It’s you they’re after.
Crossbows fired in unison, arrows embedding deeply into the wall.
Wave after wave of imperial guards surged towards Wanhe Hall, the clash and cries of battle unending as if not one person but a group of armed rebels had invaded the palace.
“The situation seems off.”
Meng Qi stopped Mo Li, finding a relatively hidden high spot, then looked ahead.
He saw chaos within Wanhe Hall, the imperial guards seemed not to be defending against an external enemy, but encircling to prevent rebels from escaping.
Meng Qi then looked towards the southern palaces and towers, noting the normally deserted Wanxiang Pavilion now swarmed by imperial guards, shields and crossbows ready, clearly prepared in advance.
“Tsk, underestimated this Lu family.”
“How so?”
Meng Qi jumped down, explaining to Mo Li: “The Second Prince likely hasn’t been captured; he’s brought quite a few people hidden inside the palace. Somehow, he knew about the secret passage beneath Wanxiang Pavilion and took action from there. Lu Zhang also wasn’t caught off-guard, the so-called ‘clever rabbit has three burrows’; it seems Wanxiang Pavilion was just bait he laid out, and the Second Prince’s movements might also be within his grasp. Now, the Second Prince’s men are heavily surrounded, possibly trapped in the secret passage.”
Mo Li, uninterested in plots and schemes, frowned, “Did you see Ancestor Qingwu?”
“Not yet, but I can guess, probably inside Wanhe Hall.”
The imperial guards were on high alert, yet unable to breach the hall for a long time.
Injured soldiers were already being carried out, bloodied and battered.
“Boom!”
Another loud explosion shook the ground.
The left annex of Wanhe Hall began to collapse, dust billowing, followed by what seemed like an enraged roar.
“Over there.” Meng Qi decisively pushed Mo Li into a corner, “Doctor, cover me, I’ll check it out.”
“This…”
“There might be unexpected developments, I’m counting on the doctor to watch and listen from all sides.” Meng Qi said earnestly, reaching for Mo Li’s hand, but grabbing air.
Mo Li took something out of his bag and handed it to Meng Qi.
“Gold-threaded armor?” Meng Qi was slightly taken aback.
This item bore dried blood stains, and unless for a special reason, Meng Qi would not willingly wear it.
Mo Li had almost forgotten he had this in his bag.
“You don’t have to wear it, just stuff it inside your clothes, over your chest and abdomen,” Mo Li instructed.
Meng Qi immediately took the armor, smiling, “There won’t be any issues.”
Mo Li knew that with Meng Qi’s martial skills, it would be hard for him to be in danger, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn’t want to end up like raising a white fox or ginseng, squatting on Shangyun Mountain waiting for a sand mouse to transform.
After watching Meng Qi leave, Mo Li knocked out an imperial guard, swapped armor, and blended in.
“By the emperor’s decree, kill without mercy!” the commander of the imperial guards shouted.
A volley of arrows was loosed towards the annex.
No one could be seen in the ruins, but the imperial guards rushing forward were forcefully repelled by an invisible force.
Ancestor Qingwu didn’t immediately take these lives because he needed to conserve strength; moreover, these men were ants in his eyes, useless to kill. He needed to confront someone of significance.
“Continue firing!”
As soon as the commander of the guards finished speaking, a strong gust came at him. Shocked, he quickly grabbed a shield from a nearby guard to block it, then his arm went numb from the impact, and he staggered back, falling to the ground.
His subordinates hurriedly helped him up.
The commander looked closely and saw a large hole in the shield, with a stone deeply embedded in the edge, causing cracks to appear on the shield’s surface.
Just as the commander was grateful for his narrow escape, a cold snort came from the ruins of the left annex.
The sound was not loud but pierced through the clamor and various noises, eerily resonating in everyone’s ears.
“So, there’s a master hidden within the palace. This old Taoist would like to meet him.”
The person who saved the commander was Mo Li. The stone, imbued with internal energy, flew through the air, and Mo Li casually threw a copper coin at it, diverting its trajectory so that, although the shield was penetrated, the stone veered off, sparing the life of the imperial guard commander.
Everyone cherishes their life, and the sight of the crack and hole in the shield changed the commander’s expression.
“Where are the attendants?”
“Protecting His Majesty.”
“Go and report!” The commander quietly retreated into the crowd, no longer daring to issue orders loudly.
He had hoped to see the highly skilled imperial bodyguards appear and capture the rebels, but despite several prompts, there was no movement from inside the hall.
“Hiding behind the scenes, how laughable,” taunted Ancestor Qingwu arrogantly.
Being regarded as the foremost master in the world for many years, Ancestor Qingwu did not believe anyone in the martial world could best him.
At this moment, within the left annex, Ancestor Qingwu’s senior disciple, Liu Changqing, lifted a collapsed beam, revealing the people underneath.
A beam had fallen onto a table, creating a gap in the corner wall. Besides the incomplete corpses, there was a person dressed as a eunuch protecting a tall and handsome young man.
The young man was clad in leather armor, wore a chest protector, and held a long sword.
His eyes were red, and he emitted a roar almost beast-like as he observed the devastation around him.
“Your Highness, the situation is dire, we should retreat!”
“No!”
The young man, nearly hysterical, yelled, “Retreat where? Even those closest to me are but chess pieces of the Emperor. Had I not trusted the wrong person, how could I have ended in such defeat?”
The eunuch wept, “Your Highness, it’s not your fault. Who could have guessed the princess consort would be so foolish.”
“Not foolishness, but clear promises of high positions and great benefits from the Emperor to her family,” the Second Prince said through gritted teeth. “Because he is the Emperor, he can do as he pleases, making everyone submit! No, I want the world to know, even his son must rebel, all his sons must rebel!”
“Your Highness, let’s go to the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince will surely have a way to get you out.”
The Second Prince suddenly sobered up, saying, “No!”
“Your Highness?”
“The Crown Prince must not be implicated.”
The Second Prince picked up a sword from the rubble, previously held by a corpse, then suddenly, tears streamed down his face, shaking uncontrollably.
The eunuch was about to say the Crown Prince was gravely ill and wouldn’t live long, but hearing the ongoing battle outside, his expression changed, and he quickly knelt before Liu Changqing.
“Please…”
Before he could finish, the eunuch collapsed.
The Second Prince snapped to alertness, demanding, “What are you doing?”
“An obstruction,” Liu Changqing said coldly. “My master and I intend to escort you out of this encirclement. This eunuch was merely a burden.”
The Second Prince’s expression changed drastically, realizing these two were not as they seemed, not just Taoists seeking to propagate Taoism and gain wealth and honor, hoping for the new Emperor to bestow titles on their temples for supporting him.
“Who exactly are you? Whom do you serve?” demanded the Second Prince.
“Do not be alarmed, Your Highness. My disciple here lacks tact, angering Your Highness,” Ancestor Qingwu turned, his face breaking into a smile. “He simply can’t control his temper, after all, we’re in this situation because of Your Highness’s grace.”
The Second Prince met their gaze coldly. These two were highly dangerous “swords” that normally should not be dealt with, but his desire for success was too great.
Hoping for success or even to arrange an assassination, the Second Prince desperately gathered so-called masters, with Ancestor Qingwu also skilled in geomancy, presenting his case convincingly, making those under the Second Prince believe he was the rightful ruler.
Now sober, the Second Prince could only see malice in Ancestor Qingwu.
Another volley of arrows came from outside, and even with the ruins providing cover, some arrows managed to penetrate inside.
With a flick of his sleeves, Ancestor Qingwu made the incoming arrows fall to the ground.
Seeing his effortless demeanor, the Second Prince took another step back. If he still believed Ancestor Qingwu’s claim of being “trapped” at this point, he would be a fool.
“The matter is not yet settled, the outcome uncertain,” Ancestor Qingwu, seeing through the Second Prince’s thoughts, tempted him, “Once the Emperor dies, those imperial guards outside will naturally turn their allegiance. They have families to feed, who wouldn’t eat? What is the Emperor but someone who can promote them and grant titles? Fulfill the promises, and anyone can be Emperor.”
The Second Prince’s expression flickered.
“Just kill the Emperor… if only we could find where the Emperor is, all would be settled,” Ancestor Qingwu continued to persuade.
“I don’t know where he is!” the Second Prince said through clenched teeth.
“Then, if we capture the rebel, might he be brought before the Emperor?”
The Second Prince was startled, about to speak, but suddenly felt darkness envelop him and lost consciousness.
Liu Changqing precisely controlled his strength, knocking the Second Prince unconscious.
“Enough.” Ancestor Qingwu signaled his disciple to hide.
After a long silence in the ruins, the imperial guards rushed in, finding several corpses and the unconscious Second Prince.
The commander of the imperial guards was overjoyed at capturing the mastermind behind the rebellion, hopeful for a promotion.
As for the martial arts master who nearly killed him, perhaps he died from the arrows!
“Tie him up.”
The imperial guards began to search Wanhe Hall.
The Second Prince was pushed and shoved out, quickly regaining consciousness, but with a splitting headache. Seeing his surroundings, he realized he had been abandoned. Rather than anger, he suddenly harbored hope.
Could what those two said be true?
—He was about to die, as was his brother.
If so, what was there to fear? Why worry about the intentions of those two mysterious masters? Just to kill the Emperor, just to kill Lu Zhang!
“I want to see the Emperor!” the Second Prince shouted.
His mouth was then gagged.
He was pushed and shoved into the vacant Chunhua Palace.
During this, the Second Prince heard someone ask the commander of the imperial guards.
“Didn’t His Majesty order death without exception?”
“Fool, even so, we can’t kill a prince; that’s for His Majesty to decide!”
The Second Prince was thrown into a dusty side hall, the door shut with the ropes and gag still on him. Struggling, he suddenly heard a noise above.
Was it the Taoist Ancestor Qingwu?
The Second Prince was deaf in one ear and strained to look up, only to see two figures fighting on the beams.
“So, the hidden one turns out to be Master Meng, truly unexpected for this old Taoist!”
The airflow from the whisk and the dark purple sword light was confined to a small area, unknown to anyone outside the side hall that two unparalleled masters were engaged in combat.
“To annihilate the Chu dynasty, shouldn’t the Imperial Teacher seek revenge for Chu? A great opportunity lies before us, does Master Meng intend to compete with me for the honor of assassinating Lu Zhang? If so, this old Taoist is willing to yield.”
“Clang!”
Meng Qi thrust his sword towards the heart of Ancestor Qingwu, taunting simultaneously, “I’ve heard that the head of the sect is considered the foremost martial artist of our times. It seems this title is merely a testament to one’s verbal prowess.”
Ancestor Qingwu, noting Meng Qi hadn’t exerted his full strength and he himself had also held back to avoid alerting others outside, felt a stir in his heart and responded, “The Imperial Teacher claims disbelief, yet deep down, there’s still a desire for a breakthrough in martial arts, merely wishing to test his skills.”
Meng Qi merely scoffed.
Ancestor Qingwu remained vigilant for Mo Li’s sudden appearance. However, after listening attentively for a while and detecting no sign of another’s presence, his expression changed as he remembered the senior disciple he had sent out to gather information.
Ancestor Qingwu, though indifferent to his disciple’s life or death, acknowledged the effort required to train a highly skilled subordinate.
“So it’s to defeat us one by one, fine! Today, the old Taoist shall see what you intend to achieve!”
A loud crash ensued as the entire roof of the side hall was blown apart, scattering debris.
The imperial guards watching over the Second Prince outside were stunned.
Ancestor Qingwu suddenly caught a glimpse of a flash of gold from Meng Qi’s possession, which looked familiar.
“What is that?” Ancestor Qingwu reached out to snatch it, and twenty moves were exchanged in a blink.
The ground of the side hall collapsed, marked deeply by the sweeps of the iron dust whisk.
Beams sliced by the sword’s edge fell outside, breaking into more than a dozen pieces.
The Second Prince struggled into a corner, desperately trying to escape, as another piece of broken wood fell at his feet.
“To detain this old Taoist, the Imperial Teacher still lacks some…”
The voice of Ancestor Qingwu abruptly stopped. He rolled away suddenly, dodging a dim blade light hidden within the sword wind.
Mo Li appeared silently behind Meng Qi.
It’s you they’re after.
Crossbows fired in unison, arrows embedding deeply into the wall.
Wave after wave of imperial guards surged towards Wanhe Hall, the clash and cries of battle unending as if not one person but a group of armed rebels had invaded the palace.
“The situation seems off.”
Meng Qi stopped Mo Li, finding a relatively hidden high spot, then looked ahead.
He saw chaos within Wanhe Hall, the imperial guards seemed not to be defending against an external enemy, but encircling to prevent rebels from escaping.
Meng Qi then looked towards the southern palaces and towers, noting the normally deserted Wanxiang Pavilion now swarmed by imperial guards, shields and crossbows ready, clearly prepared in advance.
“Tsk, underestimated this Lu family.”
“How so?”
Meng Qi jumped down, explaining to Mo Li: “The Second Prince likely hasn’t been captured; he’s brought quite a few people hidden inside the palace. Somehow, he knew about the secret passage beneath Wanxiang Pavilion and took action from there. Lu Zhang also wasn’t caught off-guard, the so-called ‘clever rabbit has three burrows’; it seems Wanxiang Pavilion was just bait he laid out, and the Second Prince’s movements might also be within his grasp. Now, the Second Prince’s men are heavily surrounded, possibly trapped in the secret passage.”
Mo Li, uninterested in plots and schemes, frowned, “Did you see Ancestor Qingwu?”
“Not yet, but I can guess, probably inside Wanhe Hall.”
The imperial guards were on high alert, yet unable to breach the hall for a long time.
Injured soldiers were already being carried out, bloodied and battered.
“Boom!”
Another loud explosion shook the ground.
The left annex of Wanhe Hall began to collapse, dust billowing, followed by what seemed like an enraged roar.
“Over there.” Meng Qi decisively pushed Mo Li into a corner, “Doctor, cover me, I’ll check it out.”
“This…”
“There might be unexpected developments, I’m counting on the doctor to watch and listen from all sides.” Meng Qi said earnestly, reaching for Mo Li’s hand, but grabbing air.
Mo Li took something out of his bag and handed it to Meng Qi.
“Gold-threaded armor?” Meng Qi was slightly taken aback.
This item bore dried blood stains, and unless for a special reason, Meng Qi would not willingly wear it.
Mo Li had almost forgotten he had this in his bag.
“You don’t have to wear it, just stuff it inside your clothes, over your chest and abdomen,” Mo Li instructed.
Meng Qi immediately took the armor, smiling, “There won’t be any issues.”
Mo Li knew that with Meng Qi’s martial skills, it would be hard for him to be in danger, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn’t want to end up like raising a white fox or ginseng, squatting on Shangyun Mountain waiting for a sand mouse to transform.
After watching Meng Qi leave, Mo Li knocked out an imperial guard, swapped armor, and blended in.
“By the emperor’s decree, kill without mercy!” the commander of the imperial guards shouted.
A volley of arrows was loosed towards the annex.
No one could be seen in the ruins, but the imperial guards rushing forward were forcefully repelled by an invisible force.
Ancestor Qingwu didn’t immediately take these lives because he needed to conserve strength; moreover, these men were ants in his eyes, useless to kill. He needed to confront someone of significance.
“Continue firing!”
As soon as the commander of the guards finished speaking, a strong gust came at him. Shocked, he quickly grabbed a shield from a nearby guard to block it, then his arm went numb from the impact, and he staggered back, falling to the ground.
His subordinates hurriedly helped him up.
The commander looked closely and saw a large hole in the shield, with a stone deeply embedded in the edge, causing cracks to appear on the shield’s surface.
Just as the commander was grateful for his narrow escape, a cold snort came from the ruins of the left annex.
The sound was not loud but pierced through the clamor and various noises, eerily resonating in everyone’s ears.
“So, there’s a master hidden within the palace. This old Taoist would like to meet him.”
The person who saved the commander was Mo Li. The stone, imbued with internal energy, flew through the air, and Mo Li casually threw a copper coin at it, diverting its trajectory so that, although the shield was penetrated, the stone veered off, sparing the life of the imperial guard commander.
Everyone cherishes their life, and the sight of the crack and hole in the shield changed the commander’s expression.
“Where are the attendants?”
“Protecting His Majesty.”
“Go and report!” The commander quietly retreated into the crowd, no longer daring to issue orders loudly.
He had hoped to see the highly skilled imperial bodyguards appear and capture the rebels, but despite several prompts, there was no movement from inside the hall.
“Hiding behind the scenes, how laughable,” taunted Ancestor Qingwu arrogantly.
Being regarded as the foremost master in the world for many years, Ancestor Qingwu did not believe anyone in the martial world could best him.
At this moment, within the left annex, Ancestor Qingwu’s senior disciple, Liu Changqing, lifted a collapsed beam, revealing the people underneath.
A beam had fallen onto a table, creating a gap in the corner wall. Besides the incomplete corpses, there was a person dressed as a eunuch protecting a tall and handsome young man.
The young man was clad in leather armor, wore a chest protector, and held a long sword.
His eyes were red, and he emitted a roar almost beast-like as he observed the devastation around him.
“Your Highness, the situation is dire, we should retreat!”
“No!”
The young man, nearly hysterical, yelled, “Retreat where? Even those closest to me are but chess pieces of the Emperor. Had I not trusted the wrong person, how could I have ended in such defeat?”
The eunuch wept, “Your Highness, it’s not your fault. Who could have guessed the princess consort would be so foolish.”
“Not foolishness, but clear promises of high positions and great benefits from the Emperor to her family,” the Second Prince said through gritted teeth. “Because he is the Emperor, he can do as he pleases, making everyone submit! No, I want the world to know, even his son must rebel, all his sons must rebel!”
“Your Highness, let’s go to the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince will surely have a way to get you out.”
The Second Prince suddenly sobered up, saying, “No!”
“Your Highness?”
“The Crown Prince must not be implicated.”
The Second Prince picked up a sword from the rubble, previously held by a corpse, then suddenly, tears streamed down his face, shaking uncontrollably.
The eunuch was about to say the Crown Prince was gravely ill and wouldn’t live long, but hearing the ongoing battle outside, his expression changed, and he quickly knelt before Liu Changqing.
“Please…”
Before he could finish, the eunuch collapsed.
The Second Prince snapped to alertness, demanding, “What are you doing?”
“An obstruction,” Liu Changqing said coldly. “My master and I intend to escort you out of this encirclement. This eunuch was merely a burden.”
The Second Prince’s expression changed drastically, realizing these two were not as they seemed, not just Taoists seeking to propagate Taoism and gain wealth and honor, hoping for the new Emperor to bestow titles on their temples for supporting him.
“Who exactly are you? Whom do you serve?” demanded the Second Prince.
“Do not be alarmed, Your Highness. My disciple here lacks tact, angering Your Highness,” Ancestor Qingwu turned, his face breaking into a smile. “He simply can’t control his temper, after all, we’re in this situation because of Your Highness’s grace.”
The Second Prince met their gaze coldly. These two were highly dangerous “swords” that normally should not be dealt with, but his desire for success was too great.
Hoping for success or even to arrange an assassination, the Second Prince desperately gathered so-called masters, with Ancestor Qingwu also skilled in geomancy, presenting his case convincingly, making those under the Second Prince believe he was the rightful ruler.
Now sober, the Second Prince could only see malice in Ancestor Qingwu.
Another volley of arrows came from outside, and even with the ruins providing cover, some arrows managed to penetrate inside.
With a flick of his sleeves, Ancestor Qingwu made the incoming arrows fall to the ground.
Seeing his effortless demeanor, the Second Prince took another step back. If he still believed Ancestor Qingwu’s claim of being “trapped” at this point, he would be a fool.
“The matter is not yet settled, the outcome uncertain,” Ancestor Qingwu, seeing through the Second Prince’s thoughts, tempted him, “Once the Emperor dies, those imperial guards outside will naturally turn their allegiance. They have families to feed, who wouldn’t eat? What is the Emperor but someone who can promote them and grant titles? Fulfill the promises, and anyone can be Emperor.”
The Second Prince’s expression flickered.
“Just kill the Emperor… if only we could find where the Emperor is, all would be settled,” Ancestor Qingwu continued to persuade.
“I don’t know where he is!” the Second Prince said through clenched teeth.
“Then, if we capture the rebel, might he be brought before the Emperor?”
The Second Prince was startled, about to speak, but suddenly felt darkness envelop him and lost consciousness.
Liu Changqing precisely controlled his strength, knocking the Second Prince unconscious.
“Enough.” Ancestor Qingwu signaled his disciple to hide.
After a long silence in the ruins, the imperial guards rushed in, finding several corpses and the unconscious Second Prince.
The commander of the imperial guards was overjoyed at capturing the mastermind behind the rebellion, hopeful for a promotion.
As for the martial arts master who nearly killed him, perhaps he died from the arrows!
“Tie him up.”
The imperial guards began to search Wanhe Hall.
The Second Prince was pushed and shoved out, quickly regaining consciousness, but with a splitting headache. Seeing his surroundings, he realized he had been abandoned. Rather than anger, he suddenly harbored hope.
Could what those two said be true?
—He was about to die, as was his brother.
If so, what was there to fear? Why worry about the intentions of those two mysterious masters? Just to kill the Emperor, just to kill Lu Zhang!
“I want to see the Emperor!” the Second Prince shouted.
His mouth was then gagged.
He was pushed and shoved into the vacant Chunhua Palace.
During this, the Second Prince heard someone ask the commander of the imperial guards.
“Didn’t His Majesty order death without exception?”
“Fool, even so, we can’t kill a prince; that’s for His Majesty to decide!”
The Second Prince was thrown into a dusty side hall, the door shut with the ropes and gag still on him. Struggling, he suddenly heard a noise above.
Was it the Taoist Ancestor Qingwu?
The Second Prince was deaf in one ear and strained to look up, only to see two figures fighting on the beams.
“So, the hidden one turns out to be Master Meng, truly unexpected for this old Taoist!”
The airflow from the whisk and the dark purple sword light was confined to a small area, unknown to anyone outside the side hall that two unparalleled masters were engaged in combat.
“To annihilate the Chu dynasty, shouldn’t the Imperial Teacher seek revenge for Chu? A great opportunity lies before us, does Master Meng intend to compete with me for the honor of assassinating Lu Zhang? If so, this old Taoist is willing to yield.”
“Clang!”
Meng Qi thrust his sword towards the heart of Ancestor Qingwu, taunting simultaneously, “I’ve heard that the head of the sect is considered the foremost martial artist of our times. It seems this title is merely a testament to one’s verbal prowess.”
Ancestor Qingwu, noting Meng Qi hadn’t exerted his full strength and he himself had also held back to avoid alerting others outside, felt a stir in his heart and responded, “The Imperial Teacher claims disbelief, yet deep down, there’s still a desire for a breakthrough in martial arts, merely wishing to test his skills.”
Meng Qi merely scoffed.
Ancestor Qingwu remained vigilant for Mo Li’s sudden appearance. However, after listening attentively for a while and detecting no sign of another’s presence, his expression changed as he remembered the senior disciple he had sent out to gather information.
Ancestor Qingwu, though indifferent to his disciple’s life or death, acknowledged the effort required to train a highly skilled subordinate.
“So it’s to defeat us one by one, fine! Today, the old Taoist shall see what you intend to achieve!”
A loud crash ensued as the entire roof of the side hall was blown apart, scattering debris.
The imperial guards watching over the Second Prince outside were stunned.
Ancestor Qingwu suddenly caught a glimpse of a flash of gold from Meng Qi’s possession, which looked familiar.
“What is that?” Ancestor Qingwu reached out to snatch it, and twenty moves were exchanged in a blink.
The ground of the side hall collapsed, marked deeply by the sweeps of the iron dust whisk.
Beams sliced by the sword’s edge fell outside, breaking into more than a dozen pieces.
The Second Prince struggled into a corner, desperately trying to escape, as another piece of broken wood fell at his feet.
“To detain this old Taoist, the Imperial Teacher still lacks some…”
The voice of Ancestor Qingwu abruptly stopped. He rolled away suddenly, dodging a dim blade light hidden within the sword wind.
Mo Li appeared silently behind Meng Qi.
