Xu Ying thought for a moment before speaking. "You've jumbled far too many things into your cultivation: two great secret depositories of a Nuo master, godhood attained through the incense of the Nether Court, and the lost methods of ancient Qi Refiners. You cannot unify them, and that is why things have gone wrong. Especially the Qi Refiner techniques—you could not understand them, yet you forced yourself to cultivate them anyway. When problems arose, you were too proud to admit it, so the damage only grew worse. Am I right?"
Emperor Shengwu’s imposing majesty flared, dark and domineering, as he glared at him in silence.
With a calm expression, Xu Ying said, "Your Majesty's gaze can kill. Staring at me like that makes me tremble in fear."
Unable to hold back any longer, divine light shot from Emperor Shengwu’s eyes.
With two sharp hisses, two beams of divine light tore from his eyes, grazing the top of Xu Ying’s head and cleanly slicing a bronze pillar the thickness of a water barrel into three pieces!
A large section of the hall's roof was blown off as well, the cuts glowing fiery red and remarkably smooth.
Xu Ying stood rooted where he was, not looking the slightest bit terrified. "Coming to Yongzhou, has Your Majesty seen how the common people live?"
Seeing him change the subject, Emperor Shengwu assumed the boy was offering him a graceful way out. Seizing the opportunity, his expression softened. "Yongzhou has suffered a calamity, and it grieves Zhen deeply. Zhen has already commanded Zhou Heng, the regional inspector of Yongzhou, to relieve the victims and rescue the people from dire straits."
Disappointment surfaced on Xu Ying’s face. "Even before the Netherworld invaded, the people of Yongzhou were already oppressed by corrupt officials. In our village of Jiangjiatian alone, parents sold their sons and daughters, people hanged themselves from their own roof beams, and many starved or collapsed to death along the roadside. Others were thrown into dungeons and beaten to death inside. My adoptive father and grandfather went out to catch snakes only to be killed by a strange snake's venom."
Emperor Shengwu frowned.
In the past, whenever he frowned, his ministers would read his mood and tactfully hold their tongues so as not to embarrass him.
Yet Xu Ying continued as if oblivious. "Just now, when I entered the hall, I caught the fragrance of medicinal herbs, and among them was the distinct scent of dried strange snakes. Only today did I realize that we snake catchers risk our lives catching strange snakes just to present them to Your Majesty for elixir refining. I imagine that because Your Majesty opened both the Jade Capital and Crimson Palace secret depositories, the clash of powers within your body caused spasms in your hands and feet, which required strange snakes to treat. Heh. So my grandfather and adoptive father died at Your Majesty’s hands after all."
Emperor Shengwu replied unhurriedly, "Has the state of Yongzhou deteriorated to such an extent? Zhen was unaware. Zhou Heng, the regional inspector of Yongzhou, is a scion of the Zhou clan. If he has failed in his duties, Zhen cannot govern the Zhou clan, nor can Zhen eliminate Zhou Qiyun. What else could Zhen have done?"
Xu Ying ignored his excuse and went on, "Your Majesty, with this disaster in Yongzhou and the emergence of new territory, many villages have been cut off deep within the mountains. I truly do not know whether this is a blessing or a curse. Trapped in the new territory, they must endure raids by Netherworld ghosts, but because the mountain paths are treacherous and impassable, the tax collectors cannot reach them. Perhaps their lives are actually better now."
Emperor Shengshen fell silent for a moment before sighing. "Such are the evils of aristocratic clans ruling the realm. Zhen's imperial decrees cannot even reach past the county seats! Zhen orders disaster relief, Zhen orders tax exemptions, and Zhen orders the suspension of corvée labor, but once the decrees travel down to the local level, everything is distorted. Zhen has his own bitter difficulties!"
Xu Ying looked at him. After a beat, he said, "If you aren't up to the task, then step down and let someone capable take your place. Why sit on the latrine if you're not going to shit?"
Emperor Shengshen's face went cold. Above his head, the auspicious cloud turned gloomy, and crackling bolts of lightning struck erratically through the mist.
He was thoroughly enraged.
Seeing this, Xu Ying smiled candidly. "This lowly commoner can understand Your Majesty. After all, things at the top are still good and have not rotted; it's only the bottom that has rotted to the roots. Now, what went wrong with Your Majesty's technique?"
Emperor Shengshen snorted and said coldly, "Even if Zhou Qiyun values you, within this hall and within ten paces, if Zhen wishes to take your head, ten Zhou Qiyuns could not save you!"
Xu Ying lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am a commoner, and you are the Sovereign. Why stoop to the rash temper of a common scoundrel?"
Suppressing his churning blood and qi, Emperor Shengshen exhaled a breath of turbid air. "You were born in Yongzhou, where life has been bitter, so it is only natural that you harbor some resentment. Zhen will not hold it against you. Zhou Qiyun has the magnanimity to tolerate others, and so does Zhen."
He produced a golden book. Golden books were a medium ancient Qi Refiners used to record techniques. Its golden leaves were thin as cicada wings; when activated with divine sense and raised into the air, they floated upright, projecting text and illustrations.
Those illustrations often contained images of the Great Dao—Dao images meticulously preserved by ancient Qi Refiners, which could aid a practitioner when contemplated.
The manual recorded on Emperor Shengshen's golden book was called the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique. It contained not only cultivation methods, but also alchemy formulas—specifically, for refining the Nine-Turn Mysterious Elixir of the Yang Spirit.
Among the projected visions were the Golden Crow Dao image and the Nine Heavens Dao image, both immensely profound.
Xu Ying skimmed through the text and quickly grasped its scripture. The Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique followed the path of pure yang, cultivating pure yang yuan qi and pure yang souls, culminating in nine turns of the mysterious elixir—each turn opening a new layer of heaven until, after nine turns, a pure yang Primordial Spirit was forged.
*There are no major flaws within the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit technique; one only needs to cultivate it step by step,* Xu Ying thought. *Then where did Emperor Shengshen misinterpret it, leading him to harvest the yang qi of living mortals and ghosts? Could he have mistaken pure yang for ordinary yang qi?*
By now, Xu Ying was no longer the ignorant boy he once was. He possessed a solid understanding of Nuo arts and knew that the concept of pure yang did not exist in them.
If Emperor Shengshen had indeed mistaken pure yang for ordinary yang qi, he would naturally have committed the absurd blunder of cultivating with ordinary yang qi.
Furthermore, the emperor had already opened his Crimson Palace secret depository, making his Heart Fire blaze furiously. Gorging himself on spiritual elixirs refined from yang qi over an extended period would inevitably lead to violent, manic mood swings.
And that was only his misinterpretation regarding pure yang; there were bound to be many other errors. Compounded over time, these mistakes had snowballed into a life-threatening crisis.
*The emperor is nowhere near as cautious as Zhou Qiyun. He is far too greedy for quick success. If he keeps cultivating like this, he will die abruptly within a few years. True fire will ignite within his heart chamber, burning him away entirely until nothing remains but a human skin, his robes, and his hair.*
Having identified the crux of the problem, Xu Ying addressed Emperor Shengshen: "Your Majesty, having opened two secret depositories, do you feel their powers clashing against each other?"
Emperor Shengshen replied, "Whenever I circulate the technique, I sense powers from both secret depositories constantly assaulting my body. Although my cultivation grows higher, my physical condition deteriorates."
Xu Ying nodded gently.
On one hand, Emperor Shengshen had misinterpreted the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique. On the other, the technique lacked the framework to unify the Crimson Palace and the Jade Capital, leaving their respective powers at war with his own magic power.
On top of that, he had absorbed the incense of the mortal realm, introducing the power of incense into the mix and making harmony even harder to achieve.
Emperor Shengshen was undeniably powerful—powerful enough to contend with Zhou Qiyun. Yet the hidden dangers lurking inside him were far greater than Zhou Qiyun's.
"I can decipher the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit technique for Your Majesty, ensuring that your cultivation carries no risk of qi deviation or manic instability. I can also balance the conflicting forces within you to resolve Your Majesty's worries."
Xu Ying looked up, meeting Emperor Shengshen's gaze directly. "However, I need Your Majesty to do one thing for me."
Emperor Shengshen's expression shifted slightly. "Is it to govern the world, reform the administration, comfort the people, and let the common folk live in peace and contentment?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "If Your Majesty had the ability, you would have accomplished it long ago during all your years on the throne. Why would you need a commoner's reminder? This commoner only asks Your Majesty to do something well within your power."
Emperor Shengshen threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Once Zhen masters the methods of Qi Refinement, achieving longevity and living as long as heaven and earth, purging the noble clans, suppressing the regional warlords, and caring for the people's livelihood will be as easy as turning Zhen's palm! Do not look down on Zhen, dear minister! Zhen could not achieve it before, but once Zhen attains immortality, it will be done!"
Xu Ying's heart stirred slightly. Looking at him, he wondered in silence, *Would Emperor Shengshen truly make a good emperor?*
Even with such thoughts, he still voiced his true wish: "This commoner hopes Your Majesty will help me and Yuan Weiyang escape Zhou Qiyun's grasp and get out of here alive."
Emperor Shengshen smiled faintly. "Zhen grants your request."
Xu Ying bowed. "This commoner also wishes to obtain the Dragon-Seeking Locating Art for the Jade Capital secret depository."
The corner of Emperor Shengshen's eye twitched, but his face remained brimming with smiles. "Though this request goes against ancestral law, Zhen will make the decision and grant this to you as well!"
Xu Ying breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Please wait a few days, Your Majesty. This commoner will have the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit deciphered for you."
Emperor Shengshen gazed at him with a warm, gentle look. "Minister Xu, Zhen hopes you will not fail Zhen's sincere heart. Zhen not only grants you these requests, but once Zhen achieves immortality, Zhen will entrust you with governing the realm! At that time, as a meritorious official who aided the dragon's rise, you will stand below only one man and above tens of millions!"
Xu Ying tucked the Nine Heavens Yang Spirit Mysterious Altar Technique away. Somewhat moved by his words, he nevertheless replied, "This commoner has no desire to become an official, so I must beg your pardon. I take my leave. Oh, by the way!"
Just as he was about to step out of the grand hall, he remembered something, turned around, and smiled. "At the beginning of the year, Your Majesty summoned Lord Liu Zongyuan of Yongzhou to the imperial capital. Surely Lord Liu has received Your Majesty's heavy favor by now?"
Emperor Shengshen shook his head. "Zhen believed he was a pillar of the state and summoned him to the palace for an intimate talk, yet he could only engage in empty chatter about political reforms and legal changes. Zhen has no love for such blowhards, so Zhen dispatched him to serve as an official in Liuzhou. Does Minister Xu share an old friendship with him? If Minister Xu says the word, Zhen can recall him."
Xu Ying smiled and shook his head. "He is a court official; how could a commoner like me share an old friendship with him? We only met a few times, that's all."
He turned and walked away.
Emperor Shengshen chuckled. "Zhen will have Eunuch Chen see you out. Eunuch Chen, escort Minister Xu."
"This servant obeys the decree."
Eunuch Chen hurried to Xu Ying's side, bowing with a smile. "Lord Xu, this way please."
Xu Ying shook his head. "Eunuch, you needn't call me 'Lord.' I am just a half-grown fourteen-year-old kid; I understand nothing of great principles."
As they walked outside, Xu Ying noticed several fruit trees planted beyond the hall. They were already bearing fruit, releasing a sweet fragrance into the air, though the night made it hard to tell what kind of trees they were.
"Eunuch, what kind of fruit is planted here?" Xu Ying asked, staring at one of the trees.
"Spring peaches. It happens to be their ripening season, and they taste very sweet. Would Lord Xu care to try one?"
Xu Ying reached out, plucked a spring peach, and held it beneath his nose. The aroma was rich and fragrant, suddenly reminding him of the scent on the beautiful woman earlier and leaving him vaguely unsettled.
He split the peach open, took a glance, and immediately lost all interest. Tossing it aside, he remarked, "It's already rotten straight to the core."
Eunuch Chen hastily picked another one, wiped off the fuzz on his sleeve, and offered it to Xu Ying with a fawning smile. "Lord Xu, try this one instead!"
Xu Ying shook his head. "I'm not in the mood anymore. By the way, Eunuch Chen, you mustn't spread word of His Majesty cultivating a demonic art."
Eunuch Chen's hand shook so violently from fright that he nearly dropped the peach.
Walking toward the wutong tree on the mountain, Xu Ying muttered to himself, "Right now His Majesty only harvests human yang qi to cultivate. Once his demonic art makes a bit more progress, he will begin eating humans for his cultivation. When that time comes, the entire imperial palace..."
He shook his head. "Who knows how many people will be devoured."
Eunuch Chen shuddered, quickly catching up and asking in a hushed whisper, "Lord Xu, when will His Majesty's demonic art make that progress?"
Xu Ying shook his head. "I don't know. My deciphering this time can only delay it for a short while at best."
Unwilling to say more, he returned to Wutong Palace. Without even taking off his clothes, he threw himself onto the bed, though sleep eluded him. After a while, the youth rolled over on Feng Xian'er's bed and mumbled, "Rotten to the core. Hopeless."
The next morning, Xu Ying did not wake until the sun was high in the sky. After washing up, he planned to head over to the Guo clan to freeload a breakfast. Yuan Qi was already up doing his morning lessons, and the bronze bell was nowhere to be seen.
Just as Xu Ying stepped out of the palace, he saw Guo Xiaodie standing outside with an ecstatic expression. The girl was black and blue from head to toe, without a single patch of unbruised skin left on her body—she had clearly spent the entire night training!
"I mastered it!" She grabbed Xu Ying's arm, shaking it excitedly.
Xu Ying asked in bewilderment, "You took such a beating... didn't you use the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Ladder?"
Wild with excitement, the girl wiped away the blood from her nose and cheered, "Without the courage to take a fall, one could never master the Sword Control Formula! I've finally mastered it!"
Shouting and cheering, she dashed off into the distance.
Xu Ying seemed to realize something. Looking up, he saw Yuan Qi and the bronze bell basking in the sun on a wutong branch. *Seventh Lord can never seem to learn the Sword Control Formula,* he mused. *Maybe if I kick him down, he'll learn it too.*
His imagination ran wild. *A giant snake flying on a sword... how majestic would that be?*
Yuan Qi was currently chatting with the bronze bell: "Why cultivate right now? Cultivating here is too slow; we should head into the Chaozhen Taixu Cave-Heaven. Once Ah Ying opens his three-mu Dao field and the Dao seeds come pouring in, cultivation will be as fast as can be. Passing up free food when you can feast—Lord Bell, you've gone senile..."
Just as he reached that point, a foot abruptly slammed into him, kicking him right off the tree. He plummeted with a long, shrill shriek.
The bronze bell jumped in fright and quickly looked over, only to see Xu Ying pulling his foot back and peering down past the branches.
From below came the heavy thud of something hitting the ground.
"Xiaodie's method isn't very good after all; Seventh Lord didn't learn it either."
Xu Ying shook his head, glancing sideways at the bronze bell. "It was suicide. Right, Lord Bell?"
The bronze bell hastily chimed in, "Attempted suicide! I saw it plain as day—he slipped and fell right off!"
Xu Ying nodded gently and drifted away.
Inside the Chaozhen Taixu Cave-Heaven, Xu Ying sat atop Yuan Qi's head, continuing to cultivate the Taiyi Guiding Technique while Yuan Qi resumed filching Dao seeds. After a long silence, Xu Ying suddenly spoke up: "Brother Yuan, His Majesty came to see me yesterday. He asked me to help him decipher a technique."
Yuan Weiyang's body shuddered slightly. "You will surely die. His Majesty has no tolerance for others! Once you hand that technique over, death is certain!"
Xu Ying's eyes gleamed. "Between Zhou Qiyun and His Majesty, who is stronger?"
Yuan Weiyang shook her head. "In the past, Old Ancestor Zhou was stronger. But His Majesty is in the prime of his strength; over these years, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, backed by the common people whose incense forms an auspicious cloud. Who is stronger now is hard to say."
She paused, then added, "That day you locked Old Ancestor Zhou, Emperor Shengshen, and the heavenly fiend together in the Demon Suppression Hall, both Old Ancestor Zhou and Emperor Shengshen sustained injuries. The wounds on those two supreme experts might not have been inflicted by the heavenly fiend. But as for which of them is stronger, that is beyond our knowing."
With a calm expression, Xu Ying said, "We will know very soon."
Chapter 78