Chapter 84: Number One on the Earth Ranking, Dragon Head Guillotine!

The Divine Province of the Central Plains was a vast, fertile land.

A majestic city towered toward the heavens upon the boundless plains, surrounded on all sides by steep mountains and rugged ridges.

Before this great city, ordinary mountains and rivers were reduced to mere pebbles and streams, utterly unworthy of comparison. Yet a look from high above would reveal that the entire plain appeared to have been arranged with extreme precision by an invisible hand.

Every mountain, every river.

They were set in their perfect positions, shaping clear official roads and waterways that converged on the city.

A true wonder.

Only a wonder could describe this magnificent city rising from the plains, dwarfing the mountains beyond.

This was the heart of the Central Plains.

The Great Shun Capital.

The sprawling network of roads and waterways carried the capital's decrees to all the counties and prefectures in the four directions, ensuring that no upheaval across the realm escaped the imperial court's eyes.

In the central district of this towering city, just a street away from the imperial palace and bordered by the Temple of Confucius to the east, stood a sprawling architectural complex covering tens of thousands of mu across three courtyards. This was the National Academy—the cornerstone of the current court, where "righteous officials filled the halls," and the absolute core of the realm's scholarly lineage.

"Screech—!"

Accompanied by the long cry of a Golden-Eyed Eagle, a courtyard in the National Academy erupted in a clamor of voices. A shadow plunged from the sky directly into the yard.

It landed on an outstretched arm.

A heroic-looking young man caught the Golden-Eyed Eagle. He untied the message tube from its leg, pulled out the secret letter, and quickly skimmed its contents.

The next second, his expression changed drastically.

"Longxing... how is this possible!"

He furrowed his brows, his face shifting through several expressions before he abruptly turned and hurried into the inner courtyard, stopping before the door of a study.

Before he could speak, a voice rang out from inside. "Why are you standing outside? Come in."

The young man carefully pushed the door open. Inside the study, rice paper was spread flat across a desk, where an old man stood writing with a brush.

"An incident in Longxing County?"

The old man looked relaxed. His brush moved with the grace of dragons and snakes, smoothly finishing the two characters for 'Under Heaven' on the paper. As he wrote, he asked, "Did Bingzheng and Yiran make a mistake? Did that worldly disciple from Book Mountain return, or did the Imperial Tribute Hall send over someone of the Martial Dao Grandmaster Rank? It matters little; it is merely a missed move on the chessboard. His Majesty won this round, so do not take the loss to heart."

The young man whispered, "Teacher..."

"As for Bingzheng and Yiran."

The old man ignored him, continuing to speak. "Regardless, they botched the job this time. When they return, have them go to the Hanlin Academy to compile history. Let them settle down for a few years before coming back to benefit the common people..."

"Teacher!" the young man raised his voice.

At that, the old man finally noticed something was wrong. His brush paused halfway through the character 'Grand', lingering for a moment before continuing its stroke.

"What is it? Is there another complication?"

The young man lowered his head and said grimly, "Bingzheng and Yiran are both dead. Longxing County is completely fine. The black-headed commoners broke into the official granaries and robbed the autumn tax grain..."

Riiiip!

Before the young man could finish, the sound of tearing rice paper cut him off. The old man's face darkened as he slowly lowered his brush.

On that ruined sheet of rice paper, the four characters for 'Peace Under Heaven' had almost been finished, but a mistake ruined the final character for 'Peace'. The closing vertical stroke had been so forceful that it tore straight through the paper, shattering the once-perfect calligraphy and stripping away every trace of its scholarly elegance.

"A mob of lowly peasants daring to rob official grain—they don't know the meaning of death!"

The old man swept his sleeve, brushing the torn paper aside. He finally turned around and stared at the youth. "What happened? How did they die?"

"I don't know..."

The young man replied in panic, "The Tribute Hall locked down the information. We couldn't find out the exact details. We only know it might be related to the Gold-Bearing Brocade Guard sent by His Majesty."

"The Tribute Hall... This might not have been His Majesty's intention."

The old man furrowed his brows and finally sneered. "The current Emperor has cultivated the Dao for many years. Though he is obstinate and self-important by nature, he is absolutely no incompetent fool."

"If anything, it is precisely because he is too capable that his ambitions run so high, driving him to pursue immortality—which is why the whole realm is in rebellion today."

"Ever since that person took charge, the Tribute Hall has gradually slipped from His Majesty's grasp. If His Majesty had truly won in Longxing County and retrieved the Elixir of Immortality, he would surely be loudly proclaiming it to the world. Their tight lips now prove that the Tribute Hall must have acted on its own authority."

"His Majesty is likely flying into a furious rage right now."

At this point, the old man's brow relaxed, his expression returning to a state of calm. "From the looks of it, I am the one having the last laugh in this Longxing County gamble."

"At the very least, I obtained a pill of the Elixir of Immortality."

With that said, the old man reached out and picked up a pill bottle from the desk. He tipped out a crystal-clear pill, cradling it in his palm to study it closely.

"The methods of an extraordinary person are truly inconceivable."

The old man narrowed his eyes and sighed in admiration. "Just this single pill—who knows what secret recipe or miraculous herbs were used—can actually extend one's lifespan by ten years."

"Bingzheng was a filial disciple after all."

"Tell the noble clan behind him to rest easy and focus on nurturing their next generation of scholars. During next year's imperial examinations, I will naturally grant them an opportunity to serve the dynasty."

The young man hastily cupped his hands in acknowledgment.

Immediately after, the old man gulped, placed the pill of immortality into his mouth, and tossed his head back to swallow it whole, not daring to waste the slightest sliver.

"Consuming this immortal pill... is truly a wondrous thing."

The old man closed his eyes in enjoyment. After a short while, he felt completely weightless, as if he were ascending to become an immortal. His entire body surged with renewed vigor.

Had the immortal pill taken effect?

The old man opened his eyes, only to see the calligraphy brush he had just set on the desk lean forward and ask, "How is it? Are you really ten years younger?"

"Yes, yes..."

...Hm?

The next second, staring at the talking brush, the old man shuddered violently. His body, which had felt halfway to ascending, crashed heavily as he pitched headfirst onto the floor.

'Not good! It's poisoned!'

The Imperial Tribute Hall.

Unlike the National Academy, the Tribute Hall was situated deep inside the Imperial City. It likewise spanned tens of thousands of mu, and its scale and grandeur were in no way inferior to the National Academy—perhaps even surpassing it.

However, at this very moment, a travel-worn figure sprinted frantically in from outside the Imperial City. It was a handsome young man, rushing with such reckless momentum that if not for the Tribute Hall 'Youji' identity token hanging at his waist, he would have been instantly surrounded by the defending imperial guards.

"Great news! Great news!"

The moment he barged into the Tribute Hall, the young man roared at the top of his lungs, drawing numerous stares and questions. "Youji, are you crazy? Did you win money at the gambling den?"

"It's even crazier than that!"

The youth laughed heartily. "That old geezer Cheng from the National Academy was suddenly rushed to the Imperial Medical Academy this morning. He's still completely unconscious, and it looks like he's about to ride the crane west!"

"What?"

Before his voice faded, a crowd of people immediately surged forward inside the Tribute Hall, their faces practically glowing with excitement. "Really? Is that old bastard finally reaching the end of his lifespan?"

"Rumor has it he was poisoned!"

Youji said, his face lighting up with animated glee, "The National Academy is in total chaos right now. They're trying to figure out exactly who could have slipped such a deadly poison right into the National Academy."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"Karma!"

After announcing the news, Youji made his way to a small courtyard deep inside the Tribute Hall and yelled, "Big Brother Chenlong, I brought you a..."

The moment he stepped through the door, Youji froze.

"Uncle Shenhou?"

Before he even finished speaking, Shenhou turned around and snapped, "What uncle? Chenlong is older than me—you call him Big Brother, but you call me Uncle?"

"Looks like you're itching for a beating!"

At those words, Youji hastily took a step back and laughed apologetically. "Big Brother, Big Brother Shenhou! I didn't expect you to be back too. Was your mission a complete success?"

"Finished, yes... but I wouldn't call it a complete success."

Shenhou waved his hand and said, "I heard you yelling outside. That old dog Cheng Bochun got poisoned? Hmph... I actually have some idea about that."

With that, Shenhou turned to look behind him. There, leaning against the courtyard door, stood a majestic, middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothes. The most striking thing about him was the armored gauntlet on his right arm. Carved with dragon patterns, it looked like a sturdy shield, radiating an imposing, heroic aura.

"Chenlong, if my guess is right, the reason that old dog Cheng Bochun was suddenly poisoned and sent to the Imperial Medical Academy is also related to Longxing County."

"Another one."

The middle-aged man spoke softly. "Over this past half-month, first it was the massive chaos at the Renown Oversight Terrace, then the emergency summons into the palace. It has all been for the sake of the Longxing County affair."

"And now the National Academy is in chaos too."

"You should know, even His Majesty specially summoned me into the palace to question me, but I couldn't give him a single answer. Now that you're here, the timing is perfect. Tell me."

"Just what exactly happened in Longxing County?"

Hearing this, Shenhou shook his head. "Longxing County is no longer important. What's important is... Chenlong, I've brought back a peerless martial arts genius for you!"

At those words, Chenlong immediately smiled. "Wang Ping, right?"

Shenhou's mouth hung slightly open. "How did you know?"

"You were too focused on traveling these past two weeks, so you probably didn't have time to keep up with the changes to the Armament Manual. For the past half-month, this man has practically been the source of all the unrest."

Saying that, Chenlong pulled out a sheet of paper.

"The Armament Manual?"

Shenhou blinked and looked at the unfolded paper, only to see several strikingly familiar names written on it.

First on the Armament Manual: Scrap Iron Sword.

Number two: Sun-Chasing Demon-Subduing Blade. Number three: Hegemon Spear. Number four: Heaven-Suspended Righteous Qi Ruler. Number five: Common Lives Calamity.

...It looks completely normal so far.

Shenhou looked thoroughly confused as he continued reading downward.

Then, he froze.

[Stormed the county town, broke into the official granary, robbed the tax grain, gathered a mob of over ten thousand, and launched an armed rebellion. The greenwoods of Shuzhong all call him a "Great Hero" and have jointly elevated him as the Shuzhong Rebel King.]

Number six on the Armament Manual: Dragon Head Guillotine.

[Wang Ping]