Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 615: The Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, and Seas

As Tang Wanzhuang and Qin Dingjiang made their way to the imperial study, Xia Longyuan was meditating deep beneath the Imperial Ancestral Temple at the other side of the imperial palace.

During the battle at sea, only a part of his soul had been injured. The damage to his main body was not catastrophic, but it could not be said to be trivial either.

It was, ultimately, a form of spiritual injury. This significantly affected his performance at the Profound Control Realm, preventing him from unleashing his full power. As for the exact extent to which his abilities were impacted, that was hard to quantify.

But under normal circumstances, his current power was still much more than enough to handle an ordinary cultivator who had reached the Profound Control Realm.

Take the incident in the Maitreya Secret Realm, for example. Xue Wu was merely an ordinary Profound Control Realm cultivator. While Xue Wu’s divine soul had mostly recovered, he still lacked a proper body and had to hastily possess the remains of a celestial maiden. Despite his fragmented state, it had taken a combined assault from top-tier experts like Ying Five, Lady Three, Cui Wenjing, Yang Jingxiu, Gui Chen, and Yuan Cheng—figures from the Rankings of Heaven and Earth—to subdue him. Yet even now, Xia Longyuan, weakened as he was, far surpassed the likes of Xue Wu. Maintaining his dominion over a world devoid of other entities at the Profound Control Realm was well within his capabilities.

No one in this world had anticipated that even when Xia Longyuan was weakened, he would still surpass everyone else by a considerable margin.

It was this overwhelming power that fostered his disdain for all others. In truth, there were only two people in the world he regarded with genuine respect.

One was Zhao Changhe. His fondness for Zhao Changhe was almost greater than what he felt for his own daughter. His hopes for Zhao Changhe’s future exceeded even those of the blind woman who had mentored him. It was the classic dynamic of an experienced player mentoring a promising newcomer—offering advice, strategies, and tools they no longer needed, with a fervor that exceeded their enthusiasm for their own endeavors.

Unfortunately, this newcomer is so defiant. He rejects everything except my daughter. Damn him.

The other was Tang Wanzhuang. She believed her bond with him was forged through loyalty and gratitude for recognition. But in Xia Longyuan’s heart, it was respect—deep respect for a true and faithful minister. Who would not honor a loyal and capable general? If one could travel back in time and become an emperor, having someone like the Marquis of Wu or General Yue Fei at their side was a dream come true. The challenge was recognizing such talent in the first place.

Xia Longyuan was not always perceptive, but Tang Wanzhuang’s relentless dedication, coughing blood as she toiled for the empire, was obvious to everyone.

For Tang Wanzhuang, this trust was indeed a rare form of recognition.

Xia Longyuan’s recovery was slow. Spiritual injuries were notoriously difficult to heal. Even Zhao Changhe, with his dual cultivation techniques and Rejuvenation Art, would need several days to mend such damage. Xia Longyuan lacked these methods and could only rely on medicine and time. Thus, he remained oblivious to the upheaval unfolding in the world outside.

But at that moment, his eyes snapped open.

“Who is disturbing Beimang and shaking the dragon vein?”

He thrust his hand forward, his fingers tracing an arc toward the subterranean sky.

It was as though a finger had descended upon a map, striking a point between Beimang and the capital. A spectral hand materialized in the void and descended toward the mountain valley.

In the valley below, a Daoist sat cross-legged, his palms pressed together in greeting.

A gentle wave of energy emanated from him, colliding with the spectral hand and dispersing it into nothingness.

The Daoist opened his eyes and smiled faintly. “I offer but this single gesture. Your Majesty; do as you will.”

It was Yuxu of Kunlun, fourth on the Ranking of Heaven!

Xia Longyuan’s expression grew uncharacteristically solemn. “You’re an outsider. Why interfere in mortal affairs?”

Yuxu smiled and replied, “We all dwell in this world. What truly lies beyond it? You, as an emperor, have failed to grant peace to your people and instead have become the source of their unrest. As a martial artist, you have not championed justice but have become a root of corruption. You suppress the world, and though others dare not act, it is like watching a spoiled child wreak havoc in his own home. Even the most patient of family members reach their breaking point. Your Majesty, I believe you would be better off joining me on Kunlun. Let us share a cup of wine. I would warmly welcome you as a guest.

With that, Yuxu rose and drifted northward. “I will go keep an eye on Timur. Do not say that those beyond the mundane world do not care for it. Perhaps we care more than you.”

Rumble!

Xia Longyuan was about to respond when the ground shook violently. The sealed passage to the ancestral temple suddenly opened of its own accord.

Xia Longyuan turned his gaze from Beimang and regarded the figure emerging from the mist. His voice was cold as he said, “Ying Five... Aren’t you supposed to be tunneling through the earth? What concern do you have with worldly affairs?”

Ying Five stood below the platform, the same genial, merchant-like smile on his face. “But Your Majesty, how am I not tunneling? And I must say, your tunnel is rather warm.”

Xia Longyuan frowned. “?”

Ying Five paused awkwardly. “...”

Xia Longyuan said slowly, “I do not enjoy jokes, especially such vulgar ones. Ying Five, even if the entire world were to turn against me, I would never have expected you to be among them.”

Ying Five raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Why not? Because you didn’t monopolize the secret realms and allowed us free access to them?”

“Is that not true?” Xia Longyuan replied. “If I had hoarded all the resources, would you have risen to where you are today?”

Ying Five tilted his head thoughtfully before sighing. “You avoided monopolizing the secret realms not out of generosity but to prevent the revival of spirit qi and to incite competition among the factions. Your supposed magnanimity is a tale you tell to loyalists like Tang Wanzhuang. She might believe it to be an act of imperial grace. But even if you had monopolized them, you could only control obvious places like Ancient Sword Lake. There are countless secret realms beyond your reach. My own rise came from relics I uncovered while wandering the deserts of the northwest as a bandit. What did that have to do with you? On the contrary, your scheming stirred up fierce conflicts. I lost brothers to those battles.”

Xia Longyuan’s voice was cold. “And this is your reason for rebellion? Your brothers died in combat, and you blame me? How utterly ridiculous.”

Ying Five shook his head. “I wouldn’t place all the blame on Your Majesty. Let me put it this way... I never claimed my goal was to monopolize the secret realms.”

Xia Longyuan paused for a moment, caught off guard. Ying Five continued, “All I want is to uncover them. If there were an emperor genuinely dedicated to this pursuit, I’d even be willing to assist them.”

Xia Longyuan’s brow furrowed slightly.

Ying Wu spoke slowly, “My goal is to seek out a specific god or demon. Your goal is to dominate all gods and demons. In theory, we should have a perfect foundation for cooperation. But sadly, Your Majesty, you’ve never considered this. Your eyes see only yourself, and in doing so, you’ve created more obstacles than opportunities. My humble advice? Stop occupying the throne if you refuse to act. Stepping aside might serve the world better.”

Xia Longyuan nodded and laughed. “Step aside for whom? Wang Daoning, perhaps? Let him come out and meet me.”

From the darkness behind Ying Wu, a towering, iron-clad figure emerged and bowed. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Xia Longyuan’s smile remained, though his gaze sharpened. “Li Shentong... Wang Daoning himself didn’t come? What’s the point in hiding now? Does he think this is still a performance?”

Li Shentong’s expression was calm. “Wang Daoning has gone to eliminate First Seat Tang. Because no one else was willing to lay a hand on her, he took the task upon himself. I won’t hide it from Your Majesty—Wang Daoning has broken through to the Profound Control Realm. He can eliminate her quickly and still return in time to face you.”

For the first time, Xia Longyuan’s expression darkened, a flicker of anger appearing in his eyes.

Li Shentong sighed. “Some of our allies secretly warned First Seat Tang to retreat. We knew about it but chose not to intervene. We hope she truly does escape. None of us desire to confront her. But if she does retreat, there will be no one left to stall Wang Daoning, and Your Majesty will be in even greater danger.”

Xia Longyuan’s expression eased somewhat, and he smiled faintly. “That ally wouldn’t happen to be... Vermillion Bird, would it?”

At these words, a glimmer of amusement crossed the faces of those present. Ying Five managed a rueful smile. “Indeed.”

“So, everyone knows?”

“...Everyone knows. I think the only person left in the dark is the one directly involved.”

Xia Longyuan chuckled. “If we end up clashing and I expose her, do you think her combat ability will be cut in half?”

No one answered, hands clasped in silence. Is this really the time for jokes?

“Enough.” Xia Longyuan’s tone grew serious again. He turned to Li Shentong. “I’ve always wanted to ask you something...”

Li Shentong replied, “Your Majesty, please speak your mind.”

“Your strength as a warrior surpasses even mine,” Xia Longyuan began. “I once asked Wanzhuang about the state of Bashu under your rule. Your sect of boulder-crushing brutes who drown their worries in wine seemed bereft of any solutions. Because of your relentless slaughter of the aristocratic families, you couldn’t even find a scholar to advise you. The land remains a chaotic mess, hardly better than it was under Di Muzhi’s tyranny.” He smiled coldly. “So, when you rose up in rebellion, was it for the people or for yourself?”

Li Shentong replied with calm resolve, “Though we face endless challenges, at least my people are no longer subjected to oppression.”

“So, what was your purpose?”

“It was merely a single man’s rage, blood spilling within five paces, a land draped in mourning—nothing more,” Li Shentong said. “Di Muzhi was but a trivial foe. Now, I finally have an enemy worthy of my steel.”

Xia Longyuan’s eyes grew distant.

Ying Five raised a brow. “What’s on your mind, Your Majesty?”

Xia Longyuan sighed and said, “When I was young, I loved that phrase. I never imagined it would be used against me.”

A somber silence fell over them.

Xia Longyuan’s voice hardened, “You two alone are insufficient. Li Gongsi, Yang Jingxiu, come out. I’ve no desire to address you one by one.”

Two patriarchs emerged from the shadows, swords in hand, their expressions stoic.

Xia Longyuan’s gaze narrowed. “Your swords... They’ve been restored?”

Yang Jingxiu let out a weary sigh. “With the Sea Emperor’s fall, his power lay unclaimed. Wang Daoning shared with us a method to channel the Sea Tribe’s qi, restoring our swords’ spirits.”

Xia Longyuan’s expression darkened. The crippling of noble swords had driven the families to abandon neutrality and openly rebel. There was nothing left to explain.

Yang Jingxiu continued, “We understand why Your Majesty seized the swords’ spirits. It was not out of greed, but as a bloodless means to weaken our clans. From your perspective, it made sense. Unfortunately, our positions are irreconcilable.”

Xia Longyuan nodded slightly, saying no more. “Aside from Vermillion Bird and Wang Daoning, are we all gathered? If it’s just you few, it still won’t be enough.”

Yang Jingxiu drew a second sword from his cloak. “Cui Wenjing also sends his regards.”

Xia Longyuan’s voice was soft. “Qinghe...”

Even Cui Wenjing, bedridden from his wounds, had declared his stance through this gesture. Though the Cui Clan and the Wang Clan were mortal enemies, they now stood aligned against Xia Longyuan.

The emergence of the Qinghe Sword signified more than mere intent.

Yang Jingxiu planted his sword, Lianshan, into the ground. Beside him, Li Gongsi drove in the Wang Clan’s Zhenhai Sword, along with his own family’s sword.

The four swords—the symbols of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas—formed a perimeter around the platform, their blades gleaming coldly. The air thickened with a palpable sense of the land’s dragon veins being severed. The empire’s territory no longer acknowledged its sovereign.

Each person present felt it: the mountains and rivers had disavowed their ruler. Xia Longyuan stood alone, a sovereign without subjects.

“You have cut off my cultivation from the world—from the geopolitical order, from the northern dragon veins, and now from the aristocratic families’ sword array,” Xia Longyuan said evenly. “Your approach is sound, but you are a little too hasty. To truly convince the world that the dynasty is without an emperor... you’re still lacking.”

Li Gongsi spoke in a low voice. “Your Majesty has always overlooked the seemingly insignificant. But sometimes, it is those very people who can deliver wounds you never expected.”

At that moment, the decree condemning the Tang Clan was issued within the imperial study.

The dragon qi vanished and the realm stood divided.

Though Xia Longyuan stood in the celestial observatory beneath the Imperial Ancestral Temple, he might as well have been on a desolate island. The empire no longer acknowledged him as its ruler.

His expression flickered with a trace of unease. The gathered conspirators felt it clearly: where once his presence had merged seamlessly with the world around him, it now stood apart, stark and vulnerable.

If Zhao Changhe were here, he might have described it as... the boss’s health bar becoming visible.