Chapter 155 The New Dynasty [The End]
That cry of "Master" felt like a lifetime ago, allowing Zhen Su to regain a sliver of consciousness amidst the excruciating pain.
But he knew all too well that his disciple was long gone.
"What trick are you playing now?!" Rising anger even briefly suppressed Shinju's pain, and he couldn't help but ask Yilian in a harsh voice.
Yi Lian was speechless and pale, only looking up at the strange phenomenon in the sky with a sad expression.
The silver moon, which had been taken away by the Qiankun Law, now hangs high in the night sky once more. A silent black storm swept away the dark clouds, and the Black Prison Yin Soul that the Phoenix Feather Demon Lord had been unable to absorb suddenly shed its "outer garment" and revealed its true form, as if peeling away layers of a cocoon.
The man, dressed in a moon-white robe, possessed the elegant demeanor of a gentleman, and walked towards Shinju with each step like a lotus flower.
At the same time, a light drizzle of silver light fell upon Shinjuku, isolating him from the black lightning.
After catching his breath with a cup of tea, Shinju realized that the "Master" he had just heard was not a hallucination, nor was it a trick by Yilian.
Shinjuku stared blankly at the newcomer, at the face that was exactly the same as his disciple in his memory, even more clearly defined, but with a chilling judgment tattooed on his face, and even his eyes were not spared, with the black and white of his eyes in a dense array.
If the jailers of the underworld were here, they would recognize that this is the Lord of the Black Prison, whom they have been searching for in vain.
Shinjuku knew nothing of this, and stammered in disbelief, "...Kigen?"
Yin Qiyuan smiled upon hearing this and nodded slightly, "Master."
Yi Lian, who was standing to the side, initially found it absurd, but now, seeing the master and disciple reunited and completely ignoring her, she found it extremely irritating.
Although he didn't know what had happened to his disciple to make him look so creepy, it wasn't a good time to catch up. So, Shinju decisively stepped forward and stood between Yin Qiyuan and Yilian.
Unexpectedly, Yin Qiyuan raised his hand and used a small boat to send Zhen Su dozens of miles away. Without turning his head, he said, "Please, Master, do not interfere."
It was only then that Shinju realized that his disciple was unaware of the heinous things that Yi Rengan had done, and he wholeheartedly believed that his disciple was trying to protect the other party.
However, Yin Qiyuan made a move without hesitation, immediately dispelling Masakuni's worries.
Yi Lian's face turned deathly pale. She never imagined that such a day would come. Her once most beloved Daoist partner would turn against her. The tricks she had made in the secret realm back then were very discreet, leaving at most only traces of the old demon. He couldn't possibly know who had harmed him. How dare he treat her like this?!
Two figures, one tall and one short, one refined and the other ferocious, appeared in crescent-white light. The answer to who was the clumsy imitator became clear.
Yin Qiyuan was ruthless, each move deadly. Yi Lian was furious and said hatefully, "Fine...very well, Yin Qiyuan, how dare you...good!"
The enormous drop in altitude truly enraged Yi Lian, who summoned thousands of black lightning bolts that crashed down from the sky like several cities simultaneously. With a deafening roar, the lightning was both fast and ruthless, and its destructive range was so great that even Zhen Su, who had been sent far away from the battlefield, was injured by the blast.
He dared not imagine what would become of his apprentice, who was in the center of the battlefield.
But when the blinding light faded, those two crescent-white figures still stood tall and firm.
Yi Lian stared wide-eyed at Yin Qiyuan, whose hair was only slightly disheveled.
No one could survive his Thunder Lotus Pond, never...
What kind of fortuitous encounter did Yin Qiyuan obtain?! Although no cultivation level could be detected on him, it was absolutely impossible for his cultivation to be higher than mine. This was because whether breaking through to the Mahayana stage or the Tribulation Transcending stage, the thunder tribulation was so powerful that once progress was made, it was impossible for no one to know.
Yin Qiyuan gave Yi Lian no time to think things through, unleashing a barrage of bizarre and unpredictable attacks.
After narrowly escaping death several times, Yi Lian now felt a great sense of crisis. In her haste and panic, she immediately set her sights on Zhen Su and used a teleportation technique to fly in front of him.
Shinjuku has been waiting for him for a long time. Since he came to him, it's no wonder he took action.
Therefore, Zhen Su gave Yin Qiyuan a look, and the next moment he unleashed all his spiritual energy, pouring out all his reserves to deliver the ultimate, earth-shattering blow.
This strike aimed straight at Yi Lian's vital point was so fast that even Yi Lian, who was at the Mahayana stage, couldn't react in time. Without a doubt, if Yi Lian's soul wasn't taken away, he wouldn't have any chance of retaining a human form. Not even a tiny bit of flesh would be left behind; death was the only outcome from all directions!
However, Shinjuku never imagined that his good disciple would shield him from his fatal blow, taking the full force of the attack for Yoruichi.
"!!!" Upon seeing this, Mayu's knees buckled, and he rushed forward to lift the person down.
But when he reached for Yin Qiyuan's body, he only caught a few specks of silver light.
"You, why..." Shinjuku, who had intended to say something harsh, looked at his disciple's face, which was gradually blurring and dissipating, and burst into tears, speechless.
"I'm sorry, Master. That person has caused you such harm. It's all my fault. Please forgive me... Please forgive me, Master?" Yin Qiyuan forced a smile and tried to raise his hand to wipe away the tears streaming down Zhen Su's face, but the tears passed through his increasingly transparent, silvery palm.
Zhen Su was furious. He thought to himself, how could this be considered his disciple's fault! Yi Lian was born a bad seed. If he had been discerning back then and hadn't approved of his disciple taking on another disciple, none of this would have happened. So many people wouldn't have died in vain. If there was a mistake, it was his mistake, not the mistake of his disciple who was wholeheartedly kind to Yi Lian.
"..." Yi Lian's face twisted in disbelief. He could have laughed at this person for being so foolish, still trying to save him even in this dire situation, truly utterly naive... But Yi Lian couldn't bring himself to laugh.
Between people, there is only self-interest. When he first embarked on the path of cultivation, he encountered danger in Snake Valley. His master rescued his senior brother first, and only came to rescue him several hours later. From that moment on, he knew that no one could be trusted, and only his own strength was real.
He has kept this belief in mind for so many years.
But this person is always an exception.
Those eyes were always so gentle, so clear that they seemed to see right through all the filth in one's heart.
He didn't want to be stared at by those eyes, but he didn't want those eyes to stare at others either.
Yi Lian trembled as she recalled what she had done to Yin Qiyuan back then.
Because Yin Qiyuan had been ambushed by the enemy sect, his breakthrough was hindered, and his lifespan was also shortened. His time was running out, and if he did not break through again, he would only be able to pass away. So Yin Qiyuan went to Jiqing to make his final arrangements and asked Jiqing to take care of him. Once the old demon and Jiqing learned of this, Yin Qiyuan's death was already sealed.
That person was already dying, wasn't he? I only gave him a push, so what difference did the result make?
Even at this moment, Yi Lian still subconsciously tried to excuse herself.
But Yin Qiyuan's resolute back and the figure protecting him just now seemed to be deeply imprinted in his pupils and in his mind, and he could not shake it off no matter what.
Seeing that the silver light on Yin Qiyuan's body was about to dissipate, Yi Lian reached out her hand in vain, then realized that something was wrong with her and hurriedly tried to withdraw her hand.
But at that very moment, a nearly transparent hand suddenly grabbed his hand, then condensed a massive amount of black energy, like a vortex, rapidly contracting and then expanding again, until it swallowed Yi Lian entirely. In just a breath, the two crescent-white figures completely vanished from the air, not even a trace of silver light remained.
The soul lamp that belonged exclusively to Yi Lian, far away at Qingxuan Gate, went out.
Shinjuku stared blankly at the empty, dark space before him, devoid of any warmth. After a long while, he realized something and suddenly slammed his fist into the ground.
On the vast, desolate land, only one lonely figure remained.
Trembling, Oni-Gin hid in Shinjuku's sleeve. Noticing that there was no movement outside for a while, only faint gasps, he transformed into a ribbon and quietly peeked out.
"Is it over, Master?" Guiyin asked.
Shinjuku didn't respond, and only then did Oni-Gin realize that Shinjuku was silently shedding tears. He hurriedly picked up one end of the ribbon and carefully wiped his tears.
The rubbing made Mayu's face a little itchy. Mayu slowly came to his senses and then nodded.
"Yes, it's over," Shinjuku replied to its earlier question.
"Is the great demon really dead?!" Guiyin asked blankly, clearly finding it hard to believe.
Shinjuku nodded slowly.
The poisoned cleaver that had been held against his neck day and night was finally removed.
Qi Yuan deliberately took the hit, using his own demise to create a deadly trap, and while the demon was momentarily stunned, he dragged him into this deadly trap where no one could escape once they entered.
Clearly, the disciple had harbored a death wish from the moment he appeared; the death aura emanating from him was impossible to conceal. Therefore, it was difficult for Shinju to miss him. However, Shinju never expected that the long-awaited reunion between master and disciple would turn into such a dramatic turn of events…
Like a fleeting moment, or a dream.
After the other party left, they left nothing behind, as if they had never been there.
Guiyin looked around, his mind somewhat blank, and hesitated before asking, "Master, where are we going next?... Back to the underground?"
However, Shinju shook his head, glanced down, decisively crushed the Yin Soldier Talisman at his waist, then raised his eyes, his expression resolute as he looked at the horizon where dawn was breaking.
"No, let's go find our brother."
Soon after, various factions discovered that more and more soul lamps were going out and their own prodigies were falling one after another. They could no longer sit still and sent their elders and sect leaders to investigate.
However, when everyone rushed over in anger, even the Blood River had dried up, and the surrounding area was like a forbidden zone of death, where it was difficult to spot a single living creature, which was truly terrifying.
The entire cultivation world was instantly thrown into chaos, like water being poured into hot oil.
The underworld was naturally not immune to the news. Not to mention the severity of the casualties in this battle, which caused an unprecedented uproar, given the level of vigilance in the Black Prison, such sensational news could not possibly have been missed.
The Black and White Impermanence questioned the City God, going beyond their rank, whether he had truly sent people to search for True Monk and King Yama.
The City God claimed he had sent someone, but his shifty eyes and perfunctory attitude enraged the White Impermanence, who caused a ruckus at the City God Temple. The Black Impermanence tried to stop him but couldn't, though his attempts to intervene didn't seem to be very effective.
Everyone thought that Bai Wuchang's act of standing up for a ghost soldier offended his superiors and would surely lead to his being thrown into the Black Prison.
However, after some time, the dilapidated City God Temple welcomed a new master. The former White Impermanence changed into an official robe and spent day and night reviewing documents and searching for people everywhere.
At first, everyone knew who he was looking for, but as time went by and fewer and fewer people knew the truth, the dashing city god was left with only an impression of being eccentric and paranoid in everyone's eyes.
The Earthly Fiends Courtyard has also undergone tremendous changes. It is said that Mr. Bai has drowned himself in the Yellow Springs. The two fox courtesans should have finally gotten their revenge and seized control of the courtyard. However, since that day, no one has seen the Big-Eared Fox and the Snow Fox in Fengdu...
.
New Dynasty.
The new emperor's ascension to the throne brought favorable weather and abundant harvests, which should have been auspicious. However, a cloud of gloom hung over the court and the common people alike.
Although the harvest was good, countless displaced people and the poor, barely clothed and starving, could be seen in the streets and alleys. While they hadn't yet resorted to cannibalism, if this continued unchecked, it probably wouldn't be long before such a thing happened.
In the capital city of Jingdu, such tragedies were not common, so officials in the court were still able to cover up the fact that everything was peaceful and made no mention of how many people were being driven out of the main city every day.
As for where all the grain went, it was transported in large quantities to the newly opened trade routes and sold to neighboring countries. The remaining grain was actually enough for the people of the new dynasty to consume themselves. However, the grain merchants had agreed to suddenly raise the price of rice all at once, causing more and more people to be unable to afford food, just like during years of famine.
"It's like they made a pact beforehand, it was just something they secretly agreed upon." Pu Xunzhi said indignantly, explaining the shady dealings to the new emperor.
He talked until his mouth was dry, but the person at the head of the table did not make a sound.
Pu Xunzhi couldn't help but ask, "Is Your Majesty in good health?"
The man on the dragon throne, clad in a yellow robe, was none other than the King of Zhen, who had just held his coronation ceremony two days prior. He tapped lightly on the handle with his slender fingers and frowned, saying, "All is well. The issue of food is not difficult to resolve; it's just that I lack capable personnel, which hinders my efforts."
Even if such a situation is temporarily rectified, it will not be of much use. The people below are completely disaffected, and imperial orders cannot leave the palace. The same drama can be repeated at any time, causing chaos in the country.
The four powerful families effectively control the government. Although the new emperor is not a complete puppet, there is a high possibility that he will be sidelined. He has not yet gained any military power.
Pu Xunzhi made several suggestions, but the Prince of Zhen remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "I want to bestow the title of Imperial Noble Consort upon the youngest daughter of the Liang family."
Pu Xunzhi was greatly alarmed, his eyes showing complete unfamiliarity with the Prince of Zhen. He stammered, finally advising, "Isn't His Majesty the one who disdains marriage alliances the most?"
The King of Zhen chuckled self-deprecatingly, “What’s the big deal? As long as I can seize control of the dragon vein as soon as possible, there’s nothing I can’t do. You know, Minister Pu, I can’t linger here too long. Qing’er is still out there, her life hanging in the balance, and that demon is utterly inhuman and very difficult to deal with…” He had taken the opportunity to fight the demon then, but he always felt that the other party was not so easy to defeat.
As the de facto Right Chancellor, how could Pu Xun not know this? Seeing the Prince of Zhen growing more and more anxious each day, his spirits deteriorating, he was also very worried. Moreover, once the Prince of Zhen made a decision, it was basically a foregone conclusion.
In the end, Pu Xunzhi stopped trying to persuade him and simply nodded earnestly, "Then I will make the arrangements: persuasion, betrothal gifts, drafting the imperial edict, ceremonial guards, wedding attire..."
King Zhen interrupted, saying, "Keep it simple."
Jingdu.
Foreign tributary missions were going through the entry procedures, with long queues waiting outside the city gates.
Among the procession was a young boy leading a strange beast with horns on its back, who still stood out conspicuously amidst the many rare and precious offerings. Various people around him tried to strike up a conversation, but unfortunately, no one could understand the language the boy spoke, so in the end, everyone gave up.
Once they were allowed to pass, the boy followed the group and slowly entered the main city.
The delegation had assumed they would go directly to the palace, but they learned that there were other important matters to attend to and that the audience would have to be postponed until the next day. So the delegation found several inns to settle their members and their belongings and tribute.
There weren't enough rooms available at the inn, and many people were tempted to share a room with the boy. However, when they turned around, they found that only the strange beast remained, shaking its head irritably and staring at them.
Meanwhile, the figure of the young man, the owner of the strange beast, had already disappeared into the streets and alleys, quickly heading towards the two sounds of arguing in the distance.
"Don't do anything foolish, Miss! Although the one above... is just a puppet, he is still royalty, and this concerns the face of the imperial family. Your elopement will implicate the entire Liang family! Miss, please think it over!!"
"But I'm not willing to accept this!! Guan Teng just made an appointment with me three days ago to come and propose marriage today! Who would have thought it would be such a coincidence... Hehe... Waaaaah."
"Miss……"
“How could I not know! If we were to elope now, it would mean that Guan Teng would have to give up everything in the Guan family… How could I bear to let him make such a sacrifice? He has always hoped to achieve something in the court…” The girl wiped away her tears and bit her lip, “I know that things in life are sometimes so unpredictable. Don’t worry, I will go to the palace. Let me have some peace and quiet here for now.”
Having said that, the girl waved the maid away and sat alone in the pavilion by the bridge, feeling sad and heartbroken.
A moment later, a boy flipped down from the top of the pavilion and suddenly appeared in front of the girl.
Such abrupt and outrageous behavior startled the girl for a moment, and she was about to shout for help.
The boy pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, and then his alluring lips uttered seductive words: "I have a plan that can allow you to be with the one you love, and also ensure the safety of your family."
The girl even forgot the etiquette of covering her face with a handkerchief, and just stared blankly at the boy.
The boy gave a harmless smile.
That night, at the auspicious hour, a large sedan chair carried by eight men entered through the side gate of the inner palace.
The procession was very simple. If the contents of the imperial edict had not been circulated, anyone who saw it would probably have thought that it was just a concubine or a noble lady entering the palace.
However, this was the first day that the prospective Imperial Noble Consort entered the palace, and it was also the day of her wedding.
The scene was so desolate, and everything was being done in such a perfunctory and hasty manner, that even the servants were on tenterhooks.
The sedan chair was carried all the way to the emperor's bedroom. The road was quiet, while the excitement was all concentrated in the main hall ahead. The Prince of Zhen was in the middle of the crowd, not even dressed in his wedding clothes. He just had a gloomy face and was exchanging pleasantries and toasts with the officials.
As night deepened and the banquet ended, the King of Zhen stood at the entrance of his bedchamber for a full quarter of an hour before finally stepping inside.
The Imperial Noble Consort, who had been waiting in the room, kept her ears perked up, listening to everything that happened at the banquet. Several times she wanted to go out and find His Majesty, but she managed to hold back.
After all, it wouldn't make a difference if he waited a little longer. He was genuinely curious about His Majesty's reaction when he saw that it was him.
So she obediently sat back down, not even daring to wrinkle her wedding dress, and sat there for two or three hours.
The banquet was finally over, and the Imperial Noble Consort's heart was pounding faster and faster like a drumbeat, only to find that the Prince of Zhen's footsteps had stopped abruptly.
He actually fell asleep fully clothed in the outer room!
They won't even come in!
The Imperial Noble Consort couldn't quite describe her feelings; she felt a sense of grievance, but more than that, she felt fortunate and delighted.
The King of Zhen was not actually asleep. He was always a light sleeper and very alert. He immediately noticed the movement in the room. He then realized that the light footsteps sounded strangely familiar. Before he could figure it out, a strong fragrance of nuptial wine wafted over him, and the fragrant clothes were only half an inch away from him.
Too close.
King Zhen opened his dark eyes with displeasure and glared at the offending intruder.
Then he froze, completely stunned.
Seeing the King of Zhen looking so dazed, the Imperial Noble Consort, Zhen Su, found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh. She slowly squatted down and leaned close to the King of Zhen's head on the low couch.
"Looks like you're doing well, Your Majesty, getting married so soon." Shinjuku only meant to tease him, but after saying it, he actually got angry, so much so that his cheeks puffed out.
King Zhen snapped back to reality, reached out and poked Shinju's cheek, and asked in astonishment, "Am I dreaming?"
Shinju tilted his head and said, "Guess?"
The King of Poison's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. He immediately did a crunch and bent down to lift the squatting Shinju onto the tatami mat, then let Shinju sit on his lap.
"Qing'er, it's really Qing'er! Qing'er, you're alright! Did that demon, that guy, get killed? Or did Qing'er escape? That's great... that's great, you're here... you're alright." The King of Poison was so excited that he was somewhat incoherent, and he hugged Zhen Su tightly.
Shinju rested his chin on the shoulder of the King of the Demons, silently listening to the King of the Demons' words and the King of the Demons' frantic heartbeat, and couldn't help but slightly curl up the corners of his lips.
After a long while, Zhenwang finally let go after hearing Masakatsu complain that the hug hurt a little, and then he really noticed the wedding clothes on Masakatsu's body.
The heavy skirt made Shinjuku's long legs look especially fair, and her knees appeared slightly red, giving her a pitiful and vulnerable look that made the King of Poison swallow hard.
"This bright red color suits my Qing'er so well." He began to regret not having someone prepare his wedding attire.
"I took the place of the original Miss Liang. Brother, you won't blame me, will you? It's okay if you do, just don't hold their family responsible, okay?" Shinju blinked.
King Zhen nodded vigorously, his eyes showing no reproach for Zhen Su's willful actions, but overflowing with tenderness and joy. The court's machinations, the cultivation of dragon energy—none of that mattered anymore. As long as his Qing'er was with him, that was enough.
The King of Zhen felt his heart was full, and solemnly confessed to Zhen Su, "Marrying was a last resort, but I have never touched them. However, this is indeed my inexcusable mistake, and Qing'er may punish me as she sees fit."
Shinju asked in surprise, "Was it the same in the previous dynasty?"
King Zhen nodded.
Shinshu easily figured out the key to the King of Poison's cultivation: to give birth to a dragon prince without contact, which was mostly achieved by using the dragon energy of the original emperor. This was indeed not a difficult thing. On the contrary, the most difficult thing was to remain pure and self-disciplined.
He hadn't paid attention to these things before, which might seem like the understanding of an older person, but in reality, it might also mean that he hadn't cared much about them before. Now, these subtle changes made him clearly realize that the Poison King was different from others, and was the most important person to him.
"Your Majesty is Qing'er's brother, Qing'er's brother alone."
After saying that, Shinju pushed the upper body of the King of Zhen back onto the bed, grabbed the collar of the King of Zhen's inner garment, pouted his lips, and pecked the King of Zhen's lips hard.
The King of Zhen returned a warm and passionate kiss, and gently stroked the golden pearl earring that had witnessed their journey together.
Breaths mingled, and the air warmed.
.
The day after tomorrow, the new emperor announced the date of the empress's investiture ceremony during the morning court session.
The Liang family members looked grim, while the other officials secretly gloated. Who could have imagined that the newly appointed Imperial Noble Consort would soon be marrying the Empress, the new empress? The new Imperial Noble Consort was met with coldness upon her arrival, and now this happens again. They had worried that the Emperor would use this opportunity to gain the Liang family's support, but it seemed that a complete break was inevitable. What a foolish ruler!
There are quite a few people who harbor such grievances.
This made everyone even more curious: who could have made the emperor so confused?
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Zhen sat firmly on the dragon throne and solemnly announced, "I hereby confer upon the Imperial Noble Consort the title of Empress."
"...?!!" The audience erupted in uproar.
Shinjuku, who was lounging on the rooftop basking in the sun in the distant palace, chuckled. His golden eyes, reflecting the warm sunlight, shimmered with a sweet smile that could drown a person.
"What a beautiful day!"
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Author's note: It's finally finished. A special thank you to the readers who have followed the story all this way. I'm truly grateful; without you all, I definitely wouldn't have made it this far.
Of course, I also want to thank all the readers who read my article.
If this article has provided you with some amusement, then I'll be satisfied. If it has caused you any dissatisfaction, then it's entirely my fault for not being a good enough writer, and I sincerely apologize for that.
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