Elders' Court.
Luo Yunhai, who had rushed over, paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind him, his gloomy face a mask of frustration and unease.
Tu Huan sat to one side sipping tea, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Don't worry, he's about to arrive."
Luo Yunhai took a deep, calming breath, and his emotions steadied slightly.
"Young Master, has the situation at the top changed?" Luo Yunhai asked after a moment of thought.
Tu Huan calmly lit a cigarette without looking up and asked indifferently, "What do you mean?"
"If the situation hadn't changed, how could Chen Yang still be alive? My grandson Luo Chen wouldn't be dead!" Luo Yunhai's eyes flashed with murderous intent, his fists clenched so tightly the knuckles turned bone white.
Before Tu Huan could speak, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from afar. The newcomer was an elderly man dressed in fine clothes.
Tu Huan immediately set down his teacup and shot to his feet, moving to greet him with immense respect. "Prime Minister."
"Luo Yunhai pays his respects, Prime Minister," he added, bowing in succession with Tu Huan.
"I've said it before, please put the word 'former' before 'Prime Minister.' Is that so hard to understand?" the elderāthe former Prime Minister, Zuo Changāsaid lightly, raising an eyebrow.
"In our hearts, your status will never change. No one can ever replace you," said Tu Huan, who was normally so arrogant and inscrutable, now wearing a fawning expression as he spoke cheerfully.
Luo Yunhai quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right! You are the only one we recognize."
"You two..." Zuo Chang shook his head and went straight to the main seat. Tu Huan hurriedly poured him some tea.
Luo Yunhai stood respectfully to the side, all traces of anger and irritation wiped from his face, replaced by an eagerness to please. Are you kidding me? This man was the former Prime Minister. Neither his status nor his influence were anything Luo Yunhai could ever hope to compare to.
"The situation hasn't changed." Zuo Chang took a sip of tea and got straight to the point. "Of course, the man has to be killed. The question is how."
"Setting aside his popularity with the common people, he just won a great victory. How can we simply kill him just like that? What would become of our prestige?"
Luo Yunhai nodded repeatedly. "Your correction is astute, Prime Minister! I was obsessed, blinded by my anger."
He was a decorated hero of his generation, with immense military achievements to his name. If they used brute force to kill him, not only would it fail to convince the public, but it would surely incite tremendous outrage.
"Besides, do we really need to get our own hands dirty to kill him?" Zuo Chang said with a smile. "As far as I know, the major royal factions have already started contacting Biluo Sword Valley. As long as the people from Red Lotus Valley are trapped at Yuning Mountain, unable to get out, he won't survive the combined might of these factions, even if he had three heads and six arms."
Tu Huan arched a brow, wanting to speak but holding his tongue.
"You are too competitive and too eager for quick success," Zuo Chang said, shaking his head. He knew exactly what the young man was thinking. "You could toy with him, but besides a sliver of psychological satisfaction, what would you really gain?"
"What you need to do now is hurry up and clean out your ranks. Get a firm grip on the entire Martial Department. Once your position is secure, do you think you'll lack for moments of glory?" Zuo Chang's words were deliberate and full of meaning.
"Listening to your wisdom, Senior, is better than studying for ten years." Tu Huan quickly performed a cupped-fist salute. "This junior now knows what to do."
"And what is that?" Zuo Chang asked with a smile.
"I will proceed with hosting the grand banquet for him. We'll call it a welcome feast to wash away the dust from his journey."
Zuo Chang nodded, smiling. Talking with a smart man really saves time and effort. Not only do they understand with a single hint, but they can also extrapolate from it.
He then turned to Luo Yunhai. "I understand how you feel right now. For now, just focus on giving that boy, Luo Chen, a grand and proper burial. Don't worry, Chen Yang won't live for much longer."
"Yes!" Luo Yunhai nodded, the fury in his heart vanishing completely, leaving only a fervent anticipation for Chen Yang's death.
A grand drama was about to unfold.
***
After leaving the cemetery, Chen Yang received a secret letter from his cousin in Red Lotus Valley, Liu Qingmei.
The entire letter conveyed a single point. Because he had killed two disciples and a Steward from Biluo Sword Valley, the valley was now thoroughly involved. Under the pretext of demanding an explanation, they were meddling in the affairs of Red Lotus Valley. The other major royal factions would certainly seize this opportunity to strike with the force of a thunderbolt.
In the end, she urged Chen Yang to be extremely careful.
"Another great storm is coming," Chen Yang muttered, rubbing his head with a bitter smile.
Here I am, all alone. And as for those three Sovereigns, even though one is dead and another is severely wounded, how can the foundations of the royal factions be measured by common sense? A fierce battle seems inevitable.
ćBy the Qingyuan River.ć
The fading light of the setting sun painted a picturesque scene.
Yang Hu walked half a step behind, his expression grim and silent. He knew this coming trial was exceptionally critical. If Chen Yang could overcome it, his path forward would be clear and unobstructed, a vast, sunny sky with no clouds left to obscure it. But if he couldn't... Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The world would remain dominated by the same powers that be.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Suddenly, a startling, dull thumping broke the tranquility along the riverbankāthe tremor of countless footsteps. A commotion of figures followed, and Chen Yang looked up.
A troop of several thousand men appeared in his line of sight. Each soldier was clad in battle armor and wielded a saber. Under the sunset's afterglow, their armor glinted with a dazzling, flickering light. They presented a magnificent yet solemn formation, charged with a palpable killing intent.
At the head of the formation was a tall, powerfully built, middle-aged man. He wore chainmail armor and wielded a golden war spear, his black cape billowing in the wind.
It was the Demon Monarch, Chen Hua.
"Chen Family Martial Guard, salute!" Chen Shangwu, who was right behind him, commanded.
WHOOSH.
Thousands of men saluted in unison.
Chen Yang smiled and took a few leisurely steps forward. The Chen Family Ancestral Mansion isn't far from here. I've arrived without even realizing it.
"Chen Yang, you are not alone! You have a home! You have these thousands of valiant men of the Chen Family!" Chen Shangwu declared, standing before him.
SHIIIING!
The blades of thousands of men were unsheathed as one, their combined killing intent so dense it seemed to slice through the very air. Even the sunset's afterglow was overwhelmed, its light dimming before their might.
Watching the scene unfold, looking at all those resolute faces, Chen Yang was deeply moved, especially by those words: *You have a home.*
Then, with a resounding CLANK, all the Chen Family Martial Guards knelt on one knee in perfect unison, like a receding tide.
"We welcome the Young Master home."
Chen Yang lit a cigarette and turned to the approaching Chen Hua. "Uncle, what's all this?"
THUD.
Chen Hua slammed the butt of his war spear into the ground, embedding it deeply. He clapped Chen Yang on the shoulder and said, "For our Chen Family to produce a hero like you is our greatest pride."
"We just want to tell you that you are not alone," he continued.
Chen Shangwu took over. "Red Lotus Valley can protect you, but so can our Chen Family."
"I alone am enough." Chen Yang turned away, gazing at the sun as it sank below the horizon, his eyes narrowing to slits.
When autumn comes on the ninth month's eighth day, my flower's bloom shall end all others'!