Chapter 66: The Childless Emperor |
“Who would have thought that this heir of the Jun clan somehow learned of the matter.”
“They had long been unable to find a way into the Imperial Mausoleum. Yet now, by wearing Han Sushu’s skin, they can slip inside without a trace.”
In a flash of insight, Li Shun pieced together most of the truth behind the situation.
“Burning the mausoleum…”
“This is a calamity of monstrous proportions. It is nothing like mere grave robbers trespassing. The consequences cannot be taken lightly.”
“If the Imperial Mausoleum Commandary is truly reduced to ashes, setting aside the millions of lives within the mausoleum… even the high officials at court will not escape losing their heads.”
“Fang Xun is now the Garrison Commander of Dongshan, and I belong to the tomb-guarding lineage as well. If this truly unfolds, none of us will be spared.”
After a moment of contemplation, Li Shun had already made his decision.
At Dongshan Garrison, “Fang Xun” wore a grave expression as he rapidly penned a secret report to Dong Chunqiu, informing him of the Jun family’s infiltration into the Imperial Mausoleum.
“Little brother, what are your parents’ names?”
“I heard your parents passed away, and you were raised by your uncle?”
“Sigh, it must not have been easy. Living your whole life in hiding…” Li Shun said, feigning sympathy.
At first, Jiang Chongguang ignored him completely.
“What? Trying to fish information out of me so you can make that Heavenly Codex of yours sound more convincing?”
But Li Shun casually replied, “What are you talking about? You already know about my Heavenly Codex methods. Do you really think you’d still fall for it? You’re not that foolish, are you?”
That single remark gradually dispelled Jiang Chongguang’s suspicion.
As their idle conversation continued, Li Shun slowly pieced together a general understanding of Jiang Chongguang’s background.
Contrary to expectations of a tragic childhood, Jiang Chongguang had actually lived quite comfortably in his early years.
Though the Xiang Kingdom had fallen, its people had not.
Over the five centuries since Great Qian’s founding, the Xiang people had spread far and wide across the land.
Even if few still openly identified as Xiang, it was more than enough to ensure that Jiang Chongguang, the legitimate heir of Great Xiang, lived well.
In fact, wherever Jiang Chongguang traveled, he could always find shelter. Not only was he well-fed and well-treated, but he was also provided with rare treasures.
“Some of them weren’t even former subjects of Xiang, yet they still treated me with great respect. All because of the title ‘legitimate heir of Great Xiang’!”
“Indeed. According to the Laws of Great Qian, capturing a royal descendant of a fallen kingdom alive earns a reward of a thousand gold and the eleventh-rank noble title of Sub-Minister. But in the eyes of these people, such a title is nothing.”
“Though the Seven Kingdoms were destroyed over five hundred years ago, because of the Twelvefold Longevity Methods…”
“For certain individuals, it is merely something that happened in their youth, not some distant past recorded only in history books.”
“The unrest in Lengshan is just the tip of the iceberg. The true chaos has only just begun.”
“Ultimately, it all comes down to one reason…”
“The Qian Emperor has not appeared for a very long time.”
“And moreover…”
“He has no heirs!”
“Even the other royal bloodlines of Great Qian have gradually died out. Within the imperial clan, aside from the Qian Emperor himself, there is no one left.”
A faint glint flickered in Li Shun’s eyes.
An empire that had stood for five hundred and seventy-three years, yet had no legitimate successor beyond the emperor himself.
It was almost unimaginable.
“So long as the Qian Emperor lives, his overwhelming strength keeps everything in check.”
“But if one day he truly falls…”
“I’m afraid the entire realm would descend into chaos in an instant.”
“This is the true root of Great Qian’s growing instability.”
Inside the cramped, sealed chamber, as their conversation gradually deepened, the relationship between Li Shun and Jiang Chongguang slowly grew more familiar.
As for Li Shun’s way of addressing him as “little brother,” Jiang Chongguang went from initial resistance, to helplessness, and finally to something like reluctant acceptance.
“This underground palace was dug out by Han Sushu, to store the supplies you took from the imperial tomb?”
“What do you mean ‘stole’? We took them fair and square!” Jiang Chongguang retorted, clearly displeased.
After a brief pause, he continued explaining, “Each time we enter the Imperial Mausoleum, we can only stay for at most three days. Once those three days pass, the [Body Embracing Dao] divine ability loses its effect. To avoid being detected by the mausoleum’s heavenly surveillance, we have to leave. But there are simply too many valuable things inside. We can’t possibly carry them all out. So we found a hidden location within the mausoleum to act as a transfer point and storage site.”
“With Sushu’s methods, we didn’t have to worry about outsiders discovering it for the time being.”
At this point, Jiang Chongguang’s expression suddenly dimmed. “I just don’t understand how Sushu could have fallen into the trap of that Jun clan successor. And I have no idea where he is now.”
“This Han Sushu sounds quite clever. How did you come to know him?” Li Shun asked.
“Sushu is a descendant of the royal family of Ying Nation. We’ve been close friends since childhood. Later, when my uncle met with disaster, I tried everything to avenge him, only to fall into Fang Xun’s scheme instead. Luckily, Sushu showed up in time and saved me.” As he spoke, Jiang Chongguang’s eyes suddenly shifted.
“Don’t think everything I told you is the truth. Some of it’s real, some of it’s fake. If you try to rely on this to fabricate some Heavenly Codex and trick me again, you’ll expose yourself immediately!” he said with a smug expression.
“Looks like you’re not completely stupid after all,” Li Shun chuckled.
“Then have you figured out a way to get out of here?” Li Shun added casually, causing Jiang Chongguang’s expression to freeze instantly.
“You have a way?” he shot back unwillingly.
“I do, actually. But…” Li Shun deliberately glanced at him.
“Hmph, I don’t believe you.”
Li Shun only smiled without responding. He walked over to the thick, sealed stone wall.
Placing both hands lightly upon it, in just a few moments, the aura of the seal actually began to loosen.
“How did you do that?” Jiang Chongguang asked, both shocked and delighted.
Li Shun said nothing and simply stepped back.
“You…” Jiang Chongguang, seeing this, grew both anxious and frustrated. He slammed his fist against his thigh in irritation.
“If you call me ‘big brother,’ I’ll tell you,” Li Shun said leisurely.
Hearing this, Jiang Chongguang’s eyes widened as he glared furiously.
Li Shun remained completely unbothered.
The two of them remained locked in a silent standoff.
Time passed bit by bit. Outside, something seemed to have undergone a tremendous change. The entire mountain trembled faintly.
Growing increasingly anxious, Jiang Chongguang finally gave in. Through clenched teeth, he forced out a quiet “Big brother.”
Li Shun smiled, no longer pressing him further.
He walked back to the sealed stone wall and spoke slowly, “The Jun clan cultivates only the self, not external objects. At its core, this sealing method is actually quite simple. In essence, it can be regarded as a manifestation of their life force.”
“To break it…”
“You only need to counter it with life force!”
“Even if his cultivation far surpasses ours, by using ten times or even dozens of times more life force, it can still be neutralized and dissolved.”
“In fact, this is one of the most effective ways to deal with the Jun clan. It’s just that very few people are willing to do it. And even…”
“This method itself subtly aligns with the Jun clan’s philosophy.”
“You could even say this flaw was intentionally left within their divine ability…”
As Li Shun spoke, the sealed stone wall gradually began to fade.
However, a sense of aging and decline began to rise from his body.
“You…”
Jiang Chongguang’s expression changed drastically at the sight.
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