Chapter 123: Xirang

As the pain gradually receded, both the mortal realm and the immortal sect were slowly returning to calm.

On this day, it was the first morning court after the young emperor ascended the throne.

Nine-year-old Shi Zhenlang sat dignified on the imperial throne, with civil and military officials arranged on both sides.

After bowing to the new emperor, the young Shi Zhenlang looked around at the officials, and his gaze finally fell on Di Yiqiu. Di Yiqiu nodded slightly, and Shi Zhenlang spoke crisply, “The calamity of cultivating immortality, you all have personally experienced. From now on, emperors shall not cultivate immortality. Any royal offspring with aspirations for the immortal path shall change their names, be expelled from the royal family, and be placed under the supervision of the Celestial Court.”

Though young, his words were logical.

Di Yiqiu remained silent. He had more than a hundred and eighty siblings, many of whom had died and resurrected in the third dream. Most of these resurrected individuals were not willing to end their own lives.

—How many people would willingly sacrifice themselves for the elusive Order of Heaven?

For this, he had pursued it for half a month. The three words “Celestial Court” made blood drip from his fingernails.

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He spoke with a stern face. “Since Your Majesty says emperors should not cultivate immortality, should the Celestial Court also withdraw from the court? From now on, it should refrain from interfering in political affairs.”

The young emperor on the throne dared not speak, and the officials looked towards Di Yiqiu.

Di Yiqiu still wore his purple official attire, with a jade belt and black boots, his demeanor cold. Facing Old Master Sun’s inquiry, he raised his head and said, after a long pause, “Elder Sun’s words are reasonable.”

The crowd was surprised, and Old Master Sun was also stunned.

The minister had been hostile to the Celestial Court for many years, cutting expenditures, suppressing influence, and often taking advantage. Accusations against Di Yiqiu were commonplace in the court. Everyone had become accustomed to it.

But Di Yiqiu usually did not attend court, and the position where he stood was almost always empty.

The Celestial Court was represented at court by Bai Qingyun, the Deputy Chief of the Azure Dragon Bureau. However, Bai Qingyun was a slippery character. After years of verbal clashes, the Celestial Court continued to grow stronger, and the minister continued to call for resistance against the court’s cultivation of immortality.

No one could distinguish between the two.

But today, what had happened to Di Yiqiu?

Di Yiqiu slowly stepped forward, gave a slight salute to the young emperor, and then said, “Since the Celestial Court is an immortal sect, it should focus on seeking the Dao. It should not interfere in court affairs. From now on, the Celestial Court will restrain its members, dedicating themselves to cultivation without involving themselves in political matters.”

“Are you… serious about this?” Old Master Sun furrowed his brow, unable to comprehend. In the past, amidst the heated debates in the court, occasional angry remarks pointing at the Celestial Court were not uncommon.

For many years, the Celestial Court had never taken such matters seriously.

But today, what happened to Di Yiqiu?

On the throne, the young emperor hesitated and said, “Uncle… Uncle.”

Di Yiqiu said, “Starting today, the Celestial Court will only retain its official title and will no longer attend the court.”

His tone was indifferent, and Old Master Sun and others felt that something was amiss.

At this moment, someone outside suddenly reported, “Your Majesty, something bad has happened! Duke Zhongguo has surrounded the palace with his men!”

The crowd erupted in chaos, and Old Master Sun angrily exclaimed, “Duke Zhongguo? What does he want?!”

Outside the hall, a tall and robust figure entered with his head held high.

In his left hand, he held a silver spear, and in his right hand, he carried a wooden box.

—It was indeed Duke Zhongguo!

“Don’t be alarmed, Elder Sun!” Behind him were heavily armored warriors, moving like shooting stars. The young emperor on the throne looked neither seated nor standing, with a pale face. Seeing this, Old Master Sun quickly protected the emperor.

Meanwhile, Di Yiqiu stepped forward slowly, and at some point, all the court officials had retreated behind him.

In fact, everyone understood very well who the real powerhouse was in this court.

But why did people still dare to point fingers and speak without fear?

“Duke Zhongguo, what brings you to the court with your sword and armor?” Di Yiqiu’s voice was calm and carried little pressure.

Apparently, even though Duke Zhongguo had led troops for many years and held military power, his strength clearly could not match the current Celestial Court.

Duke Zhongguo sneered, saying, “Di Yiqiu, as a courtier, you betrayed the late emperor! The late emperor ordered you to refine the Elixir of Longevity, but you secretly went against his will, using a fake elixir to deceive the late emperor and line your pockets! Do you confess?”

“That is indeed the case.” There was no ripple in Di Yiqiu’s eyes.

Since the defeat of Shi Wenyu, he has executed the resurrected, supported the young emperor, and restored the order of the Heavenly Dao in the mortal realm. However, his eyes only held the ashes of what had once burned. Even facing the loud accusations of the rebels, he remained unmoved.

On the side, Old Master Sun said, “Duke Zhongguo, don’t you understand even now? The late emperor insisted on refining the Elixir of Longevity just to exploit the people, causing suffering and resentment! “

“Shut up!” Duke Zhongguo pointed angrily and said, “Even if the late emperor was wrong, he was still the monarch! We, as subjects, should advise and admonish, but there is no reason for execution. Moreover, all this stems from the mouth of this treacherous minister. He deceived the late emperor from the beginning. Who knows if he has ulterior motives, slandering the late emperor?”

He stared at Di Yiqiu, loudly demanding, “I’ve sent people to investigate. The Elixir of Longevity you brewed is worth no more than a thousand taels. Yet, the late emperor allocated huge sums of money every year. Where did all that silver go?!”

No one in the court spoke, but everyone knew how enormous the expenses of the Elixir of Longevity were.

For the Celestial Court’s fabrication revelation, many ministers were shocked beyond belief.

However, there were also many individuals who frowned but remained silent.

The cost of the Elixir of Longevity was exorbitant, as Shi Wenyu had intended to increase taxes, exploiting the common people.

Otherwise, where would the resentment he urgently needed come from?

Yet, there were some who knew about the Celestial Court’s fabrication.

Old Master Sun opened his mouth several times as if to speak but didn’t know where to begin. Several officials from the Ministry of Revenue looked at him, and seeing his tacit acknowledgment, no one uttered a word.

—After all, it was an accusation of deceiving the monarch; who could bear such a charge?

Di Yiqiu didn’t even glance at them. He stared at Duke Zhongguo and said, “The late emperor has passed away. If Duke Zhongguo wants to investigate me, he can present it to the current emperor. Why create such a commotion?”

Next to him, Minister of Revenue Zhou reminded, “Exactly. Duke Zhongguo, don’t you realize that this action is tantamount to treason?”

“Treason?” Duke Zhongguo said, “This old man received the late emperor’s grace; even if I have to risk my life, I will seek justice for him!”

Di Yiqiu knew that he couldn’t explain. He asked, “Duke Zhongguo, do you want to fight me?”

And at that moment, Duke Zhongguo raised the box in his hand. Since Duke Zhongguo entered, he had noticed the box but didn’t know its contents.

Duke Zhongguo slowly opened the box, and everyone was stunned!

Inside the box was golden sand!

Among the onlookers, there were quite a few knowledgeable individuals who quickly recognized what it was!

“This… is the residual sand of an earth spirit! Duke Zhongguo, you…” Old Master Sun felt an ominous premonition, and he didn’t dare to speculate further.

Di Yiqiu, however, just stared at the golden sand in the box. A faint smile appeared on his face, but his eyes became even deeper, and a strange dark yellow tint emerged. He said, “Duke Zhongguo went to great lengths, even inviting my wife.”

Duke Zhongguo had come prepared and was naturally fearless. Holding the half-filled box of sand, he said, “The other half, I’ve already had someone send away! Di Yiqiu, now I order you to abandon your cultivation, get out of the court, and leave the Celestial Court! Since you have committed patricide and regicide, you don’t deserve the glory and wealth bestowed upon you by the late emperor! As for your body, as a vessel of bloodlines given by your parents, as a disloyal and unfilial person, what face do you have to live in this world?!”

His words were full of anger, but Di Yiqiu remained fixated on the wooden box in Duke Zhongguo’s hand. Indeed, the golden sand inside had been reduced by half.

“Hid it, didn’t you?” His voice was very light, carrying a tsunami-like killing intent: “Hid it, didn’t you?!”

In the next moment, the tone suddenly rose, and he pounced. Duke Zhongguo only felt a shadow as vast as a mountain before him. His loyal soldiers quickly moved forward to protect him.

However, in the blink of an eye, a burst of blood mist exploded, splattering him all over!

A azure-colored giant serpent opened its blood-filled mouth, crushing the soldier instantly, as if swallowing a pill!

“No—Di Yiqiu!” Old Master Sun no longer cared about anything else. Trembling, he rushed forward, shouting, “This can’t be!”

But the giant serpent opened its mouth again. The swords and spears of mortal soldiers were fragile before its body. It ignored them and instantly killed more than a dozen soldiers who tried to resist, turning them into a bloody mess!

Duke Zhongguo took a step back, realizing he had miscalculated!

He had assumed that Di Yiqiu, deeply in love with his wife, would hesitate upon seeing the Huang Rang’s residual sand. But he didn’t.

And the soldiers he brought were his old subordinates, all loyal and brave.

He angrily said, “Di Yiqiu, if you want to kill or punish, come at me!”

As he spoke, he thrust the silver spear at Di Yiqiu’s vital spot. However, the serpent’s scales protected him, and the spear broke as Duke Zhongguo exerted too much force. The giant serpent, seemingly intentionally avoiding attacking Duke Zhongguo, began indiscriminately slaughtering the soldiers he had brought into the palace.

Blood erupted before his eyes, resembling springtime blossoms.

And beyond the dream, Huang Rang hadn’t even been able to witness the spring flowers with him. When she came, it was late winter in the capital. When she left, there was still lingering snow.

Di Yiqiu didn’t know what he was doing. Countless shouts surrounded him, but he couldn’t make out any of them.

Kill all these people!

A voice raged madly in his mind—kill all those who dared to disturb her.

He wandered among the armored and sharp soldiers, as if in a world devoid of people.

Suddenly, Duke Zhongguo realized that he couldn’t do anything to him. Not only that, the officers he brought with him were all losing their lives because of his ignorance!

“Stop… Stop…” All the curses couldn’t be uttered anymore. His voice grew weaker, and he seemed to have been completely drained of strength.

Finally, he threw away the silver spear and dropped the box. He could only mutter, “Stop… Have you gone mad?”

The young emperor had long been stunned. Old Master Sun stumbled forward, picking up the wooden box brought by Duke Zhongguo. He staggered to Di Yiqiu, shouting, “Di Yiqiu! Huang Rang is watching you; she’s watching you!”

The scales at the tail of the giant serpent spread out like blades. But when they swept past him, they slowly stopped.

She was watching.

Then all the vibrant red lost its color.

In this world, some people don’t even have the qualifications to go mad.

The giant snake slowly transformed into a human form, and he took the wooden box from Old Master Sun’s hands. Old Master Sun hurriedly asked, “Where are the remaining ashes?”

Duke Zhongguo had long lost his previous momentum; his whole person seemed a bit foolish. After a while, he said dazedly, “Buried… buried at the former site of the Yuanrong tower, in memory of the late emperor.”

Di Yiqiu took the wooden box and walked slowly to the former site of the Yuanrong Tower.

The tower was long gone, and this place was too ominous; it had already been filled in by palace attendants. The palace attendants were cautious, not daring to breathe heavily. They hastily brought shovels, intending to dig the soil for him. However, Di Yiqiu crouched down, his hands covered in azure serpent scales, and his sharp claws were incredibly hard.

The new soil was easy to excavate, but his movements were slow.

It seemed as if he feared startling someone within the soil.

When the loose soil was removed, a bundle wrapped in brocade appeared inside. Di Yiqiu took it out and opened it. Indeed, it was the other part of Huang Rang’s residual sand. He emptied it into the box.

A group of courtiers watched from afar, and no one dared to approach.

Someone whispered, “This… seems to be a sign of demonic possession.”

Old Master Sun glared angrily at the person and said, “Guards, Duke Zhongguo dared to encircle the palace on his own, disturbing the Emperor. Why haven’t you captured him yet?!”

Duke Zhongguo’s subordinates still wanted to resist, but after Di Yiqiu’s frenzied killing spree, everyone had lost their courage.

Even now, with weapons in hand, they cowered like startled birds.

Duke Zhongguo looked at the blood-soaked ground, realizing for the first time what it meant to be unbeatable.

He lowered his head and said after a while, “This matter is all caused by me. Spare them.”

Old Master Sun sighed deeply and said after a while, “Old brother, can we have a private conversation?”

Duke Zhongguo looked at him, puzzled.

Old Master Sun led him to a corner outside the hall. In front of the snow-white railing, they could overlook half of the capital city.

“What do you want to say?” Duke Zhongguo watched as palace attendants collected the bones of the deceased soldiers, but in truth, there was nothing much left to collect. A pool of blood, washed away with water, leaving nothing behind.

The madness of Di Yiqiu had crushed his courage; he felt disheartened and lost his will to fight.

Old Master Sun spoke slowly. “Don’t you want to know where the silver for making the Longevity Elixir went?”

Duke Zhongguo was startled and angrily said, “It’s you…”

Old Master Sun continued, “That batch of silver never reached the Celestial Court. The Treasury only issued a few dozen boxes of stones.”

Duke Zhongguo’s heart chilled. “You’ve been deceiving the Emperor. This…”

Old Master Sun gazed at the capital city; it was now early morning, and smoke rose from the chimneys. He said, “Back then, it was his idea. Throughout my career, wouldn’t I know this was deceiving the Emperor? But when the Emperor’s order to make the Longevity Elixir came down, he was here and said to me…”

In the distance, Di Yiqiu had already left with Huang Rang’s remaining sand.

Old Master Sun observed his departing figure and continued, “He said, ‘Look at the capital city, with smoke rising in the morning and countless lights at night. How beautiful.'”

Duke Zhongguo stopped, and Old Master Sun looked at him. After a while, he smiled and said, “You see, people have different desires. You really shouldn’t touch his wounds. Today, I’ve explained everything, and I believe Duke Zhongguo understands the implications.”

Duke Zhongguo remained silent, and soon soldiers arrived to put shackles on him.

That night, Duke Zhongguo hanged himself in prison.

The young Emperor, benevolent as he was, decided not to pursue the matter further for the other soldiers. He ordered the imperial guards to return to their hometowns, forbidding them from ever setting foot in the capital again.

On the same day, the Celestial Court built a temple in the capital.

Inside the temple was an image of Huang Rang.

The temple was not large, but with white walls and black tiles, it was clean and tidy.

However, on the first day, the threshold was already trampled. Even the immortal sects, who were usually at odds with the court, came to pay their respects and mourn.

In the temple, Huang Rang wore a light golden dress with a gentle and extraordinary demeanor. She held a basket of ripe grain spikes, symbolizing a bountiful harvest.

Because she was born to an Earth spirit family,many people also call her as the Goddess Xirang.