Chapter 763: The Price

A brilliance lit up, and an extremely strange outline appeared in the air at the very top of Jindinglou.

It was an eye.

Not the jade in the shape of an Eye Bead from before, but a real eye, with whites, a black Eye Bead, and a distinct pupil.

It was as if a transparent giant beast hidden in the Void had suddenly opened an eye, declaring its existence.

The pupil in the eye was like a star, and the starlight swept over everyone present. Everyone trembled slightly, having the sensation that their Soul was being seen through. Even though the Emperor now had a Protective Aura, he could not help but feel a hollow sensation in his heart when swept by that gaze—though this was likely more due to psychological factors.

Only Wang Fei was stunned for a moment; at the very instant the sword took shape, he seemed to catch a whiff of a familiar scent.

Where had he felt it before?

Wang Fei frowned. He was actually quite familiar with the Gaoyuan Marquis; it was he who had gone to request the secret alliance between their two houses. However, he had only fought side-by-side with the Sword Guests from Yunzhou and had almost never seen the Gaoyuan Marquis take action, so naturally, he could not be familiar with her Sword Qi. Where could this familiar feeling be coming from now?

Over there, the Gaoyuan Marquis's Sword Image had already manifested. Although she had not moved, she had already seized the initiative, and the crowd was awestruck: she was truly the world's premier Sword Hero; even in her twilight years, she possessed such powerful Momentum!

Among those present, especially among the visiting marquises, many possessed considerable strength. Even if they were not Sword Heroes, they were among the most outstanding of the Sword Guests. They could sense that although the Gaoyuan Marquis's appearance was indeed decaying, she still possessed very abundant power once she wielded her sword.

How did it look like she was not yet at the end of her rope?

Perhaps this old thing was not going to die in a moment or two?

The Emperor felt nothing in particular. Although this situation was entirely of his own making, this was his first time meeting the Gaoyuan Marquis in many years, and he did not know the state of her health, so naturally, he did not find it strange that this Marquis Xun still possessed such power. He only cared about his plan and the outcome of the matter.

Seeing the sword rise, the Emperor said, "Good, look over there quickly!"

The Gaoyuan Marquis and that eye that had appeared out of thin air both looked up at the sky, their gazes shifting to the lightning pillar.

The Emperor held the Imperial Seal high, connecting it to the lightning on the mountain. He fully expected that after the Gaoyuan Marquis opened her eye, the speed of storing the lightning would inevitably increase tenfold or a hundredfold, and it should be visibly flowing into the vessel. But after holding it for a long time, he seemed to feel no difference; the lightning pillar was still swaying and motionless. Looking at the Gaoyuan Marquis again, she was indeed opening her eyes, but that was all she was doing.

This was different from the plan. The Emperor was somewhat impatient. Although he had been a very patient person before, at this stage, with success only a step away, his patience was far less than before, gradually turning into an unbearable anxiety. He barked, "Marquis Xun, why is there no effect? Are you unwilling to cooperate?"

The Gaoyuan Marquis said calmly, "Your Majesty, do you know why my Sword Technique can defy the flow of time?"

The Emperor was startled. This was not the tone to use when speaking to an Emperor. Not to mention the casual address, even the sentence structure was wrong. Although he had not been in power for long, since his ascension, everyone who spoke to him followed extremely formal etiquette; no one was rude to his face. Rhetorical questions, leading questions, imperative sentences... none of these were things to be said to an Emperor. Only some long-dead powerful minister from his childhood had been so informal; even the Empress Dowager would not be so impolite.

But he had no impression of the Gaoyuan Marquis and did not know if this person was a potential powerful minister from the start. Perhaps she had been banished by the Empress Dowager and the others precisely because she was arrogant and domineering?

Considering that he could not do without this person, and that this old woman was already living on borrowed time, he barely mustered his patience and said, "Why?"

The Gaoyuan Marquis said, "Actually, I cannot change the flow of time. I can only see the far and near, the high and low, the macro and micro, the coming and going... everything, I can see through the fog that obscures them."

The Emperor gave an 'un' sound. Giving an 'un' was already giving her face; could a dignified Emperor really play the straight man for a mere Marquis?

The Gaoyuan Marquis continued, "But before, I only saw. To obtain what I saw, I still needed a hand. This hand must have sufficiently profound rules to pass through the layers of fog, and it must have sufficient power to grasp what I want. As for me, seeing things is just an ordinary consumption, but the opportunity to use that hand is limited throughout my life."

The Emperor's temper was worn down again—he felt that activating the Imperial Seal had consumed a great deal of his power. If the Gaoyuan Marquis did not cooperate, he truly could not complete the procedure of storing the National Master. He even doubted whether this matter would take a year at the original speed: the progress bar was not even moving.

"Then, why does the Gaoyuan Marquis not extend that hand? Is this not the most critical moment? Is there any time in your life more worth acting than this?"

The Gaoyuan Marquis said, "I originally intended to extend it, otherwise I would not be here. After all, the Emperor is the Emperor of the world. Although Your Majesty's mind is profound, if you truly have ambition and are willing to do real work, it might not be a blessing for the world. But just today, I raised my eyes and saw the scene that would happen afterward! So I know I cannot extend my hand."

The Emperor suppressed his annoyance and said, "What did you see?"

The Gaoyuan Marquis said, "I saw that once the lightning was collected, the land around Jingcheng would sink, Zijin Mountain would turn into ruins, the city defenses would be riddled with holes, and countless commoners in Jingjiao would lose their protection and be shrouded in the Yin Calamity. I saw that once the National Master was gone, Jingji would lose its protection, countless bandits and refugees would arise, and millions of commoners would be displaced and lose their homes. I saw..."

The Emperor interrupted her and said, "I know."

The Gaoyuan Marquis looked at him in surprise and said, "You know?"

The Emperor sneered, "You are merely seeing that the commoners of Jingji have become the same as the commoners elsewhere, aren't you?"

The Gaoyuan Marquis was speechless for a moment.

The Emperor said, "So, Marquis Xun, you also think like the Empress Dowager that I am a fop raised in the deep palace who knows nothing of the hardships of the world? Ridiculous. How could I not know that the world is currently in turmoil and the people are suffering, and that only the commoners of Jingji enjoy peace due to the protection of the National Master? But as an Emperor, is the only thing I cherish the millions of commoners around Jingji?"

The Gaoyuan Marquis looked up at him and said, "Is Your Majesty planning for the big picture and ignoring a single region?"

The Emperor said, "Indeed." He had been pondering this for several years, and it had only been brewing silently in his belly, never revealed to anyone, nor was there anyone worthy of his trust to hear his heartfelt words. He and his own mother had fallen to the point of plotting against each other's lives; who else could he be sincere with?

Today, this old thing before him, perhaps relying on the fact that her life was at stake, actually wanted to debate him face-to-face. This also gave him a chance to vent the frustration in his chest.

Of course, to prevent the leakage of secrets, his Protective Aura expanded outward, completely covering his and the Gaoyuan Marquis's figures. To outsiders, the Son of Heaven was shrouded in a layer of misty halo, doubling the sense of mystery; they could not even see clearly, let alone hear anything.

Inside the halo, the Emperor's voice was clear and resonant: "Must I be like the late Emperor, sitting in the Imperial City doing nothing, waiting to die in peace, relying only on the power of the National Master to protect Jingji and the Imperial City? Protect until when? Protect until the commoners outside Jingcheng are all dead and the world is empty? Or protect until a sage emerges outside, sweeps away the chaotic world, and unifies the land, leaving only my Great Jin as a lonely boat trapped in defense, becoming a ridiculous 'Emperor in a Well', letting the National Master guard us for ten thousand generations?"

"They all say the National Master is the trump card left by the Founding Emperor for his descendants, not to be moved lightly. But is that trump card meant to be kept in a box and buried? Guarding a box, thinking that my family has a piece of gold treasure here, and therefore not counting as a pauper, while ignoring the consumption of the property outside, just waiting to eat away the capital? The so-called capital is meant to be taken out, used, and then doubled back. With both input and output, step by step, prosperity will come, and finally, the family business will be revitalized."

The Gaoyuan Marquis nodded slightly and said, "It seems Your Majesty is in a hurry... to win back your losses."

The Emperor snorted, "Marquis Xun is indeed blunt. If you view me as a gambler, although disrespectful, it is appropriate. That is correct, I am indeed making a desperate gamble. What I am aiming for is the ten-thousand-mile Shenzhou and a hundred years of National Fortune; this is the greatest benefit in the world. And what I have staked includes the family affection of the Empress Dowager of my clan, the insurance of the National Master, the calamity of the millions of commoners in Jingji within a few years, and loyal ministers like you, my dear Marquis. Of course, it also includes this life of mine."

"What I have paid is almost everything I have. What my father was unwilling to take out, I have taken out. If you ask if it is worth it?" The Emperor stared at the Gaoyuan Marquis. The Gaoyuan Marquis did not ask, but the Emperor knew she wanted to ask, so he asked for her and said, "My answer is, it is worth it!"

"Now, the evils of the provinces are known to Marquis Xun better than to me. Such a world is truly ridiculous. If one cannot sweep through the universe and whip the world into shape, one should not die silently. Like the former Wei, holding a powerful National Fortune treasure and not using it, letting swords and blades beat upon it, hiding in a Turtle Shell. Waiting for a new master to break into Jingcheng, scrambling to survive like ants, and finally ending up with the ugly name of 'Turtle Bandit', how ridiculous is that?"

"Now that I am doing this great deed, will Marquis Xun help me? If you help me, besides tonight's matter, Yunzhou can also be entrusted to me. Since Prince Shun has committed a great treason, I will naturally take back Youzhou. Then I will take the power of the National Master and head north first. Open up the line of Yongzhou, Lingzhou, Yunzhou, and Youzhou. This northern third of the territory will effectively belong to the Imperial Court. With the righteousness of the Imperial Court and the accumulation of Yun and You, stabilizing the situation will not be difficult. Then I will win over the hearts of the people, rebuild the two great Jingcheng armies, clean up the roving bandits, and flatten the vassal towns. By spending several or even a dozen years, I will make the world see peace again."

"If Marquis Xun will not help me, I suppose I cannot threaten you with death, and that is fine. I will not abandon my ambition here. At worst, I will learn from the Founding Emperor and start from scratch. With one person and one sword, one can still gather hearts, build a nation, and open a hundred years of National Fortune. With the power I hold, can I not make a desperate strike? Even if my strength cannot reach that of my ancestors, my ambition cannot be lowered."

The Gaoyuan Marquis listened, her expression unmoved, and said, "Your Majesty truly has great ambition. According to you, in order to rule Shenzhou and revitalize the Imperial Court, is any price worth it?"

"Of course."

The Gaoyuan Marquis said word by word, "What if the price is handing over the Human World to the Heavenly Demons?"