The emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty bore the surname Zhu.
The Night Emperor bore the surname Zhu.
Either fact on its own was nothing remarkable. No one cared much about what surname someone else had.
But today, Boss Azure Dragon had brought up both facts together. The implication was obvious.
The Night Emperor. He dared to take "Emperor" as his title, so he must have been born into the imperial family.
"So the Night Emperor's origins were actually like this." Everyone sighed in surprise.
Just then, Boss Azure Dragon smiled again. "There's nothing surprising about it. The Night Emperor's identity was exposed by his surname long ago. It's just that no one ever thought to look. It's really a simple question."
Everyone fell silent and watched Boss Azure Dragon, saying nothing.
Boss Azure Dragon continued, "The Night Emperor was born into the Imperial Clan, and the second step of my plan involves the emperor himself. When the time comes, the Night Emperor will certainly interfere. Everyone here knows the relationship between Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor. And given Tie Zhongtang's character, he'll do everything he can to stop us."
"We'll have to face him sooner or later. So why not strike first?"
"So, to ensure our grand plan goes ahead without a hitch and no one interferes, the first step is to eliminate Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor."
"Besides, if someone of Tie Zhongtang's standing were to die, it would send shockwaves through the martial world and draw everyone's attention. That would make our work easier, too."
"So, for our grand plan, for this world, first we kill... Tie Zhongtang!" Boss Azure Dragon concluded.
As Boss Azure Dragon's icy gaze swept over them, everyone present fell silent. Then the hesitation in their eyes gave way to cold killing intent, spreading through the room.
"You're right. We agree."
This was everyone's choice, and it had been settled from the start.
Those gathered here were all ambitious and ruthless, the most fearsome schemers in the world. There was nothing they wouldn't sacrifice for their ambitions—not even themselves.
And now, between their ambitions and their respect for Tie Zhongtang, they chose the former without hesitation. It was never a difficult choice.
Respect was one thing; knowing what mattered was another.
For the ambition in their hearts, anyone was expendable. Everything in the world had its price. Some things only seemed priceless because the price offered was not high enough. Once the bid reached a certain point, everyone would realize that what they had once clung to was insignificant.
Boss Azure Dragon looked around, pleased. Knowing when to make a decisive choice was the quality of those who accomplished great things. Otherwise, how could they deserve to work with him?
Boss Azure Dragon continued, "Since we've decided to kill Tie Zhongtang, let's discuss how we're going to do it."
"This is the first thing we'll do as an alliance. It will show each of us is sincere, and form the basis of our cooperation from here on. Failure is not an option."
Boss Azure Dragon's voice remained chillingly cold, echoing in everyone's ears with a biting edge.
How could they kill Tie Zhongtang, the greatest hero in the world? It was a question no one had ever even considered. Now everyone was racking their brains, trying to figure out how to kill the man who had been famous for decades and was universally acknowledged as Number One Under Heaven.
It was almost impossible to imagine. Because... it was too difficult!
After a long while, no one had said a word. They all looked around at one another.
At last, one of them glanced at Boss Azure Dragon, seated at the head of the table, calmly watching them all. Since he had raised the question, he must already have an answer. Surely he had been preparing for this for a long time.
The man stood and cupped his fists toward Boss Azure Dragon. "We're too dull to see the way forward. We ask the Dragon Head to enlighten us."
Seeing him do so, the others immediately understood and also asked Boss Azure Dragon to speak.
Boss Azure Dragon did not demur. He said evenly, "Tie Zhongtang is a renowned master throughout the world. His martial arts may not be the best, but they rank among the top five. Naturally, killing him won't be easy."
After a pause, Boss Azure Dragon continued, "Nor is Tie Zhongtang a man without allies. He's the leader of the Iron Blood Great Banner Sect, with countless experts under his command and a fearsome force of Banner disciples. How could it be easy to deal with him?"
"Even more troublesome is his immense prestige in the martial world. Everyone here respects him, let alone everyone else.
"If he so much as raised his arm and called out, all the heroes of the world would rush to his side, each ready to fight for him."
Listening to Boss Azure Dragon's analysis, everyone nodded. That was exactly why they found this so difficult. Tie Zhongtang was no ordinary man. Killing him would be no easy task.
Boss Azure Dragon surveyed the room, confident. "For all those reasons, if we're going to kill Tie Zhongtang, we must make it a single, fatal strike and leave him no chance to respond. If he becomes wary, summons the masters of the Great Banner Sect, and calls on heroes across the land, we won't have the slightest chance. We'll only alert him, and our plan will grind to a halt."
Everyone nodded again, in full agreement. When dealing with a man like Tie Zhongtang, they had to strike once and strike fatally. They could not give him a chance.
"But how could that be easy? Tie Zhongtang has been as elusive as a dragon for years. We don't even know where he is. How can we kill him?" someone challenged.
Just as Boss Azure Dragon was about to respond, a figure suddenly stood up and looked at him.
He Heng smiled faintly. He glanced at the others, then turned to Boss Azure Dragon. "I have a suggestion for dealing with Tie Zhongtang."
"White Tower Lord, please speak," Boss Azure Dragon said, his gaze placid as he looked at He Heng.
He Heng's smile deepened slightly. "The two people we're actually dealing with are Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor. I know someone who has close ties to both of them. Through him, we might be able to lure the Night Emperor and Tie Zhongtang into a trap."
"Who?" everyone asked.
He Heng smiled. "Thief Marshal Chu Liuxiang."
"So it was him. No wonder his martial arts were so unusual. They came from the Night Emperor." The others suddenly understood. He Heng's one remark had given them plenty to think about.
Boss Azure Dragon looked at He Heng, who had broken away from the Azure Dragon Society, and said, "In that case, White Tower Lord, why don't you handle this personally? We'll assist you."
The others looked at He Heng the same way, expecting him to take the lead against Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor.
That was exactly what He Heng wanted.
Fame, fortune, wealth, power—none of these were what He Heng pursued. Besides, even if he gained power in this world, what would it matter? Could he take it back to the Great Heaven World?
For He Heng, his purpose in this world was to improve his Martial Dao Cultivation and break through to a higher realm. That was the only thing he could take with him.
He Heng had now reached a bottleneck. To take the next step, he would have to spend a great deal of time refining his skills. He had time to spare, but he was unwilling to wait.
Martial Dao Cultivation was always a race against time. If he grew accustomed to waiting in this world, would he keep waiting when he returned to the Great Heaven World?
No. Retreat had never been He Heng's nature. No matter how difficult the Future Path, he would not fear it. He would face the challenge head-on and grow stronger with every battle. That was the quality a seeker of the Dao needed. Otherwise, how could he ever reach the summit?
Even the Myriad Heavens Treasure Mirror was merely an external object in He Heng's eyes. His own cultivation was the foundation; everything else could be discarded. Only the self was Eternal.
And now, the best way for He Heng to break through his bottleneck quickly was through battle—a battle against an evenly matched opponent! Only in the space between Life and Death could one's potential be drawn out to its fullest, allowing He Heng to break through his bottleneck and reach greater heights.
The Night Emperor and Tie Zhongtang were both excellent opponents. He Heng certainly wouldn't pass up the chance.
Seeing the others' reactions, He Heng merely sneered inwardly. How could sparrows understand the ambitions of a swan?
His expression remained calm. "It's my honor. I hope you'll all give me your full support and help advance our plans."
"Of course," the others replied.
Boss Azure Dragon stood to one side, watching it all coldly, as though everything were under his control. But when he looked at He Heng, his gaze paused and his pupils tightened slightly.
He was the only person Boss Azure Dragon could not see through. Just as He Heng could not see through him, Boss Azure Dragon could not see through He Heng. At the very least, Boss Azure Dragon could not understand why He Heng had volunteered to take the lead.
"What an interesting man. The days ahead won't be dull..."
PS: Something serious happened at home. I'll probably only be able to post one update a day for the next few days, and I may not be able to post at all. I hope you understand.
Before you continue