Chapter 296 Replacing Gold with Fire

At this moment, within the palace of the Great Jin Dynasty.

Inside the Yongshou Palace where the Empress Dowager resided, the Prince of Zhenbei, Li Shuoting, sat upright and was meticulously recounting the events that had transpired in Northern Mang to Empress Dowager Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng.

Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng's waterfall-like black hair was swept up by a golden hairpin, revealing her long, fair neck. Clad in bright yellow palace attire, she sat upon the Phoenix throne, possessing an innate majesty that commanded respect, causing everyone to subconsciously overlook her breathtaking beauty.

As the reigning Prince of Zhenbei, Li Shuoting dared not show any disrespect toward the Empress Dowager; both his tone and movements were impeccable.

To the left of Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng sat an old man in hempen robes.

Li Shuoting naturally recognized him; he was the Imperial Observatory Supervisor. No one knew his real name, only that his surname was Ge.

Although the rank of the Imperial Observatory Supervisor might not seem high, even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager addressed this mysterious Supervisor as Old Master Ge.

This was sufficient to show his high status within the Imperial Court.

Ever since Li Shuoting could remember, the man had looked exactly like this.

Now, even though he himself was nearly four hundred years old, the man still looked the same.

It could be said that in his life, Li Shuoting had seen countless mysterious and unknown people and events, and the Supervisor before him was one of the most mysterious individuals he had ever known.

"The northern border defense is now as good as nonexistent."

"Lin Guanhai of Longsheng Pass died long ago at the hands of the Great Black Heavenly Demon Cult, later replaced by Golden Peak, a Celestial Being from that cult, who was subsequently killed by Yan Chu."

"As for Duan Yu of Yanhui Pass, he died at the hands of the descending Incarnation of the Wolf God."

"Pang Chong returned to the capital with me. Now, there is only Teng Shijie at the northern border; if Northern Mang were in its prime, it would be impossible to defend."

"However, fortunately, Yan Chu's cultivation is peerless in this world; I fear that even the Khan of Beiman, Luan Di Tianye, is no match for him."

"He is currently rampaging through Northern Mang, and no one can stop him. For the time being, Northern Mang has absolutely no spare strength to head south."

After Li Shuoting finished recounting everything he knew, he awaited the Empress Dowager's instructions.

He had not expected the situation currently facing the Imperial Court to be so dire.

He had been single-mindedly defending against foreign tribes at the northern border, yet the rebel army had reached his doorstep.

If not for the warning from the Great Hero Yan, Yan Chu, he likely would not even know about it now. By the time he returned from Northern Mang, he feared the entire Great Jin Dynasty would have changed hands, and it would no longer be the world of his Li family.

The Empress Dowager listened quietly, her eyes filled with astonishment.

She looked at the old man in hempen robes beside her.

"Old Master Ge, everything is truly as you expected!"

Old Master Ge, the Supervisor, had cloudy eyes and seemed not to have heard the Empress Dowager's words, as he was deep in thought.

The Empress Dowager did not mind and said to Li Shuoting, "Prince of Zhenbei, the rebel army of Xue Bai is now entrenched in Yongzhou. I fear a full-scale war with the Imperial Court will break out any day now; both sides are currently accumulating strength."

"You shall first proceed to Tianque City on the border of Zhongzhou to stand guard. Keep a close watch on the movements of the rebel army, and report to me immediately if there is any disturbance!"

"Yes!"

The Prince of Zhenbei stood up and cupped his hands. At the end, he hesitated and said, "Empress Dowager, this subject wishes to pay a visit to Your Majesty!"

He had been guarding Longsheng Pass for decades without returning to the capital; logically, he should at least see the Emperor once.

But there was not a trace of expression on Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng's stunningly beautiful face; she only said indifferently, "Focus on suppressing the rebellion first!"

"When the Emperor wishes to see you, you will naturally see him."

"Yes!"

The Prince of Zhenbei had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Back when he was guarding Longsheng Pass, he had heard that the Emperor was critically ill and that several princes were vying for the position of Crown Prince.

But he had always harbored doubts about this matter.

The Emperor was his older brother, and he understood him well.

With his cultivation bolstered by the Luck of the Imperial Dynasty, while not invincible in the world, he could at least rival the Dao Head of Qingyang Palace and the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain; he was a supreme powerhouse who had opened the three Divine Treasuries.

What on earth could have caused him to suddenly become critically ill?

Although he knew that the Emperor had suffered a serious injury in his youth.

He had been assassinated by the leader of the Holy Lotus Sect, leaving the Emperor critically wounded and at death's door. Fortunately, he returned to the palace in time and requested the world's number one miracle doctor at the time to treat him, which kept him alive.

After that, the Emperor had stayed in the palace and never left again.

Could it be that for all these years he had been guarding the border, his imperial brother's wounds had never healed?

Although he respected the Empress Dowager, this did not prevent him from having various speculations in his heart.

Thoughts flashed through the Prince of Zhenbei's mind as he left the palace.

After Li Shuoting left, the cloudy eyes of Old Master Ge, who was sitting not far from the Empress Dowager, suddenly became clear.

"Yan Chu is a variable!"

"He is very likely to disrupt our plans!"

Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng was startled. She turned her luminous, fair face toward the other, raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, and parted her red lips to ask, "What do you mean, Old Master Ge?"

"Yan Chu has no power or background. Even if he has opened the three Divine Treasuries and achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, what influence can a lone individual have on the situation?"

Old Master Ge shook his head and said with a cold expression, "I have divined using the Art of Five Virtues; the Great Jin Dynasty possesses the Mandate of Metal and will be replaced by the Mandate of Fire in the near future!"

"That Xue Bai relies on the Buddhist sect. Although he possesses great Luck, he is tainted by the Karma of the Buddhist sect. Given the insatiable greed of the Buddhist sect, perhaps one day in the future, he will be swallowed alive by them and completely reduced to a Puppet of the Buddhist sect."

"Ultimately, he is unlikely to achieve anything great!"

"But the Prince of Zhenbei just said that this Yan Chu Cultivates a tyrannical and powerful fire-attribute divine art and possesses a mysterious flame capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas. The Mandate of Fire likely manifests in this person."

"Furthermore, Northern Mang is a land of bitter cold, yet within its Imperial Court lies Chilie Mountain, which can be called the world's fiery cavern. This is the heart of its Imperial Court being invaded by divine fire."

"According to the theory of Yin and Yang rotation and the mutual restraint of the Five Elements, Northern Mang will likewise be destroyed by someone who possesses the Mandate of Fire."

"I assert that Northern Mang cannot hold on for long; it will surely be destroyed or replaced by Yan Chu!"

"By then, flames will incinerate the entire great grassland!"

"This……"

Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng rubbed her brow with her slender, onion-like fingers and smiled bitterly. "Old Master Ge, aren't you being a bit too overly anxious?"

"Yan Chu Cultivates a fire-attribute divine art, but how does that prove the Mandate of Fire manifests in him? There are countless people in this world who Cultivate fire-attribute divine arts."

"Furthermore, the threat of Xue Bai is imminent, while Yan Chu has never had any conflict of interest with the Imperial Court. I have even shown goodwill toward this person several times. As far as I know, he is not someone who returns kindness with ingratitude!"

Upon hearing these words, Old Master Ge's expression also showed some hesitation. After a long while, he said, "It is also possible that I am overthinking it. After all, his background and origins have always been impossible to divine."

"However, caution is paramount; we should try to advance our plans!"

"I estimate the great war with the rebel army will take place in these next few days!"

"Hmm!"

Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng nodded gently, her deep eyes betraying no hint of what she was thinking.

It was not until the figure of Old Master Ge, the Supervisor, slowly faded and disappeared from the great hall that a somewhat lingering, cold voice from Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng emerged from within the deep palace.

"Yan Chu…… Yan Chu?"