Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

Upon hearing this, Su Qingshan's smile vanished, and his eyes grew cold: "Whose orders you follow is unimportant. The sins of the father must be visited upon the son; the hatred of a destroyed nation cannot be easily dismissed with a mere 'following orders.' You think my divine judgment will take you in? Don't even think about it! You are over 180 years old. Even if you were a Grandmaster, now severely injured and on the verge of death, how much strength do you have left? The rare spiritual medicines needed to heal you would probably be enough to train another new Grandmaster—a losing proposition!"

His words were resolute, but his mind was racing. Recruiting a severely injured Grandmaster, if he could secure their complete loyalty, would be invaluable to the "Divine Judgment." However, the risks were equally immense—a seasoned powerhouse like Situ Jing was cunning and ruthless; once he recovered, he might not be content to remain subservient, and could even turn against him!

We must never allow a tiger to become a threat!

Situ Jing gripped his silver spear tightly, the tip trembling slightly—a mixture of exhaustion from his severe injuries and surging rage. Forcing up his remaining strength, he hissed, "Must we settle this with a fight to the death? Though you've only recently entered the Grandmaster realm and your foundation is unstable, even in my severely wounded state, taking you down with me wouldn't be difficult! Why not compromise?"

"Who lives and who dies, we'll know once we try." Su Qingshan said no more, and drew his long sword from his back. The sword was long and narrow, with dark red patterns that seemed to seep into the bone like blood.

His previous conversation with Situ Jing, seemingly a reminiscing about the past and settling scores, was actually a way for him to observe the other's aura, injuries, and spiritual fluctuations. He now concluded that this veteran grandmaster was indeed at his last gasp, his very essence severely damaged, and at most only possessed two or three tenths of his former strength. Killing him, though risky, offered a greater chance of success!

"Good! Good! Good!" Situ Jing exclaimed three times, seemingly frantic, but his heart was ice-cold. He knew that he was probably doomed today.

"Take this!" he roared, striking first! The silver spear transformed into a streak of light, aimed straight for Su Qingshan's throat—this was a desperate strike, gathering his last bit of energy and spirit!

Su Qingshan did not take the blow head-on. Instead, he moved to the side like a ghost, and his long sword drew a strange arc. Instead of slashing at the spear, he slashed diagonally at Situ Jing's right wrist holding the spear!

Ding!

The sword clashed against the wrist guard, sparks flying. Situ Jing felt a subtle and cunning force penetrate his wrist, instantly numbing and sore his entire right arm, almost causing him to drop his spear. He staggered backward, his chest and abdominal wounds reopening, blood gushing out.

Su Qingshan pressed his advantage relentlessly, his sword flashing like a leech, relentless and persistent. His swordsmanship followed a ruthless and unpredictable path, targeting Situ Jing's wounds and vital energy points. He would strike just when Situ Jing's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, forcing Situ Jing into a sorry state.

After only a dozen or so moves, Situ Jing was drenched in sweat, his breathing was disordered, and his legs felt unsteady. He gritted his teeth and persevered, seizing an opening and sweeping his silver spear wildly, attempting to force Su Qingshan back.

Su Qingshan seemed to have anticipated this, and instead of retreating, he advanced, his longsword piercing the gap between the spear shadows with unparalleled precision. With a "thud," it deeply sank into Situ Jing's left shoulder!

"Ugh—!" Situ Jing roared in pain, his left arm hanging limply.

Su Qingshan drew his sword and retreated swiftly, avoiding the splattered blood and potential counterattack from his opponent.

Situ Jing knelt on one knee, using his spear as a support to barely keep from falling. He suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a fierce light—he was going to fight!

A phantom crimson figure burst forth from the Baihui acupoint on the top of his head, its face blurred yet filled with venomous hatred, rushing straight for Su Qingshan's face! This was Situ Jing's final killing move—burning his remaining primordial spirit to either seize another's body or perish together with him!

Su Qingshan was prepared! The instant Situ Jing's spirit left his body, he swiftly retreated several feet, simultaneously raising his longsword and tracing its blade with his left hand. The sword hummed, the dark red patterns on its blade suddenly lit up, and an incomparably sharp aura, capable of slaying the very soul, spread out!

"The Soul-Slaying Blade!"

Su Qingshan gave a low shout and swung his sword in a feint. An invisible blade of light, barely perceptible to the naked eye yet capable of making one's soul tremble, shot out from the sword to meet the oncoming crimson primordial spirit!

laugh--!

Like a hot knife slicing through grease, the crimson primordial spirit was cleaved in two by an invisible blade of light! A shrill, silent scream exploded on the spiritual level, and the split primordial spirit phantom twisted and dissipated violently, turning into specks of crimson light that vanished into the world.

Situ Jing bled from all seven orifices, his eyes quickly dimmed, and he fell backward, lifeless.

A once-powerful grandmaster, who commanded respect throughout the northern frontier, perished in the desolate wilderness.

Su Qingshan sheathed his sword, his face slightly pale—using the "Soul-Slaying Blade" had greatly depleted his soul. He stared at Situ Jing's corpse for a moment, then suddenly looked up at the sky and murmured, "Father, Mother, today... your child has finally slain a great enemy for you."

His enemies extend far beyond Situ Jing. The former emperor of the Xiao family, who ordered the annihilation of Xichuan, had long since abdicated and passed away, and he was unable to personally avenge him. But the sins of the father must be visited upon the son; national and personal vendettas were at stake. He would make the entire Xiao royal family pay the price for the destruction of the Xichuan royal family!

Awooo—!

Wolf howls came from afar, seemingly drawn by the scent of blood.

"Let's go." Su Qingshan composed himself and gestured to his companion. He stepped forward, took down Situ Jing's extraordinary silver spear, and stripped him of all the clothes on his body that might contain treasures or tokens before turning and leaving.

They had barely left when several wolves with gleaming green eyes leaped out of the bushes and pounced on Situ Jingshangwen's corpse...

Half a day later, in the imperial city of Daqian, inside the "Guiyunlou" inn, a secluded but elegantly decorated establishment.

Su Qingshan sat by the window in the main room, slowly sipping his tea. The innkeeper—a middle-aged man with an ordinary face but shrewd eyes—bowed and stood in the room, whispering, "Sir, a secret message has just come back from the north. The barbarians have declared that they will launch another large-scale southward invasion after the festival of sacrifices to the gods, and they hope that my 'Divine Judgment' will cooperate to restrain the internal forces of the Great Qian."

"Understood." Su Qingshan put down his teacup. "Is there any definite news from the palace?"

"Yes." The shopkeeper nodded, his voice calm yet clear. "The battle within the palace has ended. The Xiao royal family has won a great victory. Situ Lie and Situ Sheng were executed on the spot, and Duanmu Ping, the Grandmaster of the Duanmu family invited by the Situ family, was also killed in the palace. Situ Jing was seriously injured and fled; his whereabouts are unknown."

"Anything else?" Su Qingshan tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

"There is one more thing... which has not been fully confirmed yet." The shopkeeper hesitated slightly. "It is said that the one who killed Duanmu Ping was a middle-aged eunuch named Su Mu. He was originally a close attendant of Consort De, but was punished and sent to the library for making a mistake."

Shetland Sheepdog?

Su Qingshan's brows furrowed suddenly, his eyes flickering uncertainly. This name... was exactly the same as his eldest son, who had been lost for many years and was said to have entered the palace as a eunuch.

Is it a coincidence, or...?

The midday sun was blazing.

Despite the earth-shattering battle that took place that morning, the rituals of the sacrificial ceremony were not interrupted. Although the Fengtian Hall was in ruins, Xiao Anxun ordered people to clean it up urgently, remove the ancestral tablets and the memorial tablets for all spirits, and set up a temporary altar in the square in front of the hall. He then led the civil and military officials and members of the imperial family who had survived the disaster to continue the sacrifice.

During this sacrificial ceremony, every member of the Xiao clan wore a solemn expression and fervent gaze, their hearts surging with the relief and pride of surviving a calamity and preserving imperial power. They had saved the nation, defended the imperial lineage, executed the traitors, and eliminated the Situ family, a thorn in their side!

When the ceremony was completed, cheers erupted like thunder, shaking the entire imperial city.

The brutal fighting in the palace had terrified the city's inhabitants, but now, seeing the sacrifices proceeding as usual and the celebrations continuing, their hearts gradually calmed, and the festive atmosphere once again filled the streets and alleys. The entire imperial city seemed as if it had never experienced that bloody upheaval, and was once again plunged into a sea of ​​jubilation.