Chapter 249

Half an hour later.

Zhu Lingyue sat opposite Shen Qing, her mood slightly improved, though her eye sockets remained red.

Shen Qing's collar was soaked with tears, and he smiled as he said: "Have you adjusted your emotions?"

Zhu Lingyue nodded at her reddened cheeks and whispered: "Thank you, Shen Qing."

Shen Qing hadn't expected Zhu Lingyue to have such a girlish expression—well, you can't deny it, it's quite lovely.

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Since your mother has already been rescued, then you probably have no more worries, right?"

Zhu Lingyue nodded, but still kept her head lowered, afraid to look into Shen Qing's eyes.

Shen Qing pondered for a moment, then spoke.

"So what are you planning to do next?"

"Now that your mother is rescued, that group of old fogeys has lost their last leverage, so we don't need to confront them head-on—we can just hide and wait for the Martial Emperor and the Shen family patriarch to return, then settle things."

"If you want to wipe them out, the initiative is now in our hands."

"It all depends on how you choose."

Zhu Lingyue whispered: "I'll follow your lead."

Shen Qing raised his eyebrows.

"Listen to me? Then I'll just slaughter them."

"Now the initiative is in our hands— they're the ones who are anxious. They're afraid we're hiding, so we can use this as bait to lure them all out."

"Then we'll wipe them out in one sweep."

Zhu Lingyue calmed down a bit, thought for a while, and said: "This plan is feasible."

As long as Zhu Lingyue hides, that group of old fogeys will be frantic—once we leak a little news, they'll come rushing like mad dogs.

But this plan still has a loophole.

Zhu Lingyue looked at Shen Qing: "What about the Shen family? If they can't find me, they might attack you."

"Don't worry—within two hours, the Shen family in the capital will vanish without a trace."

Shen Qing spoke confidently: The Shen family has been in the capital for a thousand years—there's nothing they can't arrange. Now, all it takes is one word from me.

Not only will the Shen family's direct line in the capital disappear, but even all the Shen family branches throughout the Great Wu and their shadow guards will be scattered and hidden within ten days.

Shen Qing then continued: "Actually, I've always had a question—who helped you ascend the throne?"

Zhu Lingyue nodded: "It was my master—more accurately, I should call him the Heavenly Ancestor."

"The great-great-grandfather is counted from oneself upward three generations; the Heavenly Ancestor is five generations up."

"Heavenly Ancestor? Is he reliable?"

"Reliable. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive today, nor would I have ascended the throne."

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes: "Then for this decisive battle, your master should come, right?"

Zhu Lingyue nodded.

Shen Qing said: "I hope we can arrange a meeting between the two of us before the war begins."

"Good."

Half a day later.

Deep within the imperial palace.

Emperor Jing, Zhu Chengsheng, stood behind the old man with a frightened expression, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Great-great-grandfather, our people arrived too late—Bai Zhi has already been rescued."

Emperor Jing's great-great-grandfather suddenly opened his eyes.

"What did you say?"

Emperor Jing's great-great-grandfather, who had once sat on the throne himself, was named Emperor Shun.

Zhu Chengsheng jumped up and immediately knelt on the ground: "Great-great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, I don't even know what's going on."

"But there's still a chance—I am, after all, Zhu Lingyue's biological father; perhaps she will still take pity on me..."

Emperor Shun let out a cold laugh: "Do you not want to laugh yourself when you say such things?"

"Now that Bai Zhi has escaped, Zhu Lingyue's final shackle is gone—if you dare appear before her now, she won't kill you with three swords only because she's magnanimous."

Emperor Shun's eyes were icy: "The most critical thing now is that we have completely lost the initiative."

"Zhu Lingyue and Shen Qing only need to hide, and then we'll be the ones suffering."

But sometimes, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to come.

A sound of footsteps approached, and a middle-aged man rushed in panic: "Great-great-grandfather! Something terrible has happened! Everyone on Zhu Lingyue's side has vanished!"

Emperor Shun didn't turn his head: "What about Shen Qing's side? And the Shen family?"

The man lowered his head: "All the Shen family members vanished into thin air half an hour ago!"

But just as a violent aura erupted, the dragon energy shadow on his body turned into terrifying blackness, and the immense pressure left Emperor Jing and another middle-aged man gasping for breath.

Before he could even erupt in anger, another black-clad half-saint flew in from the sky, his body similarly wrapped in black dragon energy, equally aged and frail.

"Old brother, are you angry about the Zhu Lingyue matter?"

"I have some news—do you want to hear it?"

"Our agents planted near Zhu Lingyue have already sent out the message—Zhu Lingyue has fled and is now at Anyan Mountain."

Emperor Shun fell silent for a moment, then said: "Then summon all our old friends—let's go to Anyan Mountain to check it out."

At that moment, Emperor Jing Zhu Chengsheng spoke up: "Great-great-grandfather, could this be a trap? Zhu Lingyue just ran away, and then our insider immediately sent the news—could our insider have been exposed?"

Emperor Shun turned and glanced at him: "Just don't move your pig brain, okay? You only know how to squeal."

"Now Zhu Lingyue and Shen Qing are forcing us to take the initiative to meet them!"

"Now we must go—whether we go or not, we have to go!"

"We must go all out! If we don't go, even if the Martial Emperor returns, we'll die anyway! Do you understand?"

The Jing Emperor immediately became like a quail, trembling as he nodded.

At this very moment, troops were being mobilized and commanders dispatched.

On the other side, Anyan Mountain.

A white-clad old man, he is called Zhu Jin, and he is also of the same generation as Zhu Lingyue's grandfather.

But now he is crouching on the ground like a grandson.

He raised his head, looking toward Zhu Lingyue and Shen Qing.

"Lingyue ah, Young Master Shen Qing ah, can I stand up now?"

Shen Qing glanced at him: "Has the message been sent to that bunch of old immortals?"

Zhu Jin nodded repeatedly: "Yes yes yes, I have already sent the message as per Young Master Shen Qing's instruction, saying the person is at Anyan Mountain."

Shen Qing raised his hand, lightly flicked, and Zhu Jin's head was severed from his body.

"Since the message has already been sent out, you're useless now? Why are you still alive?"

Saying this, Shen Qing turned his head and looked at the crowd behind him: "Let's go, follow me."

Wu Nian stepped forward: "Shen benefactor, where are we going? Weren't we supposed to wait for them at Anyan Mountain?"

Shen Qing turned his head and gave Wu Nian a look of exasperated disappointment.

"It's not that I'm saying you, Wu Nian, you've followed me for so long, yet you're still as dull as a block of wood!"

"Did I say that Anyan Mountain must be the exact place for ambush? Wu Nian, this is a life-and-death struggle, not a martial arts contest; as long as they die, our plan succeeds."

"So, flying forward twenty li from here, there is a mountain named Xuanwu Mountain, which is the necessary passage from the capital to Anyan Mountain; we will ambush them there, strike them unawares, kill them all, and our plan will succeed."

Shen Qing reached out and patted Wu Nian's shoulder: "Wu Nian ah, when facing evil people, there's no need to be too particular about martial virtue."

Upon hearing this, Wu Nian's eyes lit up.

Originally, it could still be done this way!