Chapter 129 - 128: Wild Ambition
Seeing Tantai Zhan’s relieved expression, Xia Wuyang knew that after this first compromise, he would likely never again muster the courage to face death.
Especially since the alternative was being forced to kill his own friends, family, and even his loyal subordinates before his death—something Tantai Zhan could never accept.
No wonder he became one of Emperor Xia’s most trusted aides. Few courtiers could match such loyalty.
What a waste. He was a Super Grade Celestial Human, yet he was utterly devoted to the cruel and incompetent Emperor Xia.
To be fair, Emperor Xia’s Talent and Qualification for Cultivation was undeniable. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have reached the Super Grade Celestial Human Realm before the age of one hundred, a feat unmatched by any in the surrounding nations.
Unfortunately, outside of his Cultivation, Emperor Xia showed no remarkable skill in any other area. He was obsessed with consolidating power, which plunged the Great Xia Dynasty into chaos. Rebellions flared up everywhere, and the imperial court was a complete mess.
If he weren’t holding it all together with his own formidable strength, who knows what would have become of the Great Xia Dynasty by now.
Besides, he hadn’t been lying. As long as Emperor Xia didn’t make a fatal move against him, he wouldn’t try to eliminate the Emperor completely.
But if Emperor Xia did try to kill him, had indeed been the one to cripple his Cultivation, and was the true culprit behind his mother’s death, then he couldn’t be blamed for what came next.
After a moment’s hesitation, Xia Wuyang used the Enchanting Heart Technique to cloud Tantai Zhan’s mind again, asking if he knew anything about the Crown Prince’s deposal. Tantai Zhan knew nothing about it and provided no answers.
Only then did Xia Wuyang erase all traces of his probing and begin questioning him about the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Palace, White Jade City, and Emperor Xia himself.
He managed to learn quite a few secrets, some of which would be quite useful to him.
Xia Wuyang nodded in satisfaction. By controlling Tantai Zhan, he had indirectly gained control of the three hundred thousand-strong Imperial Guard.
From now on, the patrol schedules for the Imperial Palace and White Jade City would be in his hands. Even the safety of the various Princes and Princesses would, to a certain extent, be under his control.
Through Tantai Zhan and the Imperial Guard, he could also deal with those he wanted to target.
After finishing, Xia Wuyang carefully cleaned the scene, making sure to leave no trace. He then ordered Tantai Zhan to obey him, keep an eye on the situation in White Jade City and the Imperial Palace, and report any anomalies immediately, leaving him with a secret method for communication.
With that, he quietly returned to Wenhua Hall. Although he hadn’t managed to capture the Shadow Guard Chief tonight, gaining control of Tantai Zhan and the three hundred thousand Imperial Guard was an equally astounding achievement.
’I wonder if the Shadow Guard Chief knows what happened back then,’ he thought. ’He most likely does. As another of Emperor Xia’s most trusted aides, responsible for surveillance and assassination, he would surely know if the Emperor was involved.’
’Unless Emperor Xia wasn’t involved at all. But I doubt that’s very likely.’
The power of the three hundred thousand-strong Imperial Guard was enough to change the entire political landscape of the court, and now, that power was in his hands.
"Father..." Xia Wuyang murmured, gazing toward Qianqing Palace. "I hope you weren’t too deeply involved in what happened back then."
Now that he controlled Tantai Zhan and the Imperial Guard, he could release the Spiritual Shackle on Zhao Wuji. After all, Zhao Wuji was like a miniature version of Tantai Zhan, and his usefulness had been greatly diminished.
He planned to repurpose the Spiritual Shackle from Zhao Wuji for the Shadow Guard Chief; by comparison, Tantai Zhan was hardly a worthy recipient.
Night fell once more. When the hour grew late, Xia Wuyang silently infiltrated Wude Palace and arrived at Zhao Wuji’s residence.
Zhao Wuji was currently cultivating with his eyes closed. The Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, was nearby, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Xia Wuyang channeled his Extraordinary Spiritual Power, silently undoing the Spiritual Shackle. At the same time, he used the Enchanting Heart Technique and the Soul Capturing Technique to delude Zhao Wuji into thinking he was still under control.
This method of control was far inferior to a Spiritual Shackle, but backed by his Extraordinary Spiritual Power, the effect was still considerable.
It wouldn’t be easy for Zhao Wuji to break free, so the control should last for some time. Xia Wuyang would just have to reinforce it every now and then. It was a bit of a hassle, but Zhao Wuji still had some value.
After retrieving the Spiritual Shackle, re-establishing control over Zhao Wuji with the Enchanting Heart and Soul Capturing Techniques, and learning what had happened recently, Xia Wuyang did not leave immediately.
He searched Wude Palace thoroughly, but unfortunately, he found no sign of any Miracle Treasures or Top Level Mortal Artifacts. The other items weren’t even worth his notice. Apparently, the Third Prince, Xia Wuchen, hadn’t had time to replenish his stock.
’I’ll just wait, then,’ he thought. ’Once he restocks, I’ll come back and help myself. Hopefully, he’ll have some Miracle Treasures next time.’
After a careful check to ensure he had left no traces, Xia Wuyang departed silently and returned to Wenhua Hall.
He hoped the Shadow Guard Chief would return to the capital soon. Once he captured him, he should be able to learn many of the secrets from that year and resolve many of the doubts in his heart.
Moreover, the Shadow Guard Chief was also a Super Grade Celestial Human and commanded tens of thousands of Shadow Guards. If he could capture him, then combined with Tantai Zhan’s three hundred thousand Imperial Guard, a huge portion of the Great Xia Dynasty would be in his grasp.
Once his Cultivation and strength increased to the point where he could rival Emperor Xia, he might just be able to contend with him by relying on these forces.
At that point, it would be anyone’s guess who would end up on the throne of the Great Xia Dynasty.
It was still early when he returned, so Xia Wuyang continued his Cultivation. He focused on consolidating his Cultivation Foundation, adapting to his recent surge in power, and improving his Combat Techniques and Secret Techniques. He didn’t neglect his work on the Herbal Tomb either, training methodically and in an orderly fashion.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he fully consolidated his Cultivation Foundation. Then, he would start consuming some Middle Level Miracle Treasures to raise his Cultivation Realm.
Once the Middle Level Miracle Treasures were mostly used up or no longer effective, it would be time to break through to the Super Grade Realm.
By then, with the medicinal power of the High Level Miracle Treasure, the Blood Lotus Fruit, and the Eight Hundred Year-Old Monkey Wine, and supported by his Extraordinary Spiritual Power, breaking through to the Super Grade Celestial Human Realm shouldn’t be too difficult.
Once he advanced to become a Super Grade Celestial Human, he could, in coordination with his Extraordinary Spiritual Power, perhaps even contend with an ordinary True Monarch.
This time, Xia Wuyang had also obtained several Spirit Level Talisman Records from Tantai Zhan. When activated with his Extraordinary Spiritual Power, their might would be further enhanced. While not comparable to Extraordinary True Qi, their power far surpassed that of a Body Refining Martial Artist and was not inferior to the Attack of an ordinary True Monarch.
These had become another one of Xia Wuyang’s trump cards, which could also play a significant role if he had to face Emperor Xia in the future.
For some reason, Xia Wuyang had a persistent feeling that Emperor Xia was most likely involved in his deposal. He felt that this matter could one day drive them into an irreconcilable conflict.
Emperor Xia’s handling of the incident back then had been far too careless, riddled with so many suspicious points that it was hard not to be suspicious.
But what Xia Wuyang could never understand was the crucial point: Why would Emperor Xia have done such a thing back then?