121: Chen Jiangping's backup plan: the Grand Ancestor

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.

Qingzhou, Yuanxi Prefecture City. This was the core city of Yuanxi Prefecture, the only major prefecture ruled by the Xiantian Great Sect of Qingzhou, the "Hundred Spears Sect."

Over hundreds of years, under the diligent development of generations of Seniors from the Hundred Spears Sect, Yuanxi Prefecture City had long since transformed from a small frontier town into an incredibly prosperous metropolis. Even among the eighteen prefecture cities of Qingzhou, it ranked within the top five!

Here, Third Rank experts—rarely seen in ordinary counties—were as common as clouds and rain, visible everywhere. Even the high-and-mighty Second Rank and First Rank powerhouses were not few in number.

Countless experts gathered together, collectively supporting this immensely prosperous city!

At this moment, in a small courtyard within a bustling market area of Yuanxi Prefecture City.

Deep within the courtyard, hidden inside a dark room, a birdcage hung suspended.

Inside the cage, a green-feathered parrot had bloodshot eyes and was dizzy with hunger.

Ten days ago, after its master departed, he had only placed enough grains and fresh water in the small bowl before it to last for seven days.

From the eighth day onward, it panicked at the sight of the empty bowl, pacing anxiously in the cage and pecking at the bars until its feathers were ruffled and messy.

By today, it didn't even have the strength left to peck at the bars.

The mechanism trapping it was located atop the cage. A small ceramic leak-pot hung there with a tiny hole at the bottom, through which only one drop of thick oil would seep out each day, falling into a copper bowl connected to a delicate set of levers below.

This device was called the "Ten-Day Lock." It required exactly ten drops of oil to fill the copper bowl enough for its weight to trigger the lever and pull back the iron bolt of the cage door.

The parrot didn't understand mechanisms; it only knew hunger. By the tenth day, that sensation felt like it was burning through its stomach, causing a fierce light to flicker in its eyes.

Finally, at a certain moment.

"Drip!"

Inside the dark room, accompanied by a soft sound, the tenth drop of oil finally fell from the leak-pot into the copper bowl!

The next moment—

*Click.*

With a slight sound from the top of the cage, the parrot's entire body trembled. It then suddenly realized that the iron bolt of the cage door was slowly retracting on its own.

The door was loose.

"Screech!"

The instinct for survival instantly exploded. Using the last bit of strength in its starved body, it slammed violently against the cage door!

*Bang!*

The cage door swung open, and the green-feathered parrot stumbled out. However, it didn't fly away immediately. Instead, it quickly turned its head and pecked fiercely at an inconspicuous seam at the bottom of the cage.

*Gulp.*

A dark red pill rolled out from the seam, and the parrot immediately swallowed it upon seeing it.

In an instant, a tyrannical surge of heat exploded within its body. Within moments, it dispelled all the weakness throughout its frame.

Then... *Whoosh—!*

The parrot shot toward the roof like an arrow leaving a bowstring. In a flash, it crashed through the fragile glass tiles of the roof, which had already been specially treated.

Amidst the falling wood splinters and glass, it charged into the vast world outside, landing directly on the highest eave of a restaurant in the city.

Below was the bustling market, with people flowing like a river.

"The former Vice Tower Master of the Dongshan Prefecture Wanxiang Tower branch, Chen Jiangping, has obtained the emperor wus final edict and has already defected to the Great Yuan Dynasty Dragon Guard!"

"The former Vice Tower Master of the Dongshan Prefecture Wanxiang Tower branch, Chen Jiangping, has obtained the emperor wus final edict and has already defected to the Great Yuan Dynasty Dragon Guard!"

...On the eaves, the green-feathered parrot shouted loudly, its chest heaving violently from the medicine's power and excitement. That secret, which had been starved for ten days and carved into its bones, mixed with the madness of gaining freedom.

Until this moment, it all transformed into a world-shaking roar that sounded less like a bird's cry and more like a clap of muffled thunder. It made the roof tiles tremble and the vendors' banners shake, instantly spreading for several miles and reaching the ears of countless people.

"Chen Jiangping? emperor wus final edict? What are those?"

"What! Chen Jiangping, that traitor wanted by the Wanxiang Tower... his Luck is so Heaven-Defying that he actually obtained the emperor wus final edict!"

"Heavens! The emperor wus final edict! Such a legendary divine object has actually appeared in the world!"

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is! I was wondering why Chen Jiangping suddenly betrayed our Wanxiang Tower. It turns out it was because he obtained the legendary emperor wus final edict. Quick, quick, notify the headquarters immediately!"

"Quick, quick! Dragon Guard Chen Jiangping has obtained the emperor wus final edict. Activate the emergency procedures and notify the Sect immediately!"

...After a moment of dead silence across the entire street, countless spies went wild. They rapidly sent out messages to the outside world, reporting this monumental secret to their respective factions.

The instigator of it all, the green-feathered parrot, quickly left the eaves. As it flapped its wings and flew toward other districts, it continued to shout:

"The former Vice Tower Master of the Dongshan Prefecture Wanxiang Tower branch, Chen Jiangping, has obtained the emperor wus final edict and has already defected to the Great Yuan Dynasty Dragon Guard!"

"The former Vice Tower Master of the Dongshan Prefecture Wanxiang Tower branch, Chen Jiangping, has obtained the emperor wus final edict and has already defected to the Great Yuan Dynasty Dragon Guard!"

...The thunderous shouts echoed through Yuanxi City, like a spark starting a prairie fire, instantly sweeping through the capital and then across the entire Nine Provinces!

Soon, everyone knew that the Wanxiang Tower traitor, now a member of the Great Yuan Dynasty Dragon Guard, Chen Jiangping, had obtained the legendary emperor wus final edict!

...The Capital, Yuan Imperial Palace.

The Yuan Imperial Palace in spring remained as majestic as ever. Golden roofs reflected the sun, red walls were like blood, and within the palace, eaves overlapped while carved beams pierced the clouds. Every piece of glazed tile embodied the dignity of the imperial family.

Inside the palace, nobles surrounded by countless eunuchs and palace maids passed through the halls. Jewels and emeralds reflected the sunlight, and silk hems swept across the white marble steps. The palace servants standing on both sides lowered their heads and eyes, the tassels of the palace lanterns in their hands swaying gently, everywhere displaying the prosperous and elegant scene of the Yuan Imperial Palace.

At this time, outside a secluded courtyard in the Yuan Imperial Palace.

The current Yuan Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty, the true Dominator of this extravagant Yuan Imperial Palace—Yuan Jingyi, Yuan Jingyi—was currently dressed in a low-profile, simple black robe as he walked slowly to the front of the courtyard.

Then, with a respectful expression, he reached out his right hand to lightly grasp the door ring and gently knocked on the vermilion gate, which had some peeling paint:

*Knock, knock, knock!*

"Second Ancestor, your unworthy descendant Yuan Jingyi has important matters to report. I hope the Second Ancestor can grant me an audience."

"Come in!"

As soon as Yuan Jingyi finished speaking, an incredibly old voice with weak Qi echoed from within the courtyard.

Hearing these words, Yuan Jingyi—the Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty and an Innate Golden Core Grandmaster—only then dared to push open the vermilion gate, which didn't even have a bolt and could be opened by an ordinary person with a gentle push. He then slowly walked into the courtyard and saw the scene inside.

This was an ordinary small courtyard, covering only about a hundred square meters.

The courtyard was bare. Aside from a poplar tree that had already lost all its leaves due to the severe cold, there was nothing else. It looked extremely desolate.

Under this bare poplar tree, an old man wearing a simple grey coarse-cloth robe, with white hair and beard and a weak aura, lay loosely on an old reclining chair. He looked as if he were on the verge of death at any moment, without the slightest bit of Life Qi.

However, the moment he saw this old man, the Yuan Jingyi—who was supreme in the outside world—buried his head lower than a quail and said respectfully:

"Second Ancestor!"

"Mhm, Jingyi. Why have you come this time? What important matter do you have to report to me?"

Upon hearing this, the old man did not even lift his eyelids. He remained lying loosely on the reclining chair, as if the man in black before him were not the emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty, but rather an ordinary servant.

Yuan Jingyi showed no sign of offense at this. Instead, he spoke even more respectfully:

"Second Ancestor, it is like this. Over a month ago, a super Prodigy Genius appeared in the Heavenly Mountain Sect of Qingzhou."

"His name is Lin Yi, and his talent is incredibly remarkable. At only sixteen years old, he achieved a Breakthrough to Martial Dao Second Rank. Furthermore, his Realm is so high that he actually possesses First Rank Middle Stage combat power, ranking thirty-sixth on the nine provinces latent dragon general ranking."

"Therefore, after learning the news, I immediately had Marquis Huailin Chen Zhao, who is stationed in Qingzhou, take the Xiantian Golden Core Realm Black and White Impermanence along with the Dragon Guards I had already arranged to assassinate him."

"But who could have expected that Lin Yi, who only had First Rank Middle Stage combat power a month ago, would actually explode with First Rank Invincible combat power in that battle? With a single strike, he directly killed three of our Great Yuan Dynasty Dragon Guards."

"Our three Xiantian experts were also suppressed by the Heavenly Mountain Sect's Pavilion Master of Tianshan, 'One Sword Sinks the River' Liu Donglai, and were unable to act. In the end, not only did the assassination mission fail completely, but Lin Yi and a Senior Brother of his—who is also First Rank Invincible—turned the tables and hunted down the remaining Dragon Guards."

"Ultimately, eight of the ten Dragon Guards were killed in action, with only two managing to escape back. More importantly, Lin Yi obtained an emperor wus final edict from one of the Dragon Guards!"

"What! He achieved First Rank Invincible at seventeen, and you even let him get the emperor wus final edict?"

"Useless! I handed the Great Yuan Dynasty over to you, and you ended up causing such a massive disaster!"

Hearing this, the old man on the reclining chair—who had been calm and composed even upon learning that Lin Yi had achieved First Rank Invincible at seventeen—suddenly snapped his eyes open.

His once cloudy eyes suddenly shot out two terrifying rays of divine light. His eyes were filled with rage, staring fixedly at Yuan Jingyi as if he wanted to devour him.

In an instant, the current Yuan Jingyi of the Great Yuan Dynasty was frightened out of his wits.