584 Can’t Be Covered By Qing Mountain (1/2)

Outside Shangjing, to the north of Xi Mountain, brought one amidst that quiet and serene mountain. The mountain appeared to be normal, but it was unusual in the hearts of the people because this was where Tianyi Dao's sect was. Master Ku He's disciples and grand-disciples cultivated and studied there. After they left, their swords pointed at the world as they helped those less fortunate.

Currently, Qing Mountain was filled with bleakness and sorrow. All of the disciples of Tianyi Dao wore an uneasy expression as they looked at the black structure on the mountaintop. Clenching their fists tightly and pressing their lips together, their eyes were filled with fear. They didn't speak. Periodically, a person would pass through the stone path going toward the mountaintop. Their faces were always heavy. They never glanced at the disciples of Tianyi Dao.

There were many people on the mountain. Their rankings were high. They included many nobility from Shangjing, officials, famous generals, and such. About half were students that had left the mountain. Now, they had all returned except Shang Shanhu, who was in the South on imperial orders to defend against the attacks of the Southern Kingdom's Yanjing and Cangzhou's Northern Expedition Army.

Up and down the Northern Qi court, the talented and powerful officials had gathered at Qing Mountain. Northern Qi's Shangjing, its political center, had completely been moved to Qing Mountain.

The disciples of Tianyi Dao guessed that something had happened on the mountaintop because only something like that could disturb so many people. Their faces fell deeper into sorrow.

When noon arrived, the Emperor of Northern Qi arrived in casual clothing. With a heavy face, he stepped on the stone path to ascend the mountain. At his side was Lang Tiao. Behind him was Friar He. Soldiers were scattered beneath the stone path. He didn't wear the dragon robe or have his royal entourage. He only hurried up the mountain with a heavy expression.

The disciples of Tianyi Dao were kneeling on both sides of the stone path and felt fearful. They knew the protector of the Qi Kingdom, their teacher, the person who was the closest to being a god in this world, was about to leave this world.

…

…

On Dong Mountain, the Qing Emperor's Tyrannical zhenqi, which he had bitterly cultivated for decades, as well as the power of the way of the Emperor, poured into Master Ku He's body. Decades of cultivation and accumulation was like an expansive ocean. In a moment, it had split open Ku He's old body.

After he was carried back into Northern Qi territory by Shang Shanhu, Ku He sat cross-legged in his sect in Qing Mountain. He didn't speak or eat but had a peaceful expression. The skin on his body began to gradually crack open, revealing the veins and tendons within. It was beginning to fall apart and appeared terrifying.

Fortunately, a large, soft cloak lay on the Great Grandmaster's body. It made the disciples serving at his side feel even more sorrowful.

From early in the morning, the people arriving from Shangjing had been endless. Each noble and official all paid homage as disciples. After they saw Master Ku He, they knew it would be the last time they met the Imperial Advisor.

Not even able to obtain peace before his death, his second disciple Mu Peng, who had been nervously adjusting his teacher's breathing, wore a fierce expression on his face. He couldn't make any objections because these summons before his death had been ordered by Master Ku He.

Each person was only seen for a moment. Only when he saw the grand tutor did Ku He say a few extra words.

Ku He had protected this country for decades, but he was leaving today. Even though his heart understood life and death, there was still something he couldn't put down. This was this country. This was his final farewell to his country, as well as his final instructions.

Whether or not the Grandmaster died, his words would certainly have a great impact on the country. Thus, he had to use his last moments to say a few words to these officials that controlled Northern Qi's court to create a more stable foundation for the Emperor's future power.

Ku He looked at the military leader in front of him and unconsciously sank into deep thoughts. The Emperor's abilities were not a problem. It was just that he was still young. Although Shen Zhong had been punished and Shang Shanhu had returned, if he actually died, would the Emperor have the power to control the military?

The military leader was the Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs. After receiving a number of instructions from the Imperial Advisor, he didn't hear any more sounds. Involuntarily, he raised his head in fear to have a look. In Northern Qi, no matter whether it was the royal family or the generals, they all had boundless fear and respect for Master Ku He, who was not like the Qing Kingdom's Ye Liuyun. From the beginning, he had scattered his influence and power into every crevice of the Northern Qi court.

The second Tianyi Dao disciple, Mu Peng, moved close to his teacher's ear and quietly said, ”The Emperor and empress dowager have both arrived. Do you want to summon them in?”

In the entire world, only Ku He had the right to use the word ”summon” for the Emperor and empress dowager.

Ku He calmly shook his head. The cracked skin at his neck rubbed slightly against his shirt with a tearing pain. Without a doubt, this was not a pain that humankind would be able to endure. However, it seemed that he had not felt anything. He only furrowed his brows slightly.

Mu Peng was kneeling to his teacher's left. Seeing the bloodstain on the back of his teacher's clothes, his heart throbbed with grief. He couldn't resist crying.

With this cry, sorrow welled in the Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs kneeling in front of Master Ku He. In addition to his fear for the future of Northern Qi, his eyes grew wet. He crawled for two steps. Giving three solid kowtows in front of Master Ku He, he gritted his teeth and said, ”General Shangshan is in the South, and I am in Shangjing. Unless we died, we will not allow the country to come to any harm. Even if we died, we will ensure the Emperor's safety!”

Ku He glanced at him with a gentle gaze and warmly said, ”It's been 12 years since you left the mountain. The future of the Qi Kingdom will need your heart and your life.”

The Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs kowtowed again, gritted his teeth, and stood up to leave. As he went out of the door, his eyes were slightly red. Unexpectedly, he saw the ashen-faced Emperor outside. He unconsciously sighed.

The Emperor of Northern Qi had waited outside for a long time. Seeing his official's slightly red eyes, his heart thumped like it had sunk into an endless abyss. He raised his foot and was about to charge in.

At his side, Lang Tiao pulled on his sleeve. The Northern Qi Emperor turned his head and glared coldly at him. Unconsciously, Lang Tiao developed a glimmer of sternness. Although the Emperor had learned martial arts from him, he didn't have any talent in martial arts. However, the might of a monarch was becoming stronger and stronger.

”You may all come in.” Master Ku He's sound traveled lightly and faintly out of the room. The Northern Qi Emperor tidied his clothes with a serious expression. He turned to take the empress dowager's hand and walked into the room.

Inside the Tianyi Dao sect on the mountaintop, other than Ku He, who was already like a withered piece of wood sitting tiredly on the floor, there were only a few of his closest disciples, in addition to the Emperor and the empress dowager.

Although the wide and soft robe covered the Great Grandmaster's body, everyone who saw Ku He felt a chill in their hearts. It was as if they saw the crack on the Imperial Advisor's body, like the cracks in the earth during a drought, through the thin robe. They also saw the faint blood stains around the outside of the collar.

It was beyond the ability of people to heal such a heavy injury. The Northern Qi Emperor's heart felt cold. Without any pretense, he knelt cleanly and neatly in front of Ku He and kowtowed for the last time toward him. ”Grand Uncle.”

Everyone in the world paid homage to the Emperor, and the Emperor paid homage to none. However, in his life, the young Emperor of Northern Qi had paid homage to Ku He twice. He had kowtowed twice.

The first time had been when he was very young. At that time, the previous Emperor had just died. The empress dowager had held the little Emperor and sat in the main hall of the beautiful Royal Palace in Shangjing and kowtowed to Master Ku He. Ku He had ensured the mother and son over a decade of peace, protected them against the battle in the Northern Qi royal family, and allowed the little Emperor to grow up.

This second kowtow was the Northern Qi Emperor saying goodbye to his Grand Uncle. In his heart, he had always had a feeling of distance and fear toward this god-like Grand Uncle. However, more of what he felt was gratitude.

The empress dowager sat down next to Ku He. She bent her head down and cried silently.

”It's alright. Who can escape death?” Ku He's eyes closed slightly. ”I have already lived many years and taken great advantage of heaven. Everyone will die. The one in the South Kingdom is no exception.”

Ku He had not personally spoken of what actually happened on Dong Mountain. Shang Shanhu had guessed some of it and reported it to the Royal Palace in Shangjing. Hearing Master Ku He say this now, the Northern Qi Emperor's heart felt a great chill. He knew that if it was so, then his counterpart in the South Kingdom was incredibly powerful.

Seeing the Emperor's expression, Ku He light said, ”Are you afraid?”

The Northern Qi Emperor pressed his lips together tightly, not sure how to reply. Throughout his life, he had always viewed the Qing Emperor as his goal. He even faintly saw him as his idol. He only hoped that one day he would be able to defeat him. He had now discovered that the Qing Emperor's silent endurance these dozen years was a complete illusion. When compared to himself, he was too old and experienced. He was also a Great Grandmaster.

”Fear is a very normal emotion,” Ku He faintly said. ”When his finger touched between my brows, even I felt a trace of fear. He has the strategies of a ruler and power of a Grandmaster. There isn't a weakness to be found anywhere on him. The most terrifying thing about him is his perseverance. For his goal of sweeping through the land, he was able to plan for decades, focused single-mindedly on this one goal, never deviating.”

”Such a person is not human.”

Ku He smiled slightly and gave the Qing Emperor an evaluation. ”Everyone says that I am the one closest to a god, what they don't know is that the heartless, hate-less, love-less, and unfathomable person in the South is the true god.”

”Can we really do nothing against the Qing Kingdom?” A trembling voice asked this question. It was Lang Tiao. He knew that the Emperor was also thinking this. As the ruler, he could not ask.

”When a person stood at the peak of martial prowess, secular power, and intelligence, then such a person is impossible for defeat.” Ku He was a bit tired. He closed his eyes and said, ”If you want to bring him down from the outside, it is almost impossible.”

At this time, the Northern Qi Emperor was still kneeling in front of Ku He. Two traces of emotion flashed through his eyes. He suddenly bowed. ”Grand Uncle, I am going to the Temple.”

The Temple!

When this word came out of the Emperor's mouth, the entire room quieted down. None of the six people commented. Lang Tiao and his third disciple brother, Bai Shen, looked at each other and saw the shock in the other's eyes. Mu Peng was holding the teacher's body gently and looked in astonishment at the Emperor. In a flash, the emotion in the eyes of these three disciples of Tianyi Dao turned serious and faintly excited. In the present world, no one was able to defeat the Qing Emperor. However, there were still the temples. For an immortal, would they also have no way to deal with a mortal?

The Temple was illusory and imaginary, either myth or legend. But, all six of the people in the room knew that after Xiao En died, there was still one person who knew of the Temple's existence and where it was.

It was Ku He.

…

…

The Northern Qi Emperor had never given up his thought of worshipping at the Temple and obtaining the support of some miraculous power. At the time, he had focused single-mindedly on rescuing and imprisoning Xiao En. He had even clashed head-on with the power of Ku He's faction because he wanted to know the secret in Xiao En's mind.

”The Temple?” Ku He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the Emperor kneeling in front of him.

The Northern Qi Emperor had thought his Grand Uncle's gaze would be severe and angry. The only person in the world to have gone to the Temple was him. Furthermore, he had given his all to hide the existence of it from the rest of the world. However, there was only a faint mocking in Ku He's eyes, as well as the trace of a smile. He knew that everyone, including his disciples, when faced with the power the Qing ruler had unconsciously developed, had the idea that they could not win. Thus, they had entrusted their hopes to an illusory and imaginary Temple.

”I know where the Temple is.” Ku He once again closed his eyes slowly. ”But, I will not tell you.”

The faces of the people around him filled with shock. They thought, If you took this secret to the grave with you, how will the Qi Kingdom protect its territory?”

Ku He's eyes were closed. He quietly said, ”The Temple is just a pair of eyes. It never interferes with human matters. Why disturb it?”

Without waiting for anyone to reply, a self-mocking smile appeared on the corners of Ku He's lips. ”Besides, do you really think the Temple is omnipotent?”