The First Lackey Under The Empress

The Empress arrives!

Zhao Du'an gazed into the distance, watching a magnificent procession of luxurious carriages advancing towards the foot of Mount Luo.

When they were still some distance from the base of the mountain, Empress Xu Zhenguan of the Yu Kingdom, adorned in full regalia, descended step by step from the towering imperial carriage.

Xu Zhenguan's dragon robe was dazzling under the brilliant sunlight, and the crown on her head exuded the noble aura of the supreme ruler.

The Tai'a Sword, the imperial weapon of the founding emperor, hung at her waist, and two close attendants followed behind her, one on either side.

They were Mo Chou, who was in charge of the 'Six Offices,' and Sun Lianying, the Supervisor of the White Horse Bureau.

Behind them came a large entourage led by the Minister of Rites, consisting of civil and military officials, numbering over a hundred.

This was only because circumstances forced many important officials to remain in the capital to maintain the stability of the court.

Otherwise, for the imperial Feng Chan ceremony, all the high-ranking officials, members of the imperial clan, and relatives of the emperor of the entire dynasty should have been present.

The scale would have been many times greater.

Amidst the ceremonial music, Xu Zhenguan led her ministers in a grand procession to the foot of the mountain.

The Empress walked step by step onto a high platform that had been erected, overlooking her ministers.

The Feng Chan ceremony had two altars, one located at the summit and the other at the foot of the mountain.

The altar at the foot of the mountain had been built many days in advance, with numerous tablets of righteous gods erected on it.

Behind the Empress, the accompanying officials lined up, and under the guidance of the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, they placed various offerings and sacrifices on the altars for the deities.

During this process, the officials of the Ministry of Rites chanted the names of the righteous gods from time to time. After offerings were placed before all the divine tablets, an official stepped forward and loudly proclaimed:

"The gods are appeased, may the nine provinces be at peace!"

The ministers present followed suit and loudly proclaimed:

"The gods are appeased, may the nine provinces be at peace!"

Zhao Du'an, as a military general responsible for patrolling and guarding, did not participate in the Feng Chan ceremony itself, but watched with great interest.

He knew that the "Nine Provinces" of this world were an ancient geographical term, roughly equivalent to the current "Nine Domains."

On the high platform, the Empress, dressed in full regalia, raised her hand, and the ministers fell silent.

Sun Lianying, with frost at his temples, took out the drafted memorial text from his sleeve and read it aloud, which was nothing more than praising the Empress's merits and virtues and recounting her succession to the throne.

After reading, the Empress swept her gaze over the spirit tablets of the gods, her eyes imperious, and said:

"Present the spirit tablet of the founding emperor!"

Immediately, Mo Chou came forward holding the spirit tablet of the Yu Kingdom's founding emperor and handed it to the Empress. Xu Zhenguan, holding the spirit tablet, left the ministers behind and walked along the mountain path on the front of Mount Luo towards the summit.

"The Feng Chan ceremony of our Yu Kingdom was established by the founding emperor. The founding emperor once said that success depends on human effort and has nothing to do with the gods. Therefore, this sacrifice to the gods is not the key. The altar on the summit, built of five-colored earth, is the core. The emperors of the Yu Kingdom only respect their ancestors and do not respect the gods."

Grandfather Hai's voice entered Zhao Du'an's mind.

Zhao Du'an, holding the hilt of the Frost Sword at his waist, looked up at the Empress, who was climbing the mountain alone on the mountain path.

The mountain path was long, but the Empress walked extremely fast, as if shrinking the ground with every step. Before long, she had already reached the mountainside, and her figure became a small dot.

Further up, the Empress, holding the spirit tablet, entered the clouds surrounding Mount Luo and could no longer be seen clearly.

"What happens next?" Zhao Du'an asked.

Grandfather Hai said indifferently: "We only need to guard the altar at the foot of the mountain. What is below the mountain belongs to us, and what is above the mountain belongs to Her Majesty."

Zhao Du'an raised his eyes and saw a large group of consecrated warriors, as well as familiar and unfamiliar military experts, standing ready. The foot of the mountain was quiet and silent.

Suddenly, in his mind, Pei Niannu's almost murmured voice came:

"I, I remember, I remember..."

...

...

Jianning Prefecture City, on the pavilion of the Jing King's mansion.

Dressed in brocade and exuding an air of authority, King Jing, Xu Wen, sat by the railing, quietly fishing.

The fishing line drifted into the pool, the water shimmering, and the flowers in the mansion were vying for beauty.

The King's consort, Lu Yan'er, and the heir, Xu Jinglong, dressed plainly, sat inside the pavilion.

The atmosphere was沉闷 and oppressive. Suddenly, a figure rushed up from downstairs, none other than the head of the Jing King's mansion's secret intelligence system.

Xu Jinglong got up and went downstairs. After a while, he ascended the stairs, his face grave:

"Father, everything has been carried out according to the arranged instructions. The sorcerers of the God of Law sect, as well as the assassins that were sent out, should be preparing to take action and attack the altar."

King Jing did not turn his head, only said "Mm."

The King's consort, Lu Yan'er, changed her expression slightly, but was not surprised.

Xu Jinglong hesitated for a moment, unable to restrain his anxiety and said:

"Father, is this really useful? Can attacking the altar at the foot of the mountain really cause the Feng Chan to fail?

Even if the God of Law is willing to exert his full strength, he can't possibly kill his way to the summit, not to mention that he was previously injured by the Tai'a Sword and fled in a sorry state... Your son knows that you have made many arrangements, but... she is, after all, a celestial being!"

With the blessing of the dragon energy, the Empress's combat power is equivalent to the celestial realm.

The heir apparent was uneasy, and really had no confidence in disrupting the Feng Chan.

King Jing calmly looked in the direction of Mount Luo.

He got up very early today. Before dawn, he had meticulously washed and dressed himself, even though he claimed to be ill and did not go to Mount Luo, as if he himself was going to participate in the Feng Chan.

At this time, he looked at the sky and seemed to feel that now that things had come to this point, there was no need to hide anything. He said with emotion:

"Yes, she is, after all, a celestial being... a celestial being... how can she be easily dealt with? Especially today, during the Feng Chan ceremony, she uses her imperial status to harness the terrain of Mount Luo, activating the dragon vein. Her strength will probably be even greater. Even if a strong enemy comes, she will not be afraid."

Xu Jinglong became more and more flustered as he listened: "Then Father, you..."

King Jing interrupted him, suddenly changing the subject and said:

"Do you still remember how you dealt with Zhao Du'an a few days ago?"

The heir apparent naturally said: "There are many experts around him, making it difficult to assassinate him. Therefore, we used a sorcerer to curse him..."

He said halfway through, suddenly stunned. Xu Jinglong was not a fool after all. His pupils suddenly trembled, as if he had realized something:

"Father once said that the White Robe Sect sorcerer who cursed Zhao Du'an was lent to us by King Mu."

King Jing smiled slightly, raised his hand and supported the fishing rod, and said:

"Do you understand? When people are unlucky, even drinking cold water will get stuck in their teeth. Although no one in the world can curse a celestial being, many times, to succeed, all you need is to put a feather on the scales, create a small impact, and that is enough."

Lu Yan'er, who had been silent and feigning indifference, opened her mouth, her eyes solemn:

"What exactly have you done?"

King Jing said indifferently:

"It's not what this king has done, it's what we have done. You wouldn't think that only this king is hindering her Feng Chan, would you?"

...

West of Jiancheng, is Yunfu.

Yunfu Road, King Mu's Mansion.

As a powerful prince of the realm among the "Eight Kings," second only to King Jing in strength, King Mu had a great liking for military affairs since childhood.

The architecture of the large King Mu's Mansion also leaned towards a more rigid style, with strong barracks imprints. Even the servants and retainers in the mansion were trained according to soldier standards.

Today, outside King Mu's Mansion, King Mu's private army tightly sealed it off, and no outsiders were allowed to approach.

Inside the King's Mansion.

In the "training ground" in the central courtyard, four watchtowers were erected. At this moment, King Mu, wearing armor and military attire, in the prime of his life, stood on a watchtower, overlooking the scene below.

In the large training ground, a group of sorcerers dressed in white robes occupied it.

Hundreds of sorcerers were arranged in a strange formation, similar to a "hexagram," with the leader surrounded in the center.

Every sorcerer was dressed similarly:

White sorcerer robes in a funeral style, holding a mourning staff, with a miniature, palm-sized coffin hanging at their waist. The coffins varied in color, the deeper the cultivation, the darker the color of the coffin.

"Father, can these White Robe Sect sorcerers really interfere with the Feng Chan ceremony thousands of miles away?"

On the watchtower, standing behind King Mu, a young man also wearing military attire couldn't help but ask.

The heir of King Mu looked feminine, with a pair of peach blossom eyes, and his physique appeared somewhat weak, out of tune with the iron-blooded military attire on his body.

His complexion was also not as ruddy as King Mu's. His fair, woman-like skin revealed a weakness drained by wine and women.

Everyone in Yunfu Road knew that the heir of King Mu had a very good relationship with women, and liked to seduce women from good families, especially married women.

King Mu was quite troubled by this and repeatedly reprimanded him, but the peach blossom eye heir insisted on not changing his ways.

"Hmph, one sorcerer can't do it, but a hundred people, plus many prepared objects and mediums, may be able to."

King Mu, dressed in military attire, although he didn't like this son, still patiently explained:

"Today, the White Robe Sect sorcerers will work together to invite the 'God of Mourning' to descend. Even though they are separated by mountains and rivers, they can still hook Xu Zhenguan's 'Star of Destiny' for a moment. Just a moment! This will cause her luck to plummet, turning from extreme prosperity to the worst of the year, with bad luck at the head."

The heir apparent, who was particularly fond of married women, worriedly said: "But can this alone hurt a celestial being?"

King Mu shook his head, his tone forceful: "It cannot harm her."

"Then..."

"But, what if someone could inflict harm? On the battlefield, when two generals are locked in fierce combat with evenly matched strength, victory, defeat, and even life and death hinge on a sliver of luck. If I can just make my niece's luck a little worse, that's enough to change the outcome."

At this moment, on the training grounds of the Prince's Palace, the white-robed female sect leader of the White Clothes Sect, stationed at the center of the formation, had lips as pale as if smeared with white ash. Wearing a pointed white hat, she looked up and exhaled a wisp of white air.

Hundreds of mourning sticks were waved simultaneously. Instantly, dark clouds filled the once clear sky, and a chilling wind blew.

In the endless heights of the distant sky, strands of power coalesced into a massive, illusory coffin.

The coffin stood upright with a rumble, suspended in the high sky. The coffin lid swung open like a door, and inside lay an illusory god, hands folded over his abdomen, sleeping peacefully.

The 'Mourning God' opened his eyelids from his slumber, and his gaze turned towards Mount Luo in the east.

The Mourning Star moved.

… …

… …

Kyoto, the Celestial Master's Residence.

In a secluded courtyard, a giant banyan tree swayed gently. Within its vast, evergreen canopy, a human face faintly emerged, gazing at the clear sky.

"Something's not right… something's not right… The Emperor Star should be at its brightest today, the brightest of the year, so why has it become so dim?"

"Wake up, wake up."

A branch of the great banyan tree, laden with leaves, extended down and vigorously shook the old Celestial Master, who was asleep in a wicker chair beneath the tree.

Zhang Yan Yi, wearing a black Taoist robe, tall and slender-eyed, woke from a light dream and listened to the great banyan tree's account.

He said with a normal expression:

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"This Feng Chan ceremony is inherently fraught with peril. I told her before Your Majesty went south. What unforeseen events are there?"

The great banyan tree hesitated, saying:

"But didn't you also promise her…"

Zhang Yan Yi nodded, saying:

"I promised her that I would watch over Kyoto, watch over Shenlong Temple. As for the rest, it has nothing to do with my Celestial Master's Residence."

The Taoist sacred ground, the Celestial Master's Residence, has stood for thousands of years because it adheres to the principle of not participating in worldly power struggles.

"Her struggle with the Eighth Prince, who wins and who loses, is not something I should interfere with. It is all destiny," Zhang Yan Yi said calmly.

The great banyan tree thought for a moment and said, "What if others interfere?"

The "others" here naturally referred to those in the Celestial Human Realm.

Zhang Yan Yi pondered for a moment, then looked towards the East Sea:

"Those who can threaten Your Majesty are none other than Martial Immortal Kui and Xuan Yin. The Green Mountain Sect and the Yu Kingdom's Imperial Family have been gambling for many years. Even if they truly break the rules, it is the Yu Kingdom's Imperial Family's own affair. As for Xuan Yin…"

The old Celestial Master wanted to say that the old bald donkey Xuan Yin was in seclusion in Shenlong Temple all day long. If there were any changes, he would definitely sense them.

As of now, he was absolutely certain that Xuan Yin was still chanting scriptures in Shenlong Temple, so there was no need to worry.

But just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he suddenly had a premonition, a faint sense of unease.

Zhang Yan Yi, who believed in "Heaven's Dao," was extremely sensitive to this kind of unexpected unease. He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and took out the Heavenly Book from his sleeve, tossing it into the air.

Golden characters flew out from the Heavenly Book, falling like a waterfall in mid-air. Zhang Yan Yi immediately used the Heavenly Book to perform divination, divining the Feng Chan ceremony.

Involving the Celestial Human Realm, the Heavenly Dao could not give any clear hints, but the general direction could be sensed.

A moment later, the divination result appeared.

Zhang Yan Yi looked up and his expression changed drastically!

… …

… …

"Remembered? Senior Pei, what did you remember?"

At the foot of Mount Luo, Zhao Du'an was startled upon hearing the voice in his mind and subconsciously looked around.

Seeing that no one, including Eunuch Hai, had noticed, he cautiously tried to inquire in his heart.

At the same time, he was quite astonished: Pei Nian Nu, who should only establish contact with him during contemplation, could actually speak to him directly?

This senior hidden in the 《Six Chapters Scripture》 was indeed not simple. Others who cultivated the Martial God path had no similar experience at all.

"I… remembered… why that day… the power that prevented me from descending… familiar…"

Descending?

Was she referring to the "Law God"? Last time I tried to contemplate and summon her, but was blocked by the "Law God" using special means… Afterwards, she became rather erratic…

Zhao Du'an tried to inquire in his heart:

"Senior, could you have recognized the Law God's lineage?"

Yes, Pei Nian Nu, as the number one female warlock six hundred years ago, must have dealt with most of the strong, and may have even encountered the teacher of the "Law God" lineage.

However… the Law God worships "Heaven's Dao," similar to a large group of people in the Celestial Master's Residence… She wouldn't have just recognized the power of a "Heaven's Dao God," would she… Well, a senior of that level shouldn't make such a low-level mistake…

Zhao Du'an's thoughts flashed through his mind.

However, just then, Eunuch Hai suddenly shouted, "They're here!"

Zhao Du'an's spirit was roused, and he withdrew his attention from the conversation with Pei Nian Nu, looking forward.

He saw that, on the left side of the distant mountains, a group of masked assassins suddenly rushed out, each wielding swords and sabers, with fierce auras, all martial artists with considerable strength.

On the right side, a large group of warlocks with varying details in their clothing, who looked somewhat familiar, appeared. They were members of the Law God Sect who had fought with him that day.

And on several higher hills, the sentries arranged by the imperial court to keep watch died almost simultaneously.

A large group of mysterious people holding magic weapon crossbows occupied the high ground, and arrows, wrapped in surging magic power, shot towards the officials near the altar with sharp whistling sounds!

"Enemy attack!"

"Defense!"

The strongmen in the army at the foot of the mountain shouted, and the prepared guards moved at the same time, creating a semi-transparent array shield out of thin air at the foot of the mountain.

Kyoto officials led by the Minister of Rites and Mo Chou, as well as local officials led by the Governor of the Grain Transport, were busy being driven to hide in nearby mountain caves for protection.

The target of this group of assassins was not this group of people at all, but clearly aimed at the altar.

Arrows struck the rain shield, rippling in circles. Eunuch Hai said in a deep voice:

"Protect the altar. Those who cross the line die!"

"Swear to protect the Emperor!"

A group of imperial bodyguards opened their mouths in a deep voice, their bodies rising with killing intent, locking onto the group of warlocks.

And the stronger men in the army on the outer periphery had already collided with the private soldiers of the Prince's Palace who had killed over.

"Protect the Emperor!"

Zhao Du'an drew his sword, shouted loudly, and led Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, along with a group of Jinyi from the Pear Blossom Hall, to block the altar behind him.

At the same time, his gaze quickly searched for the strong among the enemies.

As his gaze swept, he saw a figure rushing like a cannonball in the distance.

Green Mountain Sect's senior brother, Duan Shui Liu, appeared without concealment, laughing loudly as he stepped through the air, holding a slashing blade in his hand, laughing:

"Hai Chunlin! Since our last farewell, today Duan is here again to learn your skills!"

Eunuch Hai's eyes were indifferent: "You are courting death."

Zhao Du'an frowned.

Duan Shui Liu appeared as promised, but… where is the "Law God"?

… …

… …

At the top of Mount Luo.

Xu Zhen Guan, wearing a dragon robe, a crown, and holding the spirit tablet of the Great Ancestor, entered the clouds and could no longer see the people below clearly.

Her figure flew, like a fairy heading towards the Nine Heavens, and soon arrived at the top of the mountain.

A large area of flat land had been cleared here, and the most striking thing was a sacrificial altar built of five-colored soil.

Xu Zhen Guan floated down and landed below the altar, respectfully placing the spirit tablet of the Great Ancestor on the altar.

"Great Ancestor protect… descendants Zhen Guan, for the peace of the world, today Feng Chan on Mount Luo…"

Xu Zhen Guan prayed silently. This was not a necessary ritual for the Feng Chan. In fact, whether the Feng Chan succeeded or not had little to do with this spirit tablet.

She just wanted to do it this way.

Xu Zhen Guan finished praying, raised her head, and frowned tightly. In just a few breaths, the clear sky suddenly filled with dark clouds.

An indescribable cold aura descended.

"Mourning God…" Xu Zhen Guan snorted coldly, "Audacious evil spirit, daring to reverse the heavenly secrets…"

She raised her hand and grabbed it, and the Tai'a sword unsheathed with a clang, handing herself to the Empress.

Just as the Empress was preparing to break through the dark clouds with a sword.

Suddenly, a mountain breeze blew.

Xu Zhen Guan turned around, her beautiful eyes looking into the distance. In the gap between the clouds on the mountainside of Mount Luo, on the distant river leading to the East Sea, a bamboo raft drifted over.

On the bamboo raft, a burly man wearing linen clothes and black and white mixed hair came alone.

No one was rowing the boat, the bamboo raft moved by itself.

The man in cloth took a step, the bamboo raft sank slightly, but he had already stepped over the clouds and appeared at the peak of Mount Luo.

The Lord of Green Mountain, one of the four Celestial Humans in the world.

The first in martial arts.

Martial Immortal Kui!