Chapter 74 (1/2)

The lady adorned in red plays music at treasure pavilion pagoda, the scholar recites and walks near the beautiful bridge of flowing water.1

Bian City was the Great Liang Dynasty's capital. Her magnificent, classical beauty made Su Xing, who was used to seeing modernized cities, and then seeing city-states with such rich history, unbearably shook up for a bit.

Richly decorated dwellings and pavilion chambers were everywhere. When he was looking down from the Wind Swayed Raft in the sky, red walls and green willows, flying smoke thin as cotton, and an imperial palace of gold, jade and colored glass was just like a gigantic, entrenched dragon. Imposing and majestic, it was worthy of the name of Liangshan Continent's number one dynasty.

Richly decorated dwellings and pavilion chambers were everywhere. When he was looking down from the Wind Swayed Raft in the sky, red walls and green willows, flying smoke thin as cotton, and an imperial palace of gold, jade and colored glass was just like a gigantic, entrenched dragon. Imposing and majestic, it was worthy of the name of Liangshan Continent's number one dynasty.

As for the current emperor, Liang Huizong,2 he was also a legendary character. His Mother Empress was a royal consort, and the time when Liang Huizong was born was the moment the internal palace underwent a power struggle. When he was born, he was met with an assassination, and his mother died for him. Liang Huizong was rescued from the imperial palace by a palace maid, and afterwards, he coincidentally had the opportunity to enter the ”True Immoral Hall,” becoming an outstanding Star Cultivator.

Afterwards, when he was eighteen, he learned of his own identity that year. Despite his instructor's warnings, he alone killed his way into the Imperial Palace to seize power.

That battle could be said to have ended now since the dawn of time. At the time, the rest of the crown princes at the imperial palace had many schools supporting them. Behind them were Star Cultivators working behind the scenes, yet Liang Huizong relied on the ”Seventy-two Outer Void Deities Sword Style”3 to bloodily purge Bian City. Reportedly, at the time, the Dragon River4 protecting the city was dark red, like blood. Only after seventy days was the river clear, and from then on, all under heaven acknowledged his rule.

Liangshan Continent had a tacit understanding that schools would absolutely not be involved in the secular world. However, Liang Huizong's status was special. At his back was the True Immoral Hall, and the rest of the schools that saw this could only turn a blind eye.

Where was the school known as True Immortal Hall?

Star Cultivators had a limerick that went like this.

”One clear, two halls, three palaces, four sword sections; five lakes, six oceans, seven mountains, from eight directions, nine firmaments azure dragons!”5

The meaning was that these ten great schools could intimidate the Azure Dragon of the Nine Firmaments, and various barbarians paid tribute. Furthermore, the True Immortal Hall was one of the two halls. Originally, every large school did not permit admittance of the imperial family into its halls, but Liang Huizong was an exception; he certainly was a cultivation and military genius. In the end, those schools heaved a great sigh whenever they discussed this affair: fate.

Because of this, the True Immortal Hall's power seemed to pressure the Clear Void Path of ”one clear.”

Although Liang Huizong's violent and bloody rise to power made countless people resentful and discontent, afterwards was the enlightenment of politics. Officials treated each other well and brave individuals came forth in great numbers to open up the frontier in a ten year expedition for ten years of peace and prosperity; after twenty years, the Great Liang Dynasty's military accomplishments were at their golden age as writing styles bloomed and the literati came out in droves with beautiful articles unexpectedly surpassing that from the past. Soon after, Liang Huizong encouraged even more for all restrictions of influential families joining sects. Formerly, Liang Taizong passed down an ”execution of all relatives order” during his reign for the sake of worrying about the rest of the clans' power expand to their former glory before the Star Cultivators, making countless good, talented and accomplished youths harbor grudges endlessly.

It was precisely this condition that completely roped in the rest of the hierarchy.

The other sects recruited disciples from the imperial family, the nobility and the landowning class continuously.

Just like how a Bian City had the shadows of at least a hundred schools, for this reason, Liang Huizong specially constructed an inner castle for Star Cultivators within the city.

Su Xing piloted the Wind Swayed Raft to descend outside the city so as not to attract attention. Lin Yingmei and Wu Xinjie also entered the Star Nest. Bian City , after all, was the Great Liang Dynasty's national capital. Its school were innumerable; it simply was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den.

”Liang Huizong unexpectedly is this powerful. He certainly would not renounce a Star General?” Su Xing recalled Gong Caiwei. Her father was a Wind Military Prince,6 was he not?

Wu Xinjie had previously visited Bian City; the Knowledge Star's understanding of many events was far greater than anyone's. ”Correct, and far beyond what Young Master can expect.”

”How so?”

”The Great Liang Dynasty Imperial Family altogether has at least three Star Masters!”

”Ah, three??” Su Xing was startled.

”Correct, at least three.” Wu Xinjie said: ”Liang Huizong has nine sons and six daughters. The oldest is seventeen this year. The youngest should only be a month. There are five already qualified to become his successor, and Liang Huizong's method of selecting the heir of the title of Emperor, young Master, what is your guess?”

”Star Duel?” Su Xing was blank.