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墨書 Inktalez
Lord Du Ruhui's expression turned cold as he wielded his long sword with the grace of flowing clouds, launching a counterattack against his enemies.
There were eight skilled opponents, but Lord Du's martial arts were indeed formidable. Although he could not defeat them immediately, he did not fall behind; instead, he moved with agility and elegance, showing no signs of weakness. It turned out that Lord Du Ruhui had been pretending to be ill all along!
Hearing this, I paused and thought, "Is Lord Du really that impressive?"
Nie Qiuyuan's lips curled slightly as he replied, "What do you think?"
A flash of lightning struck my mind.
Ah, I understood! At that moment, when Night Phantom removed the mask in front of me, how could it be Lord Du Ruhui's face behind it?!
I should have realized this earlier; I was truly slow to react!
Ren Pingsheng considered that if the opponents were a combination of Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun, they might be able to see through his scheme. However, Nie Qiuyuan had also anticipated his backup plan, which likely involved regicide.
Thus, Nie Qiuyuan disguised himself as Lord Du Ruhui to protect the emperor closely. This was possibly a conspiracy between him and the emperor that even we were unaware of.
However, there was still an oversight; he had overlooked one detail: the opponent was not just Ren Pingsheng; there was also a Zhuque.
And Zhuque was a master at crafting various strange weapons.
As both sides fought fiercely, the emperor's guards surged toward the altar from all directions, realizing that the assassins were in dire straits. The eight assassins suddenly opened their stances and pulled out peculiar crossbows from who knows where, aiming at Emperor Li Shimin's direction. The bolts flew out with a whoosh.
Although these crossbows were small, they resembled the "Zhuge Crossbow" from legends, each capable of nearly ten consecutive shots. Nie Qiuyuan frowned as he swiftly drew his sword, cutting down three monks on the altar. However, the sheer number of bolts fired simultaneously was overwhelming; they could not be blocked. In an instant, a swarm of bolts shot toward Li Shimin's position.
I felt a chill run down my spine. I believed that at that moment, Nie Qiuyuan must have been drenched in cold sweat as well. But we had all overlooked one person—not just overlooked but failed to notice someone entirely.
This person is none other than Emperor Li Shimin himself.
We only remember him as the emperor, treating him as a key protected figure, but we forget that we have seen him take action at Wanzi Mountain. Although he is young, he has already been a general on horseback for many years, and his martial skills are not to be underestimated.
In an instant, the emperor drew his sword with lightning speed. The long blade swept through the air, knocking aside a volley of crossbow bolts aimed at him. He then performed a backflip, landing beneath the altar, and turned to deflect another wave of arrows.
If he hadn’t deflected them, those arrows would have struck a group of common people in the distance.
Dressed in his dragon robe, the emperor wielded his sword to block arrows, using his lightness skill to dart around, which was in stark contrast to his regal appearance.
The crowd was stunned, gazing in shock at their emperor.
But at that moment, the situation changed again.
Three of the eight false Holy Monks had fallen, but the remaining five suddenly stood together with their blades pointed downward, radiating a dazzling golden light.
This golden glow was incredibly brilliant, enveloping the entire altar as if a divine being had descended.
The five monks stood solemnly with bowed heads, reciting scriptures. One of them pointed at the emperor and proclaimed loudly, “Buddha says that a demon star has descended upon the West, seeking to usurp the throne. Soon it will bring chaos to the world, causing suffering and despair among the people. We come at Buddha’s command to exorcise this demon. However, we find that its power is profound; we cannot subdue it with our mortal forms. We shall first return to Supreme Bliss to report to Buddha and will surely send divine beings to capture it another day. Yokai, take heed and do not harm the common people!”
With that, the Five People sat down on the ground and suddenly breathed their last.
I couldn’t help but feel amused and bewildered—what kind of trick is this? Who would believe it?
Yet frustratingly, many of the common people present actually did believe it.
In an instant, the crowd of commoners erupted into chaos—some gasped in shock, some fainted, others shouted and debated while running about in panic. Even those few commoners whom Li Shimin had personally saved were retreating with expressions of terror.
Ah, those people back then were truly superstitious. When they saw the sudden burst of golden light and the monks who seemed to have suddenly attained enlightenment, they were all left dumbfounded. But Li Shimin, despite managing to dodge the hidden arrows, insisted on rescuing others. His martial arts were so flamboyant, employing such high levels of skill, that it was no wonder people regarded him as a demon!
However, I must say, I truly admire his instinctive reaction.
What I admire even more came afterward. At a time when the hearts of the people were in turmoil, and fear was palpable, Emperor Li Shimin remained completely unflustered. No emperor valued the support of the common people more than he did, as he often quoted Xunzi: "The ruler is like a boat; the people are like water. Water can carry a boat; it can also overturn it."
With an imposing demeanor, Li Shimin lightly brushed off his dragon robe and stepped up to the highest point of the altar. He exuded no hint of malevolence but seemed to be enveloped in a sacred light that mere mortals could not comprehend.
There was no trace of panic or wavering in his stance. He sheathed his sword with one hand while gently resting on the altar with the other. Channeling his inner strength, he used a technique to project his voice like thunder:
"I am the true dragon's son; how could I be harmed by such demons and monsters? People of the Tang Dynasty, listen well! By the name of the true dragon, I decree that on April Tenth, I shall personally descend to bring you rain. The truth will be revealed then!"
I was stunned when I heard this declaration; even someone like Nie Qiuyuan showed a look of approval in his eyes as he recounted it.
I believe this was Ren Pingsheng's backup plan. If he couldn't kill the emperor, then he would resort to sowing discord among the people.
What is the purpose of a ritual ceremony if not to win over the hearts of one's subjects and bring peace?
However, in this confrontation, it became evident that examining the situation calmly and striking at the heart of people's fears was something this emperor could not be underestimated on.
Clearly, under such disadvantageous circumstances, Li Shimin chose to gamble.
His subordinate from the Grand Astrological Bureau had predicted rain on April Tenth, so he quickly decided to place his bet on his trust in his ministers.
If Ren Pingsheng were involved, then truly the Holy Monk would not come; he would surely have been intercepted along the way. Thus, all he could rely on was that rain on April Tenth.
Indeed, the Holy Monk would not come...
I suddenly stood up, panic gripping me as I clutched Nie Qiuyuan's sleeve.
“Melan! Where is Melan!”
If the Holy Monk had indeed been ambushed on the road, then Melan and Lin Jiu would surely be in grave danger as well!
Melan, though I had always disliked her, the thought of her possibly being dead, the image of her flashed in my mind, causing my heart to constrict painfully. Why did it hurt so much?
I certainly didn’t want her to die!
Qiu held me tightly in his embrace, speaking softly, “Don’t worry, listen to me. If something has happened to them, we can still… spend these three days here like this.”
Ah, that’s true. If Melan and Lin Jiu were in trouble, how could he still be here with me for these three days?
“Zhenzhen, the Eight Holy Monks later arrived at the altar. They condemned the impersonation of the monks, and the Topknot Ceremony proceeded smoothly. The situation is much better than we imagined.”
“Why? It shouldn’t be like this…” Though it felt wrong to say so, I couldn’t help but blurt it out.
Qiu nodded.
“I don’t understand why either. Zhenzhen, I should think like you; if there was an assassination attempt, someone must have intercepted the real Holy Monk. Although Da Chun caught up and escorted the Holy Monk’s group afterward, they didn’t encounter any attacks along the way.”
Exactly, no one tried to ambush them? That’s not Ren Pingsheng’s style at all.
Suddenly, a jolt ran through my heart; I didn’t even know why I felt that way.
Could it be that Ren Pingsheng… something happened to him?
Before I could think much, I suddenly felt an arm tighten around me, nearly taking my breath away. I coughed a couple of times, ready to explode in anger, but then I noticed the god-like figure's grim expression, which made me too scared to say anything.
However, this sudden grip shifted my thoughts entirely. A significant question popped into my mind.
Even if the Holy Monk truly arrived, people would still have every reason to believe that this was a scheme orchestrated by the emperor. The only thing that couldn't be arranged was the rain on April Tenth.
"Rain..." I blurted out.
Qiu led me to the window, and for the first time, I focused on the world outside.
Through the paper window, it seemed that a gentle spring rain was falling softly.
"Zhenzhen, you’ve been unconscious for three days, so today is..."
April Tenth!
Qiu pushed open the window, and a wave of moist, cool air filled with the scent of earth rushed in.
After a long drought, this sweet rain on a spring night fell like music upon the land, as if heralding the arrival of a prosperous and stable era.
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