720,000 years old
"His Majesty has ordered..." "Kill."
Atlanta is located underground, perpetually dark and gloomy, illuminated only by torches and candles. But this place is different; its walls are gleaming with gold, and in the center stands a "lighthouse" inlaid with eighty-one pearls from the East China Sea, its light as bright as day, rivaling even the sun.
Ying Jianhua calmly surveyed his surroundings.
The four walls are painted with mythical beasts: the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise. The Azure Dragon is located on the north wall, coming down from the ninth heaven, surrounded by thunder and lightning clouds, looking down on the mountains and seas with a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.
So lifelike they seem ready to come to life at any moment.
But strangely, the Azure Dragon lost an eye. This dim eye seemed to be the last shackle binding it, but this restraint was not firm and was on the verge of collapse.
One pair of eyes means two eyes.
It seemed that the painting was somehow connected to the two ink orchids on the scroll. Under the guidance of Eunuch Hu, he bowed to everyone. Lady Hou, who was exchanging pleasantries with Consort Li, was surprised to see him and quickly invited him to sit down.
He hesitated for a moment, but considering that Madam Hou was the only one he knew well among them, he gritted his teeth and sat down.
Lady Hou said happily, "What a coincidence, Young Master Mo! I didn't expect to see you here. You are now an official? Congratulations!"
As soon as he sat down, Lady Hou warmly took his hand and greeted him, treating him with such familiarity that she seemed to regard him as Du Zhijin. Ying Jianhua was about to ask a question when he suddenly felt a cut on his palm.
Looking up, Madam Hou remained kind and approachable, with no sign of anything amiss on her face.
However, the sensation in his palm clearly told him that he wasn't the only one who had noticed the strangeness of this place.
Elixir of immortality.
She wrote those two words in his palm.
He nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. Lady Hou smiled slightly and introduced him to the others, saying, "This is Zhong Gan's good friend, who once stayed at the Hou residence."
These words dispelled the doubts of those present. Since he was a friend of Zhao Zhonggan and could stay at the Marquis's residence, his status must not be low, so they withdrew their scrutinizing gazes. Ying Jianhua was then able to continue observing her surroundings.
After he took his seat, Eunuch Hu also sat down at the end. He realized that he was actually superfluous. The seats of Grand Tutor Sun, Eunuch Hu, Lady Hou, and Consort Li formed their own separate groups, and he seemed to have wandered in by mistake.
This indicates that Ying Jianhua was not originally in the emperor's plan. So why did the emperor add him at the last minute?
"Thump, thump!" Ying Jianhua's heart was beating faster than usual, and she struggled to adjust her breathing, trying to calm it down.
It's alright... Du Zhijin will find this place and save him from danger once again. What he needs to do is stay calm and gather as much information as possible to help break the deadlock.
Having figured this out, he took the initiative to join the conversation among the four of them and listen to what they had to say.
Grand Tutor Sun: "Today, the world is at peace and prosperous, with favorable weather and abundant harvests, all thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom. Such a virtuous ruler is truly a blessing for the court and the people. I humbly pray that Your Majesty will live a long and prosperous life, and that the Great Liang Dynasty will enjoy lasting prosperity!"
May the rivers be clear and the seas be calm, and may the weather be favorable for crops?
Ying Jianhua thought of her deceased parents, Ding Xue who was forced to commit suicide, and countless families that were torn apart because of Prince Chengduan, and she sneered inwardly.
If such a person could be called a "wise and virtuous ruler," then there would be no tyrannical and incompetent emperors in history books.
However, he didn't say it aloud, but instead joined the others in shouting "Long live!"
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!
As expected of a high-ranking official, Eunuch Hu shouted the most excitedly and devoutly, his cloudy eyes almost popping out of their sockets. He was actually quite old, appearing to be over fifty, and despite his efforts to maintain his appearance, the marks of time were still undeniable.
His temples were gray, his skin was loose, and his teeth were sparse.
"He was old, and eunuchs have no offspring. No matter how many adopted sons he had, he was never at ease. He couldn't escape the common practice and hoped that taking medicine would help him live longer."
Suddenly, Zhao Zhonggan's words entered his mind. Ying Jianhua looked at the aged Grand Eunuch Hu and Grand Tutor Sun, then at the still youthful-looking Consort Li and Lady Hou beside him. The contrast between the two was like that of a withered vine and a new bud. A bold guess emerged in his mind.
Even a eunuch would be reluctant to die young before fully enjoying his wealth and status.
Would an emperor, the supreme ruler, be willing to give that up?
The shouts of "Long live!" echoed continuously in the room. The echoes, which should have faded, grew louder in his ears.
Until he recalled a sentence that sounded like a sigh when he first met the emperor.
“The four sufferings follow one another, and no one can escape them. Birth cannot be avoided, old age cannot be avoided, sickness cannot be escaped, and death cannot be defied.”
Death is inevitable.
However, throughout history, countless people have followed suit, attempting to defy fate.
The most passionate and eccentric among them were the emperors.
————
"Twelve, have you ever seen the Emperor?"
When asked this question, Twelve was visibly taken aback.
He pondered for a moment, then honestly shook his head: "No."
After a pause, he said, "Ask Eleven. She is more valued than me. For those below Eleven, listen to her."
"You are all assassins, yet you have never even seen your master's face?" Du Zhijin was greatly surprised.
Aren't assassins supposed to be most loyal? They've never even seen their master's face; what if they accidentally kill him?
But then, remembering Twelve's almost selfless act, she silently swallowed her words.
It seems they are indeed not very loyal.
However, isn't the emperor worried about their betrayal? These are a group of assassins modified by demon cores. In Liuli Capital, both demons and cultivators are weakened by the magic array, but the array doesn't target humans. Therefore, even she wouldn't dare claim she could take on twenty people here.
Furthermore, due to their long-term isolation from the outside world and the influence of their demon cores, they have relatively simple personalities. In short, she didn't believe the emperor would allow a group of foolish killing gods to be disloyal to him.
Unless, the emperor has other means.
She decided to test the waters again.
"Twelve, can't you really tell me what Number One and the others are doing? Aren't we...aren't we best friends?"
Twelve people looked troubled.
Best friend...
After a long while, he opened his mouth and pointed to his throat.
Du Zhijin asked doubtfully, "You want me to look at your tongue? Don't worry, we're friends, I'll definitely find someone to cure you."
"No." Twelve shook his head, his mouth still open, his short tongue pressed down slightly, revealing the end of his throat.
What does this mean? Is he showing her that he has a good set of teeth?
She frowned and studied it for a moment, and just before Twelve was about to close her mouth, she understood.
"Special mission...you can't say it out loud."
Seeing that Shier nodded in agreement, Du Zhijin's heart sank.
As expected, the emperor possessed extraordinary methods to prevent them from revealing secrets. But she had even worse plans. Where did these methods go? Did they merely stop at preventing them from revealing secrets, or could they also control their minds and bodies?
Upon learning that the emperor had killed a demon to obtain its elixir, she began to harbor the utmost malice towards him.
According to the rules of Dengxian Mountain, demons are also divided into good and evil. She never kills innocent demons, let alone kills demons to obtain their elixir.
The emperor's actions were despicable. Sadly, she could do nothing for him.
She is not human law and cannot be tainted by the cause and effect of life and death; otherwise, divine retribution will come and all previous efforts will be in vain.
For the first time, she felt the sword in her hand was so powerless.
Seeing that Du Zhijin remained silent for a long time, Twelve assumed she was dissatisfied with his answer and became somewhat anxious. He took her hand and pulled her outside.
Du Zhijin: "Where are you taking me? I should go back." She's been out for too long; Amo must be worried about not seeing her.
Twelve fingers pointed forward and said, "Eleven. There's a clue there."
After saying that, he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his black mask with red.
Du Zhijin was startled. She quickly took out a handkerchief she always carried and smeared it around his mouth, asking anxiously, "Are you alright? Is it because you revealed too many secrets and are now suffering the backlash? Please stop talking!"
She did want to get information out of Twelve, but she didn't want him to die.
Twelve waved her hand, and two eyes hidden behind the holes in her mask flashed with a hint of a smile.
She cares about him.
"I'm fine. She'll be back soon during the National Day holiday. Time is of the essence."
Upon hearing this, Du Zhijin looked at him with a complicated expression, without immediately searching for clues.
...Once we find the real Master Yu Nie, please ask the senior to examine his tongue.
"Twelve, I will repay you," she said earnestly. As a token, she untied the tassel from Zui Lan's sword and solemnly handed it to him.
"Take this. I'll come find you after I've completed the mission my master gave me."
The emerald green sword tassel, as green as a mountain peak, lay in my palm, like holding a piece of jade.
He gripped the sword tassel tightly, unable to suppress a smile.
His red line is green.
To prevent Twelve from vomiting blood again, Du Zhijin asked no questions and searched the room alone. Fortunately, Eleven's room was just like her—calm, meticulous, and rigorous. She quickly found the Imperial Guard's files according to the dates.
She had seen this before; Twelve had used it to interrogate her.
She didn't need to look at the brand new pages at the front; she flipped directly to three years ago, the year when monsters entered the capital and the emperor faded from the sight of his court officials.
The investigation revealed that the truth was impossible to uncover. In that year, the emperor mobilized a large number of imperial guards to record countless confessions.
Suddenly, Du Zhijin frowned when he caught sight of a certain name.
Bei Luoming... This is the secular name of the Tianshui Zhenren.
But wasn't Master Tianshui in seclusion? How could he possibly have gone to Liulijing?
Suppressing his doubts, Du Zhijin continued to flip through the pages.
As usual, the name, age, and place of origin were recorded. When asked about the purpose of his trip to the capital, the Master of Tianshui replied, "There are unusual celestial phenomena."
When the handle of the Big Dipper points north, winter reigns throughout the land; when the Southern Star returns to its orbit, spring arrives at dawn and dusk. This is an omen of dynastic change. This is what Du Zhijin saw.
But clearly, the Master of Tianshui saw things more deeply than she did.
He said that even stars have their own laws, and these laws cannot be defied. If one uses unorthodox methods, one will not escape divine punishment.
Extraordinary arts. The emperor used extraordinary arts.
She instantly thought of the forbidden technique of Mount Dengxian, "Sun and Moon in Harmony." A cultivator, unable to ascend to immortality, suffered a cultivation deviation and became possessed by a demon. In the end, in order to achieve eternal life and the harmony of the sun and moon, he killed several fellow cultivators, took their golden cores, and forcibly increased his cultivation to break through to a higher realm.
Golden Core... Demon Core.
Suddenly, she threw away the dossier and, disregarding the restrictions, retrieved two swords from her sea of consciousness.
Amo is in danger!
But someone stood in her way.
She asked incredulously, "Twelve?"
Twelve's expression was cold, his sword pointed directly at her heart, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
His lips parted, and for the first time, he didn't just say three words.
"Your Majesty has an order."
"kill."
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