roccoschili Chapter 223: The Diary Of A Mad Historian (2)
Chapter 223: The Diary Of A Mad Historian (2)
Chapter 223: The Diary Of A Mad Historian (2)
Around the Emperor, there was only death.
The elite warriors of the imperial army who protected him had also died.
The Guardian, trusted to protect the Emperor even if the outlaws of the martial world invaded, was easily slaughtered.
Although it was unthinkable that a mere commoner was reaching into the Emperor’s mouth, no one dared to intervene.
The royal guards, who arrived belatedly at the grand hall, were no different.
The soldiers, cautiously raising their crossbows, lowered their arms again at the urgent gaze of the colonel.
In front of the reckless demon holding the Emperor’s life in his hands, there was nothing they could do.
The Heavenly Demon sneered.
“He has wet himself.”
Emperor Jing trembled.
His trousers were soaked with a warm, yellowish liquid.
It was from extreme fear.
The ministers and the imperial army averted their eyes from the scene.
They couldn’t bear to witness the Emperor’s humiliation.
“You might have thought yourself a dragon hidden in the clouds, but this is your reality.”
Then, a snapping sound came from the Emperor’s mouth as the Heavenly Demon inserted his hand.
“Uuuuuugh!”
Screams echoed through the grand hall.
“Stop it! Stop!”
“Your Majesty, Your Maaajesty!”
It was unclear whether those weeping and wailing were truly loyal or just pretending to be.
What was certain was that all they did was wail; no one dared to attack.
Crack!
And then another scream.
“Remember. It would be best to remember.”
Whether the Emperor struggled to break free or bit Heavenly Demon’s finger, it was useless.
The Heavenly Demon laughed softly.
His eyes swirled with a sinister vortex.
The Emperor tried to avoid his gaze, but...
“Look at me.”
He found himself unable to resist that command.
The Emperor’s eyes slackened. His face, unfocused, dripped blood and saliva from his mouth.
“Do not forget today’s pain. Your descendants must not forget either. Everyone except those from the Jo family who covet your throne should remember this, daring not to forget.”
It was a quiet threat.
Or it could also be called a curse.
“If you aim to rule over everyone in the Central Plains, always remember that I can come for you.”
These words were not just directed at Emperor Jing.
They were also meant for the imperial lineage that would continue, and for anyone who would rule these Central Plains.
Crack—
He pulled out the last of the three molars.
The Heavenly Demon held the three teeth in his hand and clenched his fist.
From between his clenched fingers, the powdered teeth trickled down.
Even without a breeze, the powder scattered in all directions.
“Do not even think of baring your teeth at me, and just squirm like the insects you are.”
With those words, the Heavenly Demon disappeared.
It was thought that even the Heavenly Demon would find it difficult to easily break through the human barriers surrounding the grand hall.
But the Heavenly Demon did just that.
He did not create a bloody path by slaughtering all who blocked him.
Instead, as if refusing to follow the paths made by humans, he simply broke through one of the walls of the grand hall and walked out.
By the time the imperial army followed, no trace of the Heavenly Demon could be found.
He had vanished like a ghost, just as he had once appeared suddenly on the steps of the Imperial Palace.
It was a chilling affair.
If the Heavenly Demon decided to, no one in the Central Plains could escape death.
Historically, the greatest enemy of a ruler has been an assassin, and the Heavenly Demon was not only the best martial artist in the world but also the best assassin in the world.
Emperor Jing did not regain consciousness for several days.
He merely screamed in nightmarish terror, sweating profusely for a full fortnight.
His first imperial edict upon awakening was an order not to pursue Heavenly Demon.
Thus, the chaos that was about to unfold in the martial world was halted.
The disaster that occurred that day was left unrecorded.
Though it was nearly impossible for such a tremendous event to remain undocumented, too many were involved.
Too many would have lost their heads had they been held accountable.
Thus coerced and after much coercion, the records were deleted.
Emperor Jing languished for years afterward and then died.
Although it wasn’t the sole cause, it was clear that the downfall of the Song dynasty began then.
Thud—
The official who went mad by Emperor Jing’s side but luckily survived.
The journal he left was discovered by a woman, Seong Ji-an.
She had just learned a secret that a member of the royal family had been poisoned.
“The previous Senior Grand Secretary before me also fell victim to the same people. The County Princess and the Crown Prince are also targeted by them.”
The situation was becoming increasingly complicated.
Did this mean the reach of the shadowy forces extended this far?
“What about the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Surely, the Admiral Grand Eunuch hasn’t...”
It was a critique of their inaction up until this point. For a moment, she suspected that the eunuchs of the Eastern Depot, specifically the Admiral Grand Eunuch, might have orchestrated this.
“It’s not their doing. However, they too are suffering.”
“Even them...”
The two direct military institutions under the emperor, known for their efficiency, are the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.
If they were struggling, it’s clear they haven’t fully grasped the identity of these shadowy forces.
“If things continue this way, the imperial family will be overturned.”
“...”
“If heaven collapses, it will be the end for us.”
“What should we do?”
They were like birds flying above the clouds, and the countless commoners lived on the ground.
But if the sky falls, birds and commoners alike will all be crushed.
Seong Ji-an realized that the danger she had noticed was bigger than she thought.
“There are two ways to survive.”
Seong Yeok-ju spoke while writing something with his brush.
“Firstly, we must identify and thoroughly investigate the group that is deceiving the Emperor and rectify the laws of the Great Ming Imperial Family.”
He did not mention the second method.
That he mentioned there was an alternative was also because Seong Ji-an was his daughter.
“Since we cannot rely on the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Eastern Depot, we need external assistance. Who do you think would be suitable?”
Seong Ji-an responded to her father’s test, “I have read the records of the Imperial Physician who examined His Majesty. His Taiyang acupoint is sunken, and he often feels hunger, so it was said that the Nine-Stem Nine Leaf Herb was prescribed.”
“Good.”
“We need experts in Qigong. Mere proficiency is insufficient; we need a master from the Murim.”
“Taoists or Buddhist monks from Shaolin are not suitable. You know why.”
“They will oppose it, claiming that Taoists will disrupt the royal duties.”
“Yes, for similar reasons, it’s also impossible to involve multiple foreigners.”
“We’ll need a legitimate reason to enter the imperial household.”
Seong Ji-an understood her father’s intentions.
And she was inwardly very surprised.
As expected, Seong Yeok-ju finally made a decision.
“I need to send this letter... to where my grandson... is.”
At that moment, it was clear that Seong Yeok-ju swallowed the words ‘in-law.’
A daughter may become an outsider once married, but for those in power, it worked the opposite way. Alliances formed through blood relations were the thickest.
Yet Seong Yeok-ju had severed relations with the powerful Baek Noble Clan.
Seong Ji-an knew the reason.
“Send a letter... to Baek Ryu-san.”
The Baek Clan Head, Baek Ryu-san, was a monster who had devoured his daughter, so thought Seong Yeok-ju.
“I will do so.”
Seong Ji-an faintly remembered her older sister.
Hye-ran, much older than her, felt more like a mother than a sister.
Seong Hye-ran, her father, when drunk, would occasionally lament that she had been a truly smart child.
Though she had been dead for a long time, Seong Yeok-ju had never once interacted with the Baek Clan.
He disliked even meeting his grandchildren, unwilling to be reminded of his deceased daughter.
“If he is sensible, he will not refuse my proposal.”
Seong Yeok-ju typically did not use rough language casually. But now, he seemed unaware of his own words.
“Tell him we need someone who has reached the evolutionary, the Creation Realm in Qigong. Preferably, have him come in person.”
The fact that he was prepared to meet the son-in-law he so detested showed how grave the situation was.
Seong Ji-an sent an urgent dispatch that very day.
It wasn’t long before a response arrived via dispatch.
The message stated that they would send the most suitable person as a priority.
Either the clan head himself would come, or perhaps one of the esteemed elders, he surmised.
And as time passed—
Seong Ji-an and Seong Yeok-ju welcomed a visitor from the Baek Clan.
The face of Seong Yeok-ju, the Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat who had been maintaining his composure, contorted.
Ever since he had come to influence the state affairs of Great Ming, his iron mask, which had never been broken, shattered into pieces.
“You, you are...”
Before him stood a strikingly young man.
Uncharacteristically delicate for a martial artist, with a fair face and pale skin.
It seemed he suffered from meridian blockage disease, a curse often befalling his family, and not just any ordinary case...
“Nice to meet you.”
Yi-gang bowed with a fist salute.
“Grandfather.”
He addressed his maternal grandfather, meeting him for the first time.