Wu You’s worry wasn’t without reason ― the Rebirth Fruit’s maturity could potentially deviate from their expectations.
However, this was not grounds for Wu Yu to give up such a good opportunity!
Time was urgent so he brought Wu You to a nearby town that wasn’t too far from the capital either. He found an inn for her to stay and wait for him.
“It’ll only be for a day or two at most. Wait for me here. You can’t go anywhere. It’s even better if you don’t leave this room.” Wu You had no fighting capabilities so she could easily get hurt.
Eastern Wu’s towns were fairly safe. There shouldn’t be any problems with staying here for a day or two.
He wouldn’t be able to find anyone trustworthy to take care of her in such desperate times anyways.
“Wu Yu.”
Wu You stood by the doorway, her gaze filled with worry, hands clasped tightly together. The unease in her heart was clear, all of her concerns evident in her expression.
Wu Yu was going to challenge Hao Tian Shangxian to a battle!
As his sister, Wu You considered his life more important than her own.
This was without a doubt the most dangerous endeavor Wu Yu had faced up until now. Whether he could come back alive was still up in the air.
“Don’t worry.”
There was no use in saying anything at that point. The only way to make Wu You’s worry disappear was by bring back Hao Tian Shangxian’s life.
“Remember, stay here and don’t go anywhere. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
Wu Yu carried the Demon Suppressing Staff and resolutely left, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
“Younger brother…”
Wu You sat on the edge of the bed with a lifeless look in her eyes, her hands shaking as she held onto the mattress. It felt like the whole world had silenced, leaving her alone with the sound of her own heartbeat.
Meanwhile, the ten plus dining tables on the first floor of the inn were already packed with people. Martial artists and busy merchants were casually chatting. Most of their discussions revolved around Wu Du.
“From what I heard, those two celestials are actually from different sects so that’s why they started fighting! The Shang Qian Hall collapsed just like that! It’s way too shocking!”
“I have a distant cousin who works as an imperial guard. He saw the Shang Qian Hall collapse right in front of his eyes!”
“The fighting between celestials, I just hope it doesn’t affect us ordinary citizens.”
Wu You didn’t have any appetite and just leaned against the door, listening to the different discussions from the downstairs guests.
Perhaps Wu Yu got to Wu Du already!
…...
Wu Yu had in fact arrived at the capital.
As expected, Hao Tian Shangxian and Jiang Junlin were not there.
It was currently the early morning, the time of awakening for all. Wu Du was starting to liven up. Shops were opening up for the day, peddlers were busy running around, and the ordinary folks were going about doing manual labor to make ends meet.
The Wu Du within the first rays of the morning sun had a peaceful sort of beauty to it.
Wu Yu had complex feelings within his heart as he looked upon the place that he grew up in. He stood on top of a tall building and gazed at the palace in the distance. The palace’s dazzling sight was his to begin with but thieves were now squatting there.
Hao Tian! Yuan Xi! Yuan Hao!
The Demon Suppressing Staff was set ablaze by the fire from his palms. He finally made it to this point. The Soul Severing powder had destroyed everything of his that night. He struggled on the brink of life and death on multiple occasions until now. He had finally returned!
Imperial Father, this is the empire you gave me. Even if I don’t want it later, it still can’t fall into the hands of outsiders.
This is the the empire that was founded on the skulls and spilt blood of my Wu clan forefathers.
Wu Yu was sick and tired of the days he spent hiding behind the demon monkey mask ever since he returned to Wu Du.
Huo!
At that moment, Wu Yu’s figure flickered from the roof of the building as he leapt into the palace, landing on top of one of the palace halls. A violent roar abruptly broke the calm in Wu Du!
“Yuan Xi! Yuan Hao! Come out to see me!”
Hong!
Given Wu Yu’s lung strength, the roar shook half the palace into trembling and a small half of Wu Du could clearly hear it.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the imperial city, astounded.
“That...seems to be Sun Wudao Shangxian’s voice!”
The entire Wu Du was absolutely silent. The Shang Qian Hall’s collapse a few days ago was already shocking enough — was it possible that today…
“Sun Wudao!”
Yuan Hao was holding morning court at this time and Yuan Xi was there too. It’s simply that it was held in a different palace hall than usual.
After Wu Yu’s voice traveled over, a group of nobles and ministers filed out from a side palace hall with Empress Dowager Yuan Xi and Emperor Yuan Hao at the forefront.
There were high-ranking military officers and civil officers following behind, including Commander Wu who had just returned.
“Sun Wudao, what business do you have?”
Yuan Xi was dressed in a dignified and elegant manner, her makeup giving off a grand and magnificent aura, very mistress-of-the-imperial-harem. She was brimming with confidence, not in the least nervous due to Wu Yu’s arrival.
Yuan Hao was quite also quite arrogant, relying on the fact that he was being protected by Hao Tian Shangxian. He not only skipped over the mandatory greetings necessary for a celestial, he even put up a haughty appearance.
“Haha.”
Wu Yu laughed indifferently and landed on the ground, approaching them one step at a time. Numerous officials kneeled down in their scattered positions in response, leaving just Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao not kneeling. They only started to feel nervous when they saw Wu Yu about to attack.
Whoosh!
Each of Wu Yu’s hands grabbed a person up by the throat, lifting Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao up in front of all the staring eyes.
The two people’s complexions instantly blanched. Yuan Hao pissed his pants due of fear. His expression was savage as he said, “Sun Wudao, what are you doing! You dare to touch the mortal Emperor! Hao Tian Shangxian will kill you for this!”
“Sun Wudao, quickly release us! We can talk things over!” Yuan Xi’s complexion had also whitened.
“Shangxian!” The nobles and ministers were in a state of panic.
“Me and you, we have nothing to talk about.”
They didn’t expect Wu Yu’s cold response.
Wu Yu hoisted the two up and abruptly turned. He became a golden afterimage and disappeared in a flash in front of the mortals.
“Empress Dowager! Your Majesty!”
All the officials were simply stupefied.
“Hurry! Notify Hao Tian Shangxian! Sun Shangxian’s gone insane!”
The palace fell into chaos in a moment’s time.
However, they didn’t know where Hao Tian Shangxian had gone. They followed in the direction that Wu Yu had left in, alarmed and flustered.
Wu Yu had already reached the city gate at that time.
When Wu Du’s citizens and imperial guards saw the rumored Shangxian, he was unexpectedly carrying the Empress Dowager and Emperor over, setting off another great disturbance.
This scene caused the imperial guards to fall to the ground, crawling backwards one after the other.
On the contrary, the capital’s masses were scared and curious at the same time. More and more people gathered around, watching from afar. Whispers and comments flew as everyone wondered what in the world happened.
Bang!
Wu Yu threw the pair to the ground and pulled out two thick hemp ropes from a nearby banner.
“Sun Wudao, what exactly do you want? Hao Tian Shangxian will be here any minute now. If you harass us, just wait to get slaughtered when he gets here!”
Yuan Xi could faintly feel Wu Yu’s immense killing intent at that moment and all she could do was verbally threaten him.
“Sun...Sun Wudao, you...you should know what’s good and what’s bad for you.” Yuan Hao was like a sheep in wolf’s clothing; although he was admonishing Wu Yu, he had in fact already pissed his pants. The imperial robe was damp on the bottom and even Yuan Xi could smell the foul urine smell assaulting her nose.
“That’s exactly what I’m waiting for —Hao Tian’s return.”
These two people who had once ran rampant as they pleased, who had changed the course of his life, who had secretly sneered and looked down at him with contempt after they got away with their evil schemes — they fell into Wu Yu’s hands just like that.
Cultivators surpass mortals by so much.
It’s fortunate that I stepped on the road of cultivation in this life!
That’s how he was able to squash these two enemies.
As Wu Yu was speaking, he made a tight knot on the two hemp ropes and wrapped them around Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao’s necks. There was no way for them to untie it using their own strengths.
“Sun Wudao, you’re looking to die!”
Yuan Xi had struggled in the imperial harem for many years. Although she was a mortal, she still had her own imposing aura and manner. Normal people would be scared witless from this scolding of hers.
But Wu Yu just turned a deaf ear to it. He fastened the other end of the ropes to the city gate’s crossbeam, picked the two up, and threw them towards the bottom of the city wall.
“Ah!”
These two people were finally scared sh*tless. Yuan Hao was shaking from head to toe and kept shrieking over and over. Yuan Xi didn’t bother with threatening Wu Yu anymore and she didn’t have time to care about her image either as she was letting out her own blood-curdling screeches.
They fell from such a high altitude with a rope coiled around their necks — their necks were bound to break after the rope pulled ramrod straight!
The court officials happened to arrive at that moment. Including the imperial guards and Wu Du’s citizens, everyone who witnessed this sight nearly asphyxiated from fear!
“Empress Dowager! Emperor!”
The nobles and ministers turned deathly pale. Many civil officials fainted from fright and collapsed on the ground.
The commoners never expected Wu Yu to kill those two and it was even by hanging them alive from the imperial city gate, allowing everyone to watch!
Just as everyone’s hearts were in their throats and even Yuan Xi was scared, Wu Yu leaped down and caught them before the rope completely straightened out. Then, he flung them over to a protrusion on the city wall.
The two people leaned close together and stood on a narrow foothold. If they were even the slightest bit careless, they would really fall down and die by hanging!
“I...I…”
“Imperial mother!”
Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao cut a sorry figure as they hugged each other while trembling severely. They wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves, miserable beyond words.
When you plotted against me, had me swallow the Soul Severing powder, and sent Wan Qing to kill me, did you expect a day like this would come? Wu Yu sneered in his mind. Everything he did up until this point was just the opening act.
Wu Yu had a bargaining chip against the two who could fall to their deaths at any time. He said to the court officials, “Hao Tian Shangxian is in the Chi Yang Mountains. Summon him at once and have him return. I’ll give him one day’s time. If he doesn’t return by this time tomorrow, I will hang these two pitiful things alive in front of all the common people!”
“Yes! Shangxian, yes!”
They didn’t expect there would still be some hope left.
Everyone understood now that Wu Yu’s true purpose was to get Hao Tian Shangxian to return.
Only by doing this would Hao Tian anxiously rush back. If Wu Yu directly killed them instead, Hao Tian might not be as anxious to get back.
The officials dispersed and sent people to relay the news to the Chi Yang Mountains.
“You can’t leave. Kneel.”
Wu Yu remembered the officials who had helped Concubine Xi frame him that night. The group included Prince Yao and Commander Wu.
“Yes, yes!”
A few officials prostrated themselves before him. They were also deathly pale and trembling in fear, but they were still grateful — at least they were better off than Yuan Xi and Yuan Hao who could fall to their deaths at any time.
After everything was arranged, Wu Yu held onto the Demon Suppressing Staff and closed his eyes to rest, waiting for Hao Tian’s return.