“Originally when they returned, it marked the funeral period of the Buddha Lord, taking back the Incense Fire of the Jiang family, and in the end, it was supposed to revert fully to my family, with interest.”
“But now, this place has been discovered by people from the Immortal Gate, and behind those three Desolate Gods, there likely are powerful manipulators, their actions not mere slaughter.”
Emperor Yu’s eyes were piercing, “No one can prevent my Jiang family from resurrecting the Ancestor; perfection is imminent, and no mistakes can be allowed.”
The Daoist nodded slightly and sighed, “Their foundation in the Immortal Gate is too shallow, and their situation is difficult, not to mention whether they can build good relations with the saints. The reopening of the Immortal Gate might take a while.”
Hearing this, Emperor Yu also fell silent.
“If you choose that child, I will support the Dayu Divine Dynasty for another ten years, giving that young man another ten years.”
The Daoist’s voice was aged as he said, “Before I leave, I will take away all the dust. If you have not made a choice, then choose between Chun Sheng and the wielder of the Bright Moon Sword to be the next Dao Tong; I will entrust them with this Daoist Palace.”
The two he spoke of were among his Direct Disciples, carefully selected once more.
Emperor Yu glanced at him, his thin and gnarled body having protected the Dayu Divine Dynasty for over three thousand years.
He bowed slightly and said, “Ten years are enough for that child.”
The Daoist fell silent for a moment, realizing the other had already made a choice.
“Do you have confidence?” he asked.
Emperor Yu did not respond.
The Daoist sighed deeply and slowly said, “I hope you have not chosen wrongly.”
“Wait for me to return.”
Emperor Yu said softly.
In a chamber shrouded in millennium darkness, a single lamp illuminated the space.
He knew what burning a long-lasting lamp entailed.
After speaking, he bowed slightly, and his figure immediately disappeared with a flicker.
This faint light illuminated the clean Secret Hall, where the dust fluttered in the light, unable to hide.
…
…
Liangzhou, Heavenly Gate Pass.
Since slaying the Buddha Lord and returning from Mount Wuliang, Li Hao had brought Candle Flame God, Xiyan, and Feng back to this familiar Heavenly Gate Pass.
Ren Qianqian learned that Feng’s soul was compromised, tears streaming down her face, the girl who seemed cold on the surface but was intensely emotional with people she knew.
Li Hao consoled Ren Qianqian, returning to their normal lives.
He knew that the old man in the Imperial Capital must be troubled by his matters.
He, too, was waiting for a result; it wouldn’t be long.
Even if it was not the ideal outcome, he would hold no resentment.
After all, that old man had given him much assistance.
“Feng, it’s been a long time since you’ve had my barbecue, try some.”
In the courtyard, the rich aroma of meat wafted, and Candle Flame God and Xiyan were already drooling from the smell as Li Hao grilled. Find exclusive stories on empire
Feng inhaled deeply, his slow expression relaxing a bit as he took the barbecued meat from Li Hao and started to eat heartily.
Li Hao smiled and passed him the wine gourd.
The scent of food and fire permeated the courtyard.
Two days later, an old man in a black long robe arrived alone at this border of Liangzhou.
Looking up, he saw the majestic walls and the Haotian Flags fluttering mightily in the wind atop the fortification, imposing and majestic.
The elderly man looked up and then leisurely walked into the city.
After showing his pass, he moved unhindered through the city. The inspecting soldiers recognized the extraordinary demeanor of this old man, realizing he was either wealthy or noble, and seemed to hold some power.
Inside the city, a variety of stalls lined the streets, and young nobles wandered around the city, which looked prosperous and thriving, not at all like the scene expected in a border city.
The elderly man casually admired the various sights of the city and soon made his way to the center of the town.
There stood an isolated courtyard surrounded by a fence, with an open environment and soldiers patrolling around. Nobody dared to approach rashly.
From inside the courtyard, the elderly man heard the drifting sound of a flute and couldn’t help but smile faintly. This fellow, having killed the Buddha Lord and still leisurely playing his music here, was oblivious to the chaos this act had caused all over the world.
He went straight to the entrance of the courtyard, where he was immediately stopped.
“An old friend is visiting,”
the elderly man said.
The guards were strong, belonging to the Fifteen Li Realm, and wanted to ask more questions but felt an indescribable sense of intimidation. Despite the calm expression of the old man, their minds seemed preoccupied, and they nodded subconsciously before immediately turning to inform others.
“Please let the honored guest in,”
came the voice of Li Hao from inside the courtyard.
The two guards quickly escorted the elderly man inside.
Inside, Li Hao stopped his fingers on the strings of his instrument, and his eyes showed a hint of surprise.
Despite not intentionally probing, he recognized the old man instantly from just a wall away.
He hadn’t expected, with such a significant event, this old man who should have been in the Imperial Capital to appear here; it was truly shocking.
By now, if Li Hao couldn’t recognize the identity of the old man, he would be too obtuse.
Quickly rising to his feet, Li Hao went to greet him.
The old man and the young man, who had once met randomly by the Willow River, were once again meeting in this fenced courtyard.
Li Hao bowed slightly, about to greet formally, but the elderly man raised his hand, and a force lifted him up, “No need for formalities.”
With just a few words, Li Hao immediately understood and also recognized that he hadn’t mistaken the man’s identity.
“The environment is nice.”
The old man looked around, noticed the young girl practicing swordplay nearby, saw Feng Boping who was somewhat slow and senile, and the dominator of the Great Void Realm, Candle Flame God, sitting aside.
The small courtyard was indeed filled with curiosities.
The old man chuckled to himself.
Li Hao hesitated, “Elder, how come you are here?”
He didn’t address him as “Your Highness,” as the other’s actions clearly showed he did not want to reveal his identity, especially now that the Yu Divine Dynasty in various provinces was fraught with danger, demons lurking everywhere, and Emperor Yu leaving the Imperial Palace to travel this far from the capital, which complicated Li Hao’s feelings.
He had just slain the Buddha Lord, and yet the other party had come to meet him personally, which was an overwhelming show of trust.
“I had the itch to play a game of chess,”
the elderly man chuckled, observing the courtyard filled with painting boards, ancient zithers, and chess boards, commonly used items, and couldn’t help but find it amusing, adding:
“Do you spend your days playing these without cultivating?”
“That is my way of cultivation, and I’m working hard…” Li Hao thought to himself, but merely grinned awkwardly outwardly, as this was not something easily explained.
“Moving here must have been hard; has your skill at chess rusted?”
The old man chuckled while strolling through the courtyard. Seeing the young girl stop her sword practice and curiously tilting her head to look at him, he smiled back.
“It’s not so tough; the borderlands have their scenic beauty as well, all part of the mortal world’s finest.”
Li Hao lightly laughed and invited the elderly man to sit inside the courtyard.
He then asked Ren Qianqian to bring some tea to serve.
Ren Qianqian was astonished internally, unsure of the old man’s identity, but obeyed Li Hao’s instructions obediently, quickly bringing in the tea to steep for the elderly man.
Emperor Yu lifted his teacup and took a sip. The taste was decent, not as exquisite as the Imperial Palace’s exclusive Cloud Mist Tea, but it possessed a sweet freshness from the mountains and wilds.
“You sure take it easy,” Emperor Yu said with a light chuckle.
“The ways of the world are now familiar to me, my heart roams freely everywhere,” Li Hao replied with a casual smile.
Poetry and Book Experience +66.
Emperor Yu was momentarily taken aback, glanced at Li Hao, and thinking about the young man’s situation, his eyes flickered slightly.
“No wonder that stubborn group of old bones in Hanlin Hall like you so much.”
He seemed to sigh, and then to lament.
Li Hao was somewhat surprised; wasn’t Hanlin Hall the haunt of scholars and literati? He hadn’t seemed to have much interaction with them.
“Come, let’s see if your chess skills have improved. Don’t just pretend.”
Emperor Yu lifted the hem of his robe and sat on the cushion, half-joking as he spoke.
Seeing this, Li Hao also sat upright and respectfully. He knew that His Majesty’s visit wasn’t just for playing chess, but he had also brought with him the answer Li Hao had been waiting for.
Only this answer was deeper and heavier than he had anticipated.
This made him feel rather ashamed.
They put away the scattered pieces on the chessboard and slowly began to play.
Li Hao took the white pieces.
“Don’t let me win; I don’t need any charity,” Emperor Yu said as he picked up a piece.
Li Hao nodded, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Soon, on the chessboard, the white pieces launched a fierce assault, quickly taking the offensive. The formation was as solid as a fortress, with the black pieces forced to retreat, surrounded by the white and unable to escape.
“You little…”
Emperor Yu slightly grinned; the kid said he wouldn’t give an inch, and he really meant it. Experience tales with empire
Li Hao coughed lightly, perhaps taking it too seriously. Nowadays, with his Chess Path Sixth Stage, although he had just reached the Sixth Stage and his experience wasn’t fully matured, he could easily defeat His Majesty when he was at the fifth stage.
“Again.”
Emperor Yu clearly didn’t like to lose—or perhaps, he had never really experienced losing… except when playing against Li Hao.
After three consecutive games, Li Hao still subtly went easy, allowing His Majesty to enjoy some fun in the game, rather than being completely overwhelmed.
Soon, Emperor Yu’s craving for chess was cured.
And so, during the fourth round of chess, when Emperor Yu’s demeanor wasn’t so serious and focused, while making his move, he seemed to casually say,
“Have you ever thought about the consequences of killing the Buddha Lord?”
Li Hao was more than capable in his chess-playing and as the old man brought up serious matters, his expression became slightly more solemn.
“I have.”
“Oh? And what are you thinking?”
Emperor Yu placed a piece and looked at Li Hao with interest.
“I think, the senior will probably have a headache and have to deal with the mess,” Li Hao said with a sighed.
Emperor Yu was slightly startled, then inquired, “And what do you think I will do about it?”
Li Hao shook his head slightly, “I haven’t thought it through.”
“Not thought it through?”
“Yes, whatever the decision, I am prepared to accept it.”
Li Hao said this and then added, “As long as it’s not my life that’s taken.”
“…”
Emperor Yu stared at the serious young man for a couple of seconds, and with a mix of laughter and tears, said,
“You really are carefree, aren’t you afraid that the Buddhist sect will pressure me, and to quell the anger, I will strip you of your titles and take back the third-class peerage you worked so hard to obtain?”
“If it’s just that, then the Buddha Lord’s death is still worth it,” Li Hao said.
Emperor Yu was lost for words, and said with some annoyance, “You really are willing to let go.”
“One sacrifices a moment of glory for an eternity of freedom.”
Li Hao smiled, “I’m just a passerby in this Mortal World, nothing to cling to. With wine, food, and friends, I have enough.”
Poetry and Book Experience +166.
“These words sound like Zen Buddhist teaching. If the Buddha Lord had managed to understand it, perhaps he wouldn’t have been killed by you.” Emperor Yu shook his head and sighed.
“Perhaps his cultivation wasn’t sufficient,” Li Hao said.
Emperor Yu glanced at him. Their eyes met, and they both burst into laughter.
After the laughter subsided, Emperor Yu said to Li Hao, “If I were to take back your titles and honors, would you resent me?”
Li Hao shook his head and quietly placed a piece: “How could I? They were a reward from the senior.”
“But you earned them through hard work.”
“Without those titles, I would work just as hard,” Li Hao said.
Emperor Yu looked at him, a faint smile on his lips. He bent down to place his piece, but when he finished, he saw that Li Hao had previously moved a piece that blocked another path for him.
This cunning kid… Emperor Yu was a bit annoyed; they were discussing serious matters, and this kid was still
fiddling with the chessboard.
Enough playing!
Emperor Yu threw the piece he was holding into the Chess Box and said as he flicked his sleeves,
“Let’s talk about the serious matter. I should probably thank you. The Buddha Lord had already fallen into demonhood. Your action was also removing a hidden danger for Dayu.”
Li Hao was startled and asked with surprise, “Senior knew that the Buddha Lord’s incarnation was Demon Luo?”
Emperor Yu nodded slightly and looked at Li Hao, “It seems you also knew. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I forgot,” Li Hao coughed lightly.
Emperor Yu slightly pursed his lips, but his eyes were deep, as if something was stirring within.
Forgot? This kid clearly didn’t want to make it more difficult for him in dealing with this matter…
“You…”
Emperor Yu shook his head slightly and said, “This time, the remnants of the Buddhist sect are pressuring me to revoke your peerage. This is most likely driven by demons attempting to divide us and strike when we’re vulnerable.”
“There is a method now, to temporarily put you at a disadvantage. I’ll announce to the world, strip you of your titles, and imprison you in the royal dungeon, feigning a break.”
“This will lure the demons into attacking, waiting for the Buddhist sect to cause trouble, turning a passive position into an active one.”
Li Hao listened quietly, and slightly nodded; it was indeed a good strategy.
“But this way, the act must be thoroughly convincing, and you will suffer a great deal,” Emperor Yu looked at Li Hao.
Li Hao nodded: “It’s possible.”
Emperor Yu looked at him intently and asked, “What compensation would you need afterward?”
“Compensation?”
Li Hao thought for a moment and said, “If possible, give me some calligraphy and paintings from famous masters, musical scores, or chess manuals to admire, and some recipes…”
He was counting on his fingers one by one.
“…”
Emperor Yu remained silent.
Calligraphy? Musical scores? Chess manuals… What is all this junk?
To a wealthy merchant, perhaps they are valuable, but for someone with Li Hao’s power, wealth, and influence were easily within reach.
These items… could only be considered garbage.
“Besides these, do you desire nothing else?” Emperor Yu asked, fixing his gaze on him.
Li Hao thought for a moment, then slightly shook his head, “Not for now.”
Seeing this, Emperor Yu gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and stood up, “It’s getting late, I should be heading back.”
“I’ll see you out,” Li Hao hastily said.
“No need.”
Emperor Yu glanced at Feng Boping in the courtyard, his eyes flickered slightly, “He is that ‘Thief Saint,’ isn’t he? It seems he learned many of the Buddha Lord’s secrets, was tampered by the Buddha Lord, and this is a case of missing soul?”
Li Hao felt a pang of pain in his heart and said in a low voice, “Exactly.”
Emperor Yu patted Li Hao’s shoulder, “I will speak to the Wang Family. They manage the Mo River across the world, and as long as it is within the Great Yu Dynasty, almost all can be found. We’ll see if we can locate his missing soul and in which Mo River, and then try to facilitate a connection.”
Li Hao was startled and quickly said, “Then I will go now.”
Emperor Yu gave him a look, saw the excitement in his eyes, and couldn’t help but smile wryly, “Going now won’t help; you’d just be waiting there. The Wang Family has many Buddhist disciples, and if they get wind of your news, it might unnecessarily cause offense and add to the conflict. It’s better for you to wait until I inform you that there’s news, and then you can go directly.”
Li Hao pondered for a moment, then said, “That could work.”
“Don’t worry, I will ensure they search thoroughly.”
Emperor Yu said, then turned and walked out of the courtyard.
Li Hao watched his figure disappear, and shortly after stepping out of the courtyard, he vanished as if teleported.
That trace… it wasn’t drawn by Daoist Charm nor was it from Dao Domain, but rather… the aura of the Great Dao.
Could His Majesty be in the Tao Comprehension Realm?
Li Hao was momentarily stunned, but then he quickly came to terms with it.
If the Buddha Lord could remain so deeply concealed, what else was everyone else hiding?
As the gate of the courtyard closed, Ren Qianqian curiously approached and asked, “Young Master, who was that?”
“An old man who plays chess.”
Li Hao looked towards where Emperor Yu had disappeared.
“Is he good at chess?”
Ren Qianqian was surprised, as the previous little chess saint had never been so praised by Li Hao.
“His skills are average, but his sportsmanship is very high.”
“Doesn’t that mean you always win?”
“No, I’m always losing.”
…
…
In the Imperial Palace in the Imperial City of Dayu State.
As Chu Jiuyue anxiously waited, Emperor Yu returned.
He first went to the Gan Tao Palace to confirm the answers, then sent people to inform the Wang Family to search in the Mo River for Feng Boping’s residual soul. Simultaneously, he summoned various secretive individuals to the Imperial Palace.
These figures, silent as specters, were generally unseen by high officials on normal days.
Among them was one who descended like a bird to the Imperial Palace, folded its wings, and transformed into a young girl.
As one command after another was issued, with the Imperial Palace as the hub, all the unseen forces of the Divine Dynasty quietly began to operate.
“Your Majesty, a secret agent from the Buddhist faction reports that they plan to stir up trouble in various cities, making a big uproar to coerce Your Majesty.”
Chu Jiuyue relayed the news she received.
Previously, although Emperor Yu had temporarily suppressed the Buddhist faction’s defiance on the court, their current agitated state demanded a vindication.
Hearing Chu Jiuyue’s words, Emperor Yu’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had already anticipated this, the corners of his mouth revealing a slight cold smile:
“Let them make noise then; they will soon get the response they are satisfied with.”
Chu Jiuyue looked at Emperor Yu and asked in a low voice:
“Did Your Majesty go to play chess with General Haotian?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this answer, Chu Jiuyue couldn’t help but give a bitter smile, although he had anticipated it.
If the Buddhist disciples were to find out, they would probably be infuriated to the point of having a stroke on the spot.
“About General Haotian…,”
Emperor Yu glanced at him and chuckled lightly, “I offered him a solution, the kind that the Buddhist sect has been hoping for.”
Chu Jiuyue’s expression slightly changed, and he said hopefully, “Would General Haotian agree to it?”
Emperor Yu’s eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded, “He agreed without hesitation.”
Chu Jiuyue was taken aback and let out a sigh of relief, revealing a smile, “If General Haotian can understand Your Majesty’s difficulties and intentions, that would be the best outcome.”
Emperor Yu smiled faintly, his gaze fixating on the character “Buddha” on his desk, yet his eyes gradually grew colder,
“But I don’t agree.”
Chu Jiuyue was stunned.
“He is willing to endure this hardship, but I… do not wish to see him suffer!”
Emperor Yu turned to look at Chu Jiuyue and said, “Didn’t you ask me earlier why I was so confident in him?” Stay updated via empire
Chu Jiuyue was at a loss.
“Because I like him.”
Emperor Yu said softly, “That boy is pleasing to my eyes, that’s all.”
Chu Jiuyue was shaken. He didn’t expect Emperor Yu’s deep expectations for that boy, which exceeded his imagination.
…
…
As the Buddhist disciples in the temples of the Nineteen Provinces were about to incite unrest, an imperial decree came out from the imperial palace in Dayu State, revealing the true culprit behind the murder of the Buddha Lord!
The Ministry of Punishment and the Monster Suppression Department both corroborated, having investigated and discovered the murderer.
The murderer is none other than the Desolate God behind the seven top demonic forces,
The Demon Emperor from the Great Wilderness Heaven!
The battles in Qingzhou, Liangzhou, Youzhou, and others were all orchestrated by the Demon Emperor!
The Demon Emperor infiltrated Mount Wuliang, disguised as General Haotian, and battled the Buddha Lord, slaying him!
As the imperial decree was issued, this news also spread throughout the provinces, causing shock across the realm.
Previously, the Yu Dynasty had been covertly clashing with demonic forces, but now, Emperor Yu had brought this matter to light, directly pointing out the existence of the Desolate God!
“Demon Emperor? Desolate God?!”
“I knew it, how could General Haotian, for a Thief Saint, go and kill the Buddha Lord?”
“It turns out it was all the work of demons, too devious, using such methods to frame General Haotian!”
“General Haotian is a genius who has saved three provinces, the future hope of our Dayu Divine Dynasty, how could he have done such a thing?”
“Buddhist disciples claim to have seen it with their own eyes, how ridiculous, is seeing believing? What about Demon Art? Not to mention demons, even a person in the Divine Travel Realm could use a Blinding Spell to toy with a Martial Artist from the Zhou Tian Realm!”
“Nonsense, clearly the Emperor is covering for him, there are no demons!”
“I think your Buddhist sect is the demonic one, why would General Haotian kill the Buddha Lord, what reason does he have for doing that?”
The prestige of the Dayu Royal Family is profound, and although there are still some who question it, mostly they are Buddhist disciples, while most of the common people, noble families, and the like, already believe it was the work of demons.
The common people’s belief stems from trust in imperial authority, a trust based on Li Hao’s previous deeds.
And for the noble families, some trust the imperial power, while others believe in sheer self-interest.
They cannot see the benefit in General Haotian killing the Buddha Lord, which forces them to believe.
Meanwhile, the news reached the upper echelon of the Buddhist sect, which was nearly exploding in anger.
Not only did the Emperor not help their sect denounce the criminal, but he also tried to use their sect as a tool, leveraging the death of the Buddha Lord to let them subdue demons and eliminate evil?
Too cruel, the Emperor is far too ruthless!
And naturally, this news spread to the demonic forces as well, reaching the Secret Hall outside of Dayu State.
When the three Desolate Gods, including the old man with the walking stick, heard this news, they were stunned, and their faces soon turned grim.
These humans only see how the Emperor cunningly shifted the hatred from the Buddha Lord’s death, but they knew, this imperial decree was not merely to absolve that dreadful young man, but… it was a direct declaration of war against them!
This meant the opportunity they had been waiting for did not exist.
They had previously anticipated the possibility of a feigned fallout by the Emperor and had prepared countermeasures, planning to fight fire with fire.
But this Emperor didn’t even bother with pretense, not giving them any loopholes for attack but rather redirected the Buddhist sect’s wrath towards the demons, using the Buddhist sect to spearhead the defense of Dayu.
“Damn it all!”
The old man with the walking stick’s face looked grim.
“He thinks he can turn black into white with just an imperial edict, as if it were that easy!”
“Let those Buddhist monks stabilize their people and spread the truth. This is the perfect opportunity to undermine the imperial authority and extinguish the Jiang family’s Incense Fire!”
The old man with the cane bit his teeth as he spoke.
Spreading the truth… The woman with purple patterns felt that these two words together seemed somewhat odd.
Nevertheless, she quickly agreed and left with the young man in the black robe.
However, just as they were about to retaliate, suddenly, traces of top-tier demonic forces appeared in various states.
These demonic forces raised their banners high, commanding spirits of mountains and rivers and other demons, bypassing the border towns, infiltrating into the states, and attacking the cities where Buddhist disciples gathered.
“The Buddha Lord is dead, Dayu shall fall!”
“Your Buddha Lord has been slain by our Demon Emperor; surrender at once!”
“Kill, exterminate them all!”
Among these demonic forces were remnants of Gragon Gate, leftovers of the Holy Palace, the Ancient Demon Palace, and the Star Moon Academy, which, like Dayu Hanlin Hall, was widely influential among demons in teachings and fostering demons.
Star Moon Academy had always remained neutral among the demonic forces. Unlike the Great Void Realm, which secluded itself, the Star Moon Academy never involved itself in conflict, not offending Dayu Divine Dynasty and vice versa. But now, they had come down from the mountains to wage war against Dayu.
Leading these invading demons were Great Demons of the Three Immortal Realms, second in status among the top demonic forces only to the elder Demon Kings.
Raising their flags high, they commanded the assault with a formidable force.
As city after city fell to devastation, with the demons’ onslaught, those previous allegations from the high-ranking Buddhists, accusing His Majesty of cronyism, were shattered in an instant.
An imperial decree could only win the trust of the world, but the ravaging demons before their eyes made many Buddhist disciples realize that their Buddha Lord had indeed been killed by demons!
After all, the demons were flagrantly proclaiming it!
They couldn’t help but believe it.
…
In Youzhou, the Xia Family.
Numerous secret reports arrived from various states and cities. In the council hall, Xia Linglong, having received a heart-calming pill from the Eunuch, had returned from the Imperial Palace.
At this moment, the demonic forces were causing chaos everywhere, raising their banners high, seemingly ready to launch a full-scale attack on Dayu, causing widespread fear and panic.
“Was it really the Demon Emperor who struck?”
In the council hall, many from the Xia Family were surprised; they had thought it was the young man who had killed him, not realizing there was more to the story.
Xia Yuanwu and several other elders had a look of shock in their eyes. Their family had done many things for His Majesty, and that Elder sister-in-law was skilled at taming demons. There were some secrets they had only heard through the grapevine and could not reveal.
But now… the current events seemed to validate the rumors they had caught wind of previously.
Xia Linglong was somewhat lost in thought. The heart-calming pill the Eunuch had given her reassured her, but the current situation… Was this the safety net that His Majesty had prepared for the Haotian General?
Her thoughts were interrupted until the discussion below concluded, and someone asked how to deploy troops to deal with the demons invading the cities where Buddhist disciples congregated in Youzhou.
Xia Linglong snapped back to reality, her mind rapidly turning over the situation before finally speaking,
“With the demonic forces causing chaos, we need to be wary of other places. Have the city guards there cooperate with the Buddhist disciples to hold out, send your troops to protect the other cities, and don’t let the demons cause misdirection.”
The crowd was astonished and gave puzzled looks at Xia Linglong.
Not aiding the cities under attack but instead reinforcing other unaffected cities?
The decision seemed odd and unlike the kind of poor strategy Xia Linglong would come up with.
“This…”
Someone hesitated, sparking a dispute.
Before Xia Linglong could speak, Xia Yuanwu glared and said, “Didn’t you hear clearly? Do as the Family Head says. Do you know more or does the Family Head know more?”
Seeing that the elder generation also felt this way, those who had been skeptical fell silent at once, realizing that there must be another reason.
After all, the intelligence they saw was different from what the Family Head had.
And as someone with a military background, he knew that having the right intelligence was having the advantage, and only decisions based on intelligence were the right ones. Otherwise, rushing to help merely on passion might disrupt the upper echelons’ strategy and ruin everything. Find adventures at empire
They had experience in warfare and had heard countless military cases, such as using thousands of soldiers as a bait in a desperate situation, counter-attacking from the city, et cetera, ultimately securing a complete victory.
In war, there were always sacrifices, not just in charging into battle but also in baiting, ambushing, and employing dead soldiers, among other tactics.
Hence the saying goes: the first requirement in the military is obedience!
With no further objections in the council hall, as everyone left to carry out their orders, Xia Linglong exchanged glances with a few uncles and saw the thoughts in each other’s eyes.
Xia Linglong said nothing but went to the deeper part of the Xia Family to meet the old lady living in a farmhouse.
“There are indeed His Majesty’s spies among the demons.”
This old lady, sitting in a rocking chair with a face full of wrinkles, shockingly revealed this secret to Xia Linglong.
She had had a hand in the matter but had not disobeyed the Emperor’s orders, and had never disclosed it even to Xia Linglong, the current Family Head.
It wasn’t that she mistrusted Xia Linglong, but first because the matter was a secret command from the Emperor himself, not to be leaked, and she did not wish to secretly contravene it; second, knowing this would do the Xia Family no good, only harm.
Because when one knows about something, pretending to be ignorant is quite taxing, and the reactions made during the long-term military commands would eventually reveal some flaws.
The third reason is, although she knew that among the demons there were those who had surrendered and were controlled by His Majesty, she did not know which ones they were, so speaking of it was meaningless.
Hearing the old lady’s revelation, Xia Linglong, despite having had her suspicions, could not help but have her complexion greatly change when they were confirmed, and her shockingly beautiful cheeks were filled with astonishment.
It was actually true!
Who would dare believe this?
If the word got out, many a person’s worldview would shatter!
The Emperor of the Human Race, to have dealings with demons—put nicely, some demons are undercover; put harshly, it’s collusion with demons.
This assault was clearly His Majesty’s own doing.
Those demons who attacked the Buddha Lord were also commanded in secret by His Majesty!
If not for having access to ample intelligence, feeling something fishy, Xia Linglong would have thought the Buddha Lord truly died at the hands of demons, with the Haotian General having nothing to do with it.
“Now, for that child, His Majesty has even deployed dark chess pieces that had been hidden for a thousand years; that truly is deep affection…”
The old lady rocked her rocking chair, let out a slight sigh, and a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.
Under the entire heaven, who could receive such favor from the Emperor?
Perhaps not even his several brothers and those princes have ever been cherished as much…
Xia Linglong was somewhat dazed and did not respond.
The old lady glanced at her and said softly, “Do you find it unbelievable? When His Majesty summoned me to discuss this matter, I was just as shocked as you are now, but soon after, I was left with nothing but admiration for His Majesty.”
Xia Linglong gazed intently at her.
The old lady continued, “Can all demons in the world ever be exterminated? Obviously not. If we say the Dayu Divine Dynasty is a piece of succulent meat, then there will always be flies coveting it.”
“But if this piece of meat is already surrounded by flies, will more new flies join?”
“No, they won’t…”
Xia Linglong was stunned, feeling goosebumps rising, her whole body’s hair standing on end.
This, is this His Majesty’s grand scheme?
“Those demonic forces…” she said, slightly opening her mouth.
“If I’m not mistaken, they mostly have His Majesty’s spies; he can always keep tabs on demons’ movements. His Majesty’s plan is for the spies to one day directly replace the demon leaders; if I’m not wrong, that Star Moon Academy… must be the deepest chess piece His Majesty has placed,” the old lady said softly, with a gleam in her eyes.
Xia Linglong felt her scalp tingle; she had never imagined the Emperor could be so terrifying.
“Since His Majesty has such spies, then why, in recent years with the wars waged every year, has His Majesty never…”
Xia Linglong’s thoughts churned, she slightly opened her mouth; if His Majesty had utilized the information from these spies, their casualties could’ve been greatly reduced!
It should be noted that among them was the fall of strong warriors from the five great Divine General Mansions.
The old lady shook her head slightly and said, “It is precisely because the losses were so heavy, that’s why these spies were buried so deeply. I fear even the Buddha Lord would never have imagined His Majesty’s heart could be so ruthless.”
Xia Linglong was taken aback.
“If it weren’t for that ninth son of the Li Family, being naturally unbending and loathing evil, breaking through alone and forcefully making his way out of the border, he wouldn’t have fallen. That time His Majesty showed traces of having moved his dark pieces, but alas…”
The old lady slowly shook her head, she had always paid attention to these matters, especially when she knew some of the inside stories; observed again, many traces invisible to ordinary people would come to light.
“So, it means the Buddha Lord truly was killed by the Haotian General, but His Majesty… still favors him, even now going so far as to expose these millennium-old dark chess pieces for his sake?”
Xia Linglong felt it was unbelievable; what kind of favor could warrant such action?
To slay the second strongest powerhouse in the world without suspicion or fear, instead exposing many years of hidden spies for him, even the most favored Crown Prince of the current court might not receive such indulgence!
A trace of complexity flashed through the old lady’s eyes.
“It is indeed an extremely biased favoritism, but besides that, it’s also because that youth is irreplaceable. With such talent, if he doesn’t become a Saint, then no one in the world can attain Saint status. The hard-to-understand part is, how can the Emperor trust so easily to leave this world in the hands of that child? He must be treated by the Emperor as the future of Dao Tong.”
“The future Dao Tong!”
Xia Linglong’s pupils contracted, her blood seeming to surge throughout her body.
The weight of these few words was immense!
The Buddha Lord had schemed for two thousand years, spreading Buddhist Halls across all cities, all for a single stick of incense.
The years of contention between Buddha’s Path and the secular world were all just to become the Dao Tong of Dayu, inheriting all the Dayu’s worship and incense fire.
Now, the Haotian General was to replace the True Person of the Daoist Palace, becoming the future object of worship for the entire world?
The old lady glanced at Xia Linglong, the complexity in her eyes not fading, and spoke in a low voice:
“Do you know what this also signifies?”
Xia Linglong came back to her senses, looking at the hint of sorrow in her eyes, she paused, then abruptly came to an understanding, feeling like her heart sank to the bottom of a valley.
With the emergence of the future Dao Tong, does it also mean that the current True Person… is about to be no more?
…
Beyond Youzhou, in various other places, many figures were also observing the chaotic demon attacks across the land.
A few old-timers, cryptically contemplating the traces behind the demons, didn’t dare to be certain.
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Perhaps only by inquiring with the Xia Family could one confirm, after all, they are well-versed in locking onto the demons’ lifeline.
But this kind of testing was obviously not to be dared; dragon whiskers cannot be touched lightly.
While demons were attacking the Buddhist congregations in various places, the Arhats within the Buddhist communities were both shocked and enraged, seething with frustration.
The Buddha Lord had just perished, and these demons actually dared to attack, and their Buddha Lord, had indeed been killed by these very demons!
Many who had escaped from Mount Wuliang and witnessed Li Hao slaying the Buddha Lord now wavered, with an imperial edict before them and demonic forces raising their banners in assault behind them, compounded with the long history of demon wickedness and treacherous Demon Arts that had sunk deep into the hearts of the Human Race.
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“Avenge the Buddha Lord!”
“Our Buddha is merciful, I will vanquish demons!”
Many Buddhist monks cast off their Kasayas, donned their armor, and joined the fray against the demons.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace court,
The ministers who had previously condemned Li Hao were trembling with fear, some even declared severe illness to rest at home, daring not to attend court.
Emperor Yu sat sternly on the dragon throne, flinging the investigation records gathered by the Monster Suppression Department and the Ministry of Punishment.
“Before the truth is revealed, do those who previously clamored to strip the Duke of his title and military rank have anything else to say?”
His majestic words, though not loudly spoken, nearly made many legs give way.
Question? How to question?
The Monster Suppression Department and Ministry of Punishment were both extremely influential departments. While the Ministry of Punishment was controlled by the Li Family and might be biased, the Monster Suppression Department belonged directly under His Majesty.
Moreover, the chaotic news from various cities had already quietly reached the Imperial City.
Now that the truth was forthcoming, who dare persist in their argument?
Emperor Yu looked at some ministers whose faces had paled, snorted coldly, and had Chu Jiuyue relay the command.
Soon, wailing and weeping echoed in the great hall.
One by one, those who had been entrusted by the Buddhist sect, received benefits, or were believers themselves, were dragged from the hall.
They wanted to defend themselves, but this Emperor clearly had no intention of listening.
When an Emperor is enraged, corpses lay for a thousand miles.
In front of Xuanhuang Gate, heads rolled one after another, blood splattered everywhere.
As the other ministers went home from court, they saw some eunuchs cleaning the blood. However, the more the blood was washed with water, the more it spread, becoming more visible and startling.
…
Elsewhere, the two enchanting women in purple who were about to contact the Buddhist sect to spread the truth, upon receiving the news from Tianji Palace, were stunned and hugely shocked, promptly ordering Tianji Palace to command those demons to retreat.
Who allowed them to represent the demonic forces and take the blame for this mess?
They had wanted to use this incident to crush that troublesome young man.
However, with conflicts arising everywhere and though the Elders of various demonic forces hurriedly sent out summonses, it was already too late.
Great Emperor Yu’s counterattack was too swift and too fierce, without warning, yet quickly shattered their schemes without following their desired path.
They say the human heart is unfathomable, prone to suspicion, but the Emperor did not play into their hands, even at great cost, he protected the youth.
“We thought we were the only ones infiltrating the Human Race, never expected that these damned humans had also secretly planted their spies among us!”
The young man in the black robe was so angry that his face turned red; by now, the Buddhist sect as a weapon was thoroughly useless.
Even if the two Bodhisatts and some Buddha Children could still be of use, by themselves, they were weak and could be easily suppressed by just any Divine General Mansion. In the face of Dayu Divine Dynasty, they couldn’t stir any waves.
Without the lower-ranking Buddhist disciples inciting the public to rebel, there would be no chaos. To forcibly summon now would only lead to beheading, the high-ranking Bodhisatts and Buddha Children, and a few Arhats, could believe in the truth, but those below had already turned their spears against the demons.
“These useless things of the Buddhist sect…”
The enchanting women in purple also had unpleasant expressions. In the end, they chose to give up on further communication with the Buddhist sect and returned to a Secret Hall outside Dayu State.
After the two women explained the situation, the old man with a cane also fell silent.
The downfall of the Buddha Lord, such a major event, was effortlessly defused by the Emperor, and the countless agitated disciples of the Buddha Lord in the Nineteen Provinces became the sharpest spear in His Majesty’s hand, their rage now directed against the demons.
Too ruthless.
“Report to the Saint Heir, and let Him decide.”
The old man with a cane also revealed a fierce glint in his eyes: “If they want open battle with us, we can certainly seize the opportunity to fight back!”
