On the shore of the ocean, on Dong Mountain, the umpteenth hurricane in the seventh year of the Qing calendar stopped without a sound. In the following period of time, this hurricane would bring rare rainwater to the Qing Kingdom, which was already showing signs of a slight drought. Furthermore, it was very gentle and did not cause too great a disaster.
After the attack of the storm, the old eaves of the old temple on the mountaintop had become a pile of ruins. The ground was covered in rubble. Mud and stone flew everywhere. It was a tragic sight to behold. The rainwater first washed over it and then quickly flowed down the mountain, forming sections of pure white waterfalls on the jade-like precipices.
Occasionally, there was a sliver of a faint blood-red color in the waterfalls. On the contrary, the mountaintop gradually became clean. There wasn't even a trace of the smell of blood left. Was such a scene created by the might of heaven or the Grandmasters' world-shaking battle?
In reality, it was the might of heaven. The sky above the summit of Dong Mountain had gradually revealed its true appearance. The thick black clouds were blown away by the strong wind. At a speed visible to the naked eye, they quickly moved toward the sky inland in the west. A bright and clear light once again descended on the summit of the mountain and onto the body of the most powerful man in the world by the precipice.
He was the most powerful person in the world, bar none.
No one dared to call him by his name because he was the Emperor of the most powerful Qing Kingdom. He was a famous general who had led an army on three Northern expeditions, forcefully breaking the Wei Kingdom into pieces, and completely changing the shape of the world's territories. He was the schemer who used the Emperor's schemes the most thoroughly, the most tolerant, and the most tenacious.
Just these three identities were enough for him to be called the most powerful person in the world. Furthermore, at the end of the Dong Mountain killing situation, his last identity was revealed.
The most mysterious of the four Great Grandmasters in the world, the strange creature rumored to have always guarded the Qing Palace and not come out. Sigu Jian had entered Jingdou alone but had been forced back by the Tyrannical power released by the Royal Palace, thus indirectly proving his existence.
It was the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom.
This was the Emperor's final trump card. Fan Xian had once been puzzled. Just what kind of foundation was the Emperor's powerful self-confidence and natural bearing built on? Many people were guessing at the Emperor's trump card. In the last moment, Fan Xian guessed that it was the Ye family, but he would never have guessed that this flipped trump card had the word "Grandmaster" written on it.
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Hong Sixiang was just a cover, a flagpole sticking out from the back of the palace, gently swaying in the dark wind of the night, attracting the attention of all the wise men. Without a doubt, this old eunuch was one of the strongest in the world. Otherwise, he would not have been able to kill the Hu assassin in the Floating Temple with one palm. However, it was difficult for an abnormal person to reach the peak of the Heavenly Path.
In order to kill Ku He and Sigu Jian in one fell swoop, the Qing Emperor and Eunuch Hong had worked painstakingly and cautiously for a full 20 years.
Old Eunuch Hong had already gloriously completed his mission of 20 years and turned into a bloody mist that filled the sky. Washed by the torrential rain and washed by the cool wind, it entered the white waterfall and fell into the East Sea. It entered the moist air of the forest and moistened the earth. His life essence, blood, and flesh all merged into the beautiful landscape of the Qing Kingdom and could no longer be separated.
Looking at the middle-aged man in the bright yellow dragon robe, the people present who had luckily survived all sank into a boundless shock. Everyone's throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible hand, unable to make a single sound.
Without question, the truth that had unfolded on the peak of Dong Mountain was the most shocking and world-shaking news since the sudden death of Lady Ye 20 years ago.
The ringing of the bell coming from the ruins of the ancient temple gradually grew weaker and calmed down.
Beside the roots of the large tree that had already been shattered into countless pieces of bark, the Northern Qi Imperial Advisor Ku He, dressed in tattered hemp clothing, looked calmly at the Qing Emperor at the edge of the cliff with a clear gaze in his eyes. The ruthless and Tyrannical zhenqi in his body finally calmed down as the ringing of the bell stopped. He knew that his internal organs and 13 meridians had already been invaded into a chaotic mess by this zhenqi.
Even the Temple would not be able to save him.
After understanding reality, he immediately accepted it. His dignity and state of mind as a Great Grandmaster made Ku He's expression very calm. He looked at the Qing Emperor and gently sighed. His eyes had already seen through everything. Everyone had lost. They had lost to the other party's 20 years of enduring and disguise.
This was a terrifying and respectable opponent. To be able to endure for so long and not let anyone catch wind of it, this made Ku He feel even more respect than the shocking truth that the Qing Emperor was a Great Grandmaster.
Ku He couldn't help but think of the numerous conversations he had with the empress dowager and the Emperor before he left Shangjing. At that time, his grandson had a bad omen. However, Ku He had still floated over because he and Sigu Jian had made ample preparations.
These two Great Grandmasters had not anticipated that the Emperor would make a move.
"Every trick and scheme has ended up costing you your life …" Ku He sighed gently. A smile of knowing his destiny rose to his face. Involuntarily, he quietly spat out a sentence that the child had recorded in a book. In terms of tenacity and endurance, of the millions of people in this world, there was no one with a heart stronger than the Qing Emperor's. Although he felt a glimmer of worry for his home, Ku He did not feel any regret losing to such an opponent.
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In the instant the Emperor made his move, Wu Zhu tightened his grip on the metal drill and immediately put it down. Having done this three times, he finally let go of the metal drill and placed his hands behind his back. The black cloth on his face fluttered in the wind and rain of Dong Mountain. During the Grandmasters' battle, everyone on the mountaintop knelt on the ground and used the trembling of their bodies to express their respect. Only he stood coldly and even somewhat woodenly, watching all of this from the sidelines.
Ku He sat under the tree while Sigu Jian rang the bell. Wu Zhu tilted his head slightly. On his usually expressionless face, the corners of his lips couldn't help but twitch.
The fact that the Emperor was a Great Grandmaster would certainly shock the entire world. However, Wu Zhu still only tilted his head and looked calmly at the Emperor through the black cloth like he was looking at a strange object. He did not look at him like he was the sun in the sky.
In this instant, Wu Zhu seemed to remember something but seemed to immediately forget it. His brows furrowed in a rare moment as he remembered something Chen Pingping had once said. After the assassination in the Hanging Temple, Chen Pingping had smiled and said he was going to let Wu Zhu watch a show. In the end, he did not see it.
What show? A show of the Emperor transforming into a Great Grandmaster? It looked like the secret that no one in the world knew had still been somewhat guessed by the old cripple closest to the Emperor. But, why did he have Wu Zhu put on this show?
Wu Zhu began to think. He had many things he wanted to ask the Emperor, but, for a moment, he didn't know where to start. He had so many thoughts that he couldn't pull out a thread. Furthermore, Dong Mountain was not truly calm. Although Ku He and Sigu Jian had been heavily injured, they were not dead. Given the Emperor's personality, since he had revealed his final trump card, he would not leave anything behind.
Thus, Wu Zhu broke off his thoughts and took a gentle step forward.
His step made everyone present feel a glimmer of fear and alarm. Although no one knew who this mysterious black-clothed figure was, the attitudes of the Great Grandmasters earlier had already made it clear that he was also a Grandmaster ace. In the current situation, if he suddenly attacked, the four Great Grandmasters, including the Emperor, would probably all fall into pools of blood.
Wu Zhu did not attack. He only looked calmly at the Emperor.
The real movement came from the depths of the ancient temple, at the end of the ruins, where the yellow cloth covering Sigu Jian suddenly moved. It was as if someone was trying to stand up under the yellow cloth.
After losing an arm and suffering from the Way of the Emperor's punch, could Sigu Jian still stand up? Had a Great Grandmaster's body truly surpassed the limits of mortals?
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and looked in that direction. Everyone followed the Emperor's gaze and looked in that direction. Ku He was no exception. However, the Imperial Advisor only smiled bitterly.
The yellow cloth was forcefully torn apart. A young man covered in blood crawled out from under the cloth. As he coughed, he tore the yellow cloth into strips. His face was determined and calm. Although it was covered in blood, there was not a glimmer of panic. Although he coughed endlessly, he did not stop the movements of his hands.
There were so many eyes on the summit of Dong Mountain, particularly powerful figures who far surpassed mortals, staring at him. However, it was as if he could not feel them at all. He only lowered his head and moved. He was not Sigu Jian. He was Sigu Jian's last disciple, Thirteenth Wang.
Once Thirteenth Wang set his mind on something, he would do it. He had never cared what other people thought or how they would stop him. Thus, as a disciple of the Sword Hut, he had accepted Fan Xian's orders and resisted the rebel army at the mountain gate. He had been sent flying dozens of feet by Ye Liuyun, but he still bravely climbed to the summit.
He was prepared to continue completing his mission when he saw his teacher's right arm cut off and fall to the ground.
Thus, he stood out and tore apart the yellow cloth strips. He carried his heavily injured teacher on his back and used the strips of cloth to bind him tightly. With a crack, his right hand chopped off a thin beam on the ground. Holding it in his hand, he walked out of the door of the old temple and faced everyone on the summit.
Sigu Jian lay on his disciple's body. A large, wretched hole had been punched through his abdomen. Fresh blood poured out and landed on Thirteenth Wang's body. Immediately after, it dripped to the ground.
There was a mournful smile on his face, but there was incomparable joy in it. He was on the body of his favorite disciple.
Thirteenth Wang, covered in blood, carried his blood-covered teacher. In an instant, the yellow cloth strips were dyed bright red. He held the thin beam in his hand. There was not a glimmer of fear on his face. He only stared fiercely at the middle-aged man in dragon robes.
His meaning was simple. He wanted to carry Sigu Jian down the mountain. Who would stop him?
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In the mouths of the storytellers of later generations, the battle on Dong Mountain that shocked the world and affected future generations was filled with too many strange changes and killings. The people who participated in this matter were all the most respected figures in the world. Thus, when they talked about it, they were particularly excited. Often, they couldn't finish talking for three days and three nights.
However, what they talked about in these three days and three nights was basically what happened in one second. In this second, the Qing Emperor suddenly attacked, Ye Liuyun was heavily injured, and Ku He and Sigu Jian had no way out.
All of the storytellers had forgotten a relatively minor character, Thirteenth Wang. For one, they didn't know the truth of the end of the Dong Mountain battle. For another, compared to these Great Grandmasters, Thirteenth Wang was an unremarkable character.
Although the Qing Emperor had used up a great deal of vital energy, given his Great Grandmaster realm, if he wanted to kill Thirteenth Wang, it would be as easy as lifting a hand.
However, Thirteenth Wang, this minor character, was still not afraid. He stared viciously into the Qing Emperor's eyes as he gripped the thin beam tightly in his hand. It was as if in the next moment, he was going to use the wooden stick he had picked up on the ground to give the Qing Emperor a shock.
Ye Liuyun, with a large wound in his abdomen, sat cross-legged not far from the Qing Emperor's side, circulating his qi to heal. Looking at this scene, he couldn't help the glimmer of a smile full of admiration appearing at the corners of his lips. He sighed and said, "What a young man."
Sitting cross-legged beside the broken tree, Ku He's bitter smile gradually became clear. No one knew if he was thinking of his true last disciple, Begonia Duoduo, who was naturally in harmony with nature. He smiled slightly and sighed in admiration. "Talented people appear in every generation, and the way of heaven changes. This is the principle."
The Qing Emperor looked calmly at the unfamiliar young man. A moment later, he smiled slightly. Then, he gently moved a step to the side and opened up a path for Thirteenth Wang, who was carrying Sigu Jian on his back. As an Emperor and a Great Grandmaster, he opened up a path for Thirteenth Wang.
The dying Sigu Jian opened his eyes with great difficulty and glanced at the Emperor. Some blood seeped out of his lips. The ruthlessness in his weak voice was still there. "How is my disciple?"
"Teacher, don't talk anymore."
Thirteenth Wang coaxed his teacher like he was a child. He did not immediately choose to go down the mountain after the Qing Emperor unexpectedly opened up a path. Instead, under everyone's shocked gazes, he walked to the Qing Emperor's side, lowered his body, and picked up something. He picked it up naturally as if the Qing Emperor, who was shining brightly, did not exist.
What he picked up was Sigu Jian's severed right arm and the normal sword.
Thirteenth Wang carried Sigu Jian on his back. In one hand, he held a severed arm and a sword. In the other, he used a thin beam as his usual green banner. Just like this, he disappeared from the stone path of Dong Mountain.
A moment later, the faint sound of Sigu Jian's wild singing and wailing, as well as a ruthless and sorrowful laughter, echoed through the mountain valley and did not stop for a long time.
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The Emperor could kill Thirteenth Wang and not do anything. It was not because he valued talent. Rather, it was because he knew the relationship between this young man and An. Sigu Jian laughed and cried. How could he not know this? A dying Great Grandmaster, in his last moment, still wanted to see if the Qing Emperor would make any mistakes.
The Emperor had not made any mistakes. There was no need for him to destroy Dongyi's future ahead of time and separate himself from the Qing Kingdom's future. Although Thirteenth Wang's determined state of mind moved him, he still did not think much of this young man.
He was as confident as ever, arrogant and confident. After today, no one dared to disrespect this confidence.
The Emperor knew that Sigu Jian was dead for sure. He knew what kind of damage a full powered punch of the Way of the Emperor would bring. Even if Sigu Jian could linger on for a while, what did a bedridden Great Grandmaster with a severed arm count for?
Of course, this was still not enough to explain why he would move out of the way. Given his personality, all enemies should be eliminated at the best opportunity. Fan Xian was also not the true reason he was considering.
The true reason the Emperor did not attack was because Wu Zhu had taken a step forward.
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Sigu Jian left. Ku He also left. He floated away. The Imperial Advisor of Northern Qi floated away to his homeland and painfully waited for the last few days of his life to be tormented. After this battle, two of the four Great Grandmasters in the world were gone. The power balance between the three powers had finally undergone an earth-shattering change. The biggest obstacle to the Qing Kingdom unifying the world would no longer exist.
It was not until Ku He had also left the summit of Dong Mountain did Wu Zhu slowly pull back his foot that had stepped forward and his silent threat.
In the entire world, only Wu Zhu dared to threaten the Qing Emperor at such a time.
The Qing Emperor looked at him calmly and warmly and said, "Lao Wu, I need an explanation from you."
In front of Wu Zhu, the Emperor naturally referred to him as Lao Wu and didn't refer to himself as "Emperor."
Wu Zhu slowly lowered his head. A moment later, he said, "I don't like it."
This blind Great Grandmaster had been recovering on the summit of Dong Mountain for over a year. He seemed to have remembered something. He became more and more talkative, and his expressions became more and more colorful. He was becoming more and more like a normal person. He also began to have emotions that a normal person should have, such as like and dislike.
However, his emotions were rather extreme and did not match the coldness on his face. If he didn't like it, then he didn't like it. Who cared about unifying the world? Who cared about the shocking situation you spent 20 years building? If he didn't like it, then don't do it.
"Young master told me to protect your safety." Wu Zhu raised his head and looked at the Emperor through the black cloth. "You are safe now."
It had been some time since he had called Fan young master.
The Qing Emperor's expression was calm. There was not a glimmer of anger. He knew that when Lao Wu and Ye Qingmei were in Dongyi, he had some old friendship with Sigu Jian. As for Ku He, he also knew that the young lady of the Fan family was still under Ku He's tutelage.
However, those two Great Grandmasters were already crippled and about to die. The Qing Emperor was not worried about anything. Calmly, he looked at Wu Zhu and said, "Lao Wu, come back to Jingdou with me."
Wu Zhu lowered his head and thought for a moment. A moment later, he raised it and said, "I remember some things, but I don't remember that that person was you."
That person was the person who had practiced the upper and lower scrolls of the Nameless Martial Secret. When Fan Xian was young, Wu Zhu had once told him about it. However, he didn't remember who had practiced it. Only now did he remember that it was the Qing Emperor.
The black cloth on Wu Zhu's face appeared particularly straight. "Goodbye."
Wu Zhu said this last goodbye to Ye Liuyun, who was sitting cross-legged and healing. After saying this, he gripped the metal drill at his waist with one hand and calmly walked toward the stone steps, beginning to descend the mountain. He didn't say another word to the Emperor. He also didn't express farewell to the old temple he had lived in for more than a year. He once again disappeared from the stone steps.
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Everyone had left. Only the Emperor stood alone on the summit of the mountain. Ku He and Sigu Jian were certain to die today. The plan of many years had been realized. His grand ambition to unify the world was about to begin. However, there was not much joy on the Emperor's face. He just stood quietly and welcomed the sun in the sky and the slightly damp sea breeze. He appeared somewhat lonely and desolate.
It was lonely to be at the top. It was difficult to find someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Regardless of who it was, in this instant, they would all feel a strange emotion.
However, this kind of emotion did not last long.
There were many people who had survived on the summit. Most of the officials who had come to worship heaven were still alive. More than half of the priests in the Qing Temple had survived. Although the battle between the Great Masters was incomparably mysterious, it was strangely controlled within a perfect boundary, other than the last punch and the temples that had been crushed.
Only now did the people on the summit shake off their shock. Given their eyesight, it was impossible for them to see clearly what had happened in that instant. Why was Sigu Jian's sword just about to pierce into the Emperor's body when immediately after, Sigu Jian's body was sent flying back like a piece of useless rock?
However, they at least knew one truth. The Emperor had won. Furthermore, he had won unusually thoroughly. In front of the Emperor's power, all schemes and tricks appeared weak and fragile. The future of the Qing Kingdom would be like the red sun in the sky above the summit, never sinking.
Their faces carried tears and ecstasy as they knelt to the ground and cried out "Long live!"
Amidst the cries, the Emperor was calm. His expression did not change at all. To Eunuch Yao, who was the first to stand, he quietly said, "Inform the foot of the mountain to begin … to act."
"Inform the Director to begin."
"Yes."
"Send a secret edict to Yanjing. Order Mei Zhili to temporarily act as regent. Order the Western Camp to press toward the Song border. Order General Shi Fei to bring the edict earlier to the Northern Expedition Camp in Cangzhou to take over the Northern Expedition Army."
"Yes."
"Inform Xue Qing to select a number of able officials to go to Luozhou. Tell him that I will wait for him in Hou Yongzhi's manor."
"Yes."
The Emperor had not lost his head at all from today's great victory. Instead, he calmly gave out order after order. The news to Chen Pingping had to be the earliest and the Northern Expedition Army had to be controlled. As for Dongshan Road …
As Eunuch Yao lowered his head in acknowledgment, he felt a chill in his heart. It was impossible for Dongshan Road not to know about such a dangerous matter as surrounding Dong Mountain. Governor Hou had probably long colluded with the Eldest Princess.
It looked like the first Governor to die a violent death since the founding of the Qing Kingdom was going to fall on Hou Yongzhi's shoulders. All of Dongshan Road was probably going to be bathed in blood from top to bottom by the Emperor. No wonder the Emperor had Xue Qing travel thousands of li from Jiangnan to send good officials.
After calmly and methodically setting up all of this, the Qing Emperor finally let out a slow breath. He smiled self-mockingly and shook his head. He then walked in front of Ye Liuyun and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Liuyun."
Without waiting for Ye Liuyun to return the bow, he had already straightened his body and gazed in a daze at the ground that had long been washed clean. Hong Sixiang had died there, but he had not left any traces. For the sake of a noble goal, many people had willingly or passively given up their lives.
Eunuch Hong was worthy of the Qing Emperor's bow.
The scene was a mess. However, the internal court had prepared a lot of things. Eunuch Yao led the officials whose legs were still weak and moved out some things from a side room that had never collapsed. He began to copy and stamp the seal. The Emperor's royal seal had already been taken away by Sir Fan junior, but the Emperor's personal seal was still there. Since it was a secret edict, the personal seal was even more effective.
After the first wash of the heavy rain, Dong Mountain welcomed the sun. A few white pigeons flew away from the summit of the mountain and circled a few times in the blue sky before flying off in all directions of the Qing Kingdom. What they brought was not the news of the flood receding or the will of peace. Instead, it was the transmission of a powerful ruler's will.
The flat summit of Dong Mountain had been calm until now. Suddenly, a massive rumble rang out. It didn't shake up any sand or stone, but it did raise some splashes of water. The entire area in the middle of the summit sunk three feet. It was as if a god had dropped a hammer and struck it.
Only now did the true effect of a battle between Great Grandmasters reveal its terror and terror. As the two forces intersected, the compressed vital energy seeped into the world and forcefully collided with nature, changing the shape of the land.
The Emperor didn't look at the large pit. He only raised his head and watched the white pigeons fly in the sky and gradually fly further and further away. His expression was calm and incomparably confident.
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