The world is like a prison, my body is holy

"Let's discuss this issue after the Tian family has given their explanation."

After pondering for a moment, Wang Wen said this.

But in fact, he already had a general guess in his mind that the fish and dragon dance in Jiangxi was just part of the overall plan of the mastermind behind the scenes.

Only in this way can we explain why the mastermind behind the scenes, despite possessing such a powerful weapon as the Qing sword, still caused so much trouble in Jiangxi.

This is similar to playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game). Even if you have two Kings, you still have to outsmart your opponents with the smaller cards. If you don't play the two Kings, you're fine, but if you do, you have to make the final decision.

From this perspective, perhaps Wang Wen was also a stumbling block that he had to eliminate in the mastermind's overall scheme...

Otherwise, Wang Wen's luck would be too good. The battle between Longhu Mountain and Xiangxi Wumai has been just "playing house" for so long, but as soon as Wang Wen showed his face, the intensity increased dramatically, and even Qing, an old diver who had been hiding for thousands of years, was brought out.

What, you just popped your head out and it was gone in a second?

Wang Wen had almost figured out this guess in his mind, but he didn't say it aloud.

Because his guess does indeed seem somewhat like bluffing and needless worry...

Zhang Tianshi glanced at him and hesitated before saying, "That's fine too."

The frown lines between his brows hadn't faded yet. Although he couldn't quite figure out why the mastermind behind the scenes, wielding such a powerful weapon as the Green Sword, was still causing so much trouble in western Hunan.

However, he still agreed with Wang Wen's assertion that the demon was not the mastermind behind it all.

With such a formidable enemy lurking in the shadows, plotting against his Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, how could he not be worried?

It was only today that he truly began to feel grateful to Wang Wen for intervening in this matter and quelling the conflict between his Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion and the Xiangxi Witchcraft Clan.

Before this, he had always been very confident, confident that with the foundation of his Longhu Mountain and the status of his Celestial Master's Mansion in the Zhengyi sect and even the entire Great Zhou Xuanmen, no matter how much the Xiangxi witchcraft lineage stirred things up, it wouldn't be able to make much of a ripple...

It wasn't until he used the Thunder Magic to bathe Qing that he began to feel fortunate that Wang Wen had "meddled" and stopped the conflict.

His Celestial Master's Mansion couldn't possibly suppress a demon of that caliber...

On the other side, Granny Magu silently recalled for a long time before suddenly saying, "I might know how the news leaked out."

Wang Wen and Zhang Tianshi looked at her together.

Grandma Ma, her gaze darting away, said in a low voice, "Ever since I returned from Longhu Mountain, I've been secretly stopping the fight between my Ma family members and the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion. Most of those who have died in these fights these days are from the Tian family..."

Wang Wen turned his head away speechlessly to look at Zhang Tianshi.

Zhang Tianshi avoided his gaze, forcing a serious expression as he said, "This old Taoist was also negligent in this matter. Since Magu came up the mountain, this old Taoist did instruct several prudent elders to remain restrained and not to cause any trouble with the Ma family."

Wang Wen scratched his head in exasperation, utterly exasperated by his two incompetent teammates.

Can't even perform a duet?

The way you two are playing, even a fool could see that you're up to something.
Just as the atmosphere in the front hall became awkward, and Zhang Tianshi and Granny Ma didn't know how to face Wang Wen, a member of the Ma family happened to bring in a late-night snack.

Zhang Tianshi and Granny Magu, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly got up and started preparing the dishes, while others urged Wang Wen to eat quickly.

Wang Wen cursed the two old men in his heart, sat down at the table, took the rice bowl handed to him by Zhang Tianshi with his left hand, and the chopsticks handed to him by Granny Magu with his right hand...

……

While Wang Wen was enjoying a hearty meal in a Miao village in western Hunan, he waited for the Tian family's confession.

In Kaifeng, Tokyo, the long-silent imperial city was suddenly awakened by a chorus of horns and bells. A large number of imperial guards in full armor rushed out from every corner of the palace, flooding the entire imperial city like a rising tide.

Armored soldiers were everywhere, and the flickering firelight reflected the cold glint of their weapons onto the vermilion palace walls.

"How dare you!"

A high-pitched, shrill roar of anger exploded out. A white-haired eunuch in blue robes and a burly figure clad in black armor with an iron mask on his head smashed through a courtyard wall and rushed into the empty square filled with imperial guards. They exchanged rapid, lightning-fast blows, and the residual force of their attacks was like melon grenades falling into the crowd, sending blood, flesh, corpses, severed limbs, and fragments of armor flying everywhere.

The white-haired eunuch appeared thin and bony, but his moves were powerful and unrestrained, like a fierce general. Every punch and kick possessed indestructible force, and the thick granite ground of the square was cracked into large, dense spiderweb-like patterns by his residual force.

The imposing figure clad in black armor could only avoid the onslaught by constantly weaving through the chaotic ranks of the Imperial Guards, creating confusion.

Undeterred by the deliberate chaos, the white-haired eunuch smashed anything or anyone in his path with a single punch. Although his martial arts seemed to surpass those of the imposing figure, the figure vehemently avoided combat, and the eunuch was unable to subdue him for the time being.

Just as the white-haired eunuch was filled with anxiety, a clear and steady chanting suddenly came from mid-air: "I beseech the blue thunder to rise in the east, summon the red thunder to the south, the white thunder to move in the west, the black thunder to follow in the north, the yellow thunder to gather in the center, the five elements return to their origin, I respectfully invite the five thunder gods to ascend upon my body..."

"Click."

As soon as he finished speaking, a ferocious bolt of lightning, tinged with purple and white, descended from the sky and struck the imposing figure in the crowd with lightning speed, instantly knocking him to the ground. The spreading power of the lightning caused countless imperial guards to emit blue smoke from their bodies.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the white-haired eunuch leaped forward and used his hands like eagle claws to seize the burly figure and pin him to the ground. Unexpectedly, the burly figure, who was lying limp on the ground, suddenly flipped over and used a move like a rabbit fighting an eagle to kick the white-haired eunuch hard in the groin.

The white-haired eunuch reacted extremely quickly, forcefully gathering his qi and leaning his lower body backward. At the same time, he changed his large grabbing hands into a cross-shaped blocking hand and pressed down, blocking the powerful figure's kicking legs while not letting go of the opportunity to capture him in one fell swoop.

Unexpectedly, the powerful figure's move, "Rabbit Fighting Eagle," was far more forceful than he had anticipated. Its two thick calves were as hard as iron rods, kicking him until his hands went numb, and he gained no advantage whatsoever.

The imposing figure, having achieved victory in one move, pressed his advantage relentlessly, slamming his arms heavily on the ground and using the force to spring into the air. His two strong thighs, leaving afterimages, kicked repeatedly at the white-haired eunuch's lower body.

Enraged, the white-haired eunuch unleashed his Great Stone-Smashing Hand technique, advancing instead of retreating, wielding his hand blade to directly clash with the powerful figure's thigh. The collision of hands and legs produced a series of muffled metallic clangs.

"Black Iron Chainmail?"

The white-haired eunuch, whose hands were numb, was suddenly drawn to the dark, menacing armor of the imposing figure. He shouted, "Are you from the Iron Refining Sect?"

The imposing figure didn't answer, but instead took off running again, rushing towards the imperial guards blocking the palace gates like a gust of wind.

Upon seeing this, the white-robed Taoist priest floating in mid-air began to perform thunder magic by forming a thunder incantation.

Just then, the white-haired eunuch who was chasing the imposing figure on the ground suddenly looked up and shouted, "We don't need you here to hold the line. Go and guard the Emperor's palace immediately."

Upon hearing this, the white-robed Taoist priest floating in mid-air opened his mouth as if to tell the old eunuch that there were guards at the palace and that he was not allowed to approach.

But before he could say it, he felt it was pointless to say anything at this moment, so he silently turned around and flew towards the Funing Palace where Emperor Hongtai was sleeping.

……

Funing Palace.

The old general in golden armor who once led Wang Wen to meet Emperor Hongtai sat leaning against the open palace gate, his eyes wide open in death, a dagger stuck in his chest, his armor soaked in blood.

Inside the palace, the disheveled Emperor Hongtai sat on his dragon bed, his eyes filled with pain and disbelief as he stared at the entrance. Crown Prince Chai Heng, sword at his waist and yellow silk in hand, approached step by step. The Emperor, though outwardly fierce, was inwardly weak as he roared, "You rebellious son, won't you repent?" "You forced me to this! You forced me to this..."

Chai Heng seemed not to hear his fierce shout, his face contorted as he repeated the sentence over and over, his eyes filled with deep-seated ruthlessness and violence.

There was not a trace of affection between father and son left in the palace...

For every step Chai Heng took forward, Emperor Hongtai retreated a foot, until there was nowhere left to retreat. Then, with tears streaming down his face, he pleaded, "Heng'er, stop! I am your father!"

Upon hearing this, Chai Heng's eyes blazed with even more ferocity, almost spitting fire: "Now you know you're my father? When you gave the Prince of Qin military power and the Prince of Qi financial power, how could you forget that you're my father?"

"When you were instigating the King of Qin and the King of Qi to fight against me like fighting dogs, did you forget that you are my father?"

"When you wanted to live forever and be the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty for all eternity, how could you forget that you are my father?"

"Throughout history, has there ever been a crown prince who reigned for twenty years?"

"But I have been your crown prince for a full twenty-five years, Father!"

He stomped hard on the dragon bed and roared hysterically.

He didn't want things to come to this.

He really didn't want things to come to this.

It was his father who refused to give him a way out...

He had no choice.

He really had no choice.

"I do desire immortality, but my plan is that after I achieve immortality, I will assume the position of Emperor Emeritus and hand over the throne to you!"

Emperor Hongtai wept bitterly, his heart wracked with pain, unable to discern whether the fear of death outweighed the agony of the conflict between father and son that had escalated to the point of armed conflict and a life-or-death struggle.

Upon hearing this, Chai Heng burst into a twisted laugh: "Father, do you even believe what you're saying? Are you a person who can be content? You've been emperor for twenty-five years, how can you not be content?"

Dragging the yellow silk, he leaped onto the dragon bed and strode to Emperor Hongtai. Amidst the emperor's violent struggles, he roughly and brutally tightened the silk around his neck, his eyes bloodshot as he whispered, "Look, you are the emperor. Your son has specially used this yellow silk to send you off, to preserve your dignity as emperor. When you reach the afterlife and meet your ancestors, you must report to them properly how you clung to the throne seeking immortality, disregarding the fate of the nation..."

As he spoke, he suddenly kicked Hongtai Emperor in the back and used both hands to forcefully tighten the yellow silk.

Emperor Hongtai struggled desperately, tears streaming down his face, trying to untie the yellow silk around his neck, but how could his frail and old body withstand the strength of a young man?

His aged face quickly turned purplish-red, his eyes became bloodshot, and his hands, which were gripping the yellow silk, fell limply to the ground...

"If Heaven grants me another five hundred years..."

A final thought flashed through his mind, followed by an endless sigh that faded into the long darkness.

On this chaotic night, Emperor Chai Kai of the Great Zhou Dynasty ended his long yet short life in such an undignified manner...

Above the palace, the white-robed Taoist sighed heavily, turned around, and silently flew away from the imperial city.

After a long while, Chai Heng, his eyes bloodshot, finally released the yellow silk ribbon, stood up, laid the body of Emperor Hongtai flat on the dragon bed, pulled the yellow silk ribbon from his neck and hid it in his sleeve, and shouted loudly without expression, "Guards!"

A young eunuch, trembling like a leaf, entered the bedchamber with his head bowed, and with a "thump," prostrated himself before Chai Heng.

Chai Heng: "Announce that the Emperor has been assassinated and has passed away!"

The little eunuch was just trembling...

"Keng."

The sword was drawn, a flash of cold light disappearing in an instant.

The trembling eunuch immediately stopped trembling and quietly fell asleep.

Chai Heng flicked the blood off his sword and, expressionless, shouted again, "Guards!"

Another young eunuch, pale-faced and trembling, entered the bedchamber, water trickling between his legs...

Chai Heng pointed his sword at him and said in a soft, sinister voice, "Announce that the Emperor has been assassinated and has passed away!"

The young eunuch shuddered, as if suddenly snapping back to reality, and screamed at the top of his lungs, "The Emperor has been assassinated! He's dead!"

Before he could even utter the word "la," he suddenly burst into tears, as if overcome with grief, making the technically elongated "la" sound incredibly terrifying and sorrowful.

Chai Heng nodded with great satisfaction and said gently, "Well done!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another flash of cold light appeared.

The young eunuch clutched his bleeding neck, staring at Chai Heng with a face full of terror and disbelief.

Chai Heng stepped forward slowly, placed the sword in his hand, and then gently patted his shoulder with a kind smile, saying in a low voice, "I'll trouble you to do me one last favor. I will soon send your entire clan to reunite with you!"

The eunuch's terrified eyes instantly turned into hysterical rage.

However, the rage of a nobody is always meaningless...

Chai Heng considerately pressed his struggling body to the ground, and incidentally stained his clean clothes with a little blood.

Then, calmly straightening his robes, he turned and knelt before the dragon bed, wailing and crying, "Father!"

Just then, the emperor's cries of despair echoed far beyond the palace.

Upon hearing this shout, countless imperial guards on duty exchanged horrified glances: "Has the Emperor passed away?"

"The Emperor has passed away?"

"The Emperor has passed away!"

"The Emperor has passed away!!!"

The sounds of wailing, some real and some feigned, quickly spread throughout the entire palace.

The Great Zhou Dynasty has changed! (End of Chapter)