Retreat in Defeat, Yet Win

Beijing is frequently shrouded in smog.

At this hour, even in an environment like Fire God Gully, a clear and refreshing sunrise has already arrived.

In Beijing, the sky was still overcast.

Generally speaking, it takes another half an hour for the sunlight to disperse the light smog and the sky to brighten.

By then, the sun should already be high in the Southern Heaven.

The heir of the Duke Yi leaned lazily against a soft couch, slumped in the corridor, and looked up at the sky.

Several female slaves who had previously been favored by him knelt to one side, tending to the incense burner, fruit, and small wine pot.

Several Brocade Guard were stationed nearby. One of them, a commander of a thousand men, with a broad face, round ears, and a tall, muscular build, sat on a small stool next to a soft couch, sipping wine.

"Lord Jia, what do you think of these female slaves of mine?"

"Excellent, excellent! Your Highness is truly skilled; you've prepared it wonderfully!"

As Jia Qianhu recalled the blissful moments of the previous night, his heart couldn't help but flutter.

The young master smiled and said, "In that case, we can be considered brothers who have gone through the same path. Give me a hint: what exactly do they want to do to me?"

Commander Jia pondered for a moment and said, "According to the Commander-in-Chief, we should leave some goodwill for Lord Gao. He will probably just wait until the time is right to calculate your family's assets and strip you of your title."

"However, within the imperial court, there are probably quite a few who want to seize upon the heir and take a severe bite out of him—"

The prince immediately replied, "What if I surrender to the Brocade Guard first?"

"My father's fortune, though not publicly mentioned, includes a large portion that only I know about. It's all the best stuff, especially the best medicines and miraculous formulas that are helpful for cultivating martial arts."

"Besides, my family hasn't been punished yet. With his status as the heir of a duke, if he joined the Brocade Guard, he would bow down and pay homage to Lord Gu."

"These Brocade Guard should at least save face a little."

With a smile, Jia Qianhu did not answer directly, but picked up two small wine cups and poured one into a cup for the other party.

The prince felt reassured, and the anxious look in his eyes finally subsided.

He guessed that Gu Qiuxing's arrangement was to monopolize all the benefits.

If no one is allowed to settle accounts first, then there will be no grounds for confiscating property. When the time comes, as the heir apparent, he can voluntarily donate his family property, and it can all go into the hands of the Brocade Guard.

However, the fact that Gu Qiuxing arranged things in such a convoluted way shows that even if the Embroidered Brocade Guard wanted to take it all for themselves, they would definitely be blocked by the Empress Dowager and might not be able to do so.

The Duke Yi now dares not offend either the Brocade Guard or the Empress Dowager.

After much thought, Heir Apparent Gao came up with this plan.

The Brocade Guard obtained the most lucrative benefits, and with the Duke's heir's initiative to pledge allegiance, some core officials in the Duke Yi's faction found their place.

Other family assets and official positions, though of slightly lower quality, were plentiful and could be divided among the Empress Dowager's people.

"And in this way, even if it costs a fortune to buy a horse's bones, the Brocade Guard will have to protect my life. Brilliant, truly brilliant."

Heir Apparent Gao pondered in his heart, savoring the wine with relish.

At that moment, the gray sky over the capital city was tinged with some magenta, pale purple, azure, and turquoise hues.

The rosy glow of the sunset, rising and falling, drifted and spread from the southern horizon.

"Oh my!"

In Heir Apparent Gao spirits, Prince Gao slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Today's sunrise truly lives up to its name! Its vibrant colors are dazzling!"

Jia Qianhu looked up, his expression changed, and he suddenly stood up. In two quick movements, he first reached the top of the wall, and then the top of the highest star-gazing tower in the Duke's mansion.

Even with his keen eyesight, he could only vaguely see two soul shadows drifting out of the Yanxia and landing on the palace.

The two soul shadows were incredibly fast, ethereal, and otherworldly, as if they were Celestial Person descended to earth at the right time.

The third soul shadow was a little further away, but it had the fiercest aura.

The emerald-green spirit was still in mid-air when it raised its palms, seemingly about to pounce and shatter the entire Golden Palace.

"The Temple Beyond the Mind!!"

Xie Luoxian's voice came from the Golden Palace.

The overall texture of the Golden Palace suddenly became more profound, with the shadows darker than ink, the vermilion areas more fiery red, and the golden areas appearing as if they were made of solid gold.

Chu Tianshu pursued, striking down with both palms, but felt an invisible, immense force rise into the air, abruptly halting his attack.

The foundation of the Golden Palace trembled violently.

Chu Tianshu's figure was also sent flying backwards for more than ten feet. He shook his slightly numb hands and stared intently at the scene.

In his eyes, this Golden Palace is now more than just a physical building.

A massive amount of power from the Heavenly Ranking is gathering here and being channeled into the building materials.

Civil officials were the pillars, border generals the beams, the imperial guards the tiles, the Six Gates the gates, and the Divine Machine Battalion the steps to the palace.

The king's prestige is enshrined in his throne.

The Heavenly Ranking experts from different departments of the Great Xuan all had their respective Heavenly Ranking powers drawn together and combined in a clever way to form a unified whole.

This ensures that the various powers of the Heavenly Ranking no longer have obvious conflicts with each other.

Inside the Golden Palace, Wan Longsheng looked around in surprise.

"This is the result of Qianyang's efforts over the years. When did you learn this?"

"It is mentioned in the letter itself."

Xie Luoxian's face tightened. "Senior Wan, you've intercepted quite a few letters over the years, haven't you? With your cultivation level, you can do it without anyone noticing; our messengers are completely unaware."

"However, you don't understand our master-disciple's secret code, so reading the letter won't help."

Wan Longsheng sighed softly, "Why are you so nervous? I can't possibly attack you right now."

"I'm not nervous----"

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of Xie Luoxian's mouth. Suddenly, she pulled out a bottle of elixir from her sleeve and poured it into her mouth.

"His palm strike just now was too refined, and my use of the Golden Palace technique was too hasty; I was still slightly injured by the impact."

"But it's alright. I control the court, and a single drop of this quick-acting elixir can heal a minor injury. If you, Senior Wan, are willing to help us wholeheartedly, we have nothing to fear from him anymore."

High in the sky, Chu Tianshu suddenly disappeared.

Wan Longsheng frowned. "Where did he go?"

Xie Luoxian's eyes flickered; she was deep in thought.

A loud bang was heard in a corner of the capital.

"Is it the Imperial Prison?!"

Xie Luoxian took a step forward, thought for a moment, but still did not leave the Golden Palace.

There are three large prisons in the capital.

The Brocade Guard, the Imperial Prison was under the control of the Six Gates, and there was also the Ministry of Justice's prison.

Among them, the largest proportion of those who survived in the imperial prison were highly skilled and had the toughest backbone.

However, these people were also the most severely tormented, almost like the consumables for Gu Qiuxing to hone his Saber Intent. Their mental and physical injuries were so severe that they could not withstand even a little strong medicine and could not be easily cured.

There's no need to worry in the short term; after Chu Tianshu rescues them, he can bring them along to besiege the Golden Palace.

"We will hold the palace and go nowhere."

Xie Luoxian said, "Master has a very deep connection with the Heavenly Ranking. Even though he is far away in the West, he can sense the changes in the Heavenly Ranking and will see Chu Tianshu kill Gu Qiuxing and defeat you and me. He will definitely come back to check. Besides—"

The woman suddenly laughed. Her earlier defeat and escape did not affect her return to her physical body. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had a noble and graceful demeanor.

"I have been refining this Golden Palace using the methods of the Temple Beyond the Mind for a long time, but I still haven't reached the point where I can move through the air and fight alongside it. This time, however, is an opportunity."

"That man possesses unparalleled martial arts skills and the title of 'Great Immortal Zongheng.' If he were to reappear in the martial world, he should first visit the imperial court; the entire court would surely treat him with the utmost courtesy."

"But he chose not to enter the court, instead stirring up trouble among the common people. The martial arts heroes and the officials in the court are all discerning people; they can all see what he wants to do. They just thought that with a few of us holding the line, they didn't need to worry about him. Now, both Gao and Gu are dead."

"This Golden Palace is the last symbol of the court's authority, and officials can no longer remain aloof. It is the perfect time to unite the people and build prestige."

Xie Luoxian spoke softly, looking up at the clouds in the sky.

"The Yanxia and clouds are the manifestation of human hearts, while the Heavenly Ranking confines human hearts, making it convenient to weigh and guide them. Of the hundreds of people on the list, perhaps not many originally wanted to stand with the imperial court, but now, there must be quite a few who want to stand against the Great Immortal Zongheng."

77

Wan Longsheng was slightly moved.

Indeed, not all of the hundreds of people on the Heavenly Ranking are necessarily wicked or incorrigible.

Even if Chu Tianshu reshapes the court and establishes new rules, he might not necessarily punish them.

However, they had become accustomed to the Great Xuan, accustomed to the existence of the Heavenly Ranking, and accustomed to seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune within the old rules, thus realizing their ambitions.

They had absolutely no idea what new changes the Great Immortal Zongheng might bring.

For this reason, they would all harbor some degree of hostility towards Chu Tianshu.

This hostility might not be enough to justify them openly confronting Chu Tianshu, but it was enough to be reflected on the Heavenly Ranking, making it easier for Xie Luoxian to leverage their prestige.

Therefore, it can be seen that although Gu Qiuxing was lost in today's battle, it can be considered a minor defeat.

On a deeper level, however, it increases the chances of winning.

Clang!!

Wan Longsheng's guqin has broken strings on a spiritual level, but the foundation of the instrument is not destroyed, so it is not difficult to reconnect its spirituality.

Moreover, now that he has returned to his physical body, the guqin is still intact in reality, and when he plucks it with his fingernail, it rings out with a clear, resonant sound.

"Alright, you continue practicing the Golden Palace Technique. I will observe carefully and grasp its essence so that I can assist you with my music during the battle, ensuring a seamless and flawless execution."

Wan Longsheng looked at the few strands of hair floating in front of his eyes and said quietly, "Today's battle has also tempered my temperament. Even if the Great Immortal Zongheng can still improve, I want to see how his progress alone can compare to the combined progress of the two of us!"

Inside the Golden Palace, the atmosphere grew increasingly intense.

Imperial guards and palace soldiers had also rushed to the scene to investigate and, under Xie Luoxian's command, guarded the surrounding area.

Outside the crumbling imperial prison, a blue soul figure was leading a large group of prisoners forward.

These prisoners were indeed too badly injured to be treated using the Grand Void Radiation.

Chu Tianshu led them for only a short distance before realizing that some people were finding it difficult to take another step, so he simply waved his sleeves.

A large amount of cyan Gang Qi flew out from his sleeve, round like bubbles, and its volume continued to expand during flight.

Until each of these prisoners was given a bubble and was enveloped inside it.

The bubbles' varying degrees of firmness and softness were completely devoid of any hint of smoke or fire.

When the bubbles crashed against them, it felt like they were just passing through a cool film of water, but when they were actually inside the bubbles, they felt as hard as steel.

"Given your condition, it's not convenient for you to leave the capital for the time being."

Chu Tianshu asked directly, "Are there any good places to heal injuries in the capital?"

Everyone was somewhat stunned. While they were in the imperial prison, they were tormented by resentful Saber Intent and had been unable to communicate with the Heavenly Ranking for a long time. After they came out, they were shocked by the changes on the Heavenly Ranking.

Fang Mizhi felt the closest to the Great Immortal Zongheng before him.

Upon hearing Chu Tianshu's question, he couldn't help but slap his forehead, wincing in pain, but still managed to utter his opinion.

"The ancestral master's mansion, the residence of the Duke Yi, was arranged using the Plum Blossom Numerology Divination method. Its layout is ingenious and the place is large, making it the best place to nourish the spirit and benefit the energy."

Chu Tianshu nodded, spread his arms, and remotely controlled all the bubbles, making them fly.

Fang Mizhi pointed out the way from the side.

Although he was now emaciated, wearing only tattered hemp clothes, and with marks of iron shackles on his hands and feet, he was once the head of the Fire God Gully and was quite familiar with the capital.

In no time, Chu Tianshu had already brought them swiftly to the Duke Yi.

Although Heir Apparent Gao did not recognize these people, he could tell that they were highly skilled and not to be trifled with, so he quickly turned around and went to find Commander Jia.

Jia Qianhu, who was originally on the top of the Star Gazing Tower, has vanished without a trace.

"You didn't even call me when you ran away."

Heir Apparent Gao cursed inwardly, then rose to greet him respectfully, "Senior, what brings you here? The entire Duke Yi's mansion will certainly serve you with utmost care and devotion."

Chu Tianshu asked suspiciously, "You can make that decision? Does that mean you're Gao Ye's son?"

The prince replied, "That's right."

"Gao Ye hasn't been dead for very long, has he?"

Chu Tianshu looked at him strangely, "Why aren't you wearing mourning clothes?"

It's not just that he's not wearing mourning clothes. In Chu Tianshu's experience as a senior shaman, this person's eye lines are scattered and his yang energy is impure, clearly indicating that he has been engaging in excessive sexual activity day and night in recent days.

I remember Lan Ziya mentioning in casual conversation that Gao Ye doted on his son, who was vicious in every way, but was extremely filial to his father.

Looking back now, that was incredibly filial.

The prince was taken aback.

He had really forgotten about wearing mourning clothes.

"Fine, you deserved to die anyway. Let's reunite you and your son."

Chu Tianshu flicked his finger, and before the other party could react, the force of his finger had already pierced through the prince's forehead.