Chapter 910: Chapter 909 The Great War is Imminent as Thunder Strikes_1
This piece of news indeed greatly exceeded Shi Xiaole’s expectations.
Why would the Gui Family hand over huge sums of money to the Tang Sect and other forces in the Martial World?
What bigger scheme could there be, what is bigger than rebellion?
Mu Qianji’s face bore an obscure and difficult-to-understand expression as she said, "As for the specifics, I myself do not understand, I only know that the plan is extremely important, important to the point that within the entire Gui Family, Tang Sect, including other secret martial arts forces, only a handful of people are privy to the details. Oh, and perhaps there are even Imperial forces mixed in!"
Shi Xiaole could imagine the tremendous price the Divine Sect must have paid to obtain this intelligence.
"Could it be that the plan was leaked, so someone is using the Gui Family as bait, hoping to allure even bigger fish?"
Mu Qianji suddenly turned around, her eyes shining. "Xiaole, you truly have not disappointed me. Have you noticed, even before your arrival in Sky City, many martial arts experts had already infiltrated the city?"
Shi Xiaole exclaimed, "Could they be..."
"If you wish to keep something secret, you must never do it yourself. The Gui Family intends to defend the secret with their lives, but some people cannot bear to see them die, knowing full well that a trap lies ahead, they still wish to take a risk. In a few more days, this city will be piled with heads and drenched in blood!"
Mu Qianji looked at Shi Xiaole with an exceedingly serious tone. "You can’t save Gui Zhihang, it’s better to get out early to avoid becoming involved yourself."
Mu Qianji left, for she could not stand being covered in sweat anymore and needed to take a good petal bath.
Shi Xiaole stood in the back courtyard for a long time, not even aware when Xi Xianglei arrived.
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
This young man, out of loyalty to his friends, had come alone to this precarious place, repeatedly risking danger and narrowly escaping death, only to face an even greater despair. Some matters, some powers, were simply beyond his control.
Looking at the tall and lonely figure, Xi Xianglei suddenly felt a hint of heartache and pity.
"Where’s the tea?"
Xi Xianglei was stunned, the youth in green clothes under the moonlight had already turned around, his smile radiant. "The tea prepared by the most beautiful woman under heaven could dispel all worries."
"It seems you’ve come to terms with the situation."
"Right, no matter how great the difficulty, I’ll carry on as usual. I have a place to go, Saintess, don’t forget you owe me a cup of tea."
Shi Xiaole quickly disappeared without a trace.
"Really a reckless guy, meddling in such affairs, he won’t even know how he dies."
Du Ziyan came beside Xi Xianglei.
The more capable a person is, sometimes the faster they die. In Du Ziyan’s view, Shi Xiaole was just such a person.
Xi Xianglei, however, remembered the scroll that Shi Xiaole gave her that day, thinking that an artist who could paint such fearless courage must be a person of conviction.
...
As the day of the Zuo King’s execution drew near, the atmosphere in Sky City grew more and more tense.
Citizens on the streets would often see squads of guards patrolling the city, and sometimes, even the Imperial Guard Camp’s high-horse-riding soldiers would take to the streets in person. Wherever they passed, there was always a faint scent of blood.
Skirmishes, slaughter, occurred in certain corners of Sky City.
With three days remaining until the day of execution, the residents near the Noon Gate were evicted by the officials under various pretenses, leading to many complaints. But as soon as the Golden Armor Guard casually killed a few people, the complaints immediately stopped.
Headquarters of the Golden Armor Guard.
Inside a fragrant study room, outfitted with sandalwood bookshelves.
Four people surrounded a table.
"Grand Commander, I have already assembled six hundred Golden Armor Guards, one hundred and twenty Pacifying Envoys, and six Monitoring Envoys, all hidden within the three main alleys near the Noon Gate. My three colleagues and I will oversee the operation, ensuring that not even a fly can escape."
The middle-aged man speaking was clean-faced with a hawk-like nose, his right sleeve empty and flapping, and beneath his left wrist was not flesh but an iron hand fitted with mechanisms.
’Iron Hand Yama’ Sima Wu, one of the three deputy commanders of the Golden Armor Guard.
Not all peak Earth Immortals had to claim the title of king, and there were some in the Martial World whose nicknames did not include ’king’, but whose strength was no less than that of any Earth Immortal.
Sima Wu was one of them.
Opposite him, an old man sat in silence, his hair and beard white, yet his complexion was ruddy and he bore few wrinkles. At the moment, he was bowed, tirelessly grooming his nails with a jade piece as if that were the most important thing in the world.
The three deputy commanders, men who could shake Sky City by stomping their feet, were all tensely holding their breath now, faces bearing respectful and fearful expressions.
After a moment, the old man placed down the jade piece, lifted his head, and said with a smile, "I’ve always been at ease with Sima’s work. I just have one demand—no one who steps into that place must be left alive."
A few simple words sealed the fates of many.
The old man’s smile carried blood within it.
He was the Grand Commander of the Golden Armor Guard, known as ’Butcher Among Men, Seas of Corpses and Oceans of Blood’, Murong Chun.
This was a series of interconnected palaces built on a mountain summit, entirely sculpted from white jade. From afar, they shone like a group of dazzling white lights under the sun.
Countless children of officials and commoners who practiced the martial arts hoped to join this place, to soar as a dragon and bring honor to their ancestors.
For this was the Jixia Martial Academy.
At the very back of the white jade buildings, there was a wide, flat-topped hall, its interior mysteriously invisible to outsiders.
"Headmaster, chaos will soon erupt in Sky City and Yuan Chen hopes you will administer justice."
At the center of the great hall sat two meditation cushions. A young man with a noble aura and a proper face stood humbly, his head slightly bowed.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, no need for such courtesy, it distresses me."
The old man in white clothes had his eyes closed and did not move.
The Crown Prince said nothing more, maintaining his bowed position.
Perhaps it was a quarter of an hour, perhaps it was an entire 2-hour period.
The white-clad elder sighed helplessly, "You, go back, this old man knows what he must do."
The Crown Prince, upon hearing this, was overjoyed. He bowed deeply and cried out affectionately, "Teacher." He had not called him that before, wishing not to use the favor as leverage, but now he couldn’t restrain his emotions.
"Has your imperial father regained consciousness?"
Before the Crown Prince left, the white-clad elder suddenly asked.
"Reporting to my teacher, after father entered the tomb of the Martial Immortal, his Five Qi have nurtured to the third degree of Purple Extreme, and it is believed that in a few more years at most, his efforts will come to fruition."
If these words were to spread outside, they would undoubtedly cause an uproar. Everyone has been saying that His Majesty has been ill for a long time and his life is hanging by a thread. However, they didn’t know that he was secretly stealing Fate.
After the Crown Prince left, the white-clad elder’s gaze grew complicated.
He remembered the scene under the osmanthus tree years ago when he and that person drank and reveled in joy together. In the blink of an eye, the children by his side had grown so much, they became sensible but were no longer innocent...
He closed his eyes and then opened them, the white-clad elder spoke to the void, "Call Feng Taiji here."
Within the tent of the Imperial Guard Camp.
Several famous generals of the Flying Horse Dynasty were present, including the grim-faced Shentu Jue.
"In three days, there will be a bloody battle. At that time, we must lead our troops, shoot arrows from a distance, and assist the Golden Armor Guard in eliminating the disaster..."
A long-bearded general was assigning tasks to everyone, detailing troop deployment, timing of intervention, and signal transmission.
"General Ye, what exactly has happened?"
Someone couldn’t contain their curiosity and asked.
The situation in the city had been exceptionally tense recently. Yet, everyone was kept in the dark about the reason for the tension. Suddenly assembling them and ordering soldiers to surround the area only added to their confusion.
"Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask. Just follow orders... Frankly, I don’t know either."
General Ye shook his head.
Shentu Jue paid no attention to the others’ words, his eyes were red.
Every time he remembered being kicked out of the palace and his subsequent visit to Drunken Spring Breeze intent on claiming Mei Junyi, but getting kicked away instead, he felt an urge to kill.
He wanted to kill to his heart’s content!
As for the disappeared Mei Junyi and the one who had kicked him, he was resolved to find them and use all means to humiliate them!
In King Jin’s Mansion.
"Young Master, great chaos is on the horizon. This is a perfect opportunity to weaken the Flying Horse Dynasty. Your subordinate begs to join the battle and achieve the first victory for the Fujiki Family!"
Ookubo, with his katana at his waist, knelt excitedly in front of King Jin.
King Jin tapped the wooden table with his finger and said solemnly, "I have investigated. The forces involved in this matter are all formidable with astonishing backgrounds. This will be a bloodbath; getting involved may endanger your life. Ookubo, you should not take the risk."
"To die in battle is the glory of a warrior. Please grant your permission, Young Master!"
Ookubo insisted with fervent expression.
"Well... Sigh, you are the most loyal warrior of my Fujiki Family. Be very cautious."
Once Ookubo left with high spirits, King Jin revealed a smile that was not quite a smile.
As Ookubo turned around, he too wore a sly grin.
At King Dai’s Mansion,
A robust man walked out of a hidden chamber.
"You still came after all. This king cannot save the Gui Family; if you involve yourself in this mess, you’ll end up sacrificing yourself as well."
King Dai turned around with an expression of deep sorrow.
"Gui Nanyan thanks Your Highness, but how can I, as a son and elder brother, stand by when my parents and younger siblings are imprisoned? One walks the path of life but once. Ha ha ha, if the worst comes to pass, we shall meet in the Yellow Springs."
The bearded youth spoke with a heroic spirit, ready to face death without fear.
At the Wealthy Estate,
The estate lived up to its name, exuding opulence everywhere. Amidst winding corridors and dense pavilions, after a meandering stream of wine, within a green bamboo forest, Shi Xiaole sat quietly in meditation, surrounded by flickering, unexpressed Sword Qi.
The Sword Qi grew stronger and, with a whoosh!
The surface of the bamboo within ten meters silently riddled with dense tiny holes, the Sword Qi inside condensed without dispersing. Moments later, the green bamboo shattered to the ground.
"My dear Hall Master Shi, can’t you throw us a lifeline? With your rapid progress, how are we, the old folks, supposed to keep up?"
An exasperated voice sounded as the corpulent Han Yanfa walked over, his face full of disbelief.
The lingering Sword Qi was clearly imbued with the powerful force of the Heart Sword, significantly more advanced than when they first met. How much time had passed since then?
If this continued, he truly feared that in ten years, Shi Xiaole would catch up to him and join the ranks of the legendary masters.
Smiling, Shi Xiaole stood up. "What time is it now?"
"Tomorrow is the time for questioning and execution. Hall Master Shi, for your safety, old Han has gone through much trouble, persuading for three days and three nights, just to have the Sect Leader agree to send people to assist you. How will you repay me?"
"Didn’t the Sect Leader say she was already prepared to intervene?"
Han Yanfa’s hands trembled with frustration, and he cursed under his breath.
Shi Xiaole, however, was looking towards the Noon Gate, where it seemed a blood cloud was forming and churning.
