Chapter 153: Chen Yuyun, Die!

The candlelight was warm, carrying the scent of incense.

Every detail of the room's decor was refined, every element luxurious, yet without ostentatious display of wealth; to appreciate the opulence here required considerable aesthetic refinement.

Such self-consciously lavish style could only belong to the imperial clan of the Jiangnan region.

Chen Yuyun removed his armor and battle robe, bathed, washed his hands in a golden basin, and the Grand Eunuch ordered him to set aside his crossbow and sword; as Chen Yuyun unfastened his sword, a gentle laugh came from within: "Forget it—he's my own child, why bother disarming?"

"Enter with your sword sheathed—let me see how mighty you look!"

The Grand Eunuch stepped aside.

A hint of joy crossed Chen Yuyun's face; he pressed his lips together, fastened his sword in place, adjusted his stance to appear more martial, then stepped forward—the door sealed shut behind him, muffling all sound from within.

Beneath the warm candlelight sat a handsome middle-aged man, with smooth skin, a trimmed beard, and eyes as warm as jade—this was the Emperor of Chen.

Chen Yuyun said: "Your Majesty."

The Emperor smiled and waved his hand. "Out there, you and I cannot acknowledge our father-son bond—you call me Your Majesty. But here, in my private residence, can you not address me as father? Can you not let me enjoy the joy of family?"

Chen Yuyun's expression softened slightly; he whispered: "Father."

The Emperor had him stand beside him, placed a hand on his wrist, then drew him forward to inspect him from head to toe. "My son has grown—this bearing rivals even mine in my prime."

The Emperor gripped Chen Yuyun's arm. "Do you have the confidence to defeat Yuwen Hua tomorrow?"

Chen Yuyun said: "I will claim the championship!"

"I will offer this title of Grand Champion of the Great Sacrifice Duel to Father!"

The Emperor laughed, then sighed. "You've grown—such filial devotion moves me. I've prepared a gift for you: a hereditary title of County Baron, and a stage upon which the courts of all nations and the martial world will gaze as you ascend."

"This is the finest gift I can give you."

"Can you bring it back?"

Chen Yuyun's eyes gleamed: "Of course I can!"

The Emperor burst into laughter. "You certainly know how to boast."

He placed his son's palm in his own and patted it gently. "Do you know how your name came to be? Yuyun."

"'Yu' means noble gentleman—no need to explain; 'Yun' means great sun. Do you know what the great sun is?"

"It shines in the sky, bright and majestic—the sun carries no stain. I named you thus, hoping you would be an upright gentleman, illuminating the world like the great sun."

Deep emotion stirred in Chen Yuyun's eyes; he nodded firmly.

The Emperor said: "Among all in Chen, I place my greatest hopes in you. The others are unfit for great responsibility. The Crown Prince lacks the breadth of character—his grandfather controls the court, plotting to seize imperial authority."

"And his mother is a daughter of the great Xue clan—the maternal relatives."

"They are nothing but parasites of state and family. I hope that when you grow, you will rid us of them."

"Remove the maternal relatives and the civil officials—the parasites."

"Only then can the world know peace."

"Only then can Chen endure in tranquility."

"To secure Chen's stability, to give you the greatest possible potential, to ensure you control the court and are not devoured by these traitors, I endured unbearable pain—I killed my most loyal and brave general, then used his son's destiny to pave your path."

"Every morning I wake, I think of him—and tears come unbidden."

"I wronged him. But my son is innocent."

"The Emperor is sovereign authority—his word is absolute. The sovereign commands death, and the minister must die."

"The general's purpose was always the peace of the realm."

"And by sending him to die for the sake of a virtuous ruler, did I not fulfill his own wish? Ancient generals sacrificed themselves for their country—today is no different."

"I feel guilt toward him… but he would not blame me, would he?"

The Emperor whispered:

"But I have failed him. After I die, you must clear his name."

"Grant him grand posthumous honors—endless glory!"

"My hands are stained with blood—but my son is not. He shall be a virtuous ruler!"

"Let me bear the sin of killing loyal ministers."

"My son must walk the path of light—move forward, become a glorious sovereign, achieve feats never before seen in history. Tomorrow's battle is merely your first step onto the world's stage."

These words, steeped in paternal love and imperial expectation, moved Chen Yuyun deeply—he longed to tear open his chest and lay bare his loyalty and valor before his father.

The Emperor pressed both hands on his shoulders and whispered:

"You must win—beautifully."

The Emperor's eyes held a warm smile, yet they were cold.

Chen Yuyun nodded firmly.

He knelt halfway before the Emperor, bowing his head.

"I will not disappoint Your Majesty!"

"I will defeat Yuwen Hua—and then, with all my strength, I will crush Li Guanyi!"

"I humbly beg Your Majesty—if I win, grant me marriage to Xue Shuangtao, the eldest daughter of the Xue clan!"

The Emperor looked at his son, this audacious boy who dared to ask—and felt a flicker of displeasure. He allowed only himself to bestow gifts, and expected gratitude, kneeling in reverence—not to be petitioned.

Yet he maintained the image of a loving father, smiling warmly. "Very well."

"I shall specially elevate her to the rank of Princess."

"When you become County Baron and earn further merit, you may wed her—would that not be a match of equal standing, childhood affection?"

Chen Yuyun was overjoyed.

The Emperor smiled encouragingly: "Yuyun, I await your performance tomorrow."

"The hour grows late, and rain is coming. There is a banquet tonight—I regret I cannot join you."

"When we are finally recognized as father and son, I shall make it up to you fully."

Outside, rain fell as the Grand Eunuch held an umbrella and accompanied the Emperor away, boarding the carriage; when the chariot moved, its four hooves trod empty air—it was flying through the sky. Had it not been for fear of alarming the common folk and exposing the Emperor's departure from the palace, the carriage could have flown unimpeded.

Such a treasure is rare under heaven.

It is the most precious among the chariots and exotic beasts arrayed together.

Its value is no less than that of an entire city.

Yet the Emperor still obtained it.

As the chariot sped forward, Emperor Chen gazed calmly at the rain falling over Jiangzhou City, while the Grand Eunuch stood by serving him. Suddenly, the Emperor laughed and said, "Do you think I've been too cruel to that child?"

"I've burdened him with all these matters, yet given him nothing but aid in Wu Gong. For over a decade, he's lived simply with his mother, holding only the rank of Imperial Guard."

"I can see the greed and longing in his eyes."

"It has been forced out of him."

The Grand Eunuch bowed low and whispered, "Your Majesty has Your Majesty's vision."

"How could a servant like me see as far as the True Dragon?"

Emperor Chen laughed loudly, pointing at the Grand Eunuch who had accompanied him since childhood: "You're a sly one—people like you never make mistakes."

For some reason, the Grand Eunuch thought of the boy who guarded the Fire Qilin Pavilion.

He replied softly, "My life was given to me by Your Majesty, and so I must die faithfully for Your Majesty." When he was young, he had caused trouble and was about to be beaten to death when the then-young Prince Jing saved him.

For this, Prince Jing was despised by the previous Emperor, who called it "womanly mercy."

Since then, for over a decade, Prince Jing had been excluded from the center of power.

He looked at the Emperor, sitting quietly.

Yet he realized that the little prince who once knelt in the rain before the grand hall for a eunuch, who was thrice whipped on the back with a willow branch and sighed over as "womanly mercy," then sent away to play the qin—had unknowingly become a true dragon.

Unfathomable, solemn, awe-inspiring.

He could not help but wonder.

What would the little prince of that time think of the Emperor now?

Emperor Chen removed his shoes and placed his feet in the Grand Eunuch's lap, asking him to massage his legs and feet. It had been so long since he'd walked that the path he'd just taken had left his feet numb and tingling.

The Grand Eunuch performed these small tasks with utmost care, while Emperor Chen watched the rain pour outside.

He seemed weary, no longer the composed, commanding presence he was in court.

"I do all this for Chen State."

"I am not a good Emperor. It was fate and Heaven's will that placed me here. After reading countless Juan Sect records, I realized that an Emperor like me, skilled in strategy, can never accomplish great deeds."

"But who, sitting in this seat, would not wish to achieve glory and be remembered through history? I cannot do it—but I will make my child do it."

He asked the Grand Eunuch: "Do you know what a true sovereign is like?"

The eunuch replied, "How could a servant possibly understand such a profound question?"

Emperor Chen half-closed his eyes:

"Throughout history, the greatest heroes and emperors have had the greatest desires."

"That burning hunger to possess everything drives talented emperors to gaze upon the world with ambition. Only such a ruler is truly progressive—only such a sovereign can achieve greatness and be remembered for millennia."

Emperor Chen extended his hand, catching raindrops. His fingers moved in sequence as he lowered his gaze:

"I will give Yuyun a heart full of greed. No virtue is needed."

"This world is a dish. Heroes and warlords are all greedy beasts, gnashing teeth and sucking blood, eager for a feast. To triumph in this world is not about virtue or ambition—it is about desire. Desire drives men to refuse to be beneath others; desire drives them to refuse the status quo."

"Therefore, I cannot give him a life of wealth and comfort."

"A life of ease and luxury will extinguish all fire in a hero's heart."

"I want him to remain forever discontented, forever greedy, ambitious, and relentlessly progressive."

"And such a man will inevitably face obstacles. Chen's military merit is too strong—it is a thornbush bristling with spikes. I must smooth out these thorns for him, so that when he grasps the bush, he may do so easily, without injuring himself. Then, at that time, I will release him into the world."

The Grand Eunuch listened to the Emperor's words, yet suddenly recalled a phrase.

A thornbush without thorns—

Can it still be used to whip the world?

Emperor Chen gave a self-deprecating laugh: "When I was young, I saw my elder brother go to inspect the troops, looking so majestic. I cried and begged to go with him the second time. But when I arrived, I found the frontier harsh. It was then that I met Tai Ping Gong—I feared and revered him."

"Do you know? When soldiers look at our imperial family, they show reverence."

"But when they look at Tai Ping Gong, they show such fervor. My brothers didn't care—but I felt fear, as if I'd seen a fire… Yet that fire eventually went out. I don't know how he died, but I'll tell you the truth."

"When he died, I was heartbroken—and yet I breathed a sigh of relief."

"How ridiculous."

The Grand Eunuch lowered his eyes. The Emperor spoke gently: "In all of Chen State, I can only speak these words to you."

"Only with you can I let down my guard. I wonder when we might return to those days—when I didn't see you as a eunuch, and you didn't see me as an Imperial Prince."

The Grand Eunuch said, "I dare not, Your Majesty."

The Emperor looked at him, and only sighed.

He thought of their youth—climbing trees to steal birds, diving into rivers to catch fish—and sincerely, softly, said:

"There is no greater solitude than this."

"But I truly act for Chen State. The people of the world do not understand me."

"Come, let us go to the banquet."

………………

After the Emperor left, Chen Yuyun raised his head and looked at the villa.

He could no longer live here. He gazed at the lavish, beautiful decorations, at the stunning women, and felt a fire rising within him. At first, it was merely resentment—he had grown accustomed to his simple life, then suddenly the Emperor became his father.

Then his father took him on a tour of the world and returned him to his former place.

He realized he could not endure this life. He refused to accept it. He wanted to feast on rare delicacies, be sustained by the wealth of all four seas, watch beautiful women bow before him in submission, and become the supreme ruler—then look down at his family's humble meals.

The food was too greasy, not refined enough; the tableware was ordinary, how could it compare to what Father had? The maids in the household were clumsy, utterly unable to match those women—some elegant, some alluring, some voluptuous, some coldly beautiful.

I am also the Emperor's son.

Why can't I have all this?

That initial resentment, after seeing the Crown Prince's extravagance and learning he was the son Father valued most, burned hotter than fire, transforming into a wild, instinctive possessive desire.

He stared at the sky, imagining how he would humiliate Li Guanyi after winning.

How he would marry Xue Shuangtao, then before all the world, become Imperial Prince, ascend the throne, conquer the Western Regions, crush Ying State, and make all under heaven kneel at his feet—then he wouldn't just take Xue Shuangtao; Li Guanyi's aunt must also be brought into the palace.

And Zhou Liu's sister, and that daughter of his, and Ye Buyi's…

He knew that because of his father and mother's affair, he had a pathological desire to possess other men's wives—a craving that had surged uncontrollably since the day he saw the Emperor enter his mother's chamber.

He stared deeply, viciously, at the beautiful female official of the villa.

As if trying to rub her into his eyes, then he clenched his chest tightly, suppressing the fiery impulse to brutalize and the twisted desire to destroy—his surface remained refined as he bid farewell to the official and left.

Every time he left this luxurious place after meeting the Emperor, Chen Yuyun's inner resentment twisted deeper; he hurried back through the rain to return to that shabby dwelling, to see his perpetually sorrowful mother—and felt only disgust and nausea.

Soon, very soon I can leave this place.

Soon, very soon I can ascend that throne.

Almost there…

A man walked toward him, holding an umbrella; Chen Yuyun paid no attention.

Only when they passed did he glance—and in the next instant, a primal, instinctive resonance from his nature and bone structure made him recoil sharply, sensing murderous intent.

Li Guanyi appeared at the perfect moment.

He stepped on the ground, his right fist slamming forward with full force.

No need for a killing blow; the more chaotic the scene, the more convincingly a trace of Situ Deqing's involvement would make the Emperor believe it—Chen Yuyun was lost in visions of his own glorious future.

Qu Zai had been guarding him, but today the Diliu Sect Master was also attending the banquet.

The Wangqi Technique had observed this Imperial Prince's fortune today.

Majestic, imperial, purple-and-blue qi surged upward—the most exalted posture!

And now, at the peak of his fortune, a change occurred.

Chen Yuyun barely reacted—the fist had already struck. Li Guanyi's footwork was the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Step, borrowing momentum; the Xuan Gui Phantasm took form; his power surged with Dragon Tendon, Tiger Marrow strength, and the unyielding solidity of the Glass Body, Dragon and Tiger in tandem.

His Golden Core within the dantian erupted, violently churning his blood and qi, pushing Li Guanyi's fist beyond its limit.

This punch even channeled the momentum to shatter mountains.

Boom!!

Rain halted midair, then exploded outward in all directions.

The fist's might shattered the rain curtain into a haze of mist.

It descended toward Chen Yuyun.

Chen Yuyun's scalp prickled.

"Who?!"

"How dare you strike at the Emperor!"

The punch's brilliance was too intense—unlike in Li Guanyi's past games, where power and speed were separate, here, greater power meant absolute, terrifying speed; Chen Yuyun had no time to call for help—the fist was already before his eyes.

His hair whipped wildly; the crushing pressure darkened his vision, his eyes stung painfully, nearly tearing.

He could only throw himself backward violently, crossing his arms to block.

He actually blocked it!

Boom!!

Rain exploded outward in a layer; thunder rumbled overhead, drowning out the sound—no one noticed.

Lei Ting was no coincidence.

This was the result of Po Jun's observation.

Today was suited for killing.

And this moment—the rain was loudest, the thunder most deafening.

The massive recoil sent searing pain through Chen Yuyun's arms, shock and fury surging—but Li Guanyi showed not the slightest reaction.

The ultra-high-frequency explosive power granted by the Jade Arm Divine Bow Art activated again.

Li Guanyi turned his fist into a palm, seized Chen Yuyun's chest, flipped him over, and slammed him hard into the ground.

The ground cracked; filthy water sprayed.

Chen Yuyun's vision exploded with golden stars.

He still had strength to counter—reaching for his sword—until Li Guanyi smashed his wrist with a punch.

With a crack, Chen Yuyun's wrist shattered outright.

He tried to shout—Li Guanyi struck his chin.

Clean, efficient—leaving him speechless.

Fierce, brutal, like a rampaging dragon or tiger.

Even when fighting Xu Huiyang, Li Guanyi had never unleashed his full physical power—now, this strength rivaling the Tyrant Body erupted; Chen Yuyun's attempts to call for aid were shattered—both left and right arms crushed to bone.

Chen Yuyun's eyes bulged with rage.

Who?!

Who dares try to kill the Emperor?!

I am a disciple of the Grand Master, the future Emperor, the one emperor of a thousand generations—I can't even block one punch?! I cannot, cannot die here!

Block it, just block it one more time—I can call for my teacher!

Teacher, Father, save me!

It hurts!

I don't want to die, I don't want to die.

Li Guanyi raised his hand, clenched his fist, and slammed it hard into Chen Yuyun's face.

The punch blackened his vision, splitting skin and tearing flesh.

Such explosive power was the absolute limit for a martial artist.

Yet Li Guanyi pounded blow after blow as if he knew no fatigue.

Li Guanyi's fists were streaked with blood.

Chen Yuyun gritted his teeth, suddenly unleashing his internal Qi—his eyes blazed with the fire of survival. His second-floor internal Qi, originally meant to surge during the match to achieve breakthrough and stun the world, now erupted prematurely, seeking the title of genius through mid-battle ascension.

I still have ten thousand li to walk—I must rise above millions! I cannot die!

His vital energy restored, reached its limit, then surpassed it.

He violently broke free from Li Guanyi's grip, stood up, and gripped his sword to strike.

His master's famed technique: Sword moves like a knife's strike, knife moves like a sword's path, yin and yang merging as one.

I am, Emperor!

A flash of cold light—Murong Qiushui sliced through space, piercing Chen Yuyun's neck from the side. A layer of internal Qi coated the blade, tearing through his throat, spine, arteries, and veins. Li Guanyi's right hand clamped down on Chen Yuyun's sword, then twisted upward.

Disarm, then reverse-stab.

He drove Chen Yuyun's own sword through his brow, the blade emerging from the back of his skull.

Chen Yuyun saw only the bloodstained dark-gold mask.

Li Guanyi withdrew Murong Qiushui—the blade gleamed pure, untainted by a single drop.

Chen Yuyun opened his mouth, his body, now surging with strength, collapsed with a crash. Two grotesque wounds—neck and brow—gushed blood, washed away by rain, his eyes dimmed of all light.

Thirteen breaths.

Chen Yuyun.

Dead!

?? Wrote it all in one go—big chapter, please vote for monthly tickets, friends!