If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1273 The Death of the Imperial Commandant

"This is the last agreement." Grand Tutor Yu looked around at the horde of sinners and said calmly, "I will not exterminate you all."

We won't exploit you to death.

Your service to the Qin Dynasty has a fixed term.

In other words, as long as you live until the end of the great calamity, whether the Qin Dynasty perishes or the Ying clan regains its mandate of heaven, I will hold an altar to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and all living beings, and announce that your karma with the Qin Dynasty of the Ying clan has been completely settled.

The aura of the ancestral dragon within you will immediately dissipate.

Then you will be restored to your noble and free immortal forms!

"Thank you for your great kindness, Grand Tutor Yu!" The sinful animals were overjoyed and bowed deeply to her with utmost sincerity.

Grand Tutor Yu glanced at Zhong Yuangong and the others who were still struggling in pain on the ground, and said, "You have followed me for a period of time after all. You have made great contributions in dealing with the Four Rivers and Five Mountains."

These newly minted 'criminals' need to earn merit before they can stand on equal footing with you.

Yes, if a fierce battle between immortals occurs, we can let them take the lead.

"Only when their casualties exceed 30% will they be on par with you."

The old scoundrels, led by Akiko, were even more delighted, their smiles undisguised.

"Is Master Chestnut here?" Grand Tutor Yu suddenly called out.

"Here I am, here I am!" An old Taoist priest squeezed out from the crowd watching at the entrance of the main hall, ran up to Grand Tutor Yu, and asked, "What are your orders, Grand Tutor?"

"Go to the warehouse and get a piece of iron concentrate, at least two hundred catties!" Xiaoyu said.

Without asking any questions, the old Taoist priest immediately ran to the cave behind the Sanqing Hall, opened the treasure vault door, and carried out a large box.

Grand Tutor Yu released the Samadhi True Fire, refining the iron into a half-person-high iron plate. He then engraved the "Three Rules of the Covenant" on the surface of the iron plate and stamped the Grand Tutor's seal at the end.

"Qiu Mingzi, with this iron plaque, even if I die before you during the great calamity, you still don't need to worry about the court going back on its word. With this plaque in hand, even if the case goes all the way to the Heavenly Court, you will still win."

Of course, this is all predicated on you truly keeping your promise and wholeheartedly helping the Qin Dynasty deal with the enemy immortal masters.

After exchanging a few words with the "celestial masters" beside her, Qiu Mingzi put away the iron plaque.

"Grand Tutor, we will certainly abide by the three rules we agreed to," they said solemnly.

Grand Tutor Yu said with a faint smile, "To be honest, I'm not afraid that you will break your oath again."

"No, with the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill, we would never dare to break our oath again," the old sinners declared one after another.

Grand Tutor Yu waved his hand and said, "Alright, go to Xingyang now. There's nothing for you to do in Xianyang, and I don't need you anymore."

Show the iron plaque to King Lieyang and Li Si.

Tell them that they can only conscript you into the army if there is a battle between immortals.

"In the event of a celestial war, and once an order is issued, you must not disobey."

"Oh, right." She then pointed to Zhong Yuangong and the others, "You go to Xingyang first. These guys will have to wait three more days. If there is any fighting in these three days, you will take their place."

“Three days.” Even the old celestial masters and dispatched celestial masters who were watching at the door cast pitying glances at them.

Not long after Qiu Mingzi and the others left, Xiao Linzi suddenly used earth magic to jump out of the ground in front of Master Yu.

"Grand Tutor, something terrible has happened! The Grand Commandant is dead."

Xiao Linzi screamed until he was hoarse, his little face was pale, and his expression was somewhat distorted.

Grand Tutor Yu was about to blurt out: "The Grand Commandant is finally dead, but he's dead, so what are you yelling about?"
She quickly entered the state of "Purifying the Mind Technique," free from desires, thoughts, and ideas, and her expression became serious.

"Alas, the old Grand Commandant devoted himself to the country with all his heart and soul. Now he has finally exhausted his strength and passed away. He is truly admirable and lamentable!"

Go to the Imperial Guard's office and ask if they require me to personally preside over the memorial ceremony.

She herself wouldn't mind spending some time helping the Imperial Guard preside over a "state funeral".

But Guowei Liao himself might not want her to get too close.

Xiao Linzi looked at him strangely and exclaimed, "Grand Tutor, the Grand Commandant didn't work himself to the bone. What I mean is, the old man worked himself to the bone in the past, but it didn't cost him his life."

He was killed by an assassin!

The assassin chopped off a person's head in public, almost snatching the severed head away; blood was everywhere—it was a gruesome scene!

"What? The Grand Commandant is—" Grand Tutor Yu was about to exclaim in surprise when he suddenly realized something.

The more gruesome the death, and the more people around the victim at the time of death, the higher the success rate of autopsy!

—Wow, that old man's got some pretty fancy tricks up his sleeve! He really surprised me.

Grand Tutor Yu only used the "true heart" of the Mingxin Hall to express his feelings, and continued to maintain a state of no desire and no thought in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Yes, in theory, "true sincerity" has transcended or is close to transcending, and is not affected by the laws of the Great Dao.

Just like when Xiaoyu was escaping in the underground vortex, she was frozen in place by the God of Time with the divine magic of Gongcao, but her true heart could still "move" and was not affected by the laws of time.

Grand Tutor Yu, his face filled with murderous intent, roared angrily, "Where did this assassin come from? How dare they infiltrate the State Commandant's residence and attempt to assassinate the State Commandant himself? This is utterly lawless!"

—Old man, you saw it too, I've given an Oscar-worthy performance.

If you successfully perform the autopsy, remember to thank me; if you fail, please don't blame me.

Xiao Linzi said, "It's not at the State Commandant's Mansion. Tonight, Miss Qinglan from the Zhexian Tower is holding a poetry gathering in the Peacock Garden of the Epang Palace."

Many talented young people and learned scholars were invited.

The old man was also in high spirits and became the chief judge of the poetry competition.

Grand Tutor Yu's expression was strange. "The Imperial Commandant seems to be enjoying Qinglan's poetry gathering quite a bit!"

Xiao Linzi said, "The old master is indeed in high spirits. Miss Qinglan will set the topic, and all the young talents will write poems. The finished poems will be submitted to the Grand Commandant and several old scholars for review."

They selected the 'Number One Talent of the Peacock Garden'.

Hundreds of talented young people and chivalrous ladies participated, creating a very lively atmosphere!

As a result, a swordsman known as "Young Master Hibiscus" imitated Jing Ke, who had attempted to assassinate the late emperor, and hid the Fish Intestine Sword in a scroll of paper.

Caught off guard, the old man was first stabbed in the throat, then the sword energy swept across, severing his entire neck.

—This way of dying is shocking, enough to cause a sensation throughout the city, and even shake the Central Plains.

But you are the Grand Commandant of Qin, isn't it a rather ignominious death?
Grand Tutor Yu muttered to himself, but asked aloud, "Has that Young Master Furong been captured?"

Xiao Linzi shook his head and said, "Young Master Furong came prepared. He killed someone in an instant. Before the surrounding guests and guards could react, he shrank into the ground and used earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic that allows one to escape without a trace) to get away."

If it weren't for the old scholar standing nearby who shouted with righteous indignation, Young Master Furong might have even snatched the head away.

"If he really manages to leave calmly with the Grand Commandant's head, our Great Qin will lose all face."

"Leaving the Peacock Garden is nothing. Only leaving Guanzhong can be considered a graceful retreat." Grand Tutor Yu sneered, then asked, "When was the Grand Commandant assassinated?"

She could actually have predicted it, after all, it was located in Xianyang, and the death of the Grand Commandant was of great importance.

But she dared not.

Since it concerned the Imperial Guard, she couldn't even allow any thoughts about him to arise in her mind. The "Heart-Cleansing Mantra," which was supposed to restrain her "Great Annihilation of Father" supernatural power, was now being used by her to prevent herself from "overthinking."

Xiao Linzi said, "Just now. After the Grand Commandant was assassinated, the Imperial Observatory quickly received the news, and I came to find you immediately. It's been less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

"The method of earth escape will only take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea," said Grand Tutor Yu. "Wait for me a moment, and I'll try to see if I can catch him."

She continued to circulate the "Heart-Cleansing Mantra," first looking up at the starry sky, and sure enough, the destiny star of the Imperial Guard had fallen.

He was considered a veteran of the Qin Empire, and the celestial changes triggered by his death were quite significant.

At this time, cultivators in Shenzhou who knew how to observe the stars and the qi could almost all deduce the "facts" of the Grand Commandant's death.

Having determined the trajectory of the fallen star of the Imperial Guard, she also roughly guessed the identity of the assassin: It seems that the Imperial Guard did not orchestrate this himself. Oh dear, I must quickly put an end to this thought!
Even though he was in a state of complete mental blankness, Grand Tutor Yu quickly shifted his gaze away from the "Three Dukes Stars" in the Taiwei Enclosure.

They only focused their attention on the passing guest star.

A guest star is a comet that appears suddenly. Comets have a source, a trajectory, and an end.

The comet that violated the destiny star of the State Commandery clearly came from the southeast and its destination was the division between the constellations of Orion and Beak.

The so-called "field division" refers to the star regions corresponding to different parts of Kyushu.

The division between Shen and Zi corresponds to the area around Hedong and Taiyuan.

The information gleaned from the stars was still quite vague, but for Grand Tutor Yu, it was already more than enough.

The next second, she sank into the earth, using the method of "Refining the Spirit by Mixing Wind and Mountains and Waters" to reverse her origin and transform back into the Guanzhong Plain.

If the Great Immortal Zhen Yuanzi, who possesses the "Book of the Earth," were to look down from the heavens at this moment, he would see an arc of golden light centered on the Black Ice Terrace of the Qinling Mountains, spreading northeastward like waves, seemingly slow but actually rapid.

From Xiao Linzi's perspective, Grand Tutor Yu first looked up at the night sky, then shrank down and disappeared. He blinked, and about three breaths later, there was a flash of celestial light above his head. Grand Tutor Yu actually descended from the sky, carrying a young man in brocade robes in her hand.

"Splat!" Grand Tutor Yu threw the young master in brocade robes directly to the ground.

The young man didn't faint, but his face was full of confusion. After getting up, he looked around and asked blankly, "How did I get here? Where am I?"

Upon catching sight of the elegant and graceful Grand Tutor Yu beside him, he froze for a moment before his expression changed drastically, and he stammered, "Grand Tutor Yu, Yu, Grand Tutor Yu? An illusion, I'm being deceived by an illusion! I won't be fooled by an illusion."

Xiao Linzi went up and slapped him twice across the face, "Smack, smack~~"

"Are you still asleep? This is the Black Ice Guard. I'm asking you, why did you try to harm the Grand Commandant?"

Xiao Linzi wasn't entirely sure of his identity yet, because Grand Tutor Yu was too fast and too efficient.

Only after the young man in brocade robes hurriedly introduced himself did he realize with shock that Grand Tutor Yu's magical power was beyond the imagination of ordinary people!

"How did I end up on the Black Ice Platform? I was clearly using Earth Escape Technique! At my speed, I should be at least 350 miles from Xianyang right now. Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to catch me."

Xiao Linzi sneered, "Even the Heavenly King himself would have to call my Grand Tutor Yu 'my mother' when he sees her."

You scoundrel, you're incredibly bold, yet you have no common sense.

"Daring to commit crimes within Xianyang City, he's practically a suicidal ghost."

"I have already left the area of ​​Xianyang City, and I can't sense the aura of the Ancestral Dragon in the earth. How did you find me?" The young master in brocade robes looked at Grand Tutor Yu and asked with a face full of resentment.

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "Now I will ask questions, and you will answer. You can refuse, and then I will extract your soul and burn it to ashes before continuing to ask questions."

The young man in brocade robes turned deathly pale in an instant.

He was determined to be stubborn and show his unwavering resolve before compromising, which would at least save face for him.

But thinking of Grand Tutor Yu's reputation and seeing the impatience in her eyes, he became afraid and shrank back.

"I know what you want to ask. You don't need to interrogate me. I act on behalf of Heaven and have a clear conscience. There is nothing I cannot tell people!"

I am Qinglian Sun, one of the "Ten Shadow Guards" under King Chen Sheng of Chu, also known as "Hibiscus Hermit".

My master is Huo Qian Sun, the eighth-generation disciple of the Chan Sect, and also the former sect leader of the Five Elements Palace on Jialong Mountain.

We are descendants of the ancient god Tu Xingsun, and are legitimate disciples of the Chan Sect!

As he spoke, the pale face of the young man in brocade robes regained its proud rosy hue, his eyes shone with light, and his voice became louder and prouder, carrying a solid foundation of confidence.

Grand Tutor Yu asked, "Legend has it that Tu Xingsun was extremely skilled in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique used in Chinese fantasy novels to escape from the earth). How much of his inheritance did you receive?"

Qinglian Sun seemed to have been humiliated and shouted excitedly, "What do you mean by 'how much of the inheritance'? We are the direct descendants, the only direct lineage, so of course we have received the entire inheritance."

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "But it only took me two breaths to find you and catch up with you."

"Only two breaths?" Qinglian Sun looked shocked, then shook his head repeatedly. "Don't try to fool me. Although you are fast, you didn't use earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of escape technique) to catch up."

"You must have used secret techniques like celestial arts or the divine eye to discern right from wrong, not simply locked onto me from the earth and caught up with me."

"You ignorant fool~~" Xiao Linzi wanted to kick him a couple more times, but after taking two steps and raising his leg, he suddenly remembered his identity as the ninth generation disciple of the Chan Sect and pulled his foot back.

"My master can mend the sky above and incubate the Five Sacred Mountains below. He is truly the mother of the Five Sacred Mountains and the earth mother of China."

In ancient and medieval times, your "Earth Element Lineage" might have been able to dominate a region with your earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic or technique).

But this is the era of Grand Tutor Yu. Your petty tricks are utterly insignificant in front of her.

He held up three fingers. "From the time I reported the assassination to the time you were caught, it was only three breaths."

"No, impossible! Our Five Elements Sect's Earth Escape Technique is the best in the Three Realms, unmatched by anyone!" Qinglian Sun still refused to believe it.

Their ancestor, Tu Xingsun, relied on his earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape through the earth) technique to infiltrate enemy command tents and kill people on multiple occasions. As long as he wasn't targeted beforehand, he could always appear and disappear without a trace, and no one could do anything about it.

His audacity in assassinating the Grand Commandant in Xianyang today stems from this skill and confidence.

In fact, he had indeed traveled more than 300 li away from Xianyang City and was almost in Hedong County.

Theoretically, there was no aura of the ancestral dragon in the earth, so it was impossible for him to be found. But he happened to encounter the freakish Grand Tutor Yu, who had long held power over the Guanzhong region.

"Alright, stop wasting my time with nonsense. I'm asking you, why did you kill the Grand Commandant?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

Qinglian Sun lowered his eyes and said, "Guowei Liao must die. If he doesn't die, Great Qin will not be able to perish. Now that Great Qin has lost its Mandate of Heaven, killing him is in accordance with Heaven's will."

Grand Tutor Yu asked in bewilderment, "The Grand Commandant is practically in a state of resignation and seclusion, why can't you tolerate him?"

Qinglian Sun hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth to save his life.

Anyone who dares to contradict Grand Tutor Yu never ends well; this is Grand Tutor Yu's "reputation," and everyone knows it.

"Did the Imperial Guardian's Office produce a 'Compendium of One Hundred Generals'? Did he also give you the 'Compendium of One Hundred Generals' and the Qin Military Pavilion?"

Xiao Yu seemed to understand something and said, "You weren't sent by Chen Sheng!"

Qinglian Sun's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his head even further. "Grand Tutor Yu, anything that has already happened will eventually leak out. No one can avoid it."

Fifty years ago, the "Compendium of One Hundred Generals" was no secret.

At least many great sages and certain military strategists know about this matter.

Because the Imperial Guard had asked old friends to assess the qualifications of the 'Hundred Generals' and also asked them to teach them the military tactics of the 'Hundred Generals'.

Xiao Yu said slowly, "So what if you know about the 'Hundred Generals' Manual'? You killed the Grand Commandant—"

Her pupils contracted. "Could it be that you have already obtained the 'Compendium of One Hundred Generals'? Did you kill the Grand Commandant in order to turn the Qin generals listed in the 'Compendium of One Hundred Generals' against you?"

(End of this chapter)