Chapter 117: I Wield a Sword, Arrogant Beyond Compare

Since ancient times, power struggles have always been paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, with countless bones forming the foundation of thrones.

If the victor is benevolent, the dead at least buy a few years of peace.

If the victor is ruthless, then bones will be buried atop more bones.

In the main hall of the Secret Intelligence Division, the fallen “defeated” were dragged out like sickly pigs and stray dogs, tossed carelessly into the stables by the Prince Huai’s Loyalists.

A few buckets of well water were splashed across the ground, washing away the blood. In no time, the place was restored to its former guise as a key military intelligence hub for the court, dedicated to the “protection of the nation.”

Li Yan stood in the hall, feeling a great sense of urgency, yet he methodically discussed the situation with Tang Feng.

“I originally wanted Ding Hui to summon two Thousand-Household Commanders. Once they were dead, the regular soldiers could be led by Junior Flag Officers, who in turn would be commanded by Flag Officers, and the Flag Officers would be bound by their families… In this way, we could create momentum and at least indirectly control two Guards. But that bastard… His connections were lacking. Only one Thousand-Household Commander came, half of what I expected.”

“Zhang Gui and the others are old subordinates of Prince Huai. Can they negotiate with the Royal Guard?” Tang Feng responded quickly.

“Those who were willing and dared to come are already standing here,” Li Yan shook his head slightly after some thought. “As for those who didn’t come, they definitely won’t talk to you now. But if we can break into Qingliang Prefecture and keep our banner standing, never mind the Royal Guard, even the remaining four units of Qingzhou Guards would be willing to serve Prince Huai.”

Tang Feng blinked his sharp eyes and decisively slapped the table. “Then let’s take one Qingzhou Guard, three hundred deathsworn warriors, and these spies from the Secret Intelligence Division, and smash our way into Qingliang Prefecture.”

Li Yan looked at him. “What about the families of these defecting officers? If we all leave and the Royal Guard or government troops rescue them, then what?”

Tang Feng pondered for a moment, then turned and called out, “Lian’er!”

“…Eh… Songstress-sister, Lian’er is here!” Lian’er stepped forward and bowed.

“Lock up the families of these defecting officers in the dungeon. Can you personally watch over them, along with the maids and eunuchs? You must hold on until Prince Huai returns.” Tang Feng asked bluntly.

Lian’er barely hesitated before bowing again. “This servant can guard them and will wait for Prince Huai to return victorious.”

“If the Royal Guard or spies from the prince’s manor attempt a rescue, how will you respond?” Li Yan asked.

Lian’er thought for a moment, then replied resolutely, “I will take the eunuchs and maids, open the Secret Intelligence Division’s armory, retrieve gunpowder and ammunition, and barricade the dungeon entrance with it. If anyone attempts a rescue, I will perish alongside them.”

She didn’t shout a fervent oath—just calmly stated her answer.

In the absence of Li Yan, Tang Feng, Imperial Inspector Liu, and the Princess, Zhu Zigui had only two trusted confidants: Second Fool and Lian’er.

In their youth, when Prince Huai was a wayward troublemaker, they followed him in his mischief.

When he reached adulthood and chose to rebel, one began killing, and the other prepared to die…

Time passed, but their steps never wavered.

It had become a habit.

A habit that needed no words.

Hearing her answer, Tang Feng knew it was settled. He turned to Li Yan and said, “Then let’s do it.”

“We must do it properly,” Li Yan began strategizing. “It has to be ceremonial. We must make the city’s onlookers believe that this is an uprising that Prince Huai has been planning and preparing for a long time—one that is destined to succeed. Anyone who stands in our way must die. Bring in those Flag Officers, order red banners and flags to be prepared, and summon their trusted aides to ready the stables…”

Outside the courtyard.

A Qingzhou Guard Flag Officer stood with his head hanging low, feeling like the unluckiest man alive.

He should never have followed that Thousand-Household Commander here. Now, not only did he have to hand over his family, but he was also forced to join Prince Huai’s rebellion.

This wasn’t a job one could just walk away from. A single misstep, and it would be a crime punishable by execution—wiping out his entire clan.

He felt despondent, staring at the ground… unsure whether to step left or right.

“Smack!”

Imperial Inspector Liu delivered a sudden slap to his face.

It came out of nowhere—no provocation, no warning. The Flag Officer was just standing there, and suddenly—BAM—Imperial Inspector Liu gave him a resounding slap.

The Flag Officer was utterly aggrieved, gritting his teeth, his chest rising and falling. “Lord Liu… I have already been very cooperative.”

“Cooperation isn’t enough! You need enthusiasm! You should be excited about this!” Imperial Inspector Liu jabbed a finger at his face and scolded, “This is a rebellion! A coup! Do you know how many lifetimes it takes to witness something like this?! And here you are, head hanging low, looking like you’re on your way to your father’s grave?!”

The crowd turned at the sound of his rant.

The Wise Liu’s eyes were sharp, his entire being filled with excitement and fervor as he roared, “Rebellion! Do you even know what rebellion means? If you go to the battlefield, even if you repel the enemy a hundred times, at most, when you return to Qingliang Prefecture, you’ll only be a Hundred-Household Officer. But if you rebel just once—so long as you succeed—you bastards could become Thousand-Household Commanders, or even rise to the rank of Commander! It’s the same gamble with your life, the same killing with your head tied to your belt, so why do you all look so unwilling in the face of such a heaven-sent opportunity? That dog of a man, Feng Xing, and those officials in the prefectural government—how much silver have they embezzled from Qingliang Prefecture over the years? If we charge in, we can sleep with his wife and concubines, seize his silver, and beat his sons. Is this kind of opportunity something that comes around every day? Even if the imperial army comes to suppress us later, we can still follow Prince Huai, take our families, and retreat into the mountains, or even flee to the southern border. The world is vast—where can’t we find a place to settle?!”

Hearing these words, everyone was momentarily stunned. Though they knew that Imperial Inspector Liu was trying to brainwash them, his words weren’t entirely without reason.

Killing was killing, and fighting on the battlefield was the same—yet as mere Flag Officers commanding fifty men, if they were to die in a mass grave, how much silver would their families even receive as compensation?

Imperial Inspector Liu looked at them, raised his hand, and shouted, “In life, things that seem absolutely certain can still lead to death—just like those few men thrown into the horse pen earlier. But things that seem extremely dangerous often come with immense opportunity. Glory and fortune are won on horseback—smash the banners and storm the brothels! I swear on behalf of Prince Huai—once we take the city, everything that belongs to Feng Xing will be yours.”

“Lord Liu, do you mean it?”

“Damn it, only cowards tell lies!” Imperial Inspector Liu’s eyes gleamed fiercely. “Once we mount up, I’ll take the vanguard. Are you with me or not?!”

“Smash the banners and storm the brothels!”

“Bet our lives on it—at worst, we’ll just flee to the mountains!”

“We are willing to follow in Prince Huai’s footsteps!”

“……!”

With just a few words, Imperial Inspector Liu had stirred up the desires and excitement buried within the hearts of these small-time officers, who had initially been forced into rebellion and were feeling hopeless.

They had no choice but to go through with this—after all, their families were being held as hostages. Even if they didn’t want to, they had to.

But what was pleasantly surprising was that Imperial Inspector Liu, on behalf of Prince Huai, had promised that this wouldn’t be for nothing. As long as they took the city, they could split Feng Xing’s entire estate—even his wife…

Their thoughts instantly fixated on one thing: they had to enter the city, and they had to make this rebellion succeed. If the Qingzhou Guards encircled them, the imperial court wouldn’t care why they had rebelled—they would simply be executed on the spot.

Entering the city was the only way.

Only by taking the city could they survive, claim their share of the spoils, and maybe even climb the ranks.

Imperial Inspector Liu didn’t understand politics, nor could he craft some lofty manifesto for rebellion in classical prose, but he understood people—especially those who lived by the blade at the bottom rung of society.

…

Qingliang Prefecture, Prefectural Government Main Hall.

A game board was laid out on a tea table, with Feng Xing and Ren Ye seated across from each other.

The sun was setting in the west, casting golden light across the sky outside.

Ren Ye lowered his head, looking at the board, and asked softly, “Lord Feng, if I were to stay here and not leave, may I set a few conditions?”

He had been here for over an hour now, enduring humiliation and making concessions step by step.

Feng Xing didn’t seem to be in any hurry. He simply smiled as he looked at the board. “Go ahead.”

“I am willing to enter the tomb and retrieve the Human Emperor Seal for His Majesty. But before that, the eunuchs and palace maids who follow me must be allowed to take their imperial rewards and exit the borders with a travel permit.” As Ren Ye placed his pieces haphazardly on the board, he spoke in a calm voice.

“Hahaha! They’re just servants—why does a prince like you care so much?” Feng Xing chuckled, glancing at the steward standing behind the hall. The man nodded subtly in response.

“To me, they grew up with me, played around with me—they are like family.” Ren Ye looked up at him. “Is this acceptable?”

Feng Xing withdrew his gaze and suddenly swept the chess pieces off the board. Leaning forward, he asked, “Do you know why I’ve been sitting here playing chess with you?”

Ren Ye gazed at him. “Isn’t it to negotiate?”

“Hahaha, I’m waiting for the Tianjian Division Daoists to arrive. And you—what are you waiting for?” Feng Xing laughed.

Ren Ye gripped a chess piece tightly, anxiety surging within him. His feigned submissiveness was merely a stalling tactic—he was waiting for Li Yan and the others to infiltrate the city.

But unfortunately, the enemy’s reinforcements had arrived first… and later than he had anticipated.

“Swoosh!”
“Swoosh!”
“……!”

As his words fell, three figures entered the hall. They were clad in Daoist robes—one in his forties, and the others in their twenties.

However, they did not carry swords, nor any talismans. Instead, each of them held three pitch-black gourds.

One of them sneered upon seeing Ren Ye, “It is said that His Highness possesses the art of soul-gathering. We have specially brought along three hundred refined vengeful spirits and wrathful souls. Heh… I wonder if Your Highness’s Yin-Yang arts can control them, or if you will suffer backlash instead.”

“Tap, tap!”

At that moment, urgent footsteps sounded as Zhang Wu, the acting commander of the Qingzhou Guards, entered the hall with thirty heavily armored soldiers.

“Zhu Zigui, your guard killed my elder brother, Zhong Kuishan. This debt will be settled with you.” Zhang Wu’s gaze was cold as he stared at Ren Ye.

“Swoosh!”

Feng Xing sprang up from his seat, dusting off invisible specks from his robe with a sinister smile. “If not to deal with your soul-gathering arts, why else would I bother playing chess with you? A caged bird—your chess game is terrible!”

After speaking, he turned and walked out, clasping his hands behind his back. “Prince Huai delivered himself into our hands, allowing us to capture him without effort—such a story is far too plain. My suggestion is that he led an assault on the provincial yamen, we fought back with all our might… and in the end, barely survived while capturing Prince Huai and over a hundred of his accomplices. Reporting it this way to His Majesty will surely earn his favor. My primary concern, after all… is His Majesty’s favor.”

Zhang Wu replied, “If there was a battle, why is there no sign of injury on Prince Huai?”

“Hahaha! Sever his legs—it won’t prevent him from entering the tomb as a Heavenly Pardoned One.” Feng Xing laughed as he spoke, striding out of the main hall.

The large doors of the hall swung shut behind him, filling the room with an oppressive killing intent.

A Daoist priest holding a gourd stepped forward, his gaze venomous as he looked at Prince Huai. “You worthless wretch, if you dare to use the Soul Gathering Technique today, the backlash of a hundred ghosts will let you experience the agony of a thousand insects gnawing at your flesh.”

Swish!

Zhang Wu drew his steel blade, his eyes murderous.

Ren Ye hadn’t moved earlier because he sensed that the three Daoist priests had already locked onto him. Even if he acted suddenly, he probably wouldn’t be able to seize Feng Xing.

However, since he dared to come, he naturally had a contingency plan.

Swish!

Ren Ye slowly stepped down, and with a casual wave of his hand, a sword radiating multicolored light suddenly appeared in his grasp.

He had originally intended to stall for time, waiting for Li Yan to arrive with reinforcements.

But now that the enemy had made the first move, he had no choice but to fight alone.

With the sword in hand, an extraordinary presence erupted.

His posture was relaxed, his aura unrestrained—standing there, he showed neither an offensive stance nor any sign of defense. He was riddled with apparent openings, indistinguishable from an ordinary man.

The Imperial Brush possessed divine power, known as “Replication,” allowing it to steal any techniques, Daoist arts, or swordsmanship within this Star Gate…

Before setting out, the swordplay-inept Second Fool had demonstrated a technique for him—one from the Domineering Heaven Sword Art.

Second Fool had claimed to be slow-witted and had only grasped the first form of this sword technique, but at least it was complete.

This move was called—”The Sword Presses Upon Both Banks of the Yellow River.”

No one knew who had created this sword art, but the person must have been an obsessive maniac, a supreme show-off. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have given the technique such an absurd name, nor its move such an over-the-top title.

However, some sword techniques were merely arts—mere methods of killing—while others carried intent…

The Domineering Heaven Sword Art was indeed excessively arrogant, yet it possessed intent.

All experts under heaven are but ants.

Once my sword is drawn, it will press upon both banks of the Yellow River.

This was an intent pushed to the extreme—its sword techniques embodied absolute dominance and overwhelming power.

For the first time, Ren Ye felt the existence of intent, but it was only thanks to the Imperial Brush, as he was still leagues away from truly comprehending it.

He had merely replicated a single sword move, yet as he prepared to unleash it, an unparalleled arrogance surged within him—as if the entire martial world was nothing more than a sword’s length away.

Buzz!

By coincidence, the Human Emperor Sword was also an utterly domineering divine weapon—its intent and blade merged as one, resonating like the song of a cicada.

Zhang Wu, a martial artist himself, had not yet reached the level of grasping intent, but he could feel it…

The moment Ren Ye stood there, an overwhelming pressure locked onto him, suffocating and inescapable.

“Attack!”

With a furious shout, the three Daoist priests raised their hands simultaneously to open the gourd.

Swish!

Ren Ye raised his arm.

The moment the doors of the main hall shut, all the lamps within were extinguished.

A violent aura exploded outward, crashing over the room like a tidal wave.

Boundless energy surged from Ren Ye’s body, wildly pouring into the Human Emperor Sword…

The cicada’s cry ceased.

Multicolored radiance illuminated the hall.

A single slash swept through.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

The three raised arms, along with their owners’ bodies, were severed into two in an instant.

Thirty heavily armored soldiers, relying solely on their flesh and blood, were incapable of withstanding the sword’s might. They all collapsed to their knees, vomiting blood.

Whoosh!

Zhang Wu hesitated for a split second, but retreating was not an option. He resolved to stake his life in battle and swung his blade toward Ren Ye.

Boom!

Crack!

Just as Feng Xing was walking toward the courtyard, he suddenly heard a deafening crash.

He spun around—only to see the grand entrance of the main hall split apart by a single sword strike, sending countless splinters flying.

Zhang Wu, now wielding a broken blade, was hurled over ten meters through the air before landing heavily at Feng Xing’s feet.

Inside the hall, the cork of the gourd had been pulled out, releasing a hundred ghosts that floated out with menacing grins.

Yet the moment they saw the Human Emperor Sword, they all screamed—then instantly fled back into the gourd.

…

Meanwhile, outside Qingliang Prefecture, on the official road…

“Mount up! Wrap the cloth!”

Li Yan stood under an umbrella, shouting.

Roughly 1,500 soldiers stood in formation outside the Right Guard’s camp, all mounting their horses and tying red cloths around their necks.

Steel blades hung from their saddles, and a chilling killing intent spread across the official road.

“Change the flags!” Imperial Inspector Liu shouted.

One by one, the banners of Great Qian’s Qingzhou Guard were cut down and discarded.

One by one, the dusty banners of Prince Huai, long buried at the bottom of chests, were raised again to flutter in the wind.

An old soldier, Zhang Gui, saw this and broke into tears. “We fought alongside Prince Huai for years—this flag has passed over every inch of Great Qian’s land. And yet, upon victory’s eve, Prince Huai was ambushed and killed by Emperor Jing on his way back in triumph. The war heroes—some were stripped of rank, some exiled… Today, by protecting the Prince, we serve both loyalty and justice—for those who never made it home!”

Li Yan gazed at the city gates and shouted loudly:

“Brothers! Ride with me—let us trample Qingliang Prefecture underfoot!”

Hooves thundered.

Flags surged northward.

In the blink of an eye, dust clouds rolled along the official road like a fiery beacon—charging straight for the city gates.