Wind Rises

A few days later, Chang'an City, Taiji Palace.

"What?"

"Duke Yang's Treasury is actually in Chang'an?"

Emperor Gaozu of Tang Li Yuan, who had accepted Emperor Gong of Sui Yang You's abdication and ascended the throne, stared in astonishment at Li Xiuning, who had returned from Yangzhou.

Li Xiuning nodded and said in a deep voice, "Golden Jade Full Hall provided this clue. They should not be making baseless claims."

"Furthermore, I heard rumors from the martial world that only a Goguryeo Rakshasa Woman knew the location of Duke Yang's Treasury. That Rakshasa Woman was killed by Yin Queen Zhu Yuyan, so only her two adopted sons know the secret of Duke Yang's Treasury."

"Those two have a bit of a connection to Xu Qingyang. Now that they have entrusted Golden Jade Full Hall with selling the clue, they most likely intend to lure Zhu Yuyan to Chang'an and seek a chance for revenge. It makes perfect sense, so it is unlikely to be false."

"Rakshasa Woman?"

"Zhu Yuyan?"

"Xu Qingyang?"

Listening to Li Xiuning's account, both Li Yuan and Li Shimin frowned.

"Then that is wonderful!"

Only the fourth son, Li Yuanji, shouted excitedly, "Since the treasury is in Chang'an, what are we waiting for? Send people to search at once. Turn the whole place inside out—I refuse to believe we will not find it."

Crown Prince Li Jiancheng also said excitedly, "Imperial Father, it is said that whoever obtains either the He Clan Jade Bi or Duke Yang's Treasury may gain the world. Now that Duke Yang's Treasury has appeared in Chang'an, it proves that Imperial Father truly bears the Destined Mandate!"

"..."

"..."

Watching Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji's animated expressions, as well as Li Yuan, who had also been roused, Li Shimin and Li Xiuning were both speechless. They exchanged a glance before speaking up.

"Imperial Father, this matter requires careful consideration!"

Li Xiuning stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Golden Jade Full Hall has publicly sold this treasury clue for ten taels. By now, everyone knows of it. The major powers of the realm will surely gather in Chang'an."

"Gather in Chang'an?"

"They dare?"

"Do they take our Li Tang for clay dolls?"

At this, Li Yuanji began clamoring again.

Li Xiuning ignored the two of them and addressed only Li Yuan. "The clue also says that the Demonic Sect's sacred relic, the Evil Emperor's Sarira, is hidden in the treasury's core. In that case, Evil King Shi Zhixuan, Yin Queen Zhu Yuyan, the Eight Great Masters of the Demonic Sect, and forces from every sect and school will certainly come racing here at the scent of the news."

"The Demonic Sect?"

"What kind of damned Demonic Sect—"

"Silence!"

Li Yuanji still wanted to shout, but Li Yuan, his face grave, cut him off angrily.

Unlike Li Yuanji, who had been pampered since childhood and knew nothing of the martial world, Li Yuan, as the Li Clan Leader, understood perfectly the weight carried by the words "martial world," "wulin," and "Demonic Sect."

In this world, where Martial Dao flourished and transcended the ordinary, supremely powerful martial artists of the Grandmaster Realm possessed the terrifying strength of an army in one man, able to sweep across the battlefield unchecked.

Thus, while imperial courts stood above the wulin and martial world, they could not completely lord over them. Even the ruler of a nation had to show sufficient courtesy to experts of the Grandmaster Realm.

Take the Three Grandmasters, for example. Each was a pillar holding up a nation. Martial Venerable Bi Xuan had been appointed a great general by King of DTZ, while Master of the Sword Fu Cailin was practically a godlike figure in Goguryeo, leading Goguryeo to repeatedly blunt Great Sui's military edge.

As for Rogue Ning Daoqi, though he did not meddle in the affairs of the Central Plains dynasties, his existence was also an important reason foreign martial artists did not dare invade the Central Plains lightly.

Such was the might of Grandmasters.

And within the Demonic Sect, there was also a Grandmaster-level expert—Evil King Shi Zhixuan!

One Evil King alone could not be underestimated. If the Eight Great Masters of the Demonic Sect and every sect and school also entered Chang'an...

At that thought, Li Yuan's scalp went numb.

His Li Clan might be the strongest among the Four Great Clans, but that strength was confined to military and political affairs. When it came to martial arts...

Well, in terms of martial arts, the Li Clan had no shortage of experts. Even Li Yuan himself was a top expert no weaker than Yuwen Clan Leader Yuwen Shang.

But who one was compared against mattered!

Li Yuan knew he was no match for absolute-peak Grandmasters like Song Que, Ning Daoqi, and Shi Zhixuan.

If it were only one Shi Zhixuan, that would be manageable. But with such a grand scene unfolding now, would only one Shi Zhixuan come?

Duke Yang's Treasury contained the Demonic Sect's supreme treasure, the Evil Emperor's Sarira!

"Not only Demonic Sect experts like Shi Zhixuan—the Martial King of Xuzhou cannot be underestimated either."

Li Xiuning pressed the point further. "Everyone knows that Golden Jade Full Hall is an enterprise of that Martial King of Xuzhou. This man obtained the clue and clearly knew the treasury's location, yet rather than keeping it for himself, he announced it to the world."

"What does he want to do?"

"Could it be that those two boys insisted?"

"Impossible. If Xu Qingyang had agreed to kill Zhu Yuyan for them, they would certainly have willingly offered up the treasury clue. There would be no reason to do all this."

"So there is only one possibility!"

Li Xiuning's expression was grave, her words low. "This was the Martial King's intention. All of this is his arrangement. He wants to use Duke Yang's Treasury and the Evil Emperor's Sarira to draw the world's experts to Chang'an!"

"What?"

"This..."

Li Xiuning's analysis stunned Li Yuan and the others.

"Xu Qingyang!!!"

Li Yuan came to himself, even more horrified. "What is he trying to do?"

"I do not know."

Li Xiuning shook her head and said in a deep voice, "But one thing is certain: his ultimate goal is far more than Duke Yang's Treasury or the Evil Emperor's Sarira. He must be plotting something by doing this. As for what he is plotting..."

As she spoke, even Princess Pingyang Zhao, known as the Female Zhuge, could not help frowning.

What was he plotting?

What in all this was worth plotting for?

Did he intend to use this opportunity to seize Chang'an and destroy Li Tang's imperial foundation?

Impossible!

With merely Duke Yang's Treasury and an Evil Emperor's Sarira, what could he accomplish even if he drew all the world's experts to Chang'an?

Would the world's experts heed his commands, storm Chang'an, and destroy the Li Clan?

She could not make sense of it. She simply could not make sense of it!

Li Xiuning was deeply tangled in thought, feeling for the first time in her life that her mind was not enough.

Li Shimin's brows were tightly knit, while Li Yuan and the other two remained silent.

In the end, Li Shimin broke the silence. "No matter what this man intends, such actions show that he comes with ill intent; those who come kindly do not come armed. We must take precautions against any unforeseen event."

Though his words were a balanced and conservative approach, there was no better plan at present. Li Xiuning agreed. "Second Brother is right. The key to this matter lies with Xu Qingyang. We need only focus our defenses on Xuzhou and this man."

"Xuzhou is manageable. Xuzhou lies far from Chang'an. Even if it sent troops west to attack our Guanzhong, they would have to pass Luoyang, Sishui, Hangu, Dongtong, and other passes. It is almost impossible for them to reach Chang'an."

Li Shimin analyzed in a deep voice, "The key is this man. I have heard that this Martial King possesses unfathomable martial arts, approaching the Lingnan Heavenly Saber. If he penetrates deep alone and suddenly attacks, we may have difficulty resisting him!"

Having said that, he looked toward Li Yuan. "Imperial Father, can we invite several Grandmasters to deal with this man's edge?"

"Several Grandmasters?"

Li Shimin's words left Li Yuan deeply helpless. With a bitter smile, he said, "I fear not."

Grandmasters—what were Grandmasters?

They were the absolute-peak powerhouses of this world!

Across the realm, there were no more than ten people with such ability, at least on the surface.

Though Li Tang had the support of many forces, to invite several Grandmasters at once...

Li Shimin understood the difficulty, but he still urged Li Yuan, "Imperial Father, Xu Qingyang is no ordinary man. He rose from a beggar unable to fill his belly to his present position in merely eighteen short years."

"In martial arts, strategy, scheming, methods, and calculation, he may be called the foremost man of this age, even surpassing Song Que, who once held off Emperor Sui and guarded Lingnan alone."

"When facing such a figure, no estimate can be too high. If we cannot take him down in a single battle and instead let the tiger return to the mountain, there will surely be endless future trouble. Therefore, your son boldly begs Imperial Father to invite several Grandmasters and capture this man."

Li Shimin spoke with utter sincerity.

"This..."

Li Yuan also hesitated. "Let me consider it further!"

As the ruler with the greatest strength and grandest momentum in the world today, Li Yuan indeed had the means to invite several Grandmasters.

But the price he would have to pay... he truly did not wish to accept it.

Seeing this, Li Shimin spoke no more. He merely clenched his fists in silence.

Meanwhile, in the Demonic Sect's Yin Kui Sect...

"What?"

"Duke Yang's Treasury is in Chang'an?"

"The Sacred Sarira is inside as well, and the news has been spread?"

Yin Kui Sect Leader, Yin Queen Zhu Yuyan, stared in shock and fury at her disciple Wanwan, who had come to report.

"Yes!"

Wanwan nodded. "That information should have been given to Golden Jade Full Hall by those two men and released with Xu Qingyang's approval."

"Xu Qingyang!"

A chill flashed in Zhu Yuyan's eyes as she said coldly, "Pass down the order. Gather the entire sect and follow me to Chang'an."

"This..."

Wanwan was startled and hurriedly advised, "Master, this is likely Xu Qingyang's trap, laid to help those two take revenge. If you go, you will fall right into his scheme."

"There is no time to worry about that. The Sacred Sarira must never fall into anyone else's hands."

Zhu Yuyan's expression was icy. "Besides, once this news spreads, he will certainly come as well."

"Him?"

Wanwan's gaze sharpened. Seeing Zhu Yuyan's eyes filled with hatred, she quickly lowered her head and said no more.

Elsewhere, Lingnan, Song Clan!

Beneath the bright moon, atop the Training Ground, a man stood with his hands behind his back.

His temples were frosted with gray, and he had passed middle age, yet there was not the slightest sign of decline about him. Instead, it lent him the aristocratic bearing of a great clan, the poise of a Confucian scholar, making him awe-inspiring and unreachable. Combined with his balanced, elegant frame and his stance like a deep pool and towering mountain, he fully displayed the bearing of an absolute-peak master of the saber.

He was none other than the Song Clan Leader, the Lingnan Heavenly Saber—Song Que!

"Treasury?"

"Sarira?"

"Chang'an?"

"Xu Qingyang?"

"Ha!!!"

After muttering several times, he suddenly laughed. Song Que turned around, his morning-star eyes radiating a soul-stirring brilliance.

Song Zhi stepped forward and asked tentatively, "Brother, regarding this matter..."

"You guard Lingnan. I will make a trip to Chang'an!"

Song Que laughed and departed with carefree ease, leaving Song Zhi standing there alone, at a complete loss.