Chapter 52: Chapter 35: Reaction_l

Translator: 549690339

Several days later, outside the territory of Xuzhou City, a cavalry unit hurriedly

sped along, led by the pale-faced Yuwen Huaji.

“Brother, we’ve already left the territory of Xuzhou. Let’s find a place to rest and recuperate; your injuries…”

Watching the pale-faced, teeth-clenched Yuwen Huaji, Yuwen Zhiji, who was riding closely beside him, expressed his worry with repeated urging.

Several days earlier, a deal had been struck, and the Yuwen Sect, at great expense, had sent a large troop with a hefty sum of gold to purchase their freedom.

They then rode relentlessly, day and night, fleeing Xuzhou in extreme haste, far away from this land fraught with danger.

Yuwen Zhiji had no objections to this plan. That man was so terrifying that it was only right to avoid his sharp edge, but Yuwen Huaji seemed to have developed a psychological trauma, ignoring his injuries as he urged his horse into a frantic gallop, not daring to stop even for a moment.

“I’m not seriously harmed, we cannot delay. Additionally, dispatch someone ahead to prepare a boat; we must hurry back to Yangdu!”

Yuwen Huaji’s face was pale, one hand pressed against his chest, tirelessly channeling the Gang Yuan to suppress the pain of his internal injuries.

He was severely wounded.

On that day, Xu Yang’s Descending Dragon Palm not only crushed his Ice Tiger

Roaring Power head-on, but the residual force also sent him flying a hundred Zhang away, causing severe injuries on the spot and nearly leading to his death. Fortunately, Xu Yang wanted to use him in exchange for ransom and promptly brought him back for treatment with the Life Scroll, saving his life.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to ride a horse now, let alone move.

Although Xu Yang had saved his life using the Life Scroll and even helped restore some of his strength, he was not fully healed. These few days of relentless horse riding had aggravated his injuries, causing him intense pain.

But he still didn’t dare to stop, nor did he dare to stop even after leaving Xuzhou, instinctively wanting to distance himself from that man, from that terrifying place.

This was a psychological shadow, a shadow cast by that palm strike.

Now, all he wanted was to immediately return to Yangdu, back to the side of Emperor Yang of Sui.

This wasn’t because the idiot Yang Guang could offer him any sense of security, but because it could help him seek revenge, wiping away the humiliation and psychological shadow, the terrifying nightmare that man had left him.

Did Yang Guang possess such an influence?

Yes!

Because he represented imperial authority, the supreme imperial authority.

Yuwen Huaji believed that by seizing that power, he could wash away all the humiliation of today.

This was a well-considered conclusion, not unfounded self-confidence. Imperial power indeed possessed such a mighty force.

Take his own Yuwen Sect as an example. Within the Sect, there were two factions: one led by the Sect Leader Yuwen Shang, which focused on the Martial World and never meddled in court affairs; the other faction was led by himself, Yuwen Huaji, who served in the court and attended to the emperor.

Therefore, he couldn’t command all the strength of the Yuwen Sect and was always subject to the restrictions of the Sect Leader, Yuwen Shang.

But if he could seize the power of the world and become the emperor, then the entire Yuwen Sect would have to obey his commands, even the Sect Leader Yuwen Shang would have to submit to him.

Not just the Yuwen Sect, but also Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, especially Buddhism which had dominated the Righteous Path of the Martial World for hundreds of years. The Mercy Sailing Temple and Purity Zen Sect, these two great Sacred Places of the Martial World, represented them.

The world competed for the Dragon Throne, with various powers making their moves, aiming to “support the throne.” The Mercy Sailing Temple even had the traditional mission of “selecting the emperor on behalf of Heaven,” and its successive heirs had always been the most powerful supporters of the imperial authority.

Now, with Emperor Yang devoid of virtue and having lost governance both inside and outside, he had already been abandoned by the Three Teaching Sect. Otherwise, the heir of the Mercy Sailing Temple would not have entered the world again, moving in the Martial World to restart the task of “selecting the emperor on behalf of Heaven.”

As long as he could solve Yang Guang, taking his place to become the new emperor, and express his support for Buddhism, he would certainly gain the favor of the Mercy Sailing Temple.

At that time, with the power of the Yuwen Sect and the assistance of Buddhism, he would be able to pacify the various rebellious forces across the world, establish a new dynasty, and create a new era.

In light of this, what was Xu Qingyang to be concerned about?

Xuzhou could be left to him. Not to mention how Xu Qingyang’s “Replace the People or Item” tactic would incite indignation among the noble families and wrath of gods and men, even if he could win over the hearts of the noble families, it would be difficult for him to withstand the combined might of the Yuwen Sect and Buddhism. In the future, once he ascended to the throne and held power, today’s humiliation would surely be repaid a hundredfold!

This was Yuwen Huaji’s planning for the future, and also the reason he was insisting on rushing toward Yangdu despite his injuries.

The situation of the world was unstable, with various forces rising in rebellion. The desirable head of Yang Guang, along with those one hundred thousand elite imperial troops, could not fall into the hands of another.

They were destined possessions within Yuwen Huaji’s grasp!

As Yuwen Huaji left Xuzhou and hurried toward Yangdu, various forces also arrived in Xuzhou.

The battle of Xuzhou a few days ago, although not earth-shattering, had nevertheless gathered many under the storm clouds, attracting countless attentions.

Therefore, inside an ordinary inn within Xuzhou City.

“Greetings to the Holy Maiden!”

“Rise.”

A stunningly charming woman in pink clothes, with natural seductive bones, sat casually on a bed, her bare jade feet swinging as she shook a bracelet full of bells, “Have you ascertained the details?”

“Reporting to the Holy Maiden, the Longevity Jue is indeed in the hands of that Goguryeo demoness, and the artifact from Yang Gong’s Treasure was also obtained through her hands,” said the subordinate without daring to lift his head, respectfully.

“Half a month ago, this demoness and her two adopted sons were pursued by

Yuwen Huaji. They fled all the way to Xuzhou in search of the divine healer, Xu

Qingyang, for treatment.”

“Xu Qingyang intervened to neutralize the Ice Mysterious Power used by Yuwen Huaji, and then with a single palm strike, he heavily injured the approaching Yuwen Huaji, also unleashing the long-hidden strength of the Security Hall. A contingent of ironclad elite soldiers annihilated Yuwen Huaji’s large force, and all four high-level masters of the Yuwen Sect were captured.”

Upon hearing this, the woman grew impatient, “There’s no need to waste time on these widely known events. I want to know the details about Xu Qingyang, his true identity, his origins!”

“This…”

Her subordinate hesitated for a moment, but ultimately disclosed the truth, “This person’s background is quite peculiar. When Security Hall first opened sixteen years ago, someone investigated him.”

“The findings were that he was a beggar from within Xuzhou City, who nearly froze to death on the streets. Then, from nowhere, he acquired an exquisite medical expertise, changed his name, and his fortunes soared uncontrollably.” “In the sixteen vears since, he openlv recruited disciples, expanded his medical practices, covertly trained disciples in martial arts, and even adopted the art of disguise to perform replacement tricks, silently replacing the major families and sects of Xuzhou. Unbeknownst to others, he gained actual control of Xuzhou.”

“Furthermore, we’ve discovered that the major trading companies, courier firms, and Horse Gangs, as well as gang fleets of various rivers and seas, all have close ties to Security Hall. It is likely that many have been infiltrated using replacement tactics.”

“With these methods, he has not only raised an elite force in iron armor but has also seized the hearts of Xuzhou’s people and control over the land. Whether it’s the stationed army from the state counties, the private armies of families, or the followers of various factions in the Martial World, they all obey him without question. He has turned Xuzhou into an iron barrel, watertight and impenetrable!”

Listening to her subordinate’s account, the lady in pink also became serious and said in a deep voice, “Another Song Que?”

“This…”

The subordinate hesitated again, and finally agreed, “This person’s deeds indeed bear some resemblance to the leader of the Song Family.”

These words rendered the woman silent, revealing a sense of helplessness.

The leader of the Song Family, Heavenly Blade Song Que, was a legendary figure in the Martial World, whose fame was in no way inferior to that of the three Grandmasters.

A gifted individual in both martial arts and military strategy, Song Que swiftly reformed Lingnan after becoming family head, quelled rebellions, and united local warlords.

Later, Emperor Yang Jian of Sui, seeking to unify the lands, was met by Song Que leading ten thousand elite troops. The result was ten victories in ten battles, leaving Yang Jian utterly defeated and embarrassed.

With no other choice, Yang Jian withdrew from Lingnan, conferred the title of Duke of Zhennan on Song Que, and permitted him to govern independently.

This remained one of Emperor Yang Jian’s lifelong regrets.

Such was Song Que’s military brilliance, known as a grandmaster of military strategy, profoundly versed in both ancient and contemporary tactics.

In the realm of martial arts, he was a prodigious talent, famous from a young age, and it was rumored that his martial skills were on par with the three Grandmasters. Even the most renowned figures of the Demon Sect, including the Underworld Queen with her eight top experts, dared not provoke him lightly.

The lady in pink could relate because she was from the Demon Sect. To avoid angering the leader of the Song Family, they had withdrawn their forces from Lingnan years ago, thus steering clear of the “Heavenly Blade’s” edge.

Now, was Xuzhou about to encounter another troublesome character like this?

However, Xuzhou was different from Lingnan. Although Lingnan was a remote and barbarous region, seizing it had no significant impact on the overall situation. But Xuzhou… was in the heart of the Central Plains, a strategic location coveted by all, a must-have territory.

Even Heavenly Blade Song Que might not be able to secure it.

Could this person surpass Song Que?

“You’re saying this person with a single palm strike heavily injured Yuwen Huaji?”

“Yes, in front of a large crowd that day, his strike burst forth like a dragon. Yuwen Huaji, despite exhausting all his power, couldn’t withstand it and almost got blasted to death on the spot. It seemed the man might have even held back somewhat.’

The woman in pink was silent for a while, “So, it means the Longevity Jue has fallen into his hands?”

Her subordinate nodded, “This man has a penchant for collecting different martial arts from all over the world. Previously, he even demanded the original manual of the Ice Mysterious Power from Yuwen Huaji. If the Longevity Jue was on that Rakshasa woman, it should be in his possession by now.”

The woman fell silent again, then she spoke, “Where is the Rakshasa woman

“We’ve been tracking her, and she, along with two others, has left Xuzhou…”

Elsewhere, within the tranquility of Jing’an Temple in Xuzhou City,

Under the cold moonlight, in the quiet meditation room, a person frowned slightly while reading a letter.

In the night wind, beneath the bright moon, she, garbed in blue, looked ethereal and otherworldly with her stunning beauty, as if she was a lotus flowering in pure water, rain on a desolate mountain, dreamlike, an illusion, not of this world. Her eyes, especially, radiated wisdom and enlightenment, resonating with the profound principles of Buddhism. Even with her brows furrowed, her expression conveyed compassion.

She stared at the letter in her hand for a long time without speaking, seemingly in a daze until a breeze scattered the pages. That’s when she snapped back to reality, raised her eyes to the sky, and murmured to herself.

“Xu Xian?”

“Xu Qingyang?”

“You…. who exactly are you?”