Loan Wusheng

Chapter 222 Kill Li Xun, Light the Sky Lantern!

Li Xun led his remaining troops inside Langu Pass, his eyes filled with grief, indignation, and rage.

The Qin soldiers stationed around the area suffered heavy losses; of the 20,000 soldiers who went there, only 800 returned, meaning that less than one in ten survived.

He doesn't understand.

He was clearly the king of Guanzhong; he was clearly their lord!
Why would those repulsive-looking powerful clans of Guanzhong betray me?!
The cause of the matter is very simple.

Li Xun used the strategy of feigning an attack on one side while secretly advancing on another, successfully escaping from the capital city of Shenjing. He wanted to return to his stronghold in Guanzhong and recuperate in the capital of Qin.

The capital of Qin, named Haodu, was the first capital of the ancient Xia Dynasty. After Emperor Shizu of Xia quelled the rebellion, he moved the capital to Shenjing and made Haodu a secondary capital.

The subsequent Wei, Yu, and Zhou dynasties also designated Haodu as a secondary capital, highlighting its importance.

Haodu became the capital of Guanzhong. After the King of Qin established the capital there, it had always been Li Xun's home, giving him a sense of warmth and belonging.

But no matter what...

When Li Xun led his troops back to Haodu, they were ambushed by the eight major families of Guanzhong, resulting in heavy casualties among his soldiers.

Li Xun had already been injured by Zheng Jun and those six demonic beasts. In addition, after returning home, Li Xun was extremely relaxed and never expected that these traitors would dare to kill their lord. In his haste, he was defeated and had no choice but to flee in a sorry state.

Meanwhile, the counties along the way seemed to have received the news early on, and all of them used the 'Prince of Jin' banner to relentlessly pursue Li Xun, which made Li Xun furious, and he fled back to Langu Pass.

After making inquiries, Li Xun finally learned the truth.

My brother, the brother who committed a grave mistake, the brother who had an affair with the emperor's concubines, Prince Li Shen of Jin, has actually returned from Qizhou!
Throughout Guanzhong, people were overjoyed to welcome the Prince of Jin!

Not only that, the powerful families who were the governors of Liangzhou and Longzhou actually allowed the Prince of Jin to return from Qizhou with 100,000 troops of the Zhenxi Army. How could Li Xun not be furious?!

"I am the Prince of Qin, personally appointed by my father, and Guanzhong is my fiefdom! That beast Li Shen, why should he be supported? Why?!

Li Xun's eyes were bloodshot and he was furious. Just thinking about his brother, the Prince of Jin, made him feel nauseous.

Of course, Prince Li Shen of Jin has not yet led his 100,000-strong Zhenxi Army to Guanzhong, as the journey involves crossing Liangzhou and Longzhou, which is a long one.

However, Prince Li Shen of Jin has already led 5,000 cavalrymen to Guanzhong and will be able to take command in less than a month.

With the Martial Saint of Yuandan, Prince Jin Li Shen, stationed in Guanzhong, the heroes of Guanzhong can breathe a sigh of relief.

But this news only made Li Xun angrier.

The reason is quite normal.

Damn it, the Prince of Jin hasn't even arrived yet, and you're already welcoming him?
After I was enfeoffed as the Prince of Qin, I stayed in Guanzhong for a full hundred years. So, you still want to welcome that adulterous Prince Li Shen of Jin?!
Demons and monsters cannot be trusted, nor can people!

Therefore, Li Xun was particularly angry. After looking left and right, he finally gritted his teeth and sent a messenger to surrender to Zheng Jun and join forces to kill the Prince of Jin!
Seeing the Prince of Jin reigning supreme in Guanzhong was even more painful for Li Xun than if he himself had died; he couldn't bear to see such a situation.

If he could not be the emperor of the Great Zhou, then Li Xun would rather hand over the country than let his brothers take it!

Therefore, even though Zheng Jun had put him in such a predicament, Li Xun did not hesitate to choose to join Zheng Jun over his elder brother Li Shen.

Moreover, he was the direct descendant of the Divine Martial Emperor, and who in the world did not know that the Divine Martial Emperor doted on him the most?

What kind of emperor is that Jinglong? He's just the illegitimate son of Emperor Yongchang. Erecting him is nothing more than a facade. As long as Zheng Jun can form a strong alliance with me, I can shut up the other brothers!

Upon realizing this, Li Xun immediately asked his attendants, "How is it? Is there any news about Zheng Jun?"

"Your Majesty, no news has come."

The soldiers standing nearby opened their mouths respectfully, showing no fear whatsoever.

Unlike the other soldiers, those who still follow Li Xun are his true loyal subjects.

Even if Li Xun ordered them to die, they wouldn't even flinch at this moment.

Upon hearing the soldiers' words, Li Xun couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

He didn't think Zheng Jun would refuse his offer of service.

After all, he is a Yuan Dan Martial Saint!

Although Zheng Jun broke his Yuan Dan, his strength has plummeted, and he has fallen to the Tong Qiao realm.

However, even among those who had reached the Tongqiao stage, Li Xun was virtually unmatched. Even those at the peak of the Tongqiao stage were no match for him.

Li Xun is now undoubtedly the number one person below the Yuan Dan level: it's just that he was once a Yuan Dan Martial Saint, which is quite shameful.

Zheng Jun's forces lacked someone like himself.

However, considering the time, it's about time.

"Whoo~"

Li Xun stood up, holding a black iron halberd, which felt rather awkward to wield: after joining forces with Zheng Jun, he would have to reclaim his gilded dragon halberd.

These ordinary weapons are even less suitable for hand!

“Report——!!!”

Just then, a messenger rushed in, and upon hearing this, Li Xun immediately stood up, his expression quite calm, and said, "But... but has the Prime Minister's edict arrived?"

Even though Li Xun was mentally prepared, calling Zheng Jun "Prime Minister" was still a great challenge for him.

Upon hearing Li Xun's words, the messenger was immediately taken aback, and then whispered, "Your Majesty, the vanguard of the Zheng rebels has arrived at the city gates and is knocking on the gates. Their banners stretch as far as the eye can see, and they number no less than 100,000!"

"Um?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xun was startled. He had only one thought: Did his messenger think that the situation was hopeless and not bother to find Zheng Jun, but instead fled?

Otherwise, why would Zheng Jun send troops over?
As for Li Xun, he has no power to resist now.

There are only eight hundred soldiers guarding the entire Langu Pass!

Eight hundred soldiers guarded Langu Pass, resisting Zheng Jun's army of one hundred thousand.

If it were before, when Li Xun was still a Yuan Dan Martial Saint, he would have had some ideas.

But for now, let's forget about it!
Upon realizing this, Li Xun said, "There must be some misunderstanding. I must personally leave the city to meet with the Right Chancellor!"

Now, his demonic energy had been completely wiped out by Zheng Jun, and he had fought six demons. He was already on the verge of death, and then he was ambushed by the aristocratic families in Gaodu. Now he has finally vented his anger and is no longer the madman who was possessed by demonic thoughts. He has become somewhat intelligent.

only……

"His Majesty."

Behind the messenger stood a man who was stammering; he was the 'envoy' that Li Xun had sent to Shenjing to deliver a message that day.

Upon seeing this man, Li Xun was immediately taken aback and angrily said, "You scoundrel, could it be that you failed to send a message to the 'Right Chancellor,' which has enraged him and caused him to send troops to attack me?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you!"

The envoy was also a scholar, and he was not frightened by Li Xun's words. Instead, he straightened his back and said, "That traitor Zheng has not surrendered. He said that Your Majesty's crimes are so numerous that 'even if all the bamboo in the Southern Mountains were used to record his crimes, they would not be enough; even if the waves of the Eastern Sea were used to wash away his evil, they would not be able to exterminate them.' So he raised an army to attack and even detained me. It was not until the army reached the border that he released me and came to persuade Your Majesty to commit suicide."

"Let me kill myself?"

Li Xun felt a surge of anger and immediately sneered, "Does Zheng Jun dare to kill me? I am the direct descendant of the founding emperor, and I have eight elder brothers who are at the Yuan Dan realm!"

Li Xun was the youngest son of Emperor Shenwu.

He was also the son of Empress Xiaodunzhang, the last empress of Emperor Shenwu.

Now, Li Xun has nowhere to go.

Before him stood Zheng Jun of Shenjing, and behind him was the Prince of Jin, who had seized control of Guanzhong.

He knew that his brother, the Prince of Jin, would never let him go for the sake of stability in Guanzhong.

To abandon the pass at this moment would be to court death.

Can he outrun Zheng Jun? Obviously not.

In that case, there is no other choice left.

Eight hundred soldiers guarded the strategic pass.

No use.

The grand formation at Langu Pass requires at least 1,200 soldiers, each with their own duties, to maintain its integrity.

In other words, Li Xun can't even activate the grand formation at Blue Valley Pass right now.

"No need to resist."

Li Xun simply gave up, sitting down in the main tent inside the pass, waving his hand and saying, "I want to see if Zheng Jun dares to kill me!"

Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

Li Xun took a deep breath and sat upright.

He believed in his words and thought he could persuade Zheng Jun as soon as he met him!
Let's join forces to kill the Prince of Jin!

……

Because of Li Xun's order of non-resistance, the Han army's siege of the city was effortless. With just a ramming of the battering ram, the city gates opened, and the army poured in like fish. The formidable Langu Pass, the first strategic pass guarding the western gateway to the capital, easily fell into enemy hands.

Zheng Jun rode his horse into the city, and the soldiers stood solemnly and respectfully.

Those soldiers who were loyal to Li Xun laid down their weapons and were guarded by soldiers.

Zheng Jun was quite surprised to see this.

What is Li Xun trying to do?

Even if he surrenders without resistance, I will still kill him.

Zheng Jun was filled with doubt and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Li Xun is destined to die.

After he occupied the capital, the world was shaken. Whether he spared Li Xun or not, he would inevitably become a thorn in the side of all the Li clan princes. After all, who would tolerate a peasant taking over their imperial city?
Just as Zheng Jun could not tolerate the fall of Heishan County in Pingzhang Prefecture into enemy hands.

Both are 'places where dragons rose to power'.

Since he could not rely on the Li clan princes, he naturally had to treat the people with kindness and spread his reputation. In the Guanzhong and Zhili areas, no one had the worst reputation.

If Zheng Jun wants to win the hearts of the people, he only needs to do one thing.

After cutting Li Xun into a thousand pieces, burn him to death!
With this in mind, Zheng Jun headed towards the commander's residence at the pass.

Zheng Jun could also sense Li Xun's presence, so without any hesitation, he directly circulated his true essence, stirred his robes, and arrived at the mansion in an instant.

Li Xun also sensed Zheng Jun's presence. Upon seeing Zheng Jun's sudden appearance, he immediately stood up to greet him, smiling and saying, "Right Chancellor, you..."

Before Li Xun could finish speaking, Zheng Jun waved his sleeve, and a torrent of true energy poured out like a raging torrent, instantly transforming into a cyan-gold chain that sealed off all of Li Xun's meridians!

Li Xun's pupils contracted sharply. The crimson demonic runes were suppressed before they could even light up, and he froze on the spot like a puppet with its strings cut, only managing to squeeze out a half-scream of shock and anger from his throat: "You!"

“Take them back to Shenjing.”

Zheng Jun coldly gave the order, the chains rattling as he loosely clenched his fists, and he slammed Li Xun heavily to the ground below: "Dugu Yuan, you stay here to guard Langu Pass, in case of any movement within the pass."

The former King of Qin rolled around like a tattered sack several times, his magnificent robes covered in dust. When he looked up again, it was impossible to tell whether his face showed madness or astonishment.

Dugu Yuan clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, and amidst the clanging of armor, he had already deployed his troops and defenses.

Without any delay, Zheng Jun, along with Li Xun, mounted his horse and led five hundred elite cavalrymen in a hurried manner, heading directly back towards Shenjing.

Zheng Jun didn't want to stay in Langu Pass for long.

As for Li Xun?

It was naturally dragged away by the horses.

Zheng Ke had no interest in arranging a temporary carriage for him. With his cultivation level, even if he were dragged from the capital to the far west Buddhist kingdom, he wouldn't be able to kill Li Xun.

Dragged along by chains of true essence, Li Xun's body bled from the sand and gravel, yet he still struggled to speak: "Zheng Jun! Do you know the consequences of killing me? My eight imperial brothers are all at the Yuan Dan Martial Saint realm! Cooperating with me is the only way..."

"Noisy."

Zheng Jun lashed Li Xun across the mouth with his whip, abruptly interrupting his words.

Blood and shards of broken teeth flew everywhere, and the soldiers along the way all bowed their heads and held their breath.

They had never seen royalty in such a sorry state, nor had they ever witnessed such decisive killing.

Seeing Zheng Jun's behavior, Li Xun was completely baffled. After a moment of silence, he asked, "I am, after all, a descendant of the Divine Martial Emperor. My life is of great benefit to you. What... what is your intention in doing this?"

"kill you."

Zheng Jun remained calm and turned around to speak.

Upon hearing Zheng Jun's words, Li Xun's pupils contracted again, a look of panic flashing in his eyes. He then shouted, "Kill me? You dare to kill me? Do you know the consequences of killing me! My brothers, the King of Zhao, the King of Chu, the King of Jin, the King of Wei, and the King of Han, are all your neighbors. If you kill me, you will incite the eight kings to attack you. You are courting death!"

"Release me, and I will serve you! Just like Cao Lie, a descendant of the Wei royal family, who served Emperor Yu and was granted the title of Marquis, so too can I!"

"Zheng Jun, you despicable person! How dare you, ahhhhh!"

"..."

Zheng Jun did not respond to Li Xun's subsequent words, letting him throw a tantrum and break down his defenses, showing no demeanor of a prince.

They continued their journey in this manner until they finally arrived in the capital city.

Zheng Jun rode his horse, dragging Li Xun along, slowly entering the gates of Shenjing City.

The horse's hooves pounded on the bluestone pavement, making a dull sound. Li Xun, bound by chains of true energy, was dragged along in tattered clothes and covered in blood, still cursing in frustration.

"Zheng Jun! You lowly commoner! How dare you insult me ​​like this?! I am the direct descendant of the Divine Martial Emperor, you..."

However, his roar was quickly drowned out by the cheers that suddenly erupted from both sides of the street.

"It's Li Xun! It's that traitor!"

"Prime Minister Zheng has brought him back from Guanzhong! Long live the Prime Minister! Long live the King of Han!"

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"..."

Originally, there were only a few scattered people, but after recognizing Li Xun's identity, the people poured out of the houses, their eyes burning with hatred. Some even picked up stones from the ground and threw them hard at Li Xun!

"You beast! You'll pay for my son's life!"

"My sister was eaten alive by your demon! You monster!"

"..."

Li Xun was hit on the forehead by a rock. Although he had the cultivation level of Tongqiao and was not injured at all, he still stared wide-eyed at his surroundings in disbelief.

These... these lowly people, how dare they treat him like this?!
He is the King of Qin! The most beloved son of the Divine Emperor!
"You lowly people, how dare you..."

Li Xun was furious.

However, he was met with even more intense insults and contempt.

At the end of the road, an elderly man with white hair knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face: "Prime Minister! I beg you to kill him and avenge the hundreds of thousands of wronged souls in the capital!"

Zheng Jun reined in his horse and stopped. His gaze swept over the indignant crowd, and he slowly raised his hand. The surroundings instantly fell silent.

"Li Xun colluded with demons, wreaked havoc in the capital, and slaughtered the people. His crimes are unforgivable!"

His voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the long street.

"Today, I, the King, will do this in front of all the people of the capital."

Zheng Jun dismounted, and the Longyuan Blade appeared out of thin air, its blade gleaming coldly: "I will cut this traitor into a thousand pieces and use this as a sacrifice to the souls of the dead in the capital!"

Li Xun's pupils contracted sharply, and he finally panicked, shouting, "No! Zheng Jun! You can't kill me! I...I am..."

"The first cut is a sacrifice to the innocent children who died unjustly."

Zheng Jun calmly opened his mouth, and with a flash of light, a piece of flesh as thin as a cicada's wing flew off Li Xun's left arm!

Then, the accompanying military medic, who had been prepared in advance, immediately sprinkled medicinal powder to stop the bleeding. This slow slicing would last for several hours, and he must not die easily.

"The second strike is a sacrifice to the soldiers who were devoured."

Another blade sliced ​​through Li Xun's ribs. Amid Li Xun's screams, Zheng Jun suddenly smelled a strange fragrance. He saw that the blood flowing from Li Xun turned into wisps of black mist, twisting in the air into a hideous ghost face.

"Still trying to cause trouble?"

Zheng Jun snorted coldly, and nine illusory images of blazing suns rose from his body. The scorching true essence burned away the ghost face, leaving Li Xun powerless to cause any trouble!
With each cut, people shouted "Good riddance!" and relatives of the wronged souls came forward to spit and curse.

Amidst the flying blood and flesh, Li Xun initially cursed fiercely, but gradually only hoarse wails remained, eventually turning into a bloody golden skeleton with its eyes wide open.

After all, he was once a Yuan Dan Martial Saint. Even if all the skin and flesh on his body were peeled off, he wouldn't die so easily.

If Zheng Jun hadn't done it himself, even a martial artist at the Qi Opening stage wouldn't have been able to easily slice off so many pieces of flesh from his body.

“Zheng Jun…you…”

Li Xun's words were fragmented, and he seemed to still want to curse Zheng Jun.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Jun couldn't help but sneer and said, "Take some kerosene and cotton cloth, and light the sky lantern!"

"promise!"

Yu Shen, who had been accompanying him, immediately bowed and agreed. Soon after, he brought out cotton cloth soaked in kerosene and wrapped it around Li Xun's body layer by layer until Li Xun looked like a candle.

Upon seeing this, the street fell silent for a moment, then erupted into thunderous cheers.

"Long live the King of Han! Long live the Prime Minister!"

"Burn him, burn him!"

"..."

The people knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly, as if the gloom that had weighed on their hearts for many years had finally been dispelled.

Looking at Li Xun, who was now completely covered, Zheng Jun snorted coldly, and with a flash of his hand, a golden crow and blazing sun flame appeared in his fingertip.

This is the flame that shines brightly like the sun.

As sparks fell, flames roared up, and Li Xun screamed in agony in the fire, his flesh charred and bursting, and the magic runes began to twist and disintegrate with the flames!

"Zheng Jun, Zheng Jun!"

"My brother will avenge me!"

"You little brat from Black Mountain, you will never be able to usurp the throne of my Great Zhou!"

"You lowly people! Even if I die, I will become a demon and a vengeful ghost to take your lives!"

"..."

Li Xun's voice was howling.

Zheng Jun, on the other hand, had a cold and stern look in his eyes.

He knew that from this day forward, the capital city had truly changed hands!
"What a load of bull! The Great Zhou should have perished long ago!"

"The Prime Minister is acting in accordance with the will of Heaven; it is a villain like you who deserves to die!"

"..."

Crowds gathered to watch, their curses deafening, and relatives of the wronged souls threw talismans inscribed with blood feuds into the fire.

The fire raged for three days and three nights, burning for three days without going out. The stench of burning permeated the entire city. In the end, only a blackened skeleton remained, still tightly chained and hung high for public display.

Zheng Jun watched coldly, remaining stationary the entire time.

Only after Li Xun was completely burned to death did he use his true energy to transmit his voice to the people of Shenjing, saying, "Please proceed slowly and take the oil from this thief. This oil will be used to light lamps that will burn brightly and illuminate your grievances!"

(End of this chapter)