Chapter 149: Why Am I Always the One Getting Injured?
The capital city.
On this day, stratus clouds could be seen on the dreary, overcast sky. And rain, thin like cow hair, had drizzled down from the gloomy clouds, adding to the moisture in the air.
Tang Xiansheng held on to his servant girl’s arm as he stepped onto the carriage.
The coachman had already been waiting for Tang Xiansheng to board the carriage.
After that, he whipped the horse, and then the wheels started turning.
The carriage left the Imperial City and sped down the wet highway. The guards of the capital city were patrolling the long streets.
An armored general stopped the carriage.
After a round of inspection, they were allowed to carry on.
Tang Xiansheng sat in the carriage dressed in robes, somewhat lethargic.
The carriage left the capital city and headed toward Beiluo City at full speed.
Not long after Tang Xiansheng left the capital city…
Jiang Li sipped on some hot tea as he listened to a subordinate general’s report. His expression did not change much, and he did not seem exceptionally shocked; as expected, he had seen this coming.
“Tang Xiansheng ended up going to Beiluo in the end.”
Jiang Li put down the cup of tea in his hand.
“That old thing’s moved by Beiluo City, but… Lu Ping’an is not someone who can be persuaded by that silver tongue of his,” Jiang Li said flatly, picking up a peanut to eat.
Zijin Palace.
In the imperial garden, in front of the Dragon Gate.
Yuwen Xiu was dressed in imperial robes, and he had his hands clasped behind his back. He stood in the rain for quite some time. Rain drizzled down from the sky, but he called for the people to return with their umbrellas.
He stood by the lake, soaking in the chill of the drizzle and staring at the Black Dragon that was growing stronger with every passing day, his eyes gleaming.
The more the warriors fell, the stronger the Black Dragon would become…
This was something that someone had told Yuwen Xiu after they made the discovery—as it turned out, this was the real secret of the Dragon Raising Site.
Raising dragons… to think it took this level of nourishing.
He rolled up his sleeved. From the bucket, he picked up pieces of raw meat and tossed them into the pool.
The Black Dragon moved instantly, disrupting the surface of the water. The pool seemed to explode, and along with a low growl, a gigantic mouth filled with sharp teeth swallowed the raw meat whole.
In the far distance…
The old eunuch made his way over.
“Your Majesty, Tang Xiansheng has left the capital city and is making his way to Beiluo City.” The old eunuch spoke in a low voice.
“He’s heading to Beiluo? Is he planning to bring Lu Ping’an over to his side? That old thing really can’t let this go, huh?”
“Don’t concern yourself with him. Lu Ping’an would not be much if Tang Xiansheng could sway him.”
“It won’t be long before he slinks bank with his tail between his legs,” Yuwen Xiu said mildly.
But Yuwen Xiu, who was clutching onto the raw meat, could not help but squint.
The strength of the White Jade City nowadays was impressive, much like the sun at high noon.
Four philosophers had tried to storm Beiluo, but they had failed tragically. Everyone said that the era of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy had come to an end, and it was now the era of the White Jade City, which was enough testimony to the city’s reputation.
Although Yuwen Xiu knew that Lu Ping’an was not an ambitious person, he still felt a little strange about this.
It was like that dark and stormy night when the Black Dragon had been howling pitifully, and the old eunuch had stuttered as he relayed the news that Lu Fan had appeared in the capital city…
Unpredictable and completely out of his control…
That gave Yuwen Xiu the feeling that his life was not quite in his own hands, even if he were hiding in the deepest recesses of the palace.
The raw meat was clasped tightly in Yuwen Xiu’s grip.
After quite some time, he heaved a heavy exhale.
His eyes were fixed on the Dragon Gate. The Dragon Gate Secret Realm was his only hope, the Great Zhou Dynasty’s chance at coming back from under the watchful gaze of the philosophers.
White Jade City was powerful, but there were not many people there.
Lu Ping’an was no Immortal—he was human!
Yuwen Xiu believed that if he nurtured a thousand, ten thousand, or a hundred thousand cultivators…
Then he would eventually be in a position to shake White Jade City’s place as a supreme power in the world.
******
South County.
Nanjiang City.
The prosperous Nanjiang City spoke of the extravagance of the town that was Jiangnan.
In a tavern, the fragrance of a feast wafted through the air, and the strong aroma of liquor was enough to intoxicate the guests.
A figure cloaked entirely in black garbs stood by the window, absorbing information as he listened in to the diners around him argue and quarrel.
Several dishes were laid out on the table, and they had long gone cold.
“Beiluo, White Jade City…”
“Is that the power in the chaotic Low Level Martial World where the counties fight?” The figure mumbled in a shrill voice from within the black garments.
“How timely. The end of an era and the rise of another. It’s only natural that you have to be in control of the greatest power in order to control this world…”
The figure cloaked in black robes laughed lightly.
He stood up and then slowly made his way downstairs
A waiter hurriedly ran over, only for the figure in black to gently tap him with his orchid fingers, and then he stood rooted to the spot.
After quite some time, the waiter finally came to his senses. He looked at the retreating figure, the blood draining from his face.
That customer had not paid!
The figure in black was not taking quick steps, but he was walking extremely quickly as if all the distance covered in each stride was reduced to mere inches.
He disappeared in Nanjiang City in a split second.
He continued north.
******
The four of them—Ning Zhao, Nie Changqing, Li Sansi, and the Overlord—were galloping away. They were moving rather quickly and, not long after, rushed their way into the palace.
The doors to the Central Palace shut.
A thunderous sound reverberated within the palace.
What was really puzzling was that the moment the doors closed, it was still extremely bright and dazzling inside, a complete opposite of the underground palace in the Hidden Dragon Ridge that was lit up by candles.
“Be careful,” Li Sansi said.
Ning Changqing and Ning Zhao glanced at him and then continued moving farther into the palace.
The Overlord had the giant axe and shield on his back, walking behind all of them.
There was a confused look on his face. In the charges that he had been a part of, he had always been the one standing at the forefront and leading it, but today… He had actually been pushed to the back.
The four of them moved along, following down the long corridor of the palace…
Only to find that there were murals carved into the walls of this palace.
The murals told the tale of a war from a long time ago, war and death engraved in it.
“Did you realize that this seems to be related to the depictions from the Secret Realm of the Hidden Dragon Ridge? They’re all related to the war from the ancient times,” Li Sansi analyzed, staring at the mural on the stone walls as he clutched his wooden sword.
“The Emperor and the rebellion army fought in the wild, and both forces hired cultivators for the battle. There were phoenixes in the skies and skilled creatures in the waters…
“The ancient times were definitely a prosperous era of the cultivators, but that era had come to an end. And today, Spirit Qi has been rejuvenated, and cultivators are slowly appearing again.
“The existence within this palace is very likely an ancient cultivator in the Internal Organs Realm.”
Li Sansi heaved a heavy exhale after he looked at the mural.
Ning Zhao and Nie Changqing nodded slightly in response.
The existence within the palace was indisputable, and a terrifying aura permeated the air, making them feel a little restrained.
“Move along the path of the corridor until you get to the inner part of the palace. Then you should be able to meet the ruler of the palace.”
“The Eight Great Heavenly Dragons Secret Realm are connected to this land. The Immortal encounter you can obtain from getting rid of the ruler of the palace would likely include cultivation methods of the Internal Organs Realm,” the Overlord spoke.
The group nodded in response, and then the four of them continued to make their way farther in carefully.
However…
Before they could reach the end…
The four of them stopped in their tracks.
Because…there was a drawn-out melody ringing from the dark end of the corridor.
It was an ensemble of old instruments.
The sound could cause its listener to break out in cold sweat and their hair to stand on its ends, and the song seemed to have commenced in preparation for the appearance of an ancient existence.
“He’s here,” Nie Changqing said.
Buzz…
The butcher knife in his hand trembled lightly all of a sudden, and then it floated in the air.
Ning Zhao gripped the Cicada Wing Sword she had in her hand. Her long eyelashes shook slightly, and her breathing was unsteady. The Spirit Qi at the crown of her head was swirling, a clear sign of her Internal Organs Realm cultivation.
Li Sansi’s wooden sword was strapped across his chest, and his gaze was focused.
He had come to the Central Palace to raise and strengthen his Internal Organs Realm cultivation.
The Overlord raised his giant axe and shield, his gaze serious.
That guy who had viciously beaten him 11 times…
Was he finally appearing?!
A cold voice rang out slowly.
“My name is Di Chao. I was beside the Emperor when he moved out to quell the rebellion, after which the rebellion army fell apart. The Emperor left in search of the eight dragon gates to quash the rebellion army, resulting in thousands upon thousands of dead Qi Refiners who were in the Internal Organs Realm. I am under orders to guard this palace. The glory of the Emperor will endure forever.”
Li Sansi and the rest could not help but furrow their eyebrows.
Those words, they sounded familiar.
As expected…
Was this person related to the Ancient Qi Practitioner from the Hidden Dragon Ridge?
Were they all referring to the same person when they spoke of the “Emperor”?!
The few of them exchanged looks, and they could all see how serious every one of them was.
They felt like they were hit with an epiphany as if they had stumbled upon an extraordinary secret from the ancient times.
That battle during the ancient times, just how brilliant and shocking had it been?
Were there just hundreds upon hundreds of deaths in the Internal Organs Realm?
The voice in the darkness slowly tapered off into nothingness.
Finally, the sound of ancient instruments that had been lingering in their ears had vanished.
What had appeared yet again…
Turned out to be a figure that was slowly making his way out of the palace.
His walk was accompanied by the sound of ice-cold chains being dragged across the ground. The sound was piercing.
Under the brilliant light…
The crowd could finally see clearly.
Similar to the Overlord’s nine-foot-tall body, that figure had a hulking mass of a body. This person’s face was withered and thin, almost enough to look very terrifying.
His skin was dry from having lost moisture.
His eyes were completely and utterly black, looking very much like a demon.
All four of this person’s limbs were shackled in ice-cold chains.
Nie Changqing and the rest had taken but one look at the person before they felt an oppressive force that made it difficult for them to breathe.
“So strong!”
The butcher knife in Nie Changqing’s hand was quaking violently.
“This is not his first time in the Internal Organs Realm. He’s definitely refined one of the five organs, maybe even all five of them!” Nie Changqing immediately analyzed.
The sense of oppression that had formed with the burst of Spirit Qi from the other person’s body was overwhelmingly powerful.
They were both in the Internal Organs Realm, and yet Nie Changqing felt that he was no match for him. If this were a one-on-one match, he would definitely lose.
“No wonder Young Master wanted for us to come in a group… It’s because there’s such a tough existence here!”
Ning Zhao raised the hand that held the Cicada Wing Sword. Her aura was dignified as it solidified.
Thump!
The chained figure took yet another step forward.
But he was bound by the chains and unable to move.
A voice, growling low like a wild beast, tore from the person’s throat. In the next instance, his armor clanged.
Spirit Qi appeared, condensing to form a dark silhouette in front of the person.
The Overlord’s pupils dilated!
This familiar black shadow…quickly grew in size in front of his eyes!
The black shadow moved suddenly, moving around Li Sansi and the rest, and heading straight toward the Overlord.
Thump!
The Overlord felt the shield in his hand give way, denting as the black shadow struck it heavily. His body was sent flying back and hitting the stone walls hard.
There was a stormy expression on his face…
Why am I always the one getting injured?!
Rage filled the Overlord’s chest as he howled.
Ning Zhao swung her Cicada Wing Sword. Like she was scattering starlight, she blocked the black shadow.
Li Sansi’s wooden sword floated lightly, and then a wisp of Spirit Qi sat on the tip of his blade and pushed toward the black shadow.
Nie Changqing took the chance to sweep out with his butcher knife ferociously. The Spirit Qi gathered to form a massive blade.
It moved to slash the withered and skinny general.
The general made no move to evade the attacks. Five vortexes of Spirit Qi floated from his body and faced Nie Changqing’s blow head-on.
That attack that had once broken the main gate of the Daoist school was the same one that was used on this ancient general’s head. And yet there was but the sound of metals clashing, and all that remained was a faint white mark.
******
Outside Beiluo City.
A horse carriage moved along slowly. After the driver flashed his plaque, he drove past the gates that had opened. The bloody sun cast a long, long shadow over the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Tang Xiansheng drew the curtains. He looked out the window and into Beiluo City, which had a vastly different ambience than the capital city.
This was his first time here in Beiluo City, in the city rumored to house the White Jade City.
He squinted.
He felt overwhelmed. Beiluo City was powerful, almost beyond his imagination.
As one of the six strongholds of the capital city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Beiluo City was so powerful that it had surpassed the dynasty’s control.
He did not stop for too long.
The coachman hurried toward Beiluo Lake.
Very quickly, they stopped in front of the Beiluo Lake Pier.
However, the carriage could not go any farther because there was a bloody scene right in front of them.
Tang Xiansheng drew the curtain…
Only to lay his eyes on the sight ahead of him, where wails pierced the air.
The sound of people crying out in pain and begging for mercy was impossible to ignore.
At the Beiluo Lake Pier, the bluestone was stained with blood.
The light of the crimson sun pierced through the dark clouds and spilled all over the ground, illuminating the blood that shone with a flash of dazzling brilliance.
Luo Yue stood with his blade in his hand. The pungent smell of blood still lingered in the air, but he did not even flinch.
He was a little shocked, looking at the figure who was still standing there, sword in hand.
Luo Yue had once thought that there was no way Jing Yue would triumph because the latter would start to seem like he could not hang on for much longer once he exhausted his Spirit Qi.
But looking at it now, he had miscalculated how willing this person—who was always running away from fights and giving up—was to stand his ground and fight.
The curtains were finally falling on this battle that had already been going on for quite some time.
He clutched his sword, his white shirt stained with blood. His rosewood sword box had long been smashed into pieces.
He chuckled. He gripped the broken sword in his hand as he walked over to the pier by the bluestone, sitting down with his back straight.
A leisurely wind swept over the lake, dissipating some of the pain on his body.
Jing Yue looked at the island in the distance, and then he laughed.
Originally, he would have been able to live even without fleeing, as long as he was strong enough.
Sunlight, a bloody shirt, and a swordsman…
A wave of emotions washed over Luo Yue.
He gave the order for his soldiers to round up some of the Jianghu people to see if any of them had taken any lives.
If so, they were to be detained in prison. If they were innocent, then they were to be sent out of the city.
Tang Xiansheng, dressed in his imperial robes, looked appraisingly at Jing Yue’s back.
Luo Yue eyed Tang Xiansheng suspiciously. It was only after the coachman had flashed his plaque before Luo Yue realized who he was, and he hurried over to greet Tang Xiansheng with a fist and palm salute.
“I hadn’t realized it was you, Mayor Tang of the South County. I’m Luo Yue, commanding general of Beiluo. Please excuse my manners,” Luo Yue spoke.
Tang Xiansheng waved with a squint of his eyes.
“I’ve heard about the great Beiluo City, but no number of tales could make up for visiting this place myself. Now that I’m here today, I have to say that I’m really impressed… No wonder you’re able to produce such an extraordinary existence like the White Jade City. This has been an enriching journey,” Tang Xiansheng said with a smile.
“General Luo…”
Tang Xiansheng greeted with a fist and palm salute.
Luo Yue was quick to return the greeting. “I wouldn’t dare call myself a general. I am but the commander of the Beiluo City Garrison.”
Tang Xiansheng chuckled. “With your power and prestige, you could pass off as a general of the Great Zhou Dynasty. You’re really not the ordinary commander.”
“I come from South County to greet Young Master Lu myself. I wonder… Would you mind introducing me?”
Jing Yue, who had been sitting by the pier, climbed up.
He glanced at Tang Xiansheng.
He recognized Tang Xiansheng, the mayor of South County. He had once headed to the Sword Sect as a guest and was personally welcomed by Hua Dongliu. That time, Jing Yue had once crossed paths with Tang Xiansheng.
Of course, Jing Yue was not particularly fond of Tang Xiansheng.
He was anxious to return to Beiluo Lake Island to seek out Ni Yu, to cash in… that bet, the one involving 15 Gathering Qi Elixirs. He had to share the joy.
He leaped onto the boat.
His white shirt was stained red with blood, and it was floating in the wind.
Tang Xiansheng’s eyes glinted. When Jing Yue was about to leave for the island, he hurriedly said, “Wait, Mr. Jing, do you mind if I hitch a ride?”
Jing Yue was surprised since he had not expected for Tang Xiansheng to recognize him still. He hesitated for a beat.
After that, he looked toward Tang Xiansheng who was standing on the shore and then said slowly, “The Young Master will not be seeing you. You should leave.”