Chapter Thirteen: Campaign
The King of the Underworld sat in the opulent great hall, savoring rare delicacies from mountain and sea, relishing the flattery of the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty and his ministers, experiencing a sensation unlike any he had known before.
This was the Xuanqing Palace.
A feeling he had never tasted.
It was as if he had returned to his childhood, those days spent in the Prince's Manor.
The only difference was that, back then, those who respected him were attendants and servants; now, it was the emperor and his ministers.
“This is the change in status that power brings…”
He turned to Pei You and Xiang Yunqian, who both wore the same thoughtful expression.
Wine flowed through three rounds, and five flavors of dishes passed before them.
The King of the Underworld returned to the Immortal Master's Palace built by the Great Qian Dynasty, sitting together with Xiang Yunqian and Pei You.
“The Great Qian Dynasty is prosperous and its people are at peace. If we are to improve the lives of the people, where do we begin?” Pei You inquired.
Xiang Yunqian pursed her rosy lips, unsure how to respond. Using her arts, she sensed the kingdom’s flourishing fortune.
At present, there was nowhere that required their intervention.
“Conquest!” declared the King of the Underworld, without hesitation.
He produced a map and pointed to a neighboring dynasty. “Conquer the neighboring kingdoms and further strengthen Qian’s destiny!”
“This…” Xiang Yunqian and Pei You were both taken aback.
After pondering for a moment, they considered that their own kin dwelled within the Great Qian Dynasty; helping it unify the land might not be such a poor decision.
They could secure titles and honors for their descendants.
“Conquest!” After a brief discussion, the three reached a consensus.
The emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty himself was a man of great ambition.
He agreed to cooperate with the three immortal masters on their campaign, promptly drilling the army and preparing to march against the neighboring kingdoms.
Fierce wars erupted.
Nations clashed endlessly; the Great Qian Dynasty forged distant alliances and attacked nearby foes, using every stratagem—wedge-driving schemes, honey traps—to intoxicate enemy kings in revelry and deceit, alienate loyal ministers, and favor sycophants.
Under the leadership of the three, in ten years, the Great Qian Dynasty annihilated twenty thousand armored heavy cavalry of the Great Yan Dynasty in the Battle of the Plains, swept through enemy lines, and took the imperial capital.
From then on, Qian annexed Yan, expanding its territory to thirteen provinces.
…
In twenty years, the three conjured ceaseless downpours through their sorcery, slew the Grand Preceptor of the Great Qi Dynasty in the skies, destroyed Qi’s immortal sect, and unleashed floods that drowned a million of Qi’s soldiers.
The Qian army pressed deep, annexing the lands of Qi.
Its territory now spanned nineteen provinces.
…
In thirty years, the Qian army fought fierce battles, capturing thirteen cities from Zhao, exploiting intrigue to sow discord between monarch and ministers, deluding the foolish king into suppressing the national immortal sect.
This act enraged the ministers and immortal masters, who denounced the king’s incompetence and turned against him.
At last, Qian’s forces overran the Zhao capital.
The nation’s domain expanded to twenty-four provinces.
The King of Zhao was captured and beheaded the following year.
That day, Emperor Jing of Qian summoned the King of the Underworld and his companions to the palace. The emperor, now advanced in years, his hair white as snow, asked,
“Immortal masters, does the world hold an elixir of immortality?”
The King of the Underworld silently shook his head.
Pei You and Xiang Yunqian remained mute.
“Alas…” Emperor Jing sighed softly, a hint of regret clouding his features.
…
In the fiftieth year, a great drought befell the land.
The king of Chu was cruel, imposing heavy taxes and extorting the people, inciting widespread resentment and rebellion throughout the four seas.
The King of the Underworld led Qian’s armies forth, using arts to sow grain, aid the starving, and call down rains to nurture the crops. The people of Chu wept tears of gratitude, welcoming and seeing them off along the roads.
With the will of the people, the King of the Underworld conquered Chu.
Qian’s territory now stretched across thirty-two provinces.
On the day Chu fell,
The King of the Underworld stood atop the tallest tower in the imperial capital, gazing out at the raging ocean that met his eyes, silent and contemplative.
“Is there land beyond the sea?” he asked after a long pause.
From the Wild Mountain Range to the center of the Great Qian Dynasty stretched dozens, even a hundred, other dynasties—all upon the Central Profound Continent.
At the continent’s edge lay the violent, boundless sea.
None had ever crossed that sea.
Nor had anyone come from the far side.
“Perhaps there is.” Pei You’s gaze was profound.
Before them, the ocean’s waves surged, thunder roared, like some ancient beast in fury.
Even the three elders of Xuanqing Palace dared not venture across lightly.
“Could the exiled immortals of the ancient Heavenly Way reside on the continent beyond the boundless sea?” asked the King of the Underworld suddenly.
He was ever haunted by the legends of the exiled immortals recorded in Xuanqing Palace, longing to witness the legendary beings with his own eyes.
“Perhaps,” Xiang Yunqian replied, her words concise.
There was no definite answer.
The King of the Underworld fell silent for a long time, then descended the tower with hands clasped behind his back, leading his armored cavalry into the royal palace of Chu.
He stood within the grand hall,
Gazing at the throne, intricately carved with golden dragons, and seated himself directly upon it.
He sat as if a true emperor, surveying the world with disdain.
His bearing was regal, as if he were the Human Sovereign himself, his body shrouded in purple aura, faintly echoing with the roar of dragons, striking awe into all who beheld him.
“If we were to unify the Central Profound Continent and build a giant ship as a nation, could we cross the boundless sea?” the King of the Underworld asked again.
“It’s hard to say,” Pei You replied once more, shaking his head.
The King of the Underworld sighed deeply. “The path to immortality is arduous.”
…
In the blink of an eye, three more years passed.
One day—
Within the imperial palace of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Emperor Jing of Qian lay gravely ill, bedridden, and summoned the Crown Prince to his side.
“Father, here is a medicinal broth prepared by the immortal masters. Please drink it,” said the Crown Prince, whose features were dignified and whose filial piety was beyond reproach. Unable to bear his father’s suffering, he brought the medicine to the bedside.
“When my wandering soul returns to the earth, how will you govern the realm?” the emperor asked, waving away the medicine and handing it to the attendant eunuch, without tasting a drop.
“I will honor the immortal masters, heed wise counsel, reduce taxes, lighten corvée labor, and uphold strict laws,” the Crown Prince replied without hesitation.
“All but the first are correct,” Emperor Jing remarked.
The Crown Prince’s expression changed dramatically in shock.
That remark implied error in honoring the immortal masters!
“What do you mean, Father?” the Crown Prince asked, astonished. “The three immortal masters are the pillars of the Great Qian Dynasty—why not honor them?”
Emperor Jing’s visage bore the majesty of a dragon, his aged features severe. In a low voice, he said,
“To have merit that overshadows the ruler,
And bear the aspect of the dragon,
Both are calamities that invite death.”
The Crown Prince fell silent for a long while before asking, “With the backing of Xuanqing Palace, the three immortal masters wield powers beyond mortal reach. How can mere humans contend with them?”
Emperor Jing’s countenance grew somber.
After a long pause, he ordered the eunuch to fetch a brocade box, which contained incense, a dagger, and an ancient scroll. He handed it to the Crown Prince with solemnity.
“I have schemed my whole life, traveled the four seas and the world, and from countless ruins obtained these three treasures.
The first two can slay immortals; the last can drive away wolves and tigers, and defend against Xuanqing Palace.”
The Crown Prince remained silent for a long time.
He spoke not a word.
From dawn, he sat long into the night.
Eventually, he rose, his face expressionless, and took the brocade box away.
After the Crown Prince had left,
Emperor Jing sighed deeply.
“If not for the royal family’s concerns, I would gather a million masters to besiege the three immortals, take their flesh and blood, and forge an elixir of immortality.”
“Alas…”
…
The following year,
Emperor Jing passed away; his closest eunuchs perished as well.
The Crown Prince ascended the throne as Emperor Wen of Qian.
In the next twenty years, he governed with diligence and wisdom, promoted loyal and virtuous ministers, established the Shadow Guard to supervise officials, and quelled turmoil across the empire.
The King of the Underworld’s appearance remained youthful, seemingly ageless. Together with Pei You and Xiang Yunqian, he led the Great Qian army to extinguish the remaining kingdoms one by one.
At last, the land was united.