Plotting with a Blood Edict

The royal capital of Great Qi, at the regent's residence.

"Since Your Highness took charge of the Great Qi Dynasty and assumed the office of regent,

"this court has proven worthy of the teachings of the kingly way. It is unlike Great Yin, which is fierce and unyielding in its tyrannical way. Great Qi's officials are all wise enough to choose the right tree to nest in, adapting to the times and unable to bear seeing the people plunged into misery...

"In just over a year, of the three hundred and seventy noble and meritorious clans in the royal capital-in the Cangxuan Ancient Realm, a clan with at least one Foundation Establishment cultivator could be called an aristocratic clan, one with a Purple Mansion cultivator a great house, and one with a Golden Core cultivator an immortal clan-two hundred and ninety-three have sent letters pledging allegiance and offered sixty percent of their family stores in return for protection.

"As for the remaining seventy-seven clans, most are likely loyal unto death to Great Qi's crown prince, Li Tian, and the royal family, or are waiting and sitting on the fence."

"Seventy percent of the court officials of the third rank and above have already pledged their loyalty to you in secret."

"This is the gift list."

His subordinate respectfully presented a Jade Slip.

Sima Ruiming swept it with his Divine Sense, but he looked somewhat distracted and uninterested.

In just over a year, the stores had amassed a total of 17.7 million Spirit Stones, with spirit medicines, ores, and Law Treasures worth another eight million or so Spirit Stones.

There were also seventeen sites with superior Spirit Veins, suitable for cultivation by Foundation Establishment and even Purple Mansion cultivators, along with countless mines and medicine gardens.

This was much faster than having Cangxuan cultivators seize resources and mine them bit by bit.

Ever since they had begun using the Ruin Realm's native factions to plunder resources, the people and cultivators of the Ruin Realm had grown more compliant.

There was less resistance and less hatred for Cangxuan.

With a layer of separation between them, the Cangxuan cultivators instead seemed somewhat kind and mysterious.

They were regarded as exalted cultivators and immortals, and many among the Ruin Realm's people held them in awe.

The efficiency of acquiring all kinds of resources had also improved.

"This is good as well."

"Tell the people below to find charges against those who haven't sent gifts and remove them from office at once, or transfer them to the front...

"Except for Li Tian, the crown prince of Qi. He is a man favored by fate and fortune, and must not be touched rashly.

"Consolidate Great Qi's forces as soon as possible. Tonight's scheme may yet succeed.

"In a few months, I will bring the full might of Great Qi to bear against Great Yin. Through the war between the two dynasties and the clash between the kingly and tyrannical ways, I will draw the favor of this realm's origin.

"Father, Sima Huanyu, made it clear long ago: if we can forge a sword of the kingly way, obtain a sword of the tyrannical way, and then unite the two to nurture the sword of emperors, it could rival a Golden Core Law Treasure and be of great benefit to my Sima Clan."

Sima Ruiming spoke with resolve as he laid out his plans, confident of success.

"Yes."

Hearing his words, his subordinate's eyes flashed with fervor.

"Besides that, prepare another gift."

Sima Ruiming had felt constantly uneasy, with a faint, almost imperceptible sense of humiliation.

The thought of those rumors and slander was especially hard on his already less-than-broad mind. His tone softened slightly, taking on a somewhat concerned and bashful note.

"Take the Nine-Leaf Waterheart Lotus found in Great Qi's treasury the day before yesterday, which can dispel confusion and clear the spirit, and the Shark-Silk Cloud Garment, a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment dharma robe that I had specially woven.

"Send someone to deliver them to the Xie Clan's Marsh Spirit Abode in the Southern Region. Tell her... 'My beloved, you have many affairs to attend to in the Southern Region. If you have settled them, could you come to the Eastern Region to meet me? Ruiming eagerly awaits you, my beloved.'"

"Make sure word of it gets out..."

The subordinate froze, his eyes somewhat bloodshot, and was too embarrassed to speak.

"Your Highness, how can such a thing be made public so plainly?"

"The Xie Clan's legitimate daughter has humiliated Your Highness with her conduct, trampling your face underfoot, and yet Your Highness still... this..."

"When a lord is humiliated, his servant must die. I wish I could..."

"It's all right, it's all right. Go and see to it at once."

Sima Ruiming nodded, walked over to his subordinate, and gently patted him on the shoulder with a soft chuckle.

"They're nothing but rumors and slander. By doing this openly and honorably, I show the breadth of my heart. It is also an overt strategy."

"I have given her a way out and swallowed my pride. If she doesn't know what's good for her, she can't blame me for showing no mercy."

"Yes!"

The subordinate struggled to hold back his tears.

After his subordinate withdrew, Sima Ruiming stood in the empty residence and took a painting from his storage ring.

It was a portrait of Xie Qingying, painted in a moment of inspiration by a Cangxuan grandmaster of the painting arts when the Sima and Xie clans arranged their betrothal. It captured both form and spirit, vivid and lifelike.

O fair beloved, my heart longs for you without end.

Your radiant immortal beauty haunts my thoughts, never to be stilled.

In the painting, Xie Qingying wore a long, water-blue dress, aloof and cool as an immortal. Her dark hair fell like a waterfall, her face was breathtakingly beautiful, and a cinnabar beauty mark graced the space between her brows. A bluebird perched on her shoulder, its feathers shimmering with color.

And he, Sima Ruiming, stood in the distance, gazing at the beauty from afar, his own bearing no less exceptional.

"Qingying, oh Qingying..." Sima Ruiming reached out and gently stroked the face of the woman in the portrait. His voice was tender, but his eyes gleamed with coldness, even hatred.

"My feelings for you have been nothing if not sincere. The vast Firmament Heaven receives offerings from all under heaven, and I am a True Lord's offspring. There are beauties beyond counting.

"My family background, my talent-which of them do I lack?

"You are the only one in my eyes. Whenever I have resources or treasures, I think of you first. Yet why... can you never see it? Why do you always keep me a thousand miles away?"

"Must you really wait until I break your wings with my own hands before you'll stay obediently by my side?"

As he spoke, a cruel smile curved Sima Ruiming's lips.

"But it doesn't matter. It won't be long now. Once I've completed Father's undertaking and truly forged that sword of emperors, Firmament Heaven will be mine in the future.

"When that time comes, how will Ye Jinyu compare with me?

"He is nothing but an ant beneath my feet. And you, Xie Qingying..."

He pressed harder with his fingertip, rubbing it repeatedly over Xie Qingying's cheek in the portrait.

"You will be mine in the end. I'll make you the blue luan in my cage..."

"Hahahahaha..."

The Qi Palace, the crown prince's bedchamber.

Li Tian, crown prince of Qi, sat behind his desk, memorials piled high before him, but he did not read a single one.

There was no use reading them. He had already been stripped of practically all authority, his cultivation had been sealed, and he was now a puppet in plain sight. Even his decrees could not leave the Qi Palace.

The whole court's benevolence and righteousness, its compassion for the people, a thousand years of the kingly way's teachings-all had vanished like bubbles and shadows when the Cangxuan cultivators arrived.

"Your Highness."

An old eunuch slipped in without a sound, his ability to conceal his presence extraordinary.

His cultivation had also reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, making him a top expert in the present Wind Abyss Ruin Realm.

His Dao foundation was even more wondrous and unusual.

It was called [Entering the Night with the Wind].

None of the formations, restrictions, or other measures Sima Ruiming had laid in the Qi Palace, nor any of the many experts there, had detected him.

The old eunuch lowered his voice.

"Within the royal capital, Sima Ruiming is driving out those who oppose him. Acting on orders, this old servant has contacted the veteran ministers in the capital who remain loyal to the royal family. We plan to activate the Purple Mansion contingency left behind by His Majesty..."

"Great Qi has supported its retainers for a thousand years. There are still those willing to die for righteousness and loyalty.

"All we ask now is that Your Highness issue an edict, invoking the righteous cause to rally Great Qi's loyal and righteous men against the Cangxuan fiends and restore the realm!"

Li Tian raised his head sharply, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes.

"Is this true? Old servant, do not deceive me."

"This old servant received His Majesty's favor and was entrusted with this duty. Tonight, I risked my life to slip into the palace. My loyalty can be seen, and I ask that Your Highness make a swift decision."

"Your Highness can use a blood edict, using royal blood to activate the contingency left by the emperors of past generations."

"Good!"

Li Tian agreed at once, then looked at the old eunuch.

"All the brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, spirit materials, and dharma objects here are inspected daily. Not the slightest bit can go missing..."

"Ordinary materials cannot serve as the edict's medium either."

The old eunuch understood immediately.

He promptly summoned his spiritual power and destroyed the Foundation Establishment dharma robe he wore, using its material as the edict's medium.

Seeing this, Li Tian bit his finger. His blood radiated a mystical charm as he wrote, word by word, nearly exhausting his vital essence.

Once the blood edict was complete, the old eunuch picked it up, bowed with cupped hands, and slipped out of the bedchamber just as silently.

Li Tian leaned slowly back in his chair, expressionless. Blood still lingered on his finger as he lightly tapped the tabletop, pondering to himself.

Of all those loyal ministers... how many will see that this is a trap? I have wronged them after all...

Rumors and slander... rumors and slander... I wonder whether the Ye Clan can be trusted...

"So this is the blood edict Li Tian wrote?"

Sima Ruiming held the blood edict in his hand and examined it closely, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

Standing below him was none other than the old eunuch, who was now answering him with utmost respect.

"In answer to Your Highness, this old servant watched Li Tian write it personally. The material also came from my own dharma robe. There can be no mistake."

"Were you exposed? Does he still trust you?"

"In answer to Your Highness, this old servant believes there should be no problem. Back then, I infiltrated this realm on the Firmament Secret Pavilion's orders. Everything was clean..."

"Good. With this edict, we have a legitimate pretext to wipe out all those who harbor opposition..."

"Yes."

The old eunuch gave his assent.

(It slips into the night with the wind, nourishing all things silently and unseen վ'ᴗ' ի)