The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Moreover, the previous Emperor should have understood the danger Li Xuantu presented. He must have done this because he was confident that he could restrain him and prevent him from doing harm to the Great Tang,” Eunuch Gao sternly said.

  The Sage Emperor had extraordinary methods, and Li Xuantu was extremely dangerous. He naturally couldn’t have been imprisoned in some ordinary cell.

  “I understand!”

  Wang Chong stood up, bowed, and quickly departed.

  “Wait!” Eunuch Gao called out when Wang Chong was about one hundred feet away.

  “Although there are many things that I am not sure about, if you wish to find Li Xuantu, if you find that bronze box the Sage Emperor left for you, you might find some clues. All of His Majesty’s possessions were left in that box!”

  “Many thanks, Sir Eunuch!”

  Wang Chong strode away, quickly vanishing out of sight.

  ……

  Clap!

  With a crisp crack, Wang Chong opened the box the Sage Emperor had left behind.

  The Sage Emperor had left all of his backup plans inside the box, and not even Eunuch Gao had ever seen its contents.

  The box’s contents were for Wang Chong’s eyes only, but he had not seen anything in there concerning Li Xuantu.

  “That shouldn’t be. Li Xuantu is no ordinary person. If the Sage Emperor had wanted to kill him, he would have just killed him. Since he left him alive, he almost certainly made appropriate plans.”

  Wang Chong frowned as he mused to himself.

  He passed his eyes over the box. He had already browsed through all the notebooks and letters, but finally, at the very bottom of the box, he spotted a copper key, about eight inches long, and his mind was shaken.

  Wang Chong had already seen this copper key many times, but what drew Wang Chong’s attention the most this time were the images of the palaces engraved on the key.

  These palaces were not built in the style of the Great Tang.

  Chapter 2093 - Another Meeting with the Mysterious Senior Underground!

  Chapter 2093: Another Meeting with the Mysterious Senior Underground!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  This is a palace of the Sui Dynasty, Wang Chong realized with a shudder.

  Grabbing the copper key, Wang Chong disappeared.

  ……

  At night, in the inner court of the Imperial Palace, outside the imperial prison…

  Two figures stood side by side in the darkness.

  “I didn’t think that this key would be for the area under the imperial prison, the general hub for all the formations and seals in the Sui Dynasty’s palace!”

  Wang Chong looked at the copper key floating in the air, now exuding a golden light, as he softly muttered to himself.

  If one looked carefully, one would realize that the strands of light intersected into a miniature projection of the area beneath the imperial prison. The layout of the cells and the formations and seals around them were shown in exquisite detail.

  Wang Chong looked at the prison and mentally said, Senior, it’s time we met again!

  “Begin!”

  Wang Chong extended a hand, grabbing Divine Embryo 1’s shoulder. Soon, Divine Embryo 1 flashed with light and activated its Earth Movement ability.

  The sturdy ground rippled like water, and the pair swiftly vanished into the depths.

  The subterranean world was dark, all light coming from the various complicated underground seals.

  It was not just the imperial prison. The entirety of the area beneath the Imperial Palace was covered in seals. However, the copper key made all of these seals open up to Wang Chong, and he and Divine Embryo 1 traveled straight down into the depths of the abandoned Sui palace.

  Finally, after passing through level after level and going past cinnabar dragon pillars, Wang Chong arrived in the deepest part of the palace.

  Bang!

  The key in Wang Chong’s hand was pulled toward an ancient gate of Xuan Metal. With a great boom, the gate opened. Smoke poured out, and a ‘world’ forgotten by people slowly revealed itself to Wang Chong.

  “Brat! It’s you!”

  Almost the moment the gate opened, a familiar and aloof voice rang out, and a powerful energy seemed to awaken.

  Whoosh!

  Soon afterward, there was a clattering of chains, and then a long silence.

  Wang Chong’s heart thumped and his mind was momentarily dazed. He walked past the threshold and entered the deepest part of this abandoned palace.

  Wang Chong saw a hall of greenish black, dark bricks forming the floor, a simple dragon carved on each of them.

  Though they were dragons, these dragons were different from the dragons of the Great Tang, more akin to the dragons of the Han Dynasty.

  This is some extremely important palace of the Sui Dynasty!

  Wang Chong suddenly understood.

  The hall was extremely spacious and quiet. Even though it was the lowest floor, the place was not as humid as Wang Chong had imagined. On the contrary, it was extremely dry, and thick smoke tinged with the scent of sandalwood filled the air.

  Rather than a cell, it appeared more like a forgotten and luxurious palace.

  But a moment later, Wang Chong came back to his senses and walked toward that familiar energy.

  A few moments later, Wang Chong finally saw the owner of that voice that he had heard three-some years ago.

  Though he had mentally prepared himself, seeing that figure still left him deeply stunned.

  Between two golden dragon pillars was a square altar as tall as a man. Atop this altar sat an erect figure wearing an imperial robe of black and gold.

  His long hair covered his face, but with one glance, Wang Chong could tell that this man had been born with an air of grace and nobility.

  Yet it was clear that the man had not lived a life of nobility.

  Two thick chains extended out of the altar and under his robes. One of them was clearly attached to his ankle.

  The man sat cross-legged there, as motionless as a tree.

  Though the man was restraining his energy, Wang Chong still felt an all-consuming storm of energy radiating from him.

  Savagery!

  Danger!

  These were Wang Chong’s first sensations!

  But most importantly, Wang Chong sensed a sliver of that energy from three years ago.

  After three years, Wang Chong had never imagined that he would ‘meet’ this enigmatic senior again: the once-renowned deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu!

  As these thoughts ran through his mind, Wang Chong took two steps forward and loudly spoke.

  “Junior Wang Chong pays respects to Senior!”

  The figure’s hair began to shake as a cold laughter rang out.

  “So you still remember this old man? Little trickster, you want to try and deceive this old man again?”

  As that cold and sinister voice spoke, the figure on the altar raised his head, revealing two cold and emotionless eyes.

  Lightning crackled in the dark palace, illuminating the place as brightly as day.

  Wang Chong’s heart trembled, instantly sensing danger.

  But a moment later, Wang Chong frowned.

  “‘Trickster’? For what reason does Senior say this?” Wang Chong asked in surprise.

  “Hmph, still refuse to confess? When you appeared in the underground prison, this old man only helped you to hurt Li Taiyi, but seeing your resplendent attire and the token of royalty on your belt, you’re probably one of Li Taiyi’s trusted officials! What? You think that this old man wouldn’t know because he was held underground?

  “And this place is extremely well-hidden. Outsiders can’t get in without Li Taiyi’s key. You still want to deny it?”

  The figure on the altar exploded with hostility.

  Wang Chong’s heart instantly sank. He actually had a good opinion of this mysterious senior, but now, it appeared that
he still held a deep grudge against the Sage Emperor.

  Wang Chong wanted to say something, but considering the grudge between Li Xuantu and the Sage Emperor, how the Sage Emperor had defeated him and stripped him of his power as Prince, he was rendered speechless.

  “Senior misunderstands. When the incident took place, this junior was only sixteen and truly was imprisoned in the imperial prison for offending the Sage Emperor. In this aspect, Wang Chong did not deceive Senior.”

  Wang Chong paused a moment.

  “Junior came this time to thank Senior for your assistance.”

  “Oh?”

  The icy pupils constricted and then softened, but the voice quickly rang out, as cold and harsh as ever.

  “Only a small favor that’s hardly worth mentioning. Moreover, at your current level of cultivation, that little aid I gave you should hardly count as anything. Speak! For what reason did you come here?”

  The figure on the altar stared suspiciously at Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong fell silent.

  He could sense that the figure on the altar was very paranoid– no. Rather than paranoid, it was better to say that he was still brooding over what had happened between him and the Sage Emperor all those years ago.

  Wang Chong had probably been branded as part of the Sage Emperor’s faction, and winning his trust would not be an easy task.

  It was different in the past, but now that the Sage Emperor was dead and it had been thirty years since the Divine Dragon Coup, Wang Chong found it somewhat unbearable to allow his benefactor to remain imprisoned down here until death.

  Wang Chong bowed and asked, “Senior, this junior has a question that he seeks instruction on.”

  “What is your question?” the figure on the altar coldly replied.

  “Senior, are you… the deposed Crown Prince from thirty years ago, during Emperor Gaozong’s reign, His Highness Li Xuantu?”

  Wang Chong turned serious as he respectfully bowed.

  The hall fell silent, other than Wang Chong’s question bouncing incessantly off the walls.

  “Emperor Gaozong… Crown Prince… It has been a long time since I last heard people mention such things!!”

  The man on the later muttered to himself, raising his head to the roof. But a moment later, a freezing and harsh energy locked onto Wang Chong.

  “Brat, what are you thinking? Li Taiyi gave the key to you, so why would he not tell you who I was? You ask despite knowing the answer!”

  In this way, the man confessed to his identity. With his last words, Li Xuantu unleashed a frigid energy that caused the temperature in the palace to plunge, and the altar lamps on the walls to gutter and dim.

  Wang Chong frowned. While the Sage Emperor had given him the key, he had mentioned nothing about Li Xuantu.

  But this was not something Wang Chong was able to explain to Li Xuantu.

  Chapter 2094 - Li Linfu and Li Xuantu!

  Chapter 2094: Li Linfu and Li Xuantu!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Senior, this junior has no ill intentions. Whether one was right or wrong, it all happened thirty-some years ago and is all in the past. Even the Sage Emperor is no longer here. If Senior can promise to let go of those past grudges and cease treating the descendants of the Sage Emperor as your enemy, this junior can release Senior and return freedom to Your Highness!” Wang Chong sincerely said.

  Surveying Li Xuantu’s life, he had not committed any major crimes. All of his actions had been in line with a typical War of the Princes. Wang Chong sensed that Li Xuantu was not an extremely wicked and fierce man. This was why Wang Chong was willing to make this sort of promise and release him.

  Moreover, Li Xuantu was still a member of the imperial household. With the Great Tang facing danger on all sides, it needed all the help it could get. If he could convince Li Xuantu, the Great Tang might gain another powerful ally.

  “Let go? How can I let go!?”

  Li Xuantu’s entire body trembled in great agitation.

  “Brat, don’t you know that this prince is the true Son of Heaven, that this prince was the candidate chosen by the previous Emperor to inherit the throne?! Li Taiyi is merely a transmigrator who stole everything from this prince! How can this prince let go?

  “Thirty years ago, during the Divine Dragon Coup, do you know how many old officials trusted this prince, entrusting the lives of their families to this prince? But in that coup, all of them died. And now, you want this prince to let go?

  “How can I let go?!”

  A cold and majestic voice thundered through the underground palace. On the altar, Li Xuantu parted his long hair, revealing his cold and pale face, seething with hatred.

  Most alarming of all were his bloodshot eyes, streaked with vicious killing intent.

  Even Wang Chong couldn’t help but be affected.

  After a long while, with a cold chortle, Li Xuantu calmed back down.

  “Brat! In the end, you came to intercede on the behalf of the Li Clan’s descendant. But this prince did not even yield to Li Taiyi, and now that Li Taiyi’s son has inherited the throne, you want this prince to submit to him? Do you think that’s possible? Truly ridiculous!

  “If that is what you came for, then you should leave at once. This prince does not need your favor!

  “One day, when this prince comes out, the children of Li Taiyi will pay!”

  Li Xuantu stared at Wang Chong, his voice full of derision.

  Wang Chong’s heart sank and his brow creased.

  He had not expected Li Xuantu’s grudge against the Sage Emperor to run so deep.

  Wang Chong had believed that he was the only one who knew that the Sage Emperor was a transmigrator, and perhaps the men in black also knew a little. But it seemed that Li Xuantu, who had been imprisoned for thirty years, had seen through everything.

  It was apparent that the deposed Crown Prince who had been hailed for his extraordinary talent was even more frightening than the rumors made him out to be.

  But this was not Wang Chong’s greatest concern.

  On this journey underground, Wang Chong had been thinking that releasing Li Xuantu could increase the strength of the empire, return a favor, and resolve an ancient grudge, giving the deposed Crown Prince a good end.

  But it seemed that the passage of time had not caused Li Xuantu’s hatred to fade, only intensify.

  Though he had been imprisoned underground for thirty years, his mind still lived in the Divine Dragon Coup.

  To release him now would be to allow a tiger back into the mountains, bringing only disaster and not blessings.

  After taking in a deep breath, Wang Chong respectfully bowed and sternly said, “Senior, regardless of whether you are capable of working past that mental knot, the matters of the past are in the past, and many of the people who took part in the Divine Dragon Coup are no longer here. Even the Sage Emperor has passed. I know that Senior has a revered status as a member of the imperial household, and your heart must certainly be full of pride. Will Senior fight with the Sage Emperor’s children because you were unable to defeat the Sage Emperor himself?

  “The Great Tang is experiencing a time of prosperity and abundance, and the new Emperor is also a capable sovereign. If Senior is still brooding over that matter so much that you would even drag in the Sage Emperor’s children, then please forgive this junior for being unable to release Senior.

  “This junior trusts that Senior is not that sort of wicked person.

  “This junior will come to see Senior again. If Senior can let go of your grudges, this junior will still be willing to release Senior and return your freedom!”

  Three-foot-thick ice did not form in a single day, and changing Li Xuantu and making him let go of his grudges was not something to be accomplished in one day. Even if Wang Chong wanted to let Li Xuantu out, he had to wait for the right time.

  But Wang Chong was confident that Li Xuantu would change his mind one day an
d be released from this place.

  “Hahah, brat, don’t waste your strength, and don’t come here again. I will never change my mind and take your deal!”

  Li Xuantu loudly laughed, his voice infused with immense strength that made the palace tremble and shook dust from the ceiling.

  “This junior bids farewell!”

  Mentally sighing, Wang Chong turned around and left, carrying a tinge of disappointment.

  Divine Embryo 1 was waiting outside. Upon seeing Wang Chong, it grabbed his shoulder and took him into the earth.

  The underground world fell silent.

  On the altar, Li Xuantu ‘watched’ as he left.

  After a long while, Li Xuantu’s eyes flashed.

  “He’s gone! Come out!” Li Xuantu suddenly announced.

  After a moment of quiet, the wall behind Li Xuantu crumbled, and several figures walked out.

  Their leader was a man wearing an official’s hat and dressed in casual robes, with a fish token on his belt. The others following him were all wearing black robes and masks.

  “Li Genu, you’re very bold! Do you know what your fate will be if this information reaches the new Emperor’s ears?!” Li Xuantu coldly said without turning his head.

  Li Xuantu spoke neither too loudly nor too softly, but the information in his words exploded like a thunderclap.

  Wang Chong would have been flabbergasted if he were present, for the man walking out from the wall was none other than the man he was having Zhang Que watch around the clock, Great Tang Prime Minister Li Linfu.

  Li Xuantu was located beneath the imperial prison, on the twentieth floor of the Sui palace.

  Wang Chong had believed that he was the first to arrive, but it now seemed that Li Linfu was the first.

  “Many thanks to Your Highness Crown Prince for your concern.”

  As Li Linfu stepped over the debris, he bowed at Li Xuantu, his expression confident and unperturbed.