Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 124: The Mandate of Heaven

Bang...

Xu Qing slammed the table, feigning anger. "I don't care if you've been there or not, it was you! Tell me, what other ways do you have to transport the grain? As far as I know, the ruler of Jin still trusts Qi Hao, and he plans to send Qi Hao to garrison the Xia Kingdom. In a desperate situation, Qi Hao is the only one who can hold off the Northern Barbarians."

"Qi Hao?" The woman smiled upon hearing this. "While he has made achievements at court, his rapport with the other lords is not exactly stellar. The Xia Kingdom is vast, and he cannot manage it all. Shizhou is so close to our Jin Kingdom that it remains firmly within our control."

"Good, then I can rest easy." Xu Qing smiled happily, grabbing the woman's small hand and gently kneading it.

"Now, Young Master Zhang, where exactly do the Yuan family members hide their money and grain?" she continued, fishing for information.

One had to realize that the area in and around Shizhou had been searched so thoroughly it was as if they had dug three feet into the ground, yet they still had not found the cache. If the person before her was relying only on limited intelligence, he wouldn't be able to fool her for long. She had already ordered an investigation into whether the Yuan family ever had such a steward; she would know the truth soon enough.

...

Yang Hao channeled his cultivation technique, breathing and regulating his energy. He practiced continuously, the surrounding air swirling with his immense momentum. He trained all day without rest. Having found the right path and with abundant resources at his disposal, his progress was rapid.

After his training that day, he heard the sound of a zither, somewhat chaotic and lacking structure. Sighing, he went to pay his respects to Xu Wei.

"Princess, you are with child; you should rest and recuperate. His Highness will be fine; there is hardly anyone in this world who can stand against him," Yang Hao said earnestly.

When Qi Hao had returned from the Northern Frontier, he had only brought back others. Yang Hao had searched a hundred-mile radius, over and over, for three days and three nights, but Wang Chuan had vanished without a trace. Yet, no one dared to contemplate the worst outcome. To them, a man like Wang Chuan was nearly impossible to kill, and he was not the type to simply give up.

Tian Xingzi had not returned either. It was said he had gone to the Martial Arts Academy to seek reinforcements, but now, with the barbarians crossing the borders and the Jin army wreaking havoc across the world, the situation was dire. Wang Chuan had at least gone to deal with the legendary Demon Emperor who was set to awaken. But now, even he, the man who had strived to stabilize the world, was gone. Yang Hao could not bring himself to doubt him; he figured he must have encountered some predicament.

"You have worked hard, Yang Hao. The Emperor has also said you are very capable; governing a country and managing business sometimes share the same principles." Xu Wei gently stroked her slightly protruding belly. "Is your family doing well?"

"Everything is well. Since moving here, they have grown accustomed to it," Yang Hao replied. "I have cut off most of my outside business. I only worry if my many employees are safe, and if the severance pay I sent out could help them. The big picture comes first; I have stockpiled some grain, and I will wait for His Highness to return so we can coordinate our plans. I will certainly be of help to him."

"Let's not talk of these things; I wouldn't understand them anyway," Xu Wei shook her head. "Why don't you have your wife come to the palace to keep me company tomorrow? I haven't been able to go out lately, and Brother Chuan hasn't returned..."

"Yes, that is my wife's good fortune," Yang Hao quickly replied. "It is my fault; I should not have burdened the Princess with such bothersome matters."

"Yang Hao, have you ever thought about whether you should have persuaded him not to go?" Xu Wei asked. "If we set aside status, you two would be great friends; he trusts you very much."

"Your servant is terrified. I have always held His Highness in high esteem; his talent and ability are unmatched in this age." Yang Hao thought carefully about her question and said, "To be honest, I have thought about it. I harbored such selfish desires. If His Highness had stayed, he would have been enough to keep us safe. But he wanted to go, and I don't know why I couldn't bring myself to say those words. Moreover, I couldn't even pretend to be happy when I saw him off. Lately, I have been increasingly troubled, not knowing what is the right thing to do. But it doesn't matter; His Highness will definitely be fine."

"Yes, I suppose so," Xu Wei sighed.

That person had once said that if Wang Chuan went to the Northern Frontier, he would perish there. Yet, she hadn't tried to stop him; instead, she had supported him, letting him do what he wanted. Perhaps, she truly regretted it.

"Your Highness, I shall take my leave now to inform my wife," Yang Hao said, not staying long.

Xu Wei nodded, lost in thought.

Just as Yang Hao was about to leave, he suddenly felt a sharp aura. A gust of cold wind blew by.

"Protect the Princess!"

Yang Hao cried out in alarm, seeing a black shadow lunging forward, the light of a blade flashing. He struck out with his palm, landing a heavy blow on the intruder. The figure faltered for a moment, then lunged toward Xu Wei with even greater speed. Despite Yang Hao's attempt to intercept, it was too late.

Xu Wei thrust out her fingers; the incoming sword hummed and slid aside. She flew backward like a dragonfly skimming the water, her movements as agile and light as a swan in flight. Yang Hao remembered that Wang Chuan had taught them the Dragon-Capturing Claw. This technique was primarily for grabbing, but it could also be used for shifting, pushing, and seizing. Depending on the flow of internal energy, it had different applications. Wang Chuan had always used only one posture because there was rarely anyone in the world worth him using a second method; there was simply no need. But he had taught them the full technique without holding anything back.

After Xu Wei evaded the attack, Yang Hao stepped in to block, his hands raised in a hollow grip. Though he held no blade, his presence was imposing, like a general facing an army. He brought his palm down, as if spanning the heavens, with the sun, moon, and stars appearing in the sky, echoing his strike.

The man in black turned pale. Before the blow even landed, the sheer pressure of the intent had shaken his soul. His momentum faltered, but he quickly twisted his waist and slashed his blade downward. Yang Hao’s force bore down like a falling sun, immense and tyrannical. The assassin, forced by the sheer pressure, had no choice but to engage. He leaped into the air, meeting the falling sun with his sword.

Boom...

The space was filled with the blinding light of the sun, brightening a thousandfold. The sword light bloomed like a peacock's fan, a torrential river of thousands of rays erupting outward.

"Sunburst!"

Yang Hao roared, his internal energy pouring out like a river, as brilliant as a bursting sun!

Just then, a cool breeze drifted by, carrying a veil of white silk, smoke-like and ethereal. The silk unfurled like flowing water, revealing layers upon layers like a dense web. It draped over the assassin, acting like a floodgate blocking a surging tide, instantly halting his momentum. He was tightly bound.

The Imperial Guards, who had rushed over, stared in astonishment at the woman who had arrived so gracefully. She glided out like a wisp of smoke, her form as elegant as a crane descending from the heavens.

"I am Yue Ling. Greetings, Your Highness."

The woman extended her beautiful feet, took a light step forward, and bowed slightly.

"It is Lady Yue."

Yang Hao recognized the name and whispered an explanation to Xu Wei. She was one of the experts who had accompanied Wang Chuan to assassinate the Demon Emperor.

"He's dead!"

As the Imperial Guards approached cautiously to capture the assassin, they discovered something was wrong. Yang Hao stepped forward to examine the body and was shocked. "He committed suicide! He was a death-sworn soldier."

"They only dared to strike at you when His Highness Wang Chuan was away. Since that is the case, it means His Highness is alive and well, which puts my mind at ease," Lady Yue said softly.

She rose into the air, her veil spinning, and hovered above the ground. The elegant silk danced in the wind as if she had flown in from beyond the heavens. Her body seemed ready to soar away, revealing the long, rounded contours of her legs, as if she might ascend with the breeze at any moment.

"His Highness is safe," Yang Hao said with joy, understanding her meaning.

It was precisely because Wang Chuan remained a threat that they had dared to risk an attack on Xu Wei. Someone like Xu Wei had no personal enemies; the target was clearly Wang Chuan. If Wang Chuan had truly not returned, these people would have become irrelevant.

When he looked again, she had already vanished.

...

In the Jin palace, the halls were dim, with no lamps lit. The main hall was vast and empty, seemingly devoid of life. The Fourth Prince walked in with a bold, tiger-like stride, his presence accompanied by a sense of power.

"Father," he stood in the center and bowed respectfully toward the darkness.

"You have come," the voice of the Jin ruler came from the shadows, soft and faint, barely audible if one did not listen carefully.

"Father, why did you let Duke Yun guard the Tang Kingdom? That was a territory I conquered city by city," the Fourth Prince complained. "And the Xia Kingdom—why must it all be handed to Qi Hao? What about me? Why are you so biased? When have you ever given me a chance—a fair chance?"

The man with the most prestige and power in the army was not Qi Hao, but Duke Yun, the person the Jin ruler trusted most. When the ruler was still the Crown Prince, they had been brothers-in-arms. Now that two kingdoms had been conquered, the hearts of the people had yet to be won, and someone needed to garrison those lands. The ruler had only assigned these two men. In the Fourth Prince's eyes, if he had been assigned to either place, those two would have been demoted to his subordinates. It would have served as a clear signal.

"Are you finished?" the Jin ruler asked. "Go to the Hua Kingdom. Take as much as you can, but take only your own men. However, I do not want to see a single barbarian cross the border. Do not make me think you are incompetent and useless, or I shall have no choice but to abandon you."

"Father!" the Fourth Prince urged. "Why treat me this way? I could conquer the Wei and Yu Kingdoms for you, too. You know what I want."

"A joke. But do you know what I wish for?" The Jin ruler's tone turned cold. "We shall discuss other matters when your brother returns."

"Him again. If he were to return, would you treat him the same way?" the Fourth Prince challenged. "Do you truly think I am inferior to him?"

"That is a matter between the two of you," the Jin ruler said, his voice devoid of emotion, yet sounding strangely sincere.

"He wants to be the Human Emperor, to gather supreme fortune. In truth, he occupies a crucial link in the current order of heaven and earth. With such fortune bolstering his body, his cultivation climbs step by step, until no one can kill him. This is the Great Way—protected by fate itself," the Fourth Prince said. "Unfortunately, this path of his is doomed to failure."

It is impossible to succeed.

And I will not allow it.