Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 297 The best hunters often appear as prey

"Haha, it's done!"

In the Myriad Realms Palace within the book's world, the members of the Guishan Book Society, who were constantly monitoring the movements of the imperial city, were overjoyed at the sight before them.

The area outside Renshou Palace turned into a battlefield of blood and flesh, while the area inside became a sea of ​​fire.

At this time, the emperor had not yet taken the elixir of immortality, nor had he cultivated both body and spirit. With his status suppressed, he was just a mortal, and would die if he were to come into contact with fire, water, or weapons.

The overall situation is decided!

Gao Ren heard his adoptive father, Fengzhou Shanren, who had a blood feud with the Yan faction, excitedly say:

"The Prince Jing, who was supported by the treacherous Yan faction, also entered Renshou Palace. This time, both he and his son were doomed."

From this day forward, regardless of the emperor's thoughts or how much he dislikes Prince Yu, the Great Zhao Dynasty will have only this one legitimate heir.

We all knew that His Highness Prince Yu had written down 1,875 things he would do after ascending the throne behind the screen in his study. One can only imagine how repressed this young man was.

As the saying goes: Learning good is like climbing a mountain, learning bad is like collapsing!
All you need to do is give him the red pills and incense, and offer him many beauties, including Western Region dancers, Persian songstresses, Frankish horses, and those uniquely flavored black pearls, and you can use a man's own desires to firmly control him.

From then on, the emperor reigned but did not govern, needing no effort to simply enjoy himself, leaving all state affairs to us, the upright officials.

Only then will there truly be a court filled with righteous officials, and the world in great order!

His words struck a chord with everyone present, who raised their glasses and laughed in agreement.

"What Mr. Qingming said is absolutely true."

Let us all drink to this cup, a toast to the joyous occasion of the morning!

Once the civil service group has completely seized imperial power, even if Fang Xiaoru is exonerated, restoring his Xiaokang New Deal, which benefits the gentry and wealthy families, will be just a matter of a word.

Bang!
Just as the wine cup fell back onto the table, the gate of Renshou Palace was kicked open by a soldier.

The figure revealed behind him looked as if he had hastily put on a Taoist robe and gotten up, his clothes disheveled and him appearing quite disheveled.

"Kill the faint king!"

"To become a king or nobleman!"

Outside the palace, some survivors who had escaped the sword light of Lu Yunchen and the White Scale Guards broke in, while palace servants rushed towards him from inside the already burning Renshou Palace.

Caught between attacks from both sides, this ruler of the state is in grave danger.

However, although Emperor Shaozhi looked flustered, he did not run around aimlessly. Instead, he stood still in the main hall, took out a bamboo rice spoon from his sleeve, and kept tapping it on the pillars of the palace.

Strangely enough, when he tapped the rice spoon, apart from the White Scale Guards and the Tengxiang Four Guards who were not under the control of the [Fish Belly Elixir], who rushed over to save him, everyone else...

Some of the soldiers and palace women who had been under control and whose minds were filled with the idea that "nobles and high-ranking officials are born with special privileges" regained their senses and turned back to the right path.

No, it should be said that the "delusions" in their minds were replaced by a more fanatical emotion, which then rushed towards their colleagues who were still under control.

Even the fact that a palace maid, who was powerless to even kill a chicken, could not stop this bizarre frenzy by throwing her delicate body directly into the blades of the chaotic army and splattering blood on the spot.

Even as he lay dying, he was still shouting:

"Chen Buzhan, going to meet you is difficult!"

Clearly, the talisman and talisman in the hands of the God of the State is none other than [Chen Buzhan's rice spoon]:
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Qi witnessed the shocking murder of its ruler by Cui Zhu, which stunned all the states of China.

Besides the widely circulated story of the three Taishi brothers, who "recorded events truthfully without altering a single word," another famous figure emerged—Chen Buzhan.

Chen Buzhan, who was known for his timidity, was eating when he heard about this. He was so frightened that his hands trembled and he even dropped his rice spoon on the table.

Despite this, he still insisted on going out to rescue Duke Zhuang of Qi, and even after getting into the carriage, his hands were still shaking so much that he couldn't hold the handle.

The driver was very puzzled and asked, "What good would it do for someone as timid as you to go?"

Chen Buzhan replied, "Sacrificing oneself for the ruler is a matter of morality and a public duty; my own cowardice is a personal matter and a private matter. I must clearly distinguish between public and private matters and resolutely refuse to let personal interests harm the public good."

Then, Chen Buzhan arrived at the battlefield and heard the sounds of weapons clashing in the great battle. However, he was so frightened that he was scared to death.

Contemporaries, however, called it "the courage of a benevolent man!"

The effect of this talisman is that anyone who hears the sound of the rice spoon being struck will be forced to muster courage and protect their lord with their own lives, even at the cost of their own.

"Kill! Kill all these traitors for me!"

Duke Zhuang of Qi not only sought to seize power from the powerful clans, but also openly had an affair with Tang Jiang, the wife of Cui Zhu, which led to Cui Zhu's rebellion.

Many people sympathized with Cui Zhu, feeling that his rebellion was reasonable.

Although Emperor Shaozhi was a foolish ruler, he was not so absurd as to sleep with the wives of his ministers.

Even with the absurd death of Duke Zhuang of Qi, there were brave warriors willing to risk their lives for their ruler. How much more so for him? The ruler is the greater good, the greater good!

Most of the palace maids and rootless people did not have the ambition to become kings and conquerors. They were the first to be influenced by Chen Buzhan's rice spoon, broke free from the influence of the Fish Belly Red Book, and went to fight against the most numerous Tengxiang Four Guards.

Others, mainly eunuchs with spiritual power ("Yin Sheng"), spewed out streams of cold breath to fight the fire.

Thus, a battleground of repeated back-and-forth battles was formed inside and outside Renshou Palace, with the threshold serving as the boundary.

It seemed that with just a little more effort, they could easily break it down, but they persevered through several close calls.

If the three battalions and their two commanders hadn't been kept out by the rain of arrows, the emperor might have really turned the tables a little later.

The hearts of everyone at the Guishan Bookstore in the Wanshang Shrine were also in their throats, their palms sweating with tension. Someone couldn't help but ask:

"Mr. Qiufen, didn't the leader of Lichun and the other gentlemen set up their altars long ago? Why haven't they made their moves yet?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a change occurred within the Yuan Guang Technique. In addition to Lingshan, the highest peak to the west of Yujing, divine light simultaneously shone on the peaks of four mountains: Haituo Mountain to the north, Baicaopan to the south, and Wuling Mountain to the east, revealing four living ghosts and gods of the upper third rank.

None of them revealed their true identities; however, by looking at the masks they wore, one could tell that their identities were [Lichun], [Lixia], [Liqiu], and [Lidong].

Li Xia, who was in charge of gathering the five-colored rat demons and the people's grievances, spoke up:

"Gentlemen, I don't know what happened, but the number of the five-colored rat demons gathered here has decreased by 20% to 30%."

The insufficient strength of the malevolent energy used in the "Fish Belly Elixir Book" led to a flaw in the plan, preventing it from overwhelming the Lord of the State's defenses.

We must personally step in to remedy this!

If Prince Jing were not here today, even if we killed Emperor Shaozhi, we would still have to fight with the Yan faction before we could finally decide who would become the next ruler of the state.

But as Mr. Qingming said, both father and son are now in Renshou Palace. If we go all out to eliminate them, we can solve all the problems once and for all.

Originally, Guishan Bookstore's true nature had been exposed, and their personal visit was merely a precaution, with no intention of taking direct action.

But the temptation was too great, and the four living ghosts and spirits looked at each other from afar, and nodded vigorously in unison:
"On this trip, we have brought the Temple of the Flesh Body, which forms the Four Seasons Altar around Jade Capital City with four peaks. In this altar, the strength of our ghost and spirit forms is no less than that in the Temple of the Flesh Body."

Furthermore, since the Dharma form is elusive and can be moved at will, it is much safer than going in the physical body.

In addition, the informant had already reported that Liu Tao, the governor of the Beijing garrison, possessed the first imperial sword bestowed by Emperor Taizu, and Zhang Ao, the Minister of War, possessed the original manuscript of Su Dongpo's Wutai Poetry Case.

These are all specifically designed to target officials and scholars like ourselves. We only need to bypass these two and go straight for the emperor.

After the four quickly exchanged their action plan, their leader, [Lichun], set the tone:

"Plan B: I will use the Edict of Self-Reproach and the Fish Belly Scripture for remote suppression, while you all take action personally! Time limit: one cup of tea's time. Swift and decisive!"

They were not celestial phenomena arising from the "interaction between heaven and man" like the Five-Colored Rat Demon, and were not suppressed by the divine energy of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

But these gentry and powerful families also had their own methods.

Each person was draped in a white robe, a symbol of merchant status during the Three Kingdoms period—a complete set of amulets and treasures of the entire province, known as "Crossing the River in White Robes"!
The three ghostly deities emerged from their bodies, and even though they displayed their strongest fighting power, the [Ghost Name], they still carried the disguise bestowed upon them by the Ninth-Rank Official's Law.

Even their companions couldn't discern any identifying details about them.

In the blink of an eye, the three living ghosts and gods, disguised as white-clad figures crossing the river, stormed into Renshou Palace right under the noses of the three camps and their two commanders who were still fighting the Five-Colored Rats.

"Thunder roars, lightning flashes, and torrential rain pours down like buckets! You tyrant, die!"

Lixia was the first to raise her hand and unleash thunder.

A blinding white bolt of lightning struck down from the sky.

Scholars from various lineages, relying on their spiritual responses ("not a vessel"), may comprehend all eight categories of supernatural powers: thunder, fighting, fire, water, wealth, plague, smallpox, and Tai Sui. They can also disguise themselves as being of similar status, making it extremely difficult for others to discern their true identities.

Even after investigation, it was difficult to find any trace of the incident.

only.
Emperor Shaozhi clearly didn't want to wait for anything else!
Upon seeing these three appear, the disheveled look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an air of absolute dominance, as he forced out a chilling breath through his teeth:
"Finally, we've managed to lure out all of you real rats."

You've kept me waiting quite a while!

He casually tossed aside the rice spoon Chen Buzhan was holding, and faced with the lightning bolt that was enough to kill any mid-level official, he neither dodged nor avoided it.

With a flick of his wrist, the sword at his waist was drawn, and a flash of blazing white light appeared, miraculously cleaving the lightning bolt in two.

A bolt of lightning streaked past him, leaving two jet-black scorch marks on the gold bricks on the ground.

The three living ghosts and deities who had already swept up the gale and rushed to the sky above Renshou Palace faltered upon seeing this, feeling a sense of danger as if they had encountered their nemesis, and exclaimed:
"This is... Huang Chao's Sword of Equalization?"
Why have we never heard of such a treasure in the national treasury?

The old Taoist priest strode forward, sword in hand, his domineering aura and chilling presence spreading outwards, a cold laugh tinged with a chilling killing intent.
"When my Han family rebelled, your ancestors were still old farmers digging for food in the soil. How much knowledge could they have?"

What the national treasury lacks, the Han family's private treasury may well contain.

You all still have the audacity to think you can use the method of manipulating public opinion to storm the capital, but you don't realize that even if the Han family's fate is sealed, all the rebels in the world will still call me "Ancestor!!"

Upon hearing this, the group realized that Emperor Shaozhi's primary profession was alchemy and Taoist practice.

However, in addition to being an emperor, he also has another identity—the eleventh leader of the White Lotus Sect, known as the "Ming King," starting from Han Lin!
The White Lotus Sect has been diligently rebelling throughout history, so it's perfectly normal that they possess talismans and protective charms that various rebel groups failed to use to establish a nation.

But the arrow is already on the bowstring and must be released; [Lidong] roars:
"Why fear that Sword of Equality? He has lost his status; he is just a mortal. We can kill him as easily as killing a chicken. Let's attack together."

Faced with the onslaught of attacks, the old Taoist priest remained calm and uttered a low shout: "Equalize!"

He then slashed fiercely at the "pointed finger of a thousand men" sign above his head.

Huang Chao once put forward the slogan of "equal distribution".

Determined to storm Chang'an, eliminate the five prominent families and seven powerful clans, and achieve "political equality"; to rob the rich and help the poor, and distribute money and grain, and achieve "wealth equality";
To challenge the rigid hierarchical system and achieve "equality in social status" for everyone.

Simply put, the core ability is to share everything in half when you meet!
Click!

The amulet on his head was instantly cut in two. One half remained on his head, while the other half disappeared into thin air and landed on the head of the fourth son, King Jing, Han Zaizhen, in the underground palace of Renshou Palace.

The latter collapsed onto the ground with a thud, instantly reduced to a mortal state, but also successfully relieved half of the pressure.

They were not only father and son of the imperial family, representing the Wen and Jing dynasties, but also Daoist priests holding the same official position and alchemical rank.

On the path of the gods, Han Zaizhen was the perfect "stand-in" for Emperor Shaozhi. Bringing him into the palace was not only to introduce the Guishan Academy, but also for this very moment.

Half of his cultivation and rank were instantly restored, almost bringing Emperor Shaozhi back to the second rank. The old Taoist looked up at the three astonished figures in the sky, and at that moment, he could only utter one sentence that he had held back for twenty years:

"I have not attended court for twenty years, and have devoted myself to Taoist practice, which has made my body resemble that of a crane. All of this is thanks to you."

Today, I hereby order the extermination of your entire clan, spanning nine generations!

(End of this chapter)