"I recall that the Jade Palace was built by the founding emperor of the Great Sui. This place used to be the imperial palace of the previous dynasty, which was later burned to the ground by the army."
Qin Sang looked at the grand princess and saw her nod slightly before continuing, "The Great Sui Dynasty has lasted for five hundred years, with over thirty emperors having reigned. Each ruler enjoyed boundless glory, but in the end, none escaped becoming just a handful of dust, while the Jade Palace remains."
The grand princess seemed to grasp something. "You—"
Qin Sang impolitely interrupted her, pointing to the towering shadow in the distance. "Look at Holy Mountain Zhao over there. It has witnessed the Jade Palace transform from new to old, seen the previous dynasty's palace destroyed, and before that, it saw dynasty after dynasty rise and fall."
He then pointed to the sky. "Up there, perhaps there’s an immortal who has witnessed Holy Mountain Zhao rise from the seabed to the plains, growing cun by cun into this towering mountain. And when one day Holy Mountain Zhao collapses, that immortal may not even bother to look."
"My ambition is great," Qin Sang said with a self-deprecating smile, "I want to achieve immortality, to witness the birth and death of immortals."
The grand princess sighed deeply. "I understand... But have you thought about what will happen to Wu Chuanzong, Zhou Ning, and Zhang Wenkui after you leave? The heir to the emperor hates you deeply. If he can't find you, he'll take out his anger on them. Can they withstand that?"
Qin Sang turned to look at the grand princess, her eyes shining brightly.
...
On the night of the second day of New Year.
At the residence of the Marquis of Jiangzhou.
Qin Sang had dismissed all his personal guards, leaving him alone in the main hall, sitting with his eyes closed.
The dead of night was silent. Suddenly, the sound of soft footsteps outside the residence reached his ears. Qin Sang abruptly opened his eyes, picked up the bundle beside him, slung it over his shoulder, then drew his sword and slowly pushed open the main gate.
Torches illuminated the street, which was filled with elite soldiers surrounding the marquis's residence. Countless powerful crossbows were aimed at the gate.
Seeing this, Qin Sang couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
The wheel of fate had turned. Three years ago, he had led crossbowmen to besiege Xuanji Temple, and now it was his turn.
As he stepped out of the gate, a beardless man with a sharp voice shouted, "The Marquis of Jiangzhou is ambitious and has conspired with his subordinates to rebel. Now that your plot has been exposed, surrender at once! The heir to the emperor has decreed that anyone who resists shall be killed without mercy!"
Qin Sang’s expression remained unchanged as he scanned the soldiers, eventually spotting the heir to the emperor.
Gripping his sword tightly, the old monk moved like lightning, the sword’s tip radiating a dazzling sword light, accompanied by a sound resembling a dragon's roar, as it thrust toward Qin Sang.
At that moment, a sudden ringing sound filled the old monk’s ears, causing him to remember something. His face changed drastically, and his eyes widened in horror as he stared at Qin Sang.
He opened his mouth to say something but never got the chance. Qin Sang, like a ghost, slipped into the old monk's embrace, grabbing his neck and twisting it sharply.
Crack!
The old monk died instantly.
Witnessing this, not only did the master of Yanlan Manor hesitate, but even Black Crane Sage’s eyelids twitched in shock. An innate stage expert had been defeated by Qin Sang in a single move.
They couldn’t hear the ringing and assumed Qin Sang’s martial arts had reached an extraordinary level.
The heir was even more terrified. He shoved the Red Embroidered Lady aside and turned to flee, shouting desperately, "Kill him! Release the arrows! Release the arrows now!"
Qin Sang was so close to the heir that the soldiers hesitated, not daring to act recklessly. Several generals looked toward their commander, who remained silent. Were they really going to stand by and watch the heir be captured?
With Black Crane Sage’s betrayal and the commander’s silence, a heavy fog of confusion hung over them, leaving them paralyzed with indecision.
Even the old monk couldn’t stop Qin Sang, and the Red Embroidered Lady, who had just been pushed forward, was swiftly killed by Qin Sang with a single thrust of his sword. In the blink of an eye, Qin Sang had captured the heir to the emperor amidst thousands of soldiers.
"What are you trying to do...?"
The heir stammered, his face filled with terror as he met Qin Sang’s cold gaze.
Qin Sang replied icily, "Such a cruel and heartless person cannot be the ruler of a nation! I’d rather not be the Marquis of Jiangzhou. I swear to seek justice!"
With that, Qin Sang lifted the heir by his neck. His other hand curved and extended, and his sword shot forward like lightning, effortlessly impaling the heir. The sword drove the heir’s corpse deep into the gate of the marquis's residence.
Splurt!
Blood spurted out, staining the night sky and leaving everyone in stunned silence.
1. This is a Chinese proverb, meaning that someone useful is gotten rid of after serving their purpose. ☜