Chapter 42: Golden Thread

Xiao Yu, continuous and unending.

It strikes the umbrella like small pearls falling onto a jade plate.

Mo Fengxue holds the umbrella, her expression a complex mix of emotions.

"Young Master, do you really not need me... or the others to accompany you to Kyoto?"

Behind Mo Fengxue, the old monk of Kongshan Temple, the head of the Jiangtian Xie Clan, and the leaders of other factions wear varied expressions.

"No need," Lin Chao chuckles. "If you go, you certainly won't return. It would be of no benefit to the situation; it is better to stay here and sit, waiting for the overall situation to change."

"As you command, Young Master." Mo Fengxue is somewhat reluctant, but she still obeys the order.

The others are the same, their hearts filled with a complex mix of emotions.

If they go to Kyoto, death is certain.

When Young Master Lin Ping goes to Kyoto, is it not the same?

"Young Master, stay safe. If you cannot contend with force, it might be better to negotiate peace with Cang Jun, divide the river and rule, and give the common people of the world a way back," Qi Guangying says, his voice solemn.

In truth, there is one other outcome that has not been mentioned: leaving the ancestral lands and heading overseas.

With their strength, they could still carve out a kingdom overseas.

Moreover, overseas is not suppressed by the fortune of the Canglong Stone, and they would not fear Cang Jun.

Of course, no one mentions this plan.

After all, they are people of the Central Plains, members of the Daxia Clan.

Unless there is no other choice, they are fundamentally unwilling to turn their backs on their ancestral lands and travel far overseas.

"Young Master, I will drive the carriage for you." Huang Xianyuan is clad in armor, looking like a general.

Lin Chao smiles: "Good."

In his memory, Huang Xianyuan is Huang Gaozu.

This emperor, though not widely famous, was quite skilled in both civil and military affairs; he is an underestimated emperor.

Lin Chao enters the carriage, Zhang Daolin enters the carriage, and Huang Xianyuan drives the carriage.

Lin Chao looks at the armor on Huang Xianyuan, a smile appearing on his face: "Once, a minister advised Cang Jun that the people are Water; Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. And Cang Jun replied that he is not a boat, but a true dragon.

If Commander Huang were to be a ruler, would you be a boat or a dragon?"

Huang Xianyuan is stunned for a moment, then his body cannot stop trembling.

The Young Master means...

Huang Xianyuan suppresses the fervent thoughts in his heart: "All things in the world are born of yin and yang.

If Cang Jun is the dragon, then the people are the Dragon Essence."

The 'essence' Huang Xianyuan speaks of is Dragon Essence.

In Mythical legends, the dragon's power comes from having Dragon Essence.

Once a dragon loses its Dragon Essence, it is no different from an Ordinary beast.

"Does Commander Huang believe that there is a dynasty that lasts for ten thousand generations?"

Huang Xianyuan does not hesitate at all: "No, there are only dynasties that pursue ten thousand generations."

"Going to Kyoto this time, after I Slay Cang Jun, I will seek out mountains and rivers to pursue the Dao and take a look at this world," Lin Chao says in a calm voice, seemingly full of confidence in this trip. "The Dan Sword Sect may have to trouble Commander Huang to look after it."

Huang Xianyuan's body trembles slightly.

Is the Young Master truly a Saint reincarnated?

Huang Xianyuan feels the power of Cang Jun personally.

Even the rebel army he leads is currently the most powerful one.

However, facing Cang Jun, he still has no confidence at all.

Back then, the momentum of Zhang Sheng was so great, yet in the end, it still ended in a miserable defeat.

"If the Young Master does not mind, I have a daughter named Liuli, eight years of age, who could be betrothed to your younger brother, Lin Zhi." Huang Xianyuan suppresses the unspeakable emotions in his heart.

Lin Chao smiles.

If he remembers correctly, the history books record that Huang Gaozu was always calm even when mountains collapsed before him.

Once, Huang Gaozu was sleeping in his palace at night when a meteorite fell, smashing the gate of the palace.

The palace was in chaos, but Huang Gaozu slowly put on his clothes, looked at the gate destroyed by the meteorite, and seemingly said: "Is that all?"

Then, he went back to sleep.

At the time, many ministers suggested that Huang Gaozu move to another place, and some ministers said that the Gaozu should issue an edict of self-reproach, but Huang Gaozu did not care about any of it.

It is such a calm person who speaks with a trembling voice in front of Lin Chao.

"I have no objection to this matter, but we can wait until the two of them are older and ask for their own opinions," Lin Chao says in a calm voice.

"Very well, Young Master." Huang Xianyuan suppresses his excited voice.

Time passes quickly, and the carriage has reached outside the city.

Mo Fengxue and the others have also followed to outside the city.

Huang Xianyuan looks at Lin Chao, his voice unreadable: "Young Master, I will not see you off."

Mo Fengxue and the others look at Lin Chao: "Take care, Young Master!"

The carriage heads north all the way.

Zhang Daolin has become Lin Chao's coachman.

"Young Master, Shaoqin has been clamoring, saying he wants to see you once."

"Let it be up to fate."

Ten days later.

Kyoto.

Today is the day the Jishi opens, yet there are not many people, not even as many as in Beiling.

Within the Jishi, there are few Commoners, mostly wealthy Shang.

The vast Jingcheng has become somewhat desolate.

Lin Chao, holding a sword and riding a horse, entered Kyoto without obstruction.

The soldiers at the Gate were yawning, not even checking travel permits.

The entire Kyoto is like a brush full of holes.

Yet such a Kyoto remains the most difficult city to breach in all of Great Cang.

How many rebel armies have fallen outside the walls of Kyoto.

Or, they never even got to see the walls of Kyoto.

How many Assassins have entered Kyoto to assassinate Cang Jun, only to find themselves unable to move an inch within the city.

There are powerful nobles who seize people to drain their blood and make blood soup.

Or those who encounter black-hearted inns and are directly turned into human meat buns.

The entire Kyoto is in utter chaos.

Lin Chao glanced toward the Palace, his gaze becoming deep.

A golden radiance lay dormant in the earth.

Countless golden threads were being drawn in from all directions.

Lin Chao saw that every person had a wisp of a golden thread on them.

The closer one gets to the Palace, the more obvious and brighter this golden thread becomes.

Lin Chao had seen this kind of golden thread in Beiling as well.

It is just that the golden threads on the people of Beiling looked much weaker.

If one did not look carefully, one would not notice them at all.

"Draining the world's fortune to forge the Mandate of Heaven for Great Cang—a fine method."

Lin Chao's gaze was deep.

This is not something the current Daxia could achieve.

After all, the current Daxia is quite normal, save for a few Strange Treasures.

Lin Chao continued toward the Palace.

The Cang Jun he intends to kill sits in command within the Palace.

However, along the way, Lin Chao discovered that the Mandate of Heaven of Cang Jun still affected him.

Along the way, first a noble's son took a fancy to him and wanted to capture him to keep as a pet.

Lin Chao slew him with one sword strike.

A short while later, a descendant of a military noble demanded a toll from Lin Chao.

Lin Chao continued to slay him with one sword strike.

Either bricks fell from the pavilions above, or a Featherless Arrow fell unexpectedly from the sky.

If it were an Ordinary person, they would have died long ago.

"Is this the power of the Mandate of Heaven?"

The Mandate of Heaven vaguely alters the secrets of heaven.

Especially in Kyoto, this alteration is already extremely powerful, occurring one after another.

No wonder Cang Jun can rest so easy.

After all, matters of the Mandate of Heaven are too profound.

With fortune so strong, Cang Jun has nothing to fear at all.

On the contrary, Cang Jun's enemies might get their teeth stuck drinking cold water or choke themselves to death while eating.

Lin Chao did not care about these things.

Lin Chao's gaze was calm as he looked at the Palace ahead: "Cang Jun, I have arrived."

PS: I need to properly brew the plot for what comes next; only one update today, my deepest apologies!

(End of chapter)