If the populace of the Chu Kingdom, especially the officials in the imperial court, saw this scene, they would be shocked speechless.
It was a matter of course to kneel to the Emperor, even if the Emperor was an idiot. But this was Grand Secretary Zhang!
Liu Shisui knew who the mastermind of this murder was and what this Grand Secretary meant in the Chu Kingdom, but he thought it was normal.
He asked Jing Jiu, "Shall we kill him?"
Grand Secretary Zhang's expression didn't change, as if he hadn't heard the question, nor did he turn around to flee.
He had made his attitude clear by entering the palace hall alone.
"Don't make trouble."
Jing Jiu waved his hand, motioning for the Grand Secretary to stand up.
Grand Secretary Zhang said, "Your Majesty, I didn't mean it."
"I know," said Jing Jiu.
Grand Secretary Zhang said after a moment of silence, "Your Majesty, if you want to govern by yourself, I can at any time …"
"I don't want to."
Jing Jiu didn't let him finish his words, saying, "Just pretend this incident never happened. You take care of the aftermath yourself."
…
…
After Grand Secretary Zhang left the Royal Palace to deal with the aftermath, he didn't forget to call back those palace maids and eunuchs, because the Emperor couldn't be without servants.
The palace gate was tightly shut, and the Royal Army surrounded it tightly. Even the flies that smelled the blood couldn't get in, let alone the assassins.
Those eunuchs and palace maids were terrified, not knowing when the palace gate would be opened and a massacre would ensue. Sensei trembled the whole night.
The next day, the sun rose as usual.
The palace gate was opened, and the Royal Army retreated. The Royal Palace was extremely bright in the morning light. Everything seemed normal, as if nothing had happened. Of course, there were some changes. For example, the Minister of Rites who was in the prime of his life was suddenly stripped of his position, and several young officials were demoted, banished, or poisoned to death in the forests in the south …
The Eldest Young Master Zhang was driven back to his hometown to guard his grandfather's grave. It was not until many years later that he was escorted back to the capital by the cavalrymen of the Imperial Court.
There was also a small but noticeable change in the Royal Palace.
His Majesty now had a small guard by his side.
The little guard stayed by His Majesty's side at all times. At night, he would stand guard outside the hall, as if he never needed to sleep.
…
…
The Dao Competition had entered a new phase. The most obvious sign was that some participants had died and left the Illusionary Realm.
In a cave dwelling in the depths of the Huiyin Valley, a cool breeze slowly brushed past an ancient bronze mirror. A cultivator opened his eyes.
Looking at the scene in front of him, his eyes were somewhat dazed. He gradually came to his senses and understood what had happened.
He had stayed in the Illusionary Realm of the Green Sky Mirror for fifteen years. As he opened his eyes, he found that only a few days had passed in the real world.
Looking at the Green Sky Mirror in front of him, the Cultivation practitioner found it was different from when he entered it.
The gentle wind acted like an invisible hand, pushing the Green Sky Mirror to rotate at a very slow speed.
The sunlight that shone down from the top of the cave kept changing. The tiny sesame-like figures seemed to come to life.
The gaze of the Cultivation practitioner moved around the Green Sky Mirror. He instinctively wanted to find the location of the Qi Kingdom and see those people he knew.
Suddenly, he realized that it was all fake. But … if the fifteen years were merely a dream, why was the memory so vivid?
He felt a bit frustrated.
This feeling was very complicated and hard to describe in words. If a regular person had experienced it, they would probably go crazy or be immersed in it, and it would be hard for them to get rid of it.
The Cultivation practitioners were in a better state, but it was still hard for them to come to their senses in a short time.
However, if they could digest and absorb the insights they had gained during the process, their Dao Heart would be firmer. This was the purpose of the Dao Competition.
A few more Cultivation practitioners opened their eyes and woke up one after another. They had experienced the same process as the previous Cultivation practitioner. It took them a while to accept the reality, and they began to discuss what they had encountered in the Illusionary Realm. Then, they found that they had all been killed by an assassin in black with a high Cultivation state and formidable fighting prowess.
Who was that assassin in black?
Looking at those Cultivation practitioners who hadn't woken up yet, they were trying to guess the identities of those people in the Illusionary Realm.
Jing Jiu should be the Emperor of the Chu Kingdom, and Bai Zao should be the princess of the Qin Kingdom who had met with misfortune. And that person …
Their gazes fell on Zhuo Rusui.
Zhuo Rusui's eyes were closed, as if he were in a deep sleep. He didn't look any different from usual.
But for some reason, an extremely faint killing intent was slowly seeping out from his body.
The Cultivation practitioners eyed each other, letting out a bitter smile. They had guessed the identity of the assassin in black, thinking that their deaths were not unjustified.
This little weirdo of the Aoyama Sect didn't want to achieve hegemony in the Illusionary Realm, but wanted to kill people wholeheartedly. How many people could stop him?
Another Cultivation practitioner opened his eyes and woke up. He was dressed like a scholar, and he was the disciple of the Kunlun Sect who thought highly of himself.
This disciple of the Kunlun Sect looked around with a perplexed look in his eyes. Suddenly, he began to cry in extreme grief. The Cultivation practitioners who had woken up earlier didn't show any mocking expressions, because they could empathize with him. Moreover, they didn't look any better when they had just woken up.
After some time, the disciple of the Kunlun Sect finally accepted the reality and stopped crying.
A Cultivation practitioner who knew him asked with concern, "Fellow Cultivator Qiu, how did you get out? Were you also found by a black-robed assassin? "
The disciple of the Kunlun Sect was surnamed Qiu Chengdao. Startled, he asked, "What black-robed assassin?"
That Cultivation practitioner was a bit surprised, and asked, "If that little weirdo didn't find you, how could you leave the Illusionary Realm so early with your ability?"
Qiu Chengdao sighed and said, "I landed in the Seven Gods Sect of the Luo Kingdom. I cultivated arduously and managed it meticulously. It wasn't easy for me to win the trust of the Sect Master and be selected to help the Emperor refine pills. I had planned to stay in the palace for dozens of years, subdue the Emperor, and become the Sect Master in the future. Then, I would establish a kingdom with the Sect Master. But unexpectedly, the army of Beihai County, which was attacking Zhang County of the Qin Kingdom, suddenly turned south and attacked the private army of the Jing Of Silla of the Chu Kingdom. In less than 20 days, the armies of the two kingdoms had broken into the capital and burned the Imperial Palace to ruins. I was unlucky and couldn't escape. Of course, even if I could escape, what could I do? I'm afraid the Mountain Gate of the Seven Gods Sect has been destroyed. "
These Cultivation practitioners had lived in the Illusionary Realm for 15 years. When they heard that the Luo Kingdom, one of the five kingdoms, had been destroyed just like that, they couldn't help but sigh with emotion and remain silent. Only one of the cultivators exclaimed in shock. "What? The Luo Kingdom has been destroyed? When did this happen? "
Qiu Chengdao shot a glance at that person and asked, "When did you come out?"
The Cultivation practitioner said, "I came out two hours earlier than you did."
Qiu Chengdao said, "The armies of the two kingdoms arrived less than thirty days after you left."
Hearing this, the Cultivation practitioner was taken aback a bit. Thinking of his relatives and friends in the Illusionary Realm, a hint of pain showed in his eyes.
"Are you from the Luo Kingdom?" asked Qiu Chengdao.
The Cultivation practitioner bowed to him and said, "I'm ashamed to say this. I was only a regular official in the imperial court when I died. But I've heard of your great reputation in the imperial palace."
A young Daoist priest who had helped the Emperor to make the magic pills had such a great reputation, so it couldn't be a good one. So he couldn't explain it clearly.
Yet, Qiu Chengdao didn't feel ashamed at all. On the contrary, he stroked his short beard, feeling a bit complacent.
Soon, his complacency disappeared, replaced by anger. It was because he found that he was the sixth one to come out.
There were still twenty participants in the Illusionary Realm. He had an outstanding talent and outstanding methods; but why was he eliminated so early?
Looking at those sleeping soundly with their eyes closed, Qiu Chengdao yelled, his eyes full of pain and anger, "It's not fair! Why are they the Crown Prince Jing, the Young Master of the North Sea and the idiotic Emperor the moment they enter the Illusionary Realm? Why do we have to climb up from the lowest level? "
Hearing this, the Cultivation practitioners who had just woken up displayed the same emotion on their faces.
Thinking of the hardships and humiliation he had suffered at the Seven Godly Church and in the imperial palace over the last fifteen years, Qiu Chengdao sneered and rolled up his sleeve, heading toward a place along with a gust of wind.
Jing Jiu was sitting there with his eyes closed.
If Qiu Chengdao were to be asked which participant he hated the most, it would be the idiotic Emperor of the Chu Kingdom.
It was believed that most of the participants had the same thought.
Of course, he didn't dare kill Jing Jiu. It was just that he had just woken up from the Illusionary Realm, so he was still in a trance. He wanted to vent his anger and humiliation. If the wind from his sleeve landed on Jing Jiu, Jing Jiu's spiritual soul in the Green Sky Mirror would be disturbed, and something terrible might happen.
All of a sudden, a crisp bell rang out.
A small glass bell appeared in front of Jing Jiu, nullifying the wind from his sleeve.
It was then that Qing 'er flew out from the Green Sky Mirror. She flapped her transparent wings and brought up a gust of violent wind, rolling up Qiu Chengdao's body and throwing him out from the top of the cave.
His dreadful screams could be heard in the sky. It was unclear where he would land and how he would end up.
Qing 'er looked at the other five Cultivation practitioners who had just woken up, the expression in her eyes extremely cold.
The five Cultivation practitioners restrained their emotions, indicating that this incident had nothing to do with them.
Qing 'er didn't pay any attention to these people. She looked at the small glass bell in front of Jing Jiu, her expression a bit strange, thinking that this person was really strange and had so many good things with him.
… …
… …
Qing 'er returned to the Green Sky Mirror and transformed into the Blue Bird, flying back and forth between the Northern Qin and the Southern Chu. Once in a while, she would go to the State of Zhao to take a look.
Time passed slowly while she was flying. Three years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Many things had happened in the last three years. With the secret help of the Hu cavalry and the Jing Of Silla, the rebellion in Beihai County had finally succeeded, and the army had marched into Xianyang.
The governor of Beihai had officially become the emperor. The second imperial decree he issued was to appoint Bai Zhou as the Crown Prince.
This matter didn't exceed everyone's expectations. The young Martial God Bai Zhou was ranked second, but he played the most important role in mobilizing the troops, establishing countless contributions.
His elder brother had volunteered to stay in Beihai before the rebellion began, indicating that he had given up or given up. However, it was disappointing that he died not long after the imperial decree to appoint the Crown Prince was issued. It was said that he had died of illness, but nobody knew whether he had committed suicide or been killed.
The unfortunate princess was also invited to Xianyang City and was appointed as the Grand Princess of the Protector State by the new emperor. It seemed to be a noble title, but it was not.
Everybody in Xianyang City knew that this princess of the previous dynasty had been imprisoned in the Cold Palace and might not be able to come out for the rest of her life.
The situation in Qin did not calm down very quickly. Many volunteer armies, in the name of supporting the Princess, attacked Xianyang City one after another. Bai Zhou led the army to kill everywhere. His military law was still strict, but his means were more and more brutal. He often slaughtered villages and forced people to surrender. No one called him the young general anymore, but the God of Slaughter.
…
…
As the secret supporter of the new emperor of the Qin Kingdom, the Jing Of Silla of the Chu Kingdom had also gained great benefits. A large area of fertile land of the Luo Kingdom had been given to Cangzhou. The food problem that had troubled the father and son for many years had finally been solved. Maybe because of this, the Crown Prince Jing had been in a good mood these days.
When the first snow fell, he asked his subordinates to push his wheelchair to the lake to enjoy the snow.
In fact, he was not in a good mood. There was a faint shadow and displeasure in his eyes.
The situation in the Qin Kingdom had always been under his control. Bai Zhou's military achievements were attributed to his advice. But now he felt that the situation seemed to be gradually deviating from the right direction. It was not because the princess was imprisoned, which was what the three of them had discussed. It was because of what Bai Zhou had done recently. In his view, what Senior Brother Bai was doing was against the harmony of heaven. Even if this was an illusion and the people inside were not real people, it was still inappropriate. Moreover, it was based on one's nature. If Senior Brother Bai was slightly lost, it would be quite disadvantageous to the overall situation.
The boats on the lake did not stop during the first snow. There were even more boats than usual. It seemed that he was not the only one who wanted to enjoy the snow. The girls and guests on the boats looked at the wheelchair by the lake and the guards and swordsmen scattered around. They guessed the identity of the person in the wheelchair and exclaimed in surprise. They bowed to greet him from a long distance away.
The girls kept waving their sleeves, hoping that the Crown Prince would suddenly be interested and come to the boat to take a look.
Suddenly, a pigeon flew to the lake in spite of the cold. It landed on the wheelchair and was taken away by a hand.
Looking at the people on the boat, Tong Yan smiled and said, "What on earth did the Crown Prince say to Wanshu?"
The subordinate opened the message brought by the pigeon and said with a grave expression, "Mister Xiang … is dead."
The expression in Tong Yan's eyes changed slightly, but he still maintained a smile on his face. "Did the Crown Prince do it?"
The subordinate said, "No, it should be that man in black."
Tong Yan felt a bit relieved, saying, "He's getting closer … It looks like his next target is me."
The first participant he found in the Dao Competition was his Young Brother Xiang Wanshu.
Xiang Wanshu had hidden himself well, and was responsible for the communication between him, Bai Zhou and the Princess. Neither the Jing Of Silla nor his own spy organization knew of the existence of Xiang Wanshu. Since that man in black could find Xiang Wanshu, it meant that he had other sources of information besides keeping an eye on Jing Jiu.
"You came out of the manor house to wait for me to kill you; but aren't you afraid that I'll surprise you by hiding in the lake water?"
A lazy voice suddenly burst out in the snow.
The guards of the manor house pulled out their weapons in tandem, their expressions grave, as if they were facing a formidable foe.
A man in black had appeared in the world over the last few years. He had a high Cultivation state and formidable fighting prowess, challenging the highly achieved swordsmen everywhere and killing countless people. It was said that he had a grudge against the manor house.
The guards of the manor house had been on guard against this man, but they didn't expect him to come so close to them undetected.
Tong Yan said with the same expression, "You've never tried to assassinate me; you've always fought me face to face. Why should I be afraid of you?"
"You're the Crown Prince Jing, different from those pitiful guys. If I want to kill you, I won't care so much."
A man wearing a conical hat walked out from the wind and snow. He exuded a lazy aura, but he also exuded a sharp murderous intent, like a sheathed sword.
Tong Yan said while looking at the man, "I used to think you were Jing Jiu, but you look a bit like him today."
The man pulled back the conical hat, exposing an ordinary and unfamiliar face, saying, "You know I'm not him."
Looking at the man's eyes, Tong Yan asked uncertainly, "Zhuo Rusui?"
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