Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

King's capital.

The Imperial Palace.

Chengde Hall.

Chengde Hall is the palace of the third prince, Ji Mingyu.

At this moment, however, they were surrounded by rows of golden-armored imperial guards.

The weapons have been drawn.

Bathed in the light of the rising sun, the gleaming blade reflected a cold glint.

At this moment, Ji Mingyu, dressed only in his nightgown and not yet dressed in fine clothes and armor, gripped a long sword tightly in his hand.

The veins on his hand bulged, and the tip of his sword trembled slightly, reflecting the chilling array of weapons before him.

"Fifth brother, how dare you kill your brother?!" Ji Mingyu roared, his eyes bloodshot and filled with unbelievable rage.

at the same time.

Ji Mingyuan was dressed in a purple dragon robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown, and his expression was calm to the point of being indifferent.

He slowly took two steps forward, and the golden-armored imperial guards automatically parted to make way for him.

“Third Brother,” Ji Mingyuan said, his voice clear yet resolute, “Today’s matter is not about brothers killing each other, but about the fate of the nation.”

"The nation and its people?" Ji Mingyu laughed in fury. "Leading troops to surround my palace, with blades pointed directly at your brother, is this what you call the nation and its people?!"

Ji Mingyuan shook his head slightly, a complex look flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his coldness: "Third Brother, do you still remember what the Martial Saint said before he left in the Taiji Hall yesterday?"

Ji Mingyu tightened his grip on the sword.

"The Martial Saint said that the selection of the heir to the throne is a matter for the court, and he is too lazy to bother with it." Ji Mingyuan said, word by word, as if stating a predetermined verdict. "I have been thinking about this sentence repeatedly since I left court yesterday."

He looked up at the gradually brightening eastern sky: "The Martial Saint said he was too lazy to care, not that he couldn't care. If he really wanted to, a single decree could settle the matter. But why is he unwilling to care?"

Ji Mingyu said in a deep voice: "The Martial Saint is detached from worldly affairs and does not get involved in politics. This has been the case for eight hundred years!"

"Not involved in court politics?" Ji Mingyuan nodded, then said, "That's right. For eight hundred years, he has never interfered with the succession to the throne, only nodded in approval. But in eight hundred years, there has never been a Jiang Ning. Third Brother should know that Jiang Ning and Eighth Brother are very close. Little Seventeen is Eighth Brother's younger sister. Their relationship is far beyond what you and I can understand. The Martial Saint values ​​Jiang Ning so much. I'm sure that if Jiang Ning makes a request, the Martial Saint will directly designate Eighth Brother as the successor to the throne."

At this point, Ji Mingyuan slowly shook his head again: "I dare not gamble!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Mingyu, who was gripping the longsword, narrowed his eyes even further.

Ji Mingyuan continued, "Once the Martial Saint says that the Eighth Prince is not bad, then all the plans and efforts we brothers have made over the years will vanish into nothingness. The Martial Saint's words are destiny! Destiny cannot be defied!!"

Ji Mingyu shouted angrily, "Are you crazy! What kind of person is the Martial Saint? How could he decide the fate of the throne based on Jiang Ning's words?!"

"Mad?" Ji Mingyuan laughed, a laugh tinged with madness and determination. "It's precisely because I'm not mad that I must finish these things today!"

He suddenly stepped forward, and the Imperial Guards behind him advanced in unison, their blades pointing forward.

"Third brother, don't you understand? The struggle for the throne has never been about who has more support from the ministers or who is better at governing the country. In the end, this world belongs to the Martial Saint! This was true when Father was on the throne, and it is even more true now that Father has fallen into a coma!"

Ji Mingyuan's voice echoed in the morning breeze: "If the Martial Saint doesn't speak, then we'll have to fight for the successor ourselves. But how will we fight for it?"

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the silent, golden-armored imperial guards and over the birds startled from the eaves of Chengde Hall.

"Only when there is only one heir left," Ji Mingyuan's voice suddenly deepened, yet every word was like a knife, "will the ministers have no choice, the Martial Saint has no choice, and the Imperial Uncle—has no choice either. Only then will the struggle for the throne be settled."

Ji Mingyu gasped, a chill ran through him, and he trembled slightly. He finally understood why Ji Mingyuan dared to be so crazy today.

This was not an impulsive act, but a well-thought-out and decisive move.

"So, you want to kill all your brothers?" Ji Mingyu's voice trembled. "The eldest brother is in a coma, the seventh brother has been recuperating in seclusion these past few years, the sixteenth brother is still young... and what's left are you, me, the eighth brother, the ninth brother, and the twelfth brother!!!"

"My seventh brother suddenly fell ill yesterday, and the imperial physicians were helpless; he died in his residence," Ji Mingyuan said calmly. "My ninth brother's residence caught fire, and it was too late to put it out. Last night, my twelfth brother was attacked by assassins in his residence and died at their hands."

Upon hearing these two casually uttered words, Ji Mingyu felt a chill run through his body.

"You...you've already made your move?" He looked at his half-brother in disbelief, as if he were seeing him for the first time.

"The preparations began last night," Ji Mingyuan said frankly. "Aside from Third Brother, only Eighth Brother remains. But I've already sent men to assassinate Eighth Brother. His martial arts are mediocre; he'll surely go to the Yellow Springs with Third Brother. I value Third Brother the most, so I had to personally lead the troops here to ensure everything goes smoothly!"

The veins on Ji Mingyu's hand gripping the sword bulged as he stared intently at Ji Mingyuan: "Aren't you afraid that the Imperial Uncle will enforce family discipline?! Fratricide is punishable by death according to the law!"

"Family rules?" Ji Mingyuan laughed, a mocking laugh. "Third brother, you grew up in this palace, yet you're still so naive."

He slowly shook his head, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes: "Do you think the Imperial Uncle wouldn't know?"

Ji Mingyu was taken aback.

"From my seventh brother's sudden illness last night, to the unexpected fire at my ninth brother's residence, and now my troops surrounding your Chengde Palace today, with such a commotion, the mobilization of the Imperial Guards, and the dispatch of the Imperial City Guards, do you think my uncle would be completely unaware?"

Ji Mingyuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky, his tone eerily calm: "Not only does my royal uncle know, but he's probably watching from somewhere right now."

"Impossible!" Ji Mingyu blurted out. "My royal uncle is entrusted by my father to manage the court; he would never tolerate such a thing."

"Would you never tolerate fratricide?" Ji Mingyuan interrupted him, his smile becoming meaningful. "Third brother, think about it, why did Father hesitate to decide on the successor to the throne? He dragged it out for months before falling into a coma. Was it really because he couldn't make a decision?"

Ji Mingyuan continued, "This is exactly what Father Emperor wants to see. This is also what Imperial Uncle wants to see. This throne is not bestowed, not chosen by ministers, and certainly not determined by any merit or virtue!!!"

His eyes snapped open, bloodshot, as he stared directly at Ji Mingyu, his pupils burning with a fierce flame: "This throne must be fought for! It must be fought for! It must be paved with blood!"

"Only those who dare to fight, dare to kill, and dare to bear the infamy of a thousand years are worthy of sitting in that position! Only they are worthy of stabilizing the Great Xia Dynasty when the Martial Saint is old and the world is about to fall into chaos!"

Ji Mingyu gripped the sword in his hand, the tip of the sword trembling slightly.

He had already realized this, but he was still unable to make a decision.

Because whether it was the fifth brother, or the seventh, eighth, ninth, twelfth, or fifteenth brother, they were all raised by him.

He still remembers his fifth brother following behind him when he was little, wiping his snotty nose and calling him "Third Brother" repeatedly.

He could never forget that his eighth and ninth brothers were about the same age and often fought. When his eighth brother lost a fight, he would come to him crying to complain.

He pretended to spank his ninth brother to coax his eighth brother, but the eighth brother wiped away his tears and said that he hadn't made his ninth brother cry.

He could never forget the things his twelfth and fifteenth brothers had done.
Every night, he hesitated and wavered.

"So," Ji Mingyu's voice was hoarse, "the Imperial Uncle won't stop you?"

“Not only will he not stop me,” Ji Mingyuan said calmly, “he will probably help me clear the way. Because what the Imperial Uncle wants is an emperor who can stabilize the country in this chaotic world, not a gentle, kind, respectful, frugal and modest gentleman.”

He paused, his voice turning cold: "Third Brother, we're brothers, I'll give you some face."

Ji Mingyuan took out a small white jade bottle from his robes and gently placed it on the ground. "Poisoned wine, it kills instantly upon contact with blood, causing minimal pain." His voice was flat. "If you commit suicide, I will ensure your mother enjoys her later years in peace, and that your wife and children are not implicated. If you resist..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the Imperial Guards behind him stepped forward in unison, the cold glint of their blades illuminating Ji Mingyu's pale face.

Ji Mingyu looked down at the small white jade bottle, then looked up at his surroundings.

The golden-armored imperial guards were densely packed, numbering at least three hundred, all of them martial arts experts.

Inside his Chengde Hall, there were only about twenty personal guards, whose martial arts skills were inferior to those of the most elite members of the Imperial Guard.

There's no way to escape, and we can't win.

He gave a bitter smile, slowly bent down, and picked up the bottle.

"Fifth brother," Ji Mingyu gripped the jade bottle tightly, his voice suddenly becoming calm, "have you ever considered that if you can kill your brothers to seize the throne today, will your son treat you the same way one day?"

Ji Mingyuan's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his coldness and hardness: "That's my business. At least today, I can sit in that position."

"Good, good at least for today." Ji Mingyu uncorked the bottle, and a rich aroma of wine mixed with a hint of almond wafted out.

He looked at Ji Mingyuan again, then at the golden-armored imperial guards around him, his knuckles white from gripping the jade bottle tightly.

"Fifth brother, tell me, was all of this—this plot to kill brothers and stain the palace with blood—done by you alone, or...was someone instigating it from behind?"

Ji Mingyuan met his gaze, his face expressionless, his voice calm to the point of being cold: "Third Brother, at this point, what's the point of asking these questions? I chose this path, I did this, so naturally it's all my decision."

"Your decision?" Ji Mingyu smiled bitterly, his gaze sweeping over the silent, heavily armored Imperial Guards around him.

He shook his head: "You were able to mobilize these three hundred golden-armored imperial guards to surround my Chengde Palace, and you were able to cause my seventh brother to die suddenly from an illness overnight, cause my ninth brother's residence to catch fire unexpectedly, and cause my twelfth brother to be killed by an assassin..."

At this point, Ji Mingyu paused: "Fifth brother, although you have some connections in the army, it is absolutely impossible for you to extend your reach so far and act so quickly on your own, let alone get the Imperial City Guard, the Imperial Guard, and even the patrol battalion to cooperate so well. There must be someone behind you...

Ji Mingyuan's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly, but he did not respond immediately.

Ji Mingyu seemed to see through his silence and slowly said, "It's General Shen Xiao, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Mingyuan's gaze remained calm, without any ripples.

"Third Brother, your guesses are meaningless."

"As expected." Ji Mingyu's last glimmer of hope was extinguished, and his tone carried a knowing sadness. "Who else could give you such confidence to mobilize the Imperial Guards and to handle things so cleanly and efficiently within the capital? Besides General Shen, who holds military power in the capital region, who else could do that?"

Ji Mingyuan's gaze remained calm, and he did not deny it.

Ji Mingyu, however, seemed to have opened a floodgate of words and continued, "That's not all. General Shen's all-out support for you is also related to his extremely favored youngest daughter, Shen Mengyun, isn't it?"

"Back then, Father Emperor intended to betroth Shen Mengyun to my eighth brother, but General Shen politely declined, saying that 'my daughter already has someone she loves.' This caused quite a stir in the palace at the time, but it quickly faded away. Now, thinking back..."

He stared at Ji Mingyuan and slowly said, "You are the one I love, aren't you, Fifth Brother?"

Just now.

Behind the golden-armored imperial guards, a woman dressed in bright silver armor slowly walked out.

The woman had delicate features, a high ponytail tied behind her head, and held a long sword in her hand.

"It really is you!" Ji Mingyu exhaled slowly as he looked at the woman who had come out.

"It's me!" Shen Mengyun nodded, directly acknowledging all of Ji Mingyu's speculations.

Ji Mingyu looked at the woman in front of him and got the answer, but he felt no joy at uncovering the mystery. Instead, he felt a deeper weariness and sorrow.

Brothers fighting each other, flesh and blood turning against each other—behind this lies a complex web of power and ambition, as well as the entanglements of personal relationships.

But this friendship has now become part of the blood-stained blade.

General Shen Xiao doted on this youngest daughter, regarding her as a precious treasure.

While her refusal to marry the emperor was partly due to her desire to avoid getting involved in the struggle for the princes' affections, the more important reason was to respect her daughter's wishes.

Shen Mengyun's heart was set on Ji Mingyuan.

This bond became the strongest and most secret connection between Ji Mingyuan and Shen Xiao.

Because of this relationship, Shen Xiao chose to place his bets on Ji Mingyuan amidst the bloody battle for the throne, sparing no effort to mobilize his resources to help him take this risky move.

At that moment, he understood everything.

I felt utterly hopeless.

The struggle for the throne involves a marquis, and only those with a powerful figure of his caliber can manage to struggle.

But having been drawn into the life of a powerful figure at the level of a king, especially a martial arts master like General Shen, who also holds immense military power and has come this far, he has no hope of struggling.

Ji Mingyu's hand gripping the bottle of poison tightened and then loosened.

He glanced at the bottle opening, then looked up at Ji Mingyuan and said, "With General Shen's full assistance, it's no wonder you dared to take this risky move."

He slowly brought the bottle to his lips, and the aroma, a blend of wine and bitter almond, became even more intense.

"Third Brother!" Upon seeing this scene, Ji Mingyuan stepped forward impatiently, his voice carrying a barely perceptible urgency, "I said I would protect your mother, wife, and children and ensure their safety and prosperity."

Ji Mingyu paused, looked at him, and suddenly smiled. The smile was full of endless mockery, whether directed at Ji Mingyuan, himself, or the cold fate of the royal family.

"Then thank you very much, Fifth Brother!" he said loudly.

After saying those words, he no longer hesitated, tilted his head back, and drank the poisoned wine in the bottle in one gulp.

The liquor was spicy, but upon entering the throat, it quickly turned into a burning pain that spread instantly to every part of the body.

Ji Mingyu's body trembled violently, and the jade bottle in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp cracking sound.

He staggered a step, using his sword to support himself so he wouldn't fall.

Blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, not bright red, but with an eerie blackish-purple hue.

He tried to open his eyes wide, wanting to take one last look at the morning view of the palace where he had lived for decades, but his vision quickly blurred.

He seemed to hear Ji Mingyuan's slightly distorted shouts and the slight commotion of the Imperial Guards, but everything seemed very far away.

"So this is what death tastes like."

He murmured to himself, his consciousness immediately plunging into endless darkness. (End of Chapter)