Chapter 1118: Chapter 1112: The Ten Deadly Sins
Night fell over the Imperial Palace.
Li Chang, who was staying there temporarily, dismissed the palace maids.
He then practicedly opened his door, took out a pair of embroidered women’s shoes from his spatial ring, and placed them at the entrance.
This signaled that there was already a woman in his room, deterring other young women from barging in to harass him.
Men in the inner palace were in a vulnerable position, and this was the only way he could protect his own safety.
Sitting cross-legged in the room, he brought out the Ancestral Spirit Tablet, entered the Ancestral Space, and sought an audience with the Old Ancestor.
“Old Ancestor, our Li Clan is now feared and guarded against by the world, just as Min Tiange once was.”
Li Chang spoke with a grave expression:
“Official titles can no longer guarantee our safety.
The Imperial Dynasty is in turmoil. Crown Prince Fei Heng has lost his life, and it is unknown who the next Crown Prince will be.
The various factions are growing restless once again.”
“The news this child sent back today was obtained from the Empress.
The Empress wishes to win over our Li Clan. Her ambition to become the Female Emperor is known to all under the heavens.
However, the dynasty’s dignitaries will never consent to a woman claiming the imperial throne, let alone the Fourth Prince, who had previously ceased hostilities.
I fear the flames of war will be ignited once more.”
“The current situation makes it appear as though our Li Clan has merely encountered minor troubles, but in reality, it is extremely critical.”
“The probing from the major factions has already begun; it is only a matter of time before they make a move against our Li Clan.”
Hearing this, Li Wei gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
When it came to intelligence within the family, Li Chang certainly wasn’t at the top of the list.
However, when it came to understanding the grand trends of the Imperial Dynasty and its powerful figures, no one could match him.
Over the years, drinking tea with old foxes like Min Youguo and Wu Neng in the Imperial Capital had taught him quite a few tricks.
[Your descendant Li Chang, having struggled to find his footing in the Imperial Capital for many years, gradually broke free from his predicament after the Empress took control of the court administration.
By actively participating in the royal court, he has acquired the Trait: Politician.]
[Harboring grand ambitions to govern the nation and bring peace to the world, he devises strategies within a command center that determine outcomes a thousand miles away.
Wisdom is increased by 50%, and he has become increasingly indifferent to the life and death of others.]
Over the years, Li Chang’s routine had consisted of wandering the inner palace, attending court assemblies, debating politics, and drinking tea with the Imperial Preceptor, Min Youguo.
In truth, many within the family had served as officials.
Li Dalong and Li Yunbing were even Prefecture Lords, yet neither could truly be called a politician.
Seeing Li Chang’s new trait now, Li Wei wasn’t sure whether to consider it a blessing or a curse.
Furthermore, Li Chang had also acquired an official title.
[Your descendant Li Chang, by edict of the Empress, has been appointed as the Imperial Musician, required to arrive whenever summoned by her.
Holding an official rank of the Fourth Grade, he has received the Spiritual power empowerment of the peak Foundation Establishment realm, and obtained Supreme-Grade Spirit Artifacts and Dharma Treasures…]
Such an official rank was something the family could easily bestow upon themselves. As for what the Empress’s true intentions were, that remained unknown.
Li Wei shifted his focus back to the safety of the family.
What the family needed most right now was time.
Kuanghua was waiting for her breakthrough.
The family had acquired a massive foundation from Shadowfell Prefecture, along with Yaotie’s Heavenly Fire Great Dao.
Most importantly, they needed to steadily gather resources so Yaoqing could refine pills for the clansmen, ensuring they reached at least the peak of the Void Refining realm.
Furthermore… there was still Min Tiange’s blood moon looming over Shadowfell Prefecture.
Li Wei looked toward Li Chang and asked, “Chang’an, in your opinion, what should be our next move?”
“Chang’an has a plan,” he replied, his voice perfectly calm.
Li Wei’s mind instantly flashed back to the times when Li Yaowen used to offer her “strategies” to the family. His face darkened immediately.
“Your plan wouldn’t happen to involve our Li Clan luring the Wu Tribe across the border, killing Dongfang Liancheng to pave the way for Fourth Prince, and staging a full-scale rebellion alongside the Eternal Immortal Sect, would it?”
“Then, when the entire world descends into chaos, we could harvest the corpses of the fallen to nourish the Heaven-Piercing Coffin, feed Dabao, and easily forge our Dao paths.”
“…”
Li Chang froze in stunned silence.
A look of sheer horror washed over his face.
“Old Ancestor, such a method is an absolute sin! It causes nine feet of harm to others just for an inch of personal gain. We absolutely cannot do that!”
…….
Time passed in a hurry.
A morning court assembly was held in the Heavenly Palace.
Crown Prince Fei Heng had been absent for over fifty years. Seated upon the Golden Throne was an elegant woman in a golden feathered gown.
Her figure was slender yet possessed a full, mature allure. With heavy, exquisite makeup, she radiated a majestic authority that made every official in the court lower their heads in submission.
The Empress, Wenren Xianyi.
Musicians were present in the hall.
Behind a beaded curtain tucked in the right corner of the court, Li Chang sat quietly, playing the zither.
Li Wei stood beside Li Chang, staring intently at Empress Wenren Xianyi.
It had to be said, Wenren Xianyi was truly a capable woman.
Tens of thousands of years ago, she had been sent into the palace by the Wenren Clan.
At that time, she was not yet the Empress, merely an ordinary concubine within the palace walls.
Li Yaoqing had also seen the palace concubines before. In her words, these concubines were all raised to be dutiful and conventional by the major Immortal Clans.
They were merely offered up to show loyalty to the Human Emperor, and no one cared whether they lived or died.
Wenren Xianyi was different.
This woman forcefully carved out a path of cultivation from within the depths of the palace, later becoming a disciple of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and step-by-step ascended to her current status.
Now that the Human Emperor was near death, Wenren Xianyi had continuously tested the waters.
The Imperial Dynasty had endured over a decade of bloody turmoil until she finally dared to step out from the deep palace and onto the Golden Throne to control the court administration.
At the very least, no one dared to oppose her now. There were likely many untold stories hidden behind this rise to power.
During the court assembly, officials came forward one by one to report.
The matters discussed were nothing more than the suffering of the commoners demanding grain amidst the war, Immortal Clans and sects causing trouble in these chaotic times, and demons appearing in the mortal realm.
Then, an old man stepped out from the ranks of officials and proclaimed loudly, “Reporting to Your Majesty the Empress, this subject has an urgent matter to present!”
“Here it comes.”
Li Wei focused his attention.
This man was Perfected Qiuyue of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
At the Void Refining realm, he held a crucial position in the Imperial Capital: the Military Inspectorate.
This was the same department that had emerged from the Imperial Capital to supervise the imperial immortal soldiers during the war against the Wu Tribe in the Azure Cloud Region years ago.
According to their intelligence, this old scoundrel was also one of the conspirators plotting against the Li Clan.
“Speak.” Wenren Xianyi’s posture was languid.
She slightly raised her phoenix-like brows, casting an almost imperceptible glance toward Li Chang behind the curtain.
“This subject wishes to report on the matters of the Western Border. I present the ten deadly sins of the Southern Border’s guardians, the Li Clan!”
As Perfected Qiuyue’s words echoed, an uproar instantly swept through the court.
“For many years, the Li Clan has harbored sinister intentions.
They once suppressed the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems alongside the Immortal Suppression Department, and the cultivators of that mountain supposedly fled without a trace.
Yet, this subject has heard that the Huan Gui of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems is currently in the Western Border, serving the Li Clan!
Sheltering evildoers—this is an act of rebellion!”
“Bi Shihu was steadfastly loyal. He feigned cooperation with the enemy forces to lure the Wu Tribe into a trap at Highsun City, intending to eradicate the threat.
Yet, to monopolize the military merit, the Li Clan concealed the Azure Cloud Army and slaughtered all three of Bi Shihu’s armies!
This is the murder of loyal subjects!”
“The Li Clan found the Dusheng Nunnery, where the Crown Prince was located.
Yet, the Li Clan chose to save Li Kuanghua instead of the Crown Prince, causing the Crown Prince to lose his life…”
“…”
“Ten deadly sins! Their crimes are too numerous to record!”
The crowd in the court immediately began whispering among themselves. Their expressions were complex.
They had long known about the events in the Western Border and had avoided the Li Clan like the plague, for every member of the Li Clan was a peerless genius.
Sword Venerable Li Yaozu, whose sword left no surviving souls,
The Holy Maiden, whose miraculous hands could aid a Saint,
Supreme Elder Yunlin, who could destroy the body and annihilate the soul with a single halberd strike, unmatched within the Void Refining realm,
Trickster Immortal Li Yunbing, full of cunning schemes and ruthless methods,
Array Dao Grandmaster Li Tianqi,
Thousand-Mile Divine Archer Li Changyao,
Realm Dao Bodhisattva Li Kuanghua,
Ancient Saint Li Xinnian…
Every single one of these names was enough to make the hearts of the world tremble.
It was as if a powerful hidden faction had risen like a dazzling new star.
This was especially true for the “Ancient Saint” Li Xinnian, who had reached such a profound realm at just over four hundred years of age, causing others in the world to no longer dare call themselves geniuses.
Today, young cultivators on the streets of the Imperial Capital all carried portraits of Li Xinnian, idolizing him without exception.
Generally speaking, one could hardly be called a “Saint” before reaching the Body Integration realm.
The fact that the world referred to Li Xinnian as the “Ancient Saint” meant one thing: this man possessed the undeniable potential to reach the Body Integration realm.
Yet, this was the very faction Perfected Qiuyue insisted on provoking.
Some officials rejoiced, while others stepped a few paces away from Perfected Qiuyue, mostly treating the situation as a spectacle to observe.
As Perfected Qiuyue’s words fell.
Seeing the chaos in the court, Wenren Xianyi gently raised her delicate hand.
A female attendant beside her shouted “Silence!” at the top of her lungs.
Only then did Wenren Xianyi ask casually, “Ten deadly sins. Do you have evidence?”
“I do!”
“This humble one has something to say.”
A calm voice rang out simultaneously with Perfected Qiuyue’s response.
From behind the curtain, Li Chang slowly stood up.
He smoothed out his robes and, under the gazes of everyone present, pushed open the curtain and walked into the center of the court.
Although he only held a Fourth Grade official rank, no one in the court dared to underestimate Li Chang.
Residing permanently in the Imperial Capital, he was the Li Clan member who appeared most frequently in the royal court over the past few centuries, representing the entire Azure Cloud Li Clan.
“You are a mere musician! What right do you have to speak in the royal court?!!”
Before anyone else could speak, a woman in the court shouted coldly.
She wore a simple, elegant long dress, her pure and innocent face inspiring pity, yet she glared fiercely at Li Chang.
Zishu Ling.
Because the men of the Zishu royal family failed to live up to expectations, more women of the Zishu family had appeared in the royal court.
Li Chang didn’t even spare Zishu Ling’er a glance.
Back when the Zishu family wanted a marriage alliance with the Li Clan, had he not already been married, and had Xinghuo not married Zishu Wandong, he might have been the one forced to marry this superficial “songbird” with an incredibly grating voice.
He silently walked to the center and scanned the crowd.
In the past, he had been submissive in the court, and the family’s strength hadn’t allowed him to stand tall. Moreover, he naturally had a peaceful temperament.
But after threatening Wu Neng of the Immortal Suppression Department, Li Chang realized that sometimes being too gentle was useless.
Just look at Wu Neng; after that incident, he had become much more obedient.
“Aside from being a musician, this humble one’s surname is also Li.
I share the guilt of my family. Since I am a ‘person bearing guilt,’ I surely cannot be expected to let my Li Clan suffer accusations without the right to speak.”
Li Chang cast a sidelong glance at Zishu Ling.
“As for you, miss, at least this humble one possesses an official rank. What do you have? His Majesty has numerous descendants; what exactly do you amount to?”
“You…” Zishu Ling’s expression changed.
“As for the ‘ten deadly sins’ Perfected Qiuyue mentioned, it is quite amusing.”
Li Chang laughed and said,
“You are in the Imperial Capital, while numerous almighty experts are in the Western Border.
My Li Clan operates under their command. Yet, even the almighty experts haven’t held us accountable or noticed these so-called ‘ten deadly sins.’
Instead, it is Perfected Qiuyue who has discovered them.
The Perfected One truly possesses immense capabilities; even the almighty experts cannot compare to you.”
“Hahaha!”
Perfected Qiuyue also laughed loudly. Fortunately, he had anticipated this day and made ample preparations.
He sneered, “What an eloquent Li Chang, nothing but sophistry! Did you truly think I had no evidence?”
Li Chang furrowed his brows.
With a wave of Perfected Qiuyue’s hand, cultivators outside the great hall escorted a man inside.
The City Lord of Highsun City, Feng Tu!
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress, this is Feng Tu, the City Lord of Highsun City.
He witnessed with his own eyes the members of the Azure Cloud Li Clan killing the Crown Prince!
He also witnessed the Li Clan slaughtering Bi Shihu’s three armies!”
Covered in scars, Feng Tu fell to his knees in the great hall, looking around at the assembled officials.
He had defended Highsun City with his life.
Before he could even enjoy the military merits rewarded by the Imperial Dynasty, he had been dragged to the Imperial Capital by these wolves and tigers.
He didn’t even know what had happened. But now he understood: these dignitaries filling the court wanted to make the rising star that was the Li Clan fall.
These beasts were even more terrifying than the Wu Tribe.
—
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