The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 481 The Emperor (Part 10)

The setting sun was like blood, and the sky pressed heavily on the snow-capped peaks of Yinshan Mountain. The sound of the wind seemed to be isolated in the distance by some invisible force, sounding dull and remote.

Inside the cave, the snow dust had not yet settled, and a lingering chill filled the air.

Yuan Tiangang stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the cave, wearing a bamboo hat and an old robe, his bronze mask gleaming with a deep luster in the dim light. He simply stood there, emanating no imposing aura, yet he instantly suppressed all the turbulent energy within the cave.

Dokoho sat on his throne, raised his hand to retrieve his staff, and leaned it against his side. His eyes, through the blue silk wrapped around his eyes, held a hint of coldness and understanding as they fell on the figure at the doorway.

A profound silence descended, with only the distant howling wind echoing in the background.

Yuan Tiangang didn't look at her, as if he was sensing the chaotic energy that had arisen because of Xiao Yan. His gaze finally fell on the Balu stone wheel embedded in the huge tree trunk.

He slowly raised his left hand, palm facing the center of the altar, and pressed it lightly from a distance.

hum-

As if summoned by an invisible force, the dark purple light flowing within the seven Balu Stones suddenly became brighter and more docile, emitting strands of resonant light. That light even subtly echoed and flowed with Yuan Tiangang's aura, as if he were the true master of this place.

The light flashed, and the bells and banners on the altar swayed in response. A powerful pressure began to bind the entire altar, and even the sacred tree that covered the altar was affected by the pressure, causing its lush branches and leaves to fall and wither.

Dokoho's hand holding the staff trembled violently, as if he were enduring unspeakable pain.

“Yuan Tiangang, it’s been a hundred years,” she said, but she only let out a low chuckle. “Your attire makes you look more and more like a lonely ghost guarding a tomb.”

Her gaze, behind the blue robe, was fixed on the bronze mask.

"Three hundred years have passed. Li Shimin has long since turned into a skeleton in a tomb. His empire is in ruins, and has been in decline for many years after changing hands. What are you doing, you old dog, still guarding that dragon vein that has long been severed and dissipated? It could not protect the Li Tang dynasty for a long time."

Yuan Tiangang finally shifted his gaze from the Balu Stone, turning his bronze mask toward the divine throne without uttering a word. The only response he received was a beam of golden light crashing down from the top of the divine tree. The light struck Duokuohuo like a heavy hammer, causing him to groan and his staff to shatter the bluestone paving the altar.

Not only that, a Huayang needle inserted behind Dokoho's neck suddenly accelerated its rotation, and compared to before, the internal energy that Dokoho had been frantically drawn away through it increased exponentially.

However, the speed at which her internal energy dissipated could not keep up with the immense influx of the natural energy from the entire Yinshan Mountain range. This repeated cycle only caused her to endure excruciating pain, as if her meridians were being severed.

Having endured over a hundred years, Dokoho seemed to have long since become numb. Despite the overwhelming pressure, she stubbornly leaned on her staff, slowly rising inch by inch, and then gradually walked to the altar entrance.

"Back then, Li Shimin was old and frail, clinging to life and afraid of death, obsessed with immortality. You, the loyal Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty, set your sights on me, this extraordinary being who could communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and sense the five elements and six qi. What talk of being courteous and inviting me to court? You were just coveting my ability to communicate with heaven and earth, wanting to refine me into a furnace to prolong his life, weren't you? You, the rulers and ministers of the Tang Dynasty, are nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing, thieves disguised as benevolent and righteous."

But only her echo could be heard inside the cave; Yuan Tiangang simply stood there with his hands behind his back.

"How could I possibly surrender as you wish?"

Dokoho didn't care about his silence and chuckled: "I drew upon the power of the Yinshan earth veins to fight back with my life. You old thief, fearing that destroying this place would shake the dragon energy node of the northern border of the Li Tang, first used this needle to disperse my inexhaustible internal energy, and then joined forces with Li Chunfeng to set up this Balu Stone cage, locking my ability to communicate with heaven and earth here, intending to drain me dry and eliminate a great threat to the Li clan."

At this point, she laughed again: "What a pity, what a pity. Li Shimin is dead after all, but I... have benefited from misfortune and been trapped here, coexisting with the terrain of Yinshan, and thus gaining three hundred years of immortality. Yuan Tiangang, I'm afraid I have to thank you for this."

silence.

The silence lasted for several breaths, broken only by the panting laughter of Dokoho, which sounded either mocking or self-deprecating.

Finally, Yuan Tiangang spoke.

"Your Majesty's pursuit of immortality in your twilight years is indeed a selfish desire." He admitted it with utmost calmness, as if he were recounting an old matter unrelated to himself. "However, as a subject, I must do my utmost when my sovereign commands me. You possess extraordinary abilities, connecting the five elements of heaven and earth, truly an anomaly in this world. If this power is used righteously, it will benefit all living beings and harmonize yin and yang; if used wickedly, it will bring chaos to the world and disturb people's hearts."

He stepped into the cave with his hands behind his back. As he approached, an invisible pressure seemed to increase layer by layer. Duo Kuo Huo's hand holding the staff suddenly tightened, and the veins bulged. However, she only narrowed her eyes slightly, straightened her back, and stood firmly in front of the stone door without yielding an inch.

"The dragon vein is not some ethereal, illusory fortune. It is the pivot of the mountains and rivers, the foundation upon which all people live and thrive. If the northern frontier is unstable and the Yinshan Mountains' veins are unbalanced, then the gates to the Central Plains will be wide open, and the barbarian cavalry from beyond the Great Wall can sweep in like water bursting its banks. At that time, fertile lands will be barren, production will be hindered, the people will suffer, and there will be no sound of roosters crowing for thousands of miles. When Your Majesty personally led the expedition against the Xueyantuo and established your capital in the Yinshan Mountains, it was not only to expand the territory, but also to lock down this pivot of the veins, build a barrier for the northern frontier, and ensure a hundred years of peace in the heart of the Central Plains."

Yuan Tiangang's gaze fell on Duo Kuohuo, his voice still calm, yet carrying an air of condescending indifference.

"Do you think that coming to Yinshan is a blessing in disguise, a way to gain immortality? His Majesty treats the Chinese and the barbarians equally. He gave you several opportunities in the past, hoping you would submit and use your saintly abilities to assist the king's way. However, you considered yourself a goddess, unruly and defiant, refusing to be taught, and regarding the common people as straw dogs. His Majesty ordered me to guide your power here, so that your ability to communicate with heaven and earth could suppress the violent energy of Yinshan's veins and solidify the foundation of this northern gateway. This is not theft, but the work of nature, making the most of everything. With your extraordinary abilities, we can protect the common people, appease the tribes of the grasslands, safeguard the stability of the country, and protect the people from the calamities of war."

Upon hearing this, Duo Kuo Huo seemed to have been struck on a sore spot, slamming his staff down: "You used clever words and flattery to imprison me, dissipate my power, and extract my marrow, and you call it a savior? Yuan Tiangang, you..."

"Shut up! You wretched creature, how dare you utter a word?"

Yuan Tiangang's voice suddenly turned cold, and such a cold shout caused Duo Kuohuo's blood to surge, and he staggered back a step.

"You have repeatedly stirred up trouble, yet His Majesty, mindful of the grasslands, has not vented his anger on the innocent for your misdeeds. Ashina Duer, Qibi Heli, and Zhishi Sili are still entrusted with important responsibilities by His Majesty, participating in court affairs and commanding troops in battle. When the grasslands suffer famine, the court opens its granaries to provide relief, saving countless lives. But you—"

Yuan Tiangang scoffed.

"You wretched creature, consumed by thoughts of revenge and venting your anger, sealed here for decades yet still unrepentant. With your remaining strength, you instigated several rebellions among the tribes of the grasslands, reigniting the flames of war; you even colluded with the likes of Zhang Wulang, intending to destabilize the Central Plains. Do you know that because of your selfish desires, the Feather Spirit Tribe was wiped out, the eight tribes fought amongst themselves, rivers of blood flowed in the south and north of the desert, and the wilderness was filled with withered bones, a thousand miles of silence?! Your Majesty imprisoned you here out of benevolence and a desire to bring peace to the grasslands, but instead of being grateful, you used evil power as a weapon, choosing your own path to destruction. With such heinous crimes, what face do you have to bark and howl here, calling yourself a saint?!"

Dokoho trembled all over, her lips quivering, clearly furious. But then, as if she had grasped something, she suddenly burst into laughter.

"However, Yuan Tiangang, why are you here? That Li Tang prince was your ruler of the Central Plains, why didn't you dare to go forward and acknowledge him? Such a true dragon, shouldn't you, the loyal national advisor of Li Tang, have already gone up and bowed down to him? What, is it as I know, that the Li Tang descendant you are supporting, is he this one?"

She didn't give Yuan Tiangang a chance to speak, letting out a series of hoarse laughs, with a hint of vengeful pleasure:

"Yuan Tiangang, I never thought you'd end up like this, that you'd miscalculate. Don't you feel ashamed to show yourself here? Or perhaps, seeing this ruler of the Central Plains devour the northern deserts, his military might unchallenged, the entire northern frontier under his control, are you regretting it? Come, tell me, how does it feel to watch your chosen successor be crushed by another powerful variable, to watch your domineering ways be torn apart by an even more ruthless force?"

This time, Yuan Tiangang remained silent for a longer time than before. Yu Duokuohuo realized that his sarcastic remark, which seemed to see right through the man's defenses, had clearly struck a nerve.

Yuan Tiangang only moved slightly when Duo Kuohuo's laughter subsided. His hands, which were behind his back, rubbed together almost imperceptibly.

A movement so subtle as to be almost imperceptible.

"regret…"

He repeated the word in a calm tone, as if he were savoring its meaning.

"Dokoho, it seems three hundred years of imprisonment have only made you see the gains and losses before your eyes and the imagined misery." His voice was devoid of emotion. "Even if I regret it, even if I lose, what does it have to do with you?"

"Who sits on the dragon throne is still a descendant of the Li Tang dynasty, all descendants of Emperor Taizong. Although His Majesty has departed on his dragon throne, his achievements in establishing the dynasty and bringing peace to the world, as well as his grand ambition to ensure lasting peace and stability for the people, continue. So, whether this world belongs to the Li family or something else, it may no longer matter to me."

Dokoho suddenly froze, and Lan Bohou's eyes seemed to widen.

"Whether it's tyranny or the way of heaven, it's all just means. If he can truly end this chaotic cycle of thousands of years and create a new chapter for all ages, as he claims, then I, the commander, will be happy to see it happen. If he can truly achieve this in his own way..." He raised his voice slightly, with an indescribable sense of satisfaction, "Even if it means I have to admit defeat, what does it matter?"

"Admit defeat? How could you admit defeat?!" Dokoho seemed choked by this answer, momentarily bewildered by absurdity. "You are Yuan Tiangang, you are the Bad Commander..."

"I, Yuan Tiangang, have lived only for the sake of the Tang Dynasty and for His Majesty's continuation of the dynasty. What do personal honor, disgrace, gain, loss, success, failure, or eternal infamy matter to me? This continuation, no matter the cost, no matter who needs to be sacrificed, including myself, I will not shirk my duty."

"Yuan Tiangang, you're deceiving yourself!"

"Whether I'm deceiving myself or fooling you, you wretched child, it doesn't matter."

Yuan Tiangang's tone remained emotionless until this point, when a rare smile appeared in his voice.

"This grand undertaking, this turbulent transition between the old and the new, is all irrelevant to you. For three hundred years, you have remained unrepentant on this Yin Mountain. The Feather Spirit Tribe was destroyed because of you, and both races suffered bloodshed because of your instigation. I had no intention of caring about these things, but your mistake was that you set your sights on the wrong people."

"Whoever ultimately restores order to this world, what was once my business, is now theirs. And you? A mere pawn, you don't even have the right to comment on this game, so why are you jumping around and causing trouble?"

Dokoho's lips trembled again. She stared intently at Yuan Tiangang, as if she wanted to devour him alive.

"What a fine 'can advance or retreat' maneuver! Yuan Tiangang, you truly are a loyal dog tamed by Li Shimin, a pathetic wretch wallowing in the dreams of three hundred years ago. Since that's the case..."

She slammed her staff heavily on the ground, sending pebbles flying.

"You'd better live forever and beg your new master to spare your worthless life. Otherwise, once I escape... I will slaughter the entire Li family lineage and wipe them out from the world!" After saying this, Duokuohuo directly mobilized the power of the entire Yinshan Mountain to slightly suppress the Huayang Needle that was frantically dispersing her internal energy behind her neck. At the same time, he bit his tongue and formed a shamanic incantation in front of his chest with his hands at a speed that exceeded the limits of human capabilities.

Then, a visible gray-blue chill, mixed with the blood essence spurting from her tongue, instantly ignored the surrounding space and rushed straight towards Yuan Tiangang.

However, facing this fierce attack imbued with voodoo, cold energy, and shamanic magic, Yuan Tiangang didn't even lower his hands, which were behind his back.

"Stubborn."

The mere four words caused the sacred tree shrouding the altar to tremble violently, and golden rays crashed down one after another.

The shamanic chill that shot towards Yuan Tiangang, at a distance of half a zhang, seemed to have struck an invisible, intangible yet supremely yang and powerful wall of energy. It emitted a chilling hissing sound, and without even causing a ripple, it vanished without a trace.

But the golden light pouring down from the top of the divine tree felt like a thousand-pound hammer had struck Duo Kuohuo's chest, causing her to cough up a mouthful of foul blood. She staggered back a step, bracing herself with her staff to withstand the blow for a few breaths, before finally collapsing back onto the divine throne. Immediately, she formed hand seals in front of her, frantically channeling her inner energy, which had been dispersed by the Hua Yang Needles but gathered here due to the terrain, back to the divine throne. Clearly, she was no longer trying to confront Yuan Tiangang head-on.

Due to numerous restrictions, it is true that she was no match for Yuan Tiangang, but it is also true that the latter could not kill her; this has always been the case for three hundred years.

But immediately, Dokoho suddenly opened his eyes.

Then Yuan Tiangang slowly raised his right hand outside the altar, but this time, his action was not to reinforce the seal, but to make a strange "guiding" gesture with his five fingers spread wide towards the seven remaining Balu stone discs embedded in the huge tree trunk.

hum...

The seven Balu Stones simultaneously emitted a low hum, and their flowing dark purple light suddenly became brighter but unstable. As if forcibly pried open by an overwhelming external force, the earth vein energy of the entire Yin Mountain instantly showed a slight disordered fluctuation.

Duo Kuo Huo struggled to raise his head, exclaiming in horror, "What...what are you doing?! Without Li Chunfeng, how could you possibly activate the Ba Lu Stone?! Forcing it will cause a backlash from the earth's veins, which you can't withstand!"

Yuan Tiangang ignored Duo Kuohuo's horrified screams. His right hand, which was forming a hand seal, trembled slightly, but it was as if invisible threads were connecting his five fingers to the seven strange stones. With an extremely slow yet irresistible twist of his wrist...

Click...click...click...

A chilling sound of rocks scraping together rang out.

Seven Balu stones, deeply embedded in the tree trunk and almost integrated with the Yinshan earth veins, were slowly pulled out inch by inch from the divine tree wheel that had existed for thousands of years, thanks to Yuan Tiangang's remote manipulation.

The dark purple Balu Stone, having been deprived of the earth's nourishing energy, instantly became dull and lifeless, but a wild and agitated aura naturally arose within it.

The moment the first Balu Stone detached from the tree trunk, an incomparably violent backlash, like an invisible thunderbolt, slammed into Yuan Tiangang's arm along the invisible "threads" that guided the Balu Stone. His left hand, which was behind his back, trembled almost imperceptibly, and the muscles in his arm instantly tensed beneath his blue robe.

His breath seemed to freeze for a moment behind the bronze mask. Forcibly prying open the core of this thing that had suppressed Duokuohuo for three hundred years was no easy task; even he had to withstand the backlash of this great power of heaven and earth.

However, without the Nine Netherworld Profound Heaven Divine Art, this was the first time in a hundred years that the Balu Stone had been forcibly removed by a human.

Dokoho suddenly stood up.

Immediately, the second and third stones were pulled out at an extremely fast speed. The entire divine tree trembled violently, and all the copper bells, wind banners, and talismans on the altar began to break off one by one, and then large swaths of them spontaneously combusted.

The moment the last Balu Stone was completely freed from the tree trunk's restraints.

The entire cave began to shake violently, as if an earth dragon had overturned. The massive rock beams emitted a chilling groan, and rocks of all sizes rained down from the dome. The snow piled up on the mountaintop was stirred up by this roar from the depths of the earth and poured down towards the foot of Yinshan Mountain.

Dokoho was so shocked by the sudden and violent impact that she spat out another mouthful of blood. But a sense of liberation, as if all restraints had been lifted, and a feeling of ease she had never experienced in three hundred years suddenly rushed over her. She could feel the boundless spiritual energy of heaven and earth surging towards her, and the speed at which the Huayang Needle, which had bound her for three hundred years, was dissipating its energy was also being slowed down, and she was gradually able to control it.

This is freedom.

"Hahaha... Yuan Tiangang, you've gone mad! You..."

Dokoho was overjoyed, but then she seemed to understand something. Her face changed drastically, and she took a step back. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth that she had absorbed was now under her control and was flowing back into her, causing her inner strength to surge.

Outside the altar, Yuan Tiangang ignored the crumbling cave dwelling and forcefully suppressed the surging blood and qi within his body caused by forcibly pulling out the stone, as well as the backlash from the earth veins that surged through his meridians.

"Since you are so attached to the Central Plains and insist on getting involved in the struggle for supremacy once again..."

With a sudden flick of his right hand, six of the seven demon stones—which he had forcibly pulled out and activated with his supreme power, still radiating a frenzied purple light—shot like tamed meteors, instantly embedding themselves in the rock walls of specific locations around the cave. The remaining stone, however, was instantly grasped in his palm.

not good!

Dokoho was shocked. The greatest power of the Balu Stone was that it could unleash the holder's greatest potential without limit. How could a person's power increase by only a few times?

What's more, the person in front of me is Yuan Tiangang!

She bit her tongue, not daring to get entangled with Yuan Tiangang. She was about to rush away, but Yuan Tiangang's figure had already disappeared from the spot a few feet away.

Half a breath later, or even less than half a breath later, before the shamanic spell had been cast in front of the throne, a corner of the old blue robe brushed against the countless wind banners on the ground, stirring up a wisp of breeze.

Dokoho's expression froze on his face.

"I grant your permission to be eliminated."

In a flash, she saw seven silver needles, their surfaces gleaming with a warm, flowing light, suddenly appear between Yuan Tiangang's outstretched fingers.

"Huayang Needle?! Yuan Tiangang, I..."

Seven points of silver light, faster than lightning, instantly pierced through seven vital points on Duo Kuo Huo's body.

Duokuohuo, who had been severely injured and had not yet recovered, failed to withstand a single attack. His body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes under the blue robe widened to their maximum.

The Huayang needles, once inserted into his body, were like opening seven invisible floodgates. The internal energy within Duokuohuo's body, which had been cultivated for hundreds of years and imprisoned for three hundred years, becoming complex yet still immense, poured out wildly from the seven vital acupoints like a flood bursting its banks.

Before it was over, a fist suddenly grew larger and larger, slamming into her face. As she flew backward, another fist followed, and yet another. An endless barrage of fist shadows rained down on Duo Kuo Huo's face, interrupting her attempts to recover her energy. She was then forcefully slammed into the pit beneath the divine throne.

"Ho...ho..."

Dokoho made a hoarse, bellows-like sound from his throat, and his body slumped down at a visible speed, his long, gray hair instantly drying out and turning ashen.

In the blink of an eye, freed from the seal of the Ba Lin Stone, she transformed into a withered old woman, on the verge of death. She lay supine in the pit, her eyes vacant, only weak breaths remaining. Her astonishing power, along with the vital essence that sustained her existence, dissipated in an instant.

Yuan Tiangang quietly watched as Duo Kuohuo, who had aged instantly and whose life force was gradually dying off, lay in the pit. He then released the Balu Stone and turned to leave.

The moment he turned around, his fingertips began to tremble. Forcibly pulling out the stone, activating the raging earth veins, and then holding the Ba Lu Stone—the triple pressure caused even his unfathomable skill to feel waves of burning pain and emptiness deep within his meridians.

"town."

But Yuan Tiangang forced himself to gather his true energy, suppressing the churning blood and the stinging pain in his meridians. He raised his right hand again and gestured towards the six Balu stones embedded in the rock wall, which had temporarily stabilized the earth's veins.

This time, his movements were noticeably slower than before.

With the seven Balu Stones in his sleeve, the entire cave could no longer be supported. Rocks slid down, the divine tree tilted, and it was on the verge of collapse.

Yuan Tiangang's body swayed almost imperceptibly, and he forcibly swallowed the extremely heavy smell of blood, which did not escape from outside the mask for the time being.

He took two steps forward, stopping at the edge of the altar, his gaze sweeping over the cave dwelling he had only visited three or four times in the past three hundred years. Behind him, in the crater of the divine throne, Dokoho's chest rose and fell slightly, proving she was still alive, but her eyes, which were now almost completely sunken in, were now a lifeless void.

"To forcibly reverse the course of history, destroy the old world, and create a new one... This path is fraught with peril, so similar to Your Majesty's attempt to establish an eternal dynasty through supreme tyranny. Yet, your will is as firm as a rock, and your decisiveness surpasses even that of Emperor Taizong. Perhaps you truly can surpass your master..."

Yuan Tiangang's thoughts were deep, then he let out a long laugh, and without lingering, he walked away.

Just then, a stone shard flew through the air, piercing the sky. Duo Kuo Huo, who had barely climbed out of the pit, struggled to look up and glanced at the last glimmer of sky that had been abruptly cut off by the collapsed cave. He then felt a chill on his neck, his gaze rolled forward, and fell into dead silence.

(End of this chapter)