Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 20 King of Wei
Wang Yizhi was startled, Qiu Shenji's face darkened, and Yan Siping laughed angrily: "What did you say?!"

Lu Chenyuan, showing no fear, declared loudly: "Article Thirty-Two of the 'Inner Guard Inspection Order' clearly states: 'Those within the Inner Guard who repeatedly uncover treacherous plots and expose rebellious elements shall be commended for their merits. However, if the matter involves their own relatives or friends, or if an outsider accuses them of colluding with rebellious elements, they must provide evidence of stolen goods, documents, and associates as proof. Those who suspend their duties without concrete evidence will be punished for false accusation! If censors or prime ministers hastily believe such accusations and dismiss capable officials, resulting in the oversight of rebellious cases, they will be punished the same as the false accusers! Do you understand, General Yan? I can kill and unlock weapons—of course, it's my skill! You think you can accuse me of treason based on just a few words… You're resorting to your old cruelty! Do you have any evidence? What, you're trying to use torture to extract a confession from me too?"

"..."

A murderous aura began to spread throughout the underground palace.

Yan Siping's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water, and Qiu Shenji's face was also not good.

"besides."

Lu Chenyuan sneered, "Let me remind you. Have you forgotten something very important?"

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

Lu Chenyuan looked into the deep secret passage behind the gate and shouted, "Come out now, or I'll be killed! I'll give you another hour, every day! Okay? You really won't do anything without a profit! You didn't listen to a word I said, you were just thinking about how to bargain with me! You're rotten!"

"Ow~"

A lazy, low growl came from the secret passage.

Upon hearing this voice, Qiu Shenji and Yan Siping's expressions changed drastically, and they quickly exchanged a glance.

The golden lion slowly walked over.

The mechanisms in the secret passage were triggered one after another, but it neither dodged nor avoided them, as if strolling leisurely.

The fierce and sharp bone-scraping needles shot out, but before they could get within three feet, they were blocked by the golden light that appeared out of nowhere; the flames spewing from the stalactites were also melted into nothingness by the golden light when they got within three feet.

As soon as he stepped on the ground, the hidden underground mechanism snapped and shattered.

The crossbow bolts were triggered, and the rockets inexplicably froze in mid-air.

The soil collapsed, revealing a pit below. He stepped on the tip of a knife and crossed it calmly.

……

With a cunning glint in its golden eyes, Jin Ni strode up to Lu Chenyuan and tilted its head to look at him: You said it yourself, no cheating allowed!

Lu Chenyuan clicked on it helplessly: "Your own credit is going to be stolen, yet you can still sit back and watch the show!"

Jin Ni then turned his head to look at Qiu Shenji and Yan Siping, his eyes revealing a fierce glint.

A murderous aura erupted from him, and the primordial energy of heaven and earth gathered once more!

"My lords."

Lu Chenyuan, relying on the cat's power, hid behind the golden lion and pointed at it, laughing: "It would be best if we could also deal with this guy, then I'll leave immediately without saying a word, otherwise... we'd better act more convincingly. I have no problem with you treating me like a fool, but many people will have a problem with treating it like a fool!"

These people were too eager for quick success and instant benefits, forgetting that it was Jin Ni who led the way and captured the people.

They could say Lu Chenyuan was a traitor, which is perfectly acceptable, but in that case, Jin Ni would be the same.

It's easy to silence Lu Chenyuan; public opinion can be overwhelming, ensuring he has nowhere to defend himself. But Jin Ni is a different story.

This big cat doesn't even give the princess face; it's definitely no good in terms of civility, and even less so in terms of martial arts!
Qiu Shenji was confident he could defeat it, but he couldn't handle Li Lingyue's retaliation afterward. Li Lingyue would definitely kill him for the sake of the Golden Lion.

Qiu Shenji and Yan Siping arrived in such a hurry that as soon as they heard that Jin Ni had been dispatched, they immediately came over. They subconsciously assumed that Jin Ni would leave after helping them find the place and go back. After all, it was always arrogant and disdainful of others, and they never thought that Jin Ni would travel with Lu Chenyuan and grant his every request!

The situation suddenly became tense.

Yan Siping felt extremely troubled, and Qiu Shenji's expression grew increasingly grim.

Wang Yizhi's expression relaxed.

But at that moment, a loud sword cry suddenly came from the sky.

A jet-black sword light shot down from the sky, like a thunderbolt flashing across the sky, piercing through the dome, and stabbing straight toward Lu Chenyuan!

Lu Chenyuan turned around upon hearing the sound and saw a cold light piercing through the air, almost within reach!
The chilling sword energy was as sharp as frost and as fast as lightning, making it difficult for him to open his eyes.

In that instant, the scent of death rushed towards him, and a chill ran down his spine—he had never felt the fragility of life so acutely.

The enemy's swordsmanship had reached a state of perfection; the sword light was faster than thunder, and he didn't even have time to muster the will to resist. Under such absolute military suppression, all struggles seemed pale and powerless.

"Ow—"

The golden lion roared furiously, its giant claws slamming out and shattering the deadly sword light. However, before it could even catch its breath, a ghostly figure had already appeared before Lu Chenyuan, casually placing a palm on his chest—

"boom!"

This palm strike, though seemingly gentle, was as powerful as a mountain collapsing, its immense force instantly penetrating the internal organs!
Lu Chenyuan didn't even get a clear look at the other person's face before he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Blood gushed out as he crashed heavily to the ground, his bones shattering inch by inch, his aura dissipating, and even his consciousness teetering on the brink of excruciating pain.

The gap is enormous, an insurmountable gap!
"grown ups!"

Wang Yizhi was shocked. Who would dare to kill Lu Chenyuan like this!
Seeing Lu Chenyuan seriously injured and vomiting blood, the golden lion's golden eyes widened in fury, its fur bristled like flames, its claws gripped the ground, and golden energy surged. The entire hall trembled under its ferocious power. In the next instant, it was about to pounce and tear the murderer to pieces!
However, the man merely glanced at it coldly, flicked his sleeve, and drew a mysterious incantation in the air with his fingertips. The incantation appeared out of thin air, and as the eerie light flowed, it seemed to be a cycle of yin and yang, captivating the soul.

His lips moved slightly, and the yin-yang incantation descended upon the world like divine might—

"Mysterious Yin captures the soul, Taiyi locks the spirit; "

The Samadhi is dim and confused, and the seven souls are hidden in the body.

His spirit wandered into the void, his soul returned to the boundless realm;
The imperial edict ordered him to fall into a deep sleep, so as to suppress the evil spirits in the Yellow Court!

As the incantation ended, that point of eerie light entered its body, and the golden lion's form suddenly froze.

The fierce light in its eyes was extinguished as if by an invisible hand, and its limbs went limp. It struggled and let out a low growl, but in the end, it could not resist the corrosive power of the curse. It collapsed to the ground like a mountain falling down and fell into a deep sleep.

"This big cat still can't tell friend from foe."

The newcomer stood with his hands behind his back, his black python robe fluttering slightly in the wind, the cloud and thunder patterns embroidered with gold thread shimmering with a cold luster in the twilight.

He was tall and slender, like a pine tree standing on a cliff, exuding an aura of authority from someone who had long held a high position.

—Wu Chengsi, the King of Wei, who wielded immense power in the Wu Zhou court.

A faint, cold smile played on his lips as he looked down at the dying Lu Chenyuan, his gaze as if looking at an ant. His aura was condensed and restrained, yet it subtly exuded the power of a dragon and tiger, as if he could decide a person's life or death with a mere gesture.

Even more bizarrely, the faint glow from when he cast the [Soul Loss Curse] lingered on his fingertips. The light seemed to entwine and wander like a living thing, making him appear even more sinister and unpredictable.

"Someone is coming."

Wu Chengsi stood with his hands behind his back, his voice neither loud nor soft, yet it pierced the deathly silence of the underground palace like a cold blade.

Before the words were finished, a dark figure silently floated into the hall. It was Qu Baichuan, the mastermind behind Yixiang Garden and the chief steward of the Prince of Wei's mansion. His figure was elusive, and when he landed, he did not stir up any dust. He knelt respectfully three steps behind Wu Chengsi, his forehead pressed against the ground.

"Your Majesty."

Wu Chengsi turned his gaze to the unconscious Jinni, a meaningful sneer curling at the corner of his lips: "Send this big cat back to the princess's residence." He paused, then added, "Take good care of it, don't hurt a single hair on its head."

Qu Baichuan lowered his head even further: "If Her Highness asks for the reason..." "Just say that I don't like this Lu Chenyuan. He's been deceived and can't distinguish friend from foe!"

Wu Chengsi waved his hand dismissively, a sinister glint in his eyes: "A lowly male concubine, does he deserve to be so taken seriously by Taiping? Let's beat him then, what reason do we need?"

He spoke casually, as if he had truly attacked someone out of jealousy.

Qu Baichuan understood immediately and kowtowed, saying, "This old servant understands." As he stood up, his gaze lingered briefly on the semi-conscious Lu Chenyuan before returning to his submissive demeanor. He then silently lifted the golden lion and leaped away.

With the golden lion gone, the atmosphere in the underground palace immediately became much more peaceful.

"Your Majesty."

Qiu Shenji and Yan Siping regained their composure and bowed respectfully in turn.

Wu Chengsi waved his hand, strode up to Lu Chenyuan, lifted his robes and squatted down, raising Lu's chin with two fingers to examine his eyes, and said in a low voice, "I really like these eyes, it's a pity they're on you. I must say, it's truly a shame... Your surname is Wang?"

The last sentence was directed at Wang Yizhi.

Unable to vent his anger, Wang Yizhi bowed with trembling hands, saying, "Wang Yizhi greets Your Highness, Prince Wei."

Wu Chengsi looked him up and down and asked in surprise, "Five surnames and seven prominent families, how come he's only a seventh-rank official?"

"Your Majesty."

Yan Siping moved closer and whispered a few words in his ear.

Wu Chengsi chuckled, "You're out of luck. Take him back. Do you know where to take him?"

With permission granted, Wang Yizhi carefully carried Lu Chenyuan on his back, his head bowed and expressionless: "Yuantai."

"good."

Wu Chengsi was pleased with his sensible manner and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go."

Wang Yizhi immediately jumped out of the underground palace.

Wu Chengsi tilted his head and said, "For the sake of such a suspect, a large group of people are blocking this place, letting the criminals roam free. General Qiu, this is your dereliction of duty."

Qiu Shenji immediately replied, "Your Highness is right. The Imperial Guards have failed in their duty to eliminate traitors, and Qiu Shenji cannot shirk his responsibility!"

"That's all."

Wu Chengsi said, “The important matter is the priority, so you should proceed. This garden was formerly the residence of the Prince of Rinan. After the Prince of Rinan returned to his country, it remained vacant. The owner of the garden bought the house and intended to give it to me. However, upon hearing that Princess Qianjin also coveted this place, I naturally yielded to her. The princess, not wanting to take what I loved, also politely declined. Who would have thought that this yielding and declining would give such a villain an opportunity to take advantage of us!”

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Now it has become a den of iniquity, tarnishing my reputation! Qiu Shenji, I want to see results within three days. Not a single one of these traitors will be spared!"

"Yes."

Qiu Shenji bowed and waved his hand, and Yan Siping led the Golden Guards into action.

Only he and Wu Chengsi stood in place.

Qiu Shenji, wanting to establish a connection, lowered his voice and probed, "Your Highness, is he still hung up on the princess?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chengsi's fingertips suddenly paused.

The candlelight in the underground palace flickered, casting an unpredictable shadow on his profile.

After a long silence, he suddenly chuckled softly: "Five years ago, at Jinglong Temple..." His gaze seemed to pierce through time, returning to that morning: "On the day Taiping left the pass, sword energy soared into the sky, and the rosy clouds stretched for thousands of miles. She stood there with her sword in hand, her clothes fluttering like a goddess from the heavens... At that moment, I knew that there was no woman in this world more dazzling than her."

Wu Chengsi sighed, "Back when we were choosing a consort, I was also among the candidates, but my aunt chose that good-for-nothing Wu Youji!"

At this point, he suddenly turned around, his eyes dangerously intense in the shadows: "I've seen plenty of beautiful faces, but taming a wild horse is what's truly exhilarating! Isn't that right?"

As the last word fell, the entire underground palace seemed to be enveloped in a suffocating sense of oppression.

Qiu Shenji unconsciously took a half step back, his forehead already beaded with cold sweat.

Currently, there are two imperial heirs in the Wu Zhou court.

One was Li Dan, the former puppet emperor who was now imprisoned in the palace and was not the crown prince; the other was not legitimate but was more like a crown prince than Li Dan, and that was Prince Wei, Wu Chengsi.

The current flag of the Wu imperial family.

Qiu Shenji said nothing more, standing behind him, waiting for the outcome from the Golden Guard.

……

Wang Yizhi carried Lu Chenyuan on his back and ran wildly towards the princess's residence.

Lu Chenyuan was seriously injured, with his internal organs ruptured and his meridians damaged. If he were to linger at the Iris Terrace any longer, although he would not die, his cultivation would be ruined, and he would hardly be able to make any progress in the future. He had to ask the princess for help.

I regret that I left home in a fit of anger and took nothing with me except my two companions, Lvyi and Jinling!

Wang Yizhi was extremely anxious and moved with lightning speed.

When he arrived, Qu Baichuan was already carrying the golden lion to the gate of the mansion without blushing or panting. The matter of the golden lion was a big deal no matter how small it was. Li Lingyue and Yuan Qingshuang were alarmed, and Wu Youji also rushed over to express his concern when he heard about it.

Qu Baichuan briefly recounted the process as instructed by Wu Chengsi.

Li Lingyue took a deep breath, her killing intent rising. Her divine weapon at her waist, [Taihua Qingshuang], sensed something, and the longsword in its sheath trembled wildly, emitting a clear sword hum!
Qu Baichuan knelt at Li Lingyue's feet, his heart filled with bitterness. There were very few people who could make him, the chief steward of the Wei Prince's mansion, act like this, but Princess Taiping was one of the most difficult to deal with. Fortunately, the big cat was just unconscious and was not injured in the slightest, otherwise the sword would definitely have struck him.

After carefully examining her, Yuan Qingshuang breathed a sigh of relief, turned back to Li Lingyue and shook her head, indicating that there was nothing seriously wrong.

Li Lingyue's murderous intent lessened somewhat.

As Wu Youji watched the sound of her sword gradually weaken, his heart, which had been pounding, finally calmed down, and he carefully wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He was truly afraid that Li Lingyue, in her rage, would take it out on the Wu family and on him. The relationship between Li Lingyue and the Wu family was extremely delicate. Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi had joined forces to persecute the Li imperial family, killing batch after batch of Li family members. It was difficult to discern Li Lingyue's attitude towards this matter. On the surface, she seemed to have no reaction, but he always felt uneasy.

Li Lingyue calmly said, "Send the golden ball back to the Lingni Palace and give it the [Precious Jade Marrow] to calm its nerves."

Yuan Qingshuang nodded, about to make a move.

Li Lingyue suddenly asked, "What's the situation with Lu Chenyuan? Did Wu Chengsi make a move against him?"

"Uh……"

Qu Baichuan's heart skipped a beat. He had already prepared his explanation on the way, but facing Li Lingyue in person and hearing her tone, something felt off. Now that the die was cast, he could only continue, "Your Highness is unaware that the dancer Hongxiao's hiding place was rigged with hidden fire mines and Yinshan Blood Gu, yet they were not removed in time... Lu Bailing seems to know all the mechanisms and layouts of the underground palace in great detail, and he can even crack the [Nine Palaces Thousand Machine Lock], which suggests he is colluding with the enemy... The Turkic traitors are always cunning and treacherous. My master is worried that Your Highness may be deceived by him. If the Turkic traitor rises in the Yuanwei, then..."

"So, Wu Chengsi wants to purge the inner guards for me?"

Li Lingyue's tone remained indifferent: "Don't you think you're meddling too much?!"

In an instant, a fierce wind arose, and the world changed color.

(End of this chapter)