Chapter 377: Chapter 97 Professional Scapegoat
"Boom!"
Thunderous sounds erupted from outside the Imperial City, and immediately after, a bolt of Thunder Light shot towards the sky. The lethal Thunder Technique, without much thought, was clearly the handiwork of Zhang Zhixuan.
The Thunder God of the Taiping Sect had been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, and now that Zhang Zhixuan was leaving the Divine Capital, how could he neglect him?
This was something Tianxuan realized the moment she heard it, but it was too late to stop it by then.
At the same time, this clap of thunder also served as a reminder to everyone present.
— Times had changed.
If the Emperor were still around, Zhang Zhixuan would never dare to storm the Heavenly Prison, and he might even end up being thrown in himself. When Jiang Li had infiltrated the Heavenly Prison before, it was all about striking unexpectedly and he wouldn’t dare to be so brazen.
But now that the Emperor had become nothing more than a phantom, Zhang Zhixuan’s daring prison break, dangerous as it was, wasn’t impossible.
And afterward, it might be discovered that the Imperial Decree that prohibited climbing the city walls had been rendered ineffective, and by then, probably everyone in the whole world would know about the situation. The torrent of an era was coming, unstoppable by anyone.
"My Great Zhou’s Jiangshan..."
The Princess listened to the thunder, momentarily losing her composure, but she instantly pulled herself out of her worries and declared in a stern voice, "The Heavenly Prison must be secured! King You, accompany me with men to suppress the Heavenly Prison! Call out those old fellows from the Yin Law Department, and patrol the two departments around the Divine Capital."
"Great Sacrificial Officer, please make a move and drive away Zhang Zhixuan."
"I will have the lecturers from the Imperial College step up to maintain the order in the Divine Capital," Mo Yiling said with a grave tone.
"Tianxuan..."
The Princess gave the Emperor’s silhouette one last look, then turned her head and ordered, "Seal this place off, let no one see him."
Although the truth about the Emperor’s unexpected inheritance was bound to be revealed eventually, for the time being, they could keep it concealed as long as possible.
Hearing the underlying sorrow in her old rival’s voice, Tianxuan felt no urge to challenge her, simply saying softly, "Go ahead."
The crowd turned into rays of light and flew away, leaving Tianxuan alone to make arrangements in the area.
Tianxuan looked up at the sky, unusually showing a hint of wistfulness, "A storm is coming."
Although they had stopped the Emperor, the arrival of an even greater storm was inevitable.
Eight hundred years of sacrifice to the altar were coming to a time of change.
"A storm is coming."
Now outside the Divine Capital, Gongsun Qi looked back at the sky, his voice filled with emotion as well.
Unlike Tianxuan, his tone was untroubled by waves, revealing neither joy nor anger, leaving one uncertain about how he viewed the current situation.
But in his heart, Gongsun Qi harbored a fleeting thought: ’If Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would age. Human hearts and Heavenly Mechanisms, truly cannot coexist...’
The Emperor Dao Fruit stemmed from Heaven. The Emperor’s foundation shared the same origin as Heaven. Since the Emperor aged due to human hearts, what about Heaven itself?
Heaven, what was its fate?
The Emperor’s downfall had, in some ways, heralded the answer.
"Sect Leader Brother," Elder Kaixiang spoke up beside him, "Is there a variable at play?"
Having realized he served as an unwitting herald, he guessed there would be changes in the Imperial City. Now, as events took a sudden turn, Elder Kaixiang began to worry about the situation.
Tianxuan, wily as she was, couldn’t truly be trusted in a world where might was right. As a tough man who valued strength above all, Elder Kaixiang had no full confidence in the cunning Tianxuan.
"Indeed, there is a variable, but Tianxuan is safe, and the Heavenly Mechanism is becoming clear. The great battle has ended," Gongsun Qi nodded, then shook his head, "The matters to follow, I am not at liberty to intervene in. Let’s go back."
As Sect Leader of the Dinghu Sect and a member of the Gongsun Family, Gongsun Qi’s involvement would likely only complicate matters further. It was best to return.
At least, that’s how he outwardly indicated.
The two resumed their journey, traveling further and further along the path.
On the other side, Jiang Li sat in his wheelchair, a dog resting on his lap, quietly approaching the lakeside pavilion, undecided.
He had been in Tianxuan’s residence all along, staying just outside, just in case something unexpected happened here, such as the Emperor sending someone to harm his sister.
For now, it seemed the Emperor, overconfident, did not resort to such measures. Wan Dingtian and Xiang Huaiyi of the Southern Heavenly Department had been out of sight; whether they had been captured by the returning Princess or something else was uncertain.
Regardless, the Emperor was effectively out of play now, and it was time for Jiang Li to meet with Gongsun Qingyue, but—
’What should I say? If I tell her I’ve been with Master these past few days...’ Jiang Li keenly sensed a crisis.
He might not have grasped the full scope of the two women’s open and covert struggles, but he had some insight into certain feelings, like his sister’s potential jealousy.
Not having seen her for so many days, no matter the reason, Gongsun Qingyue’s mood was unlikely to be good.
[So what should I do?]
Jiang Li pondered this as he scribbled drafts on his Karma Collection.
Truth be told, while he was full of tricks, applying each one was always a first-time experience with no real-time expertise to speak of.
So right now, Jiang Li was anxious.
He hesitated at the door, unsure of what to say upon meeting her.
"What are you waiting for? Come in."
Just as Jiang Li wavered on the brink of entering or not, Gongsun Qingyue’s voice suddenly emerged from inside the building.
Jiang Li stiffened, then his hands pushed the wheels, slowly moving forward to push open the great door.
He didn’t utilize his True Qi like he used to, because it helped to play the sympathy card.
The door swung open slowly, revealing Gongsun Qingyue’s figure before Jiang Li’s eyes.