.
’Wait, isn’t that us?’
It was their last conscious thought.
"Sigh," Liao Minmin said with some vexation, putting away the Soul-Devouring Banner. "I really don’t enjoy killing... Unfortunately, my Cultivation isn’t high enough and my Magical Power is lacking. The number of times I can use the Enchantment Art is limited, so I couldn’t waste it on grunts like you. Don’t worry. When this is all over, I’ll release your souls from the banner and let you reincarnate."
With that, she stepped lightly over the corpses. Though she seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll, she entered the Imperial Palace at a surprisingly fast pace.
"Enter the Imperial Palace from the southern main gate, first head north for a hundred paces... then east... for five hundred paces..." Liao Minmin recalled the route Du Yuhuan had planned for her.
All the eunuchs, palace maids, and guards she encountered along the way became lost souls on her Soul-Devouring Banner.
She had no interest in becoming the Empress.
In truth, she didn’t want Du Yuxi to become the Emperor either. An Emperor had to have a massive harem, and how could she possibly want so many women taking shares of Du Yuxi’s love and passion?
But... she had children.
She hoped that her sons, who lacked Spirit Roots and could not cultivate, could become Princes—or even the Emperor of Wu—and enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor.
She hoped her daughters could marry into powerful and influential families, enjoying a lifetime of peace, joy, and security.
She hoped that her son, the one who inherited the "Liao" surname, could become a Duke, revive the Liao Family, and ensure its lineage would never end.
So... it was just killing a few people.
It wasn’t as if she had never killed before.
The path to the peak of power was never paved with warmth and tenderness, but with mountains of bleached bones.
’I’m here... This is the office of Qin Zhao’an, Commander of the Imperial Guard. If he’s not attending the Emperor, he must be in this building. As long as I control him, I control the entire palace’s defenses.’
Liao Minmin killed her way inside.
Hearing the guards’ short cries and screams, an unarmored, tall, and powerfully built old military general with a beard as sharp as a halberd rushed out, a drawn Treasure Sword in his hand.
Seeing the bodies scattered about the building, he roared, "Demoness, prepare to die!"
Despite his words, he was cautious and didn’t charge forward himself. Instead, he signaled for several of his personal guards to attack.
But Liao Minmin merely waved her Soul-Devouring Banner, and the highly skilled personal guards collapsed limply, as if every bone in their bodies had been removed.
The military general’s face went pale with shock. Liao Minmin smiled and asked, "Qin Zhao’an?"
She didn’t need an answer. Du Yuhuan had shown her portraits of all the important figures in the palace, including several high-ranking ministers who often had audiences with the Emperor.
She had already recognized him as Qin Zhao’an.
Qin Zhao’an’s face was ashen. Without a word, he suddenly turned and fled.
But he had barely turned when the nightmarish figure in red appeared before him, as if from nowhere.
’This is bad,’ Qin Zhao’an lamented inwardly. ’This Demoness’s methods are not of the Mortal World. She must be an Immortal from an evil sect.’
’With the palace’s Tributor Immortal Master not showing up, how can a mere Mortal like me possibly deal with her?’
Liao Minmin smiled. "Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. When the new Emperor ascends the throne, if you are willing to serve him, you will be well rewarded. If you are unwilling, then it should be the new Emperor who executes you, not me."
As she spoke, she formed a hand seal for a Technique and began to chant.
Qin Zhao’an’s eyes grew dim. With a CLANG, his Treasure Sword fell to the floor...
’Next, I have to go kill the Emperor’s entire family...’ Liao Minmin thought, vexed. ’I wonder if Sister Han’s side is going smoothly. I hope she can kill all the adult Princes and bring the governors and top generals under our control. If this descends into pure chaos and war engulfs the land, the Old Ancestor will definitely be displeased.’
A moment later, clarity returned to Qin Zhao’an’s eyes. He looked around, then knelt on one knee before Liao Minmin. "Matriarch, what are your orders?"
Liao Minmin had no doubts about the effectiveness of her Enchantment Art and issued her commands directly. "Go and rally your troops. Lock down the Palace City and allow no one to leave. Today, the Palace City is open for entry but not for exit! Keep your soldiers in line. No matter what they hear, they are not to act rashly. I am going to deal with the pretender Emperor’s family. Once the situation is settled, we can lift the lockdown."
"Yes!" Qin Zhao’an rose with martial vigor and went to carry out his orders.
Liao Minmin, meanwhile, hurried toward the rear palace...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Du Youqian and his entourage were still staying within the Blessed Land of the Shengxuan Sect, enjoying the scenery and living a carefree life.
Bei Shaoyin and Ge Cheng took turns accompanying them, fearing that a single moment of carelessness might cost the Sect another Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Zhang Hai’s death had caused a turbulent undercurrent within the Sect. The disciples were full of complaints, which Bei Shaoyin and Ge Cheng had only managed to suppress with great difficulty.
If another person were to die, it would no longer be a question of their own heartache; the disciples might very well go and besiege "Yu Guardian Envoy"...
If that were to happen, they didn’t know what would become of "Yu Guardian Envoy," but the Shengxuan Sect would likely face total annihilation.
The dignity of a Major Sect could not be provoked!
Several days later, a disciple hurried over to report the dramatic changes in the Mortal World of the Wu Kingdom and asked for instructions on how to proceed.
Bei Shaoyin’s brow furrowed like a knotted rope. After a long moment, he said, "First, we wait. We’ll observe the situation and see how it develops."
Later, while accompanying Du Youqian on a tour, he mentioned casually, "Yesterday, every Prince of the Wu Imperial Family was slaughtered. The adult men among their close relatives also all perished. The underaged males were castrated, but their lives were spared. The Emperor appears to be under the control of an Enchantment Art; after summoning his court officials to the palace, he announced his intention to abdicate. A descendant of Duke You De from two hundred years ago has appeared and will likely become the new emperor. The high-ranking court ministers also seem to be under the influence of the Enchantment Art. The abdication ceremony will be held in a few days."
Du Youqian let out a faint "Oh?" and glanced at Bei Shaoyin. "Let the mortals handle the affairs of the Mortal World."
Bei Shaoyin hesitated for a moment, then said through clenched teeth, "There must be a Cultivator involved in this. We shouldn’t just ignore it."
Du Youqian stared at him, then suddenly smiled. "Elder Bei, are you determined to oppose me on this? Or is it that the Guardian Envoy from the Taihe Sect has arrived, making you feel like you’ve finally found your backbone?"
On the contrary, Bei Shaoyin calmed down and replied unhurriedly, "Fellow Daoist Yu, you misunderstand me. My sect merely manages the mundane affairs of the Wu Kingdom on behalf of our Upper Sect. Ultimately, matters concerning the Wu Kingdom, and indeed the entire world, should be decided jointly by your esteemed sect and the Taihe Sect."
Du Youqian watched him expressionlessly, then sneered after a long moment. "Elder Bei certainly knows how to leverage an advantage. Fine. Since I’m here, I suppose I ought to meet the people from the Taihe Sect. Go arrange it."
"Fellow Daoist Yu is straightforward and decisive," Bei Shaoyin said respectfully. "I will go and arrange it at once."
As he said this, he turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Bei Shaoyin stopped and waited quietly.
Du Youqian’s tone was light. "I hear the Taihe Sect sent five people this time? Go prepare five coffins."
Bei Shaoyin was horrified. "Fellow Daoist Yu, what are you—!"
Du Youqian glanced at him. "When disciples of the Holy Blood Sect and the Taihe Sect meet... a ’spar’ is unavoidable. A spar doesn’t necessarily mean someone will die, of course. But if they do, it wouldn’t be surprising. So, it’s best to prepare the coffins in advance, just so we’re not caught off guard."
Now Bei Shaoyin was even more afraid to go.
He began to regret getting the Taihe Sect involved and making things so complicated.
Thinking about it carefully, he recalled that according to past rumors, disciples of the Taihe Sect and the Holy Blood Sect did indeed try their best to avoid each other.
If they did meet, they would usually have a ’spar’ or two.
And often, these spars would escalate into fights to the death when True Fire was provoked.
At this thought, Bei Shaoyin grew even more anxious.
Previously, he had secretly discussed with several Supreme Elders the plan to use the Taihe Sect’s Guardian Envoy to deal with this "Yu Guardian Envoy," and they had all agreed it was a good idea.
However, Du Youqian’s words just now had made him understand the gravity of the situation.
If "Yu Guardian Envoy" and the Taihe Sect’s Guardian Envoy were injured or killed during a spar, neither the Holy Blood Sect nor the Taihe Sect would hold the other accountable. For the past eight thousand years, the two sects had shown remarkable restraint toward one another, almost never engaging in major conflict.
So, if disciples from these two sects were injured or killed, who would be held responsible? Who would be blamed?
It would definitely be the Shengxuan Sect, the host.
’Ah, what a miscalculation!’
After Bei Shaoyin departed, looking completely distraught, Meng Xiao frowned and said, "Fellow Daoist Yu, have you thought this through? We and the Taihe Sect normally have a tacit understanding: kings do not meet."
"And if you do meet and spar, you absolutely cannot lose. If you lose and cause the Sect to lose face, you can forget about ever having a future in the Sect."
"The same goes for them. That’s why spars between disciples of the Taihe Sect and our sect often result in death or injury."
Hearing this, a worried look also flickered in Fang Hua’s eyes.
Du Youqian smiled faintly. "Don’t worry. The one who dies definitely won’t be me."
