The Unruly Immortals

Li Huowang, standing on the outskirts, looked at the bizarre scene inside the coffin and couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of dread, as if he'd witnessed something he was not supposed to see.

"Could it be that the Royal Family of Da Liang will silence me to protect their secret?" Having been through all sorts of trials, Li Huowang couldn't help but think of the worst possible outcome.

He began to be more vigilant and pondered incessantly, setting up contingencies for anything that might happen next.

Zhuge Yuan beside him tried to offer some reassurance, "Brother Li, don't panic. It is widely known that the Royal Family has the Dragon Vein; however, I truly did not expect that Da Liang's Dragon Vein was actually this. Perhaps, this is why the once fraudulent Da Liang could overpower Da Qi."

No matter what Li Huowang was thinking internally, the Imperial Temple before him, glinting with gold, showed no anomalies.

The only change was in the increasingly frantic calls of the Emperor of Da Liang. "Are you all deaf? Hurry up and save my father— I am the Emperor now! Do you still want to defy my orders?"

However, faced with his command, those old eunuchs simply crouched on the ground, shivering, doing nothing at all.

"Cough cough... Lin'er..." A pained and weary voice made the tearful Emperor turn to the topmost layer of the "Dragon Vein," where his father lay.

"Lin'er, don't make it hard for them, I told them to do this, cough cough cough..."

It was not until this moment that Li Huowang finally learned the name of this young Emperor of Da Liang. The royal family of Da Liang bore the surname Ji, and his name was Ji Lin.

When Li Huowang had escorted the previous Emperor of Da Liang to the execution ground, he remembered that person cursing the Emperor on the Dragon Vein, whom he called Ji Song.

"But why, Father, you are clearly still alive!" Ji Lin, looking at the chains sunk into his father's flesh, felt a heart-wrenching empathy, his tears swirling in his eyes.

Ji Song's voice became fainter, as if there were some things he did not want outsiders to know, but Li Huowang's sharp hearing could still make out what they were saying.

"You don't understand... To preserve the fate of the Da Liang Dynasty, this is the only way... It's our destiny, you'll understand when you're my age..."

"Father, but... but..." The young Ji Lin was somewhat at a loss for what to do; he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to express it.

"I actually died a long time ago, I was just forcibly revived by this Dragon Qi. I must die for you to ascend the throne; you should be happy about it."

As he spoke, Ji Song, spread out in a 'big' character shape, fiercely pulled the chain beside him, dragging the remaining stack of emperors towards the side of the coffin.

He extended his scaly dragon-clawed hand and jerked Ji Lin violently toward him. His voice began to grow stern. "Do you know why, before my demise, I passed the throne to you instead of the upright Crown Prince?"

"Your son does not know," Ji Lin replied, choking back tears.

"It's because you are sly enough! At six, you dared to poison your own brother to vie for favor! None of the other princes can compare! But even this is not enough. If it were me, I would've used powdered toad venom!"

As he said this, his tone became eerily cold. "Lin'er, when you go back, kill all your brothers."

"What... What?!" Ji Lin's complexion turned deathly white in an instant; were he not being held by the collar by his father, he would likely have collapsed on the spot.

"Of course, you can choose not to make a move, but then don't blame others for making their move against you first. They all have people arranged to assist them. Although you are the Emperor, the coronation ceremony has not yet been held. Everything is still uncertain. Remember, those who want to achieve great things must be prepared to kill even their closest kin!"

These words made Li Huowang frown deeply. It seemed the Emperor of Da Liang planned to use his own sons as guinea pigs in some twisted test.

Whoever is strongest and most ruthless will become the next Emperor of Da Liang, but is someone chosen in such a way truly going to be a wise ruler?

"Remember, Lin'er, this Emperor stands alone. If you want to be Emperor, trust no one but yourself, including your mother...."

As Ji Lin released his grip on the Imperial Robe, the heavy gold coffin lid closed with a thunderous noise.

The vast tomb grew quiet, leaving only the sound of Ji Lin's rapid breathing. Despite the cold, sweat still dripped from his forehead.

"Welcome the Spirit~ Clear the Offerings~~!" A voice rang out from an Elder eunuch, and the previously motionless eunuchs sprung into action. They proceeded with the complex and tedious ritual steps in front of the Nine Dragons Coffin while Li Huowang silently watched everything unfold, like a bystander.

After a while, once the sacrificial ceremony was over, the eunuchs formed orderly lines and quietly left without waiting for the Emperor on the ground to rise.

Li Huowang, standing to the side, glanced at Ji Lin, who was slumped on the ground, and followed the eunuchs out.

He believed that faced with such a drastic life change and decision, this new Emperor would be quite busy for some time and likely had no time to deal with someone he had but a brief acquaintance with, like himself.

Stepping from the cold and oppressive tomb into the warm Imperial Temple hung with candles, Li Huowang felt like he had moved from the underworld to the Mortal World.

Just as he was about to head towards Lian Zhibei, who was waiting by the entrance, a commanding voice came from behind him. "Ji Zai!"

"Ji Zai?" Li Huowang was momentarily startled before he saw Zhuge Yuan and realized. This was the name the other had given him before. "He is calling me."

"Brother Li, do not panic. The Da Liang National Master cannot see through my methods. He cannot know your real name, so naturally, he cannot divine what you've done in the past."

After expressing gratitude with his eyes to Zhuge Yuan, Li Huowang turned and approached the Da Liang National Master, who stood with his hands behind his back.

"Ji Zai pays his respects to the National Master!" Li Huowang bowed seriously to the man's back.

"Since you are part of the Astrological Bureau's Gold Banner, you should also be aware of certain things, what should and should not be said, right?" the National Master said while his wrinkled hand continuously performed calculations.

"I understand," Li Huowang stood composedly, focusing his mind inward, not surprised in the least by the other's warning.

On the contrary, if the National Master said nothing at that moment, Li Huowang would have felt uneasy.

"Ji Zai, since you are a follower of the Ao Jing Sect, why join the Astrological Bureau? I recall that your kind, those ignorant people, always shun the worldly dust, pursuing the foolish dream of becoming immortals during the daytime, don't they?"

Li Huowang thought carefully before replying with the same explanation he had given before.

But facing this man, Li Huowang didn't even plan to lie. Instead, he wholeheartedly believed that he was Ji Zai, the one seeking revenge for the deceased Elder by turning against the Oblivion Path.