Chapter Sixty-Five: A New Regard for Luoyang (Part Two) (Third Update)

Another ripple stirred.

Seeing the scene before him, Zhou Qilin’s mouth could have fit a whole egg.

“Brother Zhou, save me!” the pudgy Prince Rong cried out in panic.

“Brother Wu, this is Prince Rong. Please, let him go,” Zhou Qilin called urgently.

“Oh, so he’s of the royal family? Then I must be even more cautious.” Wu Yue pressed his hand harder on Prince Rong’s left shoulder. The chubby prince, who could still speak moments ago, now broke out in a cold sweat and was utterly unable to utter a sound.

“I’d also like to know what’s going on,” Wu Yue said coolly. Not far away, Ren Ruyi took advantage of the moment to retreat swiftly, positioning herself at an angle with Wu Yue.

Yang Jingru’s face was dark, but he refrained from ordering another attack. It was Sun Taolue, who had remained silent until now, that spoke up, “Longxue Mountain is suspected of treason.”

Ren Ruyi reacted as if she had heard a joke, her tone icy, “What a ridiculous claim—utterly absurd.”

Sun Taolue had no interest in explaining, and continued, “The First Emperor is gravely wounded, the Crown Prince is now Regent. All those involved in the rebellion, and their families, will be executed.”

“My father, what happened to my father?” Li Suizhu asked anxiously. Though imperial families seldom show affection, the First Emperor truly doted on Li Suizhu. Only in recent years, as she grew older, had his indulgence waned.

“Princess Jinping, do not worry. The First Emperor was ambushed but his life is not in danger. As for his whereabouts, I do not know,” Sun Taolue replied. It was an official answer, seeming to say everything but in reality saying nothing.

Yet the words were soothing. Li Suizhu, though still anxious, felt a slight relief. “Then I’ll go to my brother and ask him myself.”

Li Suizhu and the current Crown Prince were siblings, both born of Lady Zhou. Lady Zhou was the legitimate daughter of the Zhou family, so in terms of lineage, Zhou Qilin and Li Suizhu were cousins.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qilin’s heart was stirred. As a cultivator, Zhou Qilin was merely average, but in political acumen, he was a prodigy—a monster among geniuses.

The First Emperor gravely wounded, the Crown Prince as Regent—this likely meant the emperor was near death’s door. The next step would be the ascension of a new emperor, inevitably followed by a purge. Zhou Qilin glanced around and found many familiar faces were already gone.

“Princess, don’t be anxious. The one who appeared in your palace—” Sun Taolue hesitated, unsure how to describe it, and settled for, “He’s now at the Zhou Heavenly Terrace, all is well.”

Li Suizhu then remembered she had once used the ancient teleportation talisman to send Wu Yue’s body back to Luoyang.

“Wu Yue of Lishan, please proceed to the Four Corners Hall. The Crown Prince requests your presence,” came a shrill voice from afar. A eunuch in a bright red robe approached swiftly.

“Which one is Wu Yue of Lishan?” The eunuch’s voice was unpleasant, and now he was clearly asking what he already knew.

“I am,” Wu Yue replied.

“Then hurry up! How long do you expect the Crown Prince to wait for you?” The eunuch was not tall, but his forehead was held high with pride. He never once glanced at Li Suizhu, Zhou Qilin, or the esteemed Prince Rong. As for Sun Taolue and his companions, he treated them as air.

“I will go, but I want her to come with me,” Wu Yue said, pointing at Ren Ruyi.

The eunuch glanced at Ren Ruyi and replied indifferently, “That’s fine.”

“No, absolutely not! She is a remnant from Longxue Mountain. She wounded several from the Senluo Army and the Teresi!” Yang Jingru exclaimed in alarm.

Only then did the eunuch turn to Yang Jingru, his tone sharp and biting, “You even brought out the Immortal-Slaying Crossbows. So many of you, yet you can’t handle a single young woman. Useless, the lot of you!”

“No wonder the First Emperor was ambushed—with incompetents like you, what do you expect? If you had any sense or skill, would the emperor—”

“Eunuch Feng, mind your words,” Sun Taolue suddenly interrupted the eunuch’s tirade.

Eunuch Feng snorted coldly, “Let’s go.” He turned to leave. Wu Yue smiled and exchanged a glance with Ren Ruyi—a silent pact, for now, to stand together and watch each other’s backs in uncertain times.

Yang Jingru’s face flushed and paled, but he did not try to stop Ren Ruyi again.

“Eunuch Feng, please wait,” called out the central figure among the palace’s worshipers. Eunuch Feng’s face was now extremely sour, but seeing it was the Flame Worshiper who spoke, he softened a little. “Is there something you need, Worshiper Yan? The Crown Prince is waiting.”

“There is indeed. This young lady injured two of my friends. Isn’t it inappropriate to simply let her leave?”

The other two worshipers were in poor shape—one’s flying sword was destroyed, causing severe spiritual damage; the other was wounded by several snow dragons, though fortunately Ren Ruyi had withdrawn her powers in time. Both looked pale and their energies were chaotic.

Eunuch Feng frowned impatiently, thinking some palace worshipers were utterly useless, but the Flame Worshiper was of the highest rank—his status was not to be taken lightly. Eunuch Feng had risen swiftly thanks to the Crown Prince, but his foundation was shallow; he dared not offend the Flame Worshiper.

Eunuch Feng pondered, then hesitated, “Then let them apologize to you.”

The Flame Worshiper laughed loudly, then his tone turned cold, “Apologize? Are you joking, Eunuch Feng?”

Eunuch Feng’s face stiffened. If he had been willing to yield a little out of respect for the Flame Worshiper’s status and power, now he resolved otherwise. With so many watching, he not only represented himself, but the Crown Prince as well. He could not lose face—never, not even in death.

“What do you want, then?” Wu Yue suddenly spoke up.

“Take one of my spells. If you survive, you live. If not, so be it,” the Flame Worshiper said calmly.

Wu Yue unconsciously narrowed his eyes, “Quite the boast.”

The Flame Worshiper smiled, a smile brimming with murderous intent. Since he achieved the Transcendence stage, no one had dared speak to him like this. He had found his own path during the Divine Union, and entered Transcendence through it. Few at his level could match him.

“With your mid-Transcendence cultivation? Or relying on your fire-path?” Wu Yue retorted coldly. Zhou Qilin had quietly advised him moments before: the more arrogant you act, the safer you are. Wu Yue didn’t fully understand, but trusted Zhou Qilin.

“Impressive insight,” the Flame Worshiper admitted, a hint of surprise in his heart, but he also shed some of his contempt.

“Observe my art—Beacon Fire.” His eyes revealed a touch of reminiscence. “I created this technique ninety years ago; when I perfected it, I slew two peers.”

Wu Yue signaled Ren Ruyi not to intervene—not out of bravado, but simply because the Flame Worshiper had the misfortune of facing Wu Yue, who possessed the Stacked Fire Technique, an unreasonable fire-control art wielded by an equally unreasonable Divine Union cultivator.

The Flame Worshiper placed his hands behind his back, and billowing wolf-smoke rose, ready to soar into the clouds.

Wu Yue focused his mind, generating a rune, then nineteen in succession.

The smoke halted abruptly. The beacon fire extinguished before it could ignite. The sudden fizzle left the Flame Worshiper stunned, awkward, and at a loss. Only now did his aura of mastery appear.

Wu Yue clasped his hands in salute, “Thank you for your concession.” In truth, the Flame Worshiper had kept his promise, only using a single move, which Wu Yue interrupted before it could complete.

What was expected to be a fierce battle was resolved in an instant.

“Is that enough now?” Eunuch Feng piped up with a shrill voice.

He cast a glance at the still-dumbfounded Flame Worshiper, then turned with ostentatious pride and offered Wu Yue a warm smile. “Brother Wu, let’s go.”

P.S. Thanks to the reader Sauerkraut Tart for the tip! Much appreciated—I’ll keep updating more chapters.