Chapter 266: Killing the Emperor

As the capital city drew ever closer, the roads teemed with an increasing number of scouts. Despite the calamities afflicting the outer reaches of the land, the areas surrounding the capital remained steeped in an atmosphere of festive peace. Crimson silks adorned numerous trees, and the roads were filled with a greater influx of foreign envoys, all hurrying towards the city.

The ascension of a new emperor was, naturally, no minor affair. Especially so, as this dynasty's heir apparent had, even before his formal enthronement, demonstrated stark differences from the previous reign. He exhibited a benevolent disposition towards foreigners, fostering friendly relations with neighboring states.

During the previous dynasty, National Teacher Yan Kang favored military campaigns, annexing dozens of countries and subjugating the surrounding great powers, either seizing their territories or forcing them into tributary vassalage. His arrogance was indeed boundless. Before the National Teacher's campaign against the Great Ruins, the state of Yan Kang was at its zenith, simultaneously waging war against five great powers. It was only after the National Teacher faced an assassination attempt that Yan Kang's expansionist ambitions were temporarily curtailed.

In contrast, this dynasty's new emperor was refined and courteous, treating the sects within Yan Kang with respect and extending graciousness to foreign envoys. Not only did he return the lands conquered by the formidable National Teacher to their respective neighboring countries, but he also promised compensation and expressed a willingness to mend relations with foreign states.

The previous system requiring foreign countries to pay tribute as vassals to Yan Kang was also abolished by the new emperor. This brought immense joy to the foreign nations, who heaped praise upon him, declaring the new emperor, Ling Yu Xia, a rare and wise ruler in Yan Kang's fifteen hundred-year history.

Furthermore, the yet-to-be-enthroned emperor had widely invited scholars from various sects to attend the ascension ceremony. Rumors circulated that on the day of his enthronement, the new emperor intended to issue a decree of self-recrimination. He was purportedly prepared to shoulder the blame for the reforms undertaken in Yan Kang over the past two centuries, which had incurred the wrath of the heavens and the resentment of the populace. He would, it was said, confess his sins to the heavens, begging for divine punishment upon himself while implaining for the salvation of Yan Kang's myriad beings.

"This move is utterly ruthless," Qin Mu remarked, his voice filled with praise. He turned to the National Teacher and the Emperor, saying, "You two labored for two hundred years, reforming secular concepts and propelling Dao methods and divine powers forward. You endured countless slanders, expended immeasurable effort, and saw countless lives sacrificed in this struggle, all to shape Yan Kang into its current form. A single decree of self-recrimination from the new emperor can render two centuries of your hard work, two hundred years of fallen soldiers, utterly meaningless. This move is ruthless, exceedingly ruthless!"

Emperor Yan Feng let out a dull groan, a tearing pain in his chest, akin to wanting to weep but finding no tears. He spoke hoarsely, "Yu Xia, my good son, this knife is plunged directly into my heart..."

National Teacher Yan Kang's face remained as placid as an ancient well. He said, "Once we enter the capital, I can, within a few days, contact my old subordinates. Seven or eight out of ten ministers in the court will support Your Majesty. Furthermore, with the Hidden Dragon Guards of the Nine Dragon Veins and the Forbidden Army, we can assault and seize the capital at any time! The only issue now is that the Great Thunder Sound Temple and Dao Gate have left so many monks and Daoists in the homes of these princes and ministers, ostensibly for alms, but in reality for monitoring. Cult Leader Qin, I require the power of your Heavenly Demon Cult to get me into the city to see them."

Qin Mu shook his head, "There is no need for such trouble."

National Teacher Yan Kang was slightly taken aback.

"The Great Thunder Sound Temple and Dao Gate have spread their influence too widely. In their attempt to control the overall situation, they have created flaws everywhere," Qin Mu halted his steps. They were now in Hou Ji Town, less than a hundred li from the capital. They stopped in front of a pancake stall, and Qin Mu was purchasing breakfast. He continued, "Just like stirring pancakes, if the stall is too large, it cannot withstand a single blow. The larger their pancake is stirred, the weaker it becomes. When the Prince ascends the throne, he will instead lack sufficient power to protect himself. The monks and Daoists they left in the homes of various princes and ministers will instead be controlled by those very princes and ministers, unable to travel to the imperial city to offer support."

The pancake was ready. The stall owner rolled it in yellow paper. Qin Mu took it and first offered it to the National Teacher's wife.

The National Teacher's wife took a bite, her bright eyes glancing around. She said in a low voice, "You are discussing this so openly, are you not afraid of walls having ears? We've encountered quite a few of the Prince's scouts on this road, you know!"

"Not afraid," Qin Mu smiled faintly.

The market, filled with pedestrians, vendors, those selling and buying vegetables, butchers, and shouters, suddenly fell silent. All heads turned in unison, their gazes fixed upon them.

"Cult Leader!" They said in a single voice.

Qin Mu waved his hand, laughing, "Continue with your business, do not be disturbed by us."

The National Teacher's wife was startled. Emperor Yan Feng sighed, "Orders are prohibited, and so is the King's army. Cult Leader Qin, you fill me with fear. Your Heavenly Saint Cult also fills me with fear."

National Teacher Yan Kang nodded, saying, "Orders are prohibited, actions are unified. This is the aura of becoming a king, becoming an emperor. Your Majesty should indeed worry. However, the Heavenly Saint Cult has been established for twenty thousand years, and not a single generation of Cult Leader has ever proclaimed himself emperor. Your Majesty can rest assured."

Emperor Yan Feng said angrily, "You are all from the Heavenly Saint Cult, even you and your wife, National Teacher, are from the Heavenly Saint Cult. One is a Heavenly King, the other an Incense Master. Only I am an outsider here, so you are all just deceiving me!"

Qin Mu hastily said, "Does Your Majesty wish to join the Cult?"

"How do we enter the capital city?"

They arrived outside the capital city. Emperor Yan Feng gazed remotely at the city gate, seeing only strict guards and heavy checks. Entering seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven. Today was the day the Prince ascended the throne and became the new emperor. On this day, the new emperor was to go to the Heavenly Altar to issue his decree of self-recrimination. Envoys from various countries, sect leaders and masters, heads of great families, and civil and military officials were all to attend the ceremony, thus the strict defense.

Qin Mu shook his head, "No matter, we will walk in directly."

Emperor Yan Feng was slightly startled. Qin Mu had already led them to the city gate. The officers at the city gate seemed to see them but not see them, allowing them to enter the city.

"Are they also people from the Heavenly Saint Cult?"

The National Teacher's wife was slightly startled. She said to Qin Mu in a low voice, "The Emperor is here, do not be too ostentatious, otherwise it will cause His Majesty suspicion. The Emperor desires the Cult to be above the country, not the country above the Cult. Cult Leader, be careful."

Qin Mu looked towards Emperor Yan Feng. Indeed, Emperor Yan Feng showed a worried expression. This was quite normal. The guards defending the city gate of the majestic capital were unexpectedly all people from the Heavenly Demon Cult. How could this put him at ease?

National Teacher Yan Kang said, "And now that we have entered the city, what should we do?"

Qin Mu took out two pills and gave them to Emperor Yan Feng and National Teacher Yan Kang respectively. He said, "Let us go to the imperial city, to the Heavenly Altar, and watch the Prince's ascension and sacrifice to the heavens."

Imperial city, Golden Luan Hall.

"May my Emperor live long, long, long!"

Yan Kang's Prince Ling Yu Xia wore dragon robes and sat on the dragon chair. Behind him stood a monk on one side and a Daoist on the other. Below were civil and military officials, bowing before the new emperor with grand momentum. The civil and military officials were exceedingly numerous; the court hall was already full of those kneeling. Other officials knelt outside the hall, and some even knelt on the steps.

Within the hall were also delegations of envoys from dozens of countries, holding the flags of their respective nations to observe the ceremony. Furthermore, dozens of sect leaders were also present to observe the ceremony.

The new emperor's ascension rites were quite cumbersome. By the time they were finished, it was nearly noon.

The spring sun was not yet warm. Ling Yu Xia led the civil and military officials out of the hall and walked in front. The ceremonial guard followed closely. Among the ceremonial guard were many monks and Daoists, chanting Buddhist and Daoist scriptures in loud voices. Behind them were the Crown Princess and a retinue of palace maids. The envoy delegations followed behind, and the leaders of various great sects and families also followed to the Heavenly Altar, creating an even grander spectacle.

Following Ling Yu Xia were the Crown Prince's Grand Guardian, the Crown Prince's Grand Preceptor, and other first-rank officials, all founding meritorious ministers and his trusted lieutenants, holding extremely high status. This time, with the emperor's "passing," Ling Yu Xia logically inherited the throne. He was aware that although he had a foundation in the court, it was not yet stable. Therefore, he invited many high monks from the Great Thunder Sound Temple and Daoists from the Dao Gate. He demoted those officials unwilling to submit and promoted monks and Daoists to official positions.

In the court, nearly half of the civil and military officials were monks and Daoists. As they hurried towards the Heavenly Altar, they chanted scriptures on the side, making the scene quite peculiar.

As for Duke Wei Guo, King Tai Shan, Upper Pillar State, Grand General Tian Ce, and others, due to their "old age," Ling Yu Xia had specially permitted them to retire. They were to reside in the capital for the time being, and only after the grand ceremony would they be allowed to return to their homes in glory.

Nearly half of the officials in court were ordered to retire to their hometowns, some of them still very young. This too was a strange matter. Ling Yu Xia was uneasy about these officials ordered to retire. He could not allow them to leave the capital, fearing they would rebel. Thus, he effectively imprisoned them in their respective mansions, guarded by monks and Daoists from the Great Thunder Sound Temple and Dao Gate. As for King Tai Shan, Grand General Tian Ce, and others, they remained imprisoned in the heavenly prison.

Unconsciously, they arrived at the Heavenly Altar. A throng of officials surged forth. Nearly half of the monks and Daoists stood respectively on the left and right sides of the stairs. Ling Yu Xia, holding his dragon robes, ascended the steps alone, his demeanor very respectful. The Crown Princess and other members of the harem knelt below the platform.

The stairs were long, nine hundred and ninety-nine stone steps. Ling Yu Xia walked to the Heavenly Altar and was about to respectfully kneel down when suddenly he heard a heavy voice say, "The Tathagata Buddha Ancestor of the Great Thunder Sound Temple transmits a decree! Please Your Majesty receive the decree!"

A monk with a dignified appearance walked out. Behind him, a Buddhist light formed a wheel. In his hand, he held the Tathagata's decree, and he came before Ling Yu Xia.

Ling Yu Xia hastily knelt down to receive the decree, respectfully saying, "This sinful minister receives the World Honored One's decree."

Below, a crowd of old ministers from the previous dynasty frowned respectively, lowering their heads and remaining silent. Among the other officials, monks chanted Buddhist sounds in unison. Behind their heads, the Buddhist light shone with ten thousand rays, magnificent!

Mid-air, heavenly flowers scattered chaotically. Phantoms of gods and Buddhas appeared, various phenomena manifesting, seemingly blessings and praises bestowed by the gods and Buddhas of various heavens.

The monk finished reciting the Tathagata's decree. It was nothing more than saying that Emperor Yan Feng was without Dao, that the heavens were angry and the people resentful, and encouraging the new emperor to diligently fulfill his duties so that the gods and Buddhas of various heavens would bestow fortune and longevity, and the heavenly gods would protect him, and so on.

The Crown Prince received the decree.

Another Daoist walked out, holding a Dao Lord's decree. He said, "The Dao Lord of the Dao Gate sends down a decree! Please Your Majesty receive the decree!"

Ling Yu Xia hastily knelt down again, "This sinful minister receives the Dao Lord's decree."

Among the civil and military officials, the Daoists were also unwilling to be outdone. They respectively manipulated their vital energy, conjuring phenomena of dragons, phoenixes, and other auspicious signs, filling the sky with their dance.

The Dao Lord's decree was also nothing more than encouraging the new emperor to diligently serve the people, govern laboriously, and not meddle with any reforms, and so forth.

The Crown Prince received the decree, stood up, and tidied his clothes. He was then about to kneel down towards the center of the Heavenly Altar to confess his sins to the heavens.

At this moment, a voice transmitted from afar, loudly saying, "The Cult Leader and Holy Teacher of the Heavenly Saint Cult personally transmits a decree! Please Your Majesty receive the decree!"

Upon hearing this, a stir arose on the Heavenly Altar. All turned towards the direction from which the voice came. The envoys from various countries, sect leaders and masters, and heads of various great families observing the ceremony below the Heavenly Altar also followed suit and looked.

Ling Yu Xia, in a few strides, reached the front of the Heavenly Altar's stairs. From his elevated position, he looked down and saw a youth leading two monks and a Daoist nun walking towards the Heavenly Altar. The steps of the two monks were unsteady, and the Daoist nun appeared to be pregnant, her movements somewhat inconvenient.

Qin Mu, with a smile on his face, walked directly towards the Heavenly Altar. He said leisurely, "The Great Thunder Sound Temple is a holy land, the Dao Gate is a holy land, and my Heavenly Saint Cult is also a holy land. Ling Yu Xia, the Tathagata and the Dao Lord did not come, yet you knelt to receive their decrees. This time, our Cult has come personally, are you still not kneeling to welcome us?"

"Heavenly Demon Cult Leader!"

Suddenly, a family sect master beside Qin Mu violently rose up, striking towards Qin Mu with a painful blow. Just at this moment, a large flag suddenly appeared beside Qin Mu. The flag face rolled, blocking the sect master's strike. The large flag unfurled, and behind it was a majestic man carrying a sword case. A sword light flew out and took the sect master's head.

The majestic man carrying the sword case rolled his large flag, holding the sect master's head, and disappeared. Among the crowd observing the ceremony, a headless corpse swayed and fell down.

Qin Mu continued forward, neither hearing nor asking questions. Again, there were guards who wanted to strike, but as they moved, they saw large flags rolling one by one. The hall masters, elders, inspection envoys, and heavenly kings of the Heavenly Demon Cult appeared one by one. Large flags fluttered, sometimes hidden, sometimes appearing. When the large flags disappeared, dozens more headless corpses lay on the ground.

Qin Mu led the National Teacher and the Emperor forward. Around him, flag faces constantly appeared or disappeared. Those who attacked him were struck down and died unnaturally.

Where they walked, they left behind a ground littered with corpses, all missing their heads.

Qin Mu walked to the front of the Heavenly Altar. Just as he was about to ascend the steps, the kneeling Crown Princess below struck fiercely. As she moved, she became a corpse and fell down.

The envoys from other countries, the heads of families and sect masters, and the sect leaders were respectively startled, not daring to strike again. The might of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the foremost holy land of the demonic path, they had long heard of, and now they had experienced it firsthand.

"Xiu Niang, don't look," National Teacher Yan Kang said to his wife.

Qin Mu strode onto the Heavenly Altar. A high monk suddenly roared, "Heavenly Demon Cult Leader, we have waited for you for a long time! Fellow Daoists, encircle and annihilate the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader, subdue demons and eliminate devils!"

Monks one by one cast off their official robes and roared. The Daoists also respectively sacrificed their sword pills. For a time, the Heavenly Altar was filled with a sky-piercing baleful aura.

Qin Mu continued forward. *Shua shua shua*, three hundred more large flags appeared. The hall masters of the three hundred and sixty halls appeared in unison, as did the twelve town cult elders, the left and right protector envoys, the two great town cult heavenly kings, and the eight great inspection envoys.

Killing sounds erupted on the Heavenly Altar. The eight great inspection envoys did not strike, but surrounded Qin Mu and the others.

The Heavenly Altar was filled with a sky-piercing baleful aura. Cult leader level existences, great experts of the Life and Death Realm and Heaven-Human Realm, battled fiercely on the Heavenly Altar, fighting until the sky collapsed and the earth cracked. The rumbling sounds nearly shook down all the palaces around the Heavenly Altar.

The imperial city was in chaos. The imperial city guards rushed forward in a swarm. The entire capital city was alarmed. The great families and noble clans in the capital, originally silent, at this moment erupted with shocking momentum. In each mansion, those monks and Daoists who were about to hurry to the imperial city for support were trapped in the mansions by these great families and noble clans and killed on the spot.

And in the heavenly prison, Grand General Tian Ce Qin Jian, Upper Minister Su Yun Zhi, and others were sitting in prison when suddenly the prison door opened. A prison head laughed, "Your Majesty has returned! He is at the Heavenly Altar!"

Grand General Tian Ce and the others were both surprised and overjoyed. They immediately rushed out of the heavenly prison and hurried towards the Heavenly Altar.

"Where is Wei Heavenly King?" Yu Heavenly King shouted loudly.

"Wei Heavenly King is here!"

A thunderous voice transmitted throughout the capital city. Duke Wei Guo leaped directly from his ducal mansion, and with a loud *boom*, he smashed down below the Heavenly Altar, fully armored, his face ferocious and evil, "Who wants to die?"

Qin Mu walked onto the Heavenly Altar unhurriedly. The Crown Prince's Grand Preceptor and others rushed forward to attack, but at this moment, Qin Jian and others rushed out from the heavenly prison and intercepted them. No one interfered with Qin Mu and the others' steps.

On the Heavenly Altar, Ling Yu Xia showed a panicked expression. He looked at the monk and Daoist on his left and right. These two immediately leaped up and pounced downwards, but before they landed, they were killed in mid-air by the eight great inspection envoys, their blood splattering on the spot.

"Civil and military officials, I am the Emperor!"

Ling Yu Xia sternly shouted, "Are you all not listening to my orders, planning to rebel together with this demonic path?"

"Emperor?"

Emperor Yan Feng coldly snorted. He swallowed the pill Qin Mu gave him. His hair immediately grew out, and he wiped off the scar on his face. He said in a deep voice, "Look who I am?"

Ling Yu Xia's face changed dramatically. National Teacher Yan Kang also swallowed the pill. His hair grew, and he wiped off the cyan birthmark on his face. He turned around and came.

The civil and military officials, who had originally planned to obey the imperial order and attack, at this moment saw Emperor Yan Feng and National Teacher Yan Kang and knelt down in worship.

Ling Yu Xia, as if mad, rushed towards Emperor Yan Feng and National Teacher Yan Kang, sternly calling out, "I am the Son of Heaven!"

The figures of the eight great inspection envoys swayed, each striking against Ling Yu Xia. Ling Yu Xia spat blood. Suddenly, his body transformed into a dragon and soared upwards, attempting to escape outwards. The eight great inspection envoys each lifted their clothes to cover themselves, their figures disappearing. The next moment, Ling Yu Xia was pressed down by the eight people, kneeling in the center of the Heavenly Altar.

Emperor Yan Feng looked at the civil and military officials and shouted, "Still not suppressing the rebellion for me? Killing all these rebellious Daoists and bald donkeys? Do I have to strike myself?"

The civil and military officials hurriedly stood up and struck fiercely at the monks and Daoists from the Great Thunder Sound Temple and Dao Gate. The rushing forbidden guards also struck fiercely.

At the same time, Qin Mu walked onto the Heavenly Altar. Ling Yu Xia was pressed kneeling on the ground, unable to struggle.

Qin Mu bent down, moved to his ear, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I am not doing this to help the Emperor, but for my Saint Cult's Qian Heavenly King and Lu Heavenly King."

Ling Yu Xia was startled. He lifted his head and looked at him, his eyes showing disbelief, "You..."

Qin Mu drew his sword. The Shao Bao Sword was in his hand. With a single flat chop!

Emperor Yan Feng and National Teacher Yan Kang had just arrived at the Heavenly Altar when they saw this one sword drawn across. Ling Yu Xia's head flew high into the air.

Emperor Yan Feng's heart shook greatly. He looked at the youth's back. The youth shook off the blood from the sword and returned it to its sheath with a *zheng* sound. His back was somewhat frightening.

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