Chapter 47: No Show

## The Mortal Realm

Before he could finish speaking, dozens of hidden arrows flew out from the dense forest, all aimed directly at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang held onto his horse with one hand, while his other palm flashed out like lightning towards the arrows, effortlessly knocking down most of them and catching a few in his hand. The arrows he missed struck him but immediately fell to the ground, a very strange sight.

Then he sharply flicked his palm back, and a few muffled thuds echoed in the forest, followed by a series of exclamations.

"Kill!"

Qin Sang let out a low cry and instantly vanished from his horse. Water Monkey and the others also dismounted and charged into the dense forest together. Wu Chuanzong and a few others, whose martial arts were slightly weaker, gathered the horses, formed a defensive formation, and counterattacked with crossbows.

In the darkness, Qin Sang summoned his Ice Crystal Armor. His figure was like lightning, and his momentum was like a fierce tiger. Yama had already been summoned by him.

Mere hidden arrows could not pose the slightest threat to him.

In an instant, over a dozen assassins fell to Qin Sang's hand. All the assassins were terrified and fled deeper into the dense forest. Their movements, of course, did not escape Qin Sang's ears. Just as he was about to pursue them, a thought suddenly struck him, and he looked up towards the mountaintop.

Late at night, the moonlight was dim, and a thin mist enveloped the mountaintop. Just moments ago, a figure flashed through the mist. If not for his excellent eyesight, he would have thought he was mistaken.

The person spying from the mountaintop saw the unfavorable situation and tried to escape. Qin Sang sneered, ordered Yama to pursue the enemy, and activated his movement technique, sweeping towards the mountaintop.

As soon as he reached the mountaintop, he saw the corpse of a man dressed in white lying prone on a rock. Qin Sang squatted down and flipped over the man's waist token; it turned out to be an acquaintance: White-clothed Scholar, one of the Four Protectors of the Blood-Clothed Pavilion!

This man's martial arts were no weaker than Bai Jianglan's, yet he had died here without a sound.

Qin Sang pondered to himself that White-clothed Scholar ambushing him wasn't necessarily at Prince Dongyang's instigation; it was more likely the Crown Prince, greedy for treasure. However, since they dared to extend their claws, they would have to endure the pain of having them chopped off.

Water Monkey silently swept onto the mountaintop. "General Qin," he reported, "only one brother sustained minor injuries. The enemy still has two alive, and they've been captured."

"Send the signal. No need for live captives. Kill them all!"

Qin Sang carried White-clothed Scholar's corpse down the mountain and threw it to Water Monkey. "You and Wen Kui take half the men, return to Mingcheng quickly, and secretly deliver this corpse to the Princess. Say nothing else."

In the sixth winter since arriving in this world, Qin Sang, in his capacity as Left Vice-Commander of the Valiant Camp, entered the Great Sui imperial capital for the first time.

The three prefectures surrounding the imperial capital successively collapsed, and subsequent garrison commanders surrendered at the sight of the advancing army. Prince Dongyang, with an overwhelming momentum, besieged the imperial capital with a large army. The imperial capital held out for three months until its ammunition and food ran out. The false emperor, unwilling to flee north, hanged himself in the palace, and the defending generals requested surrender.

Prince Dongyang did not enter the palace but first went to Pilgrimage Mountain to pay respects to the former emperor. The coronation ceremony was set for the first day of the new year, leaving less than two months. All generals and ministers were busy with the preparations for the Fengshan ceremony on Pilgrimage Mountain, while no one seemed to be in a hurry to suppress the rebels in the northern lands.

Qin Sang occupied the mansion of a minister from the false emperor's court, leaving only a squad of personal guards at the gate. Apart from Wu Chuanzong and others, he refused to see anyone who came to visit.

Among the various generals, below the two Commanders, there were only a handful of Left Vice-Commanders. The Valiant Camp, commanded by Qin Sang, cooperated with the Victorious Camp in Guize Prefecture, achieving brilliant military exploits. Although their performance during the final assault on the imperial capital was somewhat unremarkable, this did not affect Qin Sang's standing. Even if he wasn't granted a princedom, a marquisate would surely be bestowed upon him.

This hot-shot general, however, had such an eccentric temperament, leaving people puzzled.

Little did they know, after the Battle of Raven's Pass, Qin Sang rarely focused on military affairs, devoting himself entirely to cultivation, sometimes cultivating for an entire day.

Later, the Left Vice-Commander of the Valiant Camp made a grave error, and the Princess personally came to the camp to see Qin Sang, forcefully bestowing the position of Left Vice-Commander upon him.

This was also why the Valiant Camp did not particularly distinguish itself in the subsequent battle for the imperial capital. However, because Qin Sang delegated authority, Wu Chuanzong, Water Monkey, and others gained sufficient experience and were able to manage affairs independently.

And Qin Sang's gains were not insignificant, as he had successfully broken through to the fifth level of the 'Netherworld Scripture' just a few days ago.

The long-awaited Fengshan ceremony on Pilgrimage Mountain was close at hand, and Qin Sang grew increasingly expectant, wondering what kind of surprise the young man named Han would ultimately bring him.

Before the New Year arrived, heavy snow fell for three days.

But this New Year was the most reassuring one for the people of Great Sui in recent years. Heavy snowfalls that would normally be considered snow disasters were now praised as auspicious snow promising a bountiful harvest, a good omen.

The clouds dispersed, the snow ceased, and the sky cleared after the snow.

The sky was still dim. The snow on Pilgrimage Mountain's path had been cleared overnight, and straw and plant ash were sprinkled. Qin Sang, laughing and chatting with Commander Feng and Vice-Commander Mu, climbed the mountain step by step. Ahead and behind them were prominent generals or meritorious officials.

In the very front, inner guards cleared the way, followed by Prince Dongyang, then the Crown Prince, the Princess, and several imperial princes.

Finally, there were the civil officials and guards, along with the jade, silk, sacrificial animals, and grains prepared for the ceremony.

Everyone walked on foot; their carriages remained at the foot of the mountain as a sign of respect.

It took an hour and a half to climb to the mountaintop and reach the Pilgrimage Palace. The generals were strong and robust, but among the civil officials, the frail ones nearly fainted from exhaustion. The Crown Prince was covered in sweat and panting heavily, performing even worse than Prince Dongyang, while the Princess remained as calm as ever.

Officials from the Bureau of Sacred Affairs stood before the Pilgrimage Palace gate and knelt in homage upon seeing Prince Dongyang. After a series of rituals, the Master of Pilgrimage Palace brought forth a brand new dragon robe. Prince Dongyang went inside to change, and those below began to busy themselves.

Countless offerings flowed into the Pilgrimage Palace while Buddhist monks and Taoist priests chanted scriptures. Qin Sang watched with amusement, his inner impatience somewhat diminished.

At noon, someone from the Bureau of Sacred Affairs held a silk scroll. Those whose names were read out could hardly conceal their excitement, yet feigned composure, stepping into the Pilgrimage Palace amidst countless envious and respectful gazes.

Qin Sang heard his own name and walked in as if nothing had happened.

Inside the Pilgrimage Palace, he saw giant incense burning, countless offerings, and jade tablets and scrolls placed in the center. Prince Dongyang stood still with his hands clasped; judging by his tightly clenched fists, he was clearly not calm.

In the end, only thirty-one people were qualified to enter the Pilgrimage Palace!

"The auspicious moment has arrived! The Sacred Emperor is about to be conferred!"

The Master of Pilgrimage Palace shouted loudly, raised his arm high, and struck the ancient bell. The melodious bell tolls echoed far and wide.

Prince Dongyang personally recited the sacrificial text.

The bell chimed eighty-one times. Qin Sang grew impatient waiting, secretly thinking these immortal masters were truly adept at putting on a show.

The last toll of the bell faded into the distance.

'Cree!'

A loud crane cry pierced the sky, and everyone looked up, their faces filled with shock.

They saw layers of ethereal mist and rosy clouds rising from the clear, cloudless sky, the ethereal glow surging and instantly filling the sky. In the depths of the glow, a celestial gate seemed to exist, exceptionally mysterious.

'Whoosh!'

A gigantic celestial crane broke through the ethereal mist and flew through the air. In a flash, it soared above the Pilgrimage Palace, opened its beak wide, and a jade seal, trailing a stream of light, fell into Prince Dongyang's hand.

The celestial crane's figure gradually faded from view.

"Please, Immortal, enter the palace to rest." After the celestial crane disappeared, the Princess of Dongyang bowed beside the altar table. Just as everyone was bewildered, a figure materialized from thin air: a plump young man appeared out of nowhere.

Qin Sang's heart sank. It wasn't the young man named Han!