Chapter 180: Tian Luo Art

Lu Huasheng wore a dazed expression, unable to grasp the situation immediately.

Luo Shengyi, who wasn’t very familiar with Meng Qi, twitched his lips slightly, feeling that the previously established image of “Zhen Ding” had been completely overturned. This guy must be pretending to be like this normally.

Ruan Yushu let out a long “oh,” which made Meng Qi’s scalp tingle. He always felt that she was thinking of something bad, so he quickly shifted the topic. His forehead ached, his spirit scattered outward, subtly disturbing Lu Huasheng’s senses, thus affecting his emotions.

“During this period, who came to meet you and the envoy, and who did they represent?” Meng Qi’s voice became steady, seemingly confident and full of authority and pressure.

Lu Huasheng suddenly recalled the enemy he had seen earlier, resembling a celestial demon or a malevolent ghost. Fear arose naturally from within him, as if the person standing before him was the one he feared most in his life—his master!

If he were unscathed, with his cultivation and strength, it would be difficult for the Phantom Shaping Art to influence him. However, his acupoints were sealed, his true energy was suppressed, and he couldn’t protect himself, making it impossible to resist the intrusion. Moreover, Meng Qi’s previous strike had planted a shadow of fear deep in his heart, which now erupted, leaving him unable to control himself.

In a confused state, he said, “‘Sky-Brandishing Sword’ Song Ming came, representing the Fourth Prince to inquire about our peace negotiation terms. After understanding, he never returned. The Ghost King came, negotiating on behalf of the Seventh Prince, willing to pay a certain price to make us retreat. However, there’s still a gap between our conditions, so negotiations are ongoing. ‘Nine-Fingered Divine Catcher’ Nie Wen came, also secretly inquiring about our terms on behalf of the Crown Prince, offering his own bargaining chips. However, the talks were going well until they suddenly broke off. ‘Smoke-Cloud Saber’ Leng Mo came, representing the Third Prince, sharing similar intentions with the Seventh Prince.”

Luo Shengyi crossed his arms slightly embarrassed, “If an acceptable price could be paid to make the western barbarians retreat, buying time, the Third Prince is also open to peace talks. However, I will do my best to prevent or sabotage it.”

As Meng Qi was about to ask further, Lu Huasheng continued, “‘General Conquering the West’ Xu Jin came and asked about our bottom-line conditions.”

“General Conquering the West?”

“Xu Jin?”

Meng Qi and Luo Shengyi exclaimed simultaneously, for this person was extremely important. He was the Deputy Chancellor of the Privy Council and commander of the imperial guards, responsible for the capital’s security. A peak human martial artist, he could seal off the capital and even the palace when necessary, representing one of the military factions. If someone were to seize the throne, he would be a pivotal figure.

Like Right Chancellor Wang Derang, he was loyal only to the unconscious old emperor, showing no favor to any of the princes.

“Why would he get involved in peace negotiations?” Luo Shengyi, who intended to support the Third Prince’s ascension, had a better understanding of the capital’s major forces than Meng Qi. “Could he have secretly pledged allegiance to one of the princes already?”

Meng Qi’s voice was solemn as he asked, “Tell me, who does he represent, and when did he contact you?”

Lu Huasheng struggled slightly but answered honestly, “He only said he represented himself. Shortly after the ‘Nine-Fingered Divine Catcher’ left, he disguised himself as a peddler and entered Yunyan Pavilion.”

It’s not only during the quiet night that secret negotiations occur. At night, entering and exiting would be conspicuous and easily discovered. Instead, during the day, taking advantage of the crowded and chaotic flow of people to enter Yunyan Pavilion was a better choice. This was exactly what the Nine-Fingered Divine Catcher and General Conquering the West had considered. However, Luo Shengyi had been watching the Nine-Fingered Divine Catcher all along and wasn’t deceived, while General Conquering the West secretly found Lu Huasheng without being noticed.

“Representing himself? Could he possibly become emperor himself…” Meng Qi mused, “Are you planning to use the peace talks as a delay to consolidate internal threats, and once the matters with tribes like the Jiang Clan are resolved, you will march south again?”

“Yes.” Lu Huasheng answered honestly, “The Khan is ambitious, aiming to unify the world, and is not interested in small territorial concessions.”

After further inquiring about the Onmyōji and the Khan, Meng Qi unleashed his Evil Tribulation, striking Lu Huasheng in the chest with the sheathed blade. The force erupted outward, shattering his heart.

“This matter seems more complicated than we anticipated,” Luo Shengyi said, as if he had figured something out.

Meng Qi nodded seriously, “Yes, we overlooked one thing—whether the old emperor is truly unconscious. Or perhaps he was unconscious initially but has already awakened, watching coldly from the sidelines…”

If the emperor had awakened, associating with the four princes would only completely destroy Lu Guan’s trust. Fortunately, choosing temporary neutrality and remaining loyal to the emperor was the right decision.

However, if the emperor wanted peace talks, Lu Guan would absolutely lose trust.

“Hmm, to feign unconsciousness and lure out snakes without turning the deception into reality requires strong control over the situation. The Right Chancellor and General Conquering the West, representing civil and military power, should be the two hands through which the ‘unconscious emperor’ controls the court. If they were gone or defected to one of the princes, the fake coma would become a real stroke, and then actual death…” Luo Shengyi smiled.

An emperor without control over the court is as good as dead!

Meng Qi took a step forward, “The General Conquering the West contacting the western barbarians’ envoy might represent the old emperor. Hmm, we must confirm whether he is truly unconscious and what his current state is!”

If the emperor truly wanted peace talks, it would be better if he remained unconscious! After all, the mission description didn’t specify who the emperor was. As for “regaining trust,” there could be other interpretations—for example, the princes originally trusted Lu Guan and wanted to recruit him, but his strict neutrality disappointed them.

In any case, the key is for General Lu to be appointed to deal with the western barbarians!

“The palace is full of martial artists, with the Right Chancellor in charge. Even a Grand Master would find it hard to uncover the truth,” Luo Shengyi pondered. “The General Conquering the West is comparable in strength to the Ghost King. If the three of us work together, we might have a chance to capture him. However, he has been in the military for years, surrounded by an elite guard composed of top martial artists. It would be difficult to get close. If we were trapped in the barracks, even ten of us couldn’t escape death.”

In this martial world, armies are full of experts, and even regular soldiers are skilled and agile. Meng Qi and Luo Shengyi aren’t superhuman beings capable of fighting off thousands. A swarm of ants can kill an elephant. Even a Grand Master trapped in a military camp, surrounded by strong bows, crossbows, and waves of martial experts, would struggle to escape, perhaps barely managing to save his life.

“Let’s not rush. I’ll go back and test Lu Guan’s stance. He has expressed his position to the Right Chancellor and might have already met the emperor,” Meng Qi thought this possibility was low. At least currently, if the emperor wasn’t unconscious, he would lean toward peace talks. Summoning Lu Guan to the capital was merely a backup plan, and he wouldn’t trust him enough to reveal such secrets.

However, it was still necessary to test the waters. Many things go wrong because people assume too much and are unwilling to ask, leading to disastrous consequences.

Luo Shengyi nodded slightly, “Alright, I’ll also remind the Third Prince.”

He honestly expressed his thoughts, showing sincerity.

“No problem,” Meng Qi didn’t mind. At least for now, the Third Prince was also one of his potential options.

After searching Lu Huasheng’s body, Meng Qi found only some healing and cultivation-enhancing pills, nothing particularly valuable.

He divided these items equally between Luo Shengyi and Ruan Yushu, keeping nothing for himself, since he had already obtained Lu Huasheng’s secret martial arts manual from the Cult Sect, called “Soul-Draining Secrets.”

After sinking Lu Huasheng’s body into the Luo River, the three separated and returned to their respective places.

Both Meng Qi and Ruan Yushu had excellent martial arts skills. One moved swiftly like a storm, unpredictable, while the other was elegant and nimble, like a fairy. They walked together, giving the impression of a night-wandering deity and a celestial being appearing simultaneously in the night.

After a while, as they approached the inn, a faint sigh suddenly came from ahead, as if echoing in their minds.

Meng Qi immediately stopped, drawing both sword and saber simultaneously, shielding Ruan Yushu behind him, his expression serious as he looked toward a nearby tree. The approaching figure was extremely powerful!

From the shadows of the tree, a woman slowly emerged. Her white veil covered her body, undulating in a way that revealed breathtaking beauty. Even without exposing a single inch of skin, she stirred inner heat, making one want to look yet afraid to do so.

Her face was partially veiled with a semi-transparent mask, revealing glimpses of an infinitely beautiful visage. Her entire demeanor was graceful and maturely enchanting.

Meng Qi gritted his teeth and uttered two words: “Demon Queen!”

“Do you think this seat is worthy of your sword?” the Demon Queen’s voice was slightly hoarse but unusually seductive.

The night wind blew, chilling and piercing. The Demon Queen stepped forward slowly, as if she were the center of the surrounding world!

This feeling was terrifying!

Meng Qi didn’t dwell on why she was here or why she suddenly intercepted them. At this moment, with the exchange of spiritual pressure, he was being suppressed by the Demon Queen. If he rashly asked about the reason, he would lose his fighting spirit and be utterly defeated.

His spirit flowed like water, spreading over his sword and saber, as if they were extensions of his body. Vaguely, he sensed countless threads rippling in the surrounding air.

Recalling Luo Shengyi’s warning, Meng Qi no longer held back. Fully activating the fifth stage of the Golden Bell Cover, his skin turned dark gold, glowing faintly like a golden statue of a Buddhist guardian, completely melting the creeping yin energy with his yang and Buddhist aura.

“Hmm.” Facing Meng Qi’s transformation, the Demon Queen let out a soft “Hmm,” clearly surprised that the usually cold and refined swordsman Meng Qi could suddenly become so mighty, resembling a Buddhist cultivator!

That faint sound momentarily disrupted her rising momentum. Meng Qi raised Evil Tribulation, his mind turning inward, then suddenly erupted with a full-force slash!

This was the opportunity!

At a moment like this, who had time for style? If he died, there would be no style left at all!

In this strike, Meng Qi poured all his essence, energy, spirit, and willpower, fully unleashing his power. He also infused some of the recent insights he had gained into the Celestial Saber techniques, making the “Severing Purity” technique even more powerful than before.

Amidst the complexities of worldly affairs, entanglements of love and hate, and the burdens of fear and greed—like the temptations of celestial demons—purity could not be maintained.

Suddenly, a zither sound arose, chaotic and noisy, like the painful cries of someone exhausted by life’s burdens—expensive housing, tattered clothes, poor food, and endless troubles… making one restless and unable to find peace.

The ancient zither’s sound harmonized perfectly with Meng Qi’s “Severing Purity,” further elevating his blade intent, bringing his essence, energy, spirit, and will to the peak of his life.

The blade light shimmered like sunlight on water, flickering and elusive, embodying the essence of swordsmanship, carrying the weight of birth, aging, sickness, death, parting, hatred, and reunion, slicing toward the Demon Queen!

Meng Qi’s spirit was immersed in the mortal world. His sword techniques fully reflected in his mind, every detail clear, following the flow of the Demon Queen’s protective aura as he struck!

This was the strongest strike he had ever delivered since mastering “Severing Purity!”

The Demon Queen’s eyes showed a hint of confusion, as if she had returned to her youth—when the Demon Lord vanished, the Cult sect scattered, and she couldn’t stop it. Later, when she mastered the Tianluo Art, she was still entangled in endless troubles, with petty villains constantly emerging, preventing her from fulfilling her wishes.

A faint breach emerged in her defensive shield as Meng Qi’s sinister calamity, crackling with lightning, cleaved through.

However, the deeper the strike penetrated, the slower the “Evil Tribulation” moved, as if entangled in layers of silk nets, weighed down by a thousand catties.

Bolts of electricity leaped forth, shattering the yin energy’s silk-like threads, struggling to break through the Demon Queen’s protective aura, coming within a few sheets of paper’s distance from her skin!

But at this moment, she had already regained her composure. Her delicate hand gently pressed against the blade, calmly saying, “Excellent sword technique.”

A tuft of black hair fell, the cut blackened.