Chapter 52 Backlash and Explosion

The moment Emperor Cao Xukun stepped back into the Luoyang palace, he dumped all the memorials onto Imperial Concubine Xiao Ya and Li Tieniu, diving straight into the Eastern Palace to play with Crown Prince Cao Hao.

The two-year-old Crown Prince Cao Hao was wearing a tiny golden dragon robe, running after butterflies on his short little legs, his chubby face scrunched up in a smile like a steamed bun.

Emperor Cao Xukun lay on a rocking chair, snacking on melon seeds while watching his son, while Consort Su Qingyue and Su Qingying sat nearby, sporting their baby bumps and embroidering—life couldn't have been more comfortable.

"Emperor Xuan! I beg you! Please approve a few of these!" Li Tieniu rushed in, clutching a stack of memorials half as tall as a person, his dark circles as heavy as a panda's. "Imperial Concubine Xiao Ya has already been exhausted into seclusion! If this continues, I'm going to ascend to immortality right here on the spot!"

"Ascending is good; go ahead and scout the Immortal Realm for me," Emperor Cao Xukun said without even lifting his head. "If you can't handle such a trivial matter, what use are you? My full-time job is being a stay-at-home dad; being Emperor Xuan is just my side gig. Family comes first."

Li Tieniu was on the verge of tears, hugging the memorials while crouching in the corner, drawing circles on the floor. He finally understood—Emperor Cao Xukun was a master at passing the buck. If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up; he only cared about lying flat and spending time with his wife and children.

Deep in the night, the entire palace fell into a deep slumber.

A dark shadow vaulted over the palace walls like a ghost, evading all the patrolling imperial guards and silently sneaking into the Eastern Palace. He was the number one Gu Master under Gu King, having cultivated the Stealth Gu for thirty years; even a cultivator at the Late Nascent Soul Stage would not be able to detect his tracks.

"Emperor Cao Xukun, you killed my disciples of the Witch Tribe and occupied my territory in the Southern Border. Today, I will kill your son and let you taste the bitterness of having no descendants!"

The Gu Master gave an eerie laugh and pulled a black jade bottle from his bosom. Opening the stopper, a blood-colored Gu worm the size of a fingernail flew out. This was the Witch Tribe's most sinister "Parent-Child Heart-Devouring Gu." Once it burrowed into a body, even a cultivator at the early stage of Spirit Severing could not resist it; they would be eaten alive by the Gu worm from the heart.

The blood-colored Gu worm flapped its transparent wings, flying silently toward Crown Prince Cao Hao's crib. Just as it was about to burrow into Crown Prince Cao Hao's body, the small golden dragon pendant hanging around his neck suddenly erupted with a blinding golden light.

[Ding! Sinister Gu technique attack detected! Triggering host's exclusive divine ability: Invulnerability to All Laws!]

[Gu technique backlash initiated!]

"Hum—!" The golden light instantly enveloped the entire room. The blood-colored Gu worm let out a shrill shriek and instantly turned into ash. At the same time, the Gu Master in the distance suddenly trembled, and black blood flowed from his seven orifices simultaneously.

"No! Impossible! This is the Parent-Child Heart-Devouring Gu! How could it be backlashed?!"

The Gu Master's eyes widened in horror. He felt all the Gu worms inside his body going through a frenzied backlash, tearing his internal organs to shreds. His body began to swell at a speed visible to the naked eye, like an inflated balloon.

"Bang—!" With a loud explosion, the Gu Master died on the spot, his body bursting apart. Flesh and blood splattered everywhere, and not even a trace of his soul remained.

The massive commotion woke up the entire palace.

Li Tieniu rushed in first, wielding a large saber. Seeing the fragments of flesh and blood on the ground, his expression changed drastically: "Emperor Xuan! There's an assassin!"

The imperial guards instantly surrounded the Eastern Palace, making it watertight, and the torches illuminated the area as if it were broad daylight. Emperor Cao Xukun walked out slowly, holding the awakened Crown Prince Cao Hao. There was not a ripple on his face, but his eyes were as cold as an ice cellar in midwinter. The pressure of his Late Spirit Severing stage cultivation pressed down overwhelmingly, causing the air in the entire palace to freeze.

All the imperial guards knelt on the ground in unison, not even daring to breathe. Li Tieniu also shrank his neck in fear; he had never seen Emperor Cao Xukun look so angry.

Emperor Cao Xukun looked down at the remains of flesh on the ground, gently flicking his fingertips, and a wisp of black Gu energy floated before him.

"The Witch Tribe's Gu technique; this is the work of Gu King."

His voice was terrifyingly calm, yet carried a bone-chilling killing intent: "Good, very good. I originally intended to wait two months before going to settle the score with him, but I didn't expect him to dare to deliver himself to my doorstep, and even dare to touch my son."

"Emperor Xuan, this Gu King is too audacious! To actually dare to send someone to the Divine Capital to assassinate the Crown Prince!" Li Tieniu said, gritting his teeth. "Let's muster the troops now, march to the Southern Border, and tear him into ten thousand pieces!"

"No need to wait," Emperor Cao Xukun said coldly. "I originally wanted to let him live for two more months, to let him grow fat before killing him. Now that he dares to touch my reverse scale, don't blame me for being impolite."

He looked up toward the direction of the Southern Border, his eyes as sharp as knives: "Gu King, didn't you want to invade the North? There's no need for you to come over; I will come to find you myself."

"Anyone who dares to touch the family of Emperor Cao Xukun, I will make the entire Southern Border be buried with my son!"

Before the words even faded, a golden message talisman shot from his hand, flying in all directions.

"Pass on my order! The Ministry of War is to muster three hundred thousand troops immediately to launch an expedition to the Southern Border!"

"The Demon Race Province is to dispatch one hundred thousand demon elites to join me on the expedition!"

"All Spirit Severing stage elders are to join the army!"

"This time, I will trample the Ten Thousand Mountains, exterminate the Witch Tribe, and ensure Gu King dies without a burial place!"

"Understood!" Li Tieniu shouted excitedly. Finally, he wouldn't have to approve memorials anymore! Finally, he could go to war!

Emperor Cao Xukun lowered his head to soothe Crown Prince Cao Hao in his arms, his eyes instantly becoming gentle: "Hao'er, don't be afraid. Daddy is going to get revenge for you. Whoever dares to bully you, Daddy will kill them."

Crown Prince Cao Hao nodded, seemingly understanding, and stretched out his chubby little hands to hug Emperor Cao Xukun's neck, saying in a milky voice: "Daddy is amazing! Beat the bad guys!"

Emperor Cao Xukun smiled and kissed him on the forehead.

He turned to look at Consort Su Qingyue and Su Qingying, speaking softly: "Stay home and take good care of the pregnancies, and wait for my return. In a month at most, I will return to see you carrying Gu King's head."

"Husband, be careful," Consort Su Qingyue said worriedly. "Gu King's Gu techniques are very sinister; you must be on high alert."

"Rest assured," Emperor Cao Xukun smiled confidently. "That little bit of amateur Gu technique of his is just a joke in front of me. I possess Invulnerability to All Laws; his Gu worms can't even touch the corner of my clothes."

"Besides, I am now at the Great Perfection of the Late Spirit Severing stage. He is only at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage; even if his Gu techniques could allow him to fight a mid-stage Spirit Severing cultivator, he is no different from an ant in front of me. I can crush him with a single finger."

Su Qingying nodded and straightened his collar for him: "Then come back early; we will wait for you."

"Mn."

Emperor Cao Xukun took one last look at his family, then turned and strode out of the Eastern Palace.

His black dragon robe billowed in the night wind, and the killing intent around him almost solidified.

The entire Luoyang city felt this terrifying killing intent, and the commoners closed their doors one after another, not daring to make a sound.

Li Tieniu followed behind Emperor Cao Xukun, rubbing his hands in excitement.

Finally, it was time for war! And he was following Emperor Xuan on an expedition; surely they would win a great victory!

Emperor Cao Xukun stood with his hands behind his back at the peak of the palace, gazing at the southern night sky.

Gu King, your death date has arrived. If you dare to touch my family, you must be prepared to endure my wrath.