STNS: Chapter 472 (Patreon)

Zhang Ming stood before the gate alongside the other pillars and their soldiers. Somewhere beyond that gate was Mei Xilan and her companions. It galled him to know that he could not help his princess the way those outsiders did. He had known that he was weak ever since the Undying Sun Sect took over the Sui Kingdom, but that fact was hammered home after Mei Xilan returned with aid.

Shuchang and Hou Jingshu were true monsters, Seeker Realm experts capable of devastating entire armies by themselves. They had reached a level of strength that very few could ever match. The fact that they were both so young only served to further illustrate their monstrous talent. That they had reached such power at so young an age while he remained stuck at the Human Limit Realm despite his advanced age was, perhaps, the most frustrating aspect of meeting them.

Yet he was still grateful to them, for they had agreed to help his princess reclaim her throne. His jealousy aside, he would never display anything but the utmost gratitude toward them.

They had been battering the gate to the Undying Sun Sect for almost a day now. Every time their men ran out of chi, they would be swapped out for fresh men, who would continue where their comrades left off. Meanwhile, the men who retreated were given chi recovery pills made by Zhou Lihua. They would restore their chi and rest up until it was their turn again.

“I have never seen a more sturdy gate,” Li Wei murmured with crossed arms. “We’ve been throwing techniques at it for a long time and it still doesn’t even have a dent in it.”

Zhang Ming shrugged. “If the techniques from a few cultivators at the Anima and Asura Realms were enough to break this gate down, the Sui Kingdom would have been demolished long before the Undying Sun Sect got their grubby paws on it.”

“I guess that is true.” Li Wei paused for a moment. “How long do you think it will take Sui Mei Gōngzhǔ and her companions to infiltrate the palace and open the gate for us?”

“It should not be long now,” Zhang Ming said, rubbing his jaw in thought. “Two of their members are at the Seeker Realm. Nobody among the Undying Sun Sect poses much of a threat to them.”

Fang Heng grunted as he placed his hands behind his head. “I don’t understand why we can’t just let them take care of the Undying Sun Sect for us.”

“Because a freedom not earned through our own blood and sweat is a freedom that’s easily lost,” Zhang Ming said.

Fang Heng didn’t speak, but the disgruntled expression on his face said more than enough. He didn’t approve of making them fight for their own freedom when there were two extremely powerful entities willing to help. Zhang Ming understood to an extent. Who wouldn’t want to have someone more powerful than you do all the work? However, that way of thinking was lazy and anybody who thought it would not go far in life. It was unlikely that Feng Hang would ever go beyond his current cultivation.

While they were talking, a loud rumbling sound echoed around them, causing all their forces to stop what they were doing. Zhang Ming and the others turned to stare at the gate, which slowly opened, revealing Wu Jian, Shuchang, and Youmei.

“Come, let us head in,” Zhang Ming said to the other pillars before addressing the army. “Men! The gate is open! Let us head forth!”

His rallying cry made the others cheer and, as one, they surged toward the gate. Zhang Ming and the other pillars were at the front. They were the first to see what lay on the other side. Bodies were strewn around in various states of deformation. It looked like many of them had been mangled. However, there were nowhere near as many bodies as there were Undying Sun Sect disciples, so this was just the number guarding the entrance. They probably didn’t think to have their whole sect guard the gates since very few people would be able to break through.

“Jian Wu, Shuchang, Youmei, thank you for opening the gates. You’ve done well,” Zhang Ming praised.

Jian Wu tilted his head, and Zhang Ming had a strange urge to look away. He felt foolish praising these young people, not because they didn't deserve it, but because they were so much stronger than him. The young masked man was particularly mysterious. He never went anywhere without his mask, and despite being a whole realm weaker than Shuchang and Hou Jingshu, he was able to fight with them on even footing.

He was an enigma.

“You’re welcome,” Wu Jian said at last. “Now, let’s move before they sound the--oh, too late.”

Loud blaring echoed around the Palace of the Sun and the area above their heads lit up as though fireworks were filling the night sky. Zhang Ming furrowed his brow as he stared at the brilliant flaring ball of fire that hung in the sky like a sun. Was this a technique he had never seen before? Some kind of sealing array? He had a bad feeling about it, but they had little time to dwell on such matters.

“Looks like the enemy is coming,” Shuchang said. He was looking into the Palace of the Sun, where a massive army was heading their way. “I don’t see anyone above the Asura Realm, so you guys should be fine dealing with this yourselves, right?”

Zhang Ming gave them both a martial bow. “Of course. Leave this to me.”

“We’ll do that,” Wu Jian looked toward his two companions. “Shuchang, Youmei, let’s go.”

“Kaaaaaaay,” Youmei said.

Shuchang pounded his fist into his palm. “I’m ready to get this party started.”

As the trio flew off, heading deeper into the palace grounds, Zhang Ming focused back on the army coming toward them. There must have been at least six or seven hundred cultivators. With a grunt, Zhang Ming removed his sword from its sheathe and prepared for battle.

***

While the decoration had changed since last she’d been here, the layout remained the same. Mei Xilan led Hou Jingshu down a pathway that was at once familiar and foreign to her. She felt her heart ache at the knowledge that many of the familiar decorations were gone, replaced with gaudy motifs of the sun.

Their destination was the main hall. They passed several rooms that used to serve as ancestral altars. These rooms were devoted to worshipping their ancestors. She and her family would burn incense, give offerings, and pray to their ancestors so they would find peace in the afterlife. But the buildings had changed since then. All the altars of her ancestors had been replaced by altars of the sun. It was galling. She wouldn’t be able to change them back to the way they were either. She’d been so young back then that she didn’t remember what the original altars looked like or who they were for.

“Get your head in the game, Mei Xilan,” Hou Jingshu suddenly said. “You can lament later… after we’ve taken care of Qiang Bao and his elders.”

Mei Xilan shook her head as though to rid it of extraneous thoughts, then nodded. “You are right, of course. I can’t afford to be distracted.”

Their destination was known as the Grand Hall, and it was the main hall of the palace, traditionally used for official ceremonies and to display the royal family’s power. Now it was the seat of the Undying Sun Sect’s power. The tiered roof was even more pronounced than the rest of the buildings, with many sun motifs carved into the surface. Ornate columns painted in red and gold supported it.

The doors were not open, but they opened quite readily at a push from Hou Jingshu. A richly decorated interior greeted them. Lacquered panels and intricate tapestries displayed the Undying Sun Sect’s wealth. The walls and doors had carvings depicting the birth of the sun. Red and gold columns stood at even junctures. As the architectural centerpiece of the complex, this hall was particularly grand, with a soaring ceiling, massive hanging lanterns, and a throne backed by a detailed mural depicting the Undying Sun Sect’s history.

That mural used to depict the Sui Kingdom’s founding…

The sight made Mei Xilan moody.

They were not alone in this room. Eight people were already present. One of them sat on the throne. It had been many years since Mei Xilan had last laid eyes on him, but she still recognized Qiang Bao. He was a tall and imposing man, with a robust physique and deeply tanned skin, a reflection of his extensive exposure to the sun. His features were sharp and his jawline angular. He possessed a rugged handsomeness that was different from the typical aesthetics that appealed to most people. His piercing amber eyes contained the same ambition now that they had back when Mei Xilan was just a small child.

She took her eyes off Qiang Bao to look at the people around him. They were the elders of the Undying Sun Sect. None of them posed a threat. The strongest one was at the Deva Realm, and she could already tell she was more than a match for him. She looked back at Qiang Bao as she and Hou Jingshu walked up to the group, unhurried as though they were merely taking a stroll through a garden.

“Sui Mei Gōngzhu,” Qiang Bao intoned in a calm voice. “It has been many years since I last laid eyes on you. You were but a young child back then, and yet now, you have become an enchanting young woman.”

“Compliments from you make me sick,” Mei Xilan said in harsh rebuke. “I suggest you keep them to yourself.”

“Hmmm.” Qiang Bao merely smiled. He looked so calm, so unworried. It made Mei Xilan frown. “I know why you are here. You wish for revenge. But you should know that revenge will never bring your family back. You should also know why I did what I did. Your father was too trusting. He thought that by opening our borders, he could increase the Sui Kingdom’s wealth, but all it did was invite dissidents into his country. That is why I defeated him and closed the border. Everything that I did was done to prevent other countries from taking advantage of us.”

What is he up to?

She couldn’t figure out what his angle was. Why was he talking so much? Was he trying to buy himself time?

“Save your excuses for someone who cares to hear them,” Mei Xilan said. “I know the truth. You’re greedy. You killed my father because you wanted power, because you wanted control of your own nation. Prevent other countries from taking advantage of us? Don’t make me laugh. I know you’ve been in contact with other nations secretly. This was never about protecting our borders. You just don’t want the common people gaining any wealth because you want to horde it all for yourself.”

While they had been talking, the elders had moved to surround them. Mei Xilan and Hou Jingshu let them. They were not just here to win but to make a statement--that no matter what this man did, he would never be able to defeat them. While Hou Jingshu made no moves to stop them, she did summon her spear and set herself in a battle ready stance.

“I see you have no desire to talk this over. That is most unfortunate,” Qiang Bao said with a deep sigh as though truly aggrieved that they could not see eye to eye.

“The only thing I am here to do is kill you and reclaim my throne,” Mei Xilan said, summoning her ice. Hundreds of lotus flowers like crystals bloomed into existence. They surrounded her and began spinning at high speeds. She only needed a single thought to send them at Qiang Bao.

Qiang Bao chuckled. “Naive girl. I spoke with you only because I thought you might see the error of your ways, but it’s clear that you’re still just a child. You fell into my trap the moment you set foot inside my palace.”

Qiang Bao clapped his hands together and a massive sealing array lit up underneath her and Hou Jingshu. Mei Xilan’s eyes widened.

[Luminous Eclipse Seal]