Chapter 1191: Emperor Peafowls Whereabouts
The atmosphere suddenly froze. A long moment later, Emperor
Void finally let out a long sigh.
“Unimaginable, truly unimaginable! To think that Pill King
Zhen’s pill dao fortunes are this extraordinary. Everyone in Veluriyam Capital
would be blind to give up such a genius. Alright, I will support young lord
Zhen for as long as I, Void, am still in Veluriyam Capital. No one, whatever
their ambitions may be, shall harm young lord Zhen while I still draw breath.”
Emperor Void had finally voiced his official support.
“Hehe, you’re not going to count the Coiling Dragon faction
out, are you?” Emperor Coiling Dragon declared heroically. “Maybe there are
others who thought that we’re supporting him out of either selfishness or past
favors, but they don’t know that our decision is made out of consideration for
Veluriyam Capital’s future as well. I’ve always believed that Veluriyam Capital
will be brought to greater heights in young lord Zhen’s hands. This is also
something Emperor Peafowl himself declared back when he was around.”
“That’s right. Who else but young lord Zhen could win such
praise from Emperor Peafowl?” Emperor Void also nodded.
Of course, the king of Bluesky Nation was aware that their
show was meant for him.
“Your Majesties, Chunyu may be weak, but I also know the
saying that one should repay a favor many times over. I owe both Emperor
Peafowl and young lord Zhen many favors, so of course I and Bluesky Nation
swear to defend the orthodoxy of Sacred Peafowl Mountain to the very end!”
Emperor Peerless chuckled. “Well, I owe young lord Zhen my
life, twice over. Of course I’m going to support him with all I’ve got.”
The four monarchs also seized the opportunity to declare,
“We, the four monarchs, swear to defend Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s honor and
young lord Zhen’s position to our deaths!”
They were beyond words right now. They were no fools; they
knew what the Pinecrane Pill represented.
The human heart could be a very materialistic thing
sometimes. Prior fame and contribution became quite flimsy when viewed through
the lens of reality and one’s own interest. Many might admire young lord Zhen
deeply and be sympathetic to his plight out of everything he’d done, but when
push came to shove, they might not necessarily support him.
After all, any normal person would choose to support a great
emperor who had made his name for the past thousand years over a new young
lord. Such was reality. A great emperor’s strength and power were his dominant
advantage.
However, “profit” was equally present in the world, and it
was just as decisive as the other factors. It might not be possible to equate
Pinecrane Pills with actual profit just yet, but who wouldn’t want such an
amazing pill for themselves?
Right now, they had to choose a side. If they chose to join
Emperor Shura and offended young lord Zhen as a result, they wouldn’t be able
to change their minds later. It would be a pipe dream to think that young lord
Zhen would give them a Pinecrane Pill in any capacity after that.
The four monarchs were careful thinkers. It didn’t take them
long to realize that the Pinecrane Pill commanded tremendous strategic value in
the upcoming Vassal Meeting.
At the beginning, they’d thought that young lord Zhen only
had a ten to twenty percent chance to beat Emperor Shura in the upcoming Vassal
Meeting. But after the Pinecrane Pill was factored into the equation, his
chances of winning had ballooned to at least thirty to forty percent. It
delighted them just thinking about it.
“A few vassals have arrived and are requesting to see you,
young lord.”
“The vassals of the Seven Southern Cities have requested to
see you, young lord.”
“Young lord…”
All of the kings and city lords would be arriving in a few
days’ time. Naturally, those who came to them first were those who had been
personally promoted by Emperor Peafowl. As the line of visitors streamed
continuously into the store, Taiyuan Tower’s atmosphere grew lively. The four
monarchs felt warmth grow in their hearts as they watched the stream of vassals
coming to pay homage. They berated themselves for underestimating Emperor
Peafowl and young lord Zhen’s charisma.
A long time ago, Emperor Peafowl had gone against many
opposing voices and promoted these people to importance. Naturally, they hadn’t
forgotten the kindness the great emperor showed them. As the saying went,
strong winds prove resilient grass, and troubled times identify faithful
ministers.
Those who had rushed over to visit young lord Zhen were
reliable. Of course, it was entirely possible that there might be a spy or two
in this crowd who had secretly joined Emperor Shura’s side. They were here to
spy and report back to the great emperor everything they knew, and it was
impossible for the four monarchs to identify them. Still, the vast majority of
the visitors had to be Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s supporters.
Taiyuan Tower had made all sorts of preparations and had no
problems welcoming the guests. Moreover, Emperor Coiling Dragon had opened his
former residence to the public so as to add to the accomodations. All of this
was sending a clear message that Sacred Peafowl Mountain didn’t plan to give up
just like that.
Of course, news of Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s popularity had
reached Emperor Shura’s ears at first light.
“A lot of people rushed to meet young lord Zhen, you say?”
Emperor Shura looked a little displeased. “They have no understanding of the
times, I see.”
Emperor Shura had greeted, hinted and even openly invited
all these people to join him. Unfortunately, very few had actually accepted the
olive branch he offered.
Traitors were few in the world of martial dao. Most hadn’t
forgotten their pride as a cultivator, and they weren’t stupid either. They
couldn’t tell if the olive branch Emperor Shura offered them was just a
temporary measure. What if he turned against them after he came into a position
of power? It was something they couldn’t simply overlook.
Emperor Vastsea sneered. “These people were all done a favor
by Emperor Peafowl in the past. According to my calculation, they number less
than a third of the total, after deducting those we managed to pull to our
side. Therefore, they are utterly incapable of overcoming you, brother.”
Emperor Shura snorted coldly. “Veluriyam Capital stinks too
much of a certain person right now. If we don’t cleanse this city of his mark,
we will never be able to break out of our shell and breathe some fresh air.”
Naturally, the person Emperor Shura was referring to was
Emperor Peafowl. He was right too. Emperor Peafowl’s image in Veluriyam Capital
was too strong. The great emperor’s handiwork could be seen almost everywhere
in the city. Emperor Shura had encountered a lot of friction when he attempted
to spread his fame and power. Even he admitted that Emperor Peafowl was a tall
mountain to overcome.
“He’s not coming back though, hahaha!” Emperor Vastsea
looked and sounded very pleased as he said this.
“Mm.” Emperor Shura nodded. “All in all, we executed this
rather cleanly. Had we failed, we would’ve had to live under his shadow for the
rest of our lives.”
“Are you absolutely certain he’s not coming back, brother
daoist? There is no room for carelessness here.” Emperor Vastsea still sounded
a little uncertain.
“There were a lot of experts who contributed in the ambush.
There will be no problems.” A trace of ruthlessness flashed through Emperor
Shura’s eyes.
“But no one saw his corpse, did they?” Although Emperor
Vastsea was full of hatred when Emperor Peafowl was brought up, it wasn’t
without a trace of fear.
“He was attacked by multiple great emperors and had to
escape with severe wounds. Unfortunately for him, the place he chose to escape
to was the desolate wildlands. Do you think he can come out of there alive with
his level of injuries?” Emperor Shura responded coldly.
“I wouldn’t worry if he was anyone else, but he’s Emperor
Peafowl… I don’t know why, but I can’t help but feel unsettled for some
reason.”“What are you worried about? Emperor Pillzenith told me personally that
even he wouldn’t have been able to recover from those kind of wounds unless a
pill emperor healed him on the spot. Even then, his chances of surviving was
only one in a hundred, not to mention that he fled into the land of sealed
demons. He may be powerful, but do you really think he’s more powerful than
Emperor Pillzenith?” Emperor Shura asked coldly.
“I think… they’re at about the same level, aren’t they?”
“Even if they are, Emperor Pillzenith himself said that he
wouldn’t be able to recover from those wounds. Do you think that he’s better
than Emperor Pillzenith in terms of pill dao? There’s no doubt who’s the
inferior one in this regard!”
“Then I guess he really isn’t coming back.” Emperor Vastsea
slowly relaxed. “Still, I think we should visit the desolate wildlands when the
time is right. I would much prefer confirm this with my own eyes.”
But Emperor Shura waved his hands. “There’s no need. Even if
he does manage to return from that place, there’s no way he can recover from
his wounds, and his cultivation would’ve fallen off greatly. Even better, he
has nothing that could prove our involvement in this matter. Do you think the
people would still obey his every whim if he becomes much weaker?”
The strong was king in the martial dao world.
No matter how powerful Emperor Peafowl used to be, it was
law that he had to give up his position if his cultivation weakened. There was
no such thing as a middle ground here. Maybe the populace would still respect a
weakened Emperor Peafowl like they used to in the past, but they would never
entrust their lives to him.
Emperor Vastsea began to chuckle. “Then all is well. The way
you put it, I’m actually looking forward to him returning, brother.”
“Why?” Emperor Shura frowned.
“Just think. What does it mean if his cultivation declines
greatly? He will be a tiger without claws or teeth! I so want to see his sorry
look!” For whatever reason, Emperor Vastsea seemed to hate Emperor Peafowl to
the bone. Maybe it was because the latter’s presence had prevented him from
exercising his ambitions].
“Hehe, I understand what you mean, but it’s not going to be
easy in Veluriyam Capital. He is prestigious. We may be able to strip him of
his position, but the people of Veluriyam Capital won’t allow us to ridicule
him.”
“Hehe, of course I’m not going to do that in front of
everyone. Still, I want to see him in tatters and low spirits. Say, what was
the that poison Emperor Pillzenith used? How powerful it must be to prevent
Emperor Peafowl’s cultivation from recovering!”
“This isn’t something you and I should worry about.” Emperor
Shura said coldly. He truly didn’t want to discuss Emperor Pillzenith in any
capacity because he was worried over whether his decision to ally with his
enemy was correct or not. Emperor Peafowl had been eliminated from the board,
but if Emperor Pillzenith decided to make a move and plunge his hands into
Veluriyam Capital, he would be hardly be able to mount a resistance.
There was a saying called “to quench one’s thirst with
blood”. His current situation was similar to that. He was so thirsty he
couldn’t stop himself from drinking poison to quench it.
“Your Majesty, the vassals have all been settled
accordingly. Everyone is gathered in one place and are waiting for you to see
them.” Another reported to Emperor Shura.
Chapter 1192: Jiang Chens Allies
Emperor Shura had made many preparations over the years for
taking over the throne. The waylaying of Emperor Peafowl was without question,
the most important. Aside from this, he had also expended a significant amount
of effort on buying the hearts of the capital’s vassals. The ones waiting here
for his reception today comprised of almost half of the total. This was a
concerningly large portion.
Only a short while ago, Emperor Shura was still only
Veluriyam’s third emperor in name. Above him wasn't only the lofty Emperor
Peafowl, but Emperor Petalpluck as well. To have gathered almost half the
city’s vassals to his side was an alarming accomplishment, the greatest guarantee
for his work.
If he expended just a bit more effort, he would surely be
able to win a few more over. Then, it wouldn’t matter if the rest remained
neutral. As long as the number of vassals supporting him exceeded those that
did Sacred Peafowl Mountain, he could rightfully become the foremost emperor of
Veluriyam Capital. The sovereign throne would be finally his.
The news of the numerous visitors at Emperor Shura’s side
travelled quickly to Taiyuan Tower and into Jiang Chen’s ears. It was the last
three days before the Vassal Meeting formally began. Competition for people was
growing all the fiercer.
“Young lord, those people are merely attempting to curry
favor. I don’t think that all of them are particularly loyal to Emperor Shura.
He has grasped less than half of the vassals after exhausting his methods. That
alone shows the extent of general dislike of him. If Emperor Peafowl were still
here, who of the roughly nine hundred vassals would dare misbehave? Would they
disagree about anything he did?”
“That’s right, young lord Zhen. Emperor Shura’s forces look
intimidating, but it also exposes his lack of control over them. His roots are
too shallow in the end.”
“If we can win over all the neutral ones, perhaps we will
surpass Emperor Shura in terms of popular support.” There was a plethora of
different voices, but most supported the idea of Jiang Chen competing with
Emperor Shura for support.
The young lord of Veluriyam waved his hands, smiling.
“Everyone, we can’t begin competing so openly for vassals before the gathering
has even begun. Besides, a battle of words at the beginning is unavoidable.”
“I suppose that’s true. I don’t believe Emperor Shura is
eloquent enough to beat young lord Zhen,” grinned Emperor Coiling Dragon.
Emperor Void nodded. “Of course, we cannot ignore the other
emperors’ attitudes either. Young lord, the vassals are spread out widely over
the entire city for the time being, but I think we should try to sway the
hearts of the other emperors.”
“I’m not worried about the emperors or the vassals,”
interjected Emperor Peerless suddenly. “I’m much more concerned about the possibility
of Emperor Shura’s collusion with outsiders. If that happens, then the
situation will shift in very unexpected ways.”
Colluding with external enemies was a very sensitive matter.
Still, Emperor Peerless had stoically laid the subject out on the table.
Emperor Coiling Dragon nodded in agreement. “We cannot
eliminate the possibility. We must prepare for this with certain
countermeasures.”
“What do you think, young lord?” asked Emperor Void.
Jiang Chen inclined his head. “I’ve considered it just like
everyone else. A few days ago, I extended invitations to the Great Yu Skysword
Sect and the Celestial Cicada Court to join us at the Vassal Meeting as
observers. I am uncertain whether the Court will come, since I’ve received no
certain reply, but there should be no problem with the Great Yu Skysword Sect.
I think the two Han sect heads should be arriving quite soon.”
The two Han brothers from the Skysword Sect respected Jiang
Chen immensely. They had offered immense sums to Jiang Chen to try to get him
to become their guest pill emperor. The layer of amiability meant that there
was no reason they wouldn’t endorse Jiang Chen at such an occasion.
Jiang Chen wasn't stubborn and inflexible. He was almost
certain that Emperor Shura had invited outside help. If he made no preparations
whatsoever to counter that, he would be in a very passive situation. Alas, he
had limited connections here in the Upper Eight Regions. He could only think of
the Great Yu Skysword Sect and the Celestial Cicada Court.
Though he’d completed a formation mission for the latter
party, it was up in the air whether they would return the favor. He’d used some
tricks to help his cause, of course. In his message, he had made many allusions
to the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect’s formation records in order to draw their
interest.
When completing their mission, Jiang Chen had speculated
whether the Celestial Cicada Court was vaguely related to the ancient sect.
He’d mentioned it to Venerated Skysoarer during his time in the Veluriyam
Pagoda. The old man’s response had been that he should pay some attention to
the sect. If a connection did exist, then it would be beneficial to reach out
to them.
Jiang Chen had set the bait. Whether the Celestial Cicada
Court was willing to take it, and thereby participate in Veluriyam Capital’s
internal feud, was wholly up to them.
The Great Yu Skysword Sect and the Celestial Cicada Court
were both first rank sects in the Upper Eight Regions, and each respectively
ruled over one of the regions. Their prominence was uncontestable.
Though Jiang Chen had a sister, Xu Qingxuan, over at the
Tilted Moon Region as the Moon God Sect’s holy maiden, he couldn’t extend an
invitation to her faction. The Tilted Moon Region was a bit closer to Pillfire
City. More importantly, Xu Qingxuan was only a holy maiden, not the sect’s main
head quite yet. Announcing a relationship now would only put her in a dilemma.
Therefore, Jiang Chen refrained from inviting anyone from
there in the first place. They wouldn’t answer his call in the first place, and
anyone who did come would work actively against him.
Just as the Great Yu Skysword Sect was being discussed,
there was a secret report that made its way in. Their timing of arrival was
almost devilish.
“Young lord, the two sect heads from the Great Yu Skysword
Sect have entered the city already. Should we give them a high-profile welcome,
or keep them well-hidden for now?”
“Well-hidden for now,” commanded Jiang Chen. “If Emperor
Shura’s side doesn’t bring out external help, we don’t need to play our card.”
No matter what, having an external faction work on one’s
behalf was a little disgraceful. The Han brothers were only intended to serve
as an additional guarantee.
The last few vassals trickled in during the last three days.
Veluriyam Capital’s atmosphere and situation became heavier and heavier. The occasional
skirmish carried the scent of violence far and wide.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen was serious about this potential
problem throughout the period. He sent the Peafowl Guard on patrol in the
streets. Because Sacred Peafowl Mountain was still nominally the ruler of the
city, even Emperor Shura’s Guard had to yield to the Peafowl Guard.
It was too key of a time to introduce unnecessary problems.
Emperor Shura was in no rush for these last few days, and instructed the Shura
Guard to lay low for a while. They were instructed to stay close to the ground
and avoid causing any incidents, especially with the Peafowl Guard. Any gossip
right now was unwanted.
…...
“Hey, did you hear?”
“What?”
“I hear there’s yet another huge piece of news from Sacred
Peafowl Mountain.”
“What news?”
“Do you really not know? There’s a miracle pill called the
Pinecrane Pill. It allows emperor realm cultivators to live a thousand years
longer. It even works to a certain extent on great emperors!”
“How can this be? That sounds pretty baseless.” Some didn't
believe what the news.
“Hmph, Sacred Peafowl Mountain has a very trustworthy
reputation. They never spread fake news.”
“Perhaps it’s not from them, though. Maybe their supporters
did it with ulterior motives.”
“Nonsense. What do you mean, ulterior motives? I heard that
Taiyuan Tower was where it was first announced, and young lord Zhen personally
confirmed it.”
“Personally confirmed? Did you hear that with your own ears
or see it with your own eyes?”
“I’m not interested in wasting time arguing. For once, this
rumor is backed by cold, hard truth. There’s a mountain of evidence.”
“What mountain of evidence?”
“Don’t you know about Emperor Coiling Dragon? You should
still remember the Coiling Dragon Clan crisis, right? The clan lord was almost
at the end of his mortal life, and was very close to having his cultivation
dissipate. I think everyone in the city knew about it at the time, no?”
“What? What are you trying to say?”
“You still don’t understand? How did the lord of the Coiling
Dragon Clan go from the edge of dissipation to a seat among the other great
emperors? He used young lord Zhen’s Pinecrane Pill! The young lord first
lengthened his life by a few years using a secret art, then learned and refined
a masterful pill recipe. With something as peerless as the Pinecrane Pill, the
Coiling Dragon Clan lord received another thousand years of life. His body improved,
he was finally able to break through his mortal and cultivation limits to
ascend as a great emperor!” The person who had related the story told it with a
certain animation, as if he’d seen everything himself.
“Tsk tsk, it almost sounds real. But do you think such a
thing is actually possible? An emperor realm cultivator living another thousand
years? You make it sound as easy as eating and breathing! Then according to
you, nobody would die of old age in the world of martial dao. If you use your brain
to think about it for a bit, then you’ll come to a more reasonable conclusion!”
“What are you talking about? Are you saying I don’t have a
brain?”
“Do you think you do?”
“My brain is much better than yours, you fool. You’re
amazingly ignorant, but still pretend you’re all that. Hmph, don’t forget where
the Longevity Pill came from. Before that came out, there was no pill that
could extend the lives of sage realm cultivators. But what about now, hmm?”
“The Longevity Pill is its own thing. Sage realm cultivators
are plentiful in the human domain. There’s nothing wondrous about that.”
“You just don’t believe in young lord Zhen, at the end of
the day. It doesn’t matter whether you do or not, though. His accomplishments
are plain for all to see. Who defeated Pill King Ji Lang from Pillfire City?
Who healed the Moon God Precious Tree in the Tilted Moon Region? Who
comprehended all nine Veluriyam Obelisks within the Pagoda?” The speaker was
clearly a diehard fan of Jiang Chen’s. He rattled off a strong of the youth’s
works almost effortlessly.
Similar arguments were taking place everywhere in the city.
News about the Pinecrane Pill spread further and further in
an inexorable tide. Within a day, everyone and everything in the city knew
about this shocking piece of information. Even some who weren’t the city’s
subjects had gotten wind of it.
Chapter 1193: External Forces
"What? The Pinecrane Pill?” In a secret chamber
somewhere in Veluriyam Capital, Emperor Pillzenith was completely astounded by
the news. He’d been involved in Veluriyam Capital’s internal strife from the
very beginning. Before this, he’d never have thought that Emperor Shura would
voluntarily invite him to join forces against Emperor Peafowl. He simply
couldn’t believe that Emperor Shura could be this dumb.
In fact, he’d even suspected at first that this was a ruse
by Emperor Peafowl to lure him out of Pillfire City. But after a long and
thorough observation, he realized that this wasn’t a setup after all. Emperor
Shura really had been dropped on the head when he was a child. It was risky
cavorting with the enemy, but he didn’t mind taking advantage of the situation.
And so, they began to collaborate with each other. Not only
that, Emperor Shura had also reached out to Eternal Celestial Capital. The
three factions had joined forces against Emperor Peafowl.
Of course, the one who contributed the most was still
Emperor Pillzenith. He’d taken the most powerful poison available in Pillfire
City and resorted to all kinds of underhanded methods to defeat Emperor
Peafowl. Even though there was no corpse, Emperor Pillzenith was absolutely certain
that Emperor Peafowl was dead. Pill dao giants like him had complete faith in
their poisons.
He firmly believed that Emperor Peafowl was dead. With that,
his next target was Pill King Zhen. In Emperor Pillzenith’s opinion, Pill King
Zhen was much more annoying to deal with than Emperor Peafowl. The emperor was
incredibly strong and Veluriyam Capital had flourished under his rule, but the
capital was still only at the same level as Pillfire City.
Veluriyam Capital’s pill dao foundation was only a fifth of
Pillfire City’s. They posed as no threat in that particular field.
Unfortunately, that was ancient history now. Things were completely different
with young lord Zhen’s appearance in Veluriyam Capital.
The young lord had completely slaughtered Pill King Ji Lang
in the duel over the Longevity Pill. Moreover, he’d even pretended to be a pill
king from Myriad Abyss Island and slipped into the city to join the Bounty
Arena, completely dominating every pill king in the city.
But that wasn’t even the worst of it. When Pill King Ji Lang
was driven to his wit’s end over the Moon God Precious Tree, the young lord had
swooped in and solved the issue with a few words. The pill king had
indisputably lost to the young lord yet again. It was an enormous blow to the
proud and lofty city.
Emperor Pillzenith was concealing himself within Veluriyam
Capital to help push Emperor Shura to the throne while looking for a chance to
get rid of Pill King Zhen. Swallowing Veluriyam Capital whole wasn’t as easy as
it seemed. Emperor Pillzenith had an enormous appetite, but not even his
gluttony would induce him to do such a thing. After all, both territories were
on opposite ends of the region. To swallow the capital whole, he’d have to
traverse through the entire Upper Eight Regions.
Even if his appetite was really that voracious, it was
unlikely that he’d be daring enough to do such a thing as the masses would be
completely livid over his actions. If any of the other factions grew furious
over his ambitions, they might suddenly see him as a threat and join forces to
obliterate his faction. If he wanted to meddle in Veluriyam Capital’s matters,
he’d have to do so from the shadows.
Besides, so long as the capital was in Emperor Shura’s
hands, it would sooner or later decline into a second rate faction even without
any meddling from Emperor Pillzenith. They'd no longer be on the same level as
Pillfire City then. But of course, the prerequisite was that Pill King Zhen had
to die and Sacred Peafowl Mountain destroyed. It was hard to predict what could
happen as long as Pill King Zhen was alive.
For some reason, Emperor Pillzenith was deathly afraid of
the young pill king. The mysterious youth seemed to be capable of making the
impossible, possible. Thus, his great reaction couldn’t be faulted when he
heard about the Pinecrane Pill. It was yet another thorn in his side.
“How on earth does he have so much knowledge? Is there no
end to what he knows!?” Emperor Pillzenith exclaimed with frustration. It went
without saying that Pill King Zhen had something to do the Pinecrane Pill.
“Your Majesty, we're in deep trouble if the pill is truly as
miraculous as the rumors. With the pill, Veluriyam Capital could definitely
deal a lethal blow to our city!”
This was no exaggeration.
The Longevity Pill’s impact was negligible as it was only
meant for the lowly sage ream cultivators. Their numbers were aplenty, but not
a single one of them could dictate the human domain’s future. However, the
Pinecrane Pill worked on emperors and for some extent, great emperors! This was
earth shattering news!
Equipped with unparalleled strength, this level of
cultivators was the demographic that could steer the human domain’s future. If
everyone in this demographic flocked towards the Sacred Peafowl Mountain and
formed a long term relationship to get their hands on the pill, the faction
would surely expand and grow at an astounding speed!
Ten years... one hundred years… five hundred years… With the
passage of time, the mountain would surely catch up to Pillfire City in pill
dao.
The thought of that happening sent a cold chill down Emperor
Pillzenith’s spine. He’d only felt some embarrassment and rage from loss of
face after Pill King Ji Lang had lost to Pill King Zhen twice. But after
learning about the Pinecrane Pill, he felt threatened as he foresaw complete
and utter peril.
“The art of refining the Pinecrane Pill was said to have
been passed down to Pill King Zhen from a master of unknown origins. When he
was in our city, he claimed that he was from the Myriad Abyss Island. Perhaps
his master is truly an empyrean pill saint from that island?”
One couldn’t blame Emperor Pillzenith for running to such
conclusions. Even though he was one of the titans of the pill dao world, he
couldn’t help but feel a little worthless in the face of Jiang Chen’s seemingly
boundless pill dao knowledge. In fact, he’d even begun to feel ashamed of
himself.
This cannot do. I must get my hands on Pill King Zhen. He’s
practically an inexhaustible source of pill dao knowledge. Emperor Pillzenith
was determined. If I can’t get my hands on him, then I must make sure that he
dies. Sooner or later, he’ll definitely become a mortal enemy of my Pillfire
City.
Emperor Pillzenith was scared. He never imagined that
someone would one day threaten the very foundations of Pillfire City. He
realized that city wasn’t as indestructible as he first thought. He only had
that misconception because no one with the skills to challenge it had ever
appeared, until now. Pill King Zhen obviously possessed that level of skill and
potential.
……
The Holy Emperor of the Eternal Celestial Capital was also
in the capital. A few of its holy kings met up with their emperor.
“Saint Holy King Mu, did you hear about the Pinecrane Pill
during your stay in the capital?”
“No, Your Majesty. I’ve only heard about the Longevity Pill.
Could this be a hoax from Sacred Peafowl Mountain?”
“This subordinate believes that it’s a hoax too. The
Longevity Pill is already beyond imagination. No matter how I look at it, the
Pinecrane Pill just doesn’t seem realistic.”
The holy emperor snorted. “The world is huge and full of
wonders. Just a few years ago, no one thought that the Longevity Pill could
possibly be real, but now everyone has accepted it as the norm. While it may be
true that we haven’t seen the Pinecrane Pill in person yet, the Coiling Dragon
clan lord’s story does seem plausible if you actually think about it.”
Saint Holy King Mu was caught by surprise. “Your Majesty, do
you truly believe that the Pinecrane Pill is real?”
“It’s impossible to know whether it’s real or a hoax, but
the Coiling Dragon clan lord’s sudden transcendance from cultivation
dissipation to great emperor realm is worth a look.”
“Your Majesty speaks wisely. Perhaps the Pinecrane Pill is
actually real as Pill King Zhen does seem capable of everything.”
“Pill King Zhen…” The Holy Emperor furrowed his brows. “Are
you still unable to tell if that brat has anything to do with Jiang Chen yet?”
“But Your Majesty, he’s the young lord of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain… we did have an opportunity to find out the truth, but Emperor Peafowl
interrupted us. Our hands are tied in the capital...”
A look of fear surfaced briefly on the Holy Emperor’s face
when he heard Emperor Peafowl’s name. Even though he was the lord of a first
rank sect, he was nowhere near Emperor Peafowl in terms of strength and fame.
The latter was the ruler of Veluriyam Capital. Everyone knew that the capital
held enough heritage to rival at least two or three first rank sects!
It was the reason why he feared Emperor Peafowl so much.
Fortunately, the ruler of Veluriyam Capital was long gone and would never come
back. The Holy Emperor’s ambitions began to run wild. The Eternal Celestial
Capital’s territory was rather near to Veluriyam Capital. Without Emperor
Peafowl, Veluriyam’s terrority would soon be nibbled away by nearby factions.
Perhaps the Eternal Celestial Capital could also have a
piece of the pie!
It was why they agreed to help Emperor Shura kill Emperor
Peafowl in the first place. Everything had been done in the name of profit.
After hearing about the Pinecrane Pill, the Holy Emperor’s heart began to fill
with greed again.
Last time, the Eternal Celestial Capital was able to get
their hands on the Longevity Pill, but the Sacred Peafowl Mountain had taken it
right from their hands. The faction’s hate for Veluriyam Capital had grown
exponentially ever since that incident. How could the Holy Emperor let this
chance slip by?
The Longevity Pill was already incredibly enticing. The
Pinecrane Pill however, was at least a hundred times more appealing! It’d be
impossible for the Holy Emperor to not be moved by it.
“Your Majesty, if the Pinecrane Pill is real, we must get
our hands on part of that pie. Pillfire City will not sit idly by. We need to
make our move as soon as possible. Even if we can’t have it for ourselves, we
must talk to Pillfire City and make sure that we get a cut of the profits too.”
These men had set their eyes on the Pinecrane Pill.
Chapter 1194: The Celestial Cicada Court
If news about the Pinecrane Pill got out, all eyes would be
on him. Jiang Chen had naturally already prepared for this consequence. The
Pinecrane Pill was also a piece of bait. He wanted to see how many large fish
he could catch with.
How many factions with ulterior motives were hiding in
Veluriyam Capital?
In fact, though revealing the pill had been somewhat
involuntary, doing so was also quite clever. It was possible that cracks might
develop in Emperor Shura’s alliance with his external help if they squabbled
over it. It wasn’t that part that was clever, however.
Of the eight titled emperors currently residing within
Veluriyam Capital, Emperor Coiling Dragon and Void naturally supported Sacred
Peafowl Mountain. The two neutral parties, Emperor Petalpluck and
Mountaincrush, were shocked by the rumors about the Pinecrane Pill. They both
attempted to verify its veracity. Having been convinced of it, their hearts
were greatly disturbed by the new discovery.
“Young lord Zhen… young lord Zhen…” The usually forthright
Emperor Mountaincrush was heavily conflicted. “I know what’s right and wrong,
but Emperor Shura went too far this time. If I didn’t have my own difficulties,
there’s no way I would have agreed to his convening the Vassal Meeting… ah…”
On the other hand, Emperor Petalpluck remained relatively
calm.
The rumors about the Pinecrane Pill continued to fester.
Though Emperor Shura was incensed by the new development, he didn’t have a good
counter to Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s temporary advantage. On the other hand,
Jiang Chen had no follow-ups either.
Time passed very quickly. Soon enough, there was only one
day remaining before the Vassal Meeting. Gazing to the southeast, the young
lord of Veluriyam sighed softly. “So, the Celestial Cicada Court isn’t coming
after all?”
Deep down, he’d been somewhat expectant. Since he had
already decided to invite external factions, two was definitely better than
one. As he lost himself in idle speculation, an abrupt secret report arrived.
“Young lord, the Celestial Cicada Court’s foremost sect head
has arrived. She has a vice sect head in tow, as well as a group of her most
loyal subordinates. They’re already at Vermilion Bird Street. Shall we lead
them to Taiyuan Tower, or is Taiyuan Lodge better?”
“Taiyuan Lodge is fine.” That the Court had arrived on the
last day before the Vassal Meeting was wholly unexpected. Still, Jiang Chen was
pleased. “It seems that my lure was effective enough, haha!”
The Celestial Cicada Court’s willingness to come meant that
they were very interested in what he’d mentioned in his letter. As long as that
was the case, Jiang Chen was absolutely certain about his ability to draw them
close.
An appropriate secret room was swiftly prepared for the
meeting. The Court evidently attached a great deal of importance to this event;
their main sect head, Su Huanzhen, personally led the expedition. Accompanying
her was Sect Head Xia, who had first met Jiang Chen back in Pillfire City.
Su Huanzhen was the most senior sect head, but Sect Head Xia
was the most junior vice sect head. Besides the two sect heads, there were a
few young genius disciples along for the trip as well. It was the cream of the
sect’s crop.
“Young lord Zhen. Should I call you Pill King Zhen, hmm? Or
would Sir Shao be better, perhaps?” After both guest and host were seated, Sect
Head Xia opened with an amused expression.
“Anything you like, Sect Head Xia,” chuckled Jiang Chen.
“Thank you for gracing us with your radiant presence.”
In terms of seniority, Su Huanzhen was the same generation
as Emperor Peafowl. In fact, they’d been involved in a brief liaison when they
were younger, but things hadn’t worked out in the end. Naturally, Emperor Peafowl
had mentioned nothing of the sort to Jiang Chen. Su Huanzhen, however, hadn’t
forgotten entirely about that portion of the past.
Her emotions had become complicated ever since stepping
inside Veluriyam Capital territory. Jiang Chen’s sentence snapped her awake,
returning her to a sect leader’s composure.
“Young lord Zhen, I’ve heard stories of your fame even in
the southeast. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older, and the pupil
surpasses his master. You haven’t made your way into the world for more than a
decade, yet you’re already as well-known as Emperor Peafowl. I’m quite
impressed.”
Her words were largely a token of nicety, not meant to be
taken entirely seriously. “That is praise much too high for me. You make me
blush, Sect Head Su,” grinned Jiang Chen.
“You know how direct of a person I am, young lord Zhen, so
let’s cut to the chase.” Sect Head Xia smiled as well. “You sent me a letter
about some formation diagrams, yes? You said that they were quite relevant to
the Celestial Cicada Court’s origins. Is that correct?”
Jiang Chen immediately presented her with a scroll. “Please
take a look, Sect Head Xia.”
Opening the scroll, the junior sect head didn’t look at it
straightaway. Instead, she passed it to Su Huanzhen. “Senior Sect Head, you
should look over it first.”
Respecting seniority was important, especially in public.
Su Huanzhen opened up the scroll. One look instantly
magnetized her eyes to the writings within. She seemed entirely glued to them.
Her expression elicited Sect Head Xia’s own curiosity. She began to peruse the
scroll from the side as well. Her reaction was exactly the same as the more
senior sect head’s.
The two were unsatiated even when they reached the end of
the scroll and started over from the beginning. They did so five times in total
before they put the scroll away carefully and set it off to the side with
reluctance. Their expressions were an interesting study now.
“Well?” Jiang Chen asked merrily, a composed smile playing
around his lips.
“Young lord Zhen, where did you get this formation scroll?”
Su Huanzhen asked forthrightly.
There was no use in a formation diagram by itself. Without
the foundations of the formation or further content, the most they could tell
was that this formation was tremendous, but had no idea how to set it up.
But one thing was certain, and that was the formation was
the same style as the ones of their sect. They shared the same heritage, and
the one within the scroll surpassed the Celestial Cicada Court’s own in terms
of both rank and content.
“Last time at Pillfire City, I heard you talk about the
Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect,” said Sect Head Xia. “Those four words are also
mentioned in our sect’s ancient writings, but there’s no clear indication that
our Court is descended from one of their branches.”
Su Huanzhen nodded as well. “If I may ask, young lord Zhen.
Are you and the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect related in some way? How else can
you draw such detailed diagrams?”
As a real expert, she perceived that the diagrams hadn’t
been made up on the spot to trick them. A great deal of mystery was contained
within those diagrams, deep knowledge that was difficult to decipher.
“One guess is enough for you to discern the truth, Sect Head
Su,” laughed Jiang Chen. “As expected of the leader of a prominent sect.”
“Young lord Zhen, are you really related to the Ancient
Crimson Heavens Sect?” Su Huanzhen’s expression became rather serious. “Does
that mean that you share a common origin with the Celestial Cicada Court as
well?”
“That depends on what you think, Sect Head.”
Whether there was a connection or not depended on whether
the Celestial Cicada Court recognized the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect as its
ancestor. More importantly, did it want to identify with its ancient forebear?
Su Huanzhen exchanged a sober glance with Sect Head Xia.
“Over the generations of the Celestial Cicada Court’s heritage, our writings
have mentioned the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect more than once. However, our
descent from that sect has never been stated in no uncertain terms. At this
time, I cannot make a decision about the restoration of our proper ancestry.”
Jiang Chen completely understood the caution. Without
overwhelming evidence, it was indiscreet and inappropriate to declare ancestry
so arbitrarily. The Celestial Cicada Court was a first rank sect. If it
affiliated itself carelessly and the decision turned out to be incorrect, then
the sect would look quite foolish.
Moreover, foolishness was the least of their concerns. If
there was a certain mastermind with ulterior motives who was trying to steal
away the Celestial Cicada Court’s foundations, there would be a bigger problem.
Therefore, the sect heads could not stomach the prospect of
identifying with an ancestor so quickly. Regardless of what they thought about
its veracity and unmistakability, they could not afford to make rash decisions.
Moreover, the sheer amount of time that had passed between the ancient times
and present day was more than enough to erode the closeness associated with
ancestry.
There was no reason for them to deny it outright, or do so
at any time with any amount of vehemence. The Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect was
one of the greatest formation sects in the ancient times. The diagrams provided
by young lord Zhen were also definitely profound, unmatched by anything that
the Celestial Cicada Court had. There was cause for a great deal of internal
struggle.
Tapping his index and middle fingers against the surface of
the table, Jiang Chen was contemplative for a while.
“Young lord Zhen, your formation diagrams have inspired the
Celestial Cicada Court a great deal.” Sect Head Xia was the first to break the
silence. “More than worthy of us having made this trip, at any rate. Despite
our distance to the capital, we’ve heard of the housekeeping problems you’re
having at the moment. Even without any benefit from you, we would still
unconditionally support Sacred Peafowl Mountain without hesitation. Your
faction has ruled Veluriyam Capital for several thousand years. That’s a situation
that we’re not interested in seeing a change to.”
The Celestial Cicada Court was situated in the southeast of
the Upper Eight Regions, and Veluriyam Capital, the southern region. The two
factions could be said to be relatively similar. In fact, they had quite a bit
of adjoining territory.
Though they had superior strength compared to their
neighbor, Veluriyam Capital had never invaded a single inch of the Celestial
Cicada Court’s territory. It was true for all of their adjacent factions, in
fact. At minimum, the Court and Veluriyam Capital were on fairly good terms.
Jiang Chen was mildly surprised by this. They would support
Sacred Peafowl Mountain unconditionally, without any benefit? Was that merely a
courtesy?
“You shouldn’t consider our words idle wind, young lord
Zhen. Our foremost Sect Head Su here has some past history with Emperor
Peafowl–a friendship of sorts, even. You probably just don’t know about it,”
smiled Sect Head Xia.
Past history? An old friendship? Jiang Chen was more interested
in striking a deal. It was an age-old truth that relationships were often
maintained at the cost of money. With the discussion at this point, could he
really withhold the diagrams from them?
Chapter 1195: The Vassal Meeting
Thankfully, the diagrams that Jiang Chen drew were mostly
second-rate formations. He had only drawn one of the ten great formations
belonging to the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect.
Su Huanzhen had an exceptionally keen eye. She picked out
the latter formation out of the rest with only a single glance, impressed with
its clear superiority over the rest. At once, she knew she wanted that
formation most of all.
“Sect Head Su, Sect Head Xia. I didn’t draw these formations
to tantalize you.” Because they’d said they would unconditionally support
Sacred Peafowl Mountain, Jiang Chen had to return the favor.
Su Zhenhuan was pleased with this comment. “Are you really
going to teach the Celestial Cicada Court all of these formations, young lord
Zhen?”
“Sacred Peafowl Mountain doesn’t have much need of them.
However, they are nothing short of treasures for the Celestial Cicada Court.
Given that, why shouldn’t I teach them to you?” Jiang Chen spoke only his
honest mind.
Regardless of whether the Celestial Cicada Court admitted to
it or not, it was definitely connected to the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect of
yore. It was fine that they didn’t accept it yet. Jiang Chen had plenty of time
and ways to slowly acclimate them to the truth. He had his medallion as a last
resort, but he wasn’t interested in scaring the Court. There was no need to go
down that path.
Identifying with one’s ancestors needed to be a consensual
thing. Otherwise, the people forced in question wouldn’t necessarily be
convinced even if one brought out the associated records. Candidly handing the
diagrams to Su Huanzhen and Sect Head Xia, Jiang Chen patiently explained to
them the meanings and intents inherent in the formations.
This surprised both of the two women. After his tutorial,
their previously prepared haggling was all but useless.
“Young lord Zhen, your frankness and readiness deserves
reciprocation. Though we at the Celestial Cicada Court mostly have women at our
helms, we will not be outshone by the valor of men. If you need us any time
during the Vassal Meeting, just say the word. We are not officially allies of
Veluriyam Capital, but our years of being neighbors have acclimated us to the
peace. There’s no reason for us to sit out for either public or personal
reasons in the city’s affairs,” Su Huanzhen declared seriously.
“Plus,” giggled Sect Head Xia, “we’ve always admired Emperor
Peafowl’s exemplary conduct. Isn’t that right, Big Sister Su?”
The last part was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but Jiang Chen was
oblivious to it. “Such charitable treatment from you two sect heads deserves my
sincerity. If I’m in trouble, I absolutely won’t hesitate to call.”
He was pleased with how a few formations had been enough to
deepen his relationship with the Celestial Cicada Court. With both the Court
and the Great Yu Skysword Sect at his side, his number of allies was slowly
increasing. The Upper Eight Regions was a complicated place, but the support of
two first rank sects beefed up Jiang Chen’s confidence considerably.
…...
The universally-awaited Vassal Meeting had finally arrived
and was being held in the large square before the Veluriyam Pagoda.
Emperor Peafowl’s absence lent a rather strange air to this
particular Vassal Meeting atmosphere. Of course, Sacred Peafowl Mountain still
sat unquestioned at the master’s seat. There was no need for pleasantries from
Jiang Chen now. He was the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain and deserved
this place. The Vassal Meeting was targeting him and his position. Continuing
to remain affable was a sign of brain damage.
For whatever reason, Emperor Petalpluck’s faction conceded
their second seat to Emperor Shura. There wasn’t even a superficial refusal
from the latter. The emperor and his entourage took the offered place without a
shred of deference.
The remainder of the emperors seated themselves as follows:
Emperor Petalpluck, third seat. Emperor Vastsea, fourth seat. Emperor
Mountaincrush, fifth seat. Emperor Void, sixth seat. Emperor Skysplitter,
seventh seat. Emperor Coiling Dragon, eighth seat. The vassals arranged
themselves below according to their own rank. For them, the process was equally
orderly. There was no debate whatsoever about who should go where.
Cloak-and-dagger activities aside, the power structure in
the city hadn’t changed yet. Everything had to be as they were before, or one
would risk leaving an opening available for criticism. Naturally, there was
seating for guests as well. A cursory scan was enough to reveal to Jiang Chen
the presence of Emperor Pillzenith. He was seated in the most prominent
position in the guest area.
The young man’s face darkened immediately. He’d guessed that
Emperor Shura would invite a snake in a long time ago, but actual proof of it
still angered still. How could the emperor conspire with Pillfire City?
Who under the heavens didn’t know that Pillfire City was
Veluriyam Capital’s mortal enemy? Wasn’t allowing one’s enemy in tantamount to
playing with fire? Jiang Chen directed an impassive gaze towards Emperor Shura.
The emperor smiled unassumingly back, but locked eyes with the youth in a show
of power.
“Shameless.” The young lord moved his lips, but said nothing
aloud.
Unfortunately for Emperor Shura, the movements alone were
enough for him to decipher what Jiang Chen was saying. He furrowed his brow,
projecting a frigid, murderous gaze. It was almost as if he wanted to dismember
Jiang Chen with his look alone.
Chuckling, Emperor Vastsea abruptly stood up. “Everyone, the
Vassal Meeting is a…”
“Shut up!” Emperor Coiling Dragon shouted without warning.
He spared Emperor Vastsea no courtesy, glaring at the man with displeasure.
“Emperor Vastsea, you’ve tenured here in Veluriyam Capital for a long time.
Shouldn’t you understand the rules here? Wait your turn to speak.”
In his haste, Emperor Vastsea had gotten carried away. He
had no words with which to vent his anger at Emperor Coiling Dragon’s reproach.
The other emperor was right. It wasn’t appropriate for him to speak.
Why had he done so without thinking? Tossing Emperor Coiling
Dragon a hateful stare, Emperor Vastsea glowered. “I only wanted to make it
easier for Emperor Shura to start his speech. Given that Daoist Peafowl isn’t
here, Daoist Shura rightfully deserves the first word as the most senior.
Moreover, he was the one that called for the Vassal Meeting in the first place.
Isn’t that right, everyone?”
The speech both covered up his embarrassment and brought
Emperor Shura to the forefront. It ignored Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s presence
entirely.
Emperor Void was the one to step in this time. “You’re being
rather funny today, Vastsea,” he sneered. “Even if Emperor Peafowl is busy and
absent, Sacred Peafowl Mountain is still in attendance. Their people sit at the
head seat. The ruler of Veluriyam Capital has not yet changed, hmm? Why have
you taken away Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s right to speak?”
Once again, every bit of the accusation was true. Emperor Vastsea
was quite embarrassed. Chuckling, Emperor Shura signaled to his ally. “Brother
Vastsea, please take a seat. Actually, the primary reason that we’re here today
is to talk about Daoist Peafowl. I think it’s absolutely right that Sacred
Peafowl Mountain puts a word in. Young lord Zhen, some concerning rumors have
surfaced recently. The question I want to ask is very simple: do you know where
Daoist Peafowl is?”
It was an attempt to stop Jiang Chen before he even set off.
Emperor Shura knew the answer to his own question better than anyone else.
Smiling faintly, Jiang Chen showed no reaction whatsoever. Instead, he stood up
and brandished a medallion high in the air.
“Everyone, this is the Progeny Feather Medallion. His
Majesty Peafowl passed it onto me so that I may inherit Veluriyam Capital at a
crucial time. I know of His Majesty’s whereabouts. Several years ago, Emperor
Peafowl told me that he had begun to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth.
He was already half-step empyrean realm back then, and was at the threshold of
breaking through. Therefore, His Majesty has vanished for one purpose, that of
venturing into the great realm beyond!”
Breaking through to empyrean realm? The news was incredibly
momentous. It deafened and stunned all who heard it. To… empyrean realm?
That was absolutely unheard of. The human domain hadn’t had
an empyrean expert in countless years. Emperor Peafowl was breaking through? So
all the rumors about his fall were false?
Emperor Pillzenith frowned in the guest area when he heard
Jiang Chen’s words. He gave the young lord a few extra glances, snickering to
himself. “This Zhen kid is quite the slippery eel. He is very dishonest. A
bare-faced lie like that comes quite easily to him, and his delivery is
flawless. For the average person who’s not in the know, it is very hard to
suspect anything from his words.”
Emperor Shura was unhappy. He hated the fact that he
couldn’t declare the truth. He was the best witness that Emperor Peafowl had in
fact, died.
“Young lord Zhen, has Daoist Peafowl really broken through
to empyrean realm? Why haven’t I heard of something that amazing from him
personally?” The antagonistic emperor feigned confusion.
“You know as well as I that His Majesty prefers humility and
privacy. Plus, a breakthrough to empyrean realm requires almost divine
inspiration. How can the heavenly secrets be divulged to mortal men?”
“How do you know about it, then?” Emperor Shura pressed
frostily.
“I am his personally designated young lord of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain. Obviously, he had to tell me the truth in the process of passing on
his rulership.”
All three of Jiang Chen’s friendly titled emperors found
this pretentious explanation superbly amusing. Even they were convinced to a
slight degree that Emperor Peafowl had perhaps indeed left to break through to
empyrean realm.
“Young lord Zhen,” growled Emperor Shura. “Everyone here
hopes wishes that what you say is true. But according to my detailed
investigation, Emperor Peafowl is embroiled in great trouble.”
“Do you have any proof?” Jiang Chen retorted coolly.
The emperor braced himself, but his mouth showed no signs of
slowing down. “I used a secret art that only great emperors can use,” he said,
“and tried to contact Emperor Peafowl. There has been no reply. That’s my
proof.”
Emperor Coiling Dragon and Void had used this art as well,
so what Emperor Shura had said was reasonable enough.
“You tried to reach him during such a key time? He’s trying
to reach break through to empyrean realm! Aren’t you just causing more trouble
for him?” Jiang Chen snorted. He was stirring up the pot with everything he
had. The situation called for it.
“Young lord Zhen. With how much you’re trying to cover up
Emperor Peafowl’s whereabouts, I’m beginning to suspect your motives!” Emperor
Shura suddenly lashed out.
Chapter 1196: Im Not Planning to Give You A Chance
Jiang Chen didn’t think that Emperor Shura would turn around
and try to implicate him.
Emperor Vastsea also stood up. “Everyone, all I want to ask
is this. Where was young lord Zhen when Emperor Peafowl went missing?
“I’m sure that everyone here is also curious as to where our
famous and ingenious young lord Zhen hails from. Sacred Peafowl Mountain seems
to have never taken in a disciple like young lord Zhen, hmm? So how did he
suddenly appear and become young lord? Aren’t we all a little surprised by his
appearance?” Emperor Vastsea suddenly turned on Jiang Chen.
Emperor Coiling Dragon was certainly not going to take this
lying down. He shot to his feet and roared, “Young lord Zhen is the successor
Emperor Peafowl raised in secret. He and young lord Fan were like light and
shadow. This is something a trusted aide of Emperor Peafowl such as I was aware
of a long time ago. But you, an outsider to Sacred Peafowl Mountain, are
worrying about our internal matters? Why don’t you find something else better
to do with your time, you old codger?”
“That’s right, young lord Zhen is the successor that His
Majesty secretly cultivated. In the end, his fortunes outstripped young lord
Fan’s. This is something all four of us monarchs are aware about.” This time,
the one who stood up in defense of Jiang Chen was Cloudsoar Monarch.
Emperor Vastsea sneered disdainfully. “Who gave you the
right to speak, little cultivator? This is a discussion between great
emperors!”
Cloudsoar Monarch responded neither obsequiously nor
superciliously, “When it comes to Sacred Peafowl Mountain, yes, I’m more
qualified to speak than you are.”
Emperor Vastsea’s face darkened. “How dare you! A little
emperor dares rebuke a great emperor and yell during the Vassal Meeting?!”
Plumscore Monarch sneered before Cloudsoar Monarch could
speak. “Oh, stop trying to frighten people with your cultivation already. I
only have one question to ask. Did you ever dare raise your voice against me
when Emperor Peafowl was present? Look at how fast you’ve changed your tone
after the emperor is temporarily away? Can I rightfully call you a bully?”
The Vassal Meeting had just begun, and sparks of conflict
were already flying all over the place. No side was willing to yield a single
step to the other.
Emperor Shura suddenly waved his hand and stopped Emperor
Vastsea from speaking. He stared deeply at Jiang Chen. “Young lord Zhen, I’m
going to ask this again. Why have you done everything in your power to conceal
Daoist Peafowl’s whereabouts? What are your true motives?”
Jiang Chen answered disdainfully. “I have a better question.
How exactly do you know that Emperor Peafowl is dead? Did you see it with your
own eyes, or did you kill him with your bare hands? Should I interpret these
rumors as something you’ve intentionally spread to further your purposes?”
“Slander!” Emperor Shura retorted expressionlessly.
“The heavens watch our every move.” Jiang Chen pointed at
his heart, and then up towards the sky. “I know what you think, and you know
what you did, Emperor Shura. I can swear a heavenly oath right now and clear my
name, but do you dare? If you dare swear a heavenly oath right now and prove
that Emperor Peafowl’s current whereabouts have nothing to do with you, I will
immediately declare Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s withdrawal from Veluriyam Capital
and turn over authority to you completely.”
Jiang Chen couldn’t be bothered to waste any breath on these
people. He cut straight to the heart of the matter. At this point, he was
certain that Emperor Peafowl’s disappearance absolutely had something to do
with Emperor Shura. Even if the ermpror wasn’t a direct participant of the
ambush, he must have participated in the plan.
Emperor Shura looked disdainful as he spoke in an
indifferent tone. “You are truly a child. There would be no conflicts in this
world if everything is decided by swearing a heavenly oath. All I can say is
that you’re really behaving inappropriately. I have no idea how someone like
you is qualified to be the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain.”
Jiang Chen laughed. “Emperor Shura, you can’t hide the fact
that you’re guilty no matter how hard you try to change the topic. You’re a man
who doesn’t dare bear the consequences of your actions. Emperor Peafowl once
told me that he was waiting for you to rebel against him and declare that you
want to succeed him. However, you never dared ventured even a squeak when you
were in his presence. No wonder he said that you have the ambition, but not the
courage, and that’s putting it nicely. In my opinion, you are nothing but a
coward. The truth is that you dare not even make a simple oath! What else does
it prove except that you’re a coward?”
Emperor Skysplitter suddenly broke his silence. “Young lord
Zhen, why don’t we forget about these rumors. If you want to talk about rumors,
we even heard that you’re of demonic bloodline and that the demons sent you to
spy on Veluriyam Capital. They say that you’re the young lord of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain because you charmed Emperor Peafowl with your demonic powers. Are you
asking us to verify these claims by making you swear a heavenly oath? How
childish would the world be!”
Jiang Chen smiled. “I can swear the oath right now if you
wish.”
“How absurd!” Emperor Skysplitter said disdainfully, “Here’s
some advice, young lord Zhen. This is the Vassal Meeting. The more childish you
act, the more unreliable people will think you are.”
Although Emperor Skysplitter’s words were meant to save
Emperor Shura from his predicament, they did make a little bit of sense.
“Emperor Petalpluck, Emperor Mountaincrush, what do you both
think?” Emperor Skysplitter asked smilingly.
Emperor Petalpluck sighed quietly. “These rumors are all so
fantastic. Personally, I believe that it was spread with malicious intent to
fracture the trust between us and start a civil war in Veluriyam Capital.
Therefore, I suggest that we don’t bring up these groundless rumors any longer.
What we should do now is to solve the problems of Veluriyam Capital.”
“I agree with Daoist Petalpluck’s suggestion. We need to
steady morale. Arguing will only make the situation worse.” Emperor
Mountaincrush also expressed his opinion.
Emperor Shura cupped his hands. “You are well known for your
noble character and unquestionable integrity, Daoist Petalpluck. How do you
think we should strengthen morale?”
“A sun must hang in the sky, just as there must be a ruler
in a country. Veluriyam Capital is unsteady right now is because we lack a
central pillar,” Emperor Petalpluck expressed his opinion straightforwardly.
“Therefore, I suggest that we elect a pillar to steady the situation until
Daoist Peafowl returns. No matter where he’s gone, we can return power to him
once he comes back. But if he doesn’t, then the temporary ruler shall become
the permanent ruler of Veluriyam Capital.”
Emperor Vastsea chuckled. “Alright. In that case, so who do
you think is currently the most suitable ruler, Daoist Petalpluck?”
“That’s up to everyone to decide.” Emperor Petalpluck didn’t
take up the cue that Emperor Vastsea had prepared. The latter was displeased
and cursed silently.
“I recommend Daoist Shura to rule Veluriyam Capital. To
begin with, his prestige is second only to Emperor Peafowl. If he’s given the
chance to train and prove himself, he will not be subpar to Emperor Peafowl!”
Emperor Vastsea declared loudly.
Emperor Skysplitter also nodded. “No matter how you look at
it, Daoist Shura is the best and most acceptable candidate for now. I would
recommend him as well.”
Emperor Void sneered. “Recommendation? What recommendation?
Of course the young lord of Sacred Peafowl Mountain is to rule Veluriyam
Capital in the absence of Emperor Peafowl. Or did you think that young lord
Zhen’s Progeny Feather Medallion is mere decoration? I may be a foolish man,
but even I know that young lord Zhen and the Progeny Feather Medallion are both
the gifts of Emperor Peafowl to Veluriyam Capital. They are the representation
of his will!”
“Daoist Void is right. Nothing cannot be done without
following the rules. If anyone can change the rules as they please, then why
can’t I rule Veluriyam Capital tomorrow after you rule it today? Veluriyam
Capital has stood for many years not because it is sustained by the ambitions
of a few, but because everyone obeys the rules. If we lose even this bit of
principle, then we will be Veluriyam Capital no longer.” Emperor Coiling Dragon
commanded great eloquence. Both he and Emperor Void made it clear that they
supported Sacred Peafowl Mountain and young lord Zhen.
The standoff was two on two right now. This outcome wasn’t
beyond anyone’s expectations.
Now it was Emperor Petalpluck and Emperor Mountaincrush’s
turn to vote. There was no need to ask Emperor Shura or Pill King Zhen’s
opinion because they were the candidates. Of course they would support
themselves.
“Daoist Petalpluck and Mountaincrush, you two will choose a
side, won’t you?” Emperor Vastsea asked plaintively. He was obviously trying to
coerce the two great emperors into making a decision.
Emperor Petalpluck smiled. “Young lord Zhen represents Sacred
Peafowl Mountain, but Daoist Shura is more experienced. This is a difficult
choice, so I shall abstain from voting.”
Emperor Mountaincrush hurriedly followed up with, “This is a
difficult decision to make, so I’m going to abstain as well. Why don’t we let
the vassals who should be our temporary ruler?”
In the end, Emperor Mountaincrush didn’t want to be an
accomplice to the devil. He didn’t want vote for Emperor Shura.
Emperor Shura’s face darkened. He shot Emperor Mountaincrush
a meaningful and chilling glance. They were at an impasse. However, the answer
would be clear if the nine hundred or so vassals were to make their votes.
Emperor Shura stared at Jiang Chen. “I’ll give you a fair chance to compete,
young lord Zhen, just so that no one accuses me of bullying juniors.”
Jiang Chen taunted. “You got that reversed, old man. I’m the
one who’s giving you a fair chance. Just in case you’ve forgotten, you’re just
the third greatest great emperor of Veluriyam Capital. Honestly, how on earth
did you get the idea that you’re the one who’s giving me a fair chance?”
It was a vicious counter, but the worst was yet to come.
“I’m the holder of the Progeny Feather Medallion, so I can
call for a Vassal Meeting whenever I want to. Meanwhile, you have to do everything
in your power and use every trick in the book to just manage to get every great
emperor to agree. What you need all the strength in your body, down to your
littlest pinky, to achieve is something I can do with the raise of a palm. Now
tell me, who do you think is giving his competitor a fair chance?” Jiang Chen
sneered.
Emperor Shura wasn’t a match for Jiang Chen in terms of
verbal sparring, so he wasn’t able to think of anything to retaliate. But Jiang
Chen wasn’t done yet. “By the way, all I’m trying to say is that I’m not
planning on giving you a chance.”
Emperor Shura’s face turned cold, and Emperor Vastsea’s eyes
glinted with murder. This brat is making fun of us!
Chapter 1197: Strong Animosity
“Young lord Zhen, don’t be mistaken. The Vassal Meeting has
been convened to discuss the future of our capital. It’s not a place for you to
swagger about!” Emperor Vastsea had finally had enough.
Jiang Chen smiled mockingly. “Unlike you, I have no need to
throw my weight around. I’m only saying all this out of the consideration for
the capital. Emperor Peafowl has already declared that Emperor Shura isn’t
suitable to rule. Out of my respect for Emperor Peafowl and consideration for
the capital’s future, I have to carry out my duties as the young lord of Sacred
Peafowl Mountain.”
“Hmph! You can twist his words however your like! Without
any proof, who’d believe you? I can also say that Emperor Peafowl has decided
to make Daoist Shura his successor!” Emperor Vastsea was also very good with
words.
“Without proof?” Jiang Chen sniffed coldly and continued in
charged tones. Emperor Peafowl had indeed said those words, but he really did
have no proof. “You’ve also claimed without any proof that Emperor Peafowl has
fallen, conjured blatant lies, tarnished my background, and assembled the
Vassal Meeting. What a wonderful show of hypocrisy!”
Emperor Shura answered blandly. “Young lord Zhen, we’re not
lacking proof. We’ve launched an investigation and found out that there’s a
great chance that Daoist Peafowl is dead with his disappearance. Even if he’s
still alive, rumors of his death are enough to instill fear and anxiety in our
citizens. Our capital needs a new ruler and I was elected by everyone as a
potential candidate. My actions are lawful and honorable. How can you claim
that I’m trying to seize the throne?”
“Lawful and honorable?” Jiang Chan burst into a cold
laughter. “I suppose it’s lawful and honorable to hire Pillfire City to assist
you in your plans as well?”
Emperor Shura’s expressions darkened as he shifted his gaze
towards the crowd. “Young lord Zhen, don’t mouth groundless rumors. Emperor
Pillzenith is merely passing by our capital and came to visit when he heard
about the Vassal Meeting. He’s a guest and should be treated as one. We may
have some differences, but mortal enemies we aren’t. Why can’t a citizen of
Pillfire City visit our capital? Didn’t you just recently slip into their
territory while concealing your identity?”
Emperor Shura was also very gifted with words. Over at a
guest box seat, Emperor Pillzenith burst into laughter. “Everyone, I have no
interest in participating in your squabbles. Daoist Peafowl and I have known
each other for a long time. He once told me that Emperor Shura is the only
qualified successor if he wasn’t around one day. These were his exact words,
and I believe that it’s right that I tell everyone this.”
As expected, Emperor Pillzenith was on Emperor Shura’s side.
Han Qianzhan, the sect head of the Skysword Sect, snorted.
“That’s odd, I’ve known Emperor Peafowl for a long time too, but he told me
that he was fostering young lord Zhen to become his successor and the next
ruler of Veluriyam Capital. Daoist Pillzenith, perhaps the Emperor Peafowl that
you and I speak of are not the same person?”
It was an impasse between the main opponents. It was time
for the helpers to take the field. Emperor Shura had Emperor Pillzenith on his
side, while young lord Zhen had Sect Head Han Qianzhan.
In terms of jianghu ranking, Emperor Pillzenith was ahead of
Han Qianzhan. However, the latter was still the sect head of a first rank sect.
Surrounded by his men, his presence didn’t seem any bit weaker than Emperor
Pillzenith’s.
The Holy Emperor of Eternal Celestial Capital joined the
conversation. “Daoist Han, I’ve never even heard about your relationship with
Daoist Peafowl. Are you making this up?”
Su Huanzhen of the Celestial Cicada Court responded coldly.
“When did the Eternal Celestial Capital suddenly gain so much interest in
Veluriyam Capital’s matters? When it comes to knowing Emperor Peafowl, I think
no one knows him better than me. Based on my knowledge, the emperor did bestow
young lord Zhen his position so that he can carry on Emperor Peafowl’s legacy.
Of this, I can guarantee with my life!”
The Eternal Celestial Capital and The Celestial Cicada Court
were both first rank sects. All who previously spoke were incredibly
influential people in the Upper Eight Regions. Yet, they’d all convened at
Veluriyam Capital to engage in a battle of words.
Emperor Void yelled. “The older generation knows that Sect
Head Su and Daoist Peafowl have some history together. Daoist Peafowl has
always viewed Sect Head Su as his soulmate. Her words definitely hold more
weight than these outsiders!”
Su Huanzhen and Emperor Peafowl had almost become dao
partners, once upon a time. If not for an unforeseen circumstance, they
would’ve become lovebirds.
Emperor Pillzenith and the Holy Emperor were the outside
factions supporting Emperor Shura, while the Sacred Peafowl Mountain had the
outside support from the sect head of the Skysword Sect and Celestial Cicada
Court. The two sides were once again equally matched. Perhaps the capital’s
future really did lay in the hands of the vassals?
Emperor Shura glared at Jiang Chen disparagingly.
“Young lord Zhen, you’re a smart man. This matter must be
resolved today as a country can’t be without a leader. You may leave if you’re
afraid. The capital doesn’t need cowards!” His animosity for Jiang Chen was
clear. He too, was good at making unfounded accusations. Jiang Chen had
previously called him a coward and he’d returned the accusation in kind.
Jiang Chen laughed coldly. “Emperor Shura, I’m afraid you’re
the only coward here. Do you know that you had a very good chance of becoming
the next ruler of Veluriyam Capital? It’s unfortunate that you were too much of
a coward in front of Emperor Peafowl. Timid like a cat, you couldn’t even show
an ounce of ferocity. You were already given a chance, but you threw it away.
Do you really think that a person like you is deserving to be the ruler?”
Emperor Shura’s expression darkened. He knew very well that
Jiang Chen’s words were true. Emperor Peafowl had indeed dropped a few such
hints after young lord Fan’s death, but he didn’t go through with his decision
for some reason.
Perhaps I was really too docile and meek in front of Emperor
Peafowl? Jiang Chen’s words struck Emperor Shura’s sore spot.
“Do you truly believe that your cynical remarks can make my
dao heart waver?” Emperor Shura snorted coldly. “Save your breath!”
“You must be mistaken. Why would I want to make your dao
heart waver? Do you think that you have one? Would a person with a dao heart
cavort with the enemy and harm his own brethren?” Jiang Chen laughed mockingly.
“Stop trying to feign ignorance. Let me ask you one thing, how are you going to
face Emperor Peafowl when he comes back one day?”
Emperor Shura was enraged. He didn’t know why young lord
Zhen was so certain that he was the one who’d harm Emperor Peafowl. Was it
because of a hunch? If so, young lord Zhen was truly overstepping his
boundaries.
Emperor Peafowl is never coming back! He screamed
internally. But on the surface, he maintained a wise ruler facade. “I’d be more
than happy if Emperor Peafowl returns. Naturally, I’ll return power back to
him.”
Jiang Chen responded with a hearty laugh. “You speak as if
the capital is already yours!”
“Do you think you're able to stop me?” Emperor Shura said
nonchalantly. “It was only in the recent decade that you became famous, but I’ve
been renowned for more than three thousand years. A mere half-step emperor like
you wishes to go against a great emperor like me? In terms of connections and
fame…”
“Connections and fame my ass!” Jiang Chen didn’t hold
himself back. “You’re nowhere even near as qualified as Emperor Petalpluck in
terms of seniority! Your martial prowess doesn’t even stand out among the great
emperors! Your reputation and your connections? Absolutely foul smelling as
well! Your contributions to Veluriyam Capital? Nothing to write home about!
You’ve been here for thousands of years, but what have you contributed to the
capital? The biggest stir you’ve ever caused is probably today’s rigged vassal
meeting!”
“That’s right!” Emperor Coiling Dragon clapped his hands in
agreement. “One cannot defend a nation with only wit or win over the citizens
with only brawn. Your past conducts are terrible and your contributions almost
zero. A person like you actually wants to rule the capital? Everyone, will you
really allow a person with no contributions like him to become the ruler of our
beloved capital? He has the ability to contribute, but what has he ever done?
He's lived under Emperor Peafowl’s shadow for so long because he’s lazy and
cowardly. He only takes care of his own interest and hasn’t bled a single drop
of blood in service to our capital! If he becomes the lord, I can’t help but be
skeptical if he can truly lead us out of a difficult situation whenever it
arises!”
One’s contribution to the capital was truly an important
criteria. Emperor Peafowl’s position in the capital was so stable because
everyone could see the blood and sweat that he’d contributed. His strength was
also something that known to all.
Since all pretense and cordiality had been already shed,
Emperor Coiling Dragon no longer held back. His argument won the hearts of
many. Emperor Shura’s personality was indeed too cold, lofty, and very
unapproachable.
He was the opposite of Emperor Peafowl. If the citizens of
Veluriyam Capital were to receive unfair treatment outside, Emperor Peafowl
would definitely exact some justice for his citizens as a form of consolation.
The people couldn’t sense the same about Emperor Shura.
“Take a look at Pill King Zhen for comparison. It hasn’t
been long since he became famous, but he’s always been working hard for the
sake of our capital. He’s helped us retain the Longevity Pill, defeat the
overweening Pillfire City, and founded Taiyuan Tower and Taiyuan Lodge, which
has given countless lectures over the years. His every action inspires all of
us. Young folks now aspire to comprehend all nine Veluriyam Obelisks like him.
He’s still very young, but he’s already emperor realm. For all we know, he
might become a great emperor within the century! How many geniuses have we ever
seen that can do such a thing?” Emperor Coiling Dragon unloaded his thoughts in
one go. Every single word he uttered was truthful and well-grounded.
Chapter 1198: An Election?
Emperor Coiling Dragon’s words actually resonated with a lot
of people. Emperor Shura had some fame in Veluriyam Capital, but no one other
than his supporters felt much goodwill towards him.
Emperor Shura’s subordinates were extremely domineering. For
example, the late Majestic Clan had committed many crimes in Veluriyam Capital
and rode roughshod over the general populace. The Shura Guard was highly
disliked by the people as well.
In comparison, Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s reputation was
infinitely better than Shura Retreat’s. Emperor Peafowl’s individual charisma
was one reason, but the Peafowl Guard of Sacred Peafowl Mountain was also
beloved. At the very least, they almost never interfered with worldly conflicts
unless exceptional circumstances were involved.
Frankly, there weren’t actually many willing to see Emperor
Shura on the throne. If they had to pick one reason, it would be because the
great emperor never made any contributions to the people. Nearly all of his
fame had come from the power struggles within Veluriyam Capital’s own four
walls.
There were some who claimed that Emperor Shura was selfish,
while others who said that Emperor Peafowl was so high up the totem pole that
Emperor Shura was never given an opportunity to prove himself. Whatever the reason,
the fact remained that Emperor Shura hadn’t done anything for the people of
Veluriyam Capital. It might be a little excessive to say that he was a ruler
who couldn’t subdue his people with either virtue or strength, but it wouldn’t
be a false statement either.
Compared to the other great emperors, his martial strength
was indeed slightly ahead of them. However, his victory wasn’t certain if his
opponent was Emperor Petalpluck, the second great emperor of Veluriyam Capital.
The two great emperors never really clashed against one another because Emperor
Petalpluck was innately indifferent about fame or gain.
Of course, if Emperor Peafowl was still around, no one would
even consider Emperor Shura as a viable candidate. But everyone in Veluriyam
Capital felt worried after the rumors of Emperor Peafowl’s demise were spread.
Emperor Shura seized upon this to make a play for power. Although he was
utterly incomparable to Emperor Peafowl, the same couldn’t be said when his
opponent was young lord Zhen.
As the representative of the young generation of Veluriyam
Capital, young lord Zhen was quite beloved by the people. Although he had only
just risen to fame, everyone could see what he done for Veluriyam Capital.
Excluding all other achievements, his victory over Pill King Ji Lang alone was
enough to win everyone’s respect and admiration. It was a massive achievement
that Emperor Shura failed to accomplish despite three thousand years.
Young lord Zhen had also passed the nine Veluriyam Obelisks
after entering the Veluriyam Pagoda later on. After that, he’d travelled to
Pillfire City and taken their pill dao scene by the storm in the Bounty Arena.
Finally, he unwittingly defeated Pill King Ji Lang again by solving the crisis
of the Moon God Sect.
Every bit of detail pointed towards young lord Zhen being a
real, top class genius in both pill dao and martial dao. If a genius like this
was allowed to develop and inherit Emperor Peafowl’s seat, no one doubted that
he could stand equal to or even surpass the great emperor.
Emperor Peafowl had made many outstanding contributions to
Veluriyam Capital in the past three thousand years. He’d also clashed against
some of the first rank sects of the Upper Eight Regions. The great emperor’s
beyond powerful might allowed him to firmly occupy the position of strength and
mightily defend the Veluriyam Capital when it was challenged time and time
again.
In reality however, Veluriyam Capital had always been
inferior compared to Pillfire City. The two were located at the poles of the
Upper Eight Regions, and they’d never engaged each other in any large scale
martial conflicts. However, the two factions had clashed against each other
many times in terms of pill dao. As the biggest pill dao faction of southern
Upper Eight Regions, Veluriyam Capital had great influence in its own territory
and surrounding regions.
But their influence had been on the decline for the past
couple thousand years. Although Veluriyam Capital could still influence the
regions around it, when it came to pill dao, the factions further away from
them would rather seek out Pillfire City even if the former was closer.
Veluriyam Capital was fine in most aspects, but Emperor
Peafowl was unable to make any progress in terms of pill dao no matter how many
countermeasures he employed to combat this trend.
In terms of pill dao, the gap between Veluriyam Capital and
Pillfire City had never stopped increasing. Emperor Peafowl had always been
troubled by this and he’d tried many things, such as cultivating a group of
pill kings in Sacred Peafowl Mountain. He had also established Vermillion Bird
Avenue with the express purpose of nurturing pill dao factions and encouraging
other factions to come and contribute to the development of pill dao.Although
these measures had caused a pill dao craze for a time, Veluriyam Capital’s
roots were ultimately too shallow. Moreover, an exceptionally brilliant genius
hadn’t appeared in Veluriyam Capital until recently. Jiang Chen’s appearance
was a powerful ray of light cutting right through the infinite darkness that
had enshrouded Veluriyam Capital. He also injected an unprecedented amount of life
to Veluriyam Capital’s pill dao.
The battle for the Longevity Pill was especially important.
In the name of Pill King Zhen, Jiang Chen had defeated Pill King Ji Lang of
Pillfire City and created a milestone in Veluriyam Capital history.
After that battle, Veluriyam Capital’s pill dao scene grew
more lively than before. They weren’t losing to Pillfire City at every turn
either. That was why young lord Zhen was practically an idol to the people of
Veluriyam Capital, second only to Emperor Peafowl. Some people even thought
that young lord Zhen would surpass Emperor Peafowl and become the number one
idol.
Emperor Coiling Dragon’s words won a tidal wave of applause
from the crowd.
To Emperor Vastsea though, the claps sounded so unpleasant
that he had to yell, “Coiling Dragon, everyone knows that you’re a former
subordinate of Sacred Peafowl Mountain! It would be stranger still if you
didn’t try to whitewash Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s image. But no matter what you
say, you cannot change the fact that young lord Zhen is still far inferior to
Daoist Shura!”
Emperor Coiling Dragon sneered. “How so?”
Emperor Vastsea snorted disdainfully. “How is Emperor Shura
inferior to a boy who’s still wet behind the ears? In terms martial strength?
His prestige? Or his experience?”
“Hahaha…” Emperor Coiling Dragon couldn’t help but laugh
loudly. “Oh Vastsea, I see that you’re declining over time instead of
improving. Martial strength? Aren’t you ashamed of comparing a thirty year old
genius to a three thousand year old great emperor? As for prestige, I truly
don’t believe that Emperor Shura is more popular than young lord Zhen right
now. As for experience, why make the futile comparison between Shura Retreat
and Sacred Peafowl Mountain?”
“We are comparing Daoist Shura and young lord Zhen right
now! Don’t try to change the subject!”
“Hah, are you telling me that Emperor Shura plans to rule
Veluriyam Capital himself? Doesn’t he need Shura Retreat’s aid?” Emperor
Coiling Dragon countered sneeringly.
Although Emperor Vastsea knew that Emperor Coiling Dragon’s
words were all sophistry, he actually couldn’t retort against the latest
statement.
“Alright, enough. There will never be a conclusion if you
two keep arguing like this. This relates to Veluriyam Capital, so of course the
people will be the ones to decide their ruler. Let us all who are present
decide the future of Veluriyam Capital.” Emperor Petalpluck finally broke his
silence.
The second great emperor didn’t involve himself in such
matters, but he wasn’t without influence and persuasion.
Emperor Vastsea agreed loudly. “Daoist Petalpluck is right!
This relates to Veluriyam Capital, so the people of Veluriyam Capital will be
the ones who decide their ruler. They will tell us if Daoist Shura is the most
suitable candidate!”
Emperor Vastsea spoke in a way that hinted at closeness
between him and Emperor Petalpluck, as if the latter was on Emperor Shura’s
side.
Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void shot Emperor
Petalpluck a meaningful glance, but the calm, natural smile on the second great
emperor’s face didn’t fade away. He didn’t care that the two emperors were
glaring at him viciously.
“What do you think, Daoist Mountaincrush?” From the side,
Emperor Skysplitter suddenly asked.
He wanted to stay neutral until the end, so he was slightly
displeased when he heard Emperor Skysplitter’s question. A moment of thought
later, he finally responded, “In that case, let us hold an election. Whoever
has the majority vote wins.”
Since most of the great emperors agreed that they should
hold an election with the vassals as voters, Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor
Void could no longer go against the tide. When they shot Jiang Chen a helpless
glance, the young man smiled. “Since this is everyone’s wish, then we shall
have an election. It is a fair way to choose the next ruler of Veluriyam
Capital.”
Jiang Chen looked at the vassals below him with a gentle
look. “Everyone, I’m going to say this again. All the rumors you hear about Emperor
Peafowl is false. I guarantee that it is only a matter of time before Emperor
Peafowl returns to us. You have nothing to worry about!”
Even now, Jiang Chen didn’t believe that Emperor Peafowl was
dead. No matter how confident Emperor Shura and his gang might be, he refused
to believe that someone as great as Emperor Peafowl would die with a whimper
like this.
Emperor Vastsea snorted coldly. “Young lord Zhen, maybe you
should keep your mouth shut since the vassals will be voting later. Are you
trying to win some sympathy votes?”
Jiang Chen sneered. “If that’s the case, don’t you think you
should shut up as well? This doesn’t have anything to do with you, unless
you’re planning to participate as a candidate?”
His words weren’t excessive, but Emperor Vastsea’s face
turned completely red when he heard this. Emperor Coiling Dragon laughed loudly
in response. “Well said! You’re so involved that an outsider would mistake you
as a candidate, Vastsea!”
Emperor Vastsea’s complexion didn’t look good. It was an
incredibly embarrassing moment for him. Emperor Shura chose this moment to
speak up. “Daoist Vast is my brother. His will represents mine too.”
Emperor Coiling Dragon shrugged. “He still doesn’t have the
right to tell young lord Zhen to shut up even if represents you, does he? That
was a complete disregard of the hierarchy just now. Are we throwing away all
the rules of Veluriyam Capital just because Emperor Peafowl was gone for
several months? Are we at a point where Sacred Peafowl Mountain can be
humiliated anytime you wish?”
Emperor Coiling Dragon was blatantly trying to draw sympathy
votes for Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
Emperor Shura said coldly. “Speaking of the hierarchy,
you’ve just ascended recently, haven’t you? Did that factor into your actions
just now when you were criticizing me?”
“I’m just telling the truth as it is. Or are you saying that
you can’t even handle the truth right now? ‘Brother’, you really need to
broaden your mind a little. Back when Emperor Peafowl was still around, he
could handle anything thrown at him.”
Emperor Shura nearly exploded when he heard this.
Chapter 1199: Deciding on the Solution
Every blow struck Emperor Shura and his allies in their weak
spots, making them both upset and powerless. However, the emperor managed to
kept his cool. He knew that he had no chance of gaining a lead in further
debate with Emperor Coiling Dragon.
Both Emperor Coiling Dragon and young lord Zhen were both
eloquent men. If they were allowed to continue their grandstanding, they would
only end up converting more and more people. He would end up with an even
greater disadvantage than he had now.
“Daoist Petalpluck, we must come to a decision. The eight
hundred vassals are all here. Why don’t you preside over the proceedings?”
Emperor Shura turned to his more neutral fellow.
Emperor Petalpluck smiled slightly, inclining his head in
turn to the Emperor Coiling Dragon and Vastsea. “Gentlemen, now is not the time
for an emotional dispute. The recent chaos in Veluriyam Capital requires
resolution. A nation should not be long without a leader. For the people to be
satisfied and placated, we must always have a ruler at the helm.”
“That’s right. Anyone who tries to act up again is an enemy
of the public peace. Clearly, it would be against the city’s interests and
improvement!” Emperor Vastsea quickly followed up with this lofty label.
Jiang Chen waved to the two friendly emperors, signaling an
end to the argument. “Emperor Petalpluck is correct. A nation should not be
long without a leader. I can refrain from opposing to the events today, but I
must say something harsh ahead of time.”
“Please do, young lord Zhen,” smiled Emperor Petalpluck.
“When His Majesty Peafowl returns, the throne must be
returned to him,” stated Jiang Chen flatly. “Does anyone oppose this motion?”
The serene emperor pondered this a moment, then nodded. “I
do not at all. Daoist Peafowl is the best ruler we’ve had in a long time and
certainly the most suited to lead.” Saying this, he turned to Emperor Shura.
“What do you think, Daoist Shura?”
The man harrumphed. “If Daoist Peafowl comes back, then
there’s no contest. Of course the throne should be returned.”
“I feel the same way,” smiled Emperor Skysplitter.
Since Emperor Coiling Dragon and Void belonged on Emperor
Peafowl’s side in the first place, there was no reason for them to oppose,
either.
“While we’re at this point,” Emperor Vastsea cut in
suddenly. “I’d like to be upfront about something else as well. If Emperor
Peafowl comes back, I hope that Sacred Peafowl Mountain will not suppress the
vassals that vote for Emperor Shura today. Doing so would be taking revenge!”
Emperor Vastsea was quite sure that Emperor Peafowl would
not return. He was saying this to accomplish two goals. One, to alleviate the
worries of those who’d agreed to side with Emperor Shura, and two, to win free
goodwill from the audience. It was essentially a clever pretense.
As expected, many vassals were reassured upon hearing his
words. A current of warmth ran through their hearts. Emperor Vastsea cared a
lot about their feelings, after all!
Jiang Chen saw through the tirade effortlessly. He knew that
the emperor was gesturing to gain popularity. Smiling faintly, he maintained
the same confident expression that he had adopted since the beginning of the
meeting.
“Emperor Vastsea, you speak as if you’re not acquainted with
Emperor Peafowl at all. Do you not understand the type of person he is? If
Emperor Peafowl was the sort of man to hold vendettas, then Emperor Shura
wouldn’t even be standing here to challenge him in absentia. To put it more
plainly, Emperor Peafowl isn’t scared of anyone who’s able to rise up and
surpass him.
“On the contrary, he’s concerned that no one will be able to
take up his mantle when he’s gone. Do you think that he has any attachment to
worldly power? He gained knowledge of more potent and fundamental truths about
heaven and earth a long time ago. He could ascend to empyrean realm at any
time. He sees things from a much higher point than everyone else. To be quite
honest, you sound like you’re putting him in your–I daresay much
smaller–shoes.”
His tranquil demeanor won him a fair bit of approval in his
own right. Even those who disliked him had to admit that he was showing stellar
decorum. This was a young man of considerable wit and temperament. Any other
youth would be scared out of their own minds by the sole fact of having to sit
beside seven titled emperors, much less be able to compete with Emperor Shura.
But there was no hint of fear or nervousness in Jiang Chen.
The calmness he exhibited alone was enough to classify him
as an extraordinary character. It was an old saying that the young shouldn’t be
bullied just for their lack of experience or resources. Many wavering vassals
began to consider things anew.
A few others, previously already leaning towards Emperor
Shura, were also shaken. There was an impenetrable aura of greatness on Sacred
Peafowl Mountain’s young lord. It was a feeling that forced every onlooker not
to ignore him, and seemed to say, ‘let anyone who does taste the consequences’!
Emperor Petalpluck chose this moment to chuckle. “Any move
that we great emperors make will affect the grand scheme of things here in the
city. Thus, I advise that all of us refrain from voting. No matter whose side
we take, voting will only lay down the seeds of future strife. There is
everything to lose and nothing to gain by doing so.”
“What, are we titled emperors not to vote? How does that
work?” Emperor Vastsea was shocked.
“Daoist Petalpluck has a very good point. The actions of we
titled emperors have too much influence upon the rest. It would not do for
cracks to develop between us at this juncture. If Veluriyam Capital sees civil
unrest and a subsequent weakening, then we will all go down in history as
criminals.” Emperor Mountaincrush was clearly more than willing to abstain.
Deep down, he wanted to support Sacred Peafowl Mountain, but
Emperor Shura’s pressing demands had compelled him to acquiesce. Because of
this, he was very conflicted. If he could abstain, then there was no longer
anything to worry about.
“I have no objection to that.” Upon seeing Emperor
Petalpluck and Mountaincrush declare their stances, Emperor Coiling Dragon
hurried to agree.
There was no reason at all for him to object. The two
neutral emperors’ solidarity only reinforced his statement. He had originally
been anxious about their potential support for Emperor Shura, which would
render young lord Zhen in a dangerous position.
Emperor Void inclined his head as well. “Daoist Petalpluck
is a true voice of reason. We may have a few minor disagreements from time to
time, but us titled emperors should maintain a good rapport.”
Now that four titled emperors had voted on the resolution,
the opinions of the three remaining emperors on Shura’s side no longer
mattered. The minority had to obey the majority.
“Let it be so, then. We great emperors shall refrain from
voting,” Emperor Shura affirmed indifferently. He had said those words unwillingly,
but appearances were important to maintain. Otherwise, his intentions would be
far too brazen to stomach.
“Hold on,” Jiang Chen grinned.
“Hmm?” All eyes gathered on him.
The young man had turned toward Emperor Petalpluck in the
interim. “I was feeling that something felt out of place, and I finally realize
what it is. Why are the candidates only me and Emperor Shura? In theory,
Emperor Petalpluck is the second-ranked great emperor in Veluriyam Capital. If
there’s only two candidates, shouldn’t the second be ahead of the third?”
Everyone knew how disinterested Emperor Petalpluck was in
power and fame. That was why he had been automatically ignored. The
interjection from Jiang Chen, however, made it seem like something was
genuinely awry. That’s right! Why was the second-ranked emperor being put below
the third?
Jiang Chen hadn’t expected his ploy to push Emperor
Petalpluck forward. He had only done so in order to cause Emperor Shura a bit
of extra embarrassment, as well as douse his flames of arrogance.
Emperor Vastsea was the first to lose his cool. “Daoist
Petalpluck is a sage above the problems of the world! His outstanding integrity
tipped him off about Emperor Shura’s wisdom and heroism. He knows when to step
aside, unlike a certain ignorant youngster. It’s important for people to know
what their limits are!”
“Emperor Vastsea, I wonder what you were doing when you were
my age?” smiled Jiang Chen serenely.
“Well said!” Emperor Coiling Dragon clapped cheerfully. “You
were still living under the protection of your seniors, eh, Vastsea? My guess
can’t be far off the mark. What right do you have to criticize young lord Zhen?
He has only been famous for a handful of years, yet he’s made more
contributions than you, a great emperor of over a thousand. You’re very brave
to talk about people’s limits, hmm? I wonder where your courage comes from?
Were you the one that defeated Pill King Ji Lang?”
Once again, Emperor Vastsea was at a loss for words.
“Alright, alright. Enough is enough. I can smell the
gunpowder in the air already.” Chuckling, Emperor Petalpluck came forward to
mediate. “There’s no need to argue. I’m pleased that you think so highly of
this old man, young lord Zhen. However, my nature has always been a placid one.
I don’t have the heart needed to rule over Veluriyam Capital. I see great
determination and diligence in Emperor Shura, and remarkable youthful flair in
young lord Zhen. One is experienced, the other energetic. You two are the best
candidates. For the sake of this city, I will stand and bear witness.”
Emperor Petalpluck’s announcement nipped the impending
conflagration in the bud. Despite that, Emperor Shura’s hatred for Jiang Chen
only grew stronger. Before now, he’d mostly hated Emperor Peafowl for not
passing on the throne to him. But now, ever since he’d ambushed the senior
emperor, his next obstacle was this young lord Zhen!
I’ll let you run amok for a few more days, kid. When I hold the
reins, you’ll be the first person I get rid of! The emperor gnashed his teeth
internally with frustration.
Emperor Petalpluck turned to the eight hundred vassals.
“Everyone, I’m sure you know why we’ve convened this Vassal Meeting. The waters
of Veluriyam Capital are too turbulent at present. We need a proper helmsman to
navigate them, a captain that can grasp the situation firmly. Even if the job
opening is only temporary, we still require someone to fill it. Is the diligent
Emperor Shura more suitable? Or the energetic young lord Zhen? The choice is
yours. Remember, this isn’t a game. Please carefully consider the question and
vote in who you think is the most appropriate. Very likely, it will decide what
path the city walks down.”
“Why vote? We’d rather have the strongest rule. We’ll pick
who’s stronger!” A vassal shouted from below.
“That’s right, Emperor Shura is the strongest after Emperor
Peafowl. Of course he should lead. Young lord Zhen? We have more than enough
geniuses to go around. We can discuss him after he becomes a great emperor!” As
soon as Emperor Petalpluck finished speaking, a large swathe of Shura
supporters began to clamor in disagreement.
Chapter 1200: Jiang Chens Presence
Since there were supporters for Emperor Shura, there were
naturally ones for Sacred Peafowl Mountain and young lord Zhen. They too joined
the fray as more and more people raised their voices.
“Ridiculous! Sacred Peafowl Mountain should rule Veluriyam
Capital. That’s how it has been for generation after generation. Anyone from
any other faction should be considered an usurper!”
“We support young lord Zhen! He’s still young, but his
potential and ability have both proven that he more than qualifies as the right
successor!”
“I support young lord Zhen as well. He’s achieved so many
amazing things in so few years. We’re willing to wait a hundred years for him.
If that’s not enough, three to five hundred more years are fine too. In the
long term, Veluriyam Capital needs a genius like young lord Zhen!”
“Absolutely. Emperor Shura has proven himself most fitting
in the role of a lieutenant or third-in-line. As a proper leader? I feel like
he’s missing presence and heart.”
There was utter anarchy in the crowd. So many vassals were
present that no one felt obliged to hold their tongue. The two blocs instantly
engaged each other in a war of words.
With Sacred Peafowl Mountain, there was a group of fiercely
loyal subjects even with Emperor Peafowl’s absence. For the most part, they
were composed of people who’d been raised up personally by the emperor. His
favor to them could not be ignored.
Whether Emperor Peafowl was here or elsewhere, they saw Sacred
Peafowl Mountain as their patron. As long as the mountain stood, their
positions were safe. If it lost power, their own would go with it sooner or
later. Despite Emperor Shura’s intimations about withholding future
retaliation, most of the vassals didn’t believe a word of it. There was
absolutely no cause for them to support him, no matter how many messengers he
sent.
Firstly, Emperor Shura was not the most tolerant sort of
individual. Secondly, Emperor Peafowl was the one who had promoted them through
the ranks. Emotionally speaking, they couldn’t just turn on Sacred Peafowl
Mountain at the drop of a hat. Finally, nobody knew whether Emperor Peafowl had
actually died or not.
He’d ruled Veluriyam Capital for three thousand years, after
all. In the eyes of the city’s vassals, Emperor Peafowl had long since become
an invincible legend. The very thought of him succumbing so randomly was beyond
incredible. Thus, even the few who were wavering slightly felt that it was no
better than nourishing a viper in one’s bosom if they supported Emperor Shura
at this point.
Supporting Emperor Shura was unlikely to yield particularly
good results for them down the line. On the off chance that Emperor Peafowl
made a triumphant return, they would be condemned by both sides. They’d be the
definition of ingrates and traitors then.
With any amount of consideration, it wasn’t difficult to
realize that they had Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s mark on them already. They were
destined to be in the same boat as their backer.
Betraying Sacred Peafowl Mountain was tantamount to throwing
their entire future away, regardless of who won in the end. The quarreling
continued. Neither faction yielded to the other.
Jiang Chen cast a detached look over the crowd. There was no
shortage of Shura supporters. It seemed that he had bought more than his fair
share of friends over the years. Perhaps Emperor Peafowl always knew. It was
simply that he didn’t care about it, given his aloof position.
Emperor Shura’s cronies aside, there were plenty of Sacred
Peafowl Mountain loyalists as well.
“Sacred Peafowl Mountain’s three-thousand-year rule of the
city is paying off. Their roots here are profoundly deep. Even though gossip is
flying all over the place, there has been no large-scale defection. Living
proof of Emperor Peafowl’s charisma, too, I think.”
It was an easy observation that many of Sacred Peafowl
Mountain’s original vassals clearly supported their place of allegiance. Jiang
Chen was secretly pleased by this. He didn’t have much of a connection with
those people. If Emperor Peafowl really had fallen, it was understandable that
their devotions would end with their master’s departure.
But the vassals had not abandoned Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
They remained quite staunch in their loyalty. Jiang Chen was touched by the
gesture. He was resolved all the more to strive for the city’s rule with
Emperor Shura, no matter how difficult it proved in the end.
Jiang Chen was well aware that it would be a colossally
strenuous task to overcome the ambitious second-in-command, given the
limitation of his current position and resources. Nevertheless, he was
obligated to give it his all. For these sincere supporters, if nothing else.
Ah, Your Majesty. You have really given me a hard nut to
crack this time. The thought of the wise ruler brought a wry smile to Jiang
Chen’s face. Even in this time of trouble, he was concerned about the older
man’s safety.
“Quiet down, please!” Emperor Petalpluck motioned downwards
with both hands. His great emperor presence filled the space, suppressing the
cacophony of noise to a minimum.
“What is the meaning of this hubbub?” Emperor Petalpluck
didn’t usually get angry, but he was not to be ignored when he did. “The
decision has already been made. You have a single chance to vote for whoever
you support. Remember, you’re vassals of Veluriyam Capital first and foremost.
You should consider the city’s well-being rather than engage in pointless
argument. “No matter who wins in the end, Veluriyam Capital cannot be allowed
to torn asunder. Otherwise, it would be better not to have the vote at all!”
Emperor Petalpluck put a lot of weight in his words. He
gazed thoughtfully toward Emperor Shura and Jiang Chen. “I have a piece of
advice for the two of you. Whether it is Sacred Peafowl Mountain or the Shura
Retreat that wins, I hope that you will be mindful of the bigger picture. You
must accept the results of this election; the loser should not cause trouble
for the winner. Any separatism will be stamped out with great severity!”
The kindly emperor felt deeply indeed about Veluriyam
Capital. His words were far harsher than was typical for him.
“Don’t worry, Daoist Petalpluck,” smiled Emperor Shura
faintly. “I’ve worked diligently and without complain for countless years here
in Veluriyam Capital. Have I done anything to either Daoist Peafowl or you,
even though you two are ranked above me? What wrongdoing am I guilty of?
“The past is the past,” retorted Emperor Petalpluck. “I want
a promise for the future.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Emperor Shura declared
emotionlessly. “I did not convene this Vassal Meeting out of a desire for
personal gain, but for the sake of this great city. If everyone chooses young
lord Zhen over me, and if the young lord really can lead Veluriyam Capital to
greater glory, then I don’t mind serving as his trustworthy assistant.”
There was plenty of applause at his ceremonious words.
Emperors Vastsea and Skysplitter both nodded, apparently impressed by the
speech. They were the first to clap.
All eyes were on Jiang Chen, clearly interested in his
response. A smile as gentle as the spring breeze hung perpetually upon the
young man’s face.
“Emperor Peafowl has always told me that I should view
problems holistically. If Sacred Peafowl Mountain no longer holds the grace of
fate, then I have no objections whatsoever. Emperor Peafowl has never taught me
to turn against my allies. But, I have to say this ahead of time: I will
certainly investigate His Majesty’s whereabouts. If his disappearance has to do
with anyone in this city, I will make the person responsible pay ten times
over. He will perish, and his heritage with it!” Jiang Chen smiled serenely, his
eyes turning to his rival candidate. “What do you think, Emperor Shura?”
The emperor was unruffled. “Exactly what I wanted to say. I
likewise hope that you have a clear conscience, young lord Zhen!”
There was a rage-fueled fire in Emperor Shura’s heart. How
could he not have noticed that Jiang Chen was alluding to a connection between
him and Emperor Peafowl’s disappearance? Though he was actually responsible for
it, he was still infuriated at such a bold-faced accusation. It felt as bad as
being framed. Worse, maybe. Despite being the culprit, he had to bluff a
righteous appearance. It was necessary to fire back a counter-accusation.
Jiang Chen harrumphed. “I owe Emperor Peafowl a great debt
of gratitude, and my conscience is as clear as a mirrored pool. There is
nothing I’ve kept hidden from daylight. Let the heavens bear witness to your
deeds as well as mine. I swear that I have never done, and will never do,
anything detrimental to His Majesty or his interests. If I break this oath, let
me be destroyed by divine punishment on the spot!”
Such a transparent oath rendered everyone who’d been incited
by Emperor Shura’s words entirely speechless. There were people that suspected
Jiang Chen’s origins, of course. There was even the rare rumor that he was a
double agent from the demons, here to haunt Sacred Peafowl Mountain and Veluriyam
Capital.
Jiang Chen had heard no shortage of them in his time. That
was why he had made this oath to heaven and earth. Its weight killed off any
potential malicious rumors, both past and future.
“I’d like to know whether you’re brave enough to make the
same kind of oath, Emperor Shura.” It was a sudden interjection from Emperor
Coiling Dragon, standing coolly to the side.
There was a brief, awkward silence. Emperor Petalpluck
glanced at Emperor Shura, only to see Emperor Mountaincrush doing the same. In
fact, all eyes had turned to Emperor Shura.
“I never make pointless oaths because of baseless rumors,”
Emperor Shura responded matter-of-factly. “Why would I need one if my
conscience is clear?”
His words weren’t as assertive as Jiang Chen’s had been, but
they had a legitimacy that made them difficult to criticize.
“Your conscience is clear, hmm?” Emperor Coiling Dragon
snickered.
Emperor Petalpluck probed Emperor Shura with a thoughtful
look. “Alright. Information about Emperor Peafowl will surface eventually, I’m
sure. Now, let us begin the election of Veluriyam Capital’s temporary ruler.”
His tone was carefully indifferent.
“What’s the ‘temporary’ part for?” Emperor Vastsea was taken
aback
“Emperor Peafowl’s current whereabouts are unknown. Of
course the ruler we’re electing now is temporary. If he doesn’t return in
another decade or two, we can safely take away the ‘temporary’ part away then.
There’s nothing wrong with a transition period.”
“I quite agree, Daoist Petalpluck,” Emperor Void hastily
concurred. “A temporary leader is all that we need. Otherwise, it will be an
affront to everyone involved upon Emperor Peafowl’s return.”
Emperor Coiling Dragon nodded. “That’s the right of it.
We’re only sure that Emperor Peafowl is absent without leave. Anyone that
fancies full rule of the city is attempting an insurrection.”
“Let it be temporary, then,” said Emperor Mountaincrush.
“The change has my full support.”
The great emperors not allied with Shura had all spoken
their minds.
