HSSB1064: Amongst thousands, two have sailed
Upon returning to the Northern High Peak’s Jade Capital Crag, the two met Wang Pu who said at once, “It is indeed like you thought, junior apprentice-brother Yan, and it was actually because of Southern Zhuang that the Brocade Emperor previously failed to show up.”
He felt rather curious and shocked, “I wonder how exactly Southern Zhuang managed to do this?”
Whatever method Zhuang Shen had employed, in the eyes of the world, him having managed to tie up the Brocade Emperor for so long was virtually a feat comparable to Yan Zhaoge mightily resisting the Heaven Emperor.
Qiu Jiahai shook his head too, sighing, “With Southern Zhuang having already died beneath the sabre of senior apprentice-uncle Yan, the Brocade Emperor has nowhere to get rid of his embarrassment this time.”
“He has always conducted himself in an esteemed manner as he would surely not take his anger out on the remnants of Phoenix Ritual Mountain’s Wutong Slope as a result. He can only just tolerate what he has suffered.”
Hearing his words, a rather strange expression appeared on Yan Zhaoge’s face.
He rubbed his temples lightly, saying in a low tone, “There is no saying for sure this time.”
Wang Pu and Qiu Jiahai exchanged looks, both able to sense that Yan Zhaoge was secretly hinting at something as they asked, “Is it that you know something about this, junior apprentice-brother Yan?”
“I too am not clear on the truth of the matter,” Yan Zhaoge answered, “I only have some guesses that are yet to be verified.”
Feeling interested, Wang Pu and Qiu Jiahai asked, “What are they?”
Yan Zhaoge hesitated momentarily before he asked, “How do you think things would be if the Brocade Emperor has another daughter besides Red Lotus Fu?”
These shocking words rendered Wang Pu and Qiu Jiahai dazed on the spot.
It was a long while before Wang Pu regained his wits, exclaiming with a solemn expression on his face, “It could be that nothing would happen, but it could also be that something major will occur!”
He slowly said, “If the Brocade Emperor has another daughter besides Red Lotus Fu, that would not be as simple a matter as having birthed another child outside!”
The Brocade Emperor was an incomparable playboy as he had experienced countless women. Still, he had never birthed a son.
Many people of the World beyond Worlds talked about this behind his back.
Afterwards, when his sole daughter, Fu Ting, had been born, many had even suspected that the Brocade Emperor had been made a cuckold of.
It was only when Fu Ting had travelled about the World beyond Worlds after coming of age and everyone could tell that she was indeed of the Brocade Emperor’s blood that these rumours had gradually quelled.
Still, this was just how the middle and lower echelon martial practitioners saw it. Being of the Sword Sovereign’s lineage, Wang Pu and Qiu Jiahai naturally knew that things were not that simple.
From them, Yan Zhaoge was able to verify a guess that he had had from the start.
As the current strongest expert of the Grand Clear direct lineage in the World beyond Worlds, the Brocade Emperor Fu Yunchi had indeed established his foundation upon the intricacies of the dao of grand forgetfulness.
The Brocade Emperor who was rather an ambitious person had hoped to regather the complete set of supreme martial arts of the Grand Cosmos Five Manifestations through this.
It was actually because of this that the Brocade Emperor had walked through countless meadows, unstained by a single leaf.
Afterwards, it was similarly the manifestation of this path that amongst thousands, only a single ship had sailed.
The dao of grand forgetfulness did not mean that one was heartless and emotionless.
For the countless outstanding females that the Brocade Emperor had experienced, he had similarly had to devote his feelings for every one of them.
His feelings were always pure and fervent for every single one of them that he was with.
Only with the final person, when this had risen and been refined to the maximum level, had the crystallisation of his emotions been produced in the form of Fu Ting.
He indeed bore deep feelings for Fu Ting, doting on her greatly.
At least, this would not change at all before he begun on the next step as it was both pure and sincere.
Yet, if an accident occurred during the process of this cultivation, things would be completely different then.
It entailed that his entire path might be diverted.
“The Brocade Emperor has already pushed open the door to Immortality at the end of the day, transcending the ties of mortality,” Qiu Jiahai said rather disbelievingly, “Being a leakless True Immortal, the truth is that he should be perfect and complete. A major problem shouldn’t be occurring, right?”
Wang Pu shook his head solemnly, “It would be fine if the Brocade Emperor was not so ambitious. Yet, he had to choose this as his foundation. With an anomaly having arisen here, it will immediately be a calamity on the level of the heavens collapsing for him.”
Qiu Jiahai frowned, “Having birthed descendants is something that the Brocade Emperor did after he had become an Immortal as he sought a path to advance further.”
“As he had already surpassed the gulf between the mortal and Immortal realms at that time, gaining a leakless body as a result, he should be able to adjust even if something has happened, right?”
“There is something you are not aware of, junior apprentice-brother Qiu,” Wang Pu sighed, “While I am not clear on the specifics, I once heard Master mention this.”
“Master once said that the Brocade Emperor was fortunate to have accomplished his dao. He has to be cautious and vigilant in the future, for the slightest mishap and perils would abound.”
Wang Pu forced a smile, “I was puzzled by Master’s words, unable to comprehend it at all. Only now have I gradually come to understand part of what he meant.”
Qiu Jiahai was momentarily stunned before he too could only smile bitterly.
Yan Zhaoge put a hand on his head, “Really, this is…”
Actually, he too was basically able to guess that while the Brocade Emperor had been incomparably lofty and carefree in the past, it was not that he had not been under any pressure.
Despite having been suppressed, Mars Halberd would definitely return one day.
For having assisted the dragon race in suppressing Mars Halberd that year, the Grand Clear lineage was sure to be a target of Mars Halberd’s once he had broken free of his seal.
As the Brocade Emperor had gradually become the foremost figure of the Grand Clear direct lineage, this was something which he would definitely have to face sooner or later.
Events afterwards had proven this to be true.
Mars Halberd had indeed made a comeback.
In the end, it was also none other than the Brocade Emperor who had repelled him.
Sadly, having improved heedless of the consequences back then, he had left roots of calamity buried within himself.
Only he himself could know how intense and troublesome this could prove.
The Brocade Emperor’s accomplishments in the dao originated from grand forgetfulness. If something went wrong here, a problem would thus surface with the feelings of he himself.
There was just no way of knowing how this Emperor could have made a mistake in something so crucial.
While only a single ship should have sailed, he had left his seed on another one too.
As a result, in the art of grand divination where there were forty-nine points that were used and only the point of grand unity that was to be unused, ‘unity’ had instead become ‘duality’.
“It would spell cultivation deviation at least, and falling out of the Immortal realm at worst!” Yan Zhaoge sighed, “Still, an outstanding figure like the Brocade Emperor would probably forcibly make adjustments so that his cultivation realm would not fall. It should have been cultivation deviation…”
His expression was rather strange, “He should not have become psychotic, right?”
Wang Pu looked at Yan Zhaoge, “How do you know of this, junior apprentice-brother Yan? Also, if I did not listen wrongly, you asked from the start how it would be like if he had another daughter, and not if he had a son?”
“I cannot be certain if this really is the case,” Yan Zhaoge said, “What I said earlier cannot be verified, just…”
He sighed, “After hearing what the two of you have said, I increasingly fear that my guess was right.”
“The reason for this guess of mine also lies with Southern Zhuang.”
Yan Zhaoge narrated the matter of Meng Wan and her mother, Liu Xianting.
After hearing of this, Wang Pu and Qiu Jiahai sighed emotionally, “Why must it be so?”
Wang Pu said quietly, “Having been able to cause such abnormalities in the Brocade Emperor, your guess is probably close to the truth, junior apprentice-brother Yan.”
The trio exchanged looks.
The most pressing concern now was already not how the Brocade Emperor might have become.
Instead, the question was this: What would he do next?
Simple madmen were nothing much to be afraid of.
One would be able to interact with an Emperor who was in his right mind.
Yet, if an Emperor had gone crazy, no one could predict what might happen as a result.
This was especially the case with how this Emperor was also in possession of an Immortal Artifact.