At the Jiajing Emperor’s Mausoleum and the Founding Emperor’s Mausoleum, nearly twenty Celestials fought tonight, and the continuous loud noises had awakened all the guards of the entire Imperial Mausoleum.
When Great Shuo was founded, tens of thousands of elite soldiers were drawn from various armies to form the Twelve Guards, stationed in the capital to guard the city gates and palace gates. Among them, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) were the foremost.
But few people knew that at that time, it wasn't twelve guards that were established, but thirteen.
This extra guard was called the Xiaoling Guard.
At this moment, Zhu Shoujing, the Commander of the Xiaoling Guard, was pacing slowly in his room, his brows tightly furrowed.
The mission of the Xiaoling Guard was only one: to guard the Imperial Mausoleum. This was a task personally set by the founding ancestor, unchangeable for all generations.
However, the imperial decree Wang Zhi brought today was to forbid them from approaching the mausoleum. So he could only listen to the distant loud noises, caught between a rock and a hard place.
Suddenly, his steps halted.
"We can't wait any longer!"
"Wang, the Senior Attendant, brought ten revered experts. Even if the Ming Cult came out in full force, it would be like crushing dry branches. The sounds over there haven't stopped, which means something has gone wrong. Wang, the Senior Attendant, is not a Celestial, so he has probably met with misfortune."
"Someone!"
The Qianhu at the door pushed it open and entered: "Commander."
"Proceed at full speed to the capital and report to His Majesty that something has gone awry at the Imperial Mausoleum. Our Xiaoling Guard is responsible for guarding the Imperial Mausoleum; it is a task assigned by the founding ancestor. In an emergency, we must act decisively and can no longer stand idly by!"
"Yes!"
The Qianhu took his leave.
Zhu Shoujing immediately called for the various Qianhus, assembled his forces, and headed towards the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
At the same time, Li Miao also appeared outside the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
He didn't rush to approach but instead leaped onto a building, cupping his hand over his eyes to shade them as he looked towards the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Upon seeing this, Li Miao immediately raised his eyebrows.
"Tsk~ What a grand spectacle."
Outside the Xiaoling Mausoleum, eight Celestials were locked in a fierce battle. Five were the revered experts brought by Wang Zhi, while the other three used Ming Cult martial arts and were desperately trying to prevent the revered experts from rushing into the Xiaoling Mausoleum. At this point, they were already covered in wounds, struggling to cope, and would likely be killed within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn out.
But Li Miao merely glanced over there before shifting his gaze to the plaza outside the main hall of the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
There, a battle unlike any Li Miao had ever witnessed since arriving in Great Shuo was underway.
Yin Ruihua.
Yang Lizhang.
Li Miao could tell at a glance that Yin Ruihua, like him, was at the realm of Three Paths Unified, Two Paths Perfected!
And Yang Lizhang was even more special.
He was also at the realm of Three Paths Unified, with only one path perfected, yet he was able to contend with Yin Ruihua. Although he was at a disadvantage, by relying on a fighting style of exchanging injuries for injuries and lives for lives, he was actually suppressing Yin Ruihua!
Because his "Vajra" was the Shaolin Vajra. It was the "Vajra" that Xing Chi had achieved at that time with the help of Shaolin secret methods, far surpassing the perfected realm!
It was likely that when the Ming Cult attacked Shaolin, the secret treasure they took from Shaolin was intended to be used here.
Both of these individuals were qualified to contend with Li Miao for victory.
Li Miao did not rush over.
He was happy to watch others fight to the death, and besides, he didn't want to help either side.
He had never met Yang Lizhang and Yin Ruihua before. However, the physical characteristics of the Yang Family were too obvious.
Li Miao recognized Yang Lizhang's identity at a glance.
And who else could be confronting the Yang Family at the Xiaoling Mausoleum besides the court's Celestials?
The Yang Family need not be mentioned. As for the Ming Cult, Li Miao would certainly not let them off the hook.
As for Yin Ruihua, Li Miao had already killed so many Celestials of the court tonight, even slaying Wang Zhi. How could he still be considered a loyal subject? It was already good enough that he didn't go and kick them while they were down.
Watching the show and reaping the benefits of the struggle was quite good.
Li Miao yawned.
He was tired, exhausted.
Sleepy.
The Five Mountains Sword Sect matter had dragged on until now, and he truly regretted taking on the task of leaving the capital back then.
"I originally thought I'd go out and come back, treating it as a vacation, and seeing the martial world along the way. Now, look what happened, it's a hornet's nest, and all sorts of old things have been stirred up."
"After this trip, I'm not taking any more assignments. Even if Old Man Zhu talks until the sky falls, I need to rest for a year and a half."
Li Miao thought to himself.
And during this time, the struggle between Yang Lizhang and Yin Ruihua gradually drew to a close.
Yang Lizhang could no longer hold on.
He had broken through his realm by relying on Shaolin secret methods, and only by fighting desperately could he contend with Yin Ruihua. But as injuries accumulated, his movements gradually began to slow.
At their level, even a slight flaw could mean the difference between life and death.
Yang Lizhang struck Yin Ruihua with a "Great Nine Heavens Palm," suddenly exerting force, which pulled at a grotesque wound on his abdomen. In pain, his movements slowed by a fraction of a second.
"It's over."
Yang Lizhang sighed inwardly.
He knew that Yin Ruihua would absolutely not let this opening pass.
Indeed, Yin Ruihua's gaze sharpened, and he stepped forward, taking advantage of the instant his opponent's strike slowed, and landed a punch on his palm!
Crack!
Yang Lizhang's right arm flew high, leaving him wide open.
Yin Ruihua did not hesitate, landing a punch directly on his heart.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Yang Lizhang flew backward, crashing into the main hall of the mausoleum.
Boom!
The majestic main hall of the Xiaoling Mausoleum collapsed with a crash. Dust billowed, but Yang Lizhang never reappeared.
Yin Ruihua lowered his hand, not pursuing.
That last strike had shattered Yang Lizhang's heart meridians; even if he were still alive, he would not be able to get up again and could only be crushed to death in the ruins.
He shifted his gaze to the tomb, his expression fluctuating between light and shadow.
"Should I just leave now?" he thought.
He didn't dare to go inside and check.
He was afraid—afraid that if he saw that person, he would die.
Because he was originally the "jailer" here, tasked with guarding that person. Given that person's violent temperament, he would likely kill him the moment he saw him.
His temperament was by no means as gentle as some literati described; back then, he had nearly exterminated his own father's brothers. He was naturally even more ruthless towards others.
After a long hesitation, Yin Ruihua let out a long sigh.
He turned and strode towards the outside of the Imperial Mausoleum.
He didn't dare to gamble; it was better to leave now.
That person's active time was limited. At worst, he could wait a while, until the situation became clear, before returning.
As for the Emperor dying, then so be it. Zhu Family members killing each other was nothing new.
It was just a transaction, after all; his staying until now was already the utmost benevolence.
His steps were extremely fast, and in a blink of an eye, he had already reached the end of the Xiaoling Mausoleum's main hall plaza.
Yin Ruihua had not stepped out of the Imperial Mausoleum for over a hundred years. As he reached the entrance and saw the dense forest before him, he suddenly felt a sense of being in a different era.
"Alright, I'll head west first and hide in Guanxi."
Yin Ruihua lifted his foot, about to step through the main gate.
Suddenly, a soft sound came from behind him.
Tap.
It sounded as if someone had landed behind him.
Then, a long, drawn-out breath.
A hoarse, raspy voice spoke.
"Yin... my... dear... minister."
"Where... are... you... going?"