Chapter 250: Chain

Demoness.

If one word is used to describe Ji Tianrui, the word "demoness" could not be more appropriate.

Her face always wore an unfathomable smile, whether it was when she was broken into two pieces while waking the Jianwen Emperor, or when she blocked the sword energy catalyzed by the Emperor in front of Li Miao, she did not show a trace of movement.

In Ji Tianrui, Li Miao could hardly find a trace of human emotion.

Her background was strange, from the moment she was born, she was a mortal enemy with her parents, sending her own mother's life to Li Miao to kill; she was from the Ming Sect, but she personally pushed the entire Ming Sect into the abyss.

She didn't care about subordinates, didn't care about the people, didn't care about the world, and didn't seem to be seeking any fame or fortune. Even her own life, she didn't seem to care much.

She had schemed against two emperors, from Qi and Lu to the Miao frontier and then to Shuntian, sacrificing thousands of lives and burying the entire Ming Sect, and even she herself had narrowly escaped death several times.

What for?

There must be a reason, right?

It was already the Hour of the Tiger, and there was only an hour and a half left until Li Miao's "eight-hour" ended today, so Li Miao's grasp of leaving Ji Tianrui was not great.

But without figuring out this question, Li Miao could not let Ji Tianrui leave. Her ability to cause trouble was ten times greater than Li Miao's, who knows what big scene she would make next time.

Ji Tianrui smiled, but did not answer.

"Let's handle

"What, trying to stall for time?"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

"Is that not allowed?"

Ji Tianrui smiled.

"You care about the Great Shuo, you care about the common people, but I do not. If we fight to the death now, and the battle ends up affecting a few imperial clansmen, high-ranking officials, or even the Emperor, it would be bad for the stability of the world."

"Rest assured, Lord Li, I will tell you everything you want to know, point by point."

She returned her soft sword to her waist, stood with her hands behind her back, and smiled playfully.

"You are that kind-hearted?"

Li Miao's tone carried skepticism.

Ji Tianrui, however, chuckled in reply.

"From Qi and Lu to the Miao frontier and then to Shuntian, when have I ever deceived you?"

"Between you and me, it is actually you who cannot stand my ways and insists on killing me. When have I ever done anything detrimental to you?"

"Tsk."

Li Miao made a clicking sound, but did not refute her.

Thinking about it carefully, what Ji Tianrui said was truly not a lie. Not to mention her attitude toward others, regarding Li Miao alone, it really could not be said that she had any malice.

When Li Miao wanted to kill, she gave him people to kill; when Li Miao wanted to seek the truth, she placed the clues before him; when Li Miao wanted to form an alliance, she agreed immediately; when the Emperor wanted to stop Li Miao from breaking through his realm, she stood before Li Miao without dodging or avoiding.

But all of this did not stem from kindness.

There is no such thing as groundless goodwill in this world; pulling Li Miao in was merely part of Ji Tianrui's plan. Li Miao would not develop any affection for her because of this.

However, the matter was not yet concluded, and now was indeed not the time to fall out.

Thus, Li Miao nodded, formed his palm into a blade, cut away the overgrown flesh at the Emperor's wound, and then gripped his pulse point to regenerate the limb.

"Very well."

"Wait until the dust settles, then tell me."

————————

Outside the Imperial Mausoleum.

An Ziyang's calculations had only succeeded halfway.

The simple and honest Venerated Ones of the Great Shuo were left dizzy and disoriented by the set of "capitalist iron fists" that Li Miao had taught An Ziyang, and things developed just as he had anticipated.

It was just that, before the two groups of Venerated Ones could be provoked into fighting, a portion of the less greedy ones had already taken the collected mantras and left on their own.

Li Miao's side's accumulation was ultimately too shallow; apart from himself, this creature that defied common sense, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had no means to restrict the Venerated Ones and could only let them leave.

And when Li Miao took Zhu Zai away, a few sharp-eyed Venerated Ones saw him and immediately turned and left without looking back, among them An Ziyang's good big brother—Venerated One Wang.

The rest, who were muddled or blinded by bloodlust, were slaughtered like pigs by the returning Li Miao and the Ji Tianrui who had followed.

The remaining Forbidden Army, eunuchs, and the few Venerated Ones who were truly loyal to the imperial court had lost the power to resist when faced with the Xiaolingwei, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Li Miao, and Ji Tianrui.

The situation quickly calmed down.

The few old imperial clansmen who had been turned by Zhu Zai, although they did not have much real power, held very high status; at this moment, they also raised a cry and, along with Zhu Zai, controlled the situation.

They only claimed that the Emperor had caught a cold while offering sacrifices to his ancestors, had suddenly fallen ill, and was unconscious, so the ceremony was suspended, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Xiaolingwei would escort the Emperor back to the capital.

By holding the Son of Heaven to command the vassals, those who were loyal saw the Emperor held in Zhu Zai's hands and had no choice but to cease their efforts; those who were disloyal saw that the situation was lost and immediately gave up resistance.

The matter was thus settled.

Zhu Zai placed the unconscious Emperor inside the palanquin, left some men to guard the captives there, straightened his troops, and prepared to return to the capital.

Before leaving, he looked at Li Miao.

"Are you not returning to the capital with me?"

"I have other business."

Li Miao raised his hand and pointed at Ji Tianrui, who was standing to the side with her hands behind her back, looking at the sky.

"…Will there be trouble?"

"No, it is unlikely we will fight today."

"That is good. Once you have handled your business, return to the capital as soon as possible."

Zhu Zai did not waste words, nodded at Li Miao, turned, and led his troops away.

Usurping the throne, although Li Miao spoke of it lightly, was actually fraught with difficulties when put into practice; no mistakes could be made, and he had to rush back to the capital immediately to handle the loose ends. Every moment of delay increased the risk exponentially.

Seeing Zhu Zai's group disappear from sight, Li Miao turned back to find Ji Tianrui.

"Sect Leader Ji, sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No matter, no matter, I have nothing else to do anyway."

Ji Tianrui turned around and said with a light smile.

"Inside the Imperial Mausoleum, there should be a place where the Emperor stays temporarily during ancestral sacrifices; it is quieter there. Having fought all night, it is just as well to get some snacks and tea to fill our stomachs."

"It will also be convenient for a heart-to-heart talk with Lord Li."

"Very well."

Zhu Shoujing, as the only remaining expert on Li Miao's side, had already left with Zhu Zai. Fortunately, the Xiaolingwei had also left some men to guard the captives; Li Miao summoned one and spoke a few words, and the soldier led the two of them toward the west side of the Imperial Mausoleum.

This soldier was responsible for welcoming and sending off guests in his daily duties; he was someone who could read the room and understood the situation.

He led the two to a spacious courtyard, spread a blanket in the middle, placed cushions, backrests, and a low table, and brought some tea and snacks. Once everything was prepared, he apologized to Li Miao and left on his own.

Li Miao could still hear him ordering others to leave outside the courtyard. A moment later, there were no more human voices around; within a radius of one mile, only Li Miao and Ji Tianrui remained.

"Please."

"Please."

The two sat down; Li Miao picked up his tea and sipped it slowly, his other hand resting on his knee, slowly rubbing his fingers. Ji Tianrui sat cross-legged opposite him, reaching out to pick up a snack to eat, her posture elegant.

Yet, for a time, neither spoke.

After a while, Ji Tianrui suddenly smiled.

"Before we begin, Lord Li must first answer a question for me."

"Oh?"

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

"What question?"

"Your background."

"Heh."

Li Miao scoffed.

"What background could I possibly have?"

"An orphan without father or mother, chosen by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, serving for twenty-seven years, doing nothing all day but practicing martial arts and handling errands; until a few days ago, I was just a Grade Five Battalion Commander. It can be said in one sentence."

"My life story, Sect Leader Ji has probably already investigated to the bottom. I have neither clan nor master; this question you ask, Sect Leader Ji, I don't even know where to begin."

Ji Tianrui refilled Li Miao's cup and smiled lightly.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear, or perhaps Lord Li does not wish to answer."

"After today, when we meet again, we will be enemies. I fear you and I will never have another opportunity to sit and discuss the Dao like this. There are only the two of us here, and I am willing to be open and honest."

Ji Tianrui poured tea for herself in a leisurely manner.

"I can rephrase the question, and I ask Lord Li to consider it carefully; do not answer rashly."

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

"And if I do not answer?"

"Then I will not tell you anything."

Ji Tianrui smiled.

"Based on your answer, I might tell you everything, I might stand up and flee, or I might draw my sword and fight you to the death."

"Everything depends on your answer."

"Heh."

Li Miao scoffed.

"I knew Sect Leader Ji would have conditions. Ask away. But even if you rephrase it a thousand times, I fear I can hardly give a different answer."

"That is not necessarily true."

Ji Tianrui placed her hands on her knees, rarely dropping her smile, and looked into Li Miao's eyes, her gaze revealing a very serious expression.

She spoke slowly.

"I can ask more directly; please answer me seriously, Lord Li."

"Do you remember your past life?"

Boom!

Ji Tianrui's question suddenly exploded in Li Miao's mind. He had thought of many possibilities, but he had never expected Ji Tianrui to ask this.

Although he had confessed to Zhu Zai a few days ago, he had only spoken in general terms at the time, and Zhu Zai had no intention of getting to the bottom of it.

Li Miao had just felt that he had finally entrusted this secret hidden in his heart to someone, feeling a sense of relief, yet suddenly he heard this question from the mouth of the person least likely to know about it. How could he not be surprised?

But Li Miao was no longer a naive youth in his teens; he controlled his expression, remained calm on the surface, and slowly cast his gaze toward Ji Tianrui.

"What does Sect Leader Ji mean?"

"Exactly what I said."

"I do not remember."

"Really?"

Ji Tianrui chuckled.

"Very well, since that is Lord Li's answer, I shall believe it."

"Does this answer of mine meet Sect Leader Ji's wishes?"

Li Miao pretended to be indifferent, his peripheral vision noting Ji Tianrui's expression.

"Very much so."

Ji Tianrui smiled beautifully.

"For our conversation, this is the best answer. Therefore, I will tell Lord Li everything I think and know."

"Good."

Li Miao toasted Ji Tianrui with his teacup.

"Then I shall listen with rapt attention."

————————

"Commandant, I always feel that things cannot end so simply."

Wang Hai lifted the curtain and walked into the palanquin.

The Emperor lay on the spacious seat, his brows tightly locked, sweat soaking his clothes, leaving a human-shaped imprint on the fabric beneath him.

Zhu Shoujing and Zhu Zai sat on either side, both frowning.

"What do you mean?"

Zhu Zai asked.

"The Ming Sect."

Wang Hai replied.

"Earlier, outside the Imperial Mausoleum, several Heaven-Man experts of the Ming Sect suddenly left, their whereabouts unknown. Could they have already returned to the capital in advance, intending to cause chaos?"

Zhu Zai frowned and shook his head.

"Unlikely. With just those few, they cannot stir up any trouble in the capital. With Lord Zhu here, even if they come, they will only be surrounded and slaughtered by us."

"The Ming Sect is already finished; they are Ji Tianrui's last remaining assets, they should not be wasted like this."

Wang Hai nodded and continued.

"There is one more thing I have not figured out."

"What is it?"

"At the very beginning, the Ming Sect sent people to distribute the remnant pages of the 'Wedding Dress Divine Art' in the city, attracting many Jianghu figures to gather in the capital. And the night before last, when you and the Regional Commander went into the palace for the banquet, they distributed the remnant pages again, seemingly to dispel the idea of the Jianghu people leaving."

Wang Hai said slowly.

"At first, I thought this was to muddy the waters to make it easier for Ming Sect disciples to hide. But if that were really the case, their second act of distributing the remnant pages seems somewhat unnecessary."

"The ordinary disciples of the Ming Sect have already been captured, and the night before last, Ji Tianrui and the Ming Sect Heaven-Man experts had already arrived at the Imperial Mausoleum. What is the significance of them doing this? I have not figured it out."

Zhu Zai's brows were tightly locked.

"Put that way, it is indeed somewhat suspicious."

Zhu Shoujing, who was on the side, spoke up.

"Lord Zhu, I think there is no need to overthink it. Regardless, the problem is ultimately only one thing."

Zhu Shoujing extended his fist.

"Manpower, force."

"They gathered Jianghu figures, but they cannot command them, so their manpower is left with only those two or three Heaven-Man experts. In front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and my Xiaolingwei, whatever they want to do, they cannot succeed."

"You and I only need to be more vigilant and not let them find an opening. As long as we send the Emperor into the palace, everything will be settled, and whatever schemes they have will be in vain."

Zhu Zai sighed deeply and nodded.

"That is all we can do."

————————

"To clarify what I want to tell Lord Li, I must first explain a premise."

Ji Tianrui extended a finger.

"The Jianghu of today is a Jianghu that has been suppressed by successive dynasties. Heaven-Man inheritances are either lost or hidden within the palace; as soon as a Heaven-Man expert appears in the Jianghu, they are captured by the Emperor before they can even make a name for themselves. That is why the Peak Realm is revered in the Jianghu today."

"At least during the previous dynasty, Heaven-Man experts were not rare in the Jianghu."

Li Miao rubbed his fingers, thinking quietly.

Ji Tianrui continued.

"The struggle today is rooted in two sets of cultivation methods."

"The first is the method created by the founding Emperor of this dynasty, which uses Heaven-Man experts as material to cultivate Nature Cultivation. I will start with this."

"Does Lord Li think that Heaven-Man experts are good or bad for the world?"

Li Miao thought for a moment and said.

"Not necessarily."

"Exactly, not necessarily."

Ji Tianrui nodded with a smile.

"If the dynasty is corrupt and chaotic, then Heaven-Man experts are the sharp tools for rebellion; if the world is peaceful, then Heaven-Man experts are the roots of chaos."

"After all, the chivalrous use martial arts to violate prohibitions."

"But fundamentally, things like Heaven-Man experts are always a threat to the ruler. Therefore, the imperial courts of successive dynasties have always been doing their utmost to avoid the appearance of Heaven-Man experts. The loss of the three-path inheritance of Nature is rooted in this."

"And the founding Emperor of this dynasty felt that Heaven-Man experts should not appear at all."

Ji Tianrui took a sip of tea and continued.

"In the Yang family's inheritance, there is a record of what he said at the time."

"Heaven-Man experts, with their own strength, surpass the hearts of a thousand men; this is a disaster. If my descendants do not win the hearts of the people and cannot hold the country, they should die at the hands of ten thousand men, but they should not die at the hands of a Heaven-Man expert!"

Ji Tianrui spoke briefly, but Li Miao understood the founding Emperor's meaning instantly.

He felt that if his descendants were wise rulers, then Heaven-Man experts were a threat to the prosperous age; if they were foolish rulers, then the common people would rise in rebellion, and he would accept the Great Shuo perishing at the hands of the people, but there was no need for Heaven-Man experts to assassinate the Emperor.

Li Miao was noncommittal, having no intention to agree or argue, and just nodded.

"And then?"

"So he created this cultivation method."

Ji Tianrui smiled.

"Initially, this method was not used for cultivating Nature, but as a technique for the Venerated Ones to use."

"The Five Decays of Heaven-Man are the consequence of not cultivating Nature; with this method, paired with secret arts, the Venerated Ones could be firmly controlled in his hands."

"Yin Ruihua can live until now, and not leave the Imperial Mausoleum for a hundred years, besides his loyalty to the Chengzu Emperor, it is because without the nourishment of Heaven-Man experts, he would soon die from the Five Decays of Heaven-Man."

"By using Jianghu Heaven-Man experts to nourish the imperial court's Venerated Ones, the Jianghu Heaven-Man experts would gradually become extinct. When there are no more Heaven-Man experts in the Jianghu, the Venerated Ones who cannot extend their lives will gradually die from the Five Decays of Heaven-Man."

"After a hundred years of this, Heaven-Man experts of two paths or more will gradually become extinct. The world will only have Heaven-Man experts of one path, who will find it difficult to pose much of a threat to the Emperor."

Li Miao frowned upon hearing this.

"That is not right."

"Could he not imagine that his descendants would use this method to extend their own lives? Like the Emperor using Heaven-Man experts to cultivate, the Venerated Ones will only become fewer without the nourishment of Heaven-Man experts, and the Heaven-Man experts cultivated by the imperial court itself will also be used by the Emperor."

"In this way, the imperial court is actually becoming weaker."

Ji Tianrui put down her teacup, making a light sound against the low table.

"That is the point."

"At the founding of the Great Shuo, the Venerated Ones did not need to sleep."

"The method created by the founding Emperor is not the same as the method in the Emperor's hands now. The method he created, combined with secret arts, allowed the Venerated Ones to avoid falling into slumber and to move freely, but it could not allow one to cultivate to Jizhao."

"In other words, the method created by the founding Emperor and the method in the Emperor's hands, although of the same origin, are not the same."

Li Miao's rubbing fingers paused; he looked up at Ji Tianrui and said slowly.

"Continue."

"This brings us to the second set of methods, the one in the hands of the Jianwen Emperor, the method for cultivating Nature using imperial bloodline."

Ji Tianrui raised a finger.

"Lord Li, the Jianwen Emperor did not cultivate to 'Jiezi'. He was able to combine four paths and fight the Emperor, all thanks to the Gu insects I gave him."

"In other words, his comprehension was not good."

"He could not have created this method."

"And the Heaven-Man experts left behind by the founding Emperor at the time could not have assisted him in creating this method that uses the imperial clan as material; this is digging up the foundation of the Great Shuo."

"The root of today's struggle, these two sets of Nature cultivation methods, the only ones in the world—"

"All have unknown origins."

————————

"Commandant, we are almost at the city gate."

Wang Hai walked to the side of the palanquin and said to Zhu Zai inside.

"Any discoveries?"

Zhu Zai asked.

"No, I have scattered some men, and apart from the fact that there are many Jianghu figures attracted by the Wedding Dress Divine Art, I have not found any other abnormalities."

Wang Hai replied.

"Strange."

Zhu Zai frowned.

If the Ming Sect wanted to act, it would be best to do so on the road.

Once inside the city, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's men remaining in the city would also gather, and with the city garrison, the Ming Sect would have even less of a chance.

Could it be that those few Heaven-Man experts of the Ming Sect just left early to preserve their strength and had no intention of acting? Then what was their purpose in distributing the remnant pages of the Wedding Dress Divine Art and attracting Jianghu figures here?

"Have our men come over; from the city gate to the palace, be strictly vigilant all the way."

Zhu Zai said.

"Yes."

Wang Hai received the order and left.

————————

"Do you know the origin of these two methods?"

Li Miao frowned and said.

"I do not."

Ji Tianrui shook her head with a smile.

"I am young, and although I have the backing of the Ming Sect and the Yang family, I know more than Lord Li. But such secrets, I have no way of knowing."

"But, one thing is very clear."

Ji Tianrui looked into Li Miao's eyes.

"Lord Li, you lay dormant in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for twenty-seven years, until you cultivated to the combination of three paths before coming out to walk the Jianghu; it was because you sensed something wrong early on. If you had come out early, you would have surely died at the hands of the Emperor, becoming food for his cultivation."

"The imperial court is a shackle placed on the heads of all Heaven-Man experts. Today, you and I joined forces, which can be considered as smashing this shackle. But on our bodies, there may be far more than just this one chain."

"The person who gave the method to the Jianwen Emperor may also not wish for Heaven-Man experts to appear in the world."

————————

Zhu Zai stepped out of the palanquin, his hand on the hilt of his blade, his gaze constantly scanning left and right.

The group had already entered the city gate; there were many Jianghu figures with swords and blades on the streets, curiously peering at the group, and upon seeing the Embroidered Uniform blade at Zhu Zai's waist, they hurriedly shifted their gaze.

But he did not notice that among a group of Jianghu people, there was a figure much taller than ordinary people, who was using his peripheral vision to glance at the palanquin where the Emperor was.

His arms were exceptionally long, reaching past his knees.

Someone leaned to his side and whispered.

"Senior Yang, the agreement between the Sect Leader and you, we have already completed. In a while, we will distribute the remnant pages of the Wedding Dress Divine Art for the last time, attracting all the Jianghu people nearby."

"What happens after that will have nothing to do with us."

Yang Lizhang nodded, staring fixedly at the palanquin, without speaking.

That person turned and left.

Yang Lizhang hid in the crowd, slowly following the palanquin forward.

A moment later, the group entered the next street.

Suddenly, a commotion came from ahead.

"Remnant pages! It's the remnant pages of the Wedding Dress Divine Art!"

"Mine! I found this!"

"Get lost! You dare to compete with me!"

The voices were loud; Jianghu people on several surrounding streets immediately gathered, crowding the street until it was impassable, and also blocking the path of Zhu Zai's group.

Yang Lizhang looked at the palanquin.

He had fought Yin Ruihua that day, and after being heavily injured, he used Ji Tianrui's Gu insects to extend his life; he had only three days to live, and today was the last day.

"Enough."

He thought.

"I, of the Yang family, do not seek to live."

(End of chapter)