Eternal God Emperor: Only I Am Emperor One

Chapter 127 There are many devoted lovers in the world

On the fifteenth of August, the Mid-Autumn Festival, a bright moon hung over Shentai City.

Under the bright moonlight, the once majestic and imposing ancient city of Shentai gained a touch of tranquility and mystery.

Unlike the Wushi Money Exchange, which is spread across thirty-six prefectures and thousands of counties, the Liangyi Sect, which originated from the Daoist school, is much more low-key. On weekdays, most of its disciples gather in the sect or in this ancient city that serves as its gateway.

The Taoist school emphasizes tranquility and non-action, but as the head of all sects in the Eastern Region, the Liangyi Sect cannot be ignored no matter how low it tries to keep a low profile.

With the news that the world-shaking banquet for the World's Leader and the once-in-a-century Sword Debate would be held at the Liangyi Sect in the next two months, the name of the Liangyi Sect was thrust into the spotlight of all martial artists in the Kunlun Realm.

On the west side of Shentai City, there is a mansion that is meticulously maintained year-round. However, there is a patch of lush reeds by the water in the backyard. Two dark figures moved among the reeds, and wherever they passed, white fluff flew everywhere. The fireflies hidden in the reeds were startled and took flight, like streaks of fire.

Huang Yanchen leaned against the railing, watching the fireflies disappear into the night sky. His heavy mood eased slightly, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

"Junior Sister Huang, you're finally smiling. Junior Brother Chang's method is still the best."

Si Xingkong leaped out of the reeds and landed on the roof of the corridor where Huang Yanchen stood. He took the wine flask from his waist and drank alone under the moon, looking very carefree and content. However, after the wine went down his throat, he felt a little melancholy.

Chang Qiqi brushed the mud off his body and looked at the two figures on the roof in front of the railing. He had no interest in appreciating the bright moon in the high sky.

He walked to the front of the building, looked at Huang Yanchen who was leaning against the railing gazing at the moon, and said softly, "Junior Sister Huang, the dead cannot be brought back to life. If Junior Brother Zhang saw you like this, he would definitely feel sad."

Huang Yanchen's thoughts were pulled back. Compared to a few months ago, her eyes and brows had become more sorrowful, as if she had lived through a long period of time, changing from fiery passion to icy desolation.

Si Xingkong and Chang Qiqi, one a heavy drinker and the other clueless, had no idea how to please a woman. Given their personalities, they would be a perfect match for entertaining at a wedding banquet, but right now…

"Does Senior Brother Chang also believe he is truly dead?"

Chang Qiqi wanted to say no, but reason prevented him from saying it. Rather than giving Huang Yanchen unrealistic illusions and letting her indulge in the fantasy that Zhang Ruochen was not dead, it was better to let her face reality sooner rather than later. A short pain is worse than a long one.

“Junior Sister Huang, Senior Brother and I are also heartbroken by Junior Brother Zhang’s death. We wish he were still alive, but the one who attacked was the Nine Nether Sword Saint. You are a disciple of the Xuanji Academy Master, so you understand how powerful a Sword Saint is…”

Huang Yanchen's eyes dimmed considerably.

Yes, with a Sword Saint making a move, how could a mere Fish-Dragon Realm cultivator possibly survive? Only she and Consort Lin still firmly believe that Zhang Ruochen is not dead.

There's no reason, it's just that I simply don't want to accept it.

"Junior Brother Zhang, don't worry, one day I will storm into Nine Nether City and avenge you." Si Xingkong drank a whole pot of strong liquor, half drunk and half sober, and raised the empty wine pot to toast Haoyue.

Several months after the battle of the Eastern Holy City, Zhang Ruochen was taken away by Wan Zhaoyi, sent by Empress Chi Yao, before he could complete his marriage with Huang Yanchen.

Not long after leaving the Eastern Holy City, they were ambushed by the Nine Nether Sword Saint. Wan Zhaoyi was seriously injured and escaped back to the Eastern Holy City, while Zhang Ruochen was completely destroyed.

Huang Yanchen had been to the place where the great battle had broken out. The mountains had been cut off by the sword energy, and the earth had turned into molten lava. Under such an attack, it was impossible for anyone to survive.

In a single day, joy turned into sorrow. Apart from Consort Lin, the one who was most affected was Huang Yanchen. She was originally eccentric, but after that, her entire personality changed drastically. She became taciturn and her behavior was like a mournful cuckoo.

His father, Prince Qianshui, and his mother, the Half-Saint Liuli, tried everything they could, but to no avail.

Although there are many unfaithful people in the world, there is never a shortage of devoted lovers.

After the World Prince Banquet, the once-in-a-century Sword Debate Tournament will begin. Xuanji Sword Saint is one of the three great sword saints of the Eastern Region. He brought Huang Yanchen, his newly accepted disciple, with him to the Liangyi Sect on this trip, so that he could relax.

"What beautiful fireflies! I never imagined that Senior Brother and Senior Brother Chang had such a leisurely and elegant taste."

A clear, cold voice came from afar. Luo Shuihan was dressed in a white martial arts robe, her black hair simply tied behind her head and hanging down to her waist. As her cultivation level improved, her otherworldly aura became more and more obvious.

Beside Luo Shuihan was a woman in purple wearing a bamboo hat; the two walked side by side.

Huang Yanchen suppressed her thoughts, turned her head and looked over, forcing a smile, "It's rare to see Senior Sister Luo here. Is cultivation boring and you've come here to relax?"

Her gaze shifted to the woman in the straw hat, and she asked in confusion, "Who is this?"

The woman reached out and took off her straw hat, revealing her long hair. Her eyebrows were as delicate as willow leaves, her eyelashes were long and curled, her eyes were crystal clear, her lips were as red as cherries, and her face was as bright as the moon.

“Princess Yanchen, it’s been a long time. Do you still remember me?”

"Zi Qian... what brings you here?" Huang Yanchen was quite surprised. This mansion belonged to the Wushi Money House in Shentai City. With the Eastern Divine Land and the Eastern Evil Land on the verge of war, this mansion was a den of dragons and tigers for Zi Qian, a member of the black market. "I've come to tell you some news about Zhang Ruochen. Although we are now irreconcilable enemies, we both came from Tianmo Ridge. I think this news might be very important to you," Zi Qian said.

Upon hearing the name 'Zhang Ruochen,' Huang Yanchen immediately became excited, and Si Xingkong on the rooftop also instantly regained his senses, flying down like a swallow.

"You have news of Zhang Ruochen. Is he not dead? He must still be alive, right?" Huang Yanchen grasped Zi Qian's hand tightly, like a drowning person grabbing a straw, her beautiful eyes filled with tears and expectation.

Looking at her dramatic change, Zi Qian felt a pang of emotion. She paused slightly and said, "I'm not sure if Zhang Ruochen is still alive. During this time, I've gathered a lot of information about that day. I learned from the people of Jiuyou City that the Jiuyou Sword Saint didn't seem to have tried to intercept or kill Zhang Ruochen. After the battle of the Eastern Region Holy City, the Jiuyou Sword Saint went to the Central Region with the Evil Emperor."

"You should have heard about the great war in the Central Region and the Nine Provinces. In comparison, I think it is unlikely that the Nine Nether Sword Saint would personally go to intercept and kill Zhang Ruochen."

"If it wasn't the Nine Nether Sword Saint who made the move, then who was it? Could it be a ruse orchestrated by Wan Zhaoyi to deal with Junior Brother Zhang?" Chang Qiqi speculated.

“The Little Saint Heavenly King and Junior Brother Zhang are complete strangers. He came to the Eastern Region to capture someone on the orders of the Empress. Given his status, even if he really wanted to take action against Junior Brother Zhang, he wouldn’t need to resort to a self-inflicted injury. Our ancestor saw the Little Saint Heavenly King’s injuries, which were indeed caused by the Nine Nether Sword Saint’s Crimson Sun Sword Technique. The Little Saint Heavenly King is not a sword cultivator and does not know the Crimson Sun Sword Technique,” ​​Luo Shuihan said.

"Could it be that other saints from Nine Nether City made the move?" Si Xingkong asked.

"No, after the battle of the Eastern Holy City, the saints of Nine Nether City rushed to various places to resist the army of the Eastern Holy King's Palace. Even if someone takes action, they may not be a match for Wan Zhaoyi," Zi Qian shook her head and said.

The five people mentioned in the Ode to Heroes, though all under a hundred years old, each possessed immense cultivation and strength, surpassing many older saints. Only a peak saint-level figure like the Nine Nether Sword Saint could defeat them so badly.

"He's neither the Nine Nether Sword Saint nor a saint from Nine Nether City. He's stronger than Wan Zhaoyi and can use the Crimson Sun Sword Technique. Is there really such a person in the Eastern Region?" Si Xingkong listed all the saints in the Eastern Region but couldn't find anyone who could match him.

"Actually, it's not that hard to guess who made the move." Luo Shuihan placed his hands on his lower abdomen and spoke calmly, "To be able to defeat Little Saint Heavenly King with sword techniques, one must be a sword saint, and someone who is quite familiar with the Nine Nether Sword Saint, otherwise they wouldn't have used the Crimson Sun Sword Technique."

"Of the three great sword saints of the Eastern Region, apart from the Nine Nether Sword Saint, only the Xuanji Academy Master and the Burial Moon Sword Saint of the Liangyi Sect meet this condition."

"The three great sword saints have been fighting each other for hundreds of years and are very familiar with each other's methods. It is not surprising that the Xuanji Academy Master and the Burial Moon Sword Saint can use a move or two of the Crimson Sun Sword Technique."

“How could the Xuanji Academy Master possibly attack Junior Brother Zhang? In that case, it can only be the Burial Moon Sword Saint who made the move.” Chang Qiqi looked horrified, as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

Huang Yanchen remained silent. Zhang Ruochen had no grudge against the Liangyi Sect, and was completely unfamiliar with the Burial Moon Sword Saint. How could the Burial Moon Sword Saint risk offending the imperial court by disguising himself as the Nine Nether Sword Saint to intercept and kill him?

Huang Yanchen was not a fool. With Zi Qian's news and Luo Shuihan's analysis, she had already begun to form an answer in her mind.

An ambush may not necessarily be an actual ambush; from another perspective, it may even be a rescue.

The swordsman's sword strike may have obliterated the body, but that doesn't mean the person is truly dead.

He... is still alive!

Huang Yanchen's eyes gradually brightened, and he was eager to see Xuanji Sword Saint and find out whether Zhang Ruochen was alive or dead.

"Thank you, Miss Ziqian, and thank you, Senior Sister Luo. I still have to see my master, so I won't keep you company any longer."

Before she finished speaking, she had already flown away, heading towards the secluded place of the Sword Saint Xuanji.

Seeing this, Chang Qiqi and Si Xingkong hurriedly chased after her, fearing that Huang Yanchen might do something wrong in a moment of impulse.

The fireflies that had been startled earlier began to fly back in a scattered manner after the uninvited guests had left, and they hovered around the full moon, looking just like stars.

Luo Shuihan reached out and caught a drifting reed flower, brought it to her lips, and exhaled softly. The reed flower slipped from her palm and flew into the distant sky, its final destination unknown, and where it would take root and sprout.

After a moment of silence, Luo Shuihan finally asked the question that had been on her mind: "Is there any news about... Di Yi?"

Zi Qian frowned slightly, looking at Luo Shuihan with confusion, not understanding why she would ask such a strange question.

"Young Master went to the Central Region, and I don't know anything else. Miss Luo is from the Holy Academy, so she should know more about the details of Young Master weighing the Central Region's geniuses at the Martial Market Money Exchange in Dingxuan Prefecture than I do."

"I have said what I needed to say. After all, we belong to the righteous and the evil factions, so I will not stay here any longer to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."

Ziqian was unwilling to reveal too much information about Di Yi. After saying that, she put her bamboo hat back on and walked out of the mansion.

Luo Shuihan watched her retreating figure, then stood alone by the reeds, blending into the night.

Fireflies are only visible to those in front of them, but the moon in the sky can be seen by anyone who looks up.

(End of this chapter)