Chapter 52 - 51: Three Years of Wind and Snow
Chapter 52: Chapter 51: Three Years of Wind and Snow
Chapter 51: Three Years of Wind and Snow
A major event occurred in the Imperial Palace.
Two years ago, the Great Zhou Butcher, who had been trapped in the Library Pavilion, broke out of the Celestial Prison. Before leaving, he proclaimed that the Little Emperor was no longer human, causing a huge stir.
The Little Emperor didn’t believe this half-crippled First Grade could kill so many of his Demon Fiends, but he still had the Demon Fiends restrain themselves.
But none of this had anything to do with Su Chen.
The pharmacy was sealed shut, closed for three years.
Three years of wind and snow drifted by.
Spring arrived, and the flowers bloomed.
The ice and snow melted away.
But in the spring of the fifteenth year of Jianwu, too many Dry Bones had perished in the three years of harsh winter, never to see this spring.
Everything was officially set in motion.
"Master Su."
"The Princess Northern Garrison has been found. She wants to see you in person."
"Thirty li outside the Imperial City."
Xu Han did not come himself. He had a trusted subordinate deliver a secret letter, nailing it to the pharmacy door and startling Su Chen, who had been cultivating and honing his sword intent.
He still hadn’t managed to deliver the brocade box in his possession.
’It’s only thirty li... The meeting shouldn’t be for today... perhaps I’m not too late.’
With that in mind, Su Chen left the Imperial Palace, picked up a fine horse prepared by the Western Depot at an inn, and galloped due north.
At the gate of the Imperial City, Xu Han, dressed in a big red python robe, watched Su Chen leave. He then resumed his cold, desolate expression of a man who could kill without blinking and spoke to the silver-armored giant beside him.
"Let’s begin, Celestial Strategy King!"
Standing beside him was none other than the Great Zhou Guardian God, likewise a Dual First-Grade Minor Grandmaster at the First-Grade Peak—the Celestial Strategy King!
In the shadows, the three thousand most elite Black Dragon Armor of Great Zhou had already been mobilized, swarming out to infiltrate the Imperial City and head straight for the Imperial Palace.
「At the same time.」
"Report!"
"The armies of the three border passes have declared independence!"
"Nanyang Commandery, Su Bei Commandery, and Celestial River Commandery have rebelled! They’ve all rebelled!"
Messenger after messenger on swift horses rushed into the Imperial City.
All six commanderies of the realm, including the border regions, had revolted! The Noble Clans, who had previously been hesitant, finally entered the fray, pushing Great Liang towards its demise.
"What is to be done?"
"Quickly, summon His Majesty!"
The nobles of the Imperial City, along with the civil and military officials, were in a panic.
「Inside Tianwu Tower.」
Feeling the tremors from below ground.
Unlike the frantic civil and military officials, the Little Emperor and his entourage were laughing heartily.
"We’ve finally waited for this day! What took them so long to rebel!"
"The Immortal Treasure is about to surface."
「The Cold Palace.」
Emperor Jianwu was reading a book, but as he felt the tremors in the ground, his grip on the book tightened, and his heart could no longer remain calm.
"My ’good’ son... he actually went this far."
"Damn it."
"Just one more year—no, half a year—and I would have recovered the full power of a Grandmaster Great Demon Fiend..."
"Let’s go."
"If the Immortal Treasure changes hands, not only will I be annihilated, but the Grandmaster opportunity I promised you will also vanish. I hope you don’t make the wrong choice this time, like you did back then..."
Emperor Jianwu, leading the white-haired, youthful-looking man in the purple robe whose expression was constantly shifting, also stepped out of the desolate Cold Palace.
Three parties gathered at Tianwu Tower, the only difference being whether they were inside or out.
"It seems..."
"...we’re the first to enter the field."
The Celestial Strategy King, wearing a Profound Iron Mask, was mounted on an Exotic Blood Giant Horse.
The giant horse was as large as a Demon Fiend, a full three meters tall. It snorted streams of blood-red vapor—a terrifying Exotic Beast comparable to a Second Grade expert.
Behind him, the three thousand Black Dragon Armor were slaughtering the Hidden Guards, Imperial Guard, and Killing Martial Guards, who threw down their helmets and armor in a complete rout.
"Let’s wait a little longer."
"If that Grand Ancestor of Liang doesn’t lead the charge, it’s not worth sacrificing lives to wear down that thousand-year-old Exotic Beast..."
"He’s in more of a hurry than we are. He relies on the Immortal Treasure to have lived for over three hundred years. If it changes hands, he’ll be the first to have his soul scattered."
Xu Han spoke. The noble Chief Eunuch, leading three hundred of his trusted followers, stood beside the Celestial Strategy King. With his hands clasped behind his back and a cold look in his eyes, he quietly watched the Imperial Palace turn into a Purgatory under the trampling hooves of the Great Zhou Heavy Armor.
This was the real him.
Cold! Vicious! Cruel!
Like a tiger, like a wolf!
Otherwise, he never would have been able to secure his position as Chief Eunuch.
"Where is Xuan’er?"
The Imperial Palace was in absolute chaos.
Empress Dugu called out the Little Emperor’s name as she, her fifteen-year-old legitimate daughter, and Princess Yunyang, with Empress Dowager Zhang following behind, headed for the exit of the Imperial City, surrounded by the Imperial Guard.
The Imperial Palace was now a mess of Great Zhou’s iron cavalry, Cultivating Eunuchs taking advantage of the chaos to steal treasures, and Demon Fiends.
「Just then.」
Emperor Jianwu appeared.
The blood-soaked Imperial Guards looked at each other in disbelief. Of course, they recognized His Majesty Jianwu.
’But hadn’t the former Emperor passed away?’
"Your Majesty, you’re alive?"
Dugu Yue, holding her legitimate daughter, ran toward her husband with a face full of joy and disbelief.
"Don’t go!"
Empress Dowager Zhang looked horrified. It was too late to warn her.
"Of course I’m alive. Can I ask you to do me a favor?"
Emperor Jianwu walked over, just as he had been when he was on the throne, and gently stroked Dugu Yue’s hair.
"Of course. It’s so wonderful that you’re still alive."
Dugu Yue’s eyes were filled with love, and tears of joy welled up.
"Good."
"Then I won’t be polite."
In an instant.
Emperor Jianwu—his body instantly erupted in pitch-black Scale Armor. He transformed from a handsome, majestic emperor in his prime into a hideous, scale-armored monster. He opened his giant, fanged maw and, under the horrified gazes of his wife and daughter, bit them to death and swallowed them whole.
"Wonderful."
"Good thing I had the foresight. My legitimate daughter and wife had Longevity Blood hidden within them. Now, I’ve finally recovered my Grandmaster strength. I’m qualified to enter the game and take everything back."
After eating his wife and daughter, Emperor Jianwu looked at the stunned Imperial Guards and the Empress Dowager Zhang, who was numb with Despair, then smiled at the white-haired man in the purple robe behind him.
"What are you standing around for?"
"Kill them all."
With that said.
He wiped the blood of his wife and daughter from the corner of his mouth and walked toward Tianwu Tower.
The three factions had gathered!
Everything had begun.
...
...
「Meanwhile.」
Thirty li north of the Imperial City.
An abandoned courtyard.
Su Chen reverted to his original appearance. He saw the Princess Northern Garrison, the Empress of the Seventh Prince, whom he had met once years ago in the Library Pavilion.
It had been eighteen years.
Her face was aged; she had become a matron. She was terminally ill, her aura was weak, and her life was nearly at its end.
"I, Zhu Feng, survivor of the Northern Garrison, at Lord Su’s request, have waited here for three days to present the Northern Garrison Jade Token that Lord Su desires..."
Zhu Feng knelt, coughing violently, and offered up the Jade Token. The token was crystal clear, and inside, a blue seed and a red seed were carved like a sun and moon within the jade. This was the Internal Organ Marvel Medicine that Su Chen had been desperately searching for: the Five-organ Grass and the Six Viscera Flower.
"You weren’t the one who asked me to come here..."
Su Chen realized that Xu Han was behind this. He looked toward the Imperial City and understood that Xu Han didn’t want him involved in this matter and had deliberately lured him away.
’Back in the Imperial City, the walls of Great Liang have probably already fallen. Whether the kingdom is destroyed or not will depend on who emerges as the winner today.’
Su Chen reached for the token, but Zhu Feng pulled it back.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"I, Zhu Feng, survivor of the Northern Garrison, beg the Wind Snow Little Grandmaster, Lord Su, to take my son as your disciple. I will then offer the Jade Token with both hands..."
"I can just take it!"
A chill emanated from Su Chen.
"Lord Su may not know the cultivation method for this Five-organ Grass and Six Viscera Flower, but this humble woman does. Not only that, but I can also tell Lord Su the secrets of the Immortal Treasure, of the Year of Tianluan when three princes assassinated Emperor Tianwu, and the reasons behind everything that is happening in the Imperial City right now. I implore Lord Su to give his promise and take the Seventh Prince, the only bloodline of the Deposed Emperor, as his disciple..."
"Otherwise, I, Zhu Feng, will contaminate this last remaining Internal Organ Marvel Medicine..."
Blood trickled from Zhu Feng’s mouth and nose as she knelt on the ground, holding a vial of a Demon Fiend’s corrupting blood. In the most cowardly tone, she spoke the toughest words, threatening Su Chen—the Wind Snow Little Grandmaster, number one on the Martial Arts List.