Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 722 - 652 Understanding

Broken tiles rained down, beams and columns slowly collapsed, and the floor tiles inexplicably shattered, revealing the Forbidden Light hidden beneath.

Amidst a scene of catastrophic collapse, He Siping, who had been kneeling on one knee, slowly stood up. A divine halo encircled his neck, firmly resisting the sword’s edge.

"I thought, with your clever mind, Fang Shuang, you would have figured it out quickly."

He Siping’s face still bore his usual calm, elegant, and unperturbed smile, as if he were discussing some trivial matter.

"Do you remember our childhood? Our family of four crammed into a small, dilapidated farmhouse outside the city. The house leaked and was drafty—cold in winter and hot in summer. The small river in front of the courtyard often bred mosquitoes. At night, you and I would be covered in mosquito bites. Mom would lie by the bed, fanning us with a cattail fan, while Father sat at the table, frowning. He’d count the copper coins and wrinkled paper money for the next month’s rent as if counting them repeatedly would magically increase the amount."

He Siping’s earnest and sincere tone did not sway He Fanshuang. She just pushed the sword harder, veins bulging on her forehead. "Is this your reason? Money?"

"Of course not."

He Siping chuckled. "After I aced the exams at the Academic Palace and made a name for myself in Chang’an City, money was no longer an issue. Wealthy merchants and magnates flocked to our home to offer congratulations, filling the entire courtyard. Invitations from powerful ministers and nobles arrived one after another, and so many matchmakers came that they nearly wore down our doorstep.

"Overnight, we moved out of that broken-down house and into a residence with three courtyards.

"The ironic thing is, when I actually started interacting with the children of top noble families, those born with silver spoons in their mouths, I discovered they were nothing special.

"One by one, they proved to be blindly short-sighted, arrogant, and presumptuous. They’d spout loyalty to the Emperor and the country, but behind the scenes, they engaged in all sorts of debauchery.

"To them, even if a commoner like me exhausted every effort to pass the Academic Palace exams, I had merely reached the status they were born into. In the future, whether as a feudal lord or an official, I would still be manipulated and used by them."

He raised two fingers, pinched the sword’s edge, and slowly pushed it away from his neck.

"Our parents and ancestors were commoners for generations, surviving as tenant farmers. Not a single scholar emerged from our lineage.

"Meanwhile, among my childhood playmates, some dropped out of school early to become apprentices at the blacksmith’s shop, only to be scalded by molten iron and left permanently disabled.

"Others were lured by bad company into gambling. To pay off their debts, they resorted to theft and were eventually beaten to death.

"Still others inherited their fathers’ businesses, selling griddle cakes on the street. When they saw me again, they were so terrified they couldn’t even string a complete sentence together.

"That farmhouse was a microcosm of the Yu Country. Among millions of my peers, I was the only one who managed to transform from a fish into a dragon despite such harsh circumstances.

"This isn’t a miracle; it’s a divine sign."

He Siping opened his hand, his palm emitting a dazzling Radiance in the shape of a lotus flower, generating a searing wave of heat.

The rolling heat wave spread in all directions, blowing away the falling bricks and tiles. Nearby wooden beams, caught in the blast, sparked intensely, rapidly charring and crumbling.

He Fanshuang swung her sword and retreated, her boots scraping through the rubble as she halted her backward momentum.

The Radiance in his palm gradually solidified, taking the shape of a Longsword. "Chosen by Haotian—only this, being one of the chosen, can explain my destiny," He Siping declared, his voice ringing out. "To achieve great things, to create a magnificent legacy, to be immortalized in history, revered by all—this is the mission Haotian has entrusted to me.

"Since the Yu Country only wants me to be a compliant Virtuous Minister, a Good Minister, a loyal minister, then I have no choice but to forge my own path!"

He Fanshuang’s temples throbbed. She could no longer see any trace of the older brother she had once admired. All that remained was an arrogance expanded to its absolute limit.

"Have you ever thought about what will happen to your sister-in-law, to our parents?"

He Fanshuang leaped into the air, drawing her sword and slashing towards her brother.

"What concern are they of mine?"

Sword blades clashed, striking over a dozen times in an instant. He Siping continued calmly, "Your sister-in-law, like everyone at the Academic Palace, is incapable of comprehending Haotian’s greatness. I never had any genuine feelings for her; it was all a facade.

"As for Mom and Father, you shouldn’t be asking me. You should ask yourself. If everything proceeds smoothly, the Yu Country will cease to exist after tonight, and they will naturally be safe.

"However, if the plan falters, your most rational course of action would be to take them and flee during the ensuing chaos to avoid future purges. After all, you will be the relatives of a traitor, and there will be no place left for you in the vast Yu Country."

With that, He Siping struck He Fanshuang down into the earth with a sweep of his sword, then soared into the air, pursuing someone towards the South.

Thunder rumbled and lightning blazed, relentless bolts centering around Canglong, igniting one house after another.

Li Shan stood atop the Dragon Head, holding the Mountain Master Jade Pendant that hung from a Dragon Horn. He gazed down at Chang’an City, now engulfed in flames, his expression dazed.

"Why?"

A hoarse voice came from behind. Crown Prince Li Si knelt on the dragon’s back, bound hand and foot, staring intently at his brother.

Indeed, Li Shan’s Wu family bloodline had made his childhood difficult. However, many years had passed, and old grievances had long since been resolved. Moreover, Li Shan was currently in charge of constructing and operating the Yu Country’s railways, a position of great power and authority. He had no unpleasant conflicts when meeting with his siblings.

Before Li Shan could reply, Wu Guifei, standing nearby, shrieked, "This is what the Yu Country owes us!"

Perhaps free from the bitter sea of palace life, or perhaps having finally achieved her long-held desires, the expression on Wu Guifei’s usually dignified and graceful face twisted. "The Yu Country was supposed to belong to the Wu Family from the start! It was you, your Li Family, who stole it!

"Hahaha! Everything happening today is retribution for the Li Family!

"Father, Mother, Elder Brother, can you see this? I’ve succeeded! My son, Li Shan—no, Wu Shan—is going to be the Emperor! Once he ascends the throne, he will establish temple masters in your names and vindicate your spirits in heaven!"

Wu Guifei seemed utterly unhinged, one moment weeping bitterly while hugging and kissing her son, the next moment shrieking curses. She cursed the Empress for her arrogance, the ministers for betraying the Wu Family, the Academic Palace for its treachery, and the Emperor for his cold-blooded cruelty.

"Prepare the Crossbow Arrows!"

Atop a watchtower on the ground, an officer bellowed at the top of his lungs. Three soldiers strained together to carry a black Crossbow Arrow, as large as a long spear, and load it into the massive groove of a Bed Crossbow. Other soldiers cranked the windlass, tightening the bowstring, making the steel cables soaked in rapeseed oil creak audibly.

Canglong drew closer. Rolling thunder shattered bridges and pavilions one after another. The soldiers’ faces grew increasingly pale, yet not a single one turned to flee.

"Fire!"

As the dragon’s body passed over the buildings in front, the officer violently waved his arm. Soldiers hammered a wooden stake on the side of the Bed Crossbow, triggering the mechanism.

WHOOSH—

The Crossbow Arrow tore through the air, hurtling towards Canglong.

Simultaneously, as the dissipating blood mist allowed their systems to gradually come back online, watchposts in the various city workshops also launched similar Bed Crossbow Arrows.

A volley of arrows filled the sky, exploding at roughly the same altitude in a display reminiscent of fireworks. The interior of these specially made spear-like crossbow arrows contained a Mystic Iron Thin Rod, about the thickness of a chopstick, with a Blast Talisman affixed to its base.

Upon impact, the vibration of the arrow shaft would trigger the Blast Talisman. This detonation would propel the Mystic Iron Thin Rod forward with even greater force, generating a terrifying impact capable of blasting through three-foot-thick stone walls, and even killing some slower High-Order Cultivators if they failed to dodge.

But...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The hundreds of crossbow bolts, carrying the soldiers’ hopes, slammed into an invisible barrier and were all obliterated, erupting into yet another shower of fireworks.

Above the Dragon Head, Li Shan’s gaze swept past the Jade Pendant hanging from the Dragon Horn. He lowered his head slightly, muttering to himself, It’s no use.

The surface of the Jade Pendant glowed, emanating a force from Canglong that repelled all external attacks.

The power of the Near-Cliff Realm.