Golden Threads

The drizzle went on without end.

It pattered against the umbrella like tiny pearls falling onto a jade platter.

Mo Fengxue held the umbrella, her expression a tumult of conflicting emotions.

"Young Master, do you truly not need me... or anyone else to accompany you to Kyoto?"

Behind Mo Fengxue, the old monk of Empty Mountain Temple, the head of the Jiang Tian Xie Family, and the leaders of other factions all wore varying expressions.

"No need." Lin Chao chuckled. "If you go, you certainly won't return. It would do no good. Better to remain here and wait for the grand tide to turn."

"As you command, Young Master." Though reluctant, Mo Fengxue still obeyed.

The others were the same, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

If they went to Kyoto, they would surely die.

And would it be any different for Young Master Lin Ping if he went to Kyoto?

"Young Master, may your journey be safe. If the enemy cannot be overcome, it would be better to make peace with Azure Lord, divide the land along the river, and leave the people of the realm a road home." Qi Guangying spoke solemnly.

In truth, there was another outcome left unspoken: abandoning their ancestral lands and heading overseas.

With their strength, they could still carve out territories and reign as kings overseas.

Moreover, overseas lay beyond the suppression of the Azure Dragon Stone's fortune. They need not fear Azure Lord.

Of course, no one mentioned that plan.

After all, they were people of the Central Plains, people of the Great Xia Clan.

Unless driven into a corner with no way out, they were utterly unwilling to forsake their homeland and sail far away overseas.

"Young Master, I shall drive for you." Clad in armor, Huang Xian Yuan looked like a general.

Lin Chao smiled. "Alright."

In his memories, Huang Xian Yuan was Emperor Gaozu.

This emperor was not renowned, yet he was quite accomplished in both civil governance and Martial Cultivation. He was an underestimated ruler.

Lin Chao entered the carriage, and Zhang Daolin entered as well, while Huang Xian Yuan took the reins.

Looking at Huang Xian Yuan's armor, Lin Chao smiled. "There was once a minister who remonstrated with Azure Lord: the people are water; water can bear a boat, yet it can also overturn it. Azure Lord replied that he was not a boat, but a true dragon.

"If Commander Huang were ruler, would you be a boat or a dragon?"

Huang Xian Yuan froze, then his body began trembling uncontrollably.

Could the Young Master mean...

Huang Xian Yuan suppressed the burning thoughts in his heart. "All things beneath heaven are born of yin and yang.

"If Azure Lord is the dragon, then the people are its essence."

The essence Huang Xian Yuan spoke of was dragon essence.

In myths and legends, a dragon's power came precisely from its dragon essence.

Once a dragon lost its dragon essence, it was no different from an ordinary beast.

"Commander Huang, do you believe there are dynasties that endure for ten thousand generations?"

Huang Xian Yuan answered without hesitation. "No. There are only dynasties that pursue ten thousand generations."

"After we reach Kyoto and slay Azure Lord, I shall seek mountains and rivers in pursuit of the Dao, and see what this world has to offer." Lin Chao's voice was calm, as if he had complete confidence in this journey. "The Dan Jian Sect may have to trouble Commander Huang to look after it."

Huang Xian Yuan's body trembled slightly.

Could the Young Master truly be a sage reborn?

Huang Xian Yuan knew Azure Lord's strength all too well.

Even though the rebel army he led was currently the strongest of them all,

he still had no confidence when facing Azure Lord.

Back then, Zhang Sheng's momentum had been so immense, yet he had still ended in crushing defeat.

"If you do not find it beneath you, Young Master, I have a daughter named Liuli. She is eight years old, and she may be betrothed to your younger brother, Lin Zhi." Huang Xian Yuan suppressed the indescribable emotions in his heart.

Lin Chao smiled.

If he remembered correctly, the historical records said that Emperor Gaozu had always remained unruffled even if mountains collapsed before him.

Once, Emperor Gaozu had been sleeping in his palace at night when a meteor fell and smashed the palace gates.

The palace fell into chaos, yet Emperor Gaozu leisurely dressed himself. Looking at the gates destroyed by the fallen meteor, he seemed to say: Is that all?

Then he went back to sleep.

At the time, many ministers had advised Emperor Gaozu to move elsewhere. Others had said that Emperor Gaozu ought to issue an edict of self-reproach, but Emperor Gaozu paid them no mind.

Yet this very man, so calm and composed, even spoke with a tremor in his voice before Lin Chao.

"I have no objection to this, but we can wait until they are older and ask what they themselves think." Lin Chao's voice was calm.

"Yes, Young Master." Huang Xian Yuan suppressed the excitement in his voice.

Time sped by, and the carriage had already reached the outskirts of the city.

Mo Fengxue and the others had followed them out of the city as well.

Huang Xian Yuan looked at Lin Chao, his voice carrying an indescribable note. "Young Master, I will see you no farther."

Mo Fengxue and the others looked at Lin Chao. "Take care, Young Master!"

The carriage traveled north all the way.

Zhang Daolin became Lin Chao's driver.

"Young Master, Shao Qin has been clamoring that he wants to see you."

"We shall see if fate allows it."

Ten days later.

Kyoto.

Today was market day, yet there were few people about—not even as many as in Beiling.

There were few commoners in the market, and mostly wealthy merchants.

The vast capital had grown somewhat desolate.

Lin Chao carried a sword in his arms and rode into Kyoto without obstruction.

The soldiers at the gates yawned, not even checking his travel permit.

The entirety of Kyoto was like a sieve riddled with holes.

Yet such a Kyoto remained the hardest city in Great Cang to conquer.

How many rebel armies had fallen outside Kyoto's walls?

Some had not even lived to see Kyoto's city walls.

How many assassins had entered Kyoto to kill Azure Lord, only to find themselves unable to take a single step within the city?

There were powerful nobles who seized people and bled them to make blood soup.

Or one might encounter a black-hearted inn and be turned directly into human-meat buns.

The whole of Kyoto was utter chaos.

Lin Chao glanced toward the imperial palace, and his gaze deepened.

A golden radiance lay dormant beneath the earth.

Countless Golden Threads were drawn toward it from every direction.

Lin Chao saw that every person had a wisp of Golden Thread upon them.

The closer they were to the imperial palace, the clearer and brighter that thread became.

Lin Chao had seen such Golden Threads in Beiling as well.

Only, the Golden Threads on the people of Beiling appeared much weaker.

Without looking carefully, one would never notice them at all.

"Drawing upon the fortune of the realm to forge Great Cang's mandate of heaven. What a masterful method."

Lin Chao's gaze was deep.

This was not something the present-day Great Xia could accomplish.

After all, aside from a few strange treasures, the present Great Xia was entirely ordinary.

Lin Chao continued toward the imperial palace.

Azure Lord, the man he had come to kill, was stationed within the palace.

Yet along the way, Lin Chao discovered that Azure Lord's mandate of heaven still affected him.

First, a scion of a powerful family took a liking to him and wanted to seize him and keep him in captivity.

Lin Chao cut him down with a single sword stroke.

Before long, another descendant of a military noble demanded toll money from Lin Chao.

Lin Chao cut him down with another stroke.

Bricks might fall from lofty towers, or featherless arrows might accidentally descend from the sky.

Had it been an ordinary person, they would likely have died long ago.

"Is this the power of the mandate of heaven?"

The mandate of heaven subtly altered the heavenly workings.

Especially in Kyoto, this alteration had become immensely powerful, occurring one after another.

No wonder Azure Lord could sleep with his head on a high pillow, free of worry.

After all, matters of the mandate of heaven were far too mysterious.

With fortune so overwhelming, Azure Lord had nothing to fear.

His enemies, on the other hand, might choke even while drinking cold water, or choke themselves to death while eating.

Lin Chao paid no mind to any of this.

Lin Chao's gaze was calm as he looked at the palace ahead. "Azure Lord, I have come."

P.S. I need to properly mull over the later plot. Only one update today—my sincerest apologies!