Chapter 25: Su Han

The imperial palace was in total chaos.

Right next door stood the Tianwu Tower.

No one, however, noticed the anomaly within the Martial Pavilion's Library.

Seven contemporary First-Rank experts had charged directly into the Tianwu Tower. The tower, which was perpetually shrouded in white mist, began to tremble violently; clearly, the First-Rank Minor Grandmasters, who had long since transcended humanity, were already clashing within.

"The Black Lotus Saint, one of the two pillars of the Holy Sect, a figure who once shattered the nine prefectures of Great Liang, has died here so quietly..."

"Tsk, tsk."

Su Chen remarked with a hint of emotion.

Then, with practiced ease, he stuffed the Black Lotus Saint's corpse into a hemp sack and, avoiding the crowds, hurried toward the Library in a remote corner of the palace.

The core area of the imperial palace was nothing but trouble.

An hour later, Su Chen finally returned to the Library.

Skillfully digging up a medicinal field, Su Chen prepared to bury the Black Lotus Saint inside.

A sound echoed from within the Library.

"Who is it?"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow, his eyes flashing with a predatory light.

In the next instant, the Library doors opened.

Xu Xiaohan walked out. He was startled to see Su Chen burying a corpse, but he quickly recovered.

Master Su was incredibly audacious; wouldn't it be normal for him to kill someone amidst the chaos?

"Master Su, this... could it be another Third-Rank cultivator?"

Xu Xiaohan's voice trembled slightly.

Since when did Third-Rank cultivators become as common as cabbages, harvested by Master Su every single day?

"No."

Seeing it was Xu Xiaohan, Su Chen relaxed slightly and shook his head.

"I knew it, Third-Ranks aren't that easy to encounter."

"Master Su, let me help."

It seemed to be an unobservant Fourth or Fifth-Rank assassin.

Dressed in a half-green, half-red robe, Xu Xiaohan thought this as he took the Black Lotus Saint's corpse and began the burial process with a fair amount of practiced skill.

"This is a Second-Rank. Bury it deeper, otherwise, the stench of the decaying corpse might not be fully masked," Su Chen reminded him.

"Understood, Master Su. It's just a Second-Rank... Huh?"

Xu Xiaohan's hand jerked, his knees buckled, and his eyes widened. He nearly tumbled straight into the corpse pit, losing every ounce of his composure as a Deputy Chief Manager.

What?

Second-Rank?

First-Rank meant Minor Grandmaster; whether in the imperial court or the martial world, First-Ranks rarely made moves.

Second-Rank meant peerless experts who commanded the winds and clouds, the true power brokers of court factions and great martial sects.

Now, even a Second-Rank could be killed.

Master Su, and you still claim you aren't a Second-Rank?!

"Hurry up," Su Chen urged.

Soon, astral qi danced wildly.

The Black Lotus Saint's corpse vanished, replaced by a medicinal field that, already taller than the floor tiles, grew even higher.

"Master Su, it's buried."

Xu Xiaohan approached, looking quite nervous. His posture subtly blocked the path leading into the Library.

At that moment, another sound echoed from within the Library.

"Hmm?"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow.

There were still people hiding in the Library.

"Master Su..."

Xu Xiaohan grew tense.

Su Chen stepped toward the Library.

In an instant, Xu Xiaohan's astral qi surged, actually blocking Su Chen's path.

"You intend to move against me?"

Su Chen's voice was flat.

"Little Han wouldn't dare!"

*Thud!*

Xu Xiaohan knelt on the ground, remaining silent.

At this moment, Su Chen had already guessed who was inside.

Like Zhang Gui, Xu Xiaohan wanted to make a name for himself. However, while Zhang Gui was single-mindedly obsessed with seizing absolute power—even if it meant dying to destroy the Great Liang empire and overturn the imperial throne—Xu Xiaohan truly just wanted to rise in status.

He had chosen the side of the Great Liang Imperial Family.

"Seven Minor Grandmasters have charged into the Tianwu Tower, regicide and rebellion... the imperial authority is being overturned..."

"Emperor Jianwu is likely in grave danger."

"Even so, the very foundations of Great Liang are precarious."

"Despite this, do you still wish to gamble on the merit of protecting the imperial bloodline to secure your position?"

Su Chen had already guessed; it was nothing more than a prince or princess, the children of Emperor Jianwu.

If Emperor Jianwu fell, and if Great Liang still stood, the new Emperor would inevitably emerge from among those two.

"Little Han knows he shouldn't involve the Library, but the capital is in upheaval. Seven Minor Grandmasters have stormed the Tianwu Tower, Emperor Jianwu is missing, the Great Eunuchs are watching from the sidelines, and the remnants of the Eastern Depot have already entered the palace..."

"In the Imperial Palace, this is the only place they dare not barge into!"

"I know my talent is shallow, but I still wish to fight for immense wealth amidst this chaos! If I succeed, fifty years from now, using today's merit, I might just achieve First-Rank status and wear the Purple Robe..."

Xu Xiaohan was ambitious.

Even being a Deputy Chief Manager in half-red robes was not enough for him.

Now, he dared to covet the Purple Robe.

Inside the Library, a commotion arose, accompanied by increasingly rapid, violent coughing.

Su Chen brushed past Xu Xiaohan and walked toward the Library.

"Master Su!"

Xu Xiaohan panicked and tried to stop him, only to be kicked aside by Su Chen.

Inside the Library.

Two small children, about seven or eight years old, were dressed in ill-fitting eunuch clothes. A boy and a girl, looking as delicate as carved jade, were huddled together for comfort.

Faintly visible on their bodies were black patterns resembling spider webs; they had been poisoned.

"What happened here?"

"When did the Eastern Depot agents strike?"

Xu Xiaohan rushed in, his face filled with horror and grief. It wasn't out of loyalty to Great Liang, but because his life's gamble for future wealth was vanishing into thin air.

Su Chen's eyes flickered.

This wasn't poison from the Eastern Depot, but toxins released by the exotic flowers and strange herbs blooming within the Library.

How could children of seven or eight understand cultivation?

Fortunately, Su Chen had arrived quickly. Otherwise, before the rebels could kill the Emperor's children, they would have perished in the Library.

"Give the dried grass from the grass bag I once bestowed upon you to these two children."

"It's lucky you just arrived."

"Otherwise, even a Third-Rank intruder wouldn't dare stay long."

Having said that, Su Chen turned to leave, unwilling to be entangled in any karma.

Only then did Xu Xiaohan realize the truth in horror, staring at the courtyard full of exotic flora.

The Library was actually a place of lethal poison.

No wonder after Master Su left, whenever he passed by the Library, he would occasionally find the corpses of cultivators who had died suddenly nearby.

After Su Chen departed.

Outside the Library, flames flickered. Figures stood tall, clad in chainmail, carrying Tianyuan Shields and Life-Slaying Sabers. Their eyes were as fierce as wolves and tigers, and Eastern Depot badges hung from their waists.

Leading them were two Third-Rank experts.

One was at the Astral Condensation stage, the other at the Marrow Cleansing stage.

"That man has left."

"In that case, show no mercy. Slaughter the bloodline of the Liang royals; leave none alive!"

"Kill anyone who stands in the way!"

Led by the two Third-Ranks, thirty Eastern Depot agents charged into the Library.

In the distance.

Su Chen stopped and gazed toward the Library.

"The merit of ascending the throne is not easily obtained."

...

...

Midnight.

Dark clouds obscured the bright moon.

No victor had emerged from the Tianwu Tower.

The martial heroes hidden within the capital had already stormed the palace, working in concert with the Eastern Depot agents to turn the world upside down.

"To think the old Emperor would see such a day!"

"The sins committed by three generations of the imperial family must be paid for today."

"Hahaha!"

The sounds of battle raged all day.

Flames soared into the sky.

Yet, there were two places untouched by the rebels: one was the Library, and the other was also the Library—the Martial Pavilion Library.

"The Martial Pavilion!"

"I want to see just how formidable it is."

A martial hero attempted to catch a glimpse of the Great Liang imperial cultivation texts, only to have his head severed by a single sword strike. The swordsman was in his twenties, wearing a pitch-black ghost mask and a blood-red robe fluttering in the wind. He had already claimed countless lives of the Imperial Guards.

"Only I can kill this brat!"

Gazing toward the Martial Pavilion, the Ghost-Masked Swordsman spoke with a chilling tone.

Hanging from his waist was a badge inscribed with: *The Black Abyss Demon Ghost Gang.*

His name was Su Han.

Nine years ago, a brother of his had entered the palace to become a eunuch.

Tonight, he had come to kill him.

(End of Chapter)