As they drew closer to the capital, the spies on the road gradually increased. Though the outside world was plagued by natural disasters and human turmoil, the area near the capital remained prosperous and peaceful. Many trees were wrapped in red silk, and numerous foreign envoys were rushing toward the city.
The ascension of the new emperor was no small matter, especially since this new emperor had already shown differences from the previous dynasty even before taking the throne—treating foreigners kindly and willing to form alliances with foreign nations.
During the previous dynasty, State Preceptor of Yankang loved to wage war, annexing dozens of countries, beating the other great powers around him into submission, occupying their territories, or forcing them to pay tribute. His arrogance was truly unchecked.
Before the State Preceptor of Yankang used force against the Great Ruins, the State of Yankang was at the height of its power, fighting five great nations simultaneously. After the State Preceptor was assassinated, the expansion of Yankang was temporarily halted.
But the new emperor of this dynasty was refined and courteous, very polite. He treated the sects of Yankang well and was also polite to foreign envoys. Not only did he return the territories conquered by that ferocious State Preceptor to the surrounding nations, but he also promised reparations and was willing to mend relations with foreign countries.
The custom of foreign nations paying tribute to Yankang was also abolished by the new emperor. The foreign nations were all delighted, praising him highly, saying that the new emperor Ling Yuxia was a rare wise ruler in the fifteen hundred years of the State of Yankang.
Furthermore, the new emperor, who had not yet ascended the throne, widely invited sect members to attend the coronation ceremony. There were rumors that the new emperor planned to issue an edict of self-blame on the day of his coronation, taking upon himself the heavenly wrath caused by Yankang's reforms over the years, asking heaven to punish him while sparing the common people of Yankang.
"This move is the cruelest," Qin Mu praised repeatedly, saying to the State Preceptor and the Emperor, "You reformed for two hundred years, worked so hard to change worldly concepts, to advance the Dao and divine abilities. You bore so much infamy, expended so much effort, and so many fought and bled for it, all to make Yankang what it is today. With one edict of self-blame, the new emperor can render your two hundred years of hardship and the soldiers who died over two hundred years completely meaningless. This move—ruthless, extremely ruthless!"
Emperor Yan Feng grunted, a tearing pain in his chest, too sorrowful for tears. His voice was hoarse: "Yuxia, my good son, this blade has been plunged right into my heart..."
State Preceptor of Yankang's expression remained calm as an ancient well. He said: "Once we enter the capital, in a few days I can contact my old subordinates. Seventy or eighty percent of the court ministers will support Your Majesty. Combined with the Dragon Guard Imperial Army hidden in the nine dragon veins, we can seize the capital at any time! The only problem now is that the Great Thunderclap Monastery and the Daoist sect have left so many monks and Daoists in the homes of these nobles and ministers, ostensibly for alms but actually for surveillance. Cult Master Qin, I need you to use the power of the Heavenly Demon Cult to get me into the city to see them."
Qin Mu shook his head: "There's no need for such trouble."
State Preceptor of Yankang was slightly stunned.
"The Great Thunderclap Monastery and the Daoist sect have spread themselves too thin. They want to control everything, but in reality, they have weaknesses everywhere."
Qin Mu stopped walking. They were at Houji Town, less than a hundred li from the capital. They stopped at a pancake stall where Qin Mu was buying breakfast. He said: "It's like spreading a pancake—if the stall is spread too wide, it becomes fragile. The wider they spread their pancake, the weaker it becomes. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he won't have enough strength to protect himself. The monks and Daoists they left in the homes of various nobles and ministers will instead be controlled by those nobles and ministers, unable to go to the imperial city to provide support."
The pancake was ready. The stall owner rolled it in yellow paper. Qin Mu took it and first gave it to the State Preceptor's wife.
The State Preceptor's wife took a bite, her bright eyes glancing around. She whispered: "Aren't you afraid of having ears on the wall by talking so openly? We've encountered quite a few of the Crown Prince's spies along the way!"
"Not afraid," Qin Mu said with a slight smile.
Suddenly, all the pedestrians, vendors, vegetable sellers, buyers, butchers, and hawkers in the market quieted down and turned their heads in unison, their gazes falling on them all at once.
"Cult Master!" they said in unison.
Qin Mu waved his hand and smiled: "Carry on, don't disturb us."
The State Preceptor's wife was startled. Emperor Yan Feng sighed: "When orders are followed without question, that is the mark of a king. Cult Master Qin, you frighten me, and your Heavenly Demon Cult frightens me as well."
State Preceptor of Yankang nodded: "When orders are followed without question and actions are unified, that is the sign of becoming a king or emperor. Your Majesty is right to be concerned. However, since the establishment of the Heavenly Demon Cult twenty thousand years ago, no generation of Cult Masters has ever declared themselves emperor. Your Majesty can rest assured."
Emperor Yan Feng said angrily: "You're all from the Heavenly Demon Cult, even you two husband and wife are from the Heavenly Demon Cult—one is a Heavenly King and the other is an Incense Master. I'm the only outsider here. You're just fooling me!"
Qin Mu quickly asked: "Does Your Majesty wish to join the cult?"
...
"How do we get into the capital?"
Outside the capital, Emperor Yan Feng looked toward the city gates from afar, seeing heavy guards and layers of checkpoints. Getting in would be nearly impossible. Today was the day the Crown Prince would ascend the throne and become the new emperor. The new emperor would issue the edict of self-blame at the Altar of Heaven, and envoys from all nations, sect leaders, heads of major families, along with all civil and military officials, would be there to observe the ceremony. Therefore, the defenses were extremely tight.
Qin Mu shook his head: "It's fine. We'll just walk straight in."
Emperor Yan Feng was slightly stunned. Qin Mu had already led them to the city gates. The soldiers and officers at the gates turned a blind eye to them, allowing them to enter.
"Are they also from the Heavenly Demon Cult?"
The State Preceptor's wife was slightly stunned and whispered to Qin Mu: "The Emperor is here. Don't be too ostentatious, or it will arouse his suspicion. What the emperor wants is a state above the cult, not a cult above the state. Cult Master, be careful."
Qin Mu looked at Emperor Yan Feng, and indeed, he showed signs of worry. This was natural. The imperial capital's gate guards were all members of the Heavenly Demon Cult—how could he feel at ease?
State Preceptor of Yankang said: "Now that we've entered the city, what should we do?"
Qin Mu took out two pills and gave them to Emperor Yan Feng and State Preceptor of Yankang respectively. He said: "Go to the imperial city, the Altar of Heaven, and watch the Crown Prince ascend the throne and offer sacrifices to heaven."
The Imperial City, Golden Throne Hall.
"Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long live!"
The Crown Prince of Yankang, Ling Yuxia, wearing the dragon robe, sat upright on the dragon throne. Behind him stood a monk on one side and a Daoist on the other. Below were the civil and military officials, kowtowing to the new emperor. The ceremony was grand. There were so many civil and military officials that the court hall was already full, with other officials kneeling outside the hall, and some even kneeling on the steps.
In the hall were also envoys from dozens of countries, displaying their national banners to observe the ceremony. There were also sect leaders and cult masters from dozens of sects observing the ceremony.
The ascension of the new emperor involved quite elaborate rituals. By the time the ceremony was over, it was nearly noon.
The spring sun was not warm. Ling Yuxia led the civil and military officials out of the hall, walking at the front, with the ceremonial guard following closely. Many in the ceremonial guard were monks and Daoists, chanting Buddhist and Daoist scriptures in loud voices. Behind them were the Crown Prince's consort and a group of palace maids, with the envoys following behind. The heads of the major sects and families also followed toward the Altar of Heaven, the ceremony growing ever more grand.
Behind Ling Yuxia were the Guardian of the Hereditary Prince, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and other first-rank officials—the meritorious officials who had followed him, his close aides, holding extremely high status. This time, with the Emperor "deceased," Ling Yuxia naturally inherited the throne. He knew that although he had a foundation in the court, that foundation was still unstable. So he invited many high monks from the Great Thunderclap Monastery and Daoist priests, demoting officials who were unwilling to submit and promoting monks and Daoists to official positions.
Nearly half of the civil and military officials in the court were monks and Daoists. While marching toward the Altar of Heaven, they chanted scriptures, making for quite a peculiar scene.
As for the Duke of Wei, the King of Taishan, the Grand Commandant, the Supreme General, and others, Ling Yuxia had specially granted them retirement due to their "advanced age," allowing them to stay in the capital first. After the grand ceremony, they could return home in glory.
Nearly half of the court officials were told to retire and return home, some of whom were still quite young. This was truly a strange affair.
These officials who were told to retire—Ling Yuxia did not trust them. He couldn't let them leave the capital, fearing they might rebel, so he effectively confined them to their own residences, guarded by monks and Daoists from the Great Thunderclap Monastery and the Daoist sect. Meanwhile, the King of Taishan, the Supreme General, and others were still imprisoned in the heavenly prison.
Before they knew it, they arrived at the Altar of Heaven. The officials poured out, with monks and Daoists making up nearly half, standing on either side of the steps. Ling Yuxia held up his dragon robe and climbed the steps alone, extremely reverent, while the Crown Prince's consort and the rest of the harem knelt below the platform.
The steps were long—nine hundred and ninety-nine stone steps. When Ling Yuxia reached the top of the Altar of Heaven and was about to kneel respectfully, a deep voice suddenly rang out: "The Tathagata Buddha of the Great Thunderclap Monastery has issued a divine decree. Please receive it, Your Majesty."
A monk stepped forward, his appearance solemn and dignified, with a wheel of Buddha light behind him, holding the Tathagata's decree in his hands. He approached Ling Yuxia.
Ling Yuxia quickly knelt to receive the decree, saying reverently: "Your sinful subject receives the World-Honored One's decree."
Below, the former officials of the previous dynasty each frowned, keeping their heads down and saying nothing. Among the other officials, the monks all chanted Buddhist sutras in unison, with beams of Buddha light radiating from behind their heads—a magnificent sight!
Flowers rained from midair, and phantom images of deities and Buddhas appeared, manifesting all manner of extraordinary phenomena, as if the deities and Buddhas of the various heavens were bestowing their blessings and praise.
The monk finished reading the Tathagata's decree, which essentially said that Emperor Yan Feng had lost the Way, provoking the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and encouraged the new emperor to be diligent and dutiful, in which case the deities and Buddhas of the various heavens would bestow blessings and longevity, and the gods would provide protection. And so on.
The Crown Prince received the decree.
Then a Daoist stepped forward, holding the Daoist Lord's decree: "The Daoist Lord of the Daoist sect has issued a divine decree. Please receive it, Your Majesty."
Ling Yuxia quickly knelt again: "Your sinful subject receives the Daoist Lord's decree."
Among the civil and military officials, the Daoists were not to be outdone. They each manipulated their qi, creating various phenomena like dragons and phoenixes bringing good fortune, flying through the sky.
The Daoist Lord's decree was also essentially encouraging the new emperor to work diligently for the people, to labor in governance, and not to engage in any such reforms. And so on.
The Crown Prince received the decree, rose, straightened his clothes, and then prepared to kneel at the center of the Altar of Heaven to beg heaven's forgiveness.
At this moment, a voice suddenly carried from afar, clear and resonant: "The Holy Teacher, Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult, has personally issued a divine decree. Please receive it, Your Majesty!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Altar of Heaven erupted in commotion, with everyone turning to look toward the source of the voice. The foreign envoys, sect leaders, and cult masters observing the ceremony below the Altar of Heaven also turned to look.
Ling Yuxia descended a few steps to the front of the Altar's staircase, looking down from above. He saw a young man leading two monks and a Daoist nun toward the Altar of Heaven. The two monks walked unsteadily, and the Daoist nun appeared to be pregnant, her movements somewhat labored.
Qin Mu wore a smile on his face and walked straight toward the Altar of Heaven, saying leisurely: "The Great Thunderclap Monastery is a sacred site, the Daoist sect is a sacred site, and my Heavenly Demon Cult is also a sacred site. Ling Yuxia, the Tathagata and the Daoist Lord didn't come, yet you knelt to receive their decrees. This time the Cult Master has come in person, and you still don't kneel to welcome him?"
"Heavenly Demon Cult Master!"
Suddenly, a sect master from one of the noble families beside Qin Mu leapt up, launching a lethal attack on Qin Mu. At that moment, a great banner materialized out of thin air beside Qin Mu. The banner rolled, blocking the sect master's blow. The banner unfurled, and behind it stood a mighty broadsword man carrying a sword case. A streak of sword light flew out and severed the sect master's head.
The broadsword man carrying the sword case rolled up the banner, took the sect master's head, and vanished. In the crowd observing the ceremony, a headless corpse swayed and toppled to the ground.
Qin Mu paid no heed and continued walking forward. Other guards also tried to act, but the moment they moved, great banners appeared one after another. Hall masters, elders, inspectors, and heavenly kings of the Heavenly Demon Cult revealed themselves. The great banners fluttered, appearing and disappearing. When the banners vanished, dozens of headless corpses lay on the ground.
Qin Mu led the State Preceptor and the Emperor forward. Around him, banners appeared and disappeared continuously, and those who attacked him from all sides were slain, meeting violent deaths.
Where they passed, they left behind a carpet of corpses, all missing their heads.
Qin Mu reached the foot of the Altar of Heaven and was about to ascend the steps when the Crown Prince's consort, still kneeling below, suddenly launched a ferocious attack. But the moment she moved, she became a corpse and collapsed to the ground.
The other foreign envoys, noble family sect masters, and sect leaders were all horrified and dared not act again. The power of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the foremost sacred site of the demonic path—they had long heard of it, and now they had truly experienced it.
"Xiuniang, don't look," the State Preceptor said to his wife.
Qin Mu stepped onto the Altar of Heaven. A high monk suddenly roared: "Heavenly Demon Cult Master! We've been waiting for you! Fellow Daoists, surround and eliminate the Heavenly Demon Cult Master! Subdue the demon and eliminate the evil!"
Monks shed their official robes and roared, while the Daoists also activated their sword pellets. In an instant, a murderous aura soared from the Altar of Heaven.
Qin Mu continued forward. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—over three hundred great banners appeared, and the hall masters of the three hundred and sixty halls revealed themselves all at once. The twelve sect-guarding elders, the left and right dharma protectors, the two sect-guarding heavenly kings, and the eight inspectors also appeared.
Killing cries erupted on the Altar of Heaven. The eight inspectors did not act but instead surrounded Qin Mu and his companions.
The killing intent on the Altar of Heaven pierced the heavens. Existence after existence at the level of sect masters, great experts at the realms of life-and-death and heavenly-man, battled on the Altar of Heaven, the fighting so intense it seemed to split heaven and earth. The thunderous sounds nearly collapsed all the palaces surrounding the Altar.
Chaos erupted throughout the imperial city, with the city guards rushing over in a swarm. The entire capital was also alarmed. The noble families of the capital, which had been completely silent until now, suddenly erupted with earth-shaking auras. The monks and Daoists in their residences were about to rush to the imperial city to provide support, but they were trapped within the mansions by these noble families and killed on the spot.
Meanwhile, in the heavenly prison, the Supreme General Qin Jian, the Grand Commandant Su Yunzhi, and others were serving their sentences when suddenly the prison doors opened. A jailer smiled: "His Majesty has returned. He's at the Altar of Heaven."
The Supreme General and the others were both shocked and overjoyed. They immediately rushed out of the heavenly prison and headed for the Altar of Heaven.
"Where is the Duke of Wei?" the Jade Heavenly King called out loudly.
"The Duke of Wei is here!"
A thunderous voice echoed throughout the capital. The Duke of Wei launched himself directly from his ducal mansion, crashing down below the Altar of Heaven with a tremendous boom. Clad in full armor, his face fierce and savage: "Who wants to die?"
Qin Mu walked unhurriedly up the Altar of Heaven. The Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and others charged at him, but at that moment, Qin Jian and the others burst out from the heavenly prison to engage them. No one was able to interfere with the steps of Qin Mu and his companions.
On the Altar of Heaven, Ling Yuxia's face showed panic. He glanced at the monk and Daoist on either side of him. These two immediately leapt up and dove downward, but before they could land, they were intercepted and killed in midair by the eight inspectors, blood spraying across the scene.
"Civil and military officials! I am the Emperor!"
Ling Yuxia shouted fiercely: "You refuse to obey my commands—do you intend to rebel alongside this demonic path?"
"The Emperor?"
Emperor Yan Feng snorted coldly. After taking the pill Qin Mu had given him, his hair immediately grew back. He also wiped away the scar on his face, his voice deep and resonant: "Look at who I am!"
Ling Yuxia's face changed dramatically. State Preceptor of Yankang also took the pill, his hair growing back. He wiped away the blue birthmark on his face and turned around.
The civil and military officials, who had been about to follow the imperial command and act, now saw Emperor Yan Feng and State Preceptor of Yankang and immediately knelt down.
Ling Yuxia went mad, charging at Emperor Yan Feng and State Preceptor of Yankang, screaming: "I am the Son of Heaven!"
The eight inspectors moved, each striking Ling Yuxia with a single blow. Ling Yuxia coughed up blood, then suddenly transformed his body into a dragon and soared into the air, trying to escape. The eight inspectors each raised their robes to shield themselves, vanishing. In the next instant, Ling Yuxia was held down by eight people, kneeling at the center of the Altar of Heaven.
Emperor Yan Feng looked at the civil and military officials and shouted: "Why aren't you going to put down the rebellion? Kill all these rebelling Daoists and bald donkeys? Do you want me to act personally?"
The civil and military officials quickly rose and launched fierce attacks against the monks and Daoists from the Great Thunderclap Monastery and the Daoist sect. The imperial guards who had arrived also attacked with full force.
Meanwhile, Qin Mu walked to the top of the Altar of Heaven. Ling Yuxia was pinned to the ground, unable to struggle free.
Qin Mu bent down, leaned close to his ear, and whispered: "Your Highness, I'm not doing this to help the Emperor. I'm doing it for the Qian Tian Wang and Lu Tian Wang of our Holy Cult."
Ling Yuxia was stunned, looking up at Qin Mu with disbelief in his eyes: "You..."
Qin Mu drew his sword—the Shao Bao Sword was in hand. A single horizontal slash!
Emperor Yan Feng and State Preceptor of Yankang had just reached the top of the Altar of Heaven when they saw the sword sweep across. Ling Yuxia's head flew high into the air.
Emperor Yan Feng was shaken to his core. He looked at the young man's retreating figure as the youth flicked the blood from his sword and sheathed it with a resounding clang. The silhouette held a hint of terror.