441: Letter from the North, Nine Swords of Yan Yuan

Yan Wuchen chuckled self-deprecatingly, “To the victor go the spoils; there’s nothing more to say! I’m right here. Do with me as you please, whether it’s death or dismemberment.”

After his defeat, he could have escaped, but he didn’t, because his mother, Imperial Concubine Zhao, was still in Tianqi City.

Yan Wuhai fell silent, then shook his head, “To the victor go the spoils? You and I are both losers.”

“What do you mean?”

Yan Wuchen frowned.

Yan Wuhai said, “The world is vast. The weak remain here, and only the strong can venture out! Originally, your fate was death, but I suddenly feel that I must keep you, so that you and I can guard this Great Xia together for a lifetime.”

Yan Wuchen sneered, “If you intend to imprison me, then you can give up.”

Yan Wuhai waved his hand casually, and an imperial decree flew towards Yan Wuchen: “From now on, you will be my Great Xia’s Prince of Zhen Dong, and the eastern lands will be under your command.”

Yan Wuchen took the decree, glanced at it immediately, and then his face was filled with confusion.

“……”

Imperial Concubine Zhao was also stunned for a second.

“Yan Wuhai, what is the meaning of this?”

Yan Wuchen stared at Yan Wuhai; this move by Yan Wuhai utterly bewildered him.

To confer him as Prince of Zhen Dong, to guard the eastern part of Great Xia, and even to wield military power—was this fellow not afraid of his comeback?

Yan Wuhai said with a complex expression, “Yan Junlin, Yan Ruyu, they all want to go out. You and I will stay in Great Xia! In the past, when Father fought for Royal Power, he killed several siblings, but he also spared a few. As for you all, those who can stay, stay.”

“Don’t even think about a comeback. I have already refined the power of qi luck. In this land of Great Xia, you are not my opponents. If you truly had that kind of strength, you probably wouldn’t continue to covet this position.”

After speaking, he gave a self-deprecating smile and turned to leave.

“This fellow……”

Yan Wuchen looked at Yan Wuhai’s back, his brows tightly furrowed.

Why did it feel like Yan Wuhai, after becoming the New Emperor, didn’t seem happy?

That was the Imperial Throne!

Shouldn’t he be extremely happy after obtaining it?

“Although the Imperial Throne is good, once you sit on it, you become a solitary person.”

Imperial Concubine Zhao sighed softly.

This struggle for Royal Power had ended, but as long as Great Xia existed, the Royal Family would continuously perpetuate the struggle for power and gain. This was destiny, difficult to change.

Not long after, the armies that had surrounded the mansion dispersed, and the place became desolate again.

——————

The next day.

A piece of news came from the north.

A man and a woman traveled to the northern lands.

The man held nine wooden swords. The first wooden sword flew out, splitting open the Demon Kingdom’s gate; the second wooden sword flew out, severely wounding thirteen Divine Court Realm experts of the demon race.

The third wooden sword flew out, heavily injuring the Ten Thousand Demons Gate Master and several Divine Court experts. He left a character “Yuan” on the Demon Race’s Heavenly Demon Stele.

Subsequently, the pair went to the Demon Race’s territory. The man’s fourth wooden sword flew out, defeating multiple Divine Court experts of the Demon Race, with no one able to stop him.

They continued north, arriving at the territory of the Nine Heavens Tower. The man’s fifth wooden sword flew out, consecutively slaying multiple assassins from the Nine Heavens Tower, and over a dozen Divine Court Realm experts were severely wounded.

Later, the Nine Heavens Tower Master appeared; that was a powerhouse who had transcended Divine Court and taken half a step further.

The man’s remaining four wooden swords flew out simultaneously, but were shattered by the opponent’s single move.

At the crucial moment, the man transformed into a lightning azure dragon, directly blasting apart the Nine Heavens Tower with a single move, crippling the Nine Heavens Tower Master, and finally departed with the woman!

That man was Yan Yuan, and as for that woman, she was Dugu Buzheng.

When this news reached Tianqi, many people instantly reacted.

Hanshan Temple.

Yuanfei’s eyes showed a hint of complexity: “So he wasn’t going south, but north. We were all deceived by him! Suddenly, I envy that woman Dugu so much…”

She had thought Yan Yuan didn’t have long to live, who knew he would go directly north and display such powerful strength.

It turned out she had never truly understood Yan Yuan. Perhaps in the Imperial Harem, only one person truly understood Yan Yuan—Dugu Buzheng.

That person was the first to accompany Yan Yuan. Dugu must have known Yan Yuan’s plans early on, which is why she abandoned everything to follow Yan Yuan north.

Yan Quanzhen looked at Yuanfei and said softly, “Mother, do you regret it?”

“I do regret it! Your mother was once the Saintess of the Tai Xuan Sect, and also a person of extraordinary talent. I also yearned for the world outside… What a pity…”

Yuanfei’s eyes showed a look of sadness.

Having entered the Royal Family and had children, Yan Yuan and Dugu could abandon everything to pursue what they desired, but she couldn’t, nor could she see through it.

Yan Yuan had given them a night to consider before, but they were all thinking about how to help their children fight for power.

Except for Dugu, the others seemed to have not cared about Yan Yuan’s departure or stay. Now that they thought about it, they seemed to have been truly excessive.

This time, it was truly impossible to catch up!

When this news reached Tianqi, she understood that she wasn’t the only one regretting it at this moment; some people in the Imperial Harem must also be filled with immense regret.

Imperial Harem.

Some concubines had already moved out and had new mansions.

Imperial Concubine Zhao clutched a letter, her face filled with sadness. She sat on a chair, looking north, her body trembling slightly.

“Mother, have you seen the news from the north? That person seems to be Father and the Empress.”

Yan Wuchen walked over.

“……”

Imperial Concubine Zhao looked at Yan Wuchen, wanting to speak but hesitating.

At this moment, she seemed to understand Yan Wuhai’s previous words: the weak remain, the strong go out, seeking greater opportunities, peering into a vaster world.

Yan Yuan’s journey north was to go to a vaster world. Yan Yuan was strong; from beginning to end, he was unwilling to be trapped here for a lifetime.

They say it’s hard to forget one’s homeland, that even if you go to the farthest reaches of the world, you will miss your homeland and want to return, but the prerequisite is that you have indeed reached a farther world.

This is a world of cultivators, boundless. No one knows how vast this world truly is. To be able to pursue what one desires in one’s lifetime, this is the most precious thing.

“When he was down and out, we were not by his side. When he ascended the throne, we were able to follow, yet we spent our days thinking about power struggles, and even when we learned he didn’t have long to live, we wished for him to die sooner. Who knew he would actually…”

When Imperial Concubine Zhao spoke to this point, she couldn’t help but show a look of shame.

As a concubine, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with her actions in fighting for power, but as a wife, she seemed to be unqualified.

They lost, lost to Dugu!

That woman had already surpassed them in the Imperial Harem, and now, having abandoned everything, she still surpassed them. Her courage and vision made them feel ashamed of themselves.

Yan Wuchen clearly understood some of it too. He muttered, “Father’s vision makes us feel ashamed.”

Now he seemed to understand Yan Wuhai’s previous words. Yan Junlin, Yan Ruyu, seemingly failed, but in reality, they won, because they were destined to leave Great Xia and walk a more extraordinary path, just like Father.

Imperial Concubine Zhao took a deep breath: “You should go to the eastern region on a chosen day! Guard Great Xia well, do your part. Some people will leave, and naturally, some will stay.”

“Understood!”

Yan Wuchen bowed.