Free Web NovelChapter 166: Chapter 166: Duke of State
The Duke’s Mansion of the Fire Cave Dynasty was no bigger than an ordinary manor.
There were a little over a dozen servants in the mansion, just enough to handle the miscellaneous chores.
It was a clear sign of its decline.
Stepping through the Crescent Gate, Bai Mo saw the so-called duke.
He was a very old man. His face was covered in sagging wrinkles, and his eyes were nearly hidden by drooping eyelids.
The young Yuan Kang sprinted over, kicking up a gust of wind.
"Grandfather, look who I brought back!"
One could tell that in his youth, the old duke must have been a brawny warrior. Now, however, the weight of his years had become too much to bear.
Under an apricot tree, he was slumped in a lounge chair, drowsy and listless, while a servant fanned him with a cattail fan, bringing a hint of cool relief.
"Heh heh, Kang’er, you’re back."
The old duke laboriously turned his head and immediately saw the three figures at the entrance.
His body stiffened. His murky, yellowed pupils suddenly focused, and his limp eyelids struggled to open a fraction wider.
The bones of his large frame creaked as he struggled to get out of the lounge chair. The commotion was so great that it startled the servant who was fanning him.
"Your Grace, you..."
The servants were at a loss, but Zhao Jingyu suddenly stepped forward.
"Tsk, tsk. To think you forged such a powerful physique in your youth."
"And now you’ve ended up in this state."
Pushed back down, the old duke obediently sat back in his chair.
"Esteemed Immortals..."
Bai Mo walked closer and asked casually:
"Does the Duke recognize us?"
The old duke was extremely respectful.
"When I was young, the few esteemed immortals I met from the Xuandao Sect had a similar aura..."
Yuan Kang watched his grandfather in confusion. He had never seen his grandfather act like this.
A sharp-eyed servant slipped away and returned with several sandalwood chairs.
Wan Shenxiu sat down and said softly:
"Duke, you are a man from a past era. You know that the Xuandao Sect and the Fire Cave Dynasty once had close dealings and an intimate relationship."
"Why have things become like this now?"
A muscle in the old duke’s face twitched, and he sighed.
He knew full well that they were in the wrong on this matter.
Those who are best at warfare achieve no glorious victories.
To claim the Xuandao Sect had treated them coldly simply because it hadn’t given the Fire Cave Dynasty any direct aid would be unreasonable.
"Everyone in the court was wrong."
"Without the Xuandao Sect, how could the Fire Cave Dynasty have been so peaceful, allowing them to scheme and plot against each other in stability for so many years?"
After speaking, the old duke paused for two breaths before continuing:
"Take the Douchen Sect, for example. Didn’t they just seize the opportunity to enter the picture after the court grew distant from the Xuandao Sect?"
Yuan Kang hadn’t expected his grandfather to hold the Xuandao Sect in such high esteem. He swallowed nervously.
"The Douchen Sect is despicable! It’s because of them that my grandfather, a dignified duke, has fallen into such a wretched state!"
The old duke, however, was calm.
"I’m old. I’ve lived long enough."
"It was only because of my prestige among the common people that my life was spared."
"I only hope for a good outcome for the Fire Cave Dynasty."
He was not optimistic about the rebel army. He had once raised troops to fight them, but his old valor was gone, and he was naturally no match for the wolf-like rebels.
Although they spared his life, the rebel army gained a reputation for "righteousness" and used his prestige to bolster their own.
"The rebel army’s formations show faint signs of a sophisticated battle strategy."
The old duke said, recalling the scene of his defeat.
Wan Shenxiu said, "That is precisely the Douchen Sect’s specialty."
The old duke tried to say something but was suddenly seized by an uncontrollable coughing fit, his body trembling with each hack.
Just then, a leaf from the apricot tree above fell right onto his head, making for a pathetic sight.
Yuan Kang and the servants grew frantic, bustling about in a panic.
Bai Mo couldn’t stand to watch. With a flip of his hand, a bottle of Pills appeared.
With a light toss, the bottle of Pills landed in Yuan Kang’s hand.
"Have the Duke take one."
A single Righteous Qi Pill went down, and the old duke’s breathing steadied.
He said listlessly, "I’ve made a fool of myself. This is an old ailment."
Bai Mo said, "Judging by your complexion, Duke, it seems to be caused by a flare-up of poison."
"Indeed. A remnant from my younger years."
As he spoke, the old duke solemnly put the Pill bottle away.
Zhao Jingyu, standing to the side, waved his hand dismissively.
"Then you’d better be careful. It’s rare to find someone who still thinks well of our sect. Don’t go dropping dead all of a sudden!"
Bai Mo also said, "I don’t understand why the current emperor has suddenly developed such animosity toward the Xuandao Sect."
"The Fire Cave Dynasty can’t even cure the old poison in your body. It can’t possibly have the confidence to say it wants to cut ties with the Xuandao Sect."
"Do you know the reason why?"
At these words, the old duke instantly fell silent.
Bai Mo said softly, "The situation in the Fire Cave Dynasty has deteriorated to this point. If there’s something strange going on, you should tell us now."
"The current emperor... he... is not actually an incompetent man," the old duke began.
"His current mindset probably has to do with his cultivation path."
Zhao Jingyu’s eyes lit up.
"Oh?"
"Could it be that he’s cultivating the ’Way of the Hegemonic Emperor’ from the storybooks? Is that how he gained such heaven-defying audacity?"
"I never thought I’d get to see a Cultivator like that!"
The old duke immediately shook his head.
"Not at all. The emperor is over sixty. How could he still have such ambitions?"
"It’s just that he has changed a great deal over the past half-year or so."
He began to describe the emperor’s changes during court sessions over the last six months.
Not only did his face grow more haggard by the day, but even his eyebrows and hair had thinned until little was left.
The once majestic ruler now resembled a vicious hawk.
"It’s not that no ministers were suspicious. Some mustered their courage to request a ’spar’ with the emperor to ’seek guidance’."
"Not a single minister in the court could last more than five moves against the emperor. His cultivation has grown ever more profound, and no one can make sense of it."
Although this seemed like a good thing, a hint of worry was visible on the old duke’s face.
It was only because his own qi and blood were dormant; otherwise, he would have likely followed the trend and tested his own skills against the emperor.
"Duke, you’re worried the emperor has gone astray," Wan Shenxiu said slowly.
"Especially given that the emperor has suddenly started asking for Pills."
As soon as these words were spoken, the old duke’s body trembled.
"It shouldn’t have come to that..."
Wan Shenxiu ignored him and turned his gaze to Bai Mo.
"Junior Brother Bai, do you know what this Green Blood Pill is that the emperor has announced he is seeking?"
Bai Mo was lost in thought when he was suddenly asked. After some consideration, he replied:
"I originally guessed it was some kind of Pill to stimulate one’s qi and blood, but after hearing what the Duke said, I realized that’s not it."
"This Pill should be one that revitalizes one’s blood qi and life force."
Hearing this, everyone turned to look at him, the old duke’s expression especially urgent.
Bai Mo wasn’t certain of his own speculation. He just found the situation the old duke described familiar, so he said vaguely:
"The Corpse God Pill..."
...
The Duke’s Mansion was likely under surveillance.
The three of them didn’t want to stay too long, so after just a few hours, they took their leave.
Before leaving, Bai Mo took out two Pills and gave them to the old duke.
"If you want to verify whether the emperor has gone astray, Duke, give this Pill to him. By observing his reaction, you should be able to tell one way or the other."
The old duke never imagined that at his age, he could still get involved in such a momentous affair.
However, avoiding the watchmen was truly not a difficult task for him.
"By the way, are you heading to the south?"
Bai Mo nodded frankly.
"Indeed. We have to see what kind of riffraff this Douchen Sect is to dare provoke our sect."
The old duke nodded.
"Bring a map," he ordered a servant.
"I know a route that’s relatively safe. It doesn’t have as many rebel deployments. You should commit it to memory."
"I can’t say it’s completely foolproof, but it will at least save you the trouble of numerous checkpoints. It is the rebel’s main nest, after all..."
