211: conflict

Chapter 209 Conflict

Tianshou Mountain.

Lu Xiangqing and the others were crowding around Lu Liner as they walked toward Emperor Taizus Mausoleum, while continuously observing the surrounding environment.

Intelligence reports from the Jinyi Guard continuously converged from all around.

"Reporting to Empress Lu Liner, the northern foot of Tianshou Mountain is currently being searched, and no abnormalities have been found for the time being!"

"Reporting to Empress Lu Liner, Saintess Peak of Tianshou Mountain is currently being searched, a Spiritual Plant is suspected to have been found, and people have been sent to guard it!"

"Reporting to Empress Lu Liner, a Daoist was stopped at the foot of South Mountain, and the Daoist left."

"Reporting to Empress Lu Liner, Immortal Master Zhao Su Ling of the Shangwu Division is rushing over..."

The group slowly walked up the mountain, and Lu Xiangqing looked around and said, "Tianshou Mountain, this old man has not been here for several years."

"I didn't expect that it would turn into such a state nowadays..."

Lu Liner also nodded and said, "That's right, Lord Lu, this palace remembers coming here to worship the ancestors every year, and it has been several years since I last came. I wonder what happened on the mountain."

"Rest assured, Your Ladyship, this old subject has already sent people to scout ahead. The changes on Tianshou Mountain concern the ancestors of Great Yu, and absolutely no accidents must occur."

Lu Liner worriedly said, "However... His Majesty has listed this place as a Forbidden Ground, wouldn't it be... if we barge in without authorization?"

"Rest assured, Your Ladyship."

Lu Xiangqing said, "His Majesty treats people with generosity, and besides, we subjects are also doing this for the stability of Great Yu and the peace of the ancestors. Presumably, His Majesty will not blame us."

"Besides, if we can find out the cause of the changes on Tianshou Mountain and find things like Spiritual Plants, it will also be a great contribution."

"Not only will His Majesty not blame us, but he will also be overjoyed and bestow rewards."

"Really?"

Lu Liner's eyes lit up slightly; she wasn't doing all this just to make Zheng Yi value her more.

As an Empress, she wasn't completely ignorant and could also become a capable virtuous assistant.

Since His Majesty wanted to practice cultivation, then he could cultivate peacefully, and she could also take charge of the affairs of the inner palace.

She would definitely manage it in perfect order on behalf of His Majesty!

Before long, when Lu Liner's team stepped onto the halfway up the mountain, two people looking like domestic servants quickly ran down.

"Lord... Empress Lu Liner!"

"Luxing?"

Lu Xiangqing said, "That is the domestic servant sent out by this old subject. It seems there is a discovery."

The domestic servant hurriedly ran over, knelt on the ground, and said in a panic, "Lord!"

"What did you find, why are you panicking like this? What kind of behavior is this?"

"Lord, bad news! The checkpoint going up the mountain has been blocked by a group of people, and they said that without His Majesty's order, no one is allowed to go up the mountain!"

"Hmm?"

Lu Xiangqing frowned and said, "Didn't you mention that Empress Lu Liner and the various lords have all come?"

"I mentioned it, but the people up there said they only recognize His Majesty's personal written order or token. This..."

"Follow this old man to take a look!"

The group quickly moved forward and soon arrived before a checkpoint.

Sure enough, this was a halfway cliff, and a checkpoint sat at the only passage, guarded by dozens of Imperial Guards here.

"We pay respects to Empress Lu Liner, and greet all the ministers!"

Seeing Lu Liner and the others approaching, the Imperial Guards guarding the checkpoint had to step forward and pay respects.

"Hmm."

Lu Liner raised her chin and said, "An anomaly has occurred on Tianshou Mountain, and this palace is going to take the cabinet ministers up the mountain to check. Clear the way quickly!"

The leading Imperial Guard captain gritted his teeth and said, "Please forgive this subject, Empress Lu Liner."

"His Majesty once issued a strict order that no one is allowed to go up the mountain without His Majesty's order. Please discern this, Empress Lu Liner."

"Oh? Even this palace is not allowed?"

"Yes..."

"Audacious!"

Lu Xiangqing frowned and said, "This is an emergency. Right now His Majesty is in seclusion, unable to come personally, nor able to issue a personal order."

"Now that an anomaly has occurred on Tianshou Mountain, and this place is where the mausoleums of our Great Yu's ancestors are located, which concerns the foundation of the state, why haven't you all evacuated yet?"

The Imperial Guard captain's expression changed abruptly, and he subconsciously took a step back, but thinking of something, he still gritted his teeth and said:

"Please forgive Lord Lu, we are also following orders."

"Without His Majesty's personal order or token, no one is allowed to go up the mountain!"

"You..."

"Lord Lu..."

Lu Liner suddenly spoke to stop Lu Xiangqing, pulled out a jade token from her waist, and said, "I wonder if the token in this palace's hand counts?"

"This..."

The Imperial Guard captain hesitated for a moment, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "Empress Lu Liner's Phoenix token is naturally acceptable. Please move upwards, Empress Lu Liner."

"Humph!"

Lu Xiangqing snorted coldly and was about to lead the people up the mountain.

"Stop...!"

Suddenly, a gloomy and cold shout came from afar.

Everyone subconsciously raised their heads, only to see two people standing upright against the wind on a tall, protruding boulder on the mountain.

One of them was very familiar to everyone: Chen Liancang, an old eunuch in the palace.

It was rumored that he held the most powerful death squad organization of the Great Yu royal family in his hands, the Shadow Guard.

He was deeply trusted by His Majesty.

And the other person... turned out to be a cold woman in black robes with fluttering clothes.

"Chen Liancang!"

Lu Xiangqing frowned and said, "What are you trying to do?"

"We came here today with Empress Lu Liner precisely to find out what kind of abnormal change occurred on Tianshou Mountain. Why are you blocking us?"

Chen Liancang said indifferently, "This place is a Forbidden Ground personally named by His Majesty, and no one is allowed to approach it!"

"Even Empress Lu Liner and the various lords cannot enter!"

"Hmm?"

Lu Xiangqing frowned and said, "His Majesty is currently in seclusion and cannot show himself. We are doing this for the foundation of the state, and were forced to resort to this desperate measure..."

"Since His Majesty is in seclusion, then wait until His Majesty comes out of seclusion!"

Chen Liancang showed no respect to them at all, saying, "Please return to the capital, Empress Lu Liner and lords. This place is not where you should come."

"Insolent!"

Seeing her grandfather being snubbed, Lu Liner immediately said, "You are merely a servant of our royal family, how dare you disobey this palace's command?"

"Clear the road immediately, or else don't blame this palace..."

Chen Liancang coldly said, "This old slave only obeys His Majesty. Please forgive me, Empress Lu Liner."

"Without His Majesty's command, no one is allowed to go up the mountain, or else don't blame this old slave for making a move."

"Making a move?"

Lu Liner laughed out of extreme anger and said, "This palace wants to see whether a servant like you dares to make a move against this palace!"

With that, Lu Liner slowly stepped forward, and the many Imperial Guards blocking the checkpoint entrance didn't dare to stop her at all, and could only continuously retreat.

Seeing this, Lu Xiangqing and the others quickly followed, leaving only Wang Anshi, Yuan Qichang, and others standing in place, looking at each other in dismay.

"Empress Lu Liner, you..."

"Clang...!"

Suddenly, a harsh dragon roar burst from mid-air, and a gray-white sword light appeared in mid-air.

Xuanjizi's expression was cold, forming hand seals with one hand, and pointing toward the foot of the mountain.

In an instant, the surrounding cold air surged, and the Flying Sword immediately slashed down toward the crowd!

Chen Liancang on the side was terribly startled and shouted hurriedly, "Senior, stop!"

"Swish...!"

In a flash, a grayish-yellow light surged out from his body, transforming into a large banner that swelled against the wind and instantly turned into a giant Dragon, entangling itself around the Flying Sword.

But even so, the Flying Sword's speed was not slow, and the large banner could only pull toward the side with all its might.

With a "boom"!

The Flying Sword, wrapping around the large banner, smashed fiercely into the nearby cliff, blasting out a huge pit. Countless rock fragments mixed with stone dust scattered in all directions, enveloping many ministers, eunuchs, and Imperial Guards within.

"Ah... My Face!"

"It hurts! So painful!"

"Immortal! It's an Immortal!"

"Protect Empress Lu Liner!"

"Quick, quickly retreat...!"

The entire team immediately fell into panic. Many Imperial Guards hurriedly blocked in front of the Empress and the cabinet ministers, looking up in panic at the woman on the boulder.

Quite a few of them were hit by the rock fragments, covered in injuries and full of shock.

Even Empress Lu Liner collapsed to the ground holding her Face, and was hurriedly helped up by two maidservants.

On the contrary, Wang Anshi and the others who had remained behind in the back suffered no injuries at all.

Immortal!

Truly an Immortal!

In this world, there really are Immortals!

Could what His Majesty practiced be real...?!

They previously thought that His Majesty practicing cultivation was just a joke.

They didn't expect that this woman who suddenly appeared...

"Humph!"

Xuanjizi snorted coldly again, flicked her hand, and the Flying Sword flew out abruptly, drawing a circle in the air and stopping steadily in front of her.

She cast a dissatisfied look at Chen Liancang, then looked at the grayish-yellow large banner summoned by Chen Liancang, furrowed her brows, and hesitated, "Yellow Springs Soul-Recruiting Banner?"

Chen Liancang then said with lingering fear, "Senior truly has great discernment..."

"Senior! This place is the capital of Great Yu, and these lords are all pillars of the Great Yu Dynasty, not ordinary Mortals. Please think twice, Senior..."

Xuanjizi sneered and said, "Pillars of the Great Yu Dynasty? They are merely Mortals, how dare they disobey the command of us Cultivators?"

"Disobedient? Kill off a batch, and replace them with another batch, won't that do?"

Chen Liancang smiled bitterly and said, "Senior, if you really kill these ministers, I suppose His Majesty will definitely blame you..."

"That brat... Humph!"

Xuanjizi's pretty eyes shifted, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Ten years, this Immortal Master will endure for ten more years!"

With a single step, she stepped onto the boulder and said condescendingly, "This Immortal Master is in a very bad mood right now!"

"Since that little emperor said this is a Forbidden Ground and no one is allowed to enter, you all scram away quickly, or else don't blame this Immortal Master's Flying Sword for being merciless!"

"If you want to go up the mountain, go find the little emperor, don't bother this Immortal Master!"

"If anyone still pesters, this mountain will be their example...!"

As soon as the words fell, Xuanjizi pointed with one hand at the Flying Sword, and it once again transformed into a sword light and shot out.

It traced an arc in the air, and then fiercely grazed past another cliff.

"Screech...!"

A harsh friction sound suddenly rang out, causing countless people to subconsciously cover their ears.

A large amount of rock debris scattered everywhere, and instantly a huge gully about ten inches deep and ten zhang long appeared on the rock wall!

"You, you...!"

Supported by the maidservants, Lu Liner had a trace of blood oozing from her left cheek, glaring with anger and terror at Xuanjizi on the boulder, her lips trembling, but not daring to say anything else, only able to glare fiercely at Xuanjizi.

Facing the shocked, terrified, or hateful gazes of Lu Liner and the many ministers, Xuanjizi sneered, then turned around and left, stepping on her Flying Sword.

And Chen Liancang cupped his hands toward the many ministers at the foot of the mountain and said, "My lords, go down the mountain."

"This place is not where you can come!"