Can You Conquer The World With Martial Arts?

When Huang Huoyu invaded, the city was in an uproar.

As a member of the Jianghu Investigative Bureau, Bai Guo was not allowed to participate in the fighting. But even if it weren't for his employment, he simply was not qualified.

He used his talents to help however he could, mainly with surveillance and organization.

But the fighting began in a way none of them had expected. Bai Guo quickly found out that the enemies had simply barged in as a small group, with the golden haired demon at their helm.

He was unable to stop himself. He rushed to the palace as fast as he could.

By the time he arrived, the troops had already surrounded it. But no one dared to venture inside.

Bai Guo broke out of the crowd and ran.

"What are you doing?!" They called out.

"Stop!"

"Don't chase him!"

The closest towards him made a token attempt to pursue, but in the end they were too scared to stray too close to the palace.

Bai Guo guided himself through the formation using the notches Huang Huoyu had left along the way.

He could smell the heavy stench of blood permeating from beyond the broken gate. But still nothing could prepare him for what he was about to witness.

A crimson sea. Bodies laid out in countless pieces.

Bai Guo found himself short of breath. He swayed uneasily, leaned against the gateway to steady himself.

He set his eyes straight, steadied his breathing. Though the corpses remained in his peripheral vision, he pressed on. Instantly his shoes were seeped through with gore.

He made it halfway across the killing floor.

From deep within the inner halls, he could hear shouting.

"Long live the empress!"

Bai Guo stopped. He knew then that he was far too late.

What need was there to press on? What purpose could his presence serve now? He knew he could not stop her. Not anymore. Maybe not ever.

The only reason to go inside now would be to join her.

But he couldn't.

Later, it was Wu Rong's own order that unbarred the city gates and allowed Huang Huoyu's forces to seize control of the city.

Many understood the lady consort's situation. But there was nothing they could do to save her.

Bai Guo left Chang'an far behind.

He returned to the new home of his sworn brother, only to find Ling Ling tending to his grave.

"Brother Guo..." Though she still held her reservations about his character, she knew that now was not the time to give him trouble. "I'm sorry. He's gone."

"I know. Ever since I parted ways with him that day, I knew..."

He knelt down by the gravestone. Ling Ling silently sat by his side, letting him pay his respects.

"Did you hear about what's happening outside?" He suddenly asked. Ling Ling wasn't sure if the question was meant for her.

She answered hesitantly. "Mistress Ouyang told me. Your master went to war."

"She's not my master anymore. We parted ways."

Ling Ling covered her mouth in shock.

"I couldn't stop her." Bai Guo's voice was shaking. "I set out on this journey hoping to learn the skills I would need to protect the innocent. Or at least those closest to me. Yet everything I did only made everything worse."

"Brother Guo..." Ling Ling didn't know what to say. She watched as tears streamed down his face. "You can't blame yourself. Your master is who she is. With her martial arts, who could ever hope to control her?"

"No." Bai Guo wiped his face with his sleeve. "It was never about the martial arts! It's because I kept making excuses for myself. I kept finding excuses to compromise, to run away when the going got tough. I kept putting my life and hers above what's right. And this is the result! I could have prevented all of this so many times over. But no more. I won't lose sight of what truly matters ever again."

Bai Guo sprang to his feet. He bowed to the grave.

"Brother Shen, I swear to you. I won't let it end like this. I will find another way!"

And so he made an oath before the two lovers torn apart by the cruelty of this world.

His righteous heart sought a different answer.

...

Faced with the combined forces of the Qi dynasty, the world's many warlords found themselves with little recourse but complete and unconditional surrender.

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Those who resisted had been brutally dispatched. And rarely did the matter demand her personal attention.

There were numerous attempts to form an alliance against the Jade Empress' influence, but there was nothing and no one to truly unite the unscrupulous masters of the age.

Not only were Huang Huoyu's feats well known by now, but with the abrupt disappearance of the Invincible Blood Sea, rumors abounded that she was the one who ended his life.

The entire jianghu lived in fear of that man. Very few dared to test their mettle against his killer. So when years later, a stele had been erected in Tao Geming's honor on Mount Hua, the martial world was astonished.

Soon, the country was united.

And yet the Jade Empress set her sights beyond the old borders.

Many would suffer in the unceasing wars her reign would bring about.

Wu Rong attempted to safeguard the common people every step of the way. But Huang Huoyu's demands were often unreasonable, and in their senselessness they bordered on the cruel.

The empress had no interest in real policy. She committed immense resources to warmongering and frivolous pursuits dedicated to enhancing her personal martial prowess. Thousands remained in constant mobilization, chasing unfounded rumors about martial arts manuals and hidden masters.

But nevertheless, Wu Rong went on to mitigate much of the harm.

As the years went by, Huang Huoyu continued to grow in skill and stature. Just a simple look at her now betrayed her inhuman nature.

But the Jade Empress was seldom seen in person.

Her interest in the throne seemed to wane over time. It reached a point where rarely did she ever get in the way of Wu Rong's work.

Those who had helped Huang Huoyu seize the throne were rewarded not only with vastly expanded holdings, but her personal tutelage. Though the empress' advice was sparse, it was enough to set them above all those who were once their peers.

Her disciple, Liao Lan, soon became the only person who would pass along the empress' desires. Her primary duty became to facilitate her master's obsession with martial arts. Liao Lan's position granted her immense influence over the imperial court. Though the empress' tutelage remained limited even for her, it nevertheless bolstered her prowess to heights Liao Lan never thought possible.

Shao Luli and her master remained inseparable. Their bond only seemed to grow deeper over time. They were seldom seen apart.

Soon after the central provinces had been pacified, Ouyang Chen returned to her home. She had no interest in the rewards or the politics of the court, and intended to continue her research to the end of her days.

Ling Ling never told her of Bai Guo's visit. After witnessing his earnest oath, the young woman resumed her training with newfound enthusiasm. Though Ouyang Chen didn't know the reason for her sudden drive, she was pleased. But of course, she would never show it.

Years later, Ouyang Chen passed away peacefully in her sleep. After putting her master to rest, Ling Ling left the old bog behind.

She was driven not by wanderlust, but by the desire to put her new skills to use. And she knew exactly who could have used them most. And though she would never admit it to herself, there was a hope for something more, too.

Over the years that would follow, many would arrive before the throne to challenge the empress, to claim the throne in the same fashion that she once claimed it for herself.

Only during those times would the Jade Empress leave her seclusion, reveal herself to the world in the scant few moments she needed to cut the rebels down.

None could withstand her unfathomable sword.

But no matter what, those who yearned to take her place remained in endless supply.

And even though the discipline of combat continued to develop without ceasing, no matter the caliber of genius that would emerge, not one of them could ever hope to become her match.

Because for the troubled girl born beneath the earth, hurting and being hurt was tantamount to love.

And because of that love, her martial arts would remain second to none.

Forevermore.

...