Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 76 Prevention is Better Than Cure (Please Subscribe)
As the weather grew colder at the end of October, nothing could stop this grand festival.

On the streets of Luoyang, the capital city.

A crowd of curious onlookers surged forward, blocking both sides of the street to watch the imperial carriage.

Empress Wu Zetian, dressed in magnificent sacrificial robes, sat on the imperial carriage. Imperial heirs, princes, civil and military officials, and people from the four barbarian tribes who had fled to the capital, each dressed as a leader, followed the imperial carriage like stars surrounding the moon. The procession stretched for miles, with the sounds of horses' hooves, wheels, and footsteps intertwined.

When the imperial carriage arrived at the Gaocheng Altar on the banks of the Luo River, music resounded like a great bell.

That was a sacrificial melody carefully arranged by the court musicians. The melody was solemn and dignified. The dancers, dressed in colorful feathered robes, began to dance to welcome the gods. Their movements were light and graceful.

Empress Wu Zetian stepped down from her imperial carriage and led her entourage in kneeling and kowtowing three times and nine times, praying to the god of the Luo River for the stability of the Wu Zhou dynasty and peace throughout the land.

After welcoming the gods, jade and silk were offered. The officials of the Spring Palace carefully carried the finest jade and silk, and with orderly steps, respectfully placed the offerings on the offering table.

Then, the slaughtered cattle, sheep, pigs, and other sacrificial offerings were carried onto the altar. The stench of blood filled the cold air, and amidst the solemn music and dance, they seemed to be the supreme offerings to the gods.

The festival proceeded smoothly.

Li Lingyue, dressed in a formal gown and looking stunning among the princes below the stage, followed the others in bowing while nervously watching her surroundings, especially Wu Chengsi's movements. Next came the core part of the ceremony, the "Three Offerings," where the main offering, the second offering, and the final offering would each take the stage to worship Heaven.

If something really goes wrong, this is the part where things are most likely to go wrong.

She strongly suspected that those twenty-four people were targeting Fourth Brother!
With the old men she sent protecting the Eastern Palace, the opportunity for assassination disappeared. Therefore, Wu Chengsi chose to hire someone to kill him when he was out. At that time, the Fourth Brother would be alone on the stage. He was physically weak and had no weapons to protect him during the sacrificial ceremony...

There is indeed a chance.

But doing this...

Li Lingyue frowned slightly. Everyone in the court and the public knew how much her mother valued this grand ceremony.

Even if she didn't care about her fourth brother's life or death, she wouldn't allow anyone to ruin things at the ceremony. Was Wu Chengsi really that unwise? What trump cards did he have that he could guarantee wouldn't get burned?
Hopefully, Shenyuan can detect it in advance and prevent it from happening in the first place...

If we can get through this safely, then so be it...

Li Lingyue bit her lower lip lightly, her cheeks slightly flushed...

Wu Chengsi remained calm throughout, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the three offerings.

Wu Zetian was the first to ascend the altar for the initial offering. Holding a wine cup in her hands, she slowly raised it above her head. The wine shimmered with golden light in the sunlight, as if it were a gift from the gods.

Her expression was solemn and dignified. Then, gazing at the altar of the God of the Luo River, she exhaled and spoke: "God of the Luo River, your spirit is vast and valiant. Today, we, the Wu clan, respectfully offer this cup. Since I entered politics, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to the cause. Internally, we have cultivated civil administration, ensuring the laws are clear and bright. We have managed criminal cases to protect the innocent, promoted the imperial examinations to attract virtuous and talented individuals, and filled the court with brilliant minds. Externally, we have quelled border troubles, our military might has spread far and wide, we have secured our borders to maintain peace, and promoted trade to foster prosperity. Within the four seas, all nations come to pay homage..."

She read it without any embarrassment.

The assembled officials remained silent. Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, and others agreed wholeheartedly, while some others flashed deep disdain in their eyes.

at the same time.

On the banks of the Luo River, about a mile from the festival, on the tallest building.

Lu Chenyuan, the Empress, Yuan Qingshuang, Ying Wuqiu, Xie Tingyun, and others were all present, as was Shangguan Wan'er, the deputy commander of the Kite Guard. However, this time, because of the Empress, she also had to obey the Kite Chief's orders and follow Lu Chenyuan's arrangements.

suddenly.

The goddess's gaze flashed like lightning as she pointed southeast: "It has appeared. The [Mysterious Iron Coiled Dragon Staff], in the direction of 9 AM!"

Lu Chenyuan immediately said, "'Mad Tiger' Lei Wanjun. Ying Wuqiu, Southeast!"

"Yes!"

Ying Wuqiu drew his sword and charged out.

"Mad Tiger" Lei Wanjun went mad while practicing the "Mad Demon Staff Technique," and Ying Wuqiu's sword moves happen to include "Three Journeys to Hell," which is most likely to ignite a person's ferocity. It is a perfect match for Ying Wuqiu to deal with Lei Wanjun!
The goddess turned her head again: "The direction of Yin hour is [the calamity of a beautiful woman]."

Lu Chenyuan followed up: "Poisonous woman Wen Ruyan. Fu Cong, northeast of east!"

"Yes."

Another middle-aged man with the Thousand Feathers strode out, holding a long spear in his hand.

He cultivates the Qingliang Temple's ultimate technique, the "Liuli Benyuan Sutra." Upon mastering it, his body becomes like lapis lazuli, pure and flawless, allowing him to remain unaffected by poison for a short period. Meanwhile, the poisonous woman Wen Ruyan is skilled with a soft whip, while Fu Cong is a master of spears and staffs, having mastered the "Mahavairocana Tathagata Staff," which is the nemesis of whip techniques!

The goddess spoke faster and faster: "At dawn, [the Sword of Light]; at noon, [the Lone Smoke of the Desert]..."

Lu Chenyuan followed closely: "'Shadow Assassin' Ye Wuzong, Yan Jiuge went to the southeast! 'Soul-Severing Blade' He Liancheng returned to Chujiang, due south!"

Two more figures flew out.

"Northwest, [Soul-Destroying Bell]; North, [Blood River Chariot]; Southwest, [Heart-Eating Needle]..."

"Leng Qingfeng! Han Zhen! Shen Canghai!"

Before he finished speaking, three more figures appeared.

The killing intent suddenly arose from all sides, but it was precisely intercepted before it could even get within a hundred feet of the altar.

Each pair of fighting figures was like a meticulously arranged chess game—their martial arts techniques countered each other, their weapons restrained each other, and yet no one could stir up the slightest ripple!
As time went on, Lu Chenyuan and the Empress became more and more in sync, and their words became shorter and shorter.

Lu Chenyuan was initially worried that she might make mistakes while simultaneously observing the artifacts, people, and directions, and that if she failed to intercept them, they might rush into the ceremony, which would be disastrous. However, he underestimated the Queen. In the end, she skipped the twelve-directional compass that Lu Chenyuan had taught her and accurately reported her positions, such as northeast by east and southwest by south, without the slightest error.

Yuan Qingshuang and Xie Tingyun were already used to Lu Chenyuan's actions. Although they found his troop deployment quite pleasing to the eye, they also knew that this was how he always did things – confident, calm, and composed – so it was not surprising.

"Southeast of southeast, [Fire Arrow]." The Queen's voice was as concise as a knife.

“Xiao Jin.” Lu Chenyuan uttered only two words.

This was the first time Shangguan Wan'er had witnessed it in person.

Seeing his commands swift and precise, cutting through the chaos without even needing to turn back to confirm the outcome, as if the fates of those masters had been calculated a thousand times in his mind, one couldn't help but marvel at his skill.

No wonder the princess...

Shangguan Wan'er blinked, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

Her gaze shifted to the Queen.

The twenty-four people dispersed and approached, presumably to guard against the Divine Queen's [Guicang Treasure Eyes]—her combat power was greatly reduced without weapons, and if she brought them, she had to consider these eyes. Ambush in advance was useless, and a coordinated attack would only result in being wiped out. The only way to deceive the Guicang Treasure Eyes was to launch a surprise attack from different directions, using the opportunity to confuse her, and then break through the encirclement as quickly as possible while she was disoriented, to carry out an assassination or other scheme.

As long as the Kite Guard's defenses are breached, even without success, the princess will be accused of failing in defense and disrupting the national sacrifice.

The major affairs of the country are only sacrifice and military affairs.

If this matter is not handled properly, the power that the princess has worked so hard to obtain will have to be given up.

But those people clearly didn't expect that Lu Chenyuan and the Divine Empress would join forces, with one deploying troops and the other accurately identifying targets, leaving them no chance to get close at all.

Looking at Lu Chenyuan's composed back, Shangguan Wan'er felt somewhat relieved.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple..."

As Lu Chenyuan arranged his troops, he was also thinking rapidly in his mind.

It is now known that the twenty-four men were all desperate criminals hired by Qu Baichuan's junior brother, Wu Huagu, to fight to the death. Regardless of whether they succeed or not, as long as they are captured, Wu Chengsi will be implicated in a crime he cannot clear his name from. Although Wu Huagu is dead and there is no way to verify the facts, Wu Zetian is not a fool, and this trick will not fool her. That is one point. Secondly, the hypothesis of assassinating Li Dan in public is also invalid. It is too obvious. It would not only ruin the ceremony and anger Wu Zetian, but also completely expose Wu Chengsi's true nature to the public.

But think about it the other way around.

What if Wu Chengsi hadn't hired someone to assassinate Li Dan?
Lu Chenyuan felt that he had vaguely grasped the key.

Wu Chengsi's purpose was neither to disrupt the sacrificial ceremony and undermine the mandate of heaven for the Wu Zhou dynasty, nor to kill Li Dan, nor to kill Wu Zetian. So what other possibility could allow him to reap the benefits?
An answer instantly popped into my mind.

—Assassinate himself!
Lu Chenyuan narrowed his eyes slightly. This was exactly in line with the slogan of the Netherworld Palace: "Exterminate the traitorous Wu, save the people from suffering, and restore the divine artifacts of the Tang Dynasty!"

This is also the most likely.

In this way, it wouldn't be that Heaven didn't bless Wu Zhou, but rather that there was internal strife within the royal family, so it wouldn't matter if there were problems with the sacrificial rites.

This is a man-made disaster, not a natural one!

Furthermore, they could also frame Li Dan, claiming that the Underworld Palace intended to restore the imperial power of the Tang Dynasty, and that Li Dan was the heir to the throne!

Li Dan also had ample reason to take action against Wu Chengsi. Even if he didn't dare, those who were determined to restore the Tang Dynasty would help him eliminate this contender for the throne! If things really developed to that point, Wu Zetian would suspect that there was collusion from within and without, and would also put Li Lingyue, who was in charge of the garrison, on the suspect list!
She has already killed so many people for the throne, including her two sons, so she certainly wouldn't care about adding another son and daughter.

If you're even suspected, you'll be relegated to obscurity even if you don't die!
By then, Wu Zetian would undoubtedly trust the Wu family even more, achieving three goals at once!
But there are still problems here.

In this way, Lin Hanyi's testimony is indeed hard to believe—she was too close to Li Lingyue, and the accusation of Wu Huagu could be a frame-up. However, Wu Chengsi still had to ensure that these twenty-four people would not implicate Wu Huagu or him, and that they would act like true members of the Netherworld Palace, willing to seek their own deaths in order to "punish the traitor Wu."

This last point is especially difficult to achieve.

Even if these people are desperate for money, they wouldn't risk their lives...

unless……

Controlled by others, unable to control one's own destiny...

Various images flashed through Lu Chenyuan's mind.

The final image is set in that eerie Golden Goblet Building, in that bizarre private room!
Wu Huagu spent the whole day covering the room, but he managed to cover the entire Tingtao Pavilion with thick gauze curtains in less than a quarter of an hour, making it difficult to see the interior. Was he hiding the twenty-four people, or was he hiding the decorated Tingtao Pavilion?

not good!

Lu Chenyuan frowned deeply: "Order everyone to show no mercy. Once captured, silence them! If they can't be silenced, kill them on the spot! In short, do not let them talk!"

Yuan Qingshuang immediately raised her communication ring.

Shangguan Wan'er said, "To kill them outright might be difficult to explain to His Majesty..."

Lu Chenyuan said, "We can't worry about that now! At the same time, we must be careful that they don't self-destruct!"

Shangguan Wan'er was startled: "You mean..."

Lu Chenyuan's expression turned grave: "They may have already become puppets..."

(End of this chapter)