Chapter 515: Errand

Red blood and various organs flew through the air. Even the heart, flung high, was still beating, as if Dong Zhongshou, split into two, were still alive at that moment.

The headless Peng Longteng leaned back, her heavy armor absorbing the impact of the falling debris.

She held a jawbone with skin still attached. As her large hands slowly tightened their grip and began to grind it finely, it eventually turned into bone dust in her grasp.

Peng Longteng's body trembled uncontrollably. She craved slaughter immensely, yearning to kill living people one by one.

Heaven knew how long she had yearned for this moment; today, she finally had her fill. "Thud!" A spiked flail heavily struck Peng Longteng's heavy armor, emitting a dull thud. Instead of anger, Peng Longteng felt joy. Excited, she charged towards those rushing to kill her.

These seemed to be Dong family retainers seeking revenge for their master, but in Peng Longteng's eyes, they were merely tools for her to enjoy the slaughter.

The outcome seemed predetermined; a military expert with no fatal weakness was nearly impossible to defeat.

Originally, others seemed inclined to send their retainers to help, but when Li Huowang joined the fray and demonstrated his strength, everyone immediately ceased their movements.

After a stick of incense burned down, the entire noisy courtyard became quiet once more, save for the corpses scattered on the ground.

Li Huowang slowly walked to the towering shadow of Peng Longteng, looking at all the people below—the so-called direct descendants of Ji Lin.

They were all currently behind layers of protection provided by their guards, looking at the red-robed Taoist before them with fear and suspicion. Many had already gathered together, while some others had quietly left at an unknown time.

"Someone tried to kill me before I arrived, so I used a few small tricks to extract some information from them," Li Huowang said, patting his bag of torture implements.

"And guess what I found out? I discovered that all this time, only pawns have died. Not one of the nine contenders for the throne has perished. I realized that both you and they have made a terrible mistake, an utterly ridiculous one!"

"This is not a typical political transition. Put away your old ways. There's no need for political exchanges here, no vying for influence, no strategic maneuvering. What's needed is killing! What's needed is Gu refinement! Except for the one on the throne, everyone else must die! Not a single one shall remain!"

There was one more thing Li Huowang kept to himself: this was the iron rule set by the former emperor within the Imperial Temple, leaving no room for modification.

"So, when someone threatens His Majesty's life, what do you think His Majesty wants us to do? It's certainly not to consider who his allies are, nor is it about relationships. Our purpose is to kill them all!!"

Li Huowang raised one foot and then brought it down heavily, crushing the half-head by his foot into smithereens.

After a brief, oppressive interval, about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the previously clean-shaven strategist stood up, his face ashen. His finger trembled as he pointed at Li Huowang.

"My senior brother has rendered great service to His Majesty, an indispensable minister by his side. How dare you kill him? His Majesty will not let you off!"

"No, His Majesty won't bother me over such a trivial matter. What His Majesty wants are those who clear obstacles for him and help him ascend the throne. Since your senior brother couldn't even defeat a single opponent, he holds no value to His Majesty."

Peng Longteng, who had been behind Li Huowang, had vanished into thin air at some point. Li Huowang lifted his foot and walked towards his position.

After grabbing the roasted goose from the table, Li Huowang spoke as if to himself: "Your Majesty, if you continue to dither like this, your spiritual affliction will have been consumed in vain. It's time to get serious."

"For you, I am a sword, a very sharp one. Don't let its sharpness go unused."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Li Huowang left the mansion. As for whether there were Ji Lin's spies in the courtyard, Li Huowang didn't know, but he was certain that his words would reach Ji Lin's ears.

Sure enough, the next morning, Li Huowang received an oral imperial decree delivered by an old eunuch.

The imperial decree contained no other content; it merely conveyed a message: that afternoon, the Empress Dowager would leave the city to worship Bodhisattvas at Putan Temple, accompanied by Princess Changning.

"So, His Majesty wants me to kill Princess Changning right under the Empress Dowager's nose?" Li Huowang asked the old eunuch before him.

The old eunuch shook his head, devoid of emotion, and began to tell a small story, as if in casual conversation.

"Even among ordinary families, a bowl of water can't be held level when it comes to children, let alone within the imperial family. The Empress Dowager bore three sons and one daughter in her lifetime, but she exclusively favored the Fourth Prince. Her affection for His Majesty was much thinner from childhood."

"When His Majesty was young, before the late emperor ascended the throne, and while residing in Prince Heng's manor, every winter, the charcoal allowance His Majesty received was less than everyone else's. Thus, His Majesty has hated winter since childhood."

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang nodded, instantly understanding the other's meaning. It seemed Ji Lin's spiritual affliction had not been consumed in vain; this meant he was being asked to eliminate both Ji Lin's own sister and mother.

The Empress Dowager naturally couldn't contend for the throne. In that case, it seemed she believed her own son, Ji Lin, had no chance, and had placed her bets on one of her other sons.

After finishing his story, the old eunuch looked at Li Huowang with a meaningful smile and gently tapped Li Huowang with the golden silken whisk in his hand.

"The Grand Princess has several skilled protectors. Since you claim to be a fine sword that can cut through iron like mud, our family would like to see how fast this sword of yours truly is."

"Eunuch, a sword is naturally fast if it's sharp. However, I care neither for fame nor for profit. Yet, I often find myself surrounded by troubles. I only hope that when I encounter trouble in the future, friends who owe me favors will lend a hand."

"Oh, you haven't even done the work yet, and you're already bargaining. Finish the job first, then we'll talk." Li Huowang watched as the old eunuch slowly walked out of his courtyard, then suddenly vanished from the spot without a trace. "It seems Ji Lin doesn't only have those useless people by his side..." Li Huowang murmured thoughtfully.

Among the eunuchs in the palace, there were indeed quite a few individuals of considerable strength. How then could he use them to bolster his own power against the dice?

"Father, why can't I understand what you're saying?" Li Sui, who was gnawing on a roasted goose nearby, asked. "You don't need to understand. Is the roasted goose good?"

"It's good."

"Good then. When you're done eating, empty the water from the vat, and after filling it with soil, help me carry it to the bedroom."

Li Huowang rummaged in the carriage for a while and cautiously took out an iron box. The entire box was sealed tightly, its tiny seams filled with wax, as if to prevent whatever was inside from escaping.