The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1664: Chapter 844: Winds Rising in the South Sea

"Ha... cough cough cough..."

A fierce cough interrupted Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s cold laughter.

His emaciated body hunched over, and he covered his mouth tightly with a handkerchief, dark red seeping between his fingers, which he swiftly hid in his bosom.

As his breathing steadied, he raised his eyes, his murky yet sharp gaze fixed on the silhouette seated opposite him.

In the shadows, a man sat cross-legged.

It was Zhao Changsheng, whom Li Yan had faced many times but never met.

He wore simple Japanese hunting clothes, his long hair casually tied at the back of his head. His complexion still bore the pallor of a recent illness, but his eyes were deep like an abyss, showing no sign of weakness.

A vast and chilling spiritual power flowed around him like a lurking beast, causing the paper lanterns in Tenshu Tower to sway gently.

Before him on a low table lay a plate of untouched exquisite wagashi. His fingertips held a fallen cherry blossom petal, exuding a calm and composed demeanor, indifferent to the towering rage of the aging hero before him.

"Have you seen it, Mr. Zhao?"

Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s voice carried suppressed breath and venom.

He pointed to the ashes and twisted remnants of the Holy Decree in the basin, "This is the ’furious anger’ of the Emperor of Great Xuan!"

"Two decrees, hurled across the ocean, just to make the Kanpaku crawl to the Capital like a dog and beg for mercy? Simply... absurd!"

Zhao Changsheng crushed the cherry petal in his fingers, stained with a hint of pale red juice.

He lifted his gaze towards the indistinct outline of mountains in the twilight beyond the window, a smile tugging at his lips, his voice calm and unwavering, "Why be angry, Lord Kanpaku? This Holy Decree is merely a scrap of waste paper."

He leaned slightly toward the residual glow of the fire basin, his profound eyes meeting Hideyoshi’s, "The blood of Lingnan, the flames of Guangzhou, and those steam engines... the sound of slapping is louder than this decree by ten thousand times."

"The face of Great Xuan has been torn apart; this first cut is quite beautiful. Next..." Zhao Changsheng’s fingertips lightly brushed the sleek lacquer surface of the low table, "It’s time for your second strike. The cherry blossom season is ending; have you and Japan sharpened your blade?"

Hideyoshi’s bloodshot eyes suddenly constricted.

A fire ignited in his murky eyes.

He looked deeply into Zhao Changsheng’s profound gaze, silent.

In the corner of the attic, several swords enshrined on a rack reflected a cold gleam in the dimming sky and flickering firelight.

"Send orders to speed up things over in Korea!"

.........

In the hinterlands of Lingnan, peaks stacked upon peaks.

The heavy miasma flowed silently through the forest, twisted ancient branches weaving the sunlight into fragmented patches.

Li Yan and his group found themselves in the mountains, gathered around a campfire, discussing a newly discovered Earth Vein marker while eating rations.

From afar, the flapping sound of wings was heard, a gray shadow slicing through the forest, landing precisely on the extended arm of Lv San, startled by the hawk Li Dong, raising its feathers.

It was the message hawk from the Crown Prince Mansion, with a thin bamboo tube tied to its foot.

Upon breaking the wax seal of the secret message, Li Yan’s expression became somber.

The blood and fire calamity in Guangzhou Prefecture had subsided, but the shame and anger still burned through the pages, scalding one’s fingertips.

The court’s rage quickly followed: first, two decrees with stern wording and the Emperor’s thunderous fury flew directly to Japan, condemning Toyotomi Hideyoshi for mismanaging his subordinates, allowing pirates to wreak havoc, demanding he hand over all key perpetrators of the Guangzhou plunder and that he immediately go to the Capital to plead guilt.

Continuing to read the message, Li Yan’s brows furrowed slightly.

The matter did not end there; the Korean delegation remaining in the Capital, upon hearing that their homeland had been invaded again by Japanese ronin, in despair and anger, collectively committed suicide by slashing with knives outside the palace walls!

Blood splattered on the jade steps, bodies lay before the gates.

This tragic and vehement declaration poured fuel onto the flames of Great Xuan’s anger.

"The court... has finally made up its mind," Li Yan mused, handing the secret report to Wang Daoxuan beside him.

The group gathered around, passing the report in the flickering firelight.

"Pirate hijacking, Red-haired Barbarian bombardment, South Seas evil skill stirring trouble, Damen bewitched into chaos... and now the Korean envoys spilling blood at the palace gates..."

Sha Lifei bit fiercely into a hard biscuit, his cheeks moving, "Damn it, this is no mere skin rash, it’s a major threat to the heart!"

"Those demons from Jianmu are deeply rooted in Japan, continually sending poisonous snakes and Evil Wolves over here."

Dressed in an indigo Daoist robe, Zhou Qingyuan, Steward of the Jade Emperor Sect, wiped his Thunderstruck Peach Wood Sword, responding coldly, "Old Hideyoshi, that cunning fox, won’t be scared into submission by two decrees, hand over the culprits, come to plead guilt himself? Japan’s ambitions are unending, if the court resorts to appeasement again, there’ll be no peaceful days along the coast!"

"The Southwest Tribes have just been quelled, open sea trade needs a break as well, hearing the old tune of ’nurturing’ in court now is truly irritating." A Commander from the Captain Bureau replied heavily while polishing his thick-backed mountain-cutting knife.

"But now Japan is colluding with Jianmu, creating chaos in the Divine State, plundering resources, driving allied envoys to death, every case is a national enmity! If patience endures further, pirates will laugh at our emptiness."

Kong Shangzhao stroked his chin thoughtfully, "The Emperor’s decree, in name chastisement, is actually a declaration of war. If Toyotomi Hideyoshi defies the decree, the court will have the righteous reason to deploy royal troops to punish the disobedient."

"I reckon this aims to achieve everything in one move, to eliminate this cancer of Japan, along with the entrenched Jianmu divisions!"

"Good news!"

Kuai Dayou succinctly commented while trimming a branch with a short knife.

Li Yan looked around at everyone, "Indeed, this is good news. Jianmu’s roots are scattered, elusive to find, but Japan is a steel claw extending towards the Divine State."