NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 542-548
Chapter 542: A Changed Person
Vox populi!
It had always been a weapon of the greatest scale. Because it would spread like wildfire, from one to ten, ten to hundred, and so forth.
And the rate at which it would spread was equally terrifying.
Even more so if one had intentionally instigated it.
In the short span of time from the first rays of dawn till noon, the news of Su Qing’s entry into the capital and his confession had spread throughout the Great Xia Dynasty.
It had become such a hot topic, enough to exert pressure on the Law of Dao Examinations.
“So, it turns out that the mastermind behind the Southern Region case is actually the crown prince?!”
“Yeah, if it wasn’t for crown prince’s indications, how would Su Qing dare to kill the most coveted hero of the Southern Region war? Furthermore, didn’t you realize that Su Qing had been promoted to the Chief of Northern Lands Five Constabularies upon his return to the capital?”
“Fang Zhengzhi was wronged indeed!”
As the news spread from mouth to mouth, more people believed in the story and it eventually became the “truth”.
Besides the commoners, the officials who had just finished their morning ritual were also softly discussing the matter too, though markedly more cautious.
“The crown prince’s face looked terrible today. He was silent for the entire ritual, and seemed as though he had completely lost his glory…”
“Of course, the news had spread throughout Yan Capital and the Great Xia Dynasty. Even though the emperor did not mention it this morning, everyone knew what was going on.”
“That’s pretty ruthless of Su Qing. Who could’ve known that he would enter the capital at this juncture and immediately expose the details of the Southern Region case? This determination is… admirable!”
“That couldn’t be helped. If Su Qing did not expose the crown prince, he wouldn’t live for long either. Once the Southern region case is investigated, someone has to take the blame.”
“Official Li is right. Now we can only watch the crown prince’s next move!”
As the officials discussed the matter, they began to guess the crown prince’s next move.
…
Eastern Palace, Crown Prince’s residence.
The afternoon sun shone brilliantly while flowers bloomed in the residence courtyard, emanating a pleasant fragrance. Yet, even this couldn’t mask the heavy smell of blood permeating through the air.
Outside the study, three officials of the Crown Prince residence lay in pools of blood. Their plates of food shattered on the floor. A short distance from them stood more than thirty imperial officials, all with blood under their shoes, and their solemn faces reflected the intensity of the atmosphere.
An enraged emperor shakes the entire dynasty. How would the Eastern Palace be peaceful with an angry crown prince?
Servants around the courtyard dropped to their knees, and none of them dared to raise their heads, while they sweated profusely in the blistering afternoon sun.
Silent, yet tense.
The study was unusually dark. Because with the structure of the study in mind, it required only an open window for it to be completely illuminated, especially in afternoon.
But all the windows were shut and covered with black curtains.
This made the interior of the study awfully gloomy.
Crown Prince Lin Tianrong sat in his chair, his expressions scarily grim.
It was a horrifying sight, but what made it worse was that there were no officials in the room. Except for a figure completely concealed in a black cloak.
“Your Highness, do we still wait further?” The figure stepped in front of Lin Tianrong, with no intention to kneel or salute him.
“Haha… do you think I would be associated with people like you?” Lin Tianrong laughed mirthlessly, clenching his fists.
“If Your Highness doesn’t wish to be associated with us, why would I be here?” The figure spoke calmly, unperturbed by Lin Tianrong’s words.
“Now you can… get out!” Lin Tianrong hollered.
“In this world, there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, only interests. Since we both have a common enemy, why shouldn’t we work together?” The figure continued.
“Didn’t you know that I had once said this sentence to someone a year ago? In the end, this person died!” Lin Tianrong laughed coldly.
“It wasn’t you who said this to the Southern Region Noblelite, but Su Qing, am I right?”
“How did you know?”
“I know even more. For instance, Your Highness’s plot in the Northern Lands, and that Your Highness’s share compared to the Ministry of Rites official is nine to one, and Your Highness ranking the Nine Generals as the 军门 with the help of the Ministry of Defence official, and Your Highness in Ministry of Manpower…”
“Shut up! How do you know of these?” Lin Tianrong’s expressions changed. The teacup in his hand shattered to pieces.
“Whatever Su Qing knows, we know.” The figure said plainly.
“What do you mean? Is Su Qing your…” Lin Tianrong was stunned.
“Your Highness guessed correctly. Therefore, you would have known what Su Qing would do next. And he only does so to save himself.”
“Hmm, you wish to let Su Qing expose my plot in the Northern Lands. Do you really think that exposing me given his current status, anyone would believe so?”
“No, but if it exposed by a different person, say, Northern Land Divine Constabulary’s Chi Hou. Your Highness, do you think anyone would not believe?”
“You…”
“Your Highness, let’s talk about cooperating instead. If Your Highness is willing to, we would leave Su Qing without hesitation. In the end, the crown prince would remain in his position and Great Xia Dynasty would be unchanged. The black figure stretched out a hand toward Lin Tianrong, showing that he need not be agitated.
“How would I believe you?” Lin Tianrong took a few deep breaths, calmed his nerves and squinted at the figure.
“Your Highness doesn’t seem to have a choice.”
“No. I can kill you, then expose Su Qing’s identity, then report to Father. Father will surely believe me!”
“Then… what’s stopping you?”
“Do you think I don’t dare?”
“Of course, Your Highness dares. But I believe Your Highness would not do so. Because first, you may not be able to kill me. Second, by exposing Su Qing’s real identity, you will lose His Majesty’s trust. When that happens, how will you be as glorious as before? Will you give up the quest for the throne and enjoy your life as a carefree prince?” The figure said straightforwardly.
“A carefree prince?” Lin Tianrong leaned a little closer. Of course, he could be a carefree prince. In fact, this would be an envious choice in the hearts of many.
But…
He was in a royal family!
From birth, he had enjoyed wealth and riches and was appointed as the next successor to the throne. How would be willing to return to his previous life as a carefree prince?
Wealth and riches were the pursuits of the poor, not as a descendant of a royal family. Because already possessed these things from young.
For the past ten, twenty years. Hence, they would never be his aim in life.
The only thing that would fulfill him was that position. The position to control the world from a high and mighty place, to decide the life and death of millions of troops and people.
“Who are you to care if I become a carefree prince or not?” Lin Tianrong snapped back to reality, his fists clenched tightly once again.
“Of course, but what about Fang Zhengzhi? Does Your Highness still wish for him to be alive?” The figure nodded, then reminded the crown prince.
“Why would I fear him?”
“Your Highness, do you really not fear him? Before Fang Zhengzhi entered the capital, you seemed to have said exactly this, right? But what happened in the end?”
Lin Tianrong fell silent again.
As the Eastern Palace crown prince, the next emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, it would seem ridiculous to say that he feared Fang Zhengzhi, who had humble origins.
But it was a fact that it was exactly this person, who was born in the villages, that troubled him time and time again to the brink of death.
He wasn’t scared!
But he didn’t want Fang Zhengzhi to live.
“Do you… have a way to kill Fang Zhengzhi?” Lin Tianrong looked at the figure and asked after a long period of silence.
“Of course, Fang Zhengzhi will die. But not for now.” The figure nodded, then shook his head.
“What do you mean?”
“Currently, Your Highness is still the crown prince. But when Your Highness controls the world, will you still be concerned that Fang Zhengzhi would not die?” The figure asked.
“The world? Haha… The world has always belonged to me. I am the crown prince, the next emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty, the future heir to the throne!”
“Yes!” The figure nodded earnestly.
“Do you think so?”
“Of course.”
“Why so? Give me a reason!”
“If you aren’t, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you.”
“Haha, you’re right. In two days, the Imperial Examinations will commence, and everyone will be focused on it.”
“Does that mean that Your Highness is willing to work with us?”
“I won’t reveal myself. Whether or not it would be a success depends on you.”
“Haha, of course!” The figure nodded and slowly walked to a wall. His body magically morphed into the wall as he touched it. “Your Highness, please don’t forget our agreement once this matter is settled!”
…
When Fang Zhengzhi exited the Southern Lodge, the sun was already setting. Of course, it wasn’t that he had important matters to handle at the Southern Lodge, but he had not slept for more than a day and he was tired.
And then…
He took a nap in the Southern Lodge.
It was a very simple reason.
Shan Yu watched quietly as Fang Zhengzhi slept. Even till Fang Zhengzhi woke up and left, she had not said or asked much.
Fang Zhengzhi left the Southern Lodge full of energy.
But the surrounding commoners were surprised.
They watched as he openly walked out of the Southern Lodge, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
“The Southern Lodge… Fang Zhengzhi actually walked out of the Southern Lodge?!”
“It’s where the Southern Region Princess is staying. How could he walk out from here?”
The commoners could not believe what they had seen. But none could ask him about this.
Of course, Fang Zhengzhi would not explain himself. Furthermore, how would he explain it? Saying that he took a nap in the Southern Lodge? How was that possible?
But he couldn’t get used to attracting attention everywhere he went.
“It seems that Wu Yuer had done a good job circulating the news!” Fang Zhengzhi said to himself as he smiled, watching the crowds discuss the matter.
Power lay in the voice of the people.
Although it couldn’t kill someone immediately like a sword, it could generate vast amounts of pressure where one would eventually crack under.
Compared to a year ago, Fang Zhengzhi now knew and understood more, especially in the direction and goal of his training, and the dynamic relationship between factions.
And…
Also, strategic intelligence.
He had so much information gathered constantly from various sources, and this allowed him to know many things that others did not.
Thus, he believed that it was not difficult to achieve the things he did.
But Wu Yuer did not feel this way.
She felt that Fang Zhengzhi did things differently compared to other people and hence he would achieve different results with greater efficiency.
“The Imperial Examinations are commencing again?” Fang Zhengzhi raised his head as he thought. The sunset painted the sky in a brilliant tone of red. It was a glorious sight.
He recalled the previous Imperial Examinations.
World of the Sage!
It was then Fang Zhengzhi met the first person he could not openly defeat, Vice Domain Chief of the Ying Domain, Ying Shan, a warrior in Supernatural State. Besides him, there was also a sword.
A sword which had always accompanied him to this day.
In the blink of an eye, two years had passed. The Imperial Examinations were about to commence, and many talented people would gather in Yan Capital and participate in the examinations that could change the fate of their lives.
People seemed to have left.
But rules remained the same.
No!
Speaking of people, it seemed that one had remained!
“Nangong Mu!” Fang Zhengzhi shifted his gaze toward the front, at a calm, normal, unmoving figure.
The setting sun shone upon the figure, projecting to his side.
His attire was ordinary, just like two years ago, with a plain shirt and a ribbon draping down upon his head.
Especially those dull eyes without any hint of glimmer.
Of course, there was some difference. His face had two more wounds, apparently very deep.
But they were not caused by swords or knives.
Instead, by beasts!
The sharp claws of beasts had left these scars.
“It’s been a while.” A faint voice emerged from his mouth. This should have been said with the joy of reunion, but it was completely emotionless.
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Chapter 543: Burning the Eastern Palace
“You have become ugly.” Fang Zhengzhi said seriously as he nodded and pointed at the scars on Nangong Mu’s face.
They had not met for almost two years.
Yet Fang Zhengzhi first sentence was to remark that he became ugly.
If another person had said this, he would’ve been beaten to a pulp.
But Nangong Mu didn’t do that.
He froze for a second, then revealed a dull smile on his otherwise expressionless face.
“Indeed, it’s the same old Fang Zhengzhi!” Nangong Mu didn’t find fault with Fang Zhengzhi. After all, this was the Fang Zhengzhi he knew.
And he didn’t know why but he felt as if they had not separated for two years, though Fang Zhengzhi only said a sentence.
Maybe…
Only within true friends could one speak so freely and straightforwardly?
“Have you eaten?” Fang Zhengzhi spoke again.
“No.”
“If you’re buying the meal, I could consider eating with you.” Fang Zhengzhi seemed to give it some thought and said.
“But I didn’t bring any silver.” Nangong Mu said earnestly.
“Let’s eat at Ping Yang Residence then. We don’t have to pay there.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded. Of course, he knew Nangong Mu’s status.
The second young master of the Nangong Nobles!
No one would have believed that he didn’t bring any silver, but Fang Zhengzhi didn’t seem to hold any suspicions.
“Alright.” Nangong Mu agreed.
They turned around and walked toward Ping Yang Residence, to the surprise of surrounding commoners.
“Have they really not met in two years?!”
…
With Nangong Mu’s visit, Ping Yang Residence seemed a little livelier. But Nangong Mu had been silent, like Yan Xiu.
Yet, they were different.
Yan Xiu was apathetic, but Nangong Mu was bored.
With one apathetic and one bored, naturally, the conversation was sparse. So, when Yan Xiu saw Nangong Mu, he greeted coldly and Nangong Mu responded flatly.
It seemed…
Very awkward.
But this did not affect the liveliness of Ping Yang Residence.
Because in Ping Yang Residence, there was Ping Yang, a chatty lady who couldn’t stop talking. And Wen Dabao, who was thrown out from his home.
Wen Dabao was pitiful.
He said so himself.
According to him, the Law Council was especially busy at this period, with so much work to handle., and this made him an eyesore to his father, Wen Chuan.
The reasoning was simple.
The father was working to death, yet he had a useless son idling away around him. Anyone would have been sickened by this and gave him a scolding.
When scolding wasn’t enough, Wen Chuan threw him out.
Out of sight, out of mind!
Then Wen Dabao wailed pitifully at the entrance of Ping Yang Residence, acting as if he didn’t have a home.
And coincidentally, he met Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Mu. Fang Zhengzhi didn’t mind this, neither did Ping Yang, so naturally, no one else did.
When he met Nangong Mu, his response was markedly different from Yan Xiu.
When Wen Dabao saw Nangong Mu, his expression was exaggerated, especially so as his eyes lit up when he saw the two scars on Nangong Mu’s face.
“What handsome ‘manly scars’, they are so cool!” Wen Dabao fawned over Nangong Mu.
At the same time, he used the words that Fang Zhengzhi often described himself.
To him, flattery like this could be interpreted as compliments. In fact, these words were coined by Fang Zhengzhi, using them would only be a good choice.
But when Nangong Mu heard this, he gave a plain response.
“Someone said they are ugly.”
“Who? Who dared to call Young Master Nangong ugly? Say it and I’ll bash him to death right now!” Wen Dabao turned angry with his arms akimbo, as if he were about to seek revenge.
“I said it.” Fang Zhengzhi spoke.
And then…
Nothing happened.
Because Wen Dabao had run to the corner at the far end of the room, his eyes locked on the food that the servant was bringing out. He was drooling, yet he did not dare take a step near it.
In the courtyard, the fragrance of the flowers wafted in the air, among the crisp sound of flowing water.
The dinner had been going on for more than two hours with no less than five pots of wine being drunk, but tacitly, no one mentioned the current state of imperial affairs.
This was a gathering of friends, and it had to be so.
Wen Dabao stared hungrily from afar, occasionally slapping himself for drooling so much.
Ping Yang seemed a little excited as she had a bit too much to drink. Her cheeks flushed a light pink, her skin sparklingly smooth, her pink lips tender and alluring.
“I’m very happy today, let’s have some fun!” Ping Yang said as she tilted to a side, waving her hands and fluttering her dress.
“Great, shall we go to Seven Stars Lane?” Wen Dabao’s voice immediately rang from a distance away, unable to contain his excitement.
After the incident at Seven Stars Lane a few days ago, he hadn’t visited there to enjoy music.
This made him a little moody.
Just like a person who was used to eating luxury delicacies suddenly could no longer enjoy such food and was only allowed to eat some wild vegetables. What a torture!
“Who suggested going to Seven Stars Lane?” Ping Yang stared at him.
“We’re not going to Seven Stars Lane? How then are we going to have fun?” Wen Dabao was puzzled. Well, to him, seeking fun and seeking girls didn’t have much of a difference.
“What do you say, shameless fellow?” Ping Yang ignored Wen Dabao and turned her attention to Fang Zhengzhi, asking him in anticipation.
“With regards to enjoying life… Besides merrymaking at brothels, feasting in Ping Yang Residence, what’s left is having fun!” Fang Zhengzhi replied after some thought.
“Yes, where shall we have fun?” Ping Yang’s eyes lit up.
“Shopping is one way to have fun, but shops are now closed for the night. Horse racing is another, but, again, now is not a good time for that. So…”
“So, what?”
“There’s only one way left!”
“What is it?”
“Murder and arson, theft and robbery!”
“Huh?!” Wen Dabao almost fell from a shock. To think of committing murder and arson in the dead of the night…
If his father knew about this, he would be the one getting killed!
But unlike Wen Dabao, Ping Yang wasn’t horrified. Instead, she was very excited and eager to do it.
“Great, what shall we burn?”
“The most heavily guarded place, of course.” Fang Zhengzhi didn’t spend any time thinking.
“The most heavily guarded? The palace is very heavily guarded, shall we set it on fire? But if I really burned the palace, Aunt Hua would…” Ping Yang seemed concerned.
Wen Dabao heard this and rolled his eyes.
To set the palace on fire…
Only Ping Yang would dare to say such a thing!
And most importantly, her concern wasn’t about being beaten to death for setting the palace on fire, but if it would implicate Aunt Hua.
A spoiled lady indeed!
Wen Dabao had no words for this, but he understood there was truth in Ping Yang’s words. Perhaps if Ping yang really set the palace on fire, the emperor would only scold her, right?
“If we can’t set the palace on fire, we can try other places.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded, equally concerned about doing so.
“Yes, yes, we should try other places!” Wen Dabao sighed in relief.
Ping Yang thought deeply once again.
“Try other places? Besides the palace, my residence is the second most heavily guarded place. I can’t possibly set my own residence on fire, right? No, that wouldn’t be fun. But the next in line should be… the Eastern Palace!”
“Eastern Palace?!”
This time, Wen Dabao was so shocked he fell on the floor.
“Your Highness, you can’t go to the Eastern Palace. That’s the crown prince’s residence, you’ll be beheaded if you burn it down!” Wen Dabao cried, with tears streaming down his cheeks.
He was absolutely astonished by Ping Yang’s audacious suggestions.
If not the emperor’s palace, then the Eastern Palace!
Indeed, it seemed exciting, but this would endanger lives!
“That’s true too. If I really burned down Third Brother’s residence, where would he stay?” Ping Yang realized this upon hearing Wen Dabao’s words, but soon, her eyes lit up again. “Oh, I could burn only one or two of his houses, then there should be no problem!”
“No problem?! How would there be no problem? Burning only one or two houses… Your Highness, that is the Eastern Palace! The crown prince’s residence!” Wen Dabao could never understand what she meant by “no problem”.
Burning two houses of the Eastern Palace!
No problem?!
“Hey, shameless fellow, I have decided to burn houses in the Eastern Palace. Do you dare to come?” Ping Yang ignored Wen Dabao’s cries, and instead, she challenged Fang Zhengzhi.
“Hmm, the Eastern Palace… Is it easy to enter?” Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang with a doubtful expression.
“Not easy… The Eastern Palace is not easy to enter. How about we change the place again? The Minister of Rites Du Wannian’s residence is easy to enter. Let’s burn his stable, there shouldn’t be a problem!” Wen Dabao gritted his teeth and suggested his former enemy instead.
He would never have dared to set houses on fire.
But…
With Ping Yang taking the lead, his status as the young master of an official wouldn’t be an issue. Furthermore, would Du Wannian spread the news of his stable being burnt down?
This wouldn’t kill Wen Dabao!
“The Eastern Palace is easy to enter, of course. I’ve been there a few times, it’s just that I didn’t tell you guys. I’m smart, am I not?” Ping Yang looked proudly at Fang Zhengzhi, brimming with confidence, as though she had not heard Wen Dabao.
“Your Highness, but it’s you!” Wen Dabao could tell why she was able to enter the Eastern Palace for a few times. She was Ping Yang after all.
Even if she was seen by the Eastern Palace guards, what could they do?
But it would be different with Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and others. How would the Eastern Palace guards simply let a group of people in?
“Shut up!” Ping Yang shouted with an icy stare. “I have already burnt the Law Official’s residence, how could I burn a Minister’s residence? Wen Dabao, if you are scared, then leave now, and don’t ever come back to my residence again. We don’t welcome you!”
“Princess…” Wen Dabao felt aggrieved.
Ping Yang once again turned toward Fang Zhengzhi. She reached for a bottle of wine and gulped a mouthful, provoking Fang Zhengzhi.
“Yan Xiu, what do you think?” Fang Zhengzhi did not respond to Ping Yang, instead, he turned to Yan Xiu for his opinion.
“Go ahead.” Yan Xiu nodded.
“Nangong Mu, are you coming?” Fang Zhengzhi returned the nod and turned to Nangong Mu.
“If you guys are going, then I’ll join in too.” Nangong Mu answered after some thought.
“Let’s go.” Upon Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu’s agreement, he had also decided to give it a shot and promptly stood up.
But…
Wen Dabao couldn’t stand up.
Because his legs had turned to jelly.
Going to the Eastern Palace?
To burn it!
Did they need to play at such a high stake? With the Law Council already working on a few high-profile cases, should they add an Eastern Palace arson case to the burden?
“Yan Xiu, that is the Eastern Palace. The Eastern Palace!” Unwilling to give up, Wen Dabao stood up, ran to Yan Xiu and pleaded him.
“Yes, I know.” Yan Xiu nodded emotionlessly.
“And yet you’re going?” Wen Dabao asked.
Yan Xiu did not reply. He stood up and walked beside Fang Zhengzhi, without any intention of retreating.
Looking at Yan Xiu, Wen Dabao was at a loss for words.
Then he pinned his last hopes on Nangong Mu.
“Your Excellency Nangong, it’s the Eastern Palace, the crown prince’s residence. If this matter had spread to the Nangong Nobles, it wouldn’t be good for you, right?” Wen Dabao asked worriedly.
“Not a problem, in the worst case, I’ll just kneel on the grave for two more years!” Nangong Mu nodded, unperturbed by his concerns.
“…” Wen Dabao moved his lips. He wanted to say something but was stopped by Ping Yang’s glare.
But this did not stop him from screaming out in his mind.
It’s the Eastern Palace! The crown prince’s residence!
Did they really have to play at such a high stake? Burning the Eastern Palace in the middle of the night could kill someone!
Chapter 544: Something More Exciting
…
Wen Dabao wanted to stop them so badly, yet he couldn’t. Because Ping Yang had made this decision. Fang Zhengzhi did not object, and neither did Yan Xiu nor Nangong Mu.
So…
He could only reluctantly follow behind them.
Fortunately, Ping Yang did not brazenly enter the Eastern Palace. Instead, she changed into a black suit and masked her face with a black veil.
To witness her petite figure under the tight black suit was a small achievement indeed.
Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and Nangong Mu changed into black suits too. With their faces covered by veils, they were unrecognizable.
Wen Dabao was the last to follow, and at this moment he had to be quick and agile in covering up his face and body. He even smeared black coal on his face for better concealment.
The team of five walked out of Ping Yang residence and dashed to the Eastern Palace.
The Eastern Palace was near the emperor’s palace. With Ping Yang residence so close to the emperor’s palace, the Eastern Palace was in fact not far away from Ping Yang residence.
In a moment…
Under Ping Yang’s leadership, the team of five followed a secret path into a remote corner of the Eastern Palace.
With the aid of the moonlight, they leaped over a wall and silently made their way into a cluster of guesthouses in Eastern Palace.
Everything went successfully.
Ping Yang wasn’t boasting indeed. From choosing the best position for climbing over the wall to the accurate grasp of time, everything seemed effortless to her.
“How was it? Easy as I said, right?” Ping Yang blinked her sparkling eyes, showing off to Fang Zhengzhi behind her.
“Yes.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.
Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu exchanged looks but remained silent.
But Wen Dabao had been sweating buckets. Although his expression was concealed, his eyes darted back and forth, assessing the area warily, while shivering in fear.
“The Eastern Palace… I have really entered it…” Wen Dabao was petrified. Well, he could only be petrified. If his father knew of this, he would be beaten to death.
“Which house shall we burn?” Ping Yang looked around. They were at a part of the Eastern Palace which was not very well-guarded.
And not many people passed by here.
These guesthouses were usually for esteemed visitors or guests of the crown prince’s residence during their stay here. No one else stayed in these houses.
“There is no one here, let’s burn this place. And it’ll be easy to leave once we’re done.” Fang Zhengzhi pointed at an uninhabited two-story house a short distance away.
“Alright, let’s burn this place and leave immediately!” Wen Dabao agreed.
“Burn this place? Wouldn’t it be too easy?” Ping Yang was unsatisfied. “I made this effort to sneak here, to just burn this and leave? Not fun at all!”
“Your Highness, burning anywhere would be the same. But most importantly, if we burn this place, we could run away right after we are done and not get caught. This is the best place!” Wen Dabao advised.
“Would I be scared of getting caught?” Ping Yang said unhappily.
“Your Highness, of course not. But… but…” Wen Dabao wanted so badly to say that he was scared, but the remained silent after seeing Ping Yang’s death stare.
“How about we burn a house between the guesthouses and middle houses?” The taciturn Nangong Mu suggested.
“Okay, let’s follow Nangong Mu’s suggestion, we’ll find a place to burn after we leave these guesthouses!” Ping Yang was still unhappy but eventually compromised.
But…
At this moment…
A voice emerged from a hidden corner far away.
“Who are you? How dare you…”
The voice wasn’t loud, but it was extremely stern.
Wen Dabao jerked in shock. Obviously, they were noticed.
The Eastern Palace!
What a heavily guarded place!
Although it was just a cluster of guesthouses, there were many covert guards keeping watch. They were eventually discovered in the midst of a soft discussion.
But this voice didn’t finish its sentence.
Because when it spoke, Nangong Mu dashed over in an instant.
All that could be heard was a crack.
And the voice immediately vanished.
Nangong Mu was fast and efficient without any flamboyant display. Then, a body in the Eastern Palace guard’s armor was dragged out.
“It’s alright now.” Nangong Mu pointed at the unconscious guard, his voice bland and expressionless as if he never fought.
Wen Dabao was bewildered.
It’s alright?!
The five had just entered the cluster of guesthouses and they were noticed. Had they taken a few steps further, wouldn’t they be beaten up?
“Your Highness, we…” Wen Dabao was on the verge of tears.
“Let’s go.” Ping Yang looked ahead and walked toward the exit of the cluster of guesthouses as though she hadn’t heard Wen Dabao’s cries.
“Young Master Fang…” Wen Dabao begged Fang Zhengzhi instead.
“Relax. I am here, everything will be fine.” It was a rare instance of Fang Zhengzhi consoling Wen Dabao.
But this made Wen Dabao more fearful. He wanted to say that it was exactly because Fang Zhengzhi was here that would complicate things. If a fight broke out, where would Fang Zhengzhi run?
Wen Dabao clearly remembered, when they were leaping over the wall, Fang Zhengzhi was the slowest. To put in more accurately, he “climbed” over the wall.
Yet, he didn’t dare say it.
It was suffocating, yet utterly hopeless.
Even more hopeless was the fact that, despite knowing these, he still had to follow behind Ping Yang, Fang Zhengzhi, and others. He had no way out.
…
Eastern Palace, the crown prince’s residence. In the place where the crown prince lived.
It was just a cluster of guesthouses, but it was big enough for the group of five to reach the gate after 15 minutes of walking in the dark.
And in the process, Nangong Mu and Yan Xiu each killed two sentries in hidden corners.
Both moved superbly fast.
But Wen Dabao’s face was still pale as ever. The black coal he smeared on his face could never mask the fear in him. His shirt was completely wet from sweating so much.
Ping Yang was a little intoxicated and walked a little unstable, but Wen Dabao’s gait was worse because his legs were weak from fear.
Away from the guesthouses, it was better lit outside.
Occasionally, Eastern Palace guards dressed in shining armor patrolled these interweaving alleys with torches in their hands.
“This is really fun!” said Ping Yang as she looked at the teams of patrolling guards. Her eyes gleamed with excitement.
“Fun? Oh yes, this is fun indeed…” Wen Dabao said, absolutely depressed. She was having fun while his heart was in his mouth.
“Hey, shameless fellow. Let’s do something more exciting. Haven’t you always said that I can’t win you? This time, I’ll show you what is true power. Do you dare to have a competition with me?” Ping Yang ignored Dabao and challenged Fang Zhengzhi.
“You’re still playing?!” Wen Dabao wailed as a stream of tears flowed down his cheek.
Fang Zhengzhi did not object, instead, he simply asked a question.
“What are we competing?”
“It’s simple. Let’s see who’ll reach there first!” Ping Yang pointed to a pavilion engulfed in darkness far away.
A house without any lights.
Erected some distance yonder and surrounded by a few towering trees, it seemed significantly more mysterious compared to the other houses.
It didn’t take long for Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu to realize that Ping Yang wanted to set that pavilion on fire.
An unlit pavilion was the best target. As a matter of fact, burning a pavilion in the Eastern Palace didn’t matter much to her.
But she didn’t have any intention to burn anyone alive.
Although Ping Yang was willful, she was very particular in this matter.
But Wen Dabao did not feel this way. He would rather find a lighted house to set on fire, because that pavilion was too far away, and this made him anxious.
“Alright, I’ll let you go first.” Fang Zhengzhi looked at the pavilion and simply nodded without much thought.
“Haha… then I’ll make my move first!” Ping Yang didn’t bother being modest with Fang Zhengzhi. She rushed ahead and started following the grass by the side of the alley, moving in the direction of the pavilion.
Fang Zhengzhi saw Ping Yang scuttling over there, but he made no effort to chase her. Instead, he turned to Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu.
“I believe that once the Eastern Palace is on fire, panic would ensue. So, we need a few people here to secure a path to our exit.” Fang Zhengzhi pointed at the cluster of guesthouses behind them.
“Yes, we need a path to exit!” Wen Dabao agreed immediately.
Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu exchanged looks. From their expressions, it seemed that they wanted to follow Fang Zhengzhi.
“Yan Xiu, your Dao of Asura would attract too much attention. It would be better for me to follow Fang Zhengzhi!” Nangong Mu suggested before Yan Xiu could speak.
“Okay.” Yan Xiu nodded after some thought.
“This shall be the plan. Nangong Mu, you must protect Ping Yang from any harm.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.
“Rest assured. I fully understand.” Nangong Mu agreed.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you the one who needs the most protection?” Wen Dabao did not understand why Fang Zhengzhi would let Nangong Mu protect Ping Yang.
And more importantly, from what Fang Zhengzhi had said…
It seemed as if he would not be together with Ping Yang!
What was he trying to do?
While he was lost in his thoughts, Fang Zhengzhi moved. But he didn’t move toward that pavilion. Instead, he was heading to somewhere more secluded.
“Fang…”
Just as Wen Dabao started to speak, he saw Yan Xiu’s icy glare, which stopped him immediately.
“We’ll stay here.” Yan Xiu said coldly.
“Okay.” Wen Dabao nodded earnestly. When he wanted to look at Fang Zhengzhi, he had already disappeared.
How did he suddenly disappear?
Where did he go?
Wen Dabao was puzzled.
At this moment, Nangong Mu moved. With great agility, he lay on the floor like a leopard and started charging in Ping Yang’s direction.
Wen Dabao suddenly had a different thought.
“You guys are actually…”
“Fang Zhengzhi never does something without reason. Especially something dangerous.” Yan Xiu replied before Wen Dabao could finish his sentence.
Dumbfounded, Wen Dabao did not continue. He looked at the teams of Eastern Palace guards with their torches, dazed.
“Then… is it really okay for Young Master Fang to be alone?” After some time, Wen Dabao finally snapped back into reality.
Yan Xiu did not answer Wen Dabao. He stood in his position silently, staring at a palace far away which was significantly more heavily guarded.
And suddenly…
A torch lit up in the night. Unlike the other torches held by the guards, this fire only grew bigger by the second.
Red flames rose toward the skies.
“Whoosh!”
The whole Eastern Palace was lit up by this ball of fire, which cast a bright reddish glow on numerous pavilions and the faces of countless patrolling guards.
A sunset is infinitely glorious, except for the impending dusk.
This sentence is often used to describe a sunset. The beauty of a sunset lies in its reddish glow in the horizon. And currently, the Eastern Palace had such a ‘sunset’.
Because half the sky was cast in the same glorious reddish glow.
Accompanying this glow was a searing heat wave emanating from the fire.
Countless guards watched the rising ‘sunset’, so shocked they were stunned. Beside these guards were servants and maids working in the crown prince’s residence.
No one understood what had just unfolded. Everyone just stared at the blazing inferno with their jaw dropped, absolutely astounded.
Until a terrifying exclamation rang from the crowd.
“Fire!”
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Chapter 545: The Highest Level of Arson
“There’s a fire?”
“It’s burning!”
These voices, initially full of doubt and disbelief, slipped into the realm between reality and imagination.
After all, to them…
What they had just witnessed was unbelievable.
A fire broke out in the Eastern Palace! And it was such a big fire!
Who could believe it?
Though the Eastern Palace guards also couldn’t believe what had happened, being highly professional guards, they grasped the situation at hand and reacted immediately.
The guards rushed toward the burning pavilion.
Meanwhile, the servants prepared the soil need to extinguish the fire. The scene was hectic, but not messy.
“Put out the fire, quickly!”
“Leader of Team 3, bring your team to the pavilion, salvage whatever that could be salvaged, now!”
“Yes!”
“Team 5, you’ll evacuate the crowd! Team 6, seek our special guests for help!”
“I’ll report to His Highness immediately!”
“Go ahead!”
Under these instructions, the guards played their parts, may it be putting out the fire, salvaging the goods, or notifying the crown prince.
At this moment, Crown Prince Lin Tianrong fretted as the commotion outside disturbed him.
And of course…
Most importantly, he could see the reddish glow through his window.
“Fire broke out?” Lin Tianrong was under the weather. In fact, his mood was terrible from bottling up all that rage within him.
If this had happened in the past, a fire breaking out might surprise him, but it wouldn’t anger him.
But today he was furious!
The fire sparked his rage. Like a pot of oil poured into a fire, his fury was ignited.
“Snap!”
The study’s door was kicked open.
Lin Tianrong stepped out of his study and looked in the direction of the fire. With a glance, he froze momentarily.
It wasn’t due to the importance of the burning pavilion.
But the substantial size of the fire.
“Your Highness, fire… a fire broke out!” At this moment, a guard rushed toward Lin Tianrong, apparently petrified.
“A bunch of idiots!” Lin Tianrong berated. He then kicked the guard’s face, which sent him flying 6 or 7 meters away.
He was bleeding profusely.
Yet, he did not complain.
After that painful kick, he crawled on the floor as if he was fainting.
Indeed, the guard had the smarts. After completing his job of reporting to the crown prince and sensing something was wrong, he faked unconsciousness to avoid further trouble.
But it seemed Lin Tianrong was angrier than usual.
Seeing the guard unmoving on the ground, his fury intensified. With a flip of his hand, he was now wielding a sword.
“Useless scum, you dare to feign death in front of me?” Lin Tianrong hollered as he walked toward the guard.
The sword shone an icy gleam under the moonlight, then it appeared on the guard’s throat, piercing through it from the back of his neck and emerging from the front.
The guard’s hands and legs jerked a little, his eyes full of disbelief.
Usually, when Lin Tianrong was angry, these guards would avoid excessively provoking him, feigning death or hiding away, and their lives would be spared.
But today, it was different.
He wanted to speak, but the coldness in his throat didn’t allow him any movement. It was at this moment that he realized something.
When the guard reported here, his death was impending.
Whether he feigned death or not, he had to die. Because Lin Tianrong never intended for any bearer of such news to live.
“It pierced!”
The sword was then withdrawn from his throat.
Without even glancing at the guard, Lin Tianrong walked toward the burning pavilion, with his sword still dripping blood.
This was the difference between those had power and those who didn’t.
Sometimes, there was no need for a reason to kill somebody.
If there had to be one, it was simply because he was the crown prince. His controlled the lives of everyone in the Eastern Palace.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness!”
“…”
While the people around the crown prince greeted him, screams reverberated in the air.
Lin Tianrong’s sword was cold.
And stained by the blood of many slain under it.
The guards, servants, and maids stood rooted to the ground. One by one, they fell by the blade of his sword. They could only beg, in their hearts, that Lin Tianrong would eventually stop.
“It pierced!”
“It pierced!”
“…”
After killing seven guards and servants, Lin Tianrong’s shirt was stained by a few drops of blood, and this made him unhappy.
As the mighty crown prince, he could kill people, but he hated his clothes stained with too much blood.
“Dispose of them!” Lin Tianrong threw his sword away, before wiping the bloodstains on his shirt onto a slain guard’s armor.
“Yes!” A few guards did as they were told and dragged the bodies away.
At the same time, a few servants brought pails of water and washed away the blood on the floor. Another servant quickly brought a cape.
Everything seemed so natural.
And no one dared to say a single word.
…
When Lin Tianrong reached the pavilion, the fire had already been put out. The smell of smoke and ashes of burnt wood wafted through the air.
Countless guards and servants stood in front of the pavilion, shivering in fear.
There were also a few middle-aged men who dressed very differently from the guards and servants. One of them, who wore an exquisite shirt, even showed a tinge of haughtiness.
They were special guests of the crown prince’s residence.
If it were the guards’ and servants’ efforts alone, the fire could never be extinguished.
After all…
This fire was too big.
The entire pavilion was ablaze, together with trees surrounding it. Even neighboring buildings a few meters away were affected.
Imagine if the special guests hadn’t lent a helping hand, the fire wouldn’t have burned only this pavilion.
“Who was responsible for guarding this place?” Lin Tianrong said as he looked at the remains of the pavilion, his fury rose once again.
A fire broke out in the Eastern Palace!
How would have imagined this?
For the royal family, this meant gross negligence and mismanagement, and their reputation would suffer for this. And to the commoners, this incident would only be a subject of mockery.
“It’s… me… and this…” A guard rushed out from the crowd and kneeled in front of Lin Tianrong fearfully.
“Drag him out!” Lin Tianrong sent him flying from a forceful kick without giving him the chance to continue. Then his gaze swept across the crowd. “Why did fire break out?”
“This…”
All the guards and servants looked at one another.
They could tell that Lin Tianrong was extremely furious and they didn’t wish to die. Yet, they knew that if they didn’t give an explanation, they would all die.
Together with their families.
A guard stepped forward and was ready to speak, but a was overtaken by one of the special guests. He shook his head to the former.
The guard was instantly relieved and promptly stepped back into the crowd.
“Your Highness, this fire wasn’t the fault of the guards. Someone deliberately burnt the pavilion!” The guest reported confidently.
“Deliberately burnt the pavilion? Why do you say so?” Lin Tianrong glanced at the guest, then the charred pavilion, squinting in doubt.
“There were powerful incendiaries on the ground. It was obvious that someone had planned well for this.”
“What are you waiting for? Seal all exit routes in this palace. We must catch the arsonist!” Lin Tianrong ordered without hesitation, his voice cold and emotionless.
“Yes!” The guards sprang into action and rushed to their positions.
But…
They hadn’t run far when they suddenly stopped.
Because at this moment, another blaze emerged. As if the sun was called summoned back above the horizon after it has set.
And suddenly, there was a mysterious, massive gust of wind.
The night…
Was silent!
But this wind howled deafeningly.
“Whoosh!”
The gale blew across the skies, creating a fiery arc from the inferno. The fire spread to a few neighboring pavilions.
Everyone froze their gaze upon such a sight.
They were petrified, and even Lin Tianrong was dazed. Because no one had would’ve imagined the arsonists hadn’t escaped!
Instead, they had set another building on fire!
And most importantly, it was Lin Tianrong’s study!
The guards and servants were bewildered.
This was the true meaning of adding fuel to fire. When Lin Tianrong was at the height of his rage, yet another pavilion was lit on fire.
Such audacity, such arrogance.
At this moment, everyone was terrified. They could feel Lin Tianrong’s intense fury and his uncontrollable urge to kill.
The Eastern Palace’s dignity had been utterly insulted.
“If the arsonist is not caught, all of you will die!” Lin Tianrong’s voice rang once again, though seemingly uncontrollable.
The mighty crown prince of the Great Xia Dynasty…
Was utterly overcome by rage.
No one could swallow such an insult. Setting fire to the Eastern Palace in the dead of night, and instead of immediately escaping after doing it…
They did it once more!
A contemptuous act against the Eastern Palace.
The few special guests exchanged looks in disbelief. But they did not stay on for long.
As a matter of fact, they weren’t sure if it was a deliberate act of arson in the first place.
After all…
This was Yan Capital, home of the emperor, and the security of the Eastern Palace was only second to the emperor’s palace and Ping Yang residence.
Then, who would set this place on fire?
Hence, their first reaction would be to put out the fire instead of searching for the arsonist. But upon seeing the ashes on the ground, they were shocked.
Shocked at this person’s fearlessness.
How bold would a person be to do such a thing to the Eastern Palace?
But they were now beyond shocked. Because they hadn’t escaped, even after drawing so much attention.
And instead, they started another fire.
Right at the center of the Eastern Palace!
Acts like this couldn’t be described by ‘fearless’. It should be ‘willfully seeking death’!
Some transformed into rays of light and zoomed toward the crown prince’s study.
With such an impressive speed!
By the lead of the few special guests, the guards started to move. Almost everyone rushed toward the study.
Because the arsonist had to be there!
They encircled the area, rushing in the direction of the study like a contracting ring.
Moving toward the center of the fire.
Of course, Lin Tianrong was in this too.
His face was flushing red, perhaps due to the glow of the fire, or maybe the pressure of his rage.
“If I don’t kill you today, I don’t deserve to be a human!” Lin Tianrong’s eyes gleamed viciously, his body emanating an aura of evil.
“Get away!”
A slower servant was kicked away by Lin Tianrong.
Then a gap was among the wave of people, where no one dared to come close. Because that was precisely the path of Lin Tianrong.
…
At the entrance of the cluster of guesthouses in the Eastern Palace.
Ping Yang, dressed in a tight black suit, spoke up. Her crystal-clear eyes were very alert, her alcohol-flushed cheeks had cleared up.
“This shameless fellow actually… actually… set Third Brother’s… study on fire?!” Ping Yang loved setting things on fire, as she had burnt no less than twenty houses in her life.
From the Nobles’ residences, Minister’s residences, to the General’s residence and Law Official Wan Chong’s residence.
But she had her principles. There were places she would never burn, like the emperor’s palace, her own residence, and few other places.
Including…
The crown prince’s study!
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bet FZ will say that he didn’t know that was the crown prince’s study!!
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Chapter 546: The Death Flame
Like the scales beneath a dragon’s throat, everyone has a sensitive, crucial, precious spot. And for Lin Tianrong, it was his study. Because it was the place where he had meetings with guests and discussed politics.
In other words…
The study was the heart of the Eastern Palace.
If a random building was burnt, Lin Tianrong would only lose some face. But with his study being burnt down, it was totally different. He felt as if someone had slapped him in the face.
Most importantly, the building’s furniture and decoration could be bought again, but how would he purchase the books, the letters from different people, and the memorials previously in his study?
Ping Yang understood this clearly.
Hence, she did not torch his study. But never did she expect Fang Zhengzhi to target precisely that.
Wen Dabao was also dazed.
Indeed, he saw Fang Zhengzhi running off to a different direction, but never would have imagined he would burn Lin Tianrong’s study.
“The study is burning? The crown prince… should be insane by now, right?”
“Definitely!” Nangong Mu nodded as he answered Wen Dabao. But he was full of doubt, too.
Because with his understanding of Fang Zhengzhi, this was not as simple as it seemed.
Fang Zhengzhi’s working style seemed willful indeed, but he would not do something without reason. And more importantly, Fang Zhengzhi did not like taking risks.
But what kind of place was the study?
It was at the heart of the Eastern Palace, located right in its center. It was, without any trace of doubt, the most heavily guarded place in the Eastern Palace.
And for Fang Zhengzhi to strike at such a place, it was the riskiest thing he could do.
The study…
Why would he burn the study?
Nangong Mu ventured a guess, but he couldn’t be sure.
Yan Xiu, on the other hand, seemed a little anxious. His guess was different from Ping Yang and Nangong Mu, but he also couldn’t be certain of Fang Zhengzhi’s intention of burning the study.
But it wasn’t his concern.
For him, since Fang Zhengzhi had burned Lin Tianrong’s study, he had his own reasons, and that was enough.
But now…
With the first fire creating such a huge uproar, how would he escape after lighting the second?
“I need to be there!” Yan Xiu moved as soon as he spoke.
Another figure moved, appearing right before Yan Xiu, without showing any expression.
“You cannot go.” Nangong Mu’s voice was as bland as it could be. He didn’t bother explaining, just this simple sentence.
And Yan Xiu stopped.
His clenched his fist and revealed a cold, arrogant expression. A ball of energy was moving through his body, emanating an aura of viciousness.
Upon seeing this, Wen Dabao tensed up.
At this juncture, if Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu fought due to differing opinions, who could stop them? They would likely attract the attention of the Eastern Palace guards.
And how then would they escape?
“Young Master Yan…” Wen Dabao was about to mediate the argument when he saw Yan Xiu return to his original position.
No longer had any intention to move.
This surprised Wen Dabao because he was very clear of the relationship between Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu, yet Yan Xiu was stopped by a simple sentence from Nangong Mu.
“We shall wait here!” Yan Xiu spoke.
“Good.” Said Nangong Mu.
Both didn’t say much and remained silent. The argument didn’t happen, everything seemed peaceful.
But Wen Dabao could tell…
Yan Xiu was obviously not at peace.
But he tolerated anyway.
…
Four special guests of the Eastern Palace rushed into the study, then split up to four different corners.
Then they saw a person.
He wore a black suit and his face was masked by a black veil.
His lanky figure projected a shadow under the moonlight. In the breeze, his fitting black suit didn’t make any noise. He looked exceptionally cool.
The four guests were astonished.
They exchanged looks in disbelief. Not only did he not escape, he stood at the entrance of the study.
It was…
At the center of the inferno, the most conspicuous place to be in.
“Are you the one who set the study on fire?” One of them looked at the masked man and asked, though he was certain of his behavior.
“Even a blind man could tell. Do you really have to ask such a question?” The masked man asked mockingly.
“I understand. Are you sure you don’t want to escape?” The guest nodded and asked again.
“Why would I need to run?” The masked man shot back.
“It seems you don’t care about life and death anymore. The next step is surrender, shall we help you with that?” The guest nodded again as he seemed to understand the masked man.
After all…
To him, how could someone expect to live after burning the Eastern Palace?
“What do you think?” The masked man smiled.
“In that case, we shall not embarrass ourselves by asking for your identity!” The guest spoke after some thought.
A man of sacrifice!
Every generation of dynasties had such men.
And it wasn’t uncommon. After all, these men were the best choice to deploy in risky battles.
In the eyes of the guests, this masked man was a man of sacrifice.
Hence, there was no point asking further.
He had been surrounded from four directions. As they did not want to kill him immediately, they waited…
Waited for Lin Tianrong to interrogate him personally.
The fire continued burning.
Winds were blowing uncontrollably, lifting sparks which were lit on trees and wooden fences.
Countless guards surrounded him.
They didn’t stand calmly in their position like the four guests. Instead, they started to put out the fire, though they were also shocked to see this.
Lin Tianrong finally reached.
He froze momentarily upon seeing the masked man, then his expression quickly transformed into one of extreme cruelty.
As if a predator had spotted a dying prey.
“I want him to be alive!” Lin Tianrong cut to the chase and didn’t bother asking who had sent him, or if he wanted an intact dead body.
Because at that moment he saw the masked man, he wanted to torture him and make his life worse than death, even if he begged for mercy.
“Yes!” The four guests acknowledged.
One of the guests steadily stepped forward. Suddenly, a blue ray of light flashed in the corner of his eyes, and in an instant, a flame appeared on his body.
A dark blue flame!
This flame was called the “Death Flame”.
Its name was derived from its properties. It was the fire of death. Besides the usual properties of fire, it could pierce through one’s skin and reach into his bones. He would burn from inside, as though submerged in lava.
The Dao of all Creation was infinitely complex.
There was the Big Dao and Small Dao. Among countless Daos were a few special ones which were created by the fusion of two Daos.
And the Death Flame here…
Was one of them!
As the guests of the Eastern Palace, how could they be merely ordinary people?
The other three guests looked at him, without any intention to step forward. They had the airs of masters as they were.
Though Lin Tianrong had given his orders.
“This is the last time I’ll say this. Surrender and I’ll spare you the torture!” The guest said with a hint of haughtiness, a trait developed by many years of subduing his opponent with sheer power.
“Oh, stop the nonsense.” The masked man replied plainly in a deep voice, his expression was calm like an underwater spring.
The guest did not continue.
Because actions didn’t require speech. Furthermore, with the masked man’s audacity, how could he grant any more mercy?
The dark blue flame intensified.
The flame charged at the masked man, pressing against him, while the guest transformed into a ray of light and fused with the dark blue flame.
Well, the use of force was not without brains too!
The guest appeared haughty, but he never underestimated his opponent. He was prepared to attack and defend at the same time. If his opponent overpowered him, he still had an opportunity to retreat.
But if his opponent was weaker than him…
The mighty Death Flame would torture him endlessly.
The flame attacked quickly.
In an instant, the flame appeared in front of the masked man, then wrapped around his body, with neither accidents nor resistance.
The other three guests were surprised.
Just like that?
That’s it?!
Wasn’t it a little too simple?
“Don’t! He’s deliberately seeking death!” One of the guests finally snapped back to reality and stopped the guest from attacking him.
“Don’t worry!” The attacking guest nodded.
In fact, he had realized this when the dark blue flame touched the masked man. And of course, he wouldn’t let himself be tricked by his opponent.
Death!
It wasn’t so simple.
And he didn’t wish for death upon his opponent.
The dark blue flame around the masked man didn’t withdraw immediately, instead, its intensity weakened. This meant torture, one that would make him wish for a quick, painless death.
But it was a pity that…
The envisioned screams and cries, or the begging for mercy, were nowhere to be seen. The masked man seemed calm, as though nothing had happened.
After a few deep breaths…
The guest seemed a little puzzled.
He understood perfectly how painful it felt when one was burned by the Death Fire. Even the strongest man could not tolerate it so quietly. But this masked man didn’t make a single noise.
He didn’t even move.
He looked like…
A statue.
Or rather, a dead man!
This made the guest suspicious. His body returned to its original position and withdrew the flame from the masked man.
Then…
He saw a pair of eyes.
The eyes were revealed through the masked man’s veil, and they were calm as ever. He looked at the guest quietly, with a hint of mockery.
“You… You’re alright?” The guest looked at the masked man. He couldn’t believe that actually happened.
“Yeah.” Replied the masked man plainly.
“How is this possible? It’s the Death Flame, able to burn in your bones and cause insufferable pain!” The guest’s body jerked as he was completely bewildered.
“Do you want to try again?” The masked man seemed to agree with him and suggested.
“You… I’ll kill you!” The guest was finally triggered. Never did he expect his mercy to be insulted.
Now he really wanted to kill.
The guest thought, if he accidentally killed the masked man in full force for his sheer arrogance, Lin Tianrong would pardon him, right?
With this line of thought, the flame rose again with thrice its prior intensity.
Then, the flame charged at the masked man once again, this time with a darker hue of blue.
It was smaller but more concentrated.
Pressing on the masked man, it wrapped around him once again. But this time, the guest would never show any shred of mercy.
Suddenly…
The masked man finally moved.
He took a slow step forward as if he had just exited a room.
And as the masked man moved, the flame around his body weakened.
He walked out from the flame!
Without a hint of injury, not even on his hair!
“You… how is this possible?!” The guest stared at him, his face ashen in disbelief. What a peculiar sight. He was so shocked he couldn’t think straight.
And what followed was even stranger.
After the masked man walked out of the fire, his eyes seemed to change. A blue spark lit up from within, slowly increasing in size, concentrating, and finally encompassing his pupils.
Then…
“Whoosh!”
A flame appeared beside the masked man. It was the same dark blue flame as the guest’s, but this was much stronger and powerful.
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Chapter 547: Heaven Dao! He Is Fang Zhengzhi!
The guest was stunned.
Not only the attacking guest, but the rest of the guests standing aside, and the guards and servants trying to put out the fire, too.
Even Lin Tianrong was shocked.
“Death Flame?! He actually… mastered the Law of Death Flame?”
“How is this possible? It’s a special flame, how… how could he master this?!”
“What is going on?”
No one understood the situation.
As the guards and servants of the Eastern Palace, naturally, they knew what a rare Dao the Death Flame was because it was a special Dao.
The attacking guest did not possess enormous power, only at the peak of Supernatural State, but he still held an important place in the Eastern Palace.
Thanks to the Dao of Death Flame.
But now, there was also another person with the Dao of Death Flame, how could such a coincidence happen?
The same Dao had collided.
The exact special Dao.
How would this not surprise everyone?
“Who exactly are you?” asked the guest with the Death Flame. He could not resist anymore, because the Death Flame was the sign of his identity and reputation.
Now, with someone who had also mastered the Death Flame before him, he could not help but ask for his identity.
“Do you wish to know?” The masked man asked with a smirk.
The guest froze. He wanted to say “yes”, but then he came to a realization. Since this man was already masked, he would not actually reveal his identity.
If he had revealed his identity…
Then he would have insulted himself.
“Go to hell!”
“Wait!”
Just as the guest was about to charge at the masked man, another guest spoke, his outstretched hand blocking the former.
Stunned, he looked at the guest who spoke.
The guest who spoke looked at Lin Tianrong behind him, and countless surprised guards and servants, then he said gravely: “Together!”
With a single sentence, he had doubted the attacking guest’s power.
This made the attacking guest clench his fists tightly. He glared at the masked man’s Death Flame and pursed his lips.
But he quickly relaxed his fists.
“Alright!” He nodded. He understood the meaning in the other guest’s words. He had lost. In fact, he had already lost when his opponent walked out of his Death Flame’s grasp.
Without hesitation, the remaining two guards lit their flames of different colors, ready to strike any moment.
Upon seeing this…
The guards and servants heaved a sigh of relief.
As the special guests of the crown prince’s residence, their powers were not weak at all. Even for the guest with the lowest level among the four, his special Dao reached the peak of Supernatural State.
And for the other three…
It was the Rebirth State!
Two with Rebirth beginning state, one with Rebirth intermediate state, and one with the Dao of Death Flame’s peak of Supernatural State.
If they attacked together in the Eastern Palace, how could the masked man escape? Besides, innumerable guards stood by behind the four guests.
“Prepare the arrows!” Lin Tianrong finally spoke.
Although he really wanted to capture the masked man alive, he could not risk him making an escape. Thus, he needed backup.
If the masked man managed to escape from the four guests, the arrows could lend a support.
Under Lin Tianrong’s orders, hundreds of guards armed with bows and arrows stood out from the crowd, each of them held a bow in their hands.
Then, razor-sharp arrows were mounted on the bows.
In fact, these were not average arrows, but specially enhanced arrows, one of the dynasty’s most powerful weapons. In the entire Yan Capital, only three places had these arrows.
The emperor’s palace, Ping Yang residence, and the Eastern Palace.
…
At the gates of the guesthouses in the Eastern Palace.
Ping Yang looked in the direction of the study anxiously. The fire was raging, and the study was completely charred. To make things worse, the fire seemed to spread outwards.
What a peculiar sight.
Ping Yang well aware of the Eastern Palace guards’ capabilities. It wouldn’t take too long for them extinguish the fire.
But…
The inferno that was engulfing the study had still not been extinguished.
And besides, countless guards gathered within the study, but they did not seem to be searching for the arsonist.
“Could the shameless fellow have been arrested?” Ping Yang had such a thought, but she dismissed it immediately.
Impossible!
This shameless fellow was so crafty, how could he be arrested this easily? He would’ve have planned his exit route before burning the study and then escaped.
It had to be like this!
But… why wasn’t anyone searching for him around the Eastern Palace? If he had escaped, knowing Third Brother’s character, the Eastern Palace would have been sealed.
Yet, why didn’t it happen?
Ping Yang’s worry compounded by the second.
In fact, it wasn’t just Ping Yang; Yan Xiu and Nangong Mu had the same thoughts too because the activity at the study was simply too strange.
The noise that they had expected could not be heard. Instead, it was peaceful, with so many people surrounding the study as if waiting for something to happen.
But, shouldn’t they be focusing on putting out the fire?
Could it be…
Something really happened to Fang Zhengzhi?
…
At the entrance of the study.
The four guests joined forces, attacking the masked man.
Three rays of light simultaneously charged towards from the sides and back of the masked man. At his front, a giant dark blue flame rose, ready to strike any moment.
The masked man finally moved.
He did not move as fast as the three rays of light, but he was retreating in the direction of the Death Flame. When the three rays of light approached him, he had moved beside the guest with the Death Flame.
“Die!” The guest with the growing Death Flame roared. If the masked man hadn’t moved, he would not have been attacked for all four guests at the same time.
But he had done so.
Thus…
It wasn’t the guest’s fault.
With a mighty fist engulfed in Death Flame, strengthened by the insults against him, he struck mercilessly toward the back of the masked man’s head.
Even if he didn’t die, he had to be unconscious.
And it was approaching!
Though the punch had reached the back of his head, the masked man continued retreating toward the guest, as if he didn’t notice at all.
“Go to hell!” The guest with the Death Flame yelled.
The fiery fist crashed on the back of the masked man’s head.
And then…
Nothing.
Because when the guest with the Death Flame was delivering his punch, he suddenly stopped, as if he was frozen in time.
He was completely shocked.
He couldn’t believe this. What had happened to his body? Why couldn’t he move at all? He felt like he had been shackled.
Completely unmovable.
What was going on?
Thoughts raced through his mind. A stoppage in energy? No. Even in the event of an energy stoppage, this wouldn’t happen.
Then it could only be…
“Heaven…”
A thought flashed through his mind. A scary thought. Too scary for him to say it.
And at this time, the masked man turned his head around and squinted at him.
His glance…
It was definitely an expression of mockery as if he was staring at a mentally challenged person.
Then, the masked man disappeared.
He swiftly moved behind the guest with the Death Flame without any hint of resistance.
“No!” The guest with the Death Flame screamed in his mind.
But it was too late. Because the three rays of light had charged into him.
“Boom!”
A terrifying blast wave rose from the collision.
The guest with the Death Flame stood still, unable to move. He could only let the three rays charge into him.
He couldn’t even fall back to cushion the impact.
As if he was against an imaginary wall, he had to bear the full force without a chance of moving backward.
“Splat!” Red blood was spilled from his mouth and into the air.
The guest with the Death Flame could not believe this. But far greater than disbelief was the extent of his shock.
At this moment, he had ascertained his guess.
The masked man was more powerful than him.
By a huge margin.
“You are…” The guest with the Death Flame wanted to voice this out, but he could feel his energy drain rapidly.
His chest!
On his chest was a fist that had smashed his heart into pieces.
He could only look at himself with incredulity.
Was he dying?
Many thoughts flashed through his mind. He had been a genius since young and grown up in a respectable family.
But his family was killed.
Stomped out by the imperial army.
And from then on, he became a fugitive wandering in the streets. Until he came to the Eastern Palace, became a special guest, and changed his name.
Because he knew perfectly well who had killed his family.
The current emperor’s sixth son, Lin Xinjue.
He did not have the ability to take a revenge, so he could only stand behind someone who was powerful enough, even if this person was equally as cruel.
But he still stood by this person, because he was the crown prince. When he ascended the throne, then he could have a chance at revenge.
But now…
He was dying.
Looking back at the things he had done in the Eastern Palace.
Like a puppet, he followed all kinds of evil orders by the crown prince and assassinated many officials who were of no use to him. Of course, he was also rewarded well.
For example, kidnapping an official’s daughter, or when he had killed an official, he toyed with his concubine for three days and three nights before killing her.
He was an obsessive gambler and squandered his money freely, but no one dared to stop him.
Because he was supported by the crown prince.
But now, it was all coming to an end. He could never avenge his family, and his sins had caught up to him. His life reached an end.
No one would erect his gravestone, and no one would pity him. No one would remember his birth name, because he was the just a guest, one who had changed his name and followed the crown prince around.
“Idiots, a bunch of idiots!” Lin Tianrong’s voice rang aloud. His sharp voice drained every remaining ounce of energy he had.
Indeed…
It had already been decided so when he could help the crown prince kill anymore, even though he had killed so many for him.
Idiots!
So that was his name right before his death?
“Heaven Dao. You possess Heaven Dao, and you dare to set a fire in the Eastern Palace and burn the study. There is only one person who can do all of this, right?”
The guest with the Death Flame really wanted to turn and look at the masked man behind him.
But he could not.
Yet…
He was already satisfied.
Because he had managed to guess the masked man’s identity. A person whom everyone had forgotten and believed he was crippled.
A disabled man and an idiot!
What ludicrousness!
His lips curled as he smiled mirthlessly. He didn’t say the masked man’s name because he no longer had any more energy to do so.
“Fang Zhengzhi!” The guest closed his eyes slowly. Never did he expect that his name would be the last thing on his mind as he left his world.
But it was the only thing he could think of.
“Useless idiots! Kill him now!” Lin Tianrong shouted. He did not know how the masked man did all of these.
But he saw it very clearly.
The masked man had used the guest with the Death Flame as a shield against the attack of the other three guests, who had reached Rebirth State. This made surprised him and angered him further.
Lin Tianrong’s voice echoed in the night.
All the guards and servants gaped at the falling guest and the black figure behind him.
While the three guests with Rebirth State stared closely at the masked man.
They did not understand why the guest with the Death Flame did not grab him but allowed the masked man to move behind him. Furthermore, he did not dodge when the three of them attacked.
“How did this happen? His movements weren’t quick at all!” The three guests exchanged looks, completely baffled.
Chapter 548: Blood
Besides doubt, there was only astonishment. Absolute astonishment.
To the three Rebirth State guests, battles and murders were part of life, and they had learned the relationship between killing and being killed.
Therefore…
They had never once underestimated their opponents.
Even if they have realized early on that their opponents were not as powerful as them, they would not show any mercy or complacency.
And it was precisely due to this, that they were shocked at the strange sight that had unfolded.
After all, they were well-aware of the capabilities of the guest with the Death Flame. Although he had not achieved their level of mastery, in terms of technique and potential, he was not much weaker than them.
But now, the guest with the Death Flame had died.
Without any warning, he had died in front of them. He was killed by them when they could not stop the attack in time.
This made them extremely wary.
Normally, they would have stopped and tested their opponent’s abilities once more. After all, it was only a fine line between killing and being killed.
But Lin Tianrong’s voice reverberated in their ears with rising urgency.
“What are the three of you waiting for? Do you want to die with that idiot? Kill him now, I want him dead now!” Lin Tianrong’s rage shot through the roof.
Even when they had attacked together, the masked man managed to kill the Death Fire guest with the attack of others. How humiliating! If he wasn’t that weak, he would’ve fought.
The three Rebirth guests exchanged looks and immediately understood one another’s thoughts.
They did not feel any pity for the fallen guest.
Because when they first stepped into the Eastern Palace, they were fated to be a weapon. A weapon used by Lin Tianrong according to his whims and fancies.
And now…
They were still a weapon.
But one used by another person.
Blame? Hatred?
They had neither. Because, like the guest with the Death Flame, they had a history that no one knew of. If it wasn’t like this, with their Rebirth State abilities, why would they be a weapon so willingly?
“Kill him!” one of the guests shouted.
Without much nonsense or banter, this one phrase determined the path of their life, one which they could never turn back.
They still had the advantage of strength with three people.
Even if they had no advantage, or only one was left, they could not stop fighting. Because the result would be the same. It was either the masked man or them who had to die.
The three Rebirth State guards moved again.
But this time they did not attack from different directions, because they weren’t exactly clear how the masked man used their attacks to kill the other guard.
Since they weren’t clear…
It was an ambiguity.
And once was enough.
The trio stepped toward the masked man in the same direction. Rays of light emerged from their bodies in their respective colors: one red and the two green. Red signified flames.
The flames weren’t any special Dao, but they were a powerful, ferocious Dao. And when one had achieved the Rebirth State in the Dao of the flames, he could feel his opponent’s realization and control of the flames.
Green signified nature.
Nature is all-encompassing, with flowers, grass, vines, creepers…
But most importantly, nature arose from earth. Hence, when the two green light rays emerged, streaks of green lines simultaneously surfaced from the ground.
The green lines moved wildly, approaching the masked man’s legs.
With impressive speed.
The masked man stood calmly at his position as if he didn’t notice what was happening. In an instant, the green lines twisted around his legs, rooting him to the ground.
And at this moment, a ball of red flames reached in front of the masked man like a hungry predator about the devour his prey.
From the time the three guests moved to the ensnarement of the masked man, all happened in the blink of an eye, but it was in fact very visible.
A fiery red tooth pierced deep in the masked man’s throat, sizzling as it penetrated his skin.
The surrounding guards and servants heaved a sigh a relief.
“Is he dead?!”
“With the combined force of the three Rebirth State guests, his fate was sealed even if he managed to defeat the ‘Dark Death’ by luck.”
“Yes. It is impossible for a single person to survive this.”
The guards discussed softly as they carefully observed Lin Tianrong’s expression. After all, if the masked man was defeated, Lin Tianrong would calm down a little.
And the Dark Death they mentioned referred, of course, to the guest with the Death Flame.
A pseudonym.
No one knew his real name.
Lin Tianrong stared intently at the three guests and the masked man. He saw witnessed the flame piercing through the masked man’s throat, but his rage did not quell.
Setting the Eastern Palace and his study on fire.
How could such a rage be quelled just by a simple death? He was full of hatred. He didn’t want the masked man to die just like this.
If it was possible, he preferred slowly slicing the masked man apart with a knife.
But now…
He couldn’t care anymore.
Death!
He could still let him rot in public!
Lin Tianrong had decided that he would expose his corpse in the public for seven days. He wanted to let everyone know that the royal dignity was not to be messed around.
Those who infringed the royal dignity only had one end: death.
The sizzling noise emerged from the masked man’s body. It should have been a bloody sight, but strangely, it wasn’t so.
Because…
There was no blood!
When everyone saw the fiery tooth pierce his throat and heard the sizzle, they knew the masked man in front of them wasn’t just a persistence of vision. He did not dodge, but why had he not died upon such a blow?
This was their first thought.
But when they hadn’t the time to develop this thought, they noticed something peculiar: the masked man’s throat had no trace of blood.
They had seen it clearly: the fiery red tooth piercing deeply into his throat. By why was there no blood?
What a strange sight.
Everyone had the same doubts. Even Lin Tianrong was dazed. But there were no explanations for this.
And the most puzzled among them was…
Of course, the guest of the highest level of Rebirth State among the trio, the flaming guest.
“How is this possible?!” The flaming guest stared gravely at the masked man. He could not believe his eyes.
After all, he was certain that the fiery red really pierced his throat. He could feel it. Unmistakable.
But why…
Nothing happened?!
He could not comprehend.
The other two guests did not understand too. This level of strangeness had exceeded their knowledge. Even if one had seen it personally, it was hard to believe.
“Now, I want to see if you’re a human or a ghost!” One of the guests couldn’t resist anymore. With a motion of his hand, the green lines which previously entangled the masked man transformed into vines with the sharpness of knives. Then they pierced into his thighs.
And then…
Nothing happened.
Although the vines had pierced into his thighs, there was also no blood, not even a drop.
“What is going on?” The other guest who was holding the masked man down finally spoke. He could not make sense of this situation.
And at this time, the masked man shook his body and adjusted his neck, then looked at the green vines on his legs.
“So that was it?” The masked man said with a low voice. A relaxed voice with a hint of disappointment.
The guards and servants were utterly shocked.
Because they were certain that the masked man was not dead, and in fact, living well.
“What is happening?”
“He was obviously hit, but nothing happened to him?”
“What Dao is this? How have I never heard of such a Dao?”
The guards and servants were puzzled, but they were clear of one point. Since the masked man was still alive, all of these had yet to end.
They turned their attention to Lin Tianrong.
Just a glance was enough to make them shiver. Because Lin Tianrong has reached the peak of his fury, an air of unstable energy circulated around his body.
His expression was sinister as if his face radiated evil.
“Kill him, kill him! Shoot the arrows, now!” Lin Tianrong commanded without hesitation. He only had one single thought.
To kill the masked man.
To kill him regardless of anything.
Nearly a hundred archers heard Lin Tianrong and froze momentarily. Naturally, they looked at the three guests standing very close to the masked man.
But they eventually sprang into action.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
A series of arrows sprang out of their bows and into the air, gleaming brilliantly. Every arrow had a flowing light ray, and if one looked closely enough, he could see markings and symbols etched on it.
The arrows rained on the masked man and the three guests. With such a short distance, the archers did not have to shoot upward into the sky, instead, straight at them.
This also meant that the arrows’ force could reach its maximum.
The three guests were also shocked at Lin Tianrong’s order, and the wave arrows raining upon them.
But none of them spoke a word.
Because they knew that when Lin Tianrong gave these orders, he had already lost patience in them.
The trio gritted their teeth while the rays of light on their bodies transformed into shields, protecting them from the arrows.
But it was not the end.
And while the shields took shape, they charged at the masked man. They knew that the only thing that could stop these arrows was killing the masked man.
Although they still did not understand why this man hadn’t died, they had no time to think.
“Kill him!”
“Die!”
“Go to hell!”
The three guests shouted simultaneously, and in an instant, they have reached beside the masked man. One red fist and two green fists punched toward his heart.
The masked man did not move.
He was so close to them!
But the three guests did not slacken, because while their fists had not punched on the masked man, anything could happen.
Their fists were tight and merciless.
Finally, in the instant when their fists reached his chest, the masked man moved. He took a small step back.
With that, the red fiery tooth and the green vines that had entangled him were instantly withdrawn from his body.
“This…”
The three guests were shocked.
Although they had seen this happen to the guest with the Death Flame, now it happened to them.
It was still as shocking.
“Boom!”
The three fists collided with the fiery red tooth and green lines, instantly annihilating them while generating a powerful blast wave.
But the trio did not intend to stop.
Charge on!
And they chased toward the masked man.
And at this moment, something peculiar happened again. When the three of them smashed the fiery red tooth and sharp green vines, more green lines emerged from the ground.
And these lines were much thicker, as thick as fingers, and instantly, they completely entangled the three guests.
And now, the bright red flame rose again, but instead of one, now there were three fiery red teeth.
“You…”
The guests were stunned. It was a little too bizarre.
Perhaps it was not that surprising that the masked man mastered the Dao of the flames.
But to refine the flame into a bright red and transform it exactly into three fiery red teeth, it was certainly extreme.
They really wanted to ask, how would this happen?
But they didn’t get a chance. The three teeth were already in front of them and zoomed right into their throats.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
Three defeating blasts was accompanied by a brilliant glow that lit up the whole sky, while a terrifying blast wave radiated outwards.
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