The Villain's Counterattack

"I am a wild and unsavage, frustrated and hiding in the world. I don't seek fame and fortune among the princes, but just want to feel comfortable and free. Why do you force me, Your Majesty?" There was a hint of pleading in the soft voice, but the name shocked Fang Zetao again.

His Majesty?

What the hell is this name?

Could it be that the person sitting here is a rebel leader who wants to declare himself emperor?

Or maybe he has the desire but not the courage, and dares not declare himself emperor openly, but instead declares himself king or emperor behind closed doors?

The more Fang Zetao thought about it, the more frightened he became, probably because everything he saw since entering the Tongguan Garrison was a little unexpected.

He had already found out that while elite soldiers were guarding outside the garrison, there were only eunuchs and palace maids inside. It was suspected that a member of the royal family from Shanglin Garden in Luoyang was stationed in Tongguan. That was why he had prepared a double-sided coat early on, one side of which was the eunuch's uniform.

He had thought that this person's identity was not simple, but he had never thought it would be so complicated. It seemed that he had discovered an incredible secret.

Is this person the new generation emperor secretly promoted by the Sui Dynasty royal family? Or...

He dared not think, could not think, could not imagine. Fang Zetao's heart was filled with turmoil. He only heard the majestic voice continue: "The martial arts world and the court have never been separated from each other. The Yin Gui Sect and I have always had a good relationship. I am familiar with the Empress's background and I cherish her very much. Cihang Jingzhai first supported my father and then supported my brother. They even snatched the imperial seal from me. Have they ever considered the distinction between the martial arts world and the court?"

"For the sake of world peace, both the martial arts and the imperial court are indispensable. I previously neglected the martial arts, which led to the schemes of the Buddhist sect. If it weren't for Yang Xuangan's rebellion, my plan would have been accomplished long ago, and I wouldn't have had to resort to faking my own death. The world wouldn't be in such chaos." His majestic voice was filled with a hint of anger. "I have passed away, but the country and the people of the world are still under my control."

"The world is in chaos, and it's the ambitions of the powerful, aristocratic families that are causing this chaos. I want them to step out and fight each other. I will stay in the dark and eradicate these pests, preparing for peace after the chaos. I will not let any of these corrupted people go, including the Buddhist sects, the wealthy and unscrupulous families who monopolize knowledge and land, and the scum who collude with foreign races and betray their ancestors."

"Hebei has been purged by me. Not a single Buddhist monk remains, and the unscrupulous bandits hiding there have been killed or wounded. All their wealth and land deeds have been returned to the imperial court, and the wealthy families have fallen into ruin, unable to recover. In Jinyang City, the Li family members were politely escorted out of the country to the Turks. My daughter will surely treat them well. After all, when the thirty-nine cities of Yanmen County fell, they must pay the blood debt of countless Han people."

"Many of the nobles from Hebei and Shanxi were among those who participated in the incident. Now, with the exception of a few criminals like Li Yuan's family who remain at large, the rest of their families have become slaves of the Turks, atonement for their actions. I have forcibly occupied Tongguan and sealed off Guanzhong, allowing the Turkic lackeys in Guanzhong and Guanxi to fight each other. Finally, I will incite the people of Guanzhong to rebel, drive them out of Chang'an, and make them live as slaves on the grasslands, never to return to the Sui Dynasty."

A female voice rang out, filled with doubt: "The Li family has the support of Cihang Jingzhai, so why would the people of Guanzhong rebel?"

The majestic voice laughed heartily and said, "It's true that the people want peace, but there is no harm without comparison. I forced many people to work hard in the Sui Dynasty, but the country was rich and the people were strong, with no worries about food and clothing. Now I have blocked Guanzhong, cutting off the roads from Guanzhong to Sichuan, Heluo, and the Central Plains. From now on, the trade routes will be blocked, and trade in Guanzhong will be cut off. There will not be enough food and fodder to support so many people. In order to maintain their strength, the Li family will inevitably plunder the people's wealth and withhold the soldiers' food and wages. Then, hehe..."

"Those who cause chaos in the world will not be easily let off. I have destroyed the Jingnian Zen Temple, and the Cihang Jingzhai will be next. They, for their own selfish reasons, hindered me in my battles against foreign enemies, causing irreparable consequences. They must pay the price for this. I have mobilized the forces of the underworld to secretly capture the disciples of the Jingzhai. They will have their martial arts skills crippled, their voices poisoned, and sent to the Turks. My daughters will use them to befriend the Turkic tribal leaders. With the temperament and figures they have cultivated in the Jingzhai, they will surely fetch a high price, which can be considered as atonement for their sins."

At this point, the majestic voice paused slightly, then continued, "The topic has strayed a bit. I just can't help but feel angry when I think about the empire I worked so hard to build and the invincible momentum of the Han people being destroyed by those ignorant and incompetent people. Master Zhu, I must control the Central Plains martial arts world in the hands of the royal family. However, considering that the martial arts world is not the court after all, the policies and strategies we implement will be very different from those in the court. We can regard them as two systems that complement and cooperate with each other."

"In the future, the sects and factions will remain the same, but there will be many more high-level leaders. The Sui Emperor will be the most respected in the martial arts world, and under him will be the Four Kings, Eight Dukes, Twelve Marquises, and Thirty-Six Earls. The Four Kings and Eight Dukes can only be held by Grandmasters, and the Marquises and Earls can only be held by senior masters. They are responsible for formulating the rules and maintaining order for the entire martial arts world."

The female voice asked in surprise, "When did the Central Plains have so many powerful Grandmasters? The Four Kings and Eight Dukes make up the twelve Grandmasters. Your Majesty, I'm afraid..."

A majestic voice laughed heartily, "Heroes are made by the times. In times of great contention, heroes emerge. Master Zhu, don't you think the number of Grandmasters who have appeared in recent years is almost as high as that of the past few decades? If my predictions are correct, at least five Grandmasters will be born in the next ten years."

"I wish the Sect Master can achieve Grandmaster status. Why can't Cihang Jingzhai produce a Grandmaster?" The majestic voice said calmly, "The Heavenly Demonic Art and the Cihang Sword Canon have many similarities. The difference is that in order to achieve Grandmaster status through the Cihang Sword Canon, one must first break through and then establish it. However, in order to break through to the eighteenth level of the Heavenly Demonic Art, one must remain unbroken."

"Could it be that Brahma..."

"Wait, you might have misunderstood. With me here, Cihang Jingzhai couldn't possibly produce a Grandmaster. I'm talking about Bi Xiuxin." A stern voice interrupted the suspicious Sect Master Zhu. "Bi Xiuxin, whose strength and prestige surpassed Fan Qinghui, was once a direct disciple of Cihang Jingzhai. If she hadn't met the Evil King Shi Zhixuan, who would have been the master of Jingzhai, it's still unknown. Since marrying Shi Zhixuan and receiving the Immortal Seal, she has fallen into a predicament, and her Buddha heart was even in danger of being shattered. In the end, her transition from Buddha to Taoism perfectly aligns with the principle of breaking down before building up again. It was only a matter of time before she became a Grandmaster."

"Besides her, the Evil King Shi Zhixuan and Bi Xiuxin's daughter Shi Qingxuan is even more extraordinary. Her flute skills have reached the highest level. She entered the Dao through the flute. With the guidance of these two Grandmasters, she is expected to become a Grandmaster in the future."

At this point, the majestic voice paused slightly, and suddenly smiled, "Although Bi Xiuxin and Shi Qingxuan, mother and daughter, have the potential to be promoted to Grandmaster, the one I am most optimistic about is your disciple, Miss Kankan. I am afraid that she will achieve Grandmaster status even before the Xiaoyin Goddess Shi Qingxuan."

"Among the women, these three are essentially guaranteed to achieve Grandmaster status. Dugu Feng of the Dugu clan also has some hope of achieving Grandmaster status. Among the men, I'm most optimistic about Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. Although they're only registered disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect, Grandmaster Xiao has poured immense effort into them. With the Changsheng Jue (Eternal Life Secret) and the Heshi Jade (He Clan Jade) to cleanse the tendons and marrow, and the Xiaoyao Sect's countless unique skills, their future is limitless."

Their words terrified Fang Zetao, standing outside the corner. He lost even more confidence in his master, Li Shimin. How had he ever come to power? It seemed the Li Tang Dynasty didn't even have a single Grandmaster. Ning Daoqi was merely indebted to Cihang Jingzhai, not a member of their family or a slave. Yet, the other side had nearly ten Grandmasters and those with the potential to be Grandmasters.

"Boy, are you enjoying my conversation?" The voice of a majestic man sounded in his ears. With his order, Fang Zetao shuddered all over and stood up suddenly. Suddenly he found that two eunuchs, one old and one young, were standing behind him.

The young eunuch looked at Fang Zetao and chuckled, "Master, we've got Eunuch Chen here for you. We saw you were so engrossed in eavesdropping just now that we didn't want to disturb you."

Fang Zetao: Thank you so much for being so polite.