The surveillance department was a magnificent palace, made of crystal jade. Patterns of all kinds were engraved on the walls, resembling all sorts of mystical creatures such as dragons, phoenixes, unicorns and so on.
The palace housed one individual, the eldest prince of the Northern Dynasty, Chengyin. The insides of the palace were made of gold and jade, and Chengyin was seated on a throne made of crystal jade. He caressed the white rabbit in his arm as he closed his eyes and sat.
“The entire Northern Army was destroyed, only leaving behind the seven commanders.” Hearing this, his eyes immediately shot open, hostility evident in them.
“How is that possible? Even if they took on both s.h.i.+ Ba and s.h.i.+ Da together, there’s no way they would lose. They even had the support of the Icy Tiger and Icy Dragon Armies!”
“s.h.i.+ Da apparently came with the Eighteen Xians of the Blood Devil, along with the seven xian realm fighters that accompanied s.h.i.+guan. In addition, s.h.i.+ Ba released his Falling Thunder. In the midst of the chaos, a man appeared along with a pig. The pig devoured two commanders, one of the Icy Tiger Army and one of the Icy Dragon Army, in succession, collapsing the structure of the army. In addition, he also wielded the Xians Arc of Five Elements and used a technique called the Sixty Four Thousand Deicide Blades. His power was immense, he even managed to break through our disposition…” The rabbit in his arms replied, her voice soft and charming.
Closing his eyes, Cheng Yin began to meditate.
“A man wielding the Xians Arc of Five Elements, and a pig…”
“Do you know who that man was?”
“If my guess is right, he isn’t from the Northern Dynasty. He’s the rising rookie of the Eastern Dynasty, Xuanyuan. He’s the one who has the three promises from the Nightmare Ghost, and he possesses five fighting elements. The Gold of the Dark Phoenix that he owns allows him to break all protective dispositions. He also has a mount that has the head of a pig and the body of a dog. That man is the only one that matches the features you just described.”
Every five hundred years, the most promising disciples from the Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern Dynasties would gather in the Central Dynasty to compete against each other, thus forming the list of great emperors.
As a result, Cheng Yin kept an eye on all the promising rookies from all four regions, and undoubtedly gathered information on Xuanyuan.
“That’s him. How amusing, as a member of the Eastern Dynasty, he dares come all the way to the Northern Dynasty. What’s your plan now?” The rabbit spoke, her voice clear as a bell.
“For now, I can’t move freely. I’m not allowed to move out of this room. Xiao Chang, you can meet Xuanyuan on my behalf. Take the seven commanders with you and test him, I want to know his capabilities.”
Ching Yin’s eyes were filled with killing intent. The Northern Army was an army he had cultivated over a long period of time. He had poured endless amounts of time and resources to cultivate his forces. Now that his army was decimated, there’s no doubt that he would be furious.
“Remember, try and capture him alive. If that’s not possible, at least bring back his corpse. I will consume the Fire of the Red Lotus within his body. Since he has come seeking death, it’d be rude of me to not give it to him.”
“As you wish.
“How is the relations.h.i.+p between Cheng Yang and Yin Zhenluo developing?” Cheng Yin inquired, a strange smile forming on his lips.
“Yin Zhenluo hasn’t rejected Cheng Yang’s proposal to help her. Currently, they are cooperating, and finding the apt moment to enter the disposition area and find a way to destroy the Heart-Devouring Bug. I think Yin Zhenluo will fall in love with him. He is a handsome, gentle and talented man.”
Jumping out of his hands, the rabbit transformed into a beautiful, busty woman. She was dressed in a snow-white fur jacket which swept the ground. Her face was pale like snow, and her fragrance was irresistible.
“If that’s the case, I’m relieved. The disposition area is home to several treasures. If I work with my brother, things will proceed smoothly. Yin Zhenluo has the Heavenly Dragon Body of the Eastern Dynasty. If my second brother can get her hand in marriage, it will greatly benefit my future ambitions.” Despite the news of his army being destroyed, a smile graced Cheng Yin’s lips. He knew that Yin Zhenluo was worth far more than his army. Furthermore, she was also Xuanyuan’s romantic interest. If he found out that she had fallen in love with his brother,how would he react.
Xiao Chang suddenly frowned as she read the new letter she had just received. She was acting as his liaison with the outside world. She immediately informed him, “This is not good. The Emperor of Mount Tai has returned.”
Groaning, Cheng Yin frowned.
“That old bat is definitely bad news.”
“That’s right. Him and a group of elders are seeking to null your claim to the throne, and seat your younger brother, Cheng Yang, on the throne. They claim that you are cruel and reckless, and that even being locked up has not made you reflect on your actions. They say that you deployed the Northern Army to further provoke the Mo clan, causing the death of countless innocent civilians.” Xiao Chang worriedly replied. The last set of complaints had left them in a precarious position. Were it not for the combined effort of the royal family, Cheng Yin would not have gotten off with a mere three years of confinement.
“Those old b.u.g.g.e.rs are foolish. Why should we let the Mo clan go? Their trump cards threaten our throne. Taking it lightly will just bring disaster, are they not aware?!” Cheng Yin’s voice grew increasingly louder as cold flames began to rise from his body. The Yin Fire was responding to his increasing anger.
“Young master, what should we do now?”
“Don’t worry about me. My claim to the throne is unshakeable. The seven commanders chose right.”
Cheng Yin smiled coldly, his lips thin as a knife. CLosing his eyes, he slowly continued.
“Xiao Chang, for now, find Xuanyuan. Don’t worry about the other matters. The Emperor thinks that he can use my younger brother to quash my claim to the throne? Little does he know that he supports me whole-heartedly. If it were not the case, I would have been worried. The only other person with a reasonable claim to the throne is the seventh brother. But he cares not for matters of the court, preferring to maintain the ties of brotherhood and his own freedom. He is of even lesser consequence than Cheng Yang. None of the other brothers can even stand up to me.”
Smiling, Xiao Chang replied, “Yes.” Saying that, she disappeared.
Cheng Yin raised his head slightly, a sneer on his lips.
“The Northern Dynasty is destined to be mine. One day, I will definitely wipe out the entire Mo and Yao clans. I shall then lead the iron troops of the Northern Dynasty and conquer the entire world under the banner of the Northern Dynasty.”
Cheng Yin was ambitious, decisive, and willing to make difficult decisions. In fact, he was the best choice to become the next Emperor of the North. The current emperor, and all the other imperial families had high expectations of Cheng Yin, thus standing up for him during the recent debacle. Otherwise, he could have easily lost all his powers, and his cultivation would have been crippled despite him being the eldest prince.
The seven commanders went to the Ministry of Wartime Affairs and pled guilty to their crimes, covering up for Cheng Yin. They said that Cheng Yin being locked up for three years had made them furious, thus leading them to launch an attack on the Heavenly Icy City to wipe out the Mo clan.
The Emperor of Mount Tai was furious. He knew that the attack was Cheng Yin’s idea, but he couldn’t do anything when all the seven commanders took all the blame onto themselves. As a result, the Emperor could only increase his sentence from three years to six years. The seven commanders were demoted to commonfolk status, and they would never be in service again. They were packed off to Tianshuang city, to work in the army of that city.
The commanders of the Icy Dragon and Icy Tiger Armies claimed that they were threatened by the Northern Army, and that they had to follow their orders. Under normal circ.u.mstances, they should have all been dismissed due to abandoning the people they swore to protect. But as a result of Cheng yin’s maneuvering and the fact that the Northern Dynasty needed the troops, they only received a three-level demotion, and were told to stay in the capital for further observation.
Hearing that the Emperor of Mount Tai had moved his men to Tianshuang city made Cheng Yin furious. He knew that the Emperor was trying to weaken his strength. But at the end of the day, he had managed to gain the twelve commanders of the Icy Dragon and Icy Tiger Armies.
In public perception, Cheng Yin’s strength had fallen, but in actuality, he had gained a lot of strength. A political game had started between Cheng Yin and the Northern Dynasty, but neither side had suffered a blow. Cheng Yin’s ability could be seen from how he had maneuvered the entire situation.
All this while, Xuanyuan remained blissfully unaware of the danger that was approaching him.