Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Sword Dao in the Letter
The ’Attack’ character appeared in black, embodying Chen Pingping’s Essence Qi Spirit and his killing intention. The moment Lan Wuji opened it, this power surged out, an overwhelming force.
He looked horrified but thankfully reacted quickly enough. Despite this, his arm was still wounded.
Lan Wuji’s face was grim and unsightly as he spoke in a grave tone, "Chen Pingping!"
"Protect His Highness!" a nearby General exclaimed, finally reacting and rushing forward.
Lan Wuji waved them to a halt and looked at the white paper on the ground. The ’Attack’ character was still there, but the killing power within it had been exhausted.
His gaze was cold. Trivial trickery. He then took up brush and ink and wrote the ’Kill’ character.
「Several days later.」
Chen Pingping received a letter from Lan Wuji. He casually opened it, and a dense killing intention burst forth, enveloping the entire courtyard.
BOOM!
The small bamboo-fenced courtyard collapsed instantaneously, dust flying everywhere. It left Chen Pingping standing amidst the debris, covered in soot and mud.
He cursed loudly, "Lan Wuji, damn you!"
The neighbors, alarmed by the commotion, ran over. "What happened?" they asked.
Chen Pingping countered, "Do you have any brush and ink?"
He was furious. If you want to rebel, then rebel. If you want the throne, that’s fine too; it has nothing to do with me. But damn you for not letting go of Lan Xiuzhi! She’s your sister, after all! Still young, innocent, and never involved in the struggle for imperial power. Yet when I demanded her release, you still hesitated!
Chen Pingping took up brush and ink and drew the Sword of Vegetation.
When Lan Wuji opened it, the Sword of Vegetation on the paper instantly magnified, broke through the air, and descended from the Nine Heavens.
He was bewildered. Before opening it, I had made all necessary preparations, even donning armor. I never expected that what Chen Pingping had inscribed on the white paper was a form of Sword Dao!
The Sword of Vegetation.
The enormous Sword Body, glowing with green radiance, swept towards him with immense power.
"AAAH!"
Screams erupted from the soldiers behind him. They tried to flee, but they were too slow.
In an instant, the terrifying sword slash descended. A swath of soldiers fell dead, and Lan Wuji himself suffered a grievous injury, spewing a mouthful of blood.
"Chen Pingping..." he roared.
Just then, another soldier came running. "Report, Your Highness! Chen Pingping has sent another letter!"
At this news, Lan Wuji’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. "Open it!"
"This? Your Highness, are you sure?" The soldier was panicked.
"Nonsense! I am a Prince, and I command you to open it!" Lan Wuji said furiously. "Does a mere Chen Pingping dare think he can make me submit?" After speaking, he quickly retreated dozens of miles.
The soldier was drenched in cold sweat. ...
WHIR!
The moment the white paper was lifted, it revealed another Sword Dao. This time it was the Six Tao Reincarnation Sword, slashing towards Lan Wuji from the soldier’s position.
Its Power Path was immense, far surpassing Lan Wuji’s realm and strength.
With a thunderous CRASH, the Sword Dao slammed down, burying Lan Wuji deep within the earth. Several long, deep cracks appeared in the ground before everyone’s eyes.
"Protect His Highness! Protect His Highness!" Hundreds of soldiers rushed over.
From within the deep pit, Lan Wuji’s face twitched, and his whole body trembled.
Damn it! Chen Pingping! Even after I retreated dozens of miles, Chen Pingping’s Sword Dao could still reach me!
Lan Wuji had to admit it. That guy does have some real skill... but so what? This is the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty, my home ground! I have a hundred-thousand-strong army and countless powerful allies. If Chen Pingping dares to show his face, he will surely be slain!
「Before long, another letter was delivered.」
This time, Lan Wuji didn’t open it immediately. After donning his armor, he had a powerful array set up and summoned several mid-stage Imperial Dao experts to stand guard.
"Alright, you can open it now," Lan Wuji said.
The soldier trembled. "Your Highness, I am scared!"
"What are you scared of?" Lan Wuji snapped. "It’s just Chen Pingping. It’s not like he can eat you! Open it."
Under pressure, the soldier opened the letter.
Fortunately, there was no killing intent this time. The white paper was as calm as still water, with a single line written on it: "I will visit in three days."
The message was concise and to the point, without any embellishment.
An old General stepped forward, speaking gravely, "Your Highness, now is the critical time to seize the Imperial Palace. It’s not wise to start a war with Chen Pingping now!"
"Exactly, Your Highness. The little princess is of minimal strategic use. She can be cast aside," another voice chimed in.
"Your Highness, it is said that Chen Pingping is formidable in battle, with profound cultivation, even surpassing Jinchao. We..." several generals advised. They argued that without the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon, the Inner Palace was merely a collection of buildings, not inherently formidable. "Capturing it is just a matter of time. But if we get entangled with Chen Pingping now, it will likely delay our victory!"
All the generals present were deeply concerned.
Lan Wuji’s gaze was deep. "The grand ambition of unifying the land is within reach; do you think I, the Prince, am unaware? But even if we seize the Imperial Palace, can we securely hold that position? Inside the Imperial City, there’s the Supervisory Temple, the officials of the Secretariat, and numerous ministers. Deep within the palace, there are also tens of thousands of Imperial Guards... These are all challenges."
I need to conquer them one by one.
"Moreover, far away in the border city, there’s the Thirteen Armies. If that old woman leads them back to the capital in a show of loyal support, that massive force will reach the Imperial City in three months at most. In the Far East Region, other lords are watching with covetous eyes."
My path to becoming emperor is indeed long and fraught with responsibility! The emergence of this Chen Pingping won’t change the grand scheme of things. At most, he’ll provide some entertainment.
Lan Wuji spoke, "Chen Pingping has repeatedly provoked our army. If I, the Prince, avoid this battle, wouldn’t it damage the army’s morale? Therefore, in three days, I must kill Chen Pingping, no matter what, to restore our military’s spirit!"
Hearing this, the generals found some sense in his words.
"Generals, do not try to dissuade me further." Lan Wuji’s gaze swept over them. Having spoken, he turned and left.
「Once he was alone, he quietly left the military camp and went to a mountaintop.」
At that moment, a gentle breeze rustled, stirring unseen dust motes in the air. A few stray leaves, carried from unknown places, fluttered down.
Two figures stood quietly on the mountaintop: an old man in white robes and a young woman.
Upon reaching the peak, the corners of Lan Wuji’s mouth lifted in a slight chuckle. "You two are indeed as prescient as gods. Chen Pingping truly made a move for Lan Xiuzhi. Haha, he even declared he would visit in three days."
The man and woman were from the Purple Gold Divine Clan.
「After the massacre in the Southern Land ended and Jinchao was driven mad, the Purple Gold Divine Clan had begun to lay their plans.」
However, they did not act rashly. Chen Pingping’s flamboyant appearance, his utter disregard for the numerous sect experts, the three great imperial dynasties, and even our Purple Gold Divine Clan, surely means he has a hidden trump card. Until we know what Chen Pingping’s trump card is, we must be cautious.
Consequently, the Purple Gold Divine Clan turned their attention to Lan Xiuzhi. They understood that Chen Pingping, to some degree, was a man of sentiment and loyalty. They then joined forces with Lan Wuji to orchestrate this grand farce. The Purple Gold Divine Clan promised to help Lan Wuji claim the throne of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Dynasty, and in return, he would help the Purple Gold Divine Clan kill Chen Pingping. The two parties reached an agreement.
Now, after Lan Wuji’s repeated provocations, Chen Pingping could no longer maintain his composure.
"Losing one’s reason is the first step to revealing one’s flaws," Jinyao Pool murmured, slowly opening her eyes. "This is the first step."
"And the second step?" Lan Wuji narrowed his eyes.