Legend

"Fellow Daoist Qin, seeing that you have become an esteemed disciple of Shaohua Mountain and achieved such profound cultivation—that my momentary negligence all those years ago did not derail your future—brings no small measure of relief to my conscience..." Patriarch Han showed a look of shame. Then, as if recalling something, he asked, "After recovering from my injuries and emerging from seclusion, I was worried about you and dispatched men to search Mount Youshan, but they found no trace. Having heard nothing of you all these years, were you in seclusion cultivating diligently at Shaohua Mountain the entire time?" "After joining Shaohua Mountain and breaking through to Foundation Establishment," Qin Sang replied, "I ventured into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield to temper myself. I have only just returned, and passing through Youshan Cultivation Market to reunite with you was a pleasant surprise. From what I know, Mount Youshan has always been a lawless land. Did you bring the experts of your clan here because the Chunyang Sect intends to bring this region under its control?" "No, not at all," Patriarch Han said, shaking his head. "As an esteemed disciple of Shaohua Mountain, you must know that the borders of the Lesser Cold Domain are far from peaceful these days. The Heaven-Traversing Alliance has been stirring with ambition, and every major sect is sharpening its weapons and preparing for war. At a critical juncture like this, many scoundrels from the demonic sects have been crossing the border, seeking to fish in troubled waters. To secure the rear, our sect ordered us to purge these demonic traces as a warning. The Han clan and several others happened to be assigned to the vicinity of Mount Youshan..." Only then did Qin Sang realize that not only was he the patriarch of the Han clan, but after reaching Foundation Establishment, he had also been taken as a personal disciple by a Golden Core Master of the Chunyang Sect, holding an illustrious standing within the sect. "Is the Heaven-Traversing Alliance truly preparing for a full-scale invasion? Just how dire is the situation?" Qin Sang's heart sank, and he pressed for answers. Once open war erupted, the Yuncang Great Marsh would inevitably become a battlefield, and Shaohua Mountain would bear the brunt of it! "Do not worry, Fellow Daoist Qin," Patriarch Han consoled him. "It is said that the atmosphere in the Yuncang Great Marsh is indeed tense, but there are no signs of open war just yet. The truth will only become clear once the spirit tide truly arrives. Furthermore, the number of Nascent Soul experts in the Lesser Cold Domain is currently at its highest in thousands of years—we are at our absolute peak. Before the Heaven-Traversing Alliance makes a move, they will have to weigh their own capabilities!" Qin Sang nodded. Patriarch Han was right; the current strength of the Lesser Cold Domain was indeed formidable. Even so, rumors circulated that not every one of these Nascent Soul figures possessed combat prowess truly worthy of the Nascent Soul realm. Whatever secrets lay behind that, however, were beyond what the likes of them could discover. As they spoke, Qin Sang noticed that the flying boat was not heading toward Great Sui. Curious, he asked, "Is Han Family Fort not near Great Sui?" Qin Sang had only known previously that a Han clan served under the Chunyang Sect; the topographical map had never marked the fort's exact location. Patriarch Han chuckled. "It used to be some distance from Great Sui, but now it lies within Great Sui's borders." "Oh? Has something changed over the years?" Surprised, Qin Sang had a faint inkling of what had happened. Patriarch Han hummed in assent and patiently explained. "Because our ancestor rendered great service, after he established the Han clan, the sect granted our family the territory encompassing several mortal nations, including what is now Great Sui. "At first, our ancestor believed mortals to be foolish and ignorant, so he dispatched clan members to establish a kingdom and govern it. "To his dismay, those disciples had not the slightest talent for ruling. Relying on their status as cultivators, they acted with utter wantonness, indulging solely in pleasure and abandoning their Dao hearts. They reduced the mortal realm to a foul, chaotic mess, stirring grievances to the heavens. "Reflecting painfully on his mistakes, the ancestor decided that mortals should govern mortals! "All clan members were recalled to Han Family Fort to focus on cultivation, and the rogue cultivators within our borders were strictly bound. Under normal circumstances, they were forbidden from revealing divine feats before commoners, much less interfering with mortal affairs. "Of course, cultivators possess bizarre and unpredictable methods, and certain abuses were difficult to eliminate entirely. Even so, once the rules were established, interference diminished drastically. "From then on, the mortal realm was left to develop on its own, ruled by those with talent and virtue. Though it went through cycles of division and unification, often beset by war, it unexpectedly grew more prosperous with each passing year. "Our Han clan only needs to collect tribute from the emperors. Without disrupting mortal affairs, we bestow a few pills and intervene only when plagues or natural disasters exceed mortal capability. It saves both worry and effort. "Seeing how effective this was, other clans followed suit. Nowadays, virtually all mortal realms under our sect's purview operate this way..." Hearing this, Qin Sang felt a lingering wave of fear. Fortunately, he had kept a low profile back then, serving only as a covert scout. He had never brazenly unleashed Yanwang on the battlefield, and during the final assault on the Imperial Capital, he had remained hidden the entire time. Otherwise, the Han clan might well have dragged him out and executed him. Unaware of Qin Sang's thoughts, Patriarch Han continued, "The ancestor's move was indeed wise. Over the years, countless outstanding figures have emerged from the mortal realm, some possessing talents that even we cultivators cannot help but admire. "However, very few can compare to that Empress Regnant of Great Sui! "General Qin, having once served as a general under her command, you must know something of her, yes? "During her lifetime, though a woman, she performed an earth-shattering feat by launching an armed coup. "Her father had barely occupied the imperial throne for a few days before she seized the throne from him and honored him as Retired Emperor. Back then, there was much debate within our Han clan over such a transgression of filial order, but we ultimately decided not to interfere and acknowledged her position as Empress Regnant. "To our astonishment, after ascending the throne, she displayed breathtaking genius. Domestically, she promoted the virtuous and capable, nurturing national strength. Externally, she forged alliances and counter-alliances. Once the timing was ripe, she launched campaigns with thunderous force. "Wielding only Great Sui's might, she won victory after victory, conquering several kingdoms within a single year. "Today, Great Sui's territory is not inferior to that of the State of Heng, and under the Empress Regnant's rule, it flourished day by day. "A woman who outshone every man, supreme in both civil governance and martial conquest—she was truly a brilliant ruler of her age! "Fellow Daoist Qin... Fellow Daoist Qin..." Patriarch Han was singing her praises endlessly when he noticed that Qin Sang seemed lost in thought. "Fellow Daoist Qin, what are you thinking about?" "Ah? Nothing! It is nothing!" Snapping back to his senses, Qin Sang hastily shook his head to cover his lapse. Clearing his throat lightly, he could not resist asking, "The Empress Regnant was indeed an exceptional figure! But you spoke of her lifetime... Has she already passed away?" Patriarch Han nodded. "She was a mortal after all. Moreover, expanding borders with Great Sui's resources and carving out such an unprecedented legacy meant treading on thin ice at every step, where a single misstep meant total ruin... "She danced upon a hanging thread, laboring day and night until her mind and spirit were exhausted. Though the Han clan bestowed several nourishing spirit pills, there was no way to reverse heaven's decree. "Still, to have lived such a magnificent and tumultuous life—one that even we cultivators view with awe—she truly lived without regret. "Compared to her, many cultivators are merely rotting pieces of wood blessed with a few more years of life!" Listening to Patriarch Han's words, Qin Sang's mind drifted thousands of miles away. Princess Dongyang, Eldest Princess, Empress Regnant... In a sense, Qin Sang had watched her rise step by step. He had long known her ambitions. On that night before his departure, he had known she intended to stake everything on one roll of the dice, willing to serve as bait to lure out the Crown Prince, asking him to help her one final time. Who would have thought that her conviction had never wavered? She had become a living legend.