sjar Chapter 115: The Smoke in the Desert
Chapter 115: The Smoke in the Desert
“Amitabha, if His Majesty wants an explanation, why not ask us directly? I happen to have an important matter to report to His Majesty.” Master Xuanzhen led Tie Guxing and the others into the Five Mountains Hall, where they clasped their hands in prayer.
Having just dealt with the assassins, everyone except Fei Xi and two other members of the Qingcheng Sect who remained in the main hall of the Five Mountains Palace to treat Wei Jiucheng was asked to leave.
Vatti's purge of officials has nothing to do with these martial arts figures.
But when he heard Hua Di demand an explanation from the Spirit Hall outside the hall, Master Xuanzhen, one of the elders of the Spirit Hall and a member of the Shaolin School, could no longer sit still and stepped into the hall.
"I am safe and sound today, thanks to your help. I will reward you according to your merits. But today, my children died tragically because of the Old Man of Death. If it weren't for the righteous people, I would have almost lost my life as well. If you, Master Xuanzhen, have come to plead for mercy, you may leave. I will pursue these lawless martial arts madmen to the end!"
Hua Di's stern face was filled with anger, showing no sign of backing down.
"This old monk is not here to plead for my Shaolin Sect. I wonder if Your Majesty still remembers the massacre in Sanhe Town, Nanxuan City, half a year ago?"
"Oh, is it Nanxuan City, the place that hosted the grand gathering of the three religions?"
Seeing that Emperor Hua remembered him, Master Xuanzhen clasped his hands together and bowed again. As he bowed, he happened to make eye contact with Fei Xi, who was sitting to Emperor Hua's left. After just one glance, Master Xuanzhen looked away.
Master Xuanzhen began his story from Sanhe Town and continued all the way to the "Cloud Auction" that has recently caused a great stir in the martial arts world.
"This auction list was brought back from the Cloud Auction by the heroes of Thunderbolt Fortress and the Qingcheng Sect. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Hai Gonggong took the letter and handed it to Hua Di.
Upon seeing the contents of the list, Emperor Hua slammed it onto the dragon throne, roaring in fury:
"What a cloud auction! A seventh-rank county magistrate, the daughter of a high-ranking official, a dying old man! Are these people willing to sell even the dragon throne beneath me if they can afford the price?!"
"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. My feelings are the same as yours. The unique skills of our sects are the foundation of our martial arts sects, which are not passed down to outsiders. They are the cornerstone of our sects' ability to be passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years. Now, the unique skills of various sects have been leaked because of this auction. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Our century-old foundation may be destroyed in an instant."
The kind-faced old monk spoke, then changed his tone and continued in a deep voice:
"I never imagined that this madman behind the scenes not only wanted to destroy all the sects of our martial arts world, but also dared to send people to assassinate His Majesty and deliberately frame our sects. I suspect that the person behind this is plotting something big and should not be taken lightly. I can guarantee that none of the people who just tried to assassinate His Majesty are from any of our major sects. I urge His Majesty to see the truth."
Hua Di frowned slightly. "What the master said makes some sense, but your sect's secret techniques have already been leaked. What are you going to do about it?"
"Your Majesty, the best course of action now is to wipe out this so-called auction in one fell swoop. We are willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty!" said Prime Minister Yao, who led the way.
"We are willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty!" / "We are willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty!" The people in the hall responded in unison.
……
Inside the magnificent palace, on a high platform deep within the main hall, a woman kneels before a bed, carefully wiping the sweat from the head of an elderly man.
The old man's eyes were tightly closed, and an ominous grayness appeared on his normally youthful, ruddy, and healthy face.
"Is Master Wei still not awake?" Gu Qingfeng, dressed in fine clothes, walked in with a young monk.
As soon as he entered, he immediately dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the main hall.
Fei Xi looked up at Gu Mingfeng with a calm expression, shook her head, picked up the medicine bowl beside her, and carefully fed her master spoonful by spoonful.
The assassination attempt on Emperor Hua during his birthday celebration was not publicized. Those who were able to enter the Five Mountains Palace to celebrate Emperor Hua's birthday were all among the most elite figures in the officialdom.
After seeing the eunuchs and palace maids who had served in the main hall disappear, everyone knew perfectly well what could be said and what should be kept secret.
The fourth prince was posthumously granted the title of Prince Yu, while Princess Yongle retained only her title of princess and received no further posthumous honors. Consort Yao also did not receive any consolation or reward from Emperor Hua.
Fei Xi's master, Wei Jiucheng, was injured while saving Emperor Hua. Emperor Hua bestowed upon Wei Jiucheng the title of Xuan Yi Zhenren and granted the Qingcheng Sect a newly built Ziyang Palace as his place of cultivation.
Meanwhile, various rewards were bestowed upon the martial arts community. Even Fei Xi, at the suggestion of Empress Wang, was granted the title of "Princess Shouguang" by Emperor Hua.
When Fei Xi received the imperial decree, she felt completely bewildered.
When she overheard the Second Prince's background in the secret chamber beneath the stage, she knew she absolutely couldn't let anyone know that she and Gu Mingfeng were there, and that she had stopped Gu Mingfeng from leaving.
Later, in order to save people, Gu Mingfeng deliberately exposed himself to the deranged Second Prince and almost got shot to death by archers in the Five Mountains Palace while trying to save Consort Li and her entourage.
When Fei Xi was brought out of the secret passage by Junior Brother Ji, she was focused on saving Gu Mingfeng.
I don't know if it's a case of fools having good luck or just pure good fortune.
While treating Gu Mingfeng, Fei Xi unexpectedly discovered that he had no internal energy at all, but his Ren and Du meridians had been opened. She immediately ordered that Gu Mingfeng not be moved, and used acupuncture to treat his injuries while helping him to fully open his Ren and Du meridians.
She did save Gu Mingfeng, but if anyone should be rewarded, it should be Prince Rui's business. Why would Emperor Hua agree to bestow the title of "Princess" upon her?
"Princess, please accept the decree and express your gratitude. Not to mention that Master Xuan Yi has been kind to His Majesty, His Majesty has always praised your righteousness in Nanxuan City. However, due to the special circumstances at the time, it was not appropriate to bestow more rewards. Now, you can reward them all at once." Seemingly noticing Fei Xi's confusion, Eunuch Hai, who came to deliver the decree, smiled so much that his wrinkles folded into the shape of chrysanthemums, and took the initiative to curry favor.
Even though her intuition told her that things weren't so simple, Fei Xi still accepted the imperial edict with a smile and expressed her gratitude.
After the rebellion was quelled, everyone else left the capital.
Because Wei Jiucheng was seriously injured and remained unconscious, Empress Wang arranged for him to stay at Liangyi Palace. Fei Xi, naturally, stayed behind to take care of her master and did not leave the palace.
But today, she is preparing to temporarily leave the capital.
"You're going to the desert?"
"The poison my master was afflicted by was the venom of a scorpion called the 'Golden Crow Scorpion' in the desert. I've heard people say that throughout history, those who have been stung by this scorpion in the desert have a slim chance of survival. But if, when stung, one happens to encounter a Tianbao flower in full bloom, eating the flower can neutralize the scorpion venom and save the person."
"I'll arrange for someone to fetch it for you; why do you have to go to the desert yourself?"
“My master’s injuries are urgent, and the Tianbao Flower is extremely rare in the desert. No one but me can find it as quickly as possible and bring it back while preserving its medicinal properties.”
Behind those arrogant words were a pair of extremely serious eyes. Under that gaze, Gu Mingfeng turned his face away and coughed lightly.
"Then hurry back. I'll take care of Master Wei's safety."
"Amitabha Buddha, Master Xuanzhen sent me to inform the Princess that the boat has been found with the help of Master Yu, but the owner of the boat has not yet been apprehended."
Upon hearing this, Fei Xi glanced at the speaker and asked a strange question:
"Brother Jiewang, do you truly have Buddha in your heart? Why haven't you had a precept scar on your head yet?"