Chapter 1719: Revenge
Xuan Bajing was startled. He didn’t dare to treat his opponent lightly anymore, and began to treat Eunuch Wen as an opponent of the same level. His expression became grave. With a gesture from his hand, the eight flying swords returned and circled around him.
Mechanical cracking noises filled the air, and the eight flying swords actually combined together to form one giant sword. Xuan Bajing roared, then brandished that sword at Eunuch Wen. As it swung, an even larger sword arrived almost instantly in front of Eunuch Wen’s head. It smashed directly against the blue barrier around Eunuch Wen.
A huge explosion erupted. Even with Eunuch Wen’s Pure Yang Art of Youth, he couldn't block such great force. The blue barrier shattered on the spot. He immediately used a movement skill to evade, managing to barely avoid the giant sword.
Lightning flashed in the skies. Xuan Bajing instantly disappeared from his original location, and reappeared at Eunuch Wen’s side. He brandished his palm at his opponent. At the same time, the giant sword turned into eight flying swords again and moved with him. They attacked with shocking speed from all sorts of tricky angles.
Eunuch Wen harrumphed. Two bursts of blue light appeared in his hands, and he blocked Xuan Bajing’s attacks with his fists. At the same time, the ki armor around his entire body prevented the eight flying swords from hurting him.
Zhao Han stopped watching them when he saw that they were evenly matched. He looked at a certain point on Golden Peak and coldly said, “Zhao Jing, I know you’re here. Why are you hiding in the back while sending this useless cannon fodder one after another?”
Guan Chouhai and Xuan Bajing’s faces reddened. Who would ever call them useless cannon fodder, normally? They were powerful figures from the daoist sects, and yet they couldn’t exactly retort against Zhao Han. Even though they were grandmasters, they were still pretty far from the earth immortal rank. They really couldn't refute what he said.
A figure slowly walked out from an alley. His movements were lofty, and there was an aura of nobility coming from his every move. Who else could it be but King Qi, Zhao Jing?
The other officials were all trapped midway up the mountain. No one knew how he had even gotten tere.
“Brother emperor has excellent insight, as expected. There is nothing that can fool you,” King Qi said with a sigh. There was a confident smile on his face, as if another one of his plans had now come to fruition.
Zhao Han calmly looked at him and said, “You have fought against this emperor for so many years, but it seems that in the end, you still could not help but take a risk out of desperation.”
King Qi replied with an indifferent laugh, “Aren't brother emperor’s words a bit hypocritical? Even if I didn’t act here, I would have been dealt with by brother emperor sooner or later. Did you not force all of this?”
Zhao Han shook his head and said, “Our battle is just an internal struggle between brothers. But now that you’ve colluded with outsiders, you might very well destroy my Great Zhou Empire.”
King Qi’s expression darkened. He retorted with a hint of anger, “Brother? Have you ever even treated me as a brother?! According to the law, the throne should have been mine to begin with, and yet you would rather pass it on to that idiotic son of yours than me. Did you really view me as your brother?!”
Zhao Han said calmly, “The throne has always been inherited by the eldest son since ancient times. You have only grown so frustrated because of your own delusions.”
King Qi laughed loudly and said, “You refuse to even admit to the agreement made between the Great Ancestor and the second emperor. Even calling you someone who recounts history but omits your ancestors wouldn’t be going overboard.”
“You scoundrel!” Zhao Han exclaimed, his expression cold. “I am still the emperor. Is your disgraceful behavior respecting the ancestors, then?”
“With things as they are, what is the point in pretending to be so high-minded? There are no ignorant common people here, so what meaning is there left in you acting all high and mighty?” King Qi looked at him in disdain. He didn’t want any of this act.
“Are you finally showing your true colors?” Zhao Han asked, sweeping his gaze across area. “There is no way you would be so daring as to do something like this if it were just you alone. Who are your other helpers? All of you should come at me together. If I am not mistaken, there should be some shamans, right? The only one who could use puppetry arts on Wang Wuxie would be Great Elder Wu Wuyan, I believe.”
“It is this old one’s glory to be remembered by your majesty,” a voice said with a sinister cackle. The hunched-over Wu Wuyan walked over from another direction. Her walking stick tapped against the ground with a mysterious rhythm, as if it resonated with some dao of the world. Even Zhao Han had to give her a second look.
“I had not expected your cultivation to make another breakthrough in recent years. No wonder Wang Wuxie fell to your schemes,” Zhao Han said with a sneer.
“I have always respected Sect Master Wang’s demeanor and character, but unfortunately, we stood on opposing sides. Even irises and orchids in the way need to be removed,” Wu Wuyan said, giving Wang Wuxie’s corpse a look. She had something of a grieving expression as she continued, “It is a bit of a pity for someone so exceptional to die just like that.”
Several people’s expressions grew strange. Judging from her tone, could it be that she even had some other feelings for him…?
“Look at this cat weeping crocodile tears over a dead mouse,” Zhao Han said with a harrumph. “You shamans have always played by any means fair or foul, so there is nothing surprising there. However, there is another certain someone who acts like some kind and generous master; and yet, after doing this kind of thing, what kind of buddha are you still cultivating?!”
“Amitabha buddha!” Tranquility Temple’s Master Jian Huang replied as he slowly walked out from another direction. “Your majesty’s cultivation is amazing indeed. This old one thought that he had hidden himself quite well, but I had not expected to still be discovered.” Then, he said to the others nearby, “The rest should all come out now too. His majesty already noticed your presence a long time ago.”
Afterward, Feng Wuchang, the little monk Jie Se, and the other daoist sects’ trusted aides emerged one after another. King Qi, Wu Wuyan, and Master Jian Huang formed a three-pointed triangle around Zhao Han. Meanwhile, Feng Wuchang and the others faced the remaining Embroidered Envoys and Imperial Guards on Golden Peak.
Zhao Han’s attention shifted to Feng Wuchang as he said, “This emperor was wondering how someone with Wang Wuxie’s cultivation would end up suffering like this. So there was a traitor like you working from the inside.” Even though he hadn’t seen the entire process, he instantly understood everything the moment Feng Wuchang appeared.
Feng Wuchang grimaced inwardly. He hadn’t wanted to come to Golden Peak while the superhumans were fighting it out. He would die from any random accident, but the others wouldn’t let him leave! They had insisted on him coming. He had really gambled a bit too much this time. No one trusted anyone else, so they wouldn’t give anyone the chance to stay out of the fight.
Fortunately, those individuals had promised to deal with Zhao Han. He only had to deal with the Embroidered Envoys and Imperial Guards, so he felt a bit of relief. Even though he was vastly inferior to the emperor, he was still one of Righteous Sun Sect’s peak masters. Some Embroidered Envoys and Imperial Guards were still no big deal. Besides, Master Jian Huang had even brought his precious disciple. At the very least, as a senior figure, he couldn't fall behind a little monk, right?
He chuckled in embarrassment and said, “Apologies, your majesty. I didn’t have much of a choice either.”
The others secretly cursed him. This guy really was shameless in his acting! He was still acting all servile in front of the emperor, even now.
Zhao Han harrumphed. He had already gotten used to seeing these kinds of games being played during his career as a ruler. He naturally understood Feng Wuchang’s intentions, but he didn’t want to waste any more time with him. He said, “Wuxie and I have experienced a lot together, so I’ll help him get some revenge first.” He lunged at Feng Wuchang immediately after finishing his sentence.
Feng Wuchang’s eyes narrowed. He instinctively wanted to run. With his master rank cultivation, he was capable of moving extremely quickly. However, he discovered that he couldn't move at all! It was as if he had been locked onto by a predatory beast!
Immediately after, a bright yellow hand arrived in front of him. It grabbed him, then gently closed.
Boom!
A scalp-numbing, muffled noise filled the air. Feng Wuchang’s entire body was instantly crushed into a clump of bloody mush.
From start to finish, Zhao Han hadn’t moved even half a step from his original location.
Those on King Qi’s side all felt cold sweat run down their temples. After all, King Qi, Wu Wuyan, and Master Jian Huang had already surrounded Zhao Han and were about to attack him at a moment’s notice. And yet, a powerful companion of theirs had been instantly destroyed during the time it took for sparks to fly off a flint. The three of them actually hadn’t been able to move in time.