Chapter 218 - 218: Dragon City’s Fiend Ye (1)
Chapter 218 - 218: Dragon City’s Fiend Ye (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Rumble!
Rolling lightning flowed between the thick dark clouds, illuminating the white stone square in front of the Hall of the Supreme Principle.
In the Thousand-Step Corridor on the side of the white stone square, there were countless palace lanterns swaying in the wind, but not a single person could be seen in the gigantic Imperial City.
Tread, tread…
In the long corridor, an old eunuch in a red robe and a black gauze hat was slowly walking along the path that he had walked for sixty years. His back was slightly hunched, and there was a horsetail whisk in the crook of his arm.
Although his clothes and demeanor were still meticulous, and his footsteps were very calm, the several saber wounds on his chest and back still made Eunuch Cao, who had never been disrespectful in his life, look a little disheveled.
Although his meridians had been opened, his internal energy had dissipated, and the medicine couldn’t recover much of his foundation. After being imprisoned in the dungeon for ten years, his body had aged, and he was not as indestructible as before.
Facing Qiu Tianhe, who had been recuperating for a long time, Eunuch Cao still showed his inability to do what he wanted. Although he still won, his injuries were much worse than Qiu Tianhe’s.
But Eunuch Cao didn’t care about this. He had been born in the Imperial City, had done his duty to Great Yan, and had done everything he could for Great Wei.
The only thing he wished for now was to die in the palace. The sooner he died, the sooner this wish would be settled.
Eunuch Cao followed the old path of the night patrol, walked out of the corridor, and crossed the white stone square of the Hall of the Supreme Principle to the other side of the square.
Halfway through, a bolt of lightning flashed.
Boom!
Then a figure appeared in front of the Hall of the Supreme Principle.
The figure was wearing a gorgeous red dress and holding a red oil-paper umbrella in her hand. Her almost dazzling beauty and temperament looked out of place in front of the majestic and solemn Hall of the Supreme Principle.
Whoosh!
Rain fell from the sky, hitting the red oil-paper umbrella and sliding down the umbrella bones, making crackling sounds.
Eunuch Cao stopped in front of the hall. Holding the horsetail whisk, he bowed. “Your Highness’s martial arts skills have improved again.”
The empress of Great Wei slowly walked along the imperial path. Her back was straight, revealing the calmness and dignity that belonged to an emperor. She didn’t like this title in her heart, but she didn’t argue. “Go back. I’m keeping you here so that you can see how I am as the emperor. Ever since 1 ascended the throne, 1 have promoted the imperial examination, rectified corruption, stopped war and improved trade with other countries, and controlled Jianghu. In ten years, 1 have built on the foundation left behind by the late emperor into the current situation. Give me another ten years, and my era name will be an unprecedented golden age in history.
“If you want to protect Great Wei, you should at least see that day before you die. This way, you can reunite with the Great Ancestor and the late emperor in the netherworld, and they won’t blame you at all. They will only be gratified to have a descendant like me.”
Eunuch Cao bowed slightly and said in a gentle tone, “I’m just a servant. What happens to the country has nothing to do with me. I will sacrifice my life to serve a wise ruler, and it’s the same for a fatuous ruler. However, I can’t be completely loyal to a ruler who usurped the throne and violated the ancestral rules.”
Holding the red oil-paper umbrella, the empress slowly walked down the imperial path. She stood on the white stone square with a calm gaze. “Ancestral rules, etiquette rules, and the laws of the country are all set by the emperor. 1 am the emperor, and no one can challenge me now. In the future, if women can become officials and crown princes, there will be an ordinance in the world that women can wield power. What you are guarding is not the ancestral rules but your own rules.”
Eunuch Cao stood quietly with his head bowed and replied, “The vassal princes have yet to be pacified, and Your Highness doesn’t dare to rashly marry and appoint an heir. Your Highness has to take back the military power of the vassal princes before considering the inheritance of the grand lineage. However, Your Highness has taken the taboo path, and it’s unknown how long Your Highness can live. Once Your Highness dies, the second princess won’t be able to take charge of the overall situation. The imperial lineage of the Dongfang family might fall into the hands of outsiders. I was favored by the Great Ancestor and the late emperor. I have to protect the rules of our ancestors and protect the Dongfang family’s family property. 1 advise Your Highness to turn back.”
Pitter-patter…
The heavy rain poured down, and silence fell in front of the Hall of the Supreme Principle.
The empress was silent for a moment before asking, “Is there really no cure for touching the taboo?”
Eunuch Cao said calmly, “If Your Highness knows which pictures of the Roaring Dragon Chart that Your Highness made mistakes in comprehending, finds them, and uses the heaven-defying effect of the Roaring Dragon Chart to reshape the body, the aberrations in the body will naturally gradually recover. “However, Your Highness was too eager for quick success. In order to subdue me, Your Highness practiced both internally and externally and practiced six pictures at the same time. Other than the Jade Bone Picture, there must be differences in the others. Your Highness’s survival to this day is already beyond my expectations.”
The empress thought for a moment. “You experienced the founding battle in the palace. Do you know the whereabouts of the other five pictures?”
Eunuch Cao said, “The Golden Scale Picture flowed into Northern Liang and was stolen. It might be in Jiang Zhahu’s hands now.
“The Dragon Form Picture was stolen after the revolutionary army entered the city. It may be hidden in the hands of a vassal prince.
“The Evergreen Picture was brought to the South Firmament Mountains by the late Yan emperor’s empress. It might be in the hands of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master.
“The Fire Bathing Picture was obtained by Kuang Yazi, but Kuang Yazi died of old injuries. It might have been snatched away by other Jianghu thieves, and its whereabouts are unknown.
“The Bright Spirit Picture has not appeared in Great Wei since the previous dynasty. It might be in the hands of Northern Liang.
“If Your Highness wants to find all five pictures, you must first search Jianghu, the vassal princes, and Northern Liang. There’s not enough time.”
The empress frowned and thought for a moment. “I found a good seedling. He’s loyal, and his talent is comparable to Feng Guancheng’s. It should be possible for him to find them.”
Eunuch Cao shook his head. “How can an emperor entrust their life and death to the hands of others? Your Highness hopes to find one person to find five pictures of the Roaring Dragon Chart and hand them over. What can Your Highness give him? Everlasting youth or ascending to immortality?”
The empress knew that this was a very practical problem.
The previous palace gate gods were so loyal and selfless, but the previous dynasty didn’t dare to hand the precious Fire Bathing Picture to the eunuchs to practice because ‘power corrupts’..