"BIG NEWS!"
A skinny martial artist rushed into the inn, his face flushed. He held on to his knees as he gasped for breath.
"What?"
Immediately, everyone's attention was drawn. Even the bartender put down the abacus he was fiddling with.
The person finally caught his breath. He exclaimed loudly and excitedly, "It's all gone crazy outside! I heard that this morning, Heavenly Immortal Sun from Capital Wu actually hung the Empress Dowager and the Emperor on the city gates. He demanded that Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian, who's apparently at the Raw Sun Mountain Range, come back to meet him!"
"If Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian doesn't show up by tomorrow morning, then Heavenly Immortal Sun says that he will hang the Empress Dowager and Emperor to death in front of thousands!"
After relaying his news, the news bearer was on the verge of collapsing.
"What!?"
Immediately, there was a ruckus in the tavern.
This city was quite close to Capital Wu, so they had already received the news in the afternoon.
This was indeed monumental news. It was racing through the entire Dong Yue Wu Kingdom like wildfire. Even the neighboring countries knew about this.
"Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian should already know and should be on his way back! Forget tomorrow morning, he might almost be back at Capital Wu already!"
"My God, then the two immortals are going to have a life and death battle! What could their conflict be?"
"No idea. I hear that Heavenly Immortal Sun is the new Immortal Protector, and that Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian should be leaving, although he hasn't yet. Could that be it?"
"Even so, he wouldn't hold our mortal Empress Dowager and Emperor hostage, would he...."
The entire inn had been seized with a fervor. Many of the staying customers had also flocked out to join the debate.
"If not for the fact that there is no successor, I would wish for Emperor Yuan Hao and that Yuan Xi to both die. Ever since Yuan Hao ascended, our lives have never been the same."
"Hear, hear. Emperor Yuan Hao is peevish, ruthless, and inept to boot."
"Forget all that now. Many are going to Capital Wu to watch the fun. Are you all going?"
Wu You had been sleeping on the bed, but the ruckus had roused her. Hearing news of Capital Wu, she opened the door without a word. Indeed, it was news of Capital Wu's events that drifted up.
"Yu...."
Hearing that Wu Yu had strung them up, she became even more anxious.
"Hao Tian will hurry back soon. It will be a showdown that ends in death...." Wu You's heartbeat quickened.
Caught up with the news, she had forgotten that her looks in this city belonged to beauties that only came once in a hundred years. Her appearance had drawn much attention.
Wu You returned to her room and shut the door. Even so, her heart thudded violently against her chest.
......
Capital Wu!
Morning passed into evening. More than half the time had already passed.
Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao were crammed into a cranny. The sour smell of piss fouled the air. They were a wretched picture.
After being tortured for so long, both had lost their spirit. They hugged each other, ashamed to face the tens of thousands of Capital Wu citizens thronging around. They were normally far above them. Their anger resulted in thousands of deaths. But now they were like caged birds for the amusement of Wu Yu.
"Mother Dowager, if I can escape this, then when Father kills him, please let me have a hand as well. I want to personally gouge out his eyeballs. I long to find Wu You and do it before his very eyes!" Yuan Hao said in a low voice. His eyes had a red glint.
"Not just you. I also want this Sun Wudao to pay the highest, most painful price! He loves Wu You, doesn't he? I will torture Wu You for a lifetime, and yet not let her die!"
Both their brains were colluding to produce venomous words.
"Don't worry. Your father will soon be here. This Sun Wudao did not kill us before, and he is giving us a chance at life. Once we have escaped this harsh crisis, up next will be his own doom!"
Even if he was a Heavenly Immortal, they still bore hatred in their hearts!
Unparalleled hatred!
That dense bloodthirst was entrenched deeply within their hearts.
All they showed now was a wretched, fearful state.
But in truth, their conversation did not escape Wu Yu's ears. Wu Yu only laughed coldly.
Besides them, Prince Qin and the others had also been kneeling for more than half a day. At this moment, their faces were not looking good. Many already had their knees bruised and scraped either purple or red.
In order to receive Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian's return, he had vacated a huge battlefield. The Capital Wu citizens who had been thronging around had already been relocated by Wu Yu to a safe distance.
Even now, he did not allow them a single drink of water, although they were parched....
The entire Capital Wu was extremely quiet this evening.
Wu Yu stood on the imperial city’s castle walls, looking towards the direction of Raw Sun Mountain Range. Finally, in the instant that the sun dipped below the horizon, there came a piercing neigh in the distant sky. Hao Tian had finally returned!
Weng, weng, weng!
The Pegasus' snow white feathers were flapping with speed. It was already pushed to its limits. It was clear how much haste he had made.
Wu You's worry had not borne fruit. Jiang Junlin had not returned. Not even Yuan Chen had come along.
"Sun Wudao!!"
A loud roar shook the skies. It felt like storm clouds rolling over Capital Wu.
The citizens of Capital Wu, seeing the extent of Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian's anger, inadvertently retreated.
Bang!
Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian was clad in a robe decorated with eight trigrams. He wielded his Firestorm Horsetail Whisk and descended directly from the skies. He shook the entire ground with his landing!
Weng!
At this time, both faced the other, the fire of battle flaring up within!
In Wu Yu's mind's eye, Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian was already burning in flames.
When Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian saw Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao, his eyes were on the verge of spitting fire as well. He had waited on Raw Sun Mountain Range for four days, and was about to witness the Lifegiving Fruit ripen. Who would have thought he would receive such news!
He thought that Wu Yu should have been trying to reach the Qi Condensation Realm at this time. He had seen Wu Yu take the Spectral Concubine's Sumeru Pouch with his own eyes. He surmised that the Spectral Concubine must have had quite a few Spirit Concentration Pills.
Who would have thought....
"Sun Wudao, your brain must be clogged with water. You actually dare to use the mortal emperor to threaten me!?" He circled towards Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao's direction, aiming to rescue them first.
However, Wu Yu blocked the enraged Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian, the Demon Subduing Staff barring his way. Wu Yu merely gave a chilling laugh, saying, "Hao Tian, I have endured till this day. No more. Let me tell you the truth. My name is not Sun Wudao."
"What!?"
Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian stared nonplussed at the Demon Ape Mask on Wu Yu's face. Wu Yu had spoken with his own voice, and he had begun to have his suspicions.
"Heavenly Immortal Sun Wudao, your real name is not Sun Wudao?"
Instantly, everyone's eyes bulged, including the members of the court, the guards, the citizens of Capital Wu, as well as Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao. They looked at him with incredible suspicion and disbelief.
"Who are you!?"
A sense of dread sprung forth in Hao Tian's heart. He did not know where the feeling came from.
They had finally come to this moment.
The Demon Ape Mask that Wu Yu had donned was precisely for this moment. It was time for the grand reveal!
From this moment on, he would not need to hide in Capital Wu again.
As Wu Yu's palm touched his Demon Ape Mask, even Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian held his breath.
"Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian, Imperial Concubine Xi, Yuan Hao, as well as all the gathered friends of Capital Wu. It's been a while...."
As Wu Yu spoke, his palm gently moved, and the mask was off!
A beam of golden light flashed past.
Within the golden light, not many could see his face clearly.
Until their eyes adjusted to the light.
Gaze burning bright, handsome and majestic. He cut an awesome figure. A godlike youth! The light continued to stream from his face. A young emperor whose face shone with the light of justice!
"Argh!"
Seeing this face, Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian howled and had to retreat three steps before he found his ground.
His face turned from the flushed red of anger into a frightening green. After all, in what he imagined, Wu Yu's face could not be like this.
When Wu Yu turned to face Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao, both were petrified as well, gasping as though they had seen a ghost. Both began to shake, and almost fell off of their own accord. All four of their legs had turned to jelly!
"Wu... Wu Yu...." Yuan Xi's lips were trembling, her eyes huge.
"A ghost... A ghost...." Yuan Hao buried his face in Yuan Xi's bosom, his body shaking. His legs were the same way. They were on the verge of falling off.
At this moment, Wu Yu's true identity was finally revealed!
"That's Wu Yu!" Prince Qin and Martial Wu had fallen to the floor, consumed by their fear. Prince Qin clutched his chest. He was getting on in his years, and now his whole body had broken out in a cold sweat. The fright was almost the death of him!
Heavenly Immortal Sun Wudao was actually Wu Yu!
When he thought of Sun Wudao's might, and then recalled the night when he had betrayed Wu Yu, his life almost fled from his body in fright.
"That's Prince Yu!"
Thousands of Capital Wu citizens were stunned. They stared at the tall, impressive man on the castle walls. It was like a mythical legend.
The familiar Wu Yu, who had been a respected symbol of the Capital Wu citizens for 15 years past.
Until the night before he was supposed to ascend the throne. He had apparently slept with his mother concubine, and then relieved of his status by Heavenly Immortal Hao Tian. He had been banished to the border, and then eaten by a snake demon in the forest.
Although Wu Yu had been outstanding and left fond memories, everyone had been inclined to believe the immortal. Wu Yu's good name of a lifetime had been destroyed overnight. In addition to the hatred that Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao bore toward Wu Yu, no one had dared to mention the former prince.
And in this instant, he had actually returned from the dead, and as a heavenly immortal....
These shocked and disbelieving eyes were exactly what Wu Yu wished to see!
But this was only the beginning of today.
...