Chapter 227

The Emperor's expression lost its composure.

After a long while, he let out a cold laugh.

"Hmph."

"I thought the Wedding Dress Divine Art was enough of a price to pay, but I didn't expect that even this thing would be scattered out!"

Just by hearing the few lines of the incantation Wu Zhiheng recited, the Emperor was already incredibly certain that the thing Li Miao and Ji Tianrui had carved all over the Xiaoling Mausoleum was the cultivation method he had been longing to snatch from the Jianwen Emperor's hands! A method that could graft the mind and use members of the same clan to cultivate the "Nature" technique!

The large hole Wu Zhiheng saw in the Xiaoling Mausoleum plaza was clearly the tomb where the Jianwen Emperor had been imprisoned. That dismantled coffin was likely the very coffin the Jianwen Emperor had lain in for over a hundred years!

And looking at the actions of Li Miao and Ji Tianrui, they were clearly transcribing the incantation from the coffin onto the ground.

Although he did not know if it was the Chengzu Emperor who wanted to bury this cultivation method together with the Jianwen Emperor, or if the Jianwen Emperor had carved it bit by bit on the coffin wall during his brief moments of clarity over the hundred years... it was obvious that this cultivation method had actually been there all along.

And the Emperor could not help but feel some regret at this moment.

When Yin Ruihua took him to that tomb back then, his martial arts had not yet reached perfection, and he was wary of the Jianwen Emperor inside, and did not want too many people to know about this matter, so he did not go in, but instead sealed the tomb, thinking only of letting the Jianwen Emperor rot away in the coffin by himself.

Yet he did not expect that the thing he had been longing for and unable to obtain for over a decade had actually been right in front of him the whole time. At its closest, it was only separated from him by a thin stone door!

And now it was being carved all over the ground by others!

Yet he had to admit that this move, which looked like child's play, was actually useful to him!

He certainly could not allow this cultivation method to spread.

For the Emperor, practicing martial arts was not the goal, but the means. And whether the means were effective or not did not depend on how strong he was, but on whether he was stronger than others!

If the world were full of Heaven-Man level experts, then Heaven-Man level experts would be worthless; if the world were full of people practicing both Nature and Life, then practicing both Nature and Life would be worthless; if the world were full of people with longevity, then longevity would be worthless!

Having reached this conclusion, the Emperor looked coldly at Wu Zhiheng.

He had seen the cultivation method.

Although only a few lines.

But, things that shouldn't be seen, once seen, meant death.

The Emperor spoke slowly, his fingers lifting slightly. The little eunuch's expression turned solemn, and he retreated half a step without a sound.

"So, you escaped?"

Unexpectedly, Wu Zhiheng shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty, this subject did not escape for a moment."

"First, this subject knew that in front of these three, escaping would be useless."

"Second, they did not attack this subject, but instead allowed this subject to leave on their own."

"Hmm?"

The Emperor frowned and scanned Wu Zhiheng up and down.

"Then, where did your injuries come from?"

Wu Zhiheng let out a long sigh.

"Retainer Li, Retainer Wang, Retainer Liu, Retainer Qi."

"The injuries on this subject's body were caused by colleagues."

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Wu Zhiheng did not know if he should believe the man's words.

But after that person finished speaking, he really did find a step to sit on, lazily looking at the sky, not even glancing at him.

The Jianwen Emperor looked at his own coffin, neither speaking nor moving, not knowing what he was thinking.

Ji Tianrui had stopped her hand, holding the coffin board and examining it carefully, while her other hand gestured in mid-air, seemingly deducing this cultivation method, with a habitual smile that seemed both happy and angry on her face.

Of these three, not one took Wu Zhiheng seriously.

Wu Zhiheng was silent for a while, then tentatively took a step back.

After a long while, he took another step back.

Seeing that the three people opposite really had no intention of attacking, his figure suddenly retreated violently!

But then he stopped abruptly.

Outside the door, a flurry of footsteps came.

"Brother Wu, are you here!"

A voice shouted, and by the time the words were spoken, he had already arrived close by.

Wu Zhiheng recognized that voice; it was a retainer he was usually familiar with.

Swish, swish, swish—

With a few light sounds, several figures rushed into the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

"Brother Li, Brother Wang, Brother Liu, Brother Qi..."

Wu Zhiheng muttered.

There were four people who came, and they were exactly four of the ten retainers who had attacked the Imperial Mausoleum with Wu Zhiheng this time.

"It's over..."

Wu Zhiheng let out a long sigh in his heart.

He knew everything, and he understood everything.

He had long since understood the calculations of Li Miao and the others.

After these four retainers entered the Xiaoling Mausoleum, the first thing they saw was Wu Zhiheng; they greeted him, and seeing him standing there without answering, they looked around vigilantly.

With this look, they took in the text carved all over the ground.

"Brother Wu! This is!?"

Retainer Wang, who was on good terms with Wu Zhiheng, asked in surprise, turning his head to look at Wu Zhiheng.

And Wu Zhiheng had already retreated to the wall without a sound at this moment, slowly asking.

"Everyone... how did you get in?"

"Just now, for some reason, several Heaven-Man level thieves from the Ming Sect suddenly withdrew from the battle circle and rushed past the Imperial Guards to leave. We chased for a while, but still felt that the matter here at the Imperial Mausoleum was important, so we turned back and broke through the Xiaoling Guards' defense line, following your tracks to this place."

Retainer Wang said absent-mindedly, his eyes involuntarily glancing toward the ground.

"Brother Wang!"

Wu Zhiheng still couldn't help but remind him loudly.

"If you trust me, don't look!"

Retainer Wang turned to look at Wu Zhiheng.

"Brother Wu... you really did see through the details of this thing."

Wu Zhiheng shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"I'm not stupid; at the very least, I'm a Heaven-Man level expert on two paths, how could I not see it..."

"Those of us, we were retainers before His Majesty ascended the throne. In recent years, the Heaven-Man level experts collected by the imperial court have disappeared without a trace, and we have also had some secret speculations."

"The first moment I saw the incantation on the ground, I knew it clearly; it coincided exactly with a possibility you and I had secretly discussed back then."

"Then why don't you hurry up and look! Remember it well, and escape!"

Retainer Wang shouted angrily.

"Are you really going to be a filial son and virtuous grandson for the imperial court for a lifetime!?"

"When there's nothing to do, you lie in a coffin like a corpse. When there's something to do, you're dragged out to risk your life, watching your lifespan being consumed bit by bit; are you living this life happily! Brother Wu!"

"This thing..."

Retainer Wang pointed to the incantation carved on the ground.

"It's clearly the source of the Jianwen Emperor's 'Nature' cultivation realm! With this item, we will no longer have the shackles of the five decays of Heaven and Man, why bother being a dog for the imperial court!"

"We are all Heaven-Man level experts who have fought our way out of the Jianghu; don't tell me you're really a loyal subject who is loyal to the monarch and patriotic to the country!"

"Brother Li! Brother Liu! Brother Qi! What do you say!"

Retainer Wang turned his head and said to the other retainers.

Retainer Li and Retainer Liu remained silent.

Retainer Qi, however, looked at Li Miao and the other three, who had been ignoring them all along.

"Your Majesty Jianwen, you two..."

Li Miao waved his hand.

"Everyone, please feel free; you know our meaning in your hearts."

"The item is placed right here; everyone can take it for yourselves, we will absolutely not stop you."

(End of Chapter)