—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the corridors of the Deng Dynasty’s imperial palace,
Bai Hu, having calmed Huoxian, let out a quiet sigh.
“Huff…”
Despite Huoxian’s fear of the martial world, it was true that it had grown in power compared to the past.
But even so, he couldn’t just suppress the martial world as the hot-headed young official had written in his memorial.
It wasn’t because the imperial family lacked power.
Though the righteous martial world’s influence was strong, the state could weaken it if it chose to.
The law of non-interference between the court and the martial world could be abolished.
Then, his precious disciple, the Son of Heaven, Huoxian, wouldn’t have to suffer from nightmares and tremble in fear.
A weary shadow fell over Bai Hu’s eyes.
But… he couldn’t do that.
In the corridor, where only flickering candles were placed, the darkness and the anxiety in his heart merged and took the form of a person.
An attitude that ignored and deceived even the heavens.
A confidence so arrogant that the word “arrogant” was an understatement, backed by martial prowess.
A being he could never forget, even after eighteen years.
“Heavenly Demon.”
He muttered the ominous name to himself.
春旺池汉 (Chunwang chihan) – If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.
If the righteous faction weakened, who would keep the demonic sects in check?
To be honest, no matter what the emperor was afraid of, the martial world’s growing power was a bit of a nuisance, but not a huge threat to the imperial family’s existence.
The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, the core of the righteous faction, were closely related to the imperial family.
The Wudang and Shaolin sects, among others, were not only martial artists but also religious figures.
The high authority of the Nine Great Sects was because the Deng Dynasty’s imperial family had recognized Buddhism and Daoism as state religions.
They knew well how a religion not recognized by the state would be treated.
The reason the Five Great Families occupied a region and enjoyed rights almost equivalent to those of feudal lords was because they were descendants of the founding fathers of the Deng Dynasty.
The authority and rights of the righteous martial world were legitimized by the Deng Dynasty’s imperial family.
That was why they expanded their power but acknowledged the authority of the imperial family.
When Wu Ming brutally murdered Crown Prince Huofeng, not only the imperial family, but also the Martial Alliance, foamed at the mouth and designated Wu Ming as a public enemy, trying to kill him.
Because they knew that the legitimacy of their power came from the imperial family. And it was the same with the demonic sects.
There were lineages founded by the progeny of the notorious traitors, the Four Pillars of the Demonic Sects. However, in accordance with their pragmatic nature, they did not harbor any absurd plans to overthrow the state and establish a new dynasty.
Like most demonic organizations, their goal was simple…
To make a lot of money and live well. The imperial family would subjugate any organization that crossed the line, but… that didn’t mean they were at odds with the imperial family.
And since they were moved by money, they could be hired to keep the righteous faction in check when they threatened local officials.
In any case, although they were rats who hid in the shadows and did bad things, the demonic sects still acknowledged by the imperial family’s authority.
But the demonic sects were different… They did not acknowledge the authority of the imperial family at all.
“Ugh…”
Bai Hu’s brow furrowed at the thought. He slowly massaged his temples with his index and middle fingers.
The four greatest forces that threatened the Central Plains’ martial world.
The Heavenly Demon Sect, the Bai Hua Sect, the Blood Sect, and the Sun Moon Holy Cult.
Except for the quiet Bai Hua Sect, which was mainly active in the Silk Desert, they were all troublemakers.
They were all different, but they had one thing in common.
The long-cherished wish, the goal of their respective sects, was the most important thing.
If they thought the Deng Dynasty’s imperial family was a hindrance to their goal, they would seriously prepare for a rebellion.
And against such demonic sects, the righteous martial world was fighting, even without the support of the imperial family, under the banner of “honor”.
It would be a lie to say there were no conflicts of interest, but still, they believed it was their duty and right to protect the peace of the world against the evil demonic sects.
In such a situation, if he suppressed the righteous martial world and confiscated their authority, the imperial family would have to deal with all the demonic sects that infiltrated and caused trouble in the Central Plains.
It would consume an enormous amount of money and manpower. And some of the sects, dissatisfied with the suppression, might even side with the demonic sects.
At the thought, a headache throbbed in Bai Hu’s head. He stopped and let out a worried sigh.
“Grand Tutor, I have something to report.”
An eunuch cautiously approached, looking around, and took a letter from his sleeve.
“I thought I should tell you. A man named Yan Wuyong, the Tenth Elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, has sent a letter to you.”
“The demonic sect… how…?”
Bai Hu’s eyes widened. He looked straight at the eunuch.
He recognized the face. But without hesitation, Bai Hu pulled a needle from his sleeve and swung it at the eunuch’s neck.
Because he couldn’t feel his breath. The thing in front of him was a well made jiangshi.
Evil Slaying Sword Technique – a sword technique that slays evil.
In an instant, the needle wrapped in cool blue qi became a swift blade that cleanly beheaded the eunuch.
He wasn’t carrying a sword since he had just come from the emperor’s bedchamber, but that didn’t matter.
The head of the jiangshi, disguised as a eunuch, fell from its body without a single drop of blood and rolled on the ground.
Bai Hu didn’t stop there. He continued to swing the needle, tearing the jiangshi apart. Then he frowned at the letter it had delivered.
It was surprising that they knew the face of a eunuch working in the inner palace and had made a jiangshi that looked like him, but how had they infiltrated this far?
Normally, he would have burned such an unknown letter immediately, but… he was furious and unfolded the letter to find out the identity of the traitor who had infiltrated the palace with a jiangshi.
“Huh…?!”
And after reading the letter, Bai Hu’s pupils trembled with surprise.
“How far… do you intend to insult the imperial family…!!”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The one who was remotely controlling the jiangshi, the sinner who would insult the imperial family, Yan Wuyong, the Tenth Elder of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, blinked and came to his senses.
The other great sinner who was standing guard to protect the defenseless Yan Wuyong,
the public enemy of the martial world, Wu Ming, asked with a curious expression.
“Did you succeed?”
“I succeeded in getting his attention.”
“To infiltrate the imperial palace. That’s amazing.”
“The current security of the imperial palace is designed to deal with martial artists, so there was a loophole for a jiangshi, whose qi is hard to detect, to slip through.”
To Wu Ming’s amazement, Yan Wuyong got up from the bed and massaged his temples as if it were no big deal.
“Well, the information about jiangshi techniques is scarce in the martial world, so that probably helped… anyway, it’s a trick that won’t work again.”
Wu Ming noticed something during their conversation. Yan Wuyong became strangely talkative when praised.
Since his current body was a jiangshi, it wasn’t very obvious, but… he seemed to be happy yet embarrassed when his skills were praised or acknowledged.
He would probably deny it if he said so.
“But will the sword that protects the emperor, the Supreme General of Heaven’s Strategy, Bai Hu, really come to the meeting place?”
The situation was different from Nangong Tian, who had shown interest in the Sun Moon Holy Cult from the start.
Logically, the emperor’s teacher would not meet with an elder of a demonic sect. But at this question, Yan Wuyong smiled strangely and answered confidently.
“He will definitely come. I wrote that you would be there too.”
At the bold answer, Wu Ming’s face went blank for a moment, and a laugh escaped his lips.
“Haha~ then he will definitely come.”
Whether he intended to make a deal or not, he would definitely come to the meeting place to kill the traitor Wu Ming, who had insulted the imperial family.
He had thought he was a guard, but he was bait.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Nangong family mansion near the Martial Alliance headquarters.
Xiaoshao, her face flushed crimson, returned to the mansion, her heart pounding.
She had conveyed her feelings to Mancheon, and even… She gently touched her lips, as if touching a treasure.
‘Young Master Sima.’
Just thinking about him filled her heart with warmth.
But unfortunately, Xiaoshao’s girlish happiness did not last long.
A storm swept through the mansion.
“Young Master, your grandfather has arrived.”
“Huh…!!”
Xiaoshao’s eyes widened at the emotionless report from the Nangong family martial artist.
When had he arrived? This is completely unexpected.
A tall figure, with white hair streaked with black, slicked back, and a strong gaze despite his age.
“Xiaoshao, it’s been a while.”
At the appearance of Nangong Tian, the absolute ruler of the Nangong family, her grandfather, Xiaoshao’s heart quickly calmed.
“I greet my grandfather.”
“That’s enough, that’s enough. Don’t be so formal. I just came to see you.”
Nangong Tian reassured Xiaoshao with the expression of a kind grandfather who cherished his granddaughter, but… an undeniable ambition, a faint electric current, flowed in his eyes.
“And it’s about time I told you the secret of our Nangong family.”
“A secret…?”
“Yes, a very important secret.”
The kiss with Mancheon, the sudden appearance of her grandfather, the family secret.
Xiaoshao’s head spun at the series of events.
It felt like she was being swept away by a typhoon.
“Let’s talk as we walk.”
And just as she had been given the fate of a king at birth, the story progressed without regard for Xiaoshao’s opinion.
“Xiaoshao, do you know why the Emperor’s Sword Stance is called the Emperor’s Sword Stance?”
“Because it is the sword of a reigning emperor.”
“Half correct.”
In response to Xiaoshao’s answer, Nangong Tian smiled oddly and nodded.
“But then it would just be called the Emperor’s Sword. Why add the character for ‘stance’?”
As they walked, Nangong Tian’s incomprehensible questions continued.
“Lightning falls from the sky. To control lightning is the goal of Daoists. But they cannot.”
As Nangong Tian paused in the corridor, a Nangong family martial artist who was accompanying them activated a hidden mechanism.
“Grandfather… what is this…?!”
A hidden room, which Xiaoshao had not known about, appeared. But Nangong Tian did not answer her question.
He only asked incomprehensible questions. He spoke of the family secret.
“But do you know why our Nangong family can control lightning so easily?”
Heavenly Thunder Qi.
-Crackle! Crackle!!
Blue lightning sparked from Nangong Tian’s palm. He revealed the secret of the room and returned to his first question.
“The reason the character for ‘stance’ is in the Emperor’s Sword Stance… is because the Emperor’s Sword Stance is a martial art that embodies the majesty of a certain emperor.”
Xiaoshao looked at the image of the emperor drawn on the big historical scroll that was decorating the room, the bronze sword made for ritual purposes, and the vajra placed underneath the scroll.
She could see who the emperor Nangong Tian was talking about.
“Our Nangong family was a family of priests of Sakra, the king of the gods, the god of thunder.”
The ruler of the world, the Son of Heaven, was originally a being who ruled the earth on behalf of heaven.
He was the one who performed the sacrifices to heaven.
“Xiaoshao, don’t listen to what the ignorant fools say. You are the heavens.”
Nangong’s daughter shall become king.
“You are the true Son of Heaven, who has the right to perform the Fengshan ceremony, the sacrifice the emperor offers to heaven.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Boundless Azure Sky Sword Technique – Azure Sky Flying Star.
Like a meteor shower streaking across the night sky, the blade drew a clean arc.
“What… it really worked?”
Mancheon, who had been practicing the basics of the Boundless Azure Sky Sword Technique taught by Xiaoshao in the garden, was surprised as he looked at the technique he had just performed.
It felt like the sword technique was a good fit for him, or maybe he was just in good condition.
He had tried to imitate the technique Xiaoshao had performed before, and he had succeeded on the first try.
No… well, he was the genius who could deceive even the heavens, so… of course he would succeed, but… he hadn’t thought it would be so easy.
It was more than just a good fit.
He hadn’t realized it when he was just watching, but now that he had performed it himself,
Mancheon’s amber eyes stared at the sword reflecting the moonlight.
It was like… a martial art made for him.
It felt like wearing clothes that fit him perfectly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
i mean the sima just like several other families who descended from the old emperors could do this right ? following what granpa said just now .thx for the chapter