Chapter 132: You

The Foolish Monk heard your words, clasped his hands together, and chanted continuously.

"Amitabha!"

But even the Buddha's name could not fully quell the rage in his chest.

You felt puzzled; the Foolish Monk and Daqing seemed to have a deep connection.

Back then, he risked his life to storm the North Wind to save Emperor Hui; now, he is enraged by your words.

Chen Sanzhong frowned tightly, his eyes half-lidded, his inner impatience rising.

In his view, the ruler is ruler, the subject is subject.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parent, Teacher!

If the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject must die—that is the subject's duty.

Ma Bao, standing nearby, felt a tangle of emotions.

He shares a deep bond with you; years ago, he rode a thousand li to deliver the imperial decree, witnessing the triumphant spirit of the three Lu family members.

At that time, the master, upon hearing news from the northern frontiers, rose barefoot from his bed and stepped outside, laughing heartily.

Within a single day, His Majesty mentioned Lu Chen and Lu Shenzhou's names no fewer than fifty times, as recorded by the imperial historians.

Yet! Now, all has changed beyond recognition.

Ma Bao let out a faint sigh.

The death of the Young Protector will surely plunge the realm into chaos.

Today's events may be like the Emperor's death on Mount Zhongnan—reshaping the fate of the world.

Three Grand Masters have come for this— a death trap.

Ten deaths, no life!

Even if!

Lu Yu has reached the Grand Master realm, yet even he cannot fight four at once; the Demon Master atop Zhongnan would likely meet his end in defeat.

Jiang Xiaoyue let out a cold laugh.

"Commander of all imperial troops"? How utterly ridiculous.

In his view, all beneath the Grand Master realm are mere mortals, unworthy of notice.

At this moment!

A pure white Hai Dong Qing circled once above the courtyard, then landed gently on your shoulder.

A slip of paper was tied to the divine bird's talons; you gently untied it, glanced at its contents, then softly stroked the bird's feathers.

This "priceless" Hai Dong Qing, as if understanding your intent, spread its wings and soared straight into the clouds.

Chen Sanzhong, seeing this, could not hide his confusion.

This Hai Dong Qing is a rare, pure-blooded divine bird of the highest grade, so valuable that even within the North Wind imperial court it is an extraordinary treasure.

Northern folk songs even say: "The Young Protector was born with a divine bird, hence he wins every battle."

He had never imagined!

This legendary Hai Dong Qing had appeared here.

And what did the letter say?

Could something unexpected have occurred?

This is nearly an open rupture between the Grand Empress Dowager and Lu Chen.

Lu Chen must die today!

Chen Sanzhong recalled Xie Chunan's evaluation of Lu Chen: "Observe his tactics, and you'll know—he plans with deliberation, and understands men's hearts."

Xie Chunan is no ordinary man; few in court dare to offer such commentary.

That he speaks so highly speaks volumes about this Young Protector's exceptional nature.

He knew Lu Chen was no ordinary man—how could he so easily submit to execution?

If Lu Chen dies, the entire Lu family will be wiped out; such a reckless act, in Chen Sanzhong's view, was highly unlikely.

Chen Sanzhong shook his head; it was too late now to dwell on such thoughts.

Facing three primordial experts above the Grand Master realm, especially the Foolish Monk, who had already touched the threshold beyond primordial.

Just one step away from "Heavenly Person"!

The Heavenly Person realm—the highest cultivation state in martial arts in four hundred years.

He simply could not imagine any path to survival for Lu Chen and Lu Yu.

The Foolish Monk was mysterious and inscrutable; all that was known was that he had once been the third-place scholar of the capital, then chose to become a monk.

When he reappeared before the world, he was already a Grand Master.

Chen Sanzhong even believed the Foolish Monk's strength surpassed that of the Demon Master.

He could not fathom how the master had managed to contact this Foolish Monk.

And another—Jiang Xiaoyue.

He had met him before, once thought the man would never reach Grand Master; he never imagined what kind of fortune had granted him a breakthrough into the Grand Master realm over a decade ago.

Chen Sanzhong and the other two closed in on Lu Yu—their goal was clear: kill Lu Yu first.

In their eyes, Lu Yu, beneath the Grand Master realm, was no threat—easily dispatched.

Lu Chen stood alone, but if a thousand troops stood beside him, he would be the primary target.

Lu Yu stepped forward, blocking your path.

Facing the three, his eyes brimmed with contempt as he coldly said:

"Want to kill my brother?"

"You've been given too much face."

"You're not worthy."

This was the first time you had heard Lu Yu say this catchphrase since descending the mountain; atop Mount Zhongnan, it had already become a famous saying.

Lu Yu constantly repeated these two phrases, especially "You've been given too much face"—it had become his signature saying.

You suddenly recalled Lu Yu had another catchphrase, but for a moment, you could not remember it.

At this moment, Lu Yu had already assumed his fighting stance, a cold smirk curling his lips:

"Each of you needs a good beating to be put in your place."

Your eyes lit up—yes, that was it.

…………

…………

……

On the top floor of Penglai Pavilion, Huang Dao and Xie Mu watched the movements within the Western Depot.

This was indeed the best vantage point.

But!

The courtyard of the Western Depot still blocked the view.

Huang Dao could only rely on his keen perception to sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy within the depot, thereby gauging the battle's shifts.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

As if he had already foreseen the spectacular duel about to unfold.

A battle of four Grand Masters!

Undoubtedly, the greatest event in a century.

Xie Mu appeared far more relaxed; he picked up a bear's paw from the table, took a casual bite, then tossed it back down, wiping the grease casually onto the tablecloth.

A hint of disappointment crossed his face:

"Expensive, but tasteless!"

He picked up his chopsticks, speared a piece of thoroughly cooked "Water-Refined Calf," and bit into it.

"Delicious!"

"Han Chu's cuisine is truly excellent, and the names are elegant—Water-Refined Calf is just beef stew, Twisted Cloud Dream Meat is just pork knuckle, White Dragon Stew is just perch slices."

"Han Chu people are truly refined, with discernment!"

Xie Mu glanced at Huang Dao's focused expression and asked curiously:

"Who do you think will win? Won't you intervene?"

Huang Dao closed his eyes, concentrating fully on sensing the subtle shifts of celestial and terrestrial spiritual energy.

He clearly perceived that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was denser than it had been years ago, signaling that the Grand Masters' power had ascended another level.

Their eyes, nose, ears—all five senses far surpassed ordinary humans.

They could hear a mosquito's hum and foretell a thunderstorm.

They could inhale a single true qi and dive into the river, remaining submerged for an hour without surfacing.

Suddenly!

Huang Dao smiled, turning his gaze to the long street beyond the Western Depot.

Rows of disciplined troops appeared, surrounding the Western Depot.

PS: I'm running a bit behind tonight.

(End of Chapter)