Chapter 51: Ambition

“I remember that Yuyu Palace was built by the founding emperor of the Great Sui. This place was originally the imperial palace of the previous dynasty, but it was later burned to the ground by a great army.”

Qin Sang looked at the Grand Princess. Seeing her nod slightly, he continued, “Five hundred years of the Great Sui, with over thirty emperors having passed through to this day. A ruler of a nation enjoys all the glory and splendor, yet in the end, they cannot escape a handful of yellow earth. But Yuyu Palace remains.”

The Grand Princess seemed to understand something. “You...”

Qin Sang interrupted her rudely, pointing at the towering dark silhouette in the distance. “Look again at Mount Chaos. It has witnessed Yuyu Palace from new to old; it witnessed the destruction of the previous dynasty's palace. Before that, there were dynasty after dynasty, generation after generation.”

He pointed to the sky. “Up there, perhaps there are immortals who have witnessed Mount Chaos grow inch by inch from the seabed to the plains, eventually becoming this high mountain. And perhaps one day in the future, when Mount Chaos collapses, those immortals won't even bother to glance at it.”

“My ambition is great,” Qin Sang said with a self-mocking smile. “I want immortality, to witness the immortals from birth to death.”

The Grand Princess let out a long sigh. “I understand... but have you considered what will happen to Wu Chuanzong, Zhou Ning, and Zhang Wenkui after you leave? The Crown Prince hates you to the bone. If he cannot catch you, he will vent his rage on them. Can they endure it?”

Qin Sang turned to look at the Grand Princess; her eyes were bright and shimmering.

...

The second day of the Lunar New Year, night.

The Marquis of Jiangzhou’s Manor.

All personal guards had been dismissed by Qin Sang. He was alone in the manor, sitting upright with his eyes closed in the main hall.

In the dead of night, amidst the deathly silence, a rustling sound of footsteps came from outside the manor. Qin Sang’s eyes snapped open. He grabbed the bundle beside him, slung it over his shoulder, drew a sword, and walked out to slowly push open the great gates.

Torches illuminated the area. The entire street was filled with elite soldiers surrounding the manor, with countless heavy crossbows and sharp arrows notched and aimed at the gates.

Seeing this scene, Qin Sang gave a self-mocking laugh.

The tides of fortune turn. Three years ago, he had led crossbowmen to besiege Xuanji Temple; now, it was his turn.

Just as he stepped out of the manor gates, a man with a pale face and no beard shouted in a shrill voice, “The Marquis of Jiangzhou is a man of wild ambition! He has conspired with his subordinates to attempt rebellion. Now that his plot has been exposed, surrender at once! By order of the Crown Prince, anyone who dares to resist shall be killed on sight!”

Qin Sang remained expressionless. His gaze swept over the soldiers until he found the figure of the Crown Prince.

Four people stood beside the Crown Prince.

A woman with a flirtatious countenance stood close to the Prince; it was Hong Xiuniang, whose martial arts were no inferior to the white-clad scholar, and she was a top-tier expert in the martial world.

On the other side of the Prince stood an old monk with a long beard that nearly reached the ground, carrying a precious sword on his back. Qin Sang had seen him at Xuanji Temple—it was the very Patriarch of Xuanji Temple who had used sword light to slay an immortal cultivator. He was likely over a hundred years old now.

This was a visit for vengeance.

Standing beside the old monk was a scholar whom Qin Sang had never met, but he knew this man was the current Master of Yanlan Villa, another sacred site of the Great Sui martial world, and a Xiantian-level expert.

Finally, in the darkness, there was a figure in black robes. A shadow seemed to shroud his face, as if he were perpetually dwelling in the gloom, never revealing himself to the world—it was Heihe Zhenren, the Master of the Blood Clothing Pavilion.

Three Xiantian experts. The Crown Prince truly held himself in high regard.

The Crown Prince likely felt that with so many experts guarding him, nothing could go wrong. He stepped away from his soldiers and walked forward, looking at Qin Sang with a smiling gaze, speaking with feigned heartbreak: “General Qin, you were a mere commoner who gained the favor of the Grand Princess and was elevated to the rank of Marquis. What more could you want? To think you would secretly conspire with your generals to attempt treason! How can you face the Grand Princess? How can you face my Imperial Father?”

Qin Sang said indifferently, “I do not understand what the Crown Prince is saying. Since entering the Imperial Capital, I have remained in my manor and have hardly stepped outside. How could I have conspired with anyone?”

The Crown Prince snorted coldly. “The evidence of your conspiracy with your subordinates is irrefutable, yet you dare to quibble! Heihe Zhenren, bring the prisoner forward!”

To everyone's surprise, Heihe Zhenren did not move. He said respectfully, “Reporting to the Crown Prince, the Blood Clothing Pavilion has found no evidence of the Marquis of Jiangzhou’s conspiracy or treason. I do not know whom the Crown Prince wishes for me to bring; please clarify.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd fell into an uproar.

The Crown Prince was struck with terror. He turned his head abruptly, staring at Heihe Zhenren in disbelief. “You!”

Qin Sang feigned indignation, his voice resonant and powerful: “I have been favored by the Princess, serving as a general in the army with utmost diligence, expanding the borders for our Emperor without a moment's negligence. My merits in uniting with King Zhenshui, breaking Yingnan County, crossing Hening County, burning Raven's Mouth, and crushing the Nine Guard Pass are known to all. How many in the army can match me? Now, the Crown Prince slanders me with treason yet produces not a shred of evidence! As the saying goes, 'when the birds are gone, the bow is stored; when the rabbits are dead, the hounds are cooked.' The Crown Prince forces my hand; I have no choice but to rebel.”

Before his voice had even faded, Qin Sang shifted his footing and lunged violently toward the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince turned pale with fright. “What are you trying to do! Kill him! Kill him quickly!”

With Heihe Zhenren defecting mid-battle, everyone was left in a state of uncertainty.

The Master of Yanlan Villa was clearly hesitating, but the old monk held a long-standing grudge against Qin Sang. Without hesitation, he made a beckoning motion with his hand, and the precious sword on his back flew from its scabbard with a clatter.

The old monk gripped the sword, his figure moving like lightning. The tip of the sword emitted a dazzling burst of light, and accompanied by a roar like a dragon's cry, he thrust toward Qin Sang.

At that moment, a sudden *ding-ling-ling* of bells rang in the old monk's ear. In that instant, the old monk remembered something. His expression changed drastically, and his eyes widened with pure horror as he stared at Qin Sang.

He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Qin Sang crashed into the old monk's embrace like a phantom, his hand clamping around the monk's throat, and he gave it a violent twist.

*Crack!*

The old monk died instantly.

Seeing this, not only did the Master of Yanlan Villa's eyelids twitch, but even Heihe Zhenren's eyes jumped in shock. A dignified Xiantian expert was not even a match for a single move from Qin Sang.

They could not hear the bells, so they thought Qin Sang's martial arts had already reached a transcendent, saintly realm.

The Crown Prince was even more terrified. He shoved Hong Xiuniang aside and turned to run, screaming at the top of his lungs, “Kill him! Fire the arrows! Fire the arrows now!”

Qin Sang was extremely close to the Crown Prince. The soldiers hesitated, afraid to move recklessly. Several generals looked toward their commander, only to see him standing silent. Were they to watch helplessly as the Crown Prince was captured?

With Heihe Zhenren defecting and the commander remaining silent, a heavy fog of uncertainty made them hesitate.

If even the old monk could not stop Qin Sang, then Hong Xiuniang, who had just been pushed forward, was pierced through the heart by Qin Sang's sword in an instant. Like a hawk diving, Qin Sang captured the Crown Prince from amidst the tens of thousands of soldiers in the blink of an eye.

“What do you think you are doing...”

The Crown Prince looked at Qin Sang's freezing gaze, his face filled with terror.

Qin Sang said coldly, “A man so petty and ungrateful cannot be the ruler of a nation! I have no need for this title of Marquis of Jiangzhou. Qin Sang vows to demand justice!”

With that, Qin Sang lifted the Crown Prince by the throat. With his other hand, he flicked his wrist, and his long sword shot out like a bolt of lightning, easily impaling the Crown Prince through and through, driving the corpse deep into the gates of the manor.

*Splurt!*

Blood sprayed out, staining the night sky and shocking everyone present.

(End of Chapter)