Chapter 542 He is a legend, the mythical cauldron of fire (Seeking monthly votes!)
Rongzhen rushed back to the Xingzihu construction site from Xunyang Tower.
As we approached the construction site, we could see the chaotic scene ahead.
She suddenly slowed her pace, pursed her lips, and walked away with a serious expression.
We're already too late.
The orange-red sachet that Rongzhen had worn around her waist and the IOU in her hand when she lingered outside Xunyang Tower have disappeared.
Having just sensed something amiss at Xingzifang, she immediately turned back, and her plan to ask him for the poem had to be postponed.
Rongzhen stepped into the construction site, passing through the chaotic scene of a leaderless group, and arrived in front of the Buddha statue.
Or, in front of the ruins of the collapsed Buddha statue.
From the moment I noticed the collapse of the Xingzifang Buddha statue in Xunyangfang, one word immediately came to mind.
The sky has fallen.
Indeed, the sky has fallen, and it's not just the sky over Jiangzhou and the officialdom of Jiangnan. The entire court and the country will be shaken.
Even though she had prepared herself mentally, Rong Zhen's pupils still contracted sharply when she witnessed the deaths of Lin Cheng, Wei Shaoqi, Wang Lengran, and Shen Bingqiang.
Take a deep breath and look away.
The gruesome scene made her feel nauseous.
Rong Zhen's face turned ugly.
He publicly executed several high-ranking officials, including the third son of the Prince of Wei, the Summer Official of the Imperial Observatory, and the Right Supervisor of Construction in Jiangnan appointed by His Majesty.
Even though Rong Zhen also loathed and disliked these three people, this action was a slap in the face to Her Majesty the Empress and the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Its nature was extremely serious, possibly second only to the southwestern rebellion led by Li Zhengyan and others.
However, it is not yet certain whether it was done by rebels like Li Zhengyan, other forces in the Tiannan Jianghu who oppose the Buddha, or a combination of both.
"Take her away. Don't move anything at the scene. Take control of everyone here. Issue my order: from this moment on, no one is allowed to step out of Xingzifang!"
Rongzhen suddenly turned her head and sternly ordered the female officials who were standing by.
The female official from the Control Yuan immediately stepped forward and helped Pei Shisan Niang, who was screaming, crying, and emotionally distraught, away.
A group of female officials surrounded the ruins of the collapsed Buddha statue, the scene of the tragic deaths of Lin, Wei, and the other three.
"Lady Rong..."
Soon, Qin Yanqing also led a dozen elite black-armored soldiers from the front lines, walking over with solemn expressions.
He arrived immediately after the Buddha statue collapsed and rallied his troops to bring order to the chaos at the Xingzi Lake construction site.
Right now, he has received Rong Zhen's order and is preparing to lead his men away from the construction site to cooperate with the female officials of the Supervisory Yuan to take over and seal off the entire Xingzifang.
"Chief Secretary Qin arrived early. What have you discovered? Are there any suspects among the murderers? How did the killer sneak in, and how did they commit the murder? Could it be the Yue Maiden from Yunmeng...?"
Qin Yanqing shook his head and looked back at the hundreds of workers and officials who had been temporarily controlled and appeased in the open space behind him.
"Ms. Rong, you should do it yourself and listen carefully to the witnesses' eyewitness accounts."
Rong Zhen frowned in confusion, watching Qin Yanqing's retreating figure. She stepped forward and began questioning the witnesses.
Although the disaster caused great chaos, the only deaths at the Xingzifang construction site so far are Lin Cheng, Wei Shaoqi, Wang Lengran, and Shen Bingqiang, along with a group of Xianbei guards. Thanks to the fact that the workers around the Buddha statue had been dismissed from the construction site beforehand, only a few people were injured by the aftershocks of the collapsed Buddha and the fire.
The headless Buddha statue has collapsed, but fortunately, the precious Buddha head did not fall down.
Previously, Lin Cheng and others had taken a series of preventative measures to prevent the cattle and horses from being disturbed, which could cause the winch pulley to become unstable and slip, thus smashing the Buddha statue to pieces. These measures included covering the eyes of the cattle and horses with cloth strips.
Right now, it's come in handy.
However, the Buddha's head is also damaged, and it is currently unknown whether it is still safe.
After questioning the eyewitnesses, Rongzhen's puzzled expression vanished, replaced by a variety of expressions... In the end, only a pair of tightly furrowed brows remained.
"Cheng'er!"
Just as Rong Zhen remained silent, a white shadow shot in from not far away, accompanied by a sharp, angry voice.
Rongzhen turned her head and saw that Granny Song had appeared in front of Lin Cheng's headless corpse, which had been shattered in his dantian, looking at her beloved disciple's remains with a face full of grief and indignation.
She held a palace lantern in one hand, and with the other hand, she gripped a piece of broken jade that had been intact not long ago, as tightly as an eagle's claw.
Granny Song held a palace lantern in her hand, which was somewhat dim, perhaps because she had just fought with the Yue woman.
Rongzhen remained silent, temporarily dismissed the female official, and walked away alone.
Upon arriving beside her beloved disciple, the white-eyed old woman fell silent. Her hunched figure was turned away from her, and her expression was obscured. The white-eyed old woman was bending over, picking up one bead at a time from a string of Buddhist prayer beads bestowed upon her by His Majesty.
The more silent it is, the more oppressive it is.
"Please accept my deepest condolences, senior..."
"Who is it!"
The old woman with the white eyes suddenly turned her head, her fish-belly-like whites seemingly burning with fire:
"Whoever dares to attack Cheng'er and Prince Wei will pay with their blood!"
Granny Song noticed that Rongzhen's expression remained unchanged, her face still very solemn, as she spoke, word by word:
"The master of Butterfly Love Flower, it's that same cauldron sword again, and this time... it seems even worse."
"What's the meaning?"
Granny Song looked completely bewildered and bombarded her with questions:
"How is the master of Butterfly Love Flower still alive? Wasn't he dead? Even if he's not dead, with that old fellow surnamed Yu playing the zither, how come there are still enemy Qi cultivators in Xingzifang today?"
"I don't know."
Rong Zhen shook her head, a look of disbelief in her eyes:
"Everyone witnessed that cauldron sword. It's unmistakable that the murderer was the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower."
"What's worse is that this cauldron sword... is on fire today."
"Fire? What fire? Explain clearly." Granny Song asked, frowning.
Rongzhen turned to look back at the collapsed Buddha statue, her tone wistful: "The cauldron and sword are burning."
Granny Song suddenly fell silent.
His eyes began to darken and become unreadable, and he spoke with extreme emphasis:
"A cauldron...fire? They're not mistaken?"
Rong Zhen nodded silently, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly:
"This fire is the same color as the sword aura of this cauldron sword, like the blue of a clear sky. There is no such strange fire in the world. It is undoubtedly the legendary cauldron fire."
Granny Song immediately fell silent.
Only a legendary swordsman can wield the cauldron sword and generate cauldron fire.
This is also one of the symbols of the birth of legendary swordsmen throughout history.
As a mythical, rare lineage, the Swordholder is a very uncommon individual.
Legendary swordsmen are even rarer, with only a handful truly recorded in history.
Moreover, all the legendary swordsmen possessed extraordinary talent.
The sword technique that can create the corresponding cauldron sword can unlock the first-grade upper limit of this mythical meridian.
Because each realm after the severance of meridians requires a new sword technique to unlock.
Moreover, the legendary swordsman, having created a new sword technique, is the most suitable person for this cauldron sword, enabling him to unleash its maximum potential.
The path of Qi cultivators involves nine mythical lineages, and each "founder of a sect" is blessed with immense fortune.
The same is true for legendary swordsmen.
The cauldron fire was a reward bestowed upon him by some unknown mythical source.
Originally, the ding was a cooking vessel in ancient times. Later, it evolved into a ritual vessel, guarding the nine provinces and used to pass on the country. When the country was destroyed, the ding was moved.
Today, each of these bronze tripods has been forged into swords, sparking numerous battles for their use since the pre-Qin period, and turning them into weapons of war.
Therefore, some people in the martial arts world have always speculated that the Cauldron Fire is a return to simplicity, a kind of primal ancient memory inherited from the very core of the Cauldron Sword...
As for its use, no one knows, because there are very few sword wielders, let alone legendary sword wielders. No one publicizes it, and this secret knowledge is not circulated on the mountain at all. Even if people know it, it is the most confidential matter in some large mountain forces and hidden sects that have produced legendary sword wielders.
In any case, the Imperial Observatory of the Great Gan and Great Zhou dynasties, which were established at the beginning of the Gan dynasty, definitely did not exist.
"impossible!"
Granny Song angrily said, "What merit does this little thief have to become a legendary sword master! It's fake, it's unorthodox and evil magic! This is not the Cauldron Fire."
Rongzhen remained silent.
Her eyes held a complex expression. Even though she deeply hated this person, upon learning of the appearance of the Cauldron Fire, she could only be shocked and silent, even... accepting this fact with a numb expression.
Rongzhen suddenly began to doubt her past attitude towards him. Could this legendary swordsman, who was known throughout history for his great courage and determination, really be a lecherous thief who loved to steal women's undergarments?
"The growth rate of the master of Butterfly Love Flower is faster than we expected. This time he must have summarized a sword technique. The emergence of a new sword technique for the Cauldron Sword has ignited the Cauldron Fire. According to past experience, this child... is going to become a great force."
"Damn it! Find that Yu fellow, borrow his zither music, and search Xingzifang again! I don't care if he's a legendary swordsman or if he can transform from blue to purple and become a Purple Qi Grandmaster in one step. If I find him, I will kill him!"
Suddenly, Granny Song screamed.
...
evening.
Inside Xingzifang, the sound of a zither lingered for an entire afternoon.
As the female officials and soldiers from the Xingzi Lake construction site to the outermost edge of Xingzifang returned with expressions of disappointment, the music slowly faded away.
Still, nothing was gained.
The old musician, as if clocking out, was dragged from Xunyang Tower by Miss Song and played the zither for another afternoon without getting annoyed.
The old musician left work on time, gave a nod to Miss Song, and seeing that she didn't object, he turned and left to have dinner, despite her unpleasant expression.
The main character is someone who is oblivious to everything else and only focuses on completing the task.
Granny Song and Rongzhen both had solemn expressions.
After searching all afternoon, there were still no clues.
Indeed, there were no other Qi cultivators left in the entire Xingzifang area.
An old man and a young girl, two women turning around.
Behind them, beside the ruins of a Buddha statue.
Xunyang Prince Li Xian, Jiangzhou Prefect Li Dalang, Jiangzhou Chief Administrator Yuan Huaimin, Central Army Chief Administrator Qin Yanqing, and other Jiangzhou officials such as Yan Liulang and Chen You, all those in charge, were present.
The atmosphere was somewhat silent.
As representatives of the Imperial Observatory and confidantes of the Empress, Song Mama and Rong Zhen have temporarily taken over the entire Xunyang City.
At Song Mama's insistence, the city remains under a state of special alert.
Li Xian, Li Dalang, and Yan Liulang were summoned from the Juhua Poetry Society.
Xie Lingjiang helped a certain Jiangzhou Sima upstairs to rest.
Li Xian glanced around, then spoke first, his tone authoritative:
"It's getting dark, and keeping the city under lockdown isn't a solution, especially in Xingzifang. We can't let people's livelihoods be disrupted. Many people still have to work during the day, and making a living isn't easy..."
Yuan Huaimin also spoke up: "There are still hundreds of laborers waiting on the construction site. May I ask, ladies, what are your plans after you have finished your inspections...?"
Chief Secretary Qin also spoke:
"We need someone to take charge now. Marshal Qin is too far away at the front."
Rong Zhen suddenly spoke up: "Does anyone have any opinions?"
Xunyang Prince Li Xian, Yuan Huaimin, and Chief Secretary Qin exchanged glances.
Qin Changshi suddenly spoke up: "This humble general recommends Ouyang Lianghan, the Sima of Jiangzhou. Speaking of which, before I secretly set off to lead the troops to Xunyang City, the old marshal specifically instructed me that if I encountered any problems in Xunyang City, I could consult Lianghan. Now, in the city, only he is both respected by the people and capable of overseeing the overall situation."
Li Xian, Li Dalang, Yuan Huaimin, Yan Liulang, Chen You, and others nodded in agreement: "The Grand Marshal is right."
Almost all officials agreed to the proposal, putting pressure on the female officials of the Imperial Observatory who advocated continuing the city lockdown to investigate the case, akin to a coup.
Rongzhen remained silent, while Granny Song frowned and spoke up:
"What is a mere Sima doing here? Daring to offend His Majesty, he is committing treason. It is already merciful that he has not been sentenced to death. We must not entrust the decision-making power of Xunyang City to someone with such a criminal record. By the way, are all of you grown men really this useless?"
Everyone looked down, seemingly lost in thought, and no one answered.
Chen You muttered under her breath, "If Chief Secretary Ouyang doesn't go, who will? You go? Are you sure you can handle it..."
It was clearly a murmur, but everyone heard it. Moreover, the seemingly slip of the tongue when he said "Chief Secretary," Yuan Huaimin, the current Chief Secretary, showed no dissatisfaction. Instead, he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice and muttered, "Indeed, Lianghan needs to come."
Song Mama's already bad complexion immediately darkened.
"What did you say? Say it again!"
Li Xian stepped forward and spoke gently:
"Vice Supervisor Song is magnanimous; please don't stoop to the level of those below you."
"However, I think that if the Empress were here, she might have made the same choice. The Empress does acknowledge Ouyang Lianghan's abilities."
“Deputy Supervisor Song, I understand your grief over the loss of your beloved disciple, but the important matter at hand is the priority. Ouyang Lianghan has remained completely uninvolved in the Xingzifang statue project and has not provoked your disciple or you at all. It would be inappropriate to take your anger out on him again.”
Granny Song was a little breathless: "I did not bend the law for personal gain..."
"Alright. The whole city is under martial law right now, which is a special circumstance. What does it matter if he takes the post of Sima? Since everyone recommends him, let's invite him first. Senior Song, what do you think?"
Rong Zhen, who was standing to the side, interrupted the argument between the two sides, offered a suggestion, paused, and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, added:
"It's just a temporary measure to deal with the chaos. We'll wait for the court to make new arrangements later. Besides, with his expertise in government affairs, it will be easier for us to investigate the case."
Everyone quickly nodded in agreement. Although Rong Zhen didn't say anything good about Ouyang Rong, her question was already a statement of her opinion. Seeing this, Granny Song had no choice but to suppress her feelings and reluctantly nodded.
Yuan Huaimin timidly raised his hand: "Wait, something's wrong."
Rongzhen, who was about to make a decision, paused: "What is it? Speak."
"Leaving this mess behind, what if Brother Lianghan... what if he doesn't come?"
Everyone was speechless. Rongzhen pursed her lips, and Song Mama's nostrils trembled.
(End of this chapter)
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