The oil lamp cast a dim, yellow glow, steeping the room in a hue like an aged, sepia photograph—faint, blurred, and indistinct.
Having eaten and injected a vial of diluted Life Source Fluid, Zhang Yuanqing's body had recovered slightly. Though he remained somewhat sickly and sapped of strength, his coughing had at least ceased.
Lying on a shabby bed draped with yellowed bed-curtains, he watched Queen drag out a dusty clothes trunk. After wiping away the grime, she spread the two quilts provided by "Auntie" over the trunk to make a makeshift bed.
"I'm sleeping with Yuanshi Tianzun," Jiang Jingwei announced as she sat on the edge of the bed. She kicked off her embroidered slippers, shed her tyrannical monarch's casual robes, rolled over Zhang Yuanqing, and curled up against the inner wall of the bed.
"Jingwei, you're sleeping with me tonight," Queen objected. "You're a young girl. How can you sleep in the same bed as Yuanshi Tianzun?"
"The bed is more comfortable, and I want to sleep on the bed! What's wrong with sleeping with Yuanshi Tianzun anyway? Whenever I get tired from brawling at home, I sleep in my brother's bed all the time," Jiang Jingwei retorted with vigor.
Zhang Yuanqing waved a feeble hand. "Just let her sleep here. She's still a child. Queen, pass her the quilt."
The divide between men and women was an adult concept; Jiang Jingwei had yet to awaken to such things. Her thoughts were as pure and transparent as a child's, and she likely viewed him like an older brother.
"Then I want to sleep here too," Queen said with a beaming smile.
"Not you," Zhang Yuanqing flatly refused. "Your chest is too big. If you sleep on the bed, my thoughts won't stay pure."
Queen tossed over a thin coarse-cloth quilt in response.
Zhang Yuanqing tossed it to Jingwei. Wrapping herself in the quilt, she mumbled, "It smells musty..."
Propping her head up, she glanced at Yuanshi Tianzun, then at Queen, and asked, "What's our next move?"
*At least she has some brains and knows we're in a bad spot!* Zhang Yuanqing sighed and said,
"We would have had to come out and rally popular support sooner or later anyway, so think of this as moving ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, Consort Wan sacrificed herself—we've lost a Level 6 ally."
Jiang Jingwei let out an "Ah?" "The big girl died? Then we have to avenge her."
Seated on the wooden trunk, Queen replied crossly,
"She's an NPC! Why would she need you to avenge her?
"Once we finish the dungeon, she'll just respawn."
Beauty Wan wasn't a unique boss within the dungeon, nor was she an item with a "unique" attribute. Such characters respawned indefinitely; when the next tyrannical monarch entered, she would be "reborn" alongside him.
"The next Consort Wan has nothing to do with us, but I must avenge this Consort Wan." Leaning against the headboard, Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a faint voice:
"Our next objectives are: cure my illness, farm reputation, and find allies."
Jiang Jingwei pondered for a moment and said, "Curing your illness is simple. Just go to that Celestial Herb Dispensary. They can cure your illness."
Queen shook her head. "No. The ordinary physicians at the Celestial Herb Dispensary can't cure Yuanshi's condition. If the Imperial Preceptor or his disciples intervene, they will definitely discern the cause of his sickness. Once we're targeted by the masters of the Celestial Herb Dispensary, we'll basically be walking into a trap."
"Then what do we do?!" Jiang Jingwei uttered the pet phrase of all Fire Masters.
"Set the illness aside for now. It won't kill me anyway; at worst, I go from a Transcendent tyrant to a cripple tyrant." Zhang Yuanqing never panicked in major crises. "Right now, we need to farm reputation to help me clear side quests, and then we need to find allies."
"I'm guessing the allies you're referring to aren't our teammates," Queen astutely caught his drift.
Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "Fatuous ruler though I may be, I am still the supreme sovereign, the ruler of nine and five. However completely the Zheng clan blocks out the sky with one hand, they still have political enemies at court. Tonight, Zheng Wenhan was able to stage a rebellion only because Zhao Shun trusted the Zheng family too much and handed control of the Imperial City Division over to them."
The Imperial City Division was the emperor's security force, responsible for the safety of the imperial palace and the emperor himself. It was precisely because he commanded the Imperial City Division that Zheng Wenhan acted with such utter impunity.
Of course, when Zheng Wenhan rebelled, he sealed the palace gates under the pretext of apprehending assassins. On one hand, this was to prevent him from escaping; on the other, it indicated that the Imperial City Division was not entirely composed of Zheng loyalists.
After all, the division comprised several thousand elite troops; it was impossible for every single one of them to belong to the Zheng clan.
"In the court, first of all, the imperial clan is definitely loyal to the emperor. Second, the Zheng clan's political rivals are our natural allies. Lastly, some corrupt officials are bound to favor me," Zhang Yuanqing said. "And the Zheng clan's greatest enemy is the other maternal clan."
Jingwei looked somewhat dazed.
Queen's eyes, however, lit up. "The Yang family!"
She immediately knitted her brows.
"Zheng Wenhan can anticipate that as well. He is bound to station men across every avenue and channel through which we could reach the Yangs. The moment we show our faces, it's certain death.
"Besides, an emperor outside the palace is like a phoenix fallen on hard times—worse off than a chicken. The Zheng clan can easily proclaim that you died at the hands of assassins inside the palace, hold a state funeral, and set your death in stone. Then, with the Imperial Preceptor's support, he can ascend the throne himself."
They had already been on the defensive inside the palace; having fled outside, they had lost all initiative.
Though they had successfully escaped the Zheng clan's treasonous assassination, the dungeon quest had now entered hell mode.
It was precisely for this reason that even the obtuse Jiang Jingwei had voiced her concern over what to do next.
Zhang Yuanqing curled the corners of his lips. "Rest assured, the Zheng clan won't ascend the throne. At most, they will prop up a puppet disguised as me and place a gag order on the Imperial Guards involved in tonight's operation, acting as though nothing ever happened."
Jiang Jingwei and Queen asked in unison, "Why?"
The imperial palace.
Within the bedchamber where the fires had long since gone out, more than a dozen armor-piercing Imperial Guards were sifting through the charred ruins, which still gave off wisps of blue smoke.
Zheng Wenhan stood before the ruins with a longsword strapped to his waist, his face as dark and sullen as water, completely silent.
After a quarter of an hour, the armored soldiers halted. Exchanging glances, they gave subtle shakes of their heads.
Steeling himself, an officer stepped over the charred threshold, approached Zheng Wenhan, and said in a low voice:
"Chancellor Zheng, we still haven't found the Heirloom Seal of the Realm."
Zheng Wenhan's mouth twitched. He drew a deep breath to steady his emotions and asked in a heavy voice, "What of the Double Dragon Jade Pendant?!"
The Imperial Guard officer shook his head.
Infuriated, Zheng Wenhan kicked the officer to the ground and snapped furiously, "Search! Even if you have to dig three feet into the earth, find them for me!"
Scrambling hastily to his feet, the officer barked at his subordinates, "Keep searching! If we don't find the Heirloom Seal of the Realm and the Double Dragon Jade Pendant, I'll have all your heads!"
The Imperial Guards lowered their heads and resumed their frantic rummaging, despite having already sifted through the ashes for an entire shichen.
A whistling sound swept down from the sky. Riding his sword, the middle-aged swordsman—whose skin still bore some wrinkles—landed, bowed, and cupped his hands. "Chancellor Zheng, this subordinate has used Insight to sweep every inch of the inner palace. The fatuous emperor was nowhere to be found. He has escaped."
Zheng Wenhan's chest heaved violently. "What word from the palace gates?"
The middle-aged swordsman shook his head slightly. "The guards on duty report that no one broke through. Imperial Guards are stationed one hundred zhang before and behind the gates. Given the fatuous monarch's cultivation, he could remain invisible for at most two hundred zhang. If he had to scale the fifty-foot palace walls, that would leave him with only one hundred and fifty zhang."
Thus, it was impossible for him to escape the imperial palace without alarming the Imperial Guard.
Zheng Wenhan asked, "What about the others?"
"Apart from the woman who was incinerated to ash on the spot, of the remaining six: one took flight into the sky, eluding our arrows; one possessed bizarre agility, leaping across roofs and walls to escape the palace; one fled into the inner palace and vanished mysteriously; one forced their way out of the palace, leaving the guards in a daze as if enchanted; and two turned back halfway toward the Summer Palace, dived into the lake, and disappeared," the middle-aged swordsman reported one by one.
Zheng Wenhan immediately glared toward the artificial lake. "The fatuous emperor must have escaped via the lake as well. Dispatch several men skilled in water to pursue along his escape route."
The middle-aged commander nodded in acknowledgment, then looked at the backs of the armored soldiers searching through the debris. "The jade seal still hasn't been found?"
Zheng Wenhan's face grew overcast.
"That brat Zhao Shun not only took the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, he didn't even leave behind a single imperial seal! Utterly outrageous! Keep watch over the palace. I am going to the Tianji Tower."
The Tianji Tower was where the Imperial Preceptor resided.
"Yes!" the middle-aged commander replied.
Inside the dimly lit room, Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory and took out a square, bright-yellow, translucent piece of jade. Cradling its heavy weight in his palms, he showed it to Jiang Jingwei and Queen.
"Is this..." Queen paused in surprise, then brightened. "The emperor's jade seal?"
Zhang Yuanqing said with a grin, "More than that."
Next, he pulled out no fewer than six imperial seals from his inventory—some jade, some gold, and some iron.
Zhang Yuanqing explained to his two teammates:
"These are all imperial seals of the emperor, each with a different purpose. Some are reserved for issuing imperial edicts, some for enfeoffing ministers, and some for sending secret letters. But none of those are truly important. I swiped them simply to stall for time and keep the Zheng clan from running amok with my seals.
"What matters most are these two items."
Zhang Yuanqing produced a bright-yellow Double Dragon Jade Pendant and placed it next to the square jade, introducing them:
"This seal belonged to the third emperor of the Southern Dynasty. It was carved from a flawless piece of precious jade offered in tribute by the vassal Kingdom of Rosy Clouds, peerless under heaven.
"Ordinary imperial seals can be carved at will, but there is only one Heirloom Seal of the Realm. Because of its unique nature, successive rulers of the Southern Dynasty have revered it as the ultimate symbol of identity and legitimacy. If Zheng Wenhan wants to usurp the throne and ascend as emperor, he must obtain the Heirloom Seal of the Realm; otherwise, neither the court nor the common populace will acknowledge him."
Even if Zheng Wenhan chose not to ascend the throne and instead propped up a puppet emperor, he would still need the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.
In truth, Zhao Shun had been the most ideal puppet emperor. But Zhao Shun doted on the empress, and the empress was the legitimate daughter of the Yang clan. Already a prominent, venerable clan, the Yangs grew even more formidable with imperial favor, thereby becoming the Zheng family's primary rival.
In Zhang Yuanqing's sparse memories, the Yang daughter had been chosen for him by Empress Dowager Zheng. In hindsight, Empress Dowager Zheng had most likely intended to use the Yang family to counterbalance the Zheng family.
He picked up the bright-yellow Double Dragon Jade again and said, "This pendant was carved from the offcuts of that flawless jade and has been worn at the waist of successive emperors. It is likewise a symbol of status. These two items can prove my identity."
The dungeon prompt had warned him not to abandon his imperial identity, yet he had been forced to leave the palace. After weighing the options, Zhang Yuanqing had stored these two items, as well as the other imperial seals, into his inventory.
*The Guild Master is as reliable as ever...* Queen thought with delighted relief.
Jiang Jingwei also breathed a sigh of relief. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep almost instantly.
Zhang Yuanqing tucked in the corner of Jingwei's quilt, looked over at Queen several meters away, and said,
"Before Consort Wan died, she told me that Zheng Wenhan was the one who destroyed the Divine Sharpness Army. When we have time, we can look into that lead."
Queen immediately looked toward Jingwei. "That's probably Jingwei's side quest."
"Her quest is our quest. Expecting her to complete it alone is as hopeless as expecting a Fire Master to grow a brain," Zhang Yuanqing said. "It's late. Let's get some rest. We'll deal with tomorrow's troubles tomorrow."
The eastern horizon was beginning to show the pale belly of a fish. Fu Qingyang stood atop the city wall, his armor stained red with blood and his handsome face streaked with grime and gore.
He gazed out at the extinguished fires in the far distance, his eyes calm and profound. The clatter of iron armor and the clash of blades from several hours ago still echoed in his ears.
After nightfall, the Southern Dynasty garrison had launched a night raid. First, Zhao Chenghuang controlled spirit servants to silently eliminate the Northern Dynasty soldiers scattered outside the city. Then, Demonic Eye led five thousand troops out, disguising them as an army of thirty thousand to flank the enemy from behind.
Seeing the blazing sea of torches, the Northern Dynasty lookouts fell for the ruse as expected. Since only a limited force could be assembled in the dead of night, Tuoba Guanghe hurriedly mobilized two thousand cavalrymen and rode out of the encampment.
Immediately afterward, Fu Qingyang led the Southern Dynasty garrison on a sortie, storming into the Northern Dynasty camp for a bloody slaughter. They set fire to the grain supplies and siege weapons, setting the enemy's interconnected camps ablaze.
After slaying tens of thousands of enemies, Fu Qingyang did not linger for more glory, decisively sounding the retreat.
Tuoba Guanghe rushed back to the rescue only to find empty air. Enraged, he attacked the city single-handedly and engaged in a fierce battle against the three Dominators—Fu Qingyang, Heavenly King Demonic Eye, and Xiahou Aotian—failing to gain any upper hand.
The combination of Demonic Eye's Eye of Bewitchment and Fu Qingyang's newly comprehended sword intent made this Level 9 Ancient God of War feel genuine threat.
After furiously slaying over a thousand defenders and wreaking havoc on the city ramparts, he departed in indignation.
In this night raid, the Southern Dynasty lost nearly six thousand soldiers, while the Northern Dynasty suffered around thirty thousand casualties—a resounding victory.
After this battle, Fu Qingyang's prestige skyrocketed in the hearts of the Southern Dynasty garrison. Soldiers and commanders who had previously harbored resentment now wished they could fawn over him, hailing him as a hero.
Yet Fu Qingyang felt not the slightest joy. This battle had thoroughly ignited the Northern Dynasty's fury; the coming days would inevitably bring an incomparably brutal siege.
When that time came, the military laborers would be forced onto the battlefield, and the city's commoners would have to serve as laborers.
Fu Qingyang's strategy was to grind down the Northern Dynasty's four-hundred-thousand-strong army to two hundred thousand, then fall back to defend the capital. From his inquiries during the day, he had gained an initial understanding of the situation in the capital.
The Southern Dynasty court was split into two factions: the Zheng family and the Yang family.
Two maternal clans monopolized the court. The Zheng clan was an established maternal family that had operated in the court for decades, wielding immense power. Although the Yang clan was a newly risen maternal family, they were originally a prominent, deep-rooted clan of long standing, barely managing to contend with the Zheng faction.
Being at a disadvantage, the Yang family placed great importance on their public image; their reputation among both the common folk and the imperial court was far better than that of the Zheng clan.
Fu Qingyang had also learned that Yang Ce's appointment as commander-in-chief was entirely due to his sister in the imperial harem—the mother of the realm—whispering pillow talk into the emperor's ear. The Zheng family was extremely sensitive to this, terrified that Yang Ce would achieve illustrious military merit on the front lines.
If the dungeon were divided into two maps, they were the capital and the battlefield. The capital was left to Yuanshi to handle, but before Yuanshi took full control of the court, the capital would likely be a dragon's pool and tiger's den for the front-line troops.
Retreating to the capital would mean certain death.
That was why Fu Qingyang dared not fall back to the capital.
*Linxia City can hold out for half a month at most, or as little as seven days. I hope Yuanshi can take control of the situation in the capital; otherwise, we're in grave danger...* Fu Qingyang exhaled softly in the chilling night wind.
Suddenly, he heard the buzzing vibration of wings.
Looking toward the sound, he saw a blurry silhouette speeding through the pitch-black night sky, the droning of its gossamer wings resembling the propeller of a helicopter.
A white light gleamed in Fu Qingyang's eyes. Taking a closer look, his brows twitched upward in surprise.
Xiao Yuan?
Chapter 855