"Is that it?"
A disdainful and contemptuous tone rang out once more. The God of Pride looked at the God of Wrath while pointing at Chen Junting's performance. "This is the extent of the wrath you've aroused?"
"Still better than the pride you roused."
The God of Wrath was naturally ungracious, shooting back immediately.
"Enough, stop bickering."
At this moment, the God of Lust spoke up to interrupt the two. "In my view, using original sins to completely crush his clarity is impossible. It would be better to let the situation deteriorate and see if he can awaken from the trap of our four major original sins in time."
"That makes sense."
"Agreed."
The God of Lust's method quickly gained the approval of the God of Wrath and the God of Pride. As for the God of Sloth...
"ZZZ—"
Well, it was safe to assume he wouldn't have any objections.
...
Autumn, Tenth Year of Yongjia.
The city of Chang'an was still immersed in a facade of prosperity. The wine pool of the Maze Tower remained fragrant, and the forest of meat still dripped with grease. However, an eight-hundred-li express military report, like a sharp blade, shattered this illusory beauty.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Urgent report from the Northern Frontier! The barbarians... the barbarian army has broken through the Black Water Pass! Yunzhou, Daizhou... several cities have fallen! The defending generals have all died for the country!" The messenger, currently bathed in blood with shattered armor, practically crawled and scrambled into the side of the Drunken Immortal Pool in the Maze Tower.
His hoarse, wailing cries momentarily drowned out the decadent strings and woodwinds, tearing through the extravagance of the lake of wine and forest of meat.
At this moment, the hall fell into absolute dead silence. The dancing girls froze in place, and the instruments slid from the musicians' hands. The golden goblet in Li Ju's hand clattered onto the bottom of the emerald pool, its scarlet wine splashing across the merciful face of the "Apsara Bathing the Buddha" mural. However, there was no confusion on his face, only sheer panic. Clearly, he had known, but this far exceeded his expectations.
At the same time, Chen Junting was being fed a chilled grape by Jialing. The sweet flesh of the fruit was still on the tip of his tongue when the messenger's roar struck like a heavy hammer. The lazy smile on his face instantly froze, and his eyes transformed from hazy to terrifyingly sharp in a flash, as if a slumbering tiger or an old dragon in its twilight years had been abruptly awakened.
"What did you say?"
Chen Junting's voice was terrifyingly low; every word sounded like it was squeezed out from a crack in the ice. He stared dead at the messenger who had forced his way in, his voice sounding like it came from hell itself, "Black Water Pass has been broken?"
That was the most crucial gateway to the empire's northern frontier! Back when the Central Plains' situation was unstable and it was seized by the barbarians, he had personally led a massive army, taking an entire year of bloody battles to reclaim this iron-walled fortress! Losing this pass meant that the northern territories were nothing but flat plains to those barbarians, ready to be swept away entirely!
"Y-yes, Your Majesty! The barbarians amassed two hundred thousand armored cavalry and launched a surprise attack at night! Initially, the garrison thought it was just a small raiding party, so instead of defending, they opened the gates to wipe them out. Who could have imagined that the barbarians had laid an ambush for the Black Water Pass garrison, resulting in the loss of most of our elite troops! The remaining defenders fought a bloody battle for months, but the Black Water Pass still fell! The garrisons at Yunzhou and Daizhou fought to the death, but they ultimately fell as well! Now, the barbarians are marching south! The beacon fires have already reached Taiyuan!" The messenger wept openly, his forehead banging against the cold edge of the emerald pool with dull thuds.
"Impossible!"
Li Ju shrieked, his face as pale as a sheet. He pointed at the messenger and shouted at Chen Junting, "This man must be lying about the military situation! He is trying to spread fear with demonic rumors! Your Majesty, the northern border has always been peaceful..."
"Shut up!"
Chen Junting let out a furious roar, like a sudden thunderclap. "Do you take me for a witless fool who knows nothing of war!?"
He violently stood up, overturning the jade table before him; delicacies and fine wine crashed to the floor in a messy heap. At this moment, he didn't even spare a glance at Li Ju, kicking him over before taking two large strides to stand before the messenger, his tall figure exuding a suffocatingly oppressive aura.
"I ask you, why did they not request reinforcements months ago!?"
"Your Majesty, they did request reinforcements! From the very day the barbarian army invaded, the defending generals of the various prefectures sent requests for aid almost daily! But every single memorial was like a stone dropped into the ocean; they never received any response!"
"Hehe, good, very good!"
At this moment, Chen Junting was so furious that he laughed. He was already well aware of exactly why this had happened! But right now, the primary issue was not this.
"Who is the barbarian commander? What is their troop strength? What siege weapons do they have? Give me a detailed account of the fall of the pass, not missing a single word!"
Chen Junting's majestic presence as an emperor on horseback thoroughly erupted at this moment. His eyes were as sharp as blades, without the slightest trace of intoxication remaining. Intimidated by his imposing manner, the messenger suppressed his fear and recounted every detail of the battle he knew. Chen Junting listened with rapt attention, his face growing darker and colder. When he heard that the banners of the remnant rebel forces that had been crushed by the Divine Strategy Army all those years ago had actually appeared within the barbarian ranks, and that the northern kingdoms were also participating, he laughed once again.
"Good... what a mere 'trifling ailment'!"
Another bout of furious laughter; his cackling sounded like a night owl echoing through the lavish palace, carrying a bone-chilling coldness. Clearly, Chen Junting's fury had reached its absolute zenith at this moment.
He slowly turned his head, his gaze like tangible ice picks. Dark orange light completely engulfed his pupils as he fiercely glared at Li Ju, who was now paralyzed on the ground, his face completely drained of color.
"Supervisory Lord? You've done a fine job supervising the state!"
"What a beautiful picture of peace you've painted! And you even dared to intercept military memorials."
"This is deceiving the sovereign!"
Scared out of his wits, Li Ju kowtowed frantically, "Your Majesty, spare me! Spare my life! I... I was also kept in the dark by the officials below! Furthermore, I only did it to please Your Majes—"
Crash—
With a heavy impact, the utterly furious Chen Junting grabbed a palace lantern from beside him and viciously smashed it against Li Ju's forehead. Perhaps by luck, Li Ju's head was covered in blood, but he merely lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor, not dead.
"Someone come!"
Chen Junting didn't want to hear his excuses any longer. His voice was like the bitter winds of the netherworld, "Arrest this treacherous sycophant who deceived his sovereign and brought disaster to the nation! Throw him into the imperial prison! Investigate his faction thoroughly, leave no one behind!"
At his command, the wolf-like imperial guards stormed in and brutally dragged out Li Ju, who was now like a pile of mud. And because he was unconscious, there was not a single sound of begging for mercy.
At this moment, the close ministers and beautiful consorts who had been laughing and chatting just a moment ago were now as silent as winter cicadas, trembling in fear. Jialing swayed her waist, attempting to approach Chen Junting, her voice carrying its usual, bone-softening charm: "Your Majesty, quell your anger. Mere barbarian slaves, why are they worth your concern? Let your concubine comfort Your Majesty..."
"Get away!"
Chen Junting panted heavily as he violently swept his sleeve, still packing enough force to send Jialing stumbling a few steps before she fell to the ground. At this moment, the way he looked at her held not the slightest trace of his past infatuation; instead, there was only an icy disgust, as if looking at a dead object. "Witch! If it weren't for you and your ilk bewitching me day and night, how could I have neglected the court affairs and been damaged by wine and lust, becoming so haggard!?"
Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm.
Seeing Chen Junting turn on them in the blink of an eye, the God of Lust was instantly shocked, "How can this man be so shameless?"
Pop—
A snot bubble burst, and the God of Sloth woke up as well. "Actually, this isn't strange."
"Didn't you all see? Right now, the original sin of Wrath has completely overwhelmed the original sins of Lust and Sloth. So it's normal for his mind's true incarnation to sweep out the avatars of the Sloth and Lust original sins. Next, we'll just have to see how he overcomes the remaining original sins of Pride and Wrath. But in my opinion, hmm..."
It was rare for the God of Sloth to say so much at once. Therefore, what greeted him were the slightly astonished gazes of the other six Original Sin Gods. However, this astonishment was quickly broken by the God of Pride. "Hey, Sloth! If you're going to speak, then finish your sentence! What's with leaving a 'hmm' at the end?"
"ZZZ—"
However, the God of Sloth had fallen asleep once again, so how could he possibly pay attention to the God of Pride shouting right beside him.
As this minor interlude in the Divine Realm concluded, back in Chen Junting's state of mind, Jialing—the avatar representing the original sin of Lust—had fallen to the ground. The color instantly drained from her beautiful face, and for the first time, the eyes that had been so pampered and arrogant in the past revealed fear.
Chen Junting's gaze was like a poison-laced blade as it slowly swept across the stunning women in the hall. They had once been the tender trap of his downfall, but now he discarded them like worn-out shoes, his mind incomparably clear.
"Don't just look at her! The same goes for the rest of you!"
His voice was like cold iron scraping together, resembling an emotionless old dragon. "Guards! Strangle all the wicked consorts of the Maze Tower! Hang their corpses from the northern watchtowers of Chang'an! Let it be an apology to the world!"
This cruel command struck down like a thunderbolt. The hall instantly erupted into a chorus of mournful wails and piercing screams. The imperial guards carried out the order expressionlessly, slipping cold nooses around those pale, slender necks. The Drunken Immortal Pool, which just moments ago had been filled with melodious singing and vibrant, sensual life, instantly transformed into an Asura Realm of carnage. Jialing was hoisted up by two guards; she struggled, her venomous gaze fixed fiercely on Chen Junting as she shrieked, "Chen Junting! You kill me today, but the curse of Shule will surely..."
"Strangle her!"
Chen Junting sternly cut her off, not a single ripple in his eyes.
'Curse of Shule? Shule has joined the rebellion too! When the time comes, I will let the entire nation join you in the underworld!'
As the ropes tightened, Jialing's curses turned into hoarse, suffocating gasps. That devastatingly beautiful face rapidly flushed red, twisted in agony, and finally settled into a deathly pale purple. Those beautiful eyes that had once bewitched the sovereign remained wide open until the very end.
At this moment, Chen Junting didn't spare another glance at the corpses being dragged away. He strode out of the Drunken Immortal Pool, stepping over spilled fine wine and scattered precious fruits. His dirt-stained dragon boots tread heavily upon the icy cold floor tiles, echoing with resounding, resolute thuds. Now, deep within his eyes, aside from a barely perceptible trace of dark blue light, the rest consisted solely of dark orange fury and pure clarity; the interference of Lust and Sloth was no more.
"Open the palace gates! To the Hidden Palace!"
Chen Junting commanded, his voice carrying an unquestionable, iron-willed resolve. At this moment, the founding emperor who had been buried beneath years of lavish indulgence and wine seemed to have returned, radiating a chilling aura of murderous intent.
The gates of the Hidden Palace swung open, and a stale, moldy scent rushed out to greet them. The deposed Crown Prince, Chen Shuo, had been imprisoned for nearly two years; he was haggard, with deep, sunken eye sockets, yet his eyes remained as bright as tempered refined gold. He was wearing a faded, washed-out old robe and was hunched over a desk, writing furiously. Seeing Chen Junting stride in surrounded by a host of murderous imperial guards, he didn't show much surprise. He simply put down his brush, slowly stood up, and calmly bowed.
"The deposed Crown Prince, Chen Shuo, greets Imperial Father."
There was no resentment, no anger; only calmness.
Chen Junting looked at his son's emaciated face and those clear yet sorrowful eyes, feeling as if his heart had been violently struck by something. He opened his mouth, but thousands of words blocked his throat, ultimately only escaping as a heavy sigh.
"Shuo'er," Chen Junting's voice carried a hint of hoarseness and a long-lost weariness belonging to a father who had realized his mistakes, "Come with me."
There was no ceremonial guard, no imperial carriage. Chen Junting brought Chen Shuo, accompanied only by dozens of trusted imperial guards, and left the imperial palace in plain clothes. They headed north all the way, passing through the still-bustling yet visibly uneasy streets of Chang'an, walking out of the city gates until they reached the outer city.
What lay before their eyes was a shocking and gruesome sight. Once-prosperous towns and villages had become desolate and ruined; the fields were overgrown with weeds, devoid of any crops. Ragged, sallow-faced refugees dragged their families along, resembling a gray tide slowly creeping southward along the roads. Hunger and disease had stripped the vitality from their eyes, leaving behind nothing but numbness and despair. The air was thick with dust, the stench of sweat, and a faint, lingering smell of rotting corpses. There was not the slightest trace of the former "Yuanxi Prosperity."
In front of a dilapidated thatched hut, Chen Junting came to a halt. Outside, shivering refugees huddled together. A woman knelt in the mud, holding an infant who was barely breathing, wailing towards a crumbling earth shrine: "Heavens! Open your eyes! Just give my child a bite to eat! I beg of you..." Her voice was hoarse with despair, sounding like a dying beast. However, that child had already drawn its last breath long ago.
Chen Junting silently watched all of this. He looked at the numb stares of those refugees. As the cold wind blew past, it rolled up the dust from the ground and ruffled his graying hair at the temples.
"Imperial Father, this is still the outer city of Chang'an; it is considered right beneath the Emperor's feet. If it's this bad right beneath the Emperor's feet, then what about places further away?"
Chen Shuo spoke, his voice low and clear, yet every word struck Chen Junting's heart like a heavy hammer. "Do you see it now? Is this your so-called prosperous era? This is the very reason I had no choice but to rebel back then!" He pointed at the endless stream of refugees, at the barren fields, "Natural disasters are not terrifying; what is terrifying is man-made calamity! It is the treacherous sycophants running rampant in the court, blocking the sovereign's ears! It is you, Imperial Father... who turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, wallowing in pleasure! You allowed the likes of Li Ju to suck the marrow from the people's bones! The national treasury is empty, military funds have been embezzled, and what about the granaries now? Is there really still five years' worth of grain in the granaries?"
Chen Shuo's gaze was as sharp as a knife, piercing straight into Chen Junting's eyes: "Imperial Father, tell me, if the iron cavalry of the barbarians tramples through Yanmen, what will these unarmed commoners use to block them? Their flesh and blood? Your grand spectacles?!"
The last sentence was like a thunderclap exploding beside Chen Junting's ears. His tall frame violently swayed, his face instantly turning as pale as gold paper, and a sweet, metallic taste rushed up his throat. He forcefully suppressed it, only feeling a bone-chilling cold rise from the soles of his feet and spread throughout his entire body.
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