90: King Qinglin

Although the Wu Family had previously asked him for Grade One Secret Manuals, the sight of five Grade One Innate Grandmasters standing shoulder to shoulder made his hand, gripping the reins, tighten involuntarily under the pressure.

Wu Guohua cupped his hands slightly, a meaningful curve playing on his lips: "Your Highness need not say more. After today, you shall be called Your Majesty."

A flicker of ecstasy crossed the Ninth Prince's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by caution.

He looked around, lowering his voice: "The Crown Prince's Residence has at least four Grade One Grandmasters guarding it, and Third Prince also has Western Region Monks assisting him. Does Wu Marquis have confidence?"

Before Wu Guohua could answer, Wu Jiulong suddenly grinned, revealing his stark white teeth: "Your Highness, rest assured. Although this old bone of mine is not as useful as it once was, killing a few Juniors is still more than enough."

Before his words finished, an urgent bell chime suddenly echoed from the direction of the Imperial City. The Ninth Prince abruptly looked up, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Big Brother has already made his move, we attack too!"

The battle erupted without warning. Bloodcloth Tower assassins swept out like ghosts, their palms spewing cyan Spiritual Qi that condensed into a three-zhang long Qi blade in the air.

Before the guards in front of Xuanwu Gate could react, the Qi blade had already swept across.

Dozens of elite armored soldiers fell like wheat, their blood splattering on the ancient city walls, glowing with an eerie red in the morning light.

"Enemy attack!" A shrill horn blast sounded from the city tower. Arrows rained down like locusts, tearing through the air.

Another Bloodcloth Tower assassin, with flowing long hair, slapped his withered palm on the heavy city gate. With a loud 'boom,' the iron-clad city gate was actually caved in with a huge dent.

Three figures soared from within the Imperial City, precisely the Grade One Innate Grandmasters cultivated by the Crown Prince. One of them, holding a golden mace, roared: "Who are these madmen, daring to offend the Imperial City!"

Answering him was a blood-colored saber light. The three Bloodcloth Tower assassins had already leaped into mid-air at some unknown point, and the moment their waist-worn sabers were unsheathed, the entire sky seemed to be stained crimson.

"Boom—"

Immediately, the three Grade One Innate Grandmasters under the Crown Prince's command clashed with the three Grade One Innate Grandmasters from Bloodcloth Tower, while the five members of the Wu Family followed closely by the Ninth Prince's side, not yet making their move.

A violent explosion suddenly came from the direction of the Third Prince's Residence. Four figures broke through the wall, precisely the Western Region Monks that the Third Prince had heavily bribed, all of them Grade One Innate Grandmasters.

Just as they were about to form a formation to break through, they ran head-on into the five Grade One Innate Grandmasters of the Wu Family, who had been waiting in ambush.

"Good timing!" Wu Guohua roared, his palms clasped together, his body boiling with Spiritual Qi like a sea. He slammed his palms onto the ground, causing all the bluestones within a ten-zhang radius to be lifted, raining down on the four like a torrential downpour.

"Kill—"

Wu Jiulong then swung his pipe, unleashing a fierce attack, and terrifying Innate True Qi tore towards the Western Region Monks.

"Swoosh swoosh swoosh—"

At the same time, the three brothers Wu Wenbin, Wu Zhang, and Wu Wenwu cooperated tacitly, simultaneously unleashing their ultimate moves to attack the Western Region Monks.

"Om Mani..."

The Western Region Monks shouted loudly, but their foreign language was somewhat strange, and it was drowned out by the fierce attacks of the Wu Family members, unable to complete a full sentence.

"Ah—"

Soon, one of the four Western Region Monks surrounded by the five Wu Family members was injured, letting out a shrill scream, which then abruptly ceased.

When the dust settled, only four disfigured corpses remained on the ground, their blood seeping into the cracks of the bluestones, gleaming eerily in the morning light.

Inside the Imperial City, sounds of fighting rose and fell. The five members of the Wu Family moved as if in an uninhabited land; wherever they passed, the Crown Prince's Residence guards fell like mown wheat.

A general in golden armor blocked their path, sternly shouting: "Who are these scoundrels, daring to rebel?"

Wu Guohua sneered, his figure flickered, and he was already in front of the general.

His right hand formed a claw, directly piercing through the general's steel chest armor, and he pulled out a still-beating heart.

The general looked down in disbelief at his empty chest, slowly collapsing.

"Rebellion?" Wu Guohua shook off the blood from his hand, a cold glint in his eyes, "This world, it belongs to the strong."

The Crown Prince's bedchamber was close at hand. Wu Guohua kicked open the gilded door, only to see the Crown Prince, disheveled, holding a jade Ruyi scepter, standing pale-faced before the Dragon bed.

His last two guards were covered in blood, yet they still desperately shielded their master.

"Who are you? I am the Crown Prince, why are you helping the Ninth Prince..." The Crown Prince's voice trembled, his eyes filled with terror.

Wu Guohua couldn't be bothered with nonsense; his figure was like lightning, and he struck out with a palm. The two guards had no chance to react before their chests caved in, and they spat blood, falling to the ground dead.

The Crown Prince turned to flee, but Wu Guohua grabbed him by the back of the neck, lifting him like a small chicken.

"Crown Prince, it's time to go." Wu Guohua said coldly, applying force to his hand, and with a crisp 'crack,' the Crown Prince's neck was twisted clean off.

Those eyes, once high above, were now filled with disbelieving terror, gradually losing their luster.

At noon, when Wu Guohua entered the Golden Imperial Hall with the Crown Prince's head, all the civil and military officials were silent as cicadas in winter.

The eyes on the head were still wide open, as if unable to believe that he had been defeated like this. Blood dripped from Wu Guohua's fingers, blooming into dazzling red flowers on the golden bricks of the hall.

The Ninth Prince—now to be called the New Emperor—sat on the Dragon throne, looking at the Wu Family members below with a complex expression.

His fingers unconsciously caressed the armrest of the Dragon throne, his eyes containing both ecstasy and a hint of imperceptible apprehension.

"Wu Marquis has made the greatest contribution..." The New Emperor cleared his throat, his voice echoing through the Golden Imperial Hall, "He shall be enfeoffed as Qinglin King, with Qinghe Prefecture as his fiefdom..."

Wu Guohua clasped his fists in a bow, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He knew that after today, the Wu Family would truly stand at the Peak of power in this Empire.

Outside the hall, the autumn wind dispersed the last wisp of morning fog, revealing the Xuanwu Gate stained with blood.

Crows circled above the city, emitting harsh cries, as if playing a dirge for this transfer of power.

Inside the Golden Imperial Hall, the Dragon eyes on the gilded coiled Dragon pillars gleamed coldly in the sunlight, watching everyone in the hall as if alive.

The New Emperor sat on the Dragon throne, a look of smug satisfaction on his face, about to continue bestowing rewards upon his officials. However—

"Caw—"

A clear crane cry suddenly pierced the sky, like a Heavenly Immortal sound from the Nine Heavens, making the eardrums of everyone in the hall buzz.

The sound was not like an ordinary bird's cry, but carried a certain mysterious rhythm, as if it could penetrate the Divine Soul, shaking one's heart and mind.

Outside the hall, a strong wind suddenly rose!

The originally clear sky suddenly churned with dark clouds, and the wind howled, making the vermilion lacquered main doors clang, causing the candles in the hall to flicker, almost extinguishing.

The officials' robes flapped loudly, and some old and weak ministers even lost their footing, staggering backward.

Everyone instinctively turned to look—

Only to see a celestial crane, pure white all over, descending from the sky. Its wingspan was a full three zhang, and every feather was crystal clear, glowing with a faint Spiritual light in the sunlight.