Chapter 104 Where are my mother's remains?
As night fell, a familiar figure appeared in the sight of the King of Xiling.
Just moments ago, the eldest son he was determined to find appeared before him silently, without him noticing anything amiss.
The King of Xiling stood up from his chair. The young lady Xuan, who was closer to Bai Xiuming, was already tense and staring intently at him.
This very morning, she had seen Bai Xiuming at the Xiling Prince's Mansion, who was about to go out to greet his fiancée, and at that time she did not notice anything amiss.
“You have concealed your cultivation level.” Miss Xuan’s voice was somewhat sharp.
Bai Xiuming's gaze swept over her, finally landing on the King of Xiling. He said in a calm tone, "This is the second time the King of Xiling has lured the demon race into his palace. Last time you claimed to have been bewitched by a fox demon. What about this time?"
The King of Xiling remained silent, his face grim. He wanted to hear what his good son had to say.
Bai Xiuming stood in the courtyard, facing the King of Xiling in the main hall. A mocking smile curled his thin lips: "When you went to great lengths to obtain the Demon Seal, were you very proud of yourself, thinking that the Mingjing Division was nothing special?"
The King of Xiling's pupils contracted; Bai Xiuming actually knew that the Demon Seal had fallen into his hands.
Seeing the change in his expression, Bai Xiuming sneered, "Without my authorization, do you think Bai Yichen could have left the capital? Colluding with the demon race deserves the extermination of his entire clan. King Xiling, you deserve to die."
Now that things have come to this, how could the King of Xiling not see that Bai Xiuming's arrival was ill-intentioned? He secretly resented that his son was truly a man of hidden talents.
"Bai Xiuming, you are my eldest son. If I am executed along with my entire family, you will also face death. Do you think the King of Ming will show you any mercy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why waste words with him!" Miss Xuan couldn't hold back any longer. She suddenly transformed into her original form, her black cat body turning into a black blade as she pounced directly at Bai Xiuming.
Bai Xiuming leaned back to dodge the lunging Xuan girl, then turned and kicked her.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them were locked in combat.
Miss Xuan was unable to gain the upper hand against Bai Xiuming. As a powerful demon, she was naturally extremely strong when she used her cultivation to suppress others, but the fact that the person in front of her was of the same level as her revealed her weakness.
As a cat demon, her advantage lies in speed, not strength.
Unfortunately, Bai Xiuming's movement skills were only slightly inferior to hers, and his punches were incredibly fierce, making her dare not be careless in the slightest, for fear of being seriously injured by a single punch.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the King of Xiling was still watching from the side. Miss Xuan was furious and shouted, "Hurry up and help! If he doesn't die today, it will be the two of us who die!"
The King of Xiling finally joined the battle, and the father and son faced off for the first time.
Caught between the King of Xiling and Miss Xuan, Bai Xiuming did not confront them head-on. He redirected the palm strike from the King of Xiling to the side. The powerful palm strike failed to harm him, but destroyed a large part of the King of Xiling's mansion.
At the same time, it also woke up everyone in the Prince's mansion.
Bai Yichen, who had not yet rested, was startled when he heard several explosions. He only had time to put on his boots and ran out of the courtyard without even putting on his outer coat.
When he arrived at the main courtyard, panting heavily, his brothers had already rushed over after hearing the noise. They didn't know what had happened and dared not enter the main courtyard. They could only see three figures flashing and intersecting in the air, and the collapsed pavilions and towers that were occasionally affected by the aftershocks of the three figures' battle.
Suddenly, one of the dark figures, which seemed to have many tails, was kicked away and fell heavily to the ground.
While Bai Xiuming was dealing with Miss Xuan, the King of Xiling's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He struck Bai Xiuming's chest with a palm, but Bai Xiuming dodged it by turning his body to the side, only injuring his shoulder.
Bai Xiuming then kicked Xiling Wang in the abdomen, and the two entangled figures briefly separated in mid-air.
Catching his breath, the King of Xiling suddenly spoke: "You returned to Xiling to seek revenge against me?"
"Doesn't the King of Xiling know this perfectly well?" Bai Xiuming turned his neck, his gaze never leaving the King of Xiling.
The fact that the two were able to coexist peacefully in the Prince's mansion before was merely a deliberate cover-up by both sides; how could the events that had occurred be forgotten?
He did not forget, and I believe the King of Xiling did not forget either.
"You resent me because of your mother's death?"
Bai Xiuming remained silent, but the intense killing intent emanating from his body told the other party the answer.
Do you know why I must kill her?
"So you finally admit that you killed her?"
"Hahaha." The King of Xiling laughed loudly, then suddenly stopped, and said in a sinister tone, "Bai Xiuming, do you want to know where your mother's remains are?"
Bai Xiuming's face turned cold, and he gritted his teeth, saying each word clearly: "Her remains aren't in the grave?"
“Of course she’s not here.” While speaking to Bai Xiuming, the King of Xiling caught a glimpse of Miss Xuan baring her teeth, ready to strike.
Bai Xiuming seemed to have forgotten that there was a Miss Xuan behind him, and all his attention was focused on what the King of Xiling said.
He asked, "Where is she?"
"After you die, go down and ask her." The King of Xiling revealed a strange smile. Miss Xuan was most skilled in assassination. At such close range, Bai Xiuming couldn't dodge.
Bai Xiuming sensed the attack from behind, but remained standing still.
The next instant, a burly figure descended from the sky, landing precisely on Miss Xuan's back. With a crisp crack, the figure landed, and Miss Xuan was also trampled to the ground, letting out a shrill scream.
The man picked at his ear with his little finger, then stomped his foot impatiently, and it seemed that another bone in the cat demon had broken.
Since gaining the princess's favor and advancing to the fourth realm, Miss Xuan has not experienced this feeling of powerlessness for many years.
She heard the person above her say impatiently, "What are you yelling about? It's so noisy."
Upon seeing who it was, the King of Xiling's face turned extremely ugly, and he gritted his teeth and uttered two words: "Qin Heng".
Qin Heng, who should have been in the capital, appeared in Xiling without a trace. Of all the officials in the Mingjing Division, besides the Ming King, Qin Heng was the one he feared most, so he kept a close eye on him, fearing that this man might come to Xiling unnoticed.
"It is indeed I, the King of Xiling." Qin Heng raised his head and grinned at the King of Xiling standing in the air. "King of Xiling, how have you been? I heard that you were very interested in my whereabouts. You must be very happy to see me now, right?"
"Are the rumors that you've always disliked Bai Xiuming all false? Have you been putting on an act to deceive me?"
The King of Xiling clearly remembered that his subordinates reported that Qin Heng and Bai Xiuming had a bad relationship. After Bai Xiuming was suspended from his post for offending him, Qin Heng stayed in the Mingjing Division and never left.
In retrospect, it was all a smokescreen specifically designed for him.
Qin Heng scratched his chin: "How could I be lying to you? Of course we don't get along. Back when he was learning martial arts under me, I beat him black and blue every day. He's so vengeful, it would be strange if we got along well."
The King of Xiling gritted his teeth. Bai Xiuming was actually personally trained by Qin Heng. Why had no one ever mentioned this before?
Just as Qin Heng was patiently explaining things to the Prince of Xiling, hundreds of Mingjing Guards stormed into the Prince's residence, their torches illuminating the entire place.
All the guards of the Prince's Palace who resisted were executed, and screams of agony filled the air. The guards of the Mingjing Division did not utter a single word of persuasion to surrender.
Amidst the guards' screams, the Prince of Xiling's expression twisted into a ferocious grimace: "Qin Heng, as the Commander of the Mingjing Division, how dare you forcibly enter my residence without imperial decree and unjustly kill my personal guards? Does the Emperor know of this?"
Qin Heng sneered: "All I know is that the King of Xiling colluded with the demon race and plotted a rebellion. I have the right to execute him first and report later. King of Xiling, if you want to live, you'd better surrender."
"Nonsense! You are clearly trying to smear me!"
Although the King of Xiling appeared tough on the surface, he had already begun to consider retreating.
Qin Heng had been at the peak of the fourth realm for many years, otherwise he wouldn't be so wary. Even Miss Xuan was no match for him, and although he didn't want to admit it, he didn't dare to fight her head-on.
Not to mention, besides Qin Heng, there's also that wretched Bai Xiuming.
The throne may be tempting, but survival is more important.
With his cultivation level, he could still live a carefree life even after leaving the Great Xia Dynasty, so why should he be attached to this place?
Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he attacked Bai Xiuming as if his life depended on it.
When Bai Xiuming struck him with his palm, the King of Xiling used the force to retreat rapidly, attempting to escape.
The King of Xiling has devoted himself entirely to cultivation over the years, but talent is such an unfair thing.
Even with external assistance, his cultivation speed only increased; he didn't break through any bottlenecks. He still had absolutely no talent in martial arts.
He had pushed his movement technique to its limit, but before he could escape very far, he saw Bai Xiuming's figure appear in front of him.
Turning around, he saw Qin Heng standing not far behind him.
The Prince of Xiling looked grim. He heard Qin Heng say, "You only have one chance. If you take another step forward, don't blame me for not giving you another chance."
After a long standoff with the two, the King of Xiling finally said with a dejected expression, "You win."
The Prince of Xiling was brought back. After the three of them landed, the guards of the Mingjing Division rushed forward and put the shackles that had been prepared in advance on him.
Qin Heng glanced at Bai Xiuming, who hadn't spoken, and knowing that he and the King of Xiling still had things to say, he stepped aside to give the two some space.
"Why did you kill my mother?" Bai Xiuming asked.
"Naturally, it's because I despise her, but she's oblivious to that and refuses to relinquish her position as queen. In that case, I have no choice but to send her to her death." The King of Xiling spoke casually; of course, he couldn't reveal the truth about the Endless Bones.
Where are her remains?
"She has long been reduced to ashes by me, so there are no remains left."
Before the King of Xiling could finish speaking, Bai Xiuming kicked him to the ground, bent down, grabbed his hair, and slammed his head against the steps repeatedly.
"I'll ask you one more time, where are my mother's remains?"
The cultivators of the Fourth Realm were tough enough that even after the steps were shattered, they only bled a little. The blood on the Western Mausoleum King's forehead streamed down his face, obscuring his vision.
This move, though not particularly powerful, was extremely humiliating to the King of Xiling.
The King of Xiling suddenly remembered that many years ago, after the Queen died, Bai Xiuming came to fight him with a dagger. He stabbed Bai Xiuming with the dagger, then had the guards hold him down and make him kowtow repeatedly in that spot until he passed out.
He was filled with deep regret. Why hadn't he killed that little beast with that one stab?
"Speak!" Bai Xiuming shouted.
The King of Xiling blinked: "Even if I grind you to dust, you'll still get the same answer if I ask you a hundred times."
Bai Xiuming beckoned behind him: "Knife."
His tone sounded calm, but his gaze toward the King of Xiling was filled with intense killing intent.
Upon hearing his words, Shen Zhuo, who had just walked in, casually drew his sword and threw it at him: "Catch."
Qin Heng snapped out of his daze, slapped Shen Zhuo on the head, and said angrily, "You really love making things worse! Who told you to give him the knife?"
Shen Zhuo rubbed his head, which had been slapped, and asked in a puzzled tone, "What's wrong with giving him a knife?"
Qin Heng glared at him disdainfully: "Idiot."
Shen Zhuo rolled his eyes, which is why he hated going back to the capital to report on his duties. Every time he saw Lao Qin, he would be scolded for no reason, and he couldn't beat him.
Bai Xiuming gripped the knife and, without hesitation, stabbed it into the back of the King of Xiling.
Judging from the angle, the tip of the knife was clearly aimed at the heart.
However, before the knife could pierce the body of the King of Xiling, the blade shattered.
Bai Xiuming turned his head, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Qin Heng, his gaze filled with murderous intent.
Qin Heng was not intimidated at all. Instead, he glared back and said, "What are you looking at? You can do anything on your father's orders, except kill the Prince of Xiling."
Bai Xiuming gripped the bare hilt of the knife, his body radiating murderous intent, his chest heaving violently several times, but ultimately he did not continue to attack.
Seeing that Bai Xiuming did not make a move, the King of Xiling, as if he had been granted a pardon, said with malice in his tone, "A disloyal and unfilial beast like you, I should not have let you live in the first place."
Bai Xiuming threw down the hilt of his knife, looked down at the man kneeling on the ground, and asked him once again, "Where are my mother's remains?"
"You'll never know!" The King of Xiling hated Bai Xiuming to the core.
This wretched creature actually wants his life, and even wants to find out from him where the woman's remains are? He's dreaming!
Bai Xiuming stared at him for a long time before suddenly saying, "Bring the family of the King of Xiling here."
What do you want to do?
"The Prince of Xiling is probably unaware of my usual style. I'll show you."
As they were speaking, the guards of the Mingjing Division had already brought the person in.
Bai Yichen walked at the front, looking disheveled and completely unlike his usual dashing self.
Upon seeing Bai Xiuming, his pupils contracted, revealing an expression of disbelief.
"Bai Xiuming, it's you..."
Before he could finish speaking, the guards from the Mingjing Division who were holding him kicked him in the back of the knee, and he fell to his knees with a thud, feeling a sharp pain in his knee.
The guard from the Mingjing Division said coldly, "You have no right to speak in front of Lord Bai. If you dare to open your mouth again, I will cut out your tongue."
Bai Yichen immediately shut his mouth and dared not say another word.
Seeing his father in shackles, just like him, Bai Yichen knew that his chances of survival were slim, and he felt uneasy, wondering what these people were up to.
The four sons and two daughters of the King of Xiling knelt in a row, and then the Queen Consort of Xiling and the concubines and mistresses in the palace were also brought out.
Seeing this, the King of Xiling remained unmoved, and even sneered: "Bai Xiuming, you don't actually think you can threaten me with their lives, do you?"
Bai Xiuming remained silent, and did not even look at his so-called brothers and sisters.
In front of these people, he grabbed the Prince of Xiling by the collar and dragged him in front of Bai Yichen, the Princess of Xiling, and the others.
These people had never seen the high and mighty King of Xiling in such a disheveled state, and for a moment they did not know how to react.
Bai Xiuming leaned down and asked again, "You still don't want to talk about it?"
The King of Xiling turned his head, his expression very firm.
Then, Bai Xiuming suddenly made a move, placing his palm on the abdomen of the King of Xiling, and a powerful surge of internal energy rushed directly into his dantian.
King Xiling felt his dantian being gradually crushed by the external internal energy until it was completely destroyed.
The King of Xiling screamed in agony, his face contorted in pain, his eyes bulging and bloodshot.
In an instant, he looked as if he had aged twenty years. His once jet-black hair had turned completely white, like withered grass, and his smooth face was now covered with wrinkles.
His dantian was destroyed, and his cultivation was completely lost overnight.
The shackles on his body suddenly became extremely heavy, pressing down on him so that he could not straighten up.
Bai Xiuming withdrew his hand, slowly stood up, glanced at the people kneeling on the ground, and asked in a calm tone, "Does any of you know where my mother's remains are?"
His gaze swept over the crowd, and they shrank back, none daring to raise their heads.
What they had just witnessed had a tremendous impact on them.
“If no one knows, then you will all have to go and keep the King of Xiling company.”
Suddenly, a woman in her thirties kneeling behind them spoke up: "Lord Bai, I might, I might know a little."
Bai Xiuming looked at that face and still vaguely remembered it.
He remembered that this woman had once been a dancer given to the King of Xiling by someone else, but she was very young at the time and had been favored for a period of time.
"explain."
"After the late Princess Consort passed away, the Prince suddenly demolished and rebuilt the Zhaixing Pavilion in the Prince's Mansion. I suspect it may be related to the late Princess Consort."
Is there anything else?
"And, the Princess Consort also knows about this. Once, on the anniversary of the late Princess Consort's death, the Princess Consort did not go. Later, I overheard her telling the nanny who served her that the late Princess Consort's remains were not in the grave at all. She was rejected by the Prince, and her remains were suppressed long ago, probably never to be reincarnated."
“Princess Consort of Xiling, you speak.” Bai Xiuming’s gaze shifted to Princess Consort of Xiling.
"I have never said such a thing." Although the Princess of Xiling was forced to kneel on the ground, her back remained straight.
"The Princess Consort doesn't know?"
"have no idea."
Bai Xiuming nodded and ordered the Mingjing Guard standing behind Bai Yichen, "Chop off one of his hands."
"How dare you! My father is the Minister of War! You cannot lay a hand on my son before the court has rendered a judgment." Now that her husband has been convicted and the throne is in jeopardy, the Princess of Xiling can only rely on her father.
She believed that as long as her father was still in court, he would protect her.
At the sharp rebuke of the Princess of Xiling, the Mingjing Guard beside Bai Yichen raised his knife and brought it down. No one else had a chance to stop him, and Bai Yichen's screams of pain rang out.
Bai Xiuming's voice remained completely flat: "I'll ask you one more time, do you know?"
Princess Xiling was deathly pale, her face streaked with tears, too terrified to speak.
"Chop off another one."
"No!" Princess Xiling screamed. "I know, right below the Star-Picking Tower, the Prince built an underground palace in the palace, and the entrance is right in the Star-Picking Tower."
Bai Xiuming turned around and looked at the King of Xiling as if he were a dead man: "See, isn't this easy?"
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