Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds-Chapter 86, Royal Court Sword Canon (Request for continued reading)

After his rebellion, he had grown weary of exotic delicacies.

The memory of a whole-pig feast was distant.

Now, on the verge of death, what he craved most was a taste of that very feast.

However, his attendants were the sort who tailored their service to a person’s status. Seeing Monk Shang’s impending doom, why would they obediently follow his orders? Each one outwardly agreed, but once out of the Righteousness Hall, they immediately turned and fled without a second glance.

"Alliance Leader, Alliance Leader..." Wu Chengsi began urgently, "Perhaps there’s still a way out. We could seek refuge with King Xing Tian, Xu Xing..."

"Rumor has it he’s received the Heavenly Order, bringing rain to the long-parched Guanxi Road. King Xing Tian is known to greatly value benevolence and righteousness; he certainly wouldn’t easily turn hostile."

Wu Chengsi, desperate, had thought of a last-resort plan. The former Gongyang Yi had obtained Monk Shang’s secret manual and defected to King Xing Tian. As his junior, perhaps he too could follow this precedent and find a path to survival... King Xing Tian, having received the Heavenly Order, is destined to become the True Dragon Emperor. Siding with anyone else wouldn’t offer the same once-and-for-all security as joining King Xing Tian.

Moreover, what he said was largely true. Regardless of King Xing Tian’s motives for not killing King of Sorrow Yao Dang, the act had undoubtedly solidified King Xing Tian’s reputation for benevolence. If Monk Shang were to pledge allegiance, King Xing Tian would likely treat him well, considering Monk Shang’s former status as Alliance Leader.

"Xu Xing?" Monk Shang’s eyes suddenly lit up. "King Xing Tian..."

"Damn it, why didn’t you say so sooner?" He hastily snatched the Buddhist robe from the ground, threw it over himself, then, seizing Strategist Wu Chengsi with one arm, fled frantically towards the rear mountain.

Thanks to the formidable "Eight-Armed Vajra Sutra," he covered more than ten miles in one breath, cutting down anyone who stood in his way, completely unstoppable.

"Alliance Leader, change your clothes!" Wu Chengsi, under his protection, yelled, glancing back at the dense formation of official soldiers pursuing them. "The pursuers are catching up!"

Monk Shang swiftly snatched a suit of armor from an official soldier, donned it, and blended into the crowd, quickly vanishing from sight.

「Chongming 22nd year, Autumn.」

Monk Shang’s surrender and the Imperial Court’s reward arrived one after another Outside, separated by less than three days.

「At the entrance of the Court of Xing Tian.」

"Envoy Xu," began Eunuch Li Enlu, who held the imperial seal, after reading the Imperial Decree. He handed both the decree and a thin booklet to Xu Xing, his face wreathed in smiles. "His Majesty shows you extraordinary favor. This ’Imperial Court Sword Canon’ is an uncirculated secret of the Imperial Palace, yet His Majesty insisted on bestowing it upon you. Envoy Xu, you mustn’t disappoint His Majesty’s high hopes."

Ordinarily, for someone of his esteemed position, traveling to Guanxi Road to announce an Imperial Decree was demeaning. But Emperor Chongming trusted him, his chief eunuch, above all others. His mission as a Heavenly Envoy to Shenghua Mansion was not only to deliver the Imperial Decree but also to ascertain the true situation with Xu Xing and affairs Outside, and to find out if Xu Xing was indeed neglecting his ambitions by indulging in martial arts.

"Eunuch Li, you’re too kind," Xu Xing said, tucking the Imperial Decree and the cultivation method into his Sleeve. His reply was cold and blunt. "I also heard of His Majesty’s ’favor’ towards Zheng Yushi that day."

"Zheng Yushi?" Li Enlu paused, then instantly understood whom Xu Xing meant. Last year, on Princess Anren’s wedding day, Zheng Yushi had petitioned Emperor Chongming to provide disaster relief for Guanxi Road. For this, Zheng Yushi had angered Emperor Chongming, who had him drink a cup of Pigeon Wine and sent him to the Yellow Springs.

Li Enlu chuckled drily. "The Emperor’s grace is vast. Zheng Yushi’s greatest crime was his failure to understand the times." Xu Xing could slander Emperor Chongming; Li Enlu dared not.

"Eunuch Li," Xu Xing’s voice was low, "did you know that Zheng Yushi was to be my father-in-law? Miss Zheng San was my fiancée, just a betrothal document away from becoming my wife?"

Xu Xing stared at Li Enlu, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I advise you, Eunuch Li, to discuss this matter thoroughly with His Majesty upon your return to the Capital. Otherwise, with the simmering hatred of having my wife stolen, I, Xu Xing, will not let this rest easily. Raising troops to cleanse the sovereign’s side is no empty threat." He placed a hand on Li Enlu’s shoulder and patted it firmly.

Li Enlu’s expression changed instantly. He had come to Guanxi Road under Emperor Chongming’s orders precisely to appease Xu Xing. If Xu Xing truly marched on Shenjing, even if it were merely a bluff, Li Enlu would suffer dire consequences. Given Emperor Chongming’s temperament, while he might not be imprisoned, losing imperial favor was certain.

"Besides," Xu Xing continued, his voice a soft threat, "there are so many wives and daughters of convicted officials in the Bureau of Music... One more or one less hardly makes a difference. Wouldn’t you agree, Eunuch Li?"

"This..." Cold sweat beaded on Li Enlu’s forehead. How did I end up with such an accursed assignment?

"Eunuch Li," Xu Xing leaned closer, whispering, "what if... what if I were to force you now to press your handprint onto a memorial denouncing His Majesty, and then deliver it to him? Would His Majesty believe you, or would he not...? Secret collusion, private dealings with a rebel. That’s no small crime, Eunuch Li. Enough to cost you your head."

After his release from Sky Prison, Xu Xing had not forgotten his promise to Zheng Yushi. Certainly, Zheng Yushi’s petition might have had an element of seeking fame, risking his family for the sake of his lifelong reputation... But some debts of gratitude still had to be honored. Threatening Li Enlu to secure the return of Zheng Yushi’s family was, for him, a small, effortless deed. Moreover, it allowed him to gain leverage over Li Enlu.

"Envoy Xu, you jest..." Li Enlu, ever astute, conceded. "A trivial matter. I shall see to it." Currying favor with Xu Xing could also secure a future escape route for himself. How could he, with a mere word or two, influence the grand tide of the realm?

Seeing this, Xu Xing stepped back half a pace and gestured invitingly. "My mansion houses many rare treasures. However, due to my limited knowledge, I am ignorant of their origins. Perhaps Eunuch Li would grace them with his appraisal?"

"Envoy Xu comes from a family of profound learning," Li Enlu said, breathing a sigh of relief as he followed Xu Xing into the rear quarters of the Heavenly King’s Mansion. "How could there be treasures you don’t recognize?" He was also secretly relieved that Xu Xing was no common rebel, but a former official adept at navigating the intricacies of bureaucracy, one who acted with measure. Even when threatening him, Xu Xing offered benefits afterward, proving he wasn’t entirely ruthless. This talk of appreciating treasures was, in reality, just a thinly veiled attempt to bribe him.

"My learning is all rather eclectic," Xu Xing demurred, making light conversation. "I was fortunate enough to enter service through mathematics; that hardly counts as profound family learning..."

"Oh, by the way," Xu Xing then casually asked, "I heard that Admonisher Chen Hou clarified my origins, but His Majesty overruled it? Is there any truth to this?"

He mentioned it as if in passing. Chen Hou, an Admonisher and a seventh-rank official, had died by smashing his head against a pillar in the Court; such an event could not be concealed. The Five Tiger Hall, under Mount Siming, had long since relayed this news to the Heavenly King’s Mansion. His purpose in bringing it up now was to ensure Li Enlu understood the meaning of a cautionary tale.

"I reside within the imperial harem," Li Enlu replied evasively, "and am not privy to matters of state." Though his words were noncommittal, he had firmly decided that upon his return, he would have to carefully manage his report to Emperor Chongming, by no means revealing the whole truth. Otherwise, he would be the next one forced to die on the spot.