Chapter 531: A Rain, A Few Conversations

The Capital.

Jiujiu Guan.

As one of the top-tier establishments in Taian City, Jiujiu Guan had always been bustling with people, even requiring reservations days in advance.

However, it was exceptionally desolate today; firstly, because of the torrential rain, the weather was growing increasingly bone-chilling.

Secondly, due to the incident that occurred a few days ago, it was rumored that the young Emperor's life or death was still unknown, the Capital was under martial law, and an air of murderous tension had emerged out of thin air.

Let alone the worldly-wise high officials and nobles, even the playboy sons who spent their days fighting cocks, walking dogs, or frequenting pleasure houses were staying strictly indoors these past few days to avoid suspicion.

Yet, even through the torrential downpour, one could hear the clashing of weapons and heavy stomping from time to time, as columns of elite soldiers patrolled back and forth, trampling through the spray.

Inside the hall of Jiujiu Guan, a young waiter was stealing a moment of leisure; he had just let out a yawn when he felt the light dim and heard footsteps—a customer had arrived.

The waiter looked up; he was a man who had seen a fair bit of the world, but when he caught sight of that black-clad figure, his heart still skipped a beat involuntarily.

Handsome, black-clad, a young man... could it be that legendary person?

He immediately laughed at himself; it was said that Alliance Leader Murong had drifted away after returning his sword, so how could he still be staying in Taian City?

And now, with Alliance Leader Murong's fame soaring, the pugilistic world was filled with black-clad figures; who knew how many young heroes and maidens dressed in black, likely just followers of Alliance Leader Murong.

The black-clad youth ordered a pot of mutton and a flask of wine, then began to eat and drink by himself.

The waiter secretly guessed: this fellow ordered three wine cups but only used one; could it be he was waiting for someone?

After taking two looks, the waiter lost interest and went back to his own work.

If the waiter had looked more closely, he might have discovered that the black-clad youth had come from the heavy rain, yet his entire body was dry without a hint of moisture, and he was even free of dust, with not a speck of mud on the soles of his shoes.

Yu Liancheng ate a slice of mutton and took a sip of strong liquor, exhaling a long white mist, feeling very content.

A moment later, he shifted his gaze outside the window, watching this world obscured by the curtain of rain.

The rain fell more and more densely, beads of rain slapping against the ground, the rooftops, the leaves... shattering into pieces, yet they followed one after another, with no sign of stopping.

Arcs of electricity flashed across the dark, heavy firmament from time to time, with muffled thunder rolling. Even the lightning occasionally tore through the sky, emitting a massive echo.

Heaven and earth were filled with clamor and noise.

But Yu Liancheng felt it was very quiet.

So quiet that it felt as if he could even hear his own heartbeat.

And just at this moment, the sound of footsteps treading on rainwater arose, breaking this harmonious scene.

Yu Liancheng looked toward the left, peering through the torrential rain, and saw a tall, imposing figure.

The man's speed was fast, his pace steady, walking with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger; in the blink of an eye, he appeared inside Jiujiu Guan.

The man's face was dignified, his eyes as deep as a pool of unfathomable dark water.

And he carried no umbrella; his entire body was likewise devoid of any rainwater.

The man walked near the table and asked, "May I sit?"

Murong Tonghuang glanced at him: "As you wish."

And so, following the Human Butcher Xu Xiao, the Great General Gu Jiantang, who had been enfeoffed as Great Pillar Kingdom, sat down. Looking at the two extra wine cups on the table, he said calmly: "Alliance Leader Murong, you treat me to a cup of wine, and I help you fight Northern Mang; how is this deal?"

Yu Liancheng smiled: "The Zhao Family is currently tottering in the wind and rain, and they are in dire need of you, this Great Pillar Kingdom, to turn the tide. Yet you turn around and make a deal with me, a traitorous rebel; has the Liyang Zhao Family treated you so poorly?"

"Heh, the fates of Xu Xiao and Zhang Julu need not be mentioned. How the Zhao Family treats their meritorious subjects is something the whole world has witnessed."

Gu Jiantang did not drink; he picked up his chopsticks, ate a piece of piping-hot mutton, and then sneered: "Do you think the late Emperor Zhao Dun didn't make a move against me before he died? Not to mention that my old subordinates like Tang Tieshuang and others entered the capital as officials, just look at those two, Lu Shengxiang and Xu Gong; they were clearly candidates meant to replace me. It is just a pity that my roots are deep and my branches are wide, so they could only plot slowly. According to their plan, sooner or later, they would kick me out; leaving on my own at least allows me to keep some dignity and splendor. Of course, if I, Gu Jiantang, were the Emperor, for the sake of the long term, I might not act any differently. But as the person involved, how could I, Gu Jiantang, just sit and wait for death?"

"What's more, the Liyang mansion is currently on the verge of collapse. My eyes are not blind, Gu Jiantang; I can see the trend of the world clearly. I also do not wish to be like that young eunuch who died of exhaustion, serving as a funeral object for the Liyang Dynasty."

"Why choose Beiliang?" Murong Tonghuang raised his head to look at the Great Pillar Kingdom.

A flash of brilliance shone in the Great Pillar Kingdom's eyes as he said: "No, I am not choosing Beiliang; I am choosing you."

"Tsk, the way you say that, it gives me goosebumps..." Yu Liancheng laughed in spite of himself, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop: "Tell me the reason."

"The Beiliang Iron Cavalry is the best in the world, but Beiliang's foundation is weak; wanting to sit securely on the throne is no easy task. But Beiliang now has you, Murong Tonghuang, who can break ten thousand armor with a single person; paired with the Beiliang Iron Cavalry, who in the world can oppose you? Add to that my assistance, Gu Jiantang, and in the future, the Xu family may not necessarily fail to become the masters of the Central Plains and unify the world."

Gu Jiantang took a large bite of mutton and said: "The thing I regret most in my life is being born a few years late, letting Xu Xiao destroy the six states and almost settle the Spring and Autumn world. If there is any achievement that can be mentioned in the same breath as destroying the six states, it would perhaps only be trampling Northern Mang flat. But Liyang dares not let me or Xu Xiao send troops, fearing we won't win, and also fearing we will win too smoothly. But if Xu Weixiong becomes the Emperor, then she can rest assured in letting me, Gu Jiantang, send troops. Because there is a person named Murong Tonghuang who can take my head at any time. Moreover, I can tell that the people of the Xu family are not as cold-hearted as the Zhao family..."

As one of the last remaining Spring and Autumn Four Great Generals, Gu Jiantang also had his own ambitions.

He wanted to be the second "Xu Xiao"; he did not want to be "Gu Jiantang."

But Liyang could not tolerate a second "Xu Xiao," and might not even tolerate "Gu Jiantang."

Precisely because of this, from beginning to end, this Great Pillar Kingdom's loyalty to Liyang was not as firm as the world imagined.

And the only ones who could allow him to become "Xu Xiao," establish glorious military exploits, and ride horses across Northern Mang were Western Chu and Beiliang.

Western Chu had the Confucian Sage Cao Qingyi; Cao Qingyi could kill him, or at the very least, perish together with him.

Beiliang had Murong Tonghuang; everyone in the world believed that if Murong Tonghuang wanted to kill someone, even if it were the Northern Mang Female Emperor, that head would likely be hard to keep.

In this way, there was naturally no fear of the so-called "merit overshadowing the master."

Furthermore, people are different; back then, Great Chu could treat Ye Baikui as a national scholar, but the Liyang Zhao Family could not.

Yu Liancheng pondered for a moment and poured a cup of wine for Gu Jiantang.

"Please."

Gu Jiantang grinned, took the wine cup, and drained it in one gulp.

Someone leaves.

Someone comes.

Gu Jiantang had left.

The green-robed Cao Qingyi had arrived.

Cao Qingyi held an umbrella, but a corner of his robe was still dampened by the rain.

Compared to his usual elegant and carefree demeanor, at this moment, Cao Qingyi had a trace of paleness and frailty. That seed he had set that day had not been easy for him to bear either.

Not to mention that after setting the seed, he had not been able to rest.

"Congratulations, Alliance Leader Murong. With Gu Jiantang's help, not to mention stabilizing the Central Plains, even leveling Beiliang is just a matter of time." Cao Zhangqing sat down, took the last cup, and poured himself a drink.

Yu Liancheng smiled and said, "Cao Guanzi, taking without asking is not a good thing."

Cao Zhangqing pulled a white piece from his bosom; the piece shimmered with flowing light, as it was actually condensed from Luck: "Can this chess piece serve as payment for the wine?"

Yu Liancheng took the chess piece and smiled: "I fear these are the two most expensive cups of wine in the world. One cup is worth the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers of Beimang, while the other cup is the majority of the Luck of Liyang and Western Chu."

"I hope you will treat the people of Western Chu well in the future."

Cao Zhangqing drank another cup of wine and drifted away.

He came quickly, and left even faster.

It was as if he had come solely to deliver this chess piece.

"Really, these two families don't know that solitary wine is tasteless," Yu Liancheng shook his head.

"Since the solitary wine is tasteless, then I shall come to keep you company for a couple of cups."

A nimble, ethereal, and unfathomable voice rang out.

Yet it also seemed to emanate from the depths of the Avici Hell, cold and ruthless, making one's hair stand on end.

White robes drifted.

Demon Sect Leader Luoyang stepped into the Jiujiu Guan.

……

The first year of Xiangfu, at the end.

Beimang Imperial City.

The palace chambers were layered deep, and the candlelight flickered gently; not only did it fail to illuminate the room as bright as day, but it instead added a touch of gloom and dimness.

An old woman with a serene expression lay quietly before the bed, seemingly reminiscing about the glorious years of the past, or perhaps recalling the days of her youth when she was in her prime.

Whenever people grow old, they always like to quietly pick out a proud past event from their youth and savor it slowly.

And this old woman had truly too much in her life to savor.

Although the first half of her life was spent walking on thin ice, it could be called magnificent. As for the second half, it was even more exciting than a picture-book novel, and even more comfortable and pleasant.

To wear the dragon robe and sit on the dragon throne as a woman—the first person in history.

Even if that little girl from the Xu family of the Central Plains could become Emperor in the future, she could only rank second.

By the bedside, the Taiping Ling, serving as the Imperial Tutor of Beimang, sat on a small stool, bowing his head to gaze at the old woman with sunken cheeks; her white hair was like frost.

He suddenly heaved a long sigh in his heart.

Was it worth it?

Although the Emperor was elderly, she could have originally held on for several more years.

But for the sake of the Second Liang-Mang War, and to trap Murong Tonghuang, who had broken ten thousand armor in Hutou City alone, she had to extract her Luck, resulting in this current state.

Yet, she was unwilling to accept the gifts of the Heavenly Human.

"Your Majesty, are you uncomfortable?" The Taiping Ling's words were calm; one could not hear a hint of anxiety or fear, nor the slightest bit of sorrow or grief, but rather a rare, untimely gentleness.

When he left in a fit of anger in his youth, perhaps it was also due to the annoyance of being looked down upon by the woman he admired.

The Female Emperor of Beimang shook her head gently and asked with a smile: "Do you think my foolish son, whose heart is higher than the heavens but whose life is thinner than paper, leading his forty thousand-strong army, can conquer Beiliang?"

The Taiping Ling answered cautiously: "As long as the plan succeeds and the immortals in heaven can deal with Murong Tonghuang, the general trend will be set. As for the other so-called Grandmasters of the Central Plains Martial Arts World, even if there were ten more of them, it would be of no avail."

The old woman folded her hands gently on her abdomen and pulled the corners of her mouth slightly: "The things I should do, I have already done. As for whether it succeeds, that has nothing to do with me. In this life, I am most skilled at the two words 'setting one's mind at ease.' There is no need to speak of what comes before; it is all passing smoke. As for what comes after, as the first person in history, whether I leave a good name for a hundred generations or a bad name for ten thousand years, no matter how future generations evaluate me, I think they will never be able to bypass my name in the history books."

The usually overbearing and cold Female Emperor of Beimang was rarely so long-winded, and the Taiping Ling's gaze became increasingly gentle like water, nodding in agreement continuously.

The old woman caught her breath and asked: "Did that little Emperor of Taian City really die?"

The Taiping Ling nodded: "He is indeed dead. The current Emperor of Liyang is merely a facade. Once this facade is punctured, the Central Plains will fall into chaos."

The old woman chuckled: "That little Emperor was quite unlucky. Counting it up, he only served as Emperor for a little over half a year. Even in the chaos of the Spring and Autumn period, he would be a short-lived Emperor."

Seeing that the old woman's spirit was still relatively good, the Taiping Ling said concisely: "At that time, Murong Tonghuang returned his sword to Taian City, destroyed the Qintian Bureau, caused countless casualties among the Qi Practitioners, and fought a eunuch in the Imperial Palace who had attained longevity, finally returning his sword to the young Emperor. However, he only severely wounded the Emperor and did not kill him. It was Cao Zhangqing who entered the Imperial Palace five times and killed the young Emperor with a single chess piece. The Liyang National Fortune, which had been struck by the Dragon Pearl used by Murong Tonghuang, also completely collapsed."

"It is said that Cao Zhangqing is currently collecting the scattered Luck, perhaps in preparation for the restoration of Western Chu. But the news of Cao Zhangqing killing the Liyang Emperor has reached the ears of the various Feudatory Kings. Now, none of them are fighting for the throne, but are instead joining forces to besiege Western Chu. Clearly, whoever is the first to break through Western Chu will have more confidence in securing the throne."

"Under the siege of the various major forces, Western Chu is already tottering and no longer has its former grandeur."

"However, I suspect that Cao Zhangqing has handed the Liyang National Fortune to Murong Tonghuang. According to reports from spies, Murong Tonghuang has been in seclusion ever since leaving Taian City; perhaps he is refining the Luck to charge into the Land Immortal Realm."

The old woman suddenly sighed: "What a pity. I gave up the chance to live four or five more years; I won't be able to see the magnificent scenery in the future."

The Taiping Ling said softly: "If Your Majesty..."

The Female Emperor of Beimang seemed to know what the Taiping Ling was going to say: "Forget it. In this world, the Regret Pill is the most tasteless; I don't covet it."

The Taiping Ling smiled: "Your Majesty is a hero among heroes."

"Even if I can't see the scenery in the future, at least I must see the result of the Second Liang-Mang War; I must hold on no matter what." The old woman suddenly regained the majesty of an Empress: "Pass down the order: as soon as the spring ice melts, attack Beiliang. I want to hear the news that Hutou City has fallen."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Taiping Ling left.

The Female Emperor of Beimang lay on the bed, turned her body, looked at the sky outside the window, and suddenly muttered to herself: "The Emperors of the human world are also influenced by the people in heaven. Murong Tonghuang, if you win this battle, you will have slapped the people in heaven hard. If you can sever the connection between heaven and the human world, that would be even better."

"Therefore, regardless of whether this battle is won or lost, I am very happy."

"Of course, winning is best; I like to win."

……