CHAPTER 269: CHAPTER 269: THE NUMBER IS SET HERE

"You know I’ve perfected the Nine-Pattern Divine Pill, yet you still choose to fight me head-on. Wei Hu, you may think you’re cunning, but you’re just a fool!"

The cold wind swept across the blue bricks in the courtyard, and Wei Hu’s clothes suddenly stiffened.

As soon as Nezha finished speaking, Wei Hu turned into a breeze and disappeared from the courtyard, leaving only a sound transmission echoing in Nezha’s ear.

"In today’s clash, I lost half a move in my physical form. An Outer Heaven Demon has no place in this world. There’s no precedent for you being allowed to live and achieve Divine Enthronement. The body is merely a vessel; we shall determine life and death later with Daoist skill!"

Nezha chuckled softly. Turning, his sleeve brushed off three sycamore leaves.

He muttered to himself, "Even now, you deceive yourself. Next time we duel, you still won’t be my match."

He then turned to Ji Fa and said, "No one else is here now."

Ji Fa’s face turned ashen. He staggered backward, his back slamming into a vermillion pillar.

He forced a laugh and said, "It seems as long as you are around, I have to be a fool who doesn’t realize my own happiness and only knows to protect those lowly commoners as a benevolent king, right?"

Nezha looked into his eyes, raised his right hand, extended two fingers, and seriously said, "You are wrong on two counts."

"First, you are not a king yet."

"Second, —"Nezha’s fingertips glinted coldly, "that position could be filled by anyone."

Ji Fa stared at Nezha and suddenly cried out, "I knew it! I knew it! Bo Yikao sent you, right! You want to make him—"

His voice abruptly stopped. He collapsed to the ground, stars dancing in his vision, the taste of iron filling his mouth.

Ji Fa opened his mouth, spitting out two blood-stained teeth, yet he felt no pain. Tears rolled uncontrollably from his eyes.

Nezha squatted beside him and softly said, "I’ve heard that concubines are frequently murdered in your Imperial Palace. Such perverse actions, could it be you doing it?"

"No, it’s not."

Before Ji Fa finished his words, someone nearby cried out.

"Your Majesty! Nezha, how dare you!"

Nezha glared in the direction of the voice, and it was instantly choked off.

It was a slim man wearing a mask.

Though a man, his waist seemed slimmer than a woman’s, and his movements even more enchanting.

Nezha asked Ji Fa, "Who is this, your male pet?"

Before Ji Fa could speak, the man replied. His voice was as fine as spider silk in the night wind, cold and soft: "General, you misunderstand. I am His Majesty’s attendant. Don’t you know that breaking into the Imperial Palace by force is a capital offense? Or do you think, being a son of an immortal family, Xiqi won’t dare to punish you?"

Nezha raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Of course, I know. But Ji Fa has already pardoned me, isn’t that right, Ji Fa?"

He kicked Ji Fa’s behind twice, and Ji Fa nodded rapidly.

Nezha then asked, "Since you are Ji Fa’s close attendant, you should know the matters of the palace well. How should I address you?"

"I am Chang Gui. I grew up in the palace. If you have any questions, ask me. Don’t trouble His Majesty."

"Ji Fa does have a good servant." Nezha sat on Ji Fa. "Chang Gui, that’s an unusual name. Let me ask you, what’s the story behind the rumors about concubines being murdered in the palace?"

Chang Gui wasn’t disturbed and said, "It started half a year ago. The first victim was Concubine Rong. At dawn, palace maids collecting morning dew found her body in the Imperial Garden. She was stripped of her robes, and her breasts were cut off, an extremely tragic sight. But the murderer was never found.

A month later, the second victim was Concubine Li.

Her body was found in her own quarters, identical to Concubine Rong’s.

Nezha asked, "In her own quarters? With so many palace maids around, no one heard anything?"

Chang Gui shook his head and said, "Concubine Li had one hundred and two attendants. None survived; all were killed."

In this world, one hundred and two lives vanished silently. If it weren’t Concubine Li who died, it might not have received such attention.

Chang Gui continued, "After that, Concubine Hua and Concubine Yun also died. The most recent one was Concubine Meng, ten days ago, in the Cold Palace."

Nezha frowned, pondering for a moment. He said, "Alright, I understand. Now for the second question. If the palace is so dangerous, why have I heard that Ji Fa still seeks beauties from the common folk to fill his harem? And with such numbers, why haven’t the concubines increased?"

"Great General, that is quite normal." Chang Gui looked at his own feet, the tips of his shoes together.

When he spoke, he always recalled Nezha’s three-headed and six-armed form, fighting on the battlefield with blazing flames, making him even more nervous.

But he was the type who, the more nervous he got, the calmer he looked.

"His Majesty wouldn’t choose concubines from the common people.

Previously, Generals Han Dulong and Xue Ehu provided food for the army. Though the Xiqi army now has no shortage of food, the common people still struggle. Those with sons are lucky, but those with daughters often sell them to brothels for food.

You don’t know, in these times, even the brothels are overwhelmed, rejecting even pretty young girls. Who would have believed such a tale before?

Seeing the people’s plight, His Majesty brought the girls into the palace to serve as attendants, not to become concubines?"

Nezha asked Ji Fa, "Is this true?"

"Of course, it is!"

"I didn’t expect this kindness from you."

Ji Fa replied, "I am destined to be king. These people, though lowly, must be relied upon for labor and military service in the future. I must maintain appearances."

Nezha sneered, "Then you better maintain them thoroughly."

With that, Nezha stood up to leave. But he stopped in front of Chang Gui.

He suddenly said, "A mask can block Sword Qi, but not fate. I don’t know what you look like under the mask, but I sense you are extraordinary. If you can, find an Immortal Mountain, and take a master to learn the Dao. Cultivating Dao is better than preparing graves."

Chang Gui was stunned. He lowered his head and thanked Nezha.

Can he cultivate?

Nezha didn’t know.

His intuition told him this boy was special, but cultivation depends on destiny.

After Nezha left, both Chang Gui and Ji Fa let out a sigh of relief.

Chang Gui hurriedly helped Ji Fa up, and the two exchanged a glance, each seeing the other’s lingering fear, understanding without speaking, only saying:

"Your Majesty, are you alright? I’ll go get some medicine,"

"Yes, Chang Gui, thank you."

"It’s nothing. It’s what I should do."

"It’s fortunate Nezha didn’t find out anything."

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Outside Xiqi City, on an ancient battlefield, two armies lined up. The black wind blew ominously, making the sun above appear pale.

In the Heavenly Termination Array, one of the ten Heavenly Monarchs of Golden Turtle Island’s Jie Sect, Qin Wan, flew out and shouted, "Who from the Yuxu Sect dares to challenge my Heavenly Termination Array?"

Watched by hundreds of thousands, an immortal descended from the sky.

It was Deng Hua, the fifth disciple of Yuxu Palace. Though he usually appeared as a lofty immortal, today he held a Heaven-piercing Halberd and said, "By my master’s order, I am here to break the Heavenly Termination Array."

Nezha stood on the city wall behind Ran Deng and heard Ran Deng sigh deeply, "Fate is predetermined, how can one escape this calamity?"