Eternal Saber

Chapter 572 - 178: Stealing Heaven’s Merits

"Filthy, truly filthy."

The Drunken Elder’s laughter gradually faded, and he let out a sigh.

Everyone was utterly confused; they had no idea what he meant by these words.

The Drunken Elder said, "With just Uncle Wang’s methods and daring, could he have set up such a grand scheme? If Brother Ye hadn’t stepped in, do you really think Uncle Wang’s Northern Expedition Army and Yang Kan’s Jiangzhou Army alone could have wiped out the Profound Celestial Sect in one fell swoop?"

Everyone knew that the "Brother Ye" in the Drunken Elder’s mouth was the Sword Sect.

Could it be that the Sword Sect had truly come out of seclusion?

All eyes turned to Ye Xuan in unison, seeking an answer.

Ye Xuan’s expression was calm; he remained silent.

The Drunken Elder continued, "We people of the Jianghu, no matter how vicious or scheming, can never outplay those shameless petty men of the Imperial Court who spend their days plotting and backstabbing, playing their games of power and intrigue."

The crowd grew even more puzzled, not understanding who the Drunken Elder was referring to.

With a mocking look, the Drunken Elder said, "Brother Ye rendered immortal service, yet in the end, it’s reduced to a single offhand line: ’Empress Dowager Yu heard of the upheaval in her bedchamber, was shocked, and passed away.’"

"In later generations, who will ever see, from that one line, the peril and the wind and rain of blood behind it!"

The Drunken Elder was not in the Capital City, but he knew who Empress Dowager Yu was.

So he knew in his heart that Empress Dowager Yu could not possibly have died from shock.

The only possibility was that the Sword Sect had acted.

And the reason the people of the Profound Celestial Sect entered the palace was, in all likelihood, this as well: they wanted to join hands with Empress Dowager Yu to suppress and kill the Sword Sect.

Never did they imagine they would instead fall into a trap laid by the Sword Sect.

Including Ye Yun, the people of the Sword Pavilion all wore expressions of grief and anger, feeling it unworthy on the Old Pavilion Master’s behalf.

After the battle in Huiji City, the Old Pavilion Master had begun laying out his plans, preparing to deal with the Profound Celestial Sect.

But if it were merely a simple act of revenge, destroying one or two Magic Altars, it would not be enough to shake the Profound Celestial Sect at its roots.

Only by netting them all in one go could future calamities truly be cut off!

After years of preparation, the Old Pavilion Master entered the palace alone to face Empress Dowager Yu.

This Empress Dowager Yu’s true body was not only the Profound Celestial Sect’s Empress Yin and Grand Sacrificial Officer, but also a Returning to Void Realm figure within the Profound Sect, equivalent to a Martial Arts Grandmaster of Transformation Realm!

It was precisely because the two sides erupted into a great battle that the two Sect Leaders brought thousands of Mystic Masters into the palace.

Yet in the end, it was turned into a line that "Xia Daozi lured the Profound Celestial Sect into the palace," establishing Xia Daozi’s fame.

Ye Yun said coldly, "Deceiving the world and stealing its name, usurping merit from heaven itself!"

Ye Xuan still remained silent, saying nothing.

First, his uncle had never cared about such fame and titles.

Second, this was an agreement between his uncle and the Imperial Family of Nanxia.

The Grand Empress Dowager of Nanxia had been replaced and had stayed in the palace for so many years, causing the deaths of multiple Emperors; for the Imperial Family of Nanxia, this was an enormous scandal they could hardly speak of!

The line "Empress Dowager Yu died of shock" was, in a sense, the final vestige of dignity left to the Imperial Family of Nanxia.

The Drunken Elder went on, "In the battle of the Capital City, I’d wager that the Sword Pavilion suffered the heaviest casualties and killed the most enemies."

Ye Yun couldn’t help asking, "You weren’t even in the Capital City; how do you know so much?"

The Drunken Elder smiled and said, "Brother Ye has plotted for many years; he must have secretly trained a force in the Sword Pavilion capable of fighting against Mystic Masters, and they were the main force in this battle. When you just appeared and formed that Sword Array, I’d never seen anything like it; it must be something Brother Ye conceived over these years."

Ye Yun did not speak, which counted as tacit acknowledgment.

The Sword Pavilion had indeed secretly established a Black Clothes Hall, selecting the elite among the younger generation of the Sword Pavilion for focused training. Each of them wore black clothes, practiced diligently day and night, and studied the Sword Arrays created by the Old Pavilion Master, all for the final decisive battle with the Profound Celestial Sect!

Ye Yun then asked, "But how do you know the Sword Pavilion suffered the heaviest casualties and killed the most enemies?"

The Drunken Elder said, "Ye Xuan’s strength had long since reached the Peak of Grandmaster, and even he was injured; that alone shows how brutal the fighting was. Moreover, if I were Uncle Wang, upon seeing such a powerful private army suddenly emerge from the Sword Pavilion, what do you think I’d do?"

Chief Yang frowned and said, "Old Shopkeeper, you’re being overly petty and suspicious!"

The Drunken Elder offered no explanation and simply continued, "Also, I’m guessing Uncle Wang didn’t suffer any real injuries."

Yang Jianzhi couldn’t help saying, "General Wang and my uncle still have to lead the army in continued pursuit of the Profound Celestial Army in Wu and Jiang Provinces; there will be more clashes and slaughter afterward. Of course they’d be extremely cautious and conserve their strength as much as possible."

"Ha!"

The Drunken Elder burst out laughing and said, "Yet in the end, that letter didn’t mention the Sword Pavilion even once. The countless disciples of the Sword Pavilion who died in this battle won’t even have their names recorded in the histories."

"Future generations will only read of Xia Daozi’s merit in luring and killing, of Uncle Wang’s brilliant command, personally leading the Northern Expedition Army to annihilate the Profound Celestial Sect, and of Inspector Yang’s supporting efforts. Pitiful, lamentable."

The people of the Sword Pavilion all showed expressions of grief and anger at these words.

Chen Tang’s expression was complicated; he couldn’t help recalling the ending of a book he’d read in his previous life.

A great hero, before the two armies, made the Chanyu break his arrows; six armies parted before him. He forced the Emperor of Liao to swear that in his lifetime he would never again invade Song, thereby sparing countless commoners from the ravages of war, yet in the end the hero took his own life.

And what did he receive in return?

The book said that the Yanmen Pass commander sent a swift horse with the victory report, claiming that he personally led his officers and soldiers, fought bloodily for several days, stood firm against more than a hundred thousand Liao troops, and that thanks to the Emperor’s boundless good fortune and the court ministers’ wise instructions, with all generals and soldiers risking their lives, they struck down the Southern Court King and killed and wounded several thousand Liao soldiers, forcing the Emperor of Liao to retreat.

The Emperor Song was overjoyed, sent an edict to the border to reward the armies, and granted promotions and titles.

The Emperor Song considered himself wise and martial; for days he held banquets, praises of his merits filled his ears, and congratulatory memorials celebrating the great victory poured in without end.

That great hero was, in the report, merely that Southern Court King who was "killed."

Nothing more.

Yun Yifeng said in a deep voice, "Old Shopkeeper, you’re saying all this just to sow discord. No matter what, with the Profound Celestial Sect destroyed, you still have to give the Jianghu an explanation today!"

"What, you want to fight?"

The Drunken Elder swept his gaze around, his eyes like torches. A terrifying aura surged from his entire being; his beard and hair bristled as he slowly said, "If this old man fights to the death, your Yunmeng Manor will be awash in blood!"

Everyone fell silent.

There were more than ten Grandmasters present altogether, yet if the Drunken Elder truly set his mind on a massacre, even if they joined forces, they might not be able to suppress him in a short time.

By then, who knew how many would die here.

"Father, let’s fight them!"

Shopkeeper He’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness as he gritted his teeth and said, "Brothers of the Drunken Immortal Tower, listen to my command—we’ll kill our way out together!"

A stir rose from the crowd.

Forces from all sides retreated one after another, pulling away from the Drunken Immortal Tower’s camp and focusing their vigilance.

"Sigh."

The old crone let out a sigh and said, "Old Drunkard, things have come to this; why must you bring slaughter upon yourself?"

Liu Qian said, "End it yourself."

The Drunken Elder’s face was as dark as water; he remained unmoved. He looked around and raised his voice: "Brother Ye, things have come to this, and you still won’t show yourself?"

His voice echoed around them without end, lingering for a long time.

A moment passed, yet there was no response.

Ye Xuan spoke: "Uncle will not come to see you."

At these words, all the vigor and killing intent the Drunken Elder had shown a moment ago vanished in an instant. He seemed to age all of a sudden.

The Drunken Elder stood there in a daze for a long time before giving a desolate smile and muttering, "After all these decades of friendship, he won’t even see me one last time? You old bastard are really too lacking in courtesy."

"It’s precisely because of those decades of friendship that Uncle avoids you. Otherwise, how could you still be alive now?"

Ye Xuan looked at the dispirited, decrepit Drunken Elder, and as he recalled what this elder had once been like, the words that had reached his lips, he ultimately couldn’t bear to say them aloud.