Chapter 35: Southern Gate: Asking the Lord, The Dragon Throne Drenched in Blood

The next day at noon, Jiang Che arrived at the Southern Gate of the Capital City.

The Wen Jun Army formed ranks stretching ten li.

The Northern Garrison Army in black armor stood at the front, the Lu'an Wenjun Army in the center, while the Green Blade Camp and the Sword Pavilion Sword Cultivators flanked both wings.

Chen Shanhe stood behind Jiang Che, holding his blade.

Xie Tingxue, clad in white with a sword on her back, stood shoulder to shoulder with the Sword Pavilion Master, Xie Wuya.

Xie Wuya was a slender old man, his eyes sharp as swords.

Gazing at the Capital City walls, he sighed lightly: "I have not entered the Capital for many years; I never expected that upon my return, it would be to ask the Imperial City with the sword."

Jiang Che said, "Senior, do you regret coming?"

Xie Wuya smiled.

"If the Sword Pavilion dares not question a ruler who sacrifices the people, what kind of Sword Pavilion is it?"

The Southern Gate of the Capital City slowly opened.

The Emperor emerged.

He wore a Black Gold Dragon Robe, a Twelve-Tassel Crown upon his head, and held the Imperial Jade Seal in his hands.

Behind him stood the Faceless Golden Armored Heavenly Puppet.

Further back were dense ranks of the Imperial Guard.

On the city walls, many People of the Capital were forced by the Imperial Guard to stand there.

The Emperor's meaning was clear.

If Jiang Che attacked the city, the common people would die first.

Jiang Che looked at the Emperor.

This was the first time he had truly seen this Heavenly Son of Great Yin.

He looked older and colder than imagined.

The Emperor spoke, his voice spreading beyond the city walls through the National Fate.

"Jiang Che."

"I have treated your Jiang Family well."

Chen Shanhe flew into a rage and cursed: "Bullshit!"

The Northern Garrison Army roared in unison.

The Emperor acted as if he heard nothing and continued:

"Your father, Jiang Xuan, has received imperial grace for generations, yet he hoards troops for his own power and disobeys the Heavenly Fate."

"Today, you have killed a Feudal King, gathered a Rebel Army, and forced the Capital City."

"Do you know your crime?"

Jiang Che stepped forward one pace.

His voice was not as grand as the Emperor's, yet it fell clearly into everyone's ears.

"I have come today to ask you three things."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

Jiang Che's first question:

"Lu Heng invited the Barbarians into the pass, harming thirty thousand common people of Han Zhou; why did you make him a King?"

The Emperor fell silent.

Jiang Che's second question:

"What crime did the people of Luo'an commit, that you sacrificed an entire city?"

The corner of the Emperor's eye twitched.

Jiang Che's third question:

"The Royal Family of Great Yin made a Covenant with the Heavenly Gate, shepherding the people to offer them to Heaven; is this true or false?"

As the third question fell, the city walls of the Capital instantly erupted in uproar.

Many common people looked at the Emperor in disbelief.

The Emperor's face turned as gloomy as it could possibly be.

He suddenly laughed.

"Are you done asking?"

Jiang Che said, "Answer."

The Emperor slowly raised the Imperial Jade Seal.

"I need not answer a rebel."

Boom!

The jade seal glowed.

Above the Capital City, a Golden Qi Luck Long Dragon appeared.

The dragon shadow coiled around the Imperial City, letting out a roar that shook the heavens.

The Emperor's appearance aged at a speed visible to the naked eye, his hair instantly turning gray.

Yet his aura climbed wildly.

Earthly Immortal.

Even higher.

At the same time, the Faceless Heavenly Puppet took a step forward.

A pressure not belonging to the Human Realm descended upon the battlefield.

In the ranks of the Wen Jun Army, countless new recruits turned pale with fear.

Xie Wuya said in a deep voice, "Leave that Heavenly Puppet to the old man and Sword Pavilion."

Xie Tingxue said, "I will go together."

Jiang Che nodded.

"Leave the Emperor to me."

Chen Shanhe cried out urgently, "Young Master!"

Jiang Che turned his head to look at him.

"Uncle Chen, protect the common people."

Chen Shanhe gritted his teeth: "Yes!"

The great battle erupted suddenly.

The Heavenly Puppet slashed down with one sword, its Sword Qi like a golden waterfall.

Xie Wuya led three thousand Sword Cultivators from Sword Pavilion to form an array; three thousand sword lights shot into the sky, clashing head-on with the Heavenly Puppet.

Xie Tingxue struck with a sword like snow, thrusting straight at the Heavenly Puppet's head.

On the city walls, the Imperial Guard prepared to slaughter the common people, but were intercepted mid-air by Sword Cultivators from the Green Blade Camp.

Chen Shanhe led the Northern Garrison Army charging toward the Southern Gate, attacking not the city, but rescuing people.

Jiang Che, meanwhile, walked step by step toward the Emperor.

Golden dragons coiled around the Emperor's body, his eyes filled with madness.

"Jiang Che, I am the Heavenly Son!"

Jiang Che drew the Green Bamboo Sword.

"After today, you are not."

The Emperor roared in fury, and the golden dragon of Qi Refining surged to swallow Jiang Che.

Jiang Che extended his sword.

The Green Bamboo Sword pierced the dragon's head.

The golden dragon roared, and Jiang Che was blasted back ten zhang.

The Emperor laughed loudly: "You think that because the people's hearts belong to you, you can sever the National Fate? I have sat on the Dragon Throne for thirty years; the mountains and rivers of Great Yin still acknowledge me!"

Jiang Che wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"The mountains and rivers acknowledge those who protect them."

"Not those who devour them."

He struck with his sword again.

One sword strike after another.

Every strike landed upon the golden dragon.

The Emperor aged continuously, yet grew increasingly manic.

"I will not lose!"

"I am Great Yin!"

Jiang Che was sent flying by the collision with the golden dragon, the bones in his chest cracking.

But he quickly rose to his feet.

The common people of Luo'an shouted within the military formation: "Wen Jun!"

The Northern Garrison Army of Han Zhou roared: "Wen Jun!"

On the walls of the Capital City, the rescued common people also began to shout:

"Wen Jun!"

The sound grew louder and louder.

The entire Capital City was asking.

The golden dragon surrounding the Emperor suddenly trembled.

The National Fate began to split.

Half still coiled around the Emperor.

The other half, however, detached from the Dragon Robe and scattered toward the common people in the city.

The Emperor cried out in terror: "No! You cannot abandon me!"

Jiang Che seized this instant.

Upon the Green Bamboo Sword appeared the Han Prefecture Sword Vein, the Luo'an People's Heart, the Zhenbei Heroic Souls, and the Intent of Sword Cultivators Under Heaven.

He thrust out with one sword strike.

"This sword strike."

"Asks on behalf of the Human Realm."

The sword light pierced through the golden dragon.

It also pierced through the Emperor's chest.

The Emperor froze in place, looking down at his blood-stained Dragon Robe.

He seemed to want to say something, but only coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The Imperial Jade Seal slipped from his hand, fell to the ground, and cracked with a fissure.

In the distance, the Heavenly Puppet, lacking the support of National Fate, was shattered by the combined efforts of Xie Wuya and Xie Tingxue.

The Southern Gate of the Capital City swung wide open.

The Imperial Guard one by one discarded their armor.

The Emperor knelt on the ground, staring fixedly at Jiang Che.

"You... will sit upon it..."

"You too will become me..."

Jiang Che looked at him.

"Then let all under Heaven watch me."

"If one day, I also treat the common people as sacrifices."

He drew the Green Bamboo Sword, pointing it at the citizens filling the city and the soldiers behind him.

"Then let those who come after also come to question me with a sword."

The Emperor's pupils dilated.

The Great Yin Emperor died at the Southern Gate of the Capital City.

No blood was seen on the Dragon Throne.

But all under Heaven knew.

From this moment on, that Dragon Throne had already been stained with blood.