Chapter 856

Wuxia saw the golden-beast-head agate cup change, joyfully raised the great Tang treasure before the barefoot beauty's eyes.

This great Tang treasure, soaked in the blood of the Tang Empress, now glowed vividly, its aura growing ever more terrifying, as if the desolate wilderness itself had gained new color.

Gazing at the strange radiance of the great Tang treasure, the barefoot beauty unconsciously took it from Wuxia's hands.

After carefully examining it in her grasp, she murmured,

"Truly worthy of being one of the Tang Dynasty's state treasures!"

"Lord, shall we begin…?"

Wuxia stared absentmindedly at the barefoot beauty, then remembered their mission and softly reminded her,

"Sun En has been lured away, but with his wit, he'll realize the trick in no time."

"When he returns, we may no longer have a chance to act."

The one who had nearly killed Dongfang Bai with a single palm strike was none other than Sun En, one of the Tang Dynasty's Guardian Sages, a Daoist master ranked on the Heavenly Dao Golden List.

Unfortunately, Sun En had been deceived by the barefoot beauty and Wuxia's ruse, falling for the true "Tiger-Calling Stratagem."

"Are you teaching me how to do my job?"

The barefoot beauty glanced at Wuxia with a sidelong look and asked coolly.

Wuxia trembled at her gaze, immediately prostrating herself on the ground,

"Forgive me, Lord! Your servant is guilty— I shall sever one finger at once…"

In terror, Wuxia prepared to unleash her Qi and sever her own finger on the spot.

An invisible force field brushed over Wuxia, halting her movement,

"Enough. I am in dire need of servants now—I spare you this time."

The barefoot beauty's tone was icy, but to Wuxia's ears, it was like a reprieve from death.

She immediately banged her head on the ground several times, endlessly thanking and praising.

"Enough, enough—stand up and guard for me!

I shall use this Tang state treasure to breach the boundary wall and summon her over!"

Impatient, the barefoot beauty lifted the golden-beast-head agate cup and stepped lightly through the air toward the mirage in the sky.

Wuxia obeyed, leaping to her feet at once, ignoring her forehead wound, and assumed a defensive stance to guard the barefoot beauty.

Wu Zetian, having lost too much blood and burdened with extreme Yin energy, had temporarily fainted.

In contrast, Shangguan Wan, once her injuries subsided, finally regained consciousness.

She had heard every word exchanged between the barefoot beauty and Wuxia.

As the de facto head of the Tang Inner Court—holding no official title of "Nei Xiang" but wielding its full power—Shangguan Wan was familiar with the golden-beast-head agate cup, one of the Tang state treasures.

But she knew only that its function was nearly identical to the Qin's He Shi Bi.

Both could summon the imperial dragon qi remotely, without being in the capital, to bolster one's offensive power.

Yet the golden-beast-head agate cup differed slightly from the He Shi Bi.

The He Shi Bi, if permitted by the Qin imperial family, could be wielded even by Bai Qi or Shang Yang, drawing imperial dragon qi to enhance their strength.

But the golden-beast-head agate cup was inferior—it could be activated only by imperial bloodline.

Yet this barefoot beauty and Wuxia clearly had no intention of merely summoning Tang dragon qi remotely from the treasure—they sought something else entirely.

No matter how hard Shangguan Wan racked her brain, she could not fathom any other use for this Tang treasure.

Just then, the barefoot beauty, holding the golden-beast-head agate cup, ascended straight into the heavens.

Only Wuxia remained below, alert and watchful, guarding the barefoot beauty.

Shangguan Wan's heart stirred, and she spoke to her,

"Wuxia, you've served Your Majesty for nearly a decade—has Your Majesty ever wronged you?"

She silently repeated the words several times in her mind.

But speaking stirred her chest and abdominal wounds, sending searing pain through her.

The sentence took several pauses to finish.

Wuxia heard Shangguan Wan's voice but ignored her completely.

She continued scanning the surroundings, wary of Sun En's premature return.

"You were merely a musician in the Jiaofang Bureau—if not for Your Majesty's pity, you'd long have been a mere plaything for countless men, your lips stained with rouge."

Your Majesty did not despise you for being the daughter of a disgraced official, yet entrusted you with great confidence.

In the inner palace, she never once harshly rebuked you.

Why must you side with this unknown woman…?"

"Shut up!"

No matter how Shangguan Wan recounted their past, Wuxia gave no reply.

Only when Shangguan Wan called the barefoot beauty an "unknown woman" did Wuxia glare at her with fury,

"Foolish woman—how dare you speak so lightly of our Lord?"

"Lord? What lord?"

Ever since the barefoot beauty appeared, both Shangguan Wan and Wu Zetian had felt she looked familiar.

Yet neither could recall where they had seen her before.

Wuxia had shown her absolute deference, never daring to defy her.

She had repeatedly addressed her as "Lord."

Shangguan Wan, commander of the Tang Luan Guard, oversaw all intelligence gathered by the Bu Liang Ren.

Thus, aside from Wu Zetian, she knew more about Tang's internal and external intelligence than anyone else.

Yet after reviewing every piece of Tang intelligence, neither the barefoot beauty, the title "Lord," nor the Demon Finger Technique triggered any recognition in Shangguan Wan's mind.

"Of course, it's the supreme master of Shengmen!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Wuxia answered directly.

Shengmen?

Shangguan Wan heard this term and her head buzzed as she suddenly remembered.

What was called Shengmen was in fact a combined Menpailian Alliance comprising two sects and six paths within the territories of the Tang and Sui dynasties.

Its members often referred to themselves as Shengmen.

But among the martial world, all these people were collectively called Weimo Sect.

Figures such as Tianmo Cang Qu and Xie Tiao were among the elite of Shengmen.

Of course, Cang Qu was not truly a member of Shengmen.

After all, the vast majority of Shengmen members were descendants of the ancient Gemenge Sects.

To survive and endure, they banded together.

And because they did not inherit a continuous Dao lineage from antiquity.

Moreover, their methods were secretive and their tactics cold and cruel.

Their cultivation techniques mostly originated from Tianmo Cang Qu's demonic musings, the Mo Dao Sui Xiang Lu.

Thus, these people were all collectively called Weimo Sect!

Yet since the fall of the Sui dynasty, from Tianmo Cang Qu down to the members of the two sects and six paths, all had pledged allegiance to Tang and served the Tang dynasty.

Their ancestral leader, Tianmo Cang Qu, was even the Tang dynasty's chief imperial guardian.

Then why would this so-called Shengmen master ally with Zhang Wuxia to ambush Empress Wu Zetian of Tang?

Do they not understand that Tang could survive without Weimo Sect's support?

But if Weimo Sect lost Tang's backing, wouldn't it be instantly overthrown and destroyed by the righteous factions who despised them?

Could these two be insane?

Shangguan Wan found it utterly absurd when she suddenly saw the barefoot beauty raise the gold-inlaid beast-head agate cup and approach the mirage that resembled Changancheng.

Vast amounts of heavenly and earthly Qi surged forth under her guidance.

A strange, indescribable aura continuously emanated from the gold-inlaid beast-head agate cup.

"Ah! It's Wanchan! Wanchan of the Yingui Sect of Weimo Sect!"

Shangguan Wan finally remembered: wasn't the one who had injured her and stolen the gold-inlaid beast-head agate cup precisely Wanchan of the Yingui Sect of Weimo Sect?

Yet this Wanchan was vastly different from the Wanchan in Shangguan Wan's memory.

Whether in temperament, strength, or cultivation technique.