Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 188 Zhu Wushi in a fit of rage, Li Zicheng, the rebel king!
"Godfather, everything has been investigated!"

At the Dragon Guardian Manor, Shangguan Haitang strode over and handed Zhu Wushi a stack of documents.

"Cheng Shifei originally lived in Sanli Town, Shuntian Prefecture. He was adopted by a woman named Cheng Huan. His family was poor. Later, a fire broke out in Sanli Town, and Cheng Shifei was separated from his family. By chance, he came to the capital and mingled among the common people, growing up by stealing and cheating."

"Two years ago in July, I dined and dashed at the Tongfu Inn in the west of the city, and the innkeeper made me work to pay off my debt."

"Afterwards, Jiang Xuan also went to Tongfu Inn for a meal, where he met Cheng Shifei. Seeing that Cheng Shifei had extraordinary talent, Jiang Xuan took him as his disciple and taught him martial arts."

"In the past two years, Cheng Shifei has spent his time practicing martial arts and searching for his relatives. This year, during his search, he accidentally rescued Princess Yunluo, who had run away from home and was kidnapped on the way. He gained Princess Yunluo's favor, and the two then agreed to travel the world together."

"In the end, Cheng Shifei discovered Princess Yunluo's true identity, and Princess Yunluo also fell in love with Cheng Shifei. She then asked the Emperor to grant them a marriage..."

At this moment, Cheng Shifei also left the capital with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and went to northern Shaanxi to suppress the bandits.

Shangguan Haitang recounted in detail all the information she had found, saying, "Godfather, this is all the information we have found about Cheng Shifei."

While listening to Shangguan Haitang's explanation, Zhu Wushi was also flipping through the documents in his hand.

After a long while, his gaze sharpened, focusing on a name recorded in the documents. His breathing became rapid, and even his body began to tremble: "Su Xin?!"

Shangguan Haitang was somewhat puzzled, but she still nodded and said, "We found the woman named 'Cheng Huan'. She told us that Cheng Shifei's biological mother is named 'Su Xin'."

Zhu Wushi's fingernails dug deeply into his palms, his teeth clenched, as he continued to ask, "Where is his biological father? Has it been found out? What is his biological father's name?"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Haitang's eyes flashed with surprise, and she nodded, saying, "According to Cheng Huan, his biological father is the 'Invincible Rascal' Gu Santong, who roamed the martial arts world twenty years ago."

boom!
A terrifying aura suddenly erupted.

Zhu Wushi could no longer control his emotions. His blood surged, and he crumpled the documents in his hand into a ball of waste paper and threw them away.

"The Ancient Three Passages! The Ancient Three Passages!!"

Zhu Wushi's eyes were bloodshot as he roared to the sky. Instantly, the entire Dragon Guard Manor resounded with a rumbling sound, and the magnificent hall shook violently, unable to withstand the terrifying aura, as if it would collapse at any moment.

The world was filled with a terrifying aura that threatened to destroy everything, making people tremble with fear!

"What's wrong with this guy? He's going crazy in broad daylight!"

Deep within the palace, the black-robed man and the blue-robed old man, who were playing chess, looked at each other, their brows furrowing involuntarily, clearly sensing the terrifying aura erupting from the south of the city.

The two looked at each other, both puzzled, not understanding why Zhu Wushi had suddenly erupted.

"Something must have happened, otherwise, after enduring so many years, nothing ordinary would have made him lose his composure and become so furious."

The man in black robes shook his head, then a look of solemnity appeared in his eyes. He said, "However, this guy's aptitude is truly terrifying. Judging from the strength of his aura, he has probably opened at least six hundred acupoints. It shouldn't be long before he can reach perfection and try to open the Heavenly Gate."

"Perhaps, in the future, we might actually be able to reach that level..."

The old man in blue nodded slightly in agreement and sighed, "It's rare for such a martial arts genius to appear in the royal family. It's just a pity that his obsession runs too deep."

"Now that turmoil has resurfaced and the Embroidered Uniform Guard has left the capital, leaving the city vulnerable, do you think... he might take this opportunity to plot against the throne?"

The man in black robes pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Probably not. He's a smart man. Your last move made him wary. He won't dare to make a move unless he's absolutely certain of success."

"Is the position of the supreme ruler really so desirable?"

The old man in blue sighed, "I hope that after he takes that step, he can see the world clearly and let go of his obsessions."

"Things we don't own always seem better."

The man in black robes chuckled and said, "However, if he can really take that step, he will understand. Then, we can hand over our responsibilities to him, and the two of us can go out and see the world."

"I hope so."

The old man in blue shook his head helplessly, then withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention, and continued playing chess with the man in black.

……

"Godfather... Godfather..."

Inside the main hall, Shangguan Haitang was pale and stared in horror at Zhu Wushi, who was furious and had a terrifying aura like a god or demon. She felt a sense of despair that made her feel like she was on the verge of death. She was soaked in sweat and her heart was trembling. She hurriedly called out.

Zhu Wushi paused slightly, glanced at her, then took a deep breath, suppressed his anger and resentment.

call……

Shangguan Haitang breathed a sigh of relief, then swallowed hard, looking at Zhu Wushi with concern, but with even more awe in her eyes, and said, "Godfather, are you... are you alright?"

"nothing."

Zhu Wushi shook his head, but his voice was extremely cold, seemingly devoid of any emotion, and said, "Go and make preparations, I am going to Tianchi."

"Tianchi?"

Shangguan Haitang was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and, not daring to ask any more questions, quickly nodded: "Yes, Godfather!"

After saying that, she quickly turned around and went down to prepare, not daring to delay for even a moment.

This was the first time in all these years that she had seen her godfather so out of control, which stirred up a huge wave in her heart and made her extremely puzzled. Wasn't Gu Santong already dead?
And what does Cheng Shifei and Su Xin, mother and son, have to do with their adoptive father?

How could this have angered my godfather so much?
wow-

Watching Shangguan Haitang leave, Zhu Wushi could no longer hold on. His body went limp, and he staggered and fell onto the throne.

At this moment, he was no longer the authoritative and domineering man he once was; instead, he appeared extremely dejected and lost.

"Suxin, you actually have a son? You actually have a son with Gu Santong?!"

Zhu Wushi looked self-deprecating and indignant, muttering, "Gu Santong, in the end, I still lost to you!"

"I am not reconciled! I am not reconciled..."

……

Northern Shaanxi, located on the northwestern border of the Ming Dynasty, borders Shanxi and Henan to the east, Guanzhong, Longxi, and the Western Regions to the west, and the Tatars and Oirats to the north, which are under the jurisdiction of the Mongol Yuan Empire. It can almost be called a three-border fortress and an important pass for the Ming Dynasty to defend against foreign enemies.

However, since the mutiny that occurred on the Shaanxi border half a month ago, and the resurgence of the rebel army, many places in northern Shaanxi have fallen and have been completely occupied by the rebel army. The rebel army is powerful and, with the slogan of "equal land distribution and tax exemption", wherever it goes, the local garrison flees at the mere mention of its name, and the people line the streets to welcome it, even singing folk songs that say "Welcome the King of Chuang, no more taxes".

In a short period of time, the rebel army's power grew rapidly. In just half a month, its militia had expanded to nearly 100,000 men, and its influence was unparalleled.

Qingyang City, northern Shaanxi.

Seven days ago, the rebel army attacked Qingyang. The city of Qingyang was captured in less than half a day. At this time, the entire city of Qingyang was occupied by the rebel army and used as their base camp.

Banners fluttered throughout the city, and the rebel army, dressed in tattered clothes and lacking even decent equipment and weapons, was looting everywhere. They were all fierce and menacing, searching everywhere, and screams and wild laughter filled the air.

Although the rebel army consisted mostly of militia and claimed to be a rebellion in Fengtian, using the slogan of equal land distribution and tax exemption, as the saying goes, "He who has a weapon in his heart will naturally have the will to kill." Once people have weapons in their hands, they will amplify the evil in their hearts.

During this two-week campaign, various acts of arson, murder, and looting in secret were inevitable.

Wherever the rebel army went, whether they were government officials, soldiers, or civilians, they had only one choice: to surrender to the rebel king. Families with adult males had to join the rebel army. If they refused, they would only die and become targets of the rebel army's looting.

Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, was well aware of this, but he did not stop it and even deliberately let it go.

Since being scattered by the Ming army last time, the rebel army was almost completely wiped out. Now, he has made a comeback because he was lucky enough to turn several generals on the Shaanxi border into mutiny, which allowed him to rise again.

It can be said that everything the rebel army had was stolen. On ordinary days, when the soldiers made meritorious contributions, there was nothing to reward them with except for things like massacring and looting cities, which could arouse the most primal desires in the soldiers' hearts.

As the one in power, Li Zicheng was certainly well aware of this.

Therefore, those who came south from the border of northern Shaanxi can be said to have traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The so-called righteous army was not much better than the original White Lotus Army.

At this moment, in the government office of Qingyang City, a man with prominent cheekbones, deep-set eyes, but an extraordinary temperament, exuding authority and boldness, stood with his hands behind his back.

This man was none other than Li Zicheng, the leader of the rebel army and the "Chuang King".

Hearing the screams and laughter coming from all directions within the city, Li Zicheng remained calm and silent, simply gazing at a map on the table, his eyes fixed on a city not far from Qingyang—Xi'an.

Opposite him stood a man clad in armor, who also exuded an aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness.

This man was Liu Zongmin, the most valiant general under Li Zicheng. He was also one of the survivors who followed Li Zicheng out of the Ming army's encirclement, hid in the mountains, and made a comeback.

In the past two weeks, Liu Zongmin led his men to conquer most of northern Shaanxi.

He was not only highly skilled in martial arts and brave in battle, but also extremely loyal to Li Zicheng and highly valued by Li Zicheng.

"Your Majesty, do you intend to attack Xi'an?"

Seeing Li Zicheng's gaze fixed on the Xi'an terrain on the map, Liu Zongmin's eyes flickered, and he asked a question.

Li Zicheng nodded slightly, pointed to the map and said, "I do have this intention. Zongmin, look, Xi'an is backed by the Qinling Mountains and faces Henan and Huguang. It is a strategic location that can be attacked or defended at will.

"Although our offensive in this uprising was fierce, you and I both know the truth: we are outwardly strong but inwardly weak, lacking sufficient resources and unable to compare with the Ming court. With our current strength, conquering Shaanxi is already our limit. If we continue to advance eastward, we will not be able to withstand the Ming army's counterattack."

"Therefore, great things cannot be accomplished overnight; they must be planned gradually."

"Xi'an is a good choice. Not only is the terrain advantageous to us, but it is also rich in resources. It is the place where the Qin Dynasty rose to power. The First Emperor established his capital here and ruled the world. It itself has the aura of a dragon."

"If we capture Xi'an, we can establish our capital here, and rightfully engage the Ming army in a protracted war, thus achieving a great and lasting legacy!"

Listening to Li Zicheng's eloquent speech, Liu Zongmin's emotions were also stirred. Upon closer inspection, he found that, as Li Zicheng had said, Xi'an was indeed a very nice city.

Based in Xi'an, facing the Ming capital from the east and west, we can seize the Ming court's fortune. As long as we can withstand the Ming court's counterattack, our great cause can be accomplished!
Liu Zongmin became excited and immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty is right. This humble general will lead the troops south again tomorrow and vow to conquer Xi'an for Your Majesty!"

Li Zicheng nodded slightly and said, "Good, this matter should be done sooner rather than later. We have been in rebellion for so long, the Ming court must have already received the news. We must take Xi'an as soon as possible before the Ming army's reinforcements arrive."

"The last general takes command!"

Liu Zongmin nodded solemnly.

Tread...  

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a general who was also clad in armor and carrying a weapon. He walked in quickly, his face anxious, and handed over a letter, saying, "Your Majesty, we have just received news that the Ming court has sent troops!"

"Oh?"

Li Zicheng's expression changed slightly, and he quickly took the letter and read it carefully.

His expression quickly turned serious. He frowned, looked eastward, and muttered, "Trouble is brewing. What's coming will eventually come..."

Liu Zongmin asked, "Your Majesty, who did the Ming army send to lead the troops?"

"Lu Xiang-sheng!"

Li Zicheng said in a deep voice, “I have investigated this person. He was originally the prefect of Daming. Later, he was highly valued by the Ming court and led troops to suppress the White Lotus Rebellion. The White Lotus Rebellion was destroyed by this person in the Battle of Yongzhou!”

"In addition, the Ming court also sent the Western Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to accompany the army, which should be to deal with the Ming Cult and other Jianghu forces."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zongmin's expression also turned serious: "The Western Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have also arrived?"

Li Zicheng nodded: "It is said that Yu Huatian, the supervisor of the Western Depot, and Jiang Xuan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, personally led the team."

"These two are not simple either."

"Jiang Xuan needs no introduction. He is known as the number one henchman of the Ming Dynasty. In recent years, he has made a great name for himself in the martial arts world. Even the destruction of the White Lotus Sect was related to him."

"And this Yu Huatian, although he has only been in power for more than half a year, has already been highly valued by Emperor Chongzhen and has the potential to replace Jiang Xuan as the new henchman of the Ming court."

"That brat Chongzhen actually dared to send out both of them at once, clearly he was determined to win this battle quickly."

Liu Zongmin looked grave and asked, "Then what should we do now? With our current troop strength, if we were to engage the Ming army in a formal battle, I'm afraid our chances of winning wouldn't be very high!"

Li Zicheng nodded, pondered for a moment, and sighed, "I originally wanted to take Xi'an in one fell swoop, and then develop slowly to fight a protracted war with the Ming army, but I did not expect the Ming army's reinforcements to be so fast, giving us no time to develop at all."

"The only option now is to cooperate with the Ming Cult..."

(End of this chapter)