Free Web NovelChapter 325: Chapter 54: The Self-Detonating Cultivator
「Shangjing City.」
Before dawn, the sky was still dark. Snow like goose feathers had fallen all night and showed no signs of stopping. On Yumen Street, near the Imperial Palace in the Upper City District, a grand procession in magnificent attire braved the snow, slowly descending the steps that wound down the mountain toward the West City District.
This was the Emperor’s procession. Today, the second day of the new year, the Emperor had to leave the city to worship Heaven and Earth. The Civil and Military Officials, along with their families, had long been waiting on both sides of Yumen Street for the procession to arrive.
On both sides of the main street in the West City District, the Imperial Guard had already formed a human wall. Behind the wall knelt countless commoners, piously praying for their new year’s wishes. The smoke from incense filled the air above the entire city, and golden streams of light descended from the clouds, converging into dazzling vortexes.
A Shangjing City like this had to be the pinnacle of modern civilization.
On a steep cliff near Yumen Street, close to the Imperial Palace, stood a tastefully arranged mansion. On the plaque above the main gate was a single character: "Nine."
Deep within the mansion, in a garden complete with pavilions, surrounded by rockeries, and dotted with waterside gazebos, Jiangcun basked in the warm winter sun. He leaned lazily against the edge of a fish pond, holding a jade box of fish food. From time to time, he would toss in a few pellets to tease the goldfish in the pond.
Opposite the fish pond was a wide stage where a zitherist was playing a cheerful tune. Jiangcun’s expression was one of clear delight as he listened.
When the song ended, Jiangcun, feeling a bit bored, stretched his neck. His gaze fell upon a colorful Spirit Bird descending from the sky. It was the kind of Spirit Bird Xia Yao used to send him messages, able to fly directly into the Upper City District.
As he took the letter carried by the Spirit Bird and began to read, a figure landed steadily on a nearby rockery. It was Xia Ji, the one who had helped him corner the assassin who tried to kill Wang Ping.
Jiangcun waved a hand at the zitherist on the stage. After the zitherist left, he lowered his head again to read the letter in his hand.
A moment later, he looked up at Xia Ji. "The tenth day of the month, at 3:00 PM. West City District, Phoenix Tower West Garden."
Upon hearing this, Xia Ji’s figure flickered, and he landed beside Jiangcun. "Impressive," he said. "Even I couldn’t have booked that place for the tenth."
"The invitation isn’t for you and me. It’s for my second brother!"
"The Second Prince? For the registration at the Daoist Scripture Hall?"
"That’s the very reason he came to Shangjing City."
Jiangcun stood up and threw all the remaining fish food into the pond. He then casually tossed the jade box onto the ground, glanced at Xia Ji, and started walking toward the pavilion in the middle of the courtyard. As he walked, he asked, "Who are our enemies?"
"No matter who they are, with you and me, plus a Third Realm Cultivator we can call on, and Daoist Changqing himself, we won’t have to fear anyone for a short while. As long as we get through this ’short while,’ the real show will begin..."
Xia Ji rubbed the corner of his mouth. It seemed he had been about to laugh but physically stopped himself. Then he continued, "Are you looking forward to this show?"
"Not at all!"
Jiangcun quickened his pace, walked into the pavilion, and sat down. He gazed at the Imperial Palace, which was completely enveloped in a golden halo. "I live a carefree life on my little island," he said. "I do some Qi Cultivation, study interesting Magic, and when I don’t feel like it, I drink, play chess, fish, and listen to plays. Or I go to my brother’s island for a change of scenery."
"Don’t look at me like that. My Dragon Race bloodline lets me live for thousands of years. I’m only just over twelve hundred years old. I have plenty of time to cultivate slowly. Even if I can’t break through to the Fourth Realm, I can use Elixirs and Spiritual Power to hang on for another one or two thousand years. By then, I probably won’t find much meaning in living anymore."
After hearing Jiangcun’s words, a flash of envy appeared in Xia Ji’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. "What’s the use of saying all that now?" he said. "Whether you’re looking forward to it or not, you have to be."
Jiangcun shot Xia Ji an annoyed glance. "Since you’ve put it that way, go make the arrangements. Who do you plan to get?"
"From the Demon Suppression Department, Niu Man!"
"He’ll do. When the time comes, tell him not to stray more than five zhang from Fellow Daoist Changqing. It’s unlikely, but if the other side manages to get two Third Realm Gold Cultivators for a surprise attack, and if they succeed, Shangjing City will be destroyed by the wrath of a Lord. Though this city is doomed to be destroyed anyway!"
"No, Shangjing City will exist for all eternity!"
"Whatever you say. Now, go get it done, will you?"
Xia Ji was about to leave, but he turned back at the entrance of the pavilion. "Say," he asked, "if we were to expose his whereabouts now, would that help him make his decision sooner?"
Jiangcun replied with a half-smile, "You can do that if you want the West City District to be destroyed right now."
"I was just kidding..."
A broad smile spread across Xia Ji’s face. As he turned to leave, a sudden roar reached his ears.
It came from the direction of His Majesty the Emperor’s procession.
"Someone else seeking death?"
"Looks like it!"
Neither of them was surprised in the slightest.
When His Majesty the Emperor went out for sacrificial rites, he would occasionally encounter Cultivators who were dissatisfied with his rule. They would attempt to assault the imperial carriage by detonating their Qi Seas.
This time, however, the roars continued, one after another, only stopping after more than ten breaths.
When the second roar sounded, Jiangcun and Xia Ji leaped onto the mansion’s highest point, the Observation Pavilion, and looked toward the main street of the West City District.
The Emperor’s procession remained as majestic as ever. But ahead of it, the street was splattered with countless severed limbs and blood. The self-detonations of the Cultivators had only brought disaster upon the commoners and a small number of Imperial Guards on either side of the human wall.
But the commoners did not blame His Majesty the Emperor for this. Instead, they enthusiastically cheered, "Long live the Emperor!" Their fanatical faith transformed into surging golden streams of light that converged above the West City District, absorbing the severed limbs and blood from the street.
In the blink of an eye, the street was spotless again.
Amidst the people’s cheers of "Long live the Emperor!", His Majesty the Emperor’s procession continued forward. Neither the Imperial Guard, the commoners, nor the officials following behind showed the slightest reaction to the earlier attack.
"The attacks are getting more and more frequent!" Xia Ji sighed.
"Because the conflict is intensifying. Even if those people don’t come here to die, they have no future."
With that, Xia Ji said no more. His figure flickered and vanished from the Observation Pavilion.
Jiangcun looked up at the sky. The countless golden streams of light were so dazzlingly beautiful. ’A Divine Technique really shouldn’t be used to rule. Using it to stabilize spiritual nature... I’m afraid that when it finally erupts, it will be even more terrifying.’
After muttering to himself, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. Then, with a flicker, he landed back by the pond and beckoned to a distant servant, signaling for the zitherist to come and continue playing.
He listened to the zither music all morning. When the zitherist finally retired to rest, Jiangcun slowly rose to his feet. He gazed at the goldfish in the pond, then patted his head as if he’d just remembered something. He exclaimed in a low voice, "Ah, I almost forgot to tell my second brother."
As he spoke, he transformed into a stream of light and shot off toward the study.
