Chapter 240: Chapter 208: The Depth of the Imperial Capital, Approaching Breakthrough

Alright, I’m analyzing the provided Chinese web novel Chapter to translate it into high-quality English.

[Step 1: Contextual Analysis]

Literary genre: This appears to be a cultivation/martial arts fantasy novel (wuxia or xianxia) set in historical imperial China.

Language style: The language is formal but accessible, with political intrigue elements and martial arts terminology.

Tone: Serious with occasional moments of calculated humor. There’s a strategic, sometimes cold, perspective from the protagonist.

Plot keywords: Politics, martial arts, intrigue, imperial court, poison, interrogation, cultivation, martial arts realms.

Characters:

- Wu Liangchen (武良辰) - Male, protagonist, martial artist who seems to have recently achieved a breakthrough to a higher level of power

- Xu Kai (徐凯) - Male, an official from the Ministry of Justice who manages household registries

- Prince Yu (裕王) - Male, fallen royal figure who was stripped of his title and confined

- The Empress Dowager (太后) - Female, ruling power who is in conflict with the Emperor

- Prince Jing (靖王) - Male, a royal figure involved in politics

- Yang Lian’Er (杨莲儿) - Female, appears to be someone the protagonist is responsible for

- Zen Master Jingxin (净心禅师) - Female, a nun that the protagonist is trying to locate

- Aunt Fan (樊姨) - Female, appears to have died and entrusted Yang Lian’Er to the protagonist

- Pang Hao (庞豪) - Male, appears to be a subordinate of the protagonist

- Situ Hao (司徒浩) - Male, someone the protagonist apparently killed

- Gu Yi (顾一) - Male, leader of the Broken Sword Sect who reached Grandmaster Realm 20 years ago

[Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing]

Now I’ll translate the text while applying all the specified polishing rules.

I notice this Chapter includes:

- Political intrigue in the Great Yan Dynasty

- Martial arts cultivation with specific techniques and realms

- A protagonist who appears to be interrogating an official

- References to court factions and power struggles

- The protagonist’s search for a specific nun called Zen Master Jingxin

Let me begin the translation while carefully following the glossary terms and formatting guidelines.

Despite the excruciating pain, Xu Kai still managed to nod firmly.

"Yes!"

"Prince Yu committed such a serious taboo, so why was he merely stripped of his title and placed under house arrest?" Wu Liangchen asked.

"It’s because of the Emperor!"

"Oh?" Wu Liangchen’s interest was piqued.

Whether in public rumors or official circles, there seemed to be little mention of the Great Yan Emperor’s involvement.

He was like a backdrop—despite being the supreme ruler, his influence on the outside world remained pitifully low.

Such a situation was extremely rare.

So when Wu Liangchen heard about the Great Yan Emperor from Xu Kai, an insider in official circles, he naturally grew curious.

Perhaps because the pain had subsided slightly, Xu Kai’s condition stabilized somewhat compared to earlier, and he continued.

"Master Wu, you may not be aware that although the Great Yan court is filled with deception and complexity, the root of all conflicts comes down to one contradiction—the struggle between the Empress Dowager’s faction and the imperial power faction."

Wu Liangchen immediately understood.

"So Prince Yu belongs to the imperial power faction?"

"That’s right, and he’s actually their leading figure."

"When the old Emperor passed away, the young heir created uncertainty in the nation, which is why the Empress Dowager began ruling from behind the curtain as regent. Unexpectedly, this arrangement has lasted for over ten years. Now the Emperor is nearly twenty, in his prime years."

"By all rights, the Empress Dowager should have returned power to the Emperor long ago, but she has used various excuses to maintain her position, resulting in the current situation where her influence is too great to control."

"After years of consolidation, the Empress Dowager’s power is overwhelming, with nearly everyone at court and beyond loyal to her. However, the Emperor still holds the legitimate right to rule, so he has gathered a group of loyal ministers around him, with Prince Yu being their representative."

With this explanation, the political struggles of the Great Yan court became clear, and Wu Liangchen finally understood his previous confusion.

"So does Prince Yu’s downfall mean the imperial power faction has been completely defeated?"

"You could say that, but the Emperor is still the Emperor, so although mother and son have reached a point of irreconcilable conflict, the Empress Dowager hasn’t gone to extremes for fear of public opinion."

Wu Liangchen immediately changed the subject. "Is there no conflict between the Empress Dowager and Prince Jing now?"

A flash of surprise crossed Xu Kai’s eyes, as he hadn’t expected Wu Liangchen to react so quickly and immediately grasp what others often overlooked.

"Of course there’s conflict. In fact, my mission to Dinghai City is related to this."

It turned out that the Empress Dowager had originally wanted to send someone else to Dinghai City, but Prince Jing forcefully rejected this plan.

In Prince Jing’s own words to Xu Kai, whether they could reclaim Dinghai City or not wasn’t critical—what mattered was establishing a good relationship with this Wu Liangchen.

Therefore, this task absolutely could not be entrusted to the Empress Dowager’s people.

Upon hearing this, Wu Liangchen smiled, surprised at how important he had become in the eyes of these powerful figures.

But that wasn’t important—he didn’t care about such things.

Wu Liangchen then asked several more questions about court affairs, inquiring with remarkable detail and what could be called professional knowledge.

As Xu Kai answered, he grew increasingly alarmed.

These weren’t questions a person of humble origins should be able to ask.

Only someone thoroughly familiar with official rules, even understanding political machinations, could have this level of insight.

So Xu Kai increasingly felt that the information he had previously received was ridiculously wrong.

If such a person were merely a rickshaw puller, then what did that make himself?

Xu Kai tremblingly answered all questions, not daring to conceal or deceive in the slightest.

Finally, Wu Liangchen ended his questioning, but before Xu Kai could catch his breath, Wu Liangchen spoke again.

"What specific work do you handle in the Ministry of Justice?"

"I manage the household registration records," Xu Kai answered truthfully.

Although the job was leisurely, it offered very little in terms of additional income, which explained his previous miserable situation.

"Oh? Has a nun named Zen Master Jingxin ever appeared in the Capital City?"

He asked this because Great Yan’s household registration system was extremely strict, especially in the Imperial Capital—anyone entering had to be reported.

Even though enforcement had weakened, the Imperial Capital as a priority location shouldn’t be too lax.

Additionally, since Zen Master Jingxin was a religious figure, she would certainly carry a monastic certificate, meaning she would leave traces if she had entered the Capital City.

Since Xu Kai was in charge of precisely this area, Wu Liangchen asked him directly.

Hearing this, Xu Kai gave a bitter smile. "Master Wu, the Imperial Capital has a population of a million, with countless people coming and going daily. How could I know such details?"

Wu Liangchen realized his question was somewhat ridiculous after he’d asked it.

But he truly wanted to know the whereabouts of Zen Master Jingxin.

After all, before dying, Aunt Fan had entrusted Yang Lian’Er to him, asking him to take her to Huangpu Guard to meet Zen Master Jingxin.

Yet after all this time, not only had Zen Master Jingxin not returned, there hadn’t been a single word from her.

This deeply concerned Wu Liangchen.

"But if you want to find this person, when I return, I’ll immediately send people to search the registers. If she’s been to the Imperial Capital, we’ll certainly find her."

After speaking, Xu Kai anxiously watched Wu Liangchen with apprehension.

He was testing the waters.

He wanted to know if Wu Liangchen intended to let him return at all.

Wu Liangchen naturally understood this perfectly well.

He smiled at Xu Kai and suddenly said, "Lord Xu, what are the sights like in the Imperial Capital?"

"The scenery is certainly excellent, after all, it’s been the capital for three dynasties and has profound cultural heritage," Xu Kai replied casually.

Great Yan’s Imperial Capital was located in Guanzhong County, the most fertile land in all of Great Yan, known as the "granary of the world."

Only such land could support a city of a million people.

Throughout three dynasties and over a thousand years, this had consistently been the absolute center of Great Yan territory.

"And as far as you know, are there any Martial Artists at the Grandmaster Realm in the Imperial Capital?"

"Of course there are, and more than one. First, there are two Grandmasters serving in the imperial palace—they are national guardians who rarely emerge from seclusion."

"Then there are those in the private sector. The Broken Sword Sect Leader Gu Yi achieved Grandmaster status twenty years ago—even the Empress Dowager treats him with respect. As for other hidden experts among the common people, there are many more, though I don’t know if any are Grandmasters."

Xu Kai described the situation in the Imperial Capital to Wu Liangchen in great detail, speaking like a walking encyclopedia.

The reason he knew these details so thoroughly was because his work with household registration records required him to regularly organize the Imperial Capital’s population data, so no one understood these matters better than he did.

After listening, Wu Liangchen’s eyes gleamed with interest.

Since his breakthrough during battle and killing Situ Hao, Wu Liangchen had increasingly craved combat.

Especially fighting against Martial Artists at the Grandmaster Realm would greatly benefit his progress.

But while Great Yan had many Martial Artists, Grandmasters were extremely rare.

Only the Imperial Capital, with its profound heritage, could possess so many Martial Arts Grandmasters.

Thinking of this, Wu Liangchen felt a surge of excitement. He lowered his gaze to look at the nervous Xu Kai and smiled slightly.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Lord Xu. Rest assured, I keep my word—I won’t kill you."

Hearing this, Xu Kai exhaled deeply, his relief temporarily making him forget the pain of his severed finger.

"Thank you, Master Wu!"

"However..."

This "however" immediately sent Xu Kai’s heart back into his throat.

"You can leave, but there’s one condition you must agree to!" Wu Liangchen smiled.

"W-what condition?" Xu Kai stammered.

Wu Liangchen reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bottle, from which he poured several crystal-clear pills.

The pills rested in his palm, looking quite beautiful.

"Eat these, and I’ll let you go."

Xu Kai looked at the pills with terror, as if facing venomous snakes, wishing he could flee immediately.

But given the circumstances, he had no choice but to reluctantly ask.

"M-Master Wu, what are these?"

"Nothing special, just some poison that won’t kill you immediately," Wu Liangchen smiled.

But his smile, in Xu Kai’s eyes, looked more terrifying than a demon from hell.

With a tearful voice, he said, "Master Wu, could I not take them? I, Xu Kai, swear that from today forward I will serve you loyally—I’ll do whatever you ask."

Wu Liangchen remained silent, his smile growing colder.

Xu Kai closed his mouth, then with a miserable expression, took the pills and painfully put them in his mouth.

Wu Liangchen gave him no chance to reconsider, suddenly squeezing his jaw.

With his mouth forced open, the small pills fell directly into his stomach, impossible to spit out.

Wu Liangchen stood up and smiled at the retching Xu Kai.

"I’ll have someone move you to a different place soon, and you’ll be free to leave in a couple of days!"

Xu Kai, still dripping with tears and mucus, immediately raised his head with a fawning smile.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Wu Liangchen left the woodshed and said to Pang Hao, who was standing guard at the door, "I’ve finished questioning him. Find him slightly better accommodations and don’t mistreat him."

"Yes!"

"By the way, Master Wu, what about the guards he brought?"

"Where are they now?" Wu Liangchen had forgotten about the Imperial Guards who had been captured.

"To prevent trouble, I’ve separated them and locked them in different cells under strict supervision."

"Fine, leave them be then!"

Wu Liangchen had spared Xu Kai’s life only because he still had value.

As for the Imperial Guards, Wu Liangchen had no sympathy for them whatsoever and couldn’t care less about their comfort.

Wu Liangchen didn’t spend the night at the theater but returned to the small courtyard where he was temporarily staying.

The owner still hadn’t returned, and since the location was convenient, Wu Liangchen had continued to stay there.

It was now the early hours of the morning, but Wu Liangchen didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy. Instead, he stood quietly in the courtyard and opened his status panel.

[Five Animals Fist (Proficient 495/500)]

[Foundation Stance (Proficient 497/500)]

Looking at these two Martial Arts techniques that were both near breakthrough, Wu Liangchen fell into deep thought.

Both the Five Animals Fist and Foundation Stance were techniques he had learned when he first began his journey, especially the Five Animals Fist, which was the first Cultivation Technique he had acquired.

But both techniques had significant flaws.

The main issue was that their level was too low.

Wu Liangchen had always wanted to solve this problem but never found a suitable opportunity.

Until now, with both techniques on the verge of breakthrough, Wu Liangchen wondered if he could try to merge them together.

With this thought, Wu Liangchen began practicing the stance techniques, carefully experimenting step by step.