Chapter 512
Chapter 512
“Shen Lang, if you're willing, I can take you to meet my master immediately. We are to excavate the ruins of an ancient civilization. You're clever and resourceful; I'm certain you could make important contributions.”
Shen Lang slouched in his seat.
“Your Highness Princess Yinghan, have you ever met Qiu Yao'er overseas?”
Yinghan shook her head.
“I have not. She has been heading west this whole time, growing quite distant from us. She has likely left the Eastern world entirely.”
“When you excavate these ancient ruins, what aspects do you primarily focus on? Martial arts, or other fields?”
“Martial arts are but a part of it, less than a tenth of the whole. Am I correct in assuming you will not accept my proposal?”
Shen Lang nodded.
“That is correct!”
“Is it because of your pride? Have I perhaps wounded it?”
“What pride is there for a man like me, who owes everything to his wife's family and lives only to please her? I simply believe one must secure one's own safety, not rely on others to hand it to you. Besides, I'm helping His Highness Ying Zheng in his fight for the throne not only to protect myself and the Jin Clan, but also to get my revenge. I intend to destroy the Xue Clan.”
“Shen Lang, you are indeed a direct man.”
“Your Highness's martial prowess is so great, and the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion's power is enough to blot out the sky. You won't kill me on the spot just because I've refused your offer, will you?”
Princess Yinghan laughed.
“Of course not. I am of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. I can no longer involve myself in the kingdom's succession struggles or the pursuit of worldly power.”
“Then that is a relief. What I fear most is the drawing of swords over a difference of opinion.”
“What about Zhuo Yizhen? Shen Lang, can you bring him here?”
“Yes, of course!”
Then, Shen Lang shouted loudly.
“Thirteen! Tell Gao Duhuan to pause the flogging for a moment and come see his senior sister.”
***
A short while later, Zhuo Yizhen appeared before Yinghan.
“Greetings, Senior Sister.”
Although Gao Duhuan was older, Yinghan had entered the sect first, making her his senior sister by rank. Princess Yinghan looked at Zhuo Yizhen and asked him directly.
“Zhuo Yizhen, are you aware of the rules of our Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion?”
Gao Duhuan shook his head. He truly did not know. When he was at the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, aside from being listed as a disciple of the Left Division Master, he was just an ordinary student and had never had the chance to learn such rules.
“Disciples of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, especially disciples of our master, the Left Division Master, are forbidden from interfering in the power struggles of the secular world. This is a rule shared by many great organizations. The fundamental purpose of our Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion is to excavate ancient civilizations, observe the people of the world, and advance global civilization. Meddling in struggles for the throne is a great taboo.”
This was truly the first time Gao Duhuan had heard of this.
“Zhuo Yizhen, you are to leave everything behind and depart with me at once, back to the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. Go and continue to devote yourself to your training, and take up the post of Martial Scholar of the Pavilion.”
Gao Duhuan was the only great general under Shen Lang's command. Moreover, without the invincible commander Gao Duhuan, there would be no invincible new army of the future. Trust Shen Lang to train soldiers? He didn't know the first thing about training troops. Entrust it to Jin Shiying? He couldn't leave Raging Tide City, and besides, there was a vast gap between him and Gao Duhuan. For the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion to try and make Gao Duhuan leave was an attempt to rip out one of Shen Lang's pillars. Yet, Shen Lang said nothing, merely watching Gao Duhuan quietly.
Gao Duhuan scratched his head and said.
“Back when I was the great bandit Gao Duhuan, working for Crown Prince Ying Yi, why wasn't there such a rule?”
Shen Lang was left speechless.
*Brother Gao, you really are too honest.*
“You have a point.”
Yinghan didn't resort to sophistry and admitted it frankly, a gesture that revealed even more of her inner thoughts. Her unspoken meaning was this:
*‘In the past, you ran away from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, became the great bandit Gao Duhuan, and helped Crown Prince Ying Yi. But you were never an important figure in the Pavilion, so we had forgotten your existence. Now that I have found you, however, I must naturally speak of the rules. Gao Duhuan, I am giving you two choices: leave Ying Zheng and Shen Lang and return to the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, or be expelled from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion.’*
The status of a disciple of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion was an absolute honor. To be a disciple of the Left Division Master, even just in name, was an incredibly glorious position. Gao Duhuan had been so foolish that he had essentially been begging for alms like a beggar while holding a golden bowl.
“Very well, then. From this day forward, I am no longer a disciple of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, nor a disciple of the Left Division Master. Please trouble yourself to inform the Master to expel me from the sect.”
“Zhuo Yizhen, if you leave the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, your martial arts will never progress further.”
Gao Duhuan merely shook his head, saying nothing.
“If that is your decision, then I will take my leave.”
And with that, Princess Yinghan departed. She did not even return to the royal palace, but left the capital immediately. She would now meet with her master, the Left Division Master, to excavate the ancient ruins—the underground palace.
Shen Lang said with a smile.
“Gao Duhuan, do you also feel that you've just been scorned by a celestial being?”
Gao Duhuan nodded. Shen Lang continued.
“Then we must strive even harder. She protects Ying Yi, doesn't she? Then we will help His Highness Ying Zheng successfully claim the throne and crush Crown Prince Ying Yi under our feet. She looks down on us from on high, so lofty, as if she has wings, does she not? Then we will pluck every last feather from her wings, strip her naked, and throw her into a shit pit. I'm not sure if goddesses shit, but once she eats it, she'll no longer be a goddess.”
Gao Duhuan glanced at Shen Lang and said.
“I wholeheartedly agree with the first part of what you said, my lord. But the latter part is quite nauseating.”
“Princess Yinghan is His Majesty's pride and a person who may one day inherit the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. But in the matter of the struggle for the throne, His Majesty still holds absolute power.”
***
Princess Yinghan vanished as quickly as she had come, like the wind. But her brief appearance was like a massive boulder thrown into the lake of Shen Lang's heart, causing great turmoil. Perhaps this was the first time Shen Lang had ever been truly scorned by another. It was a devastating, irresistible, and miserable scorn, like that of a lofty being looking down from above. She had not uttered a single disparaging or sarcastic word, yet every word she spoke felt like a decree handed down from the highest heavens.
Qiu Yao'er was as remarkable as Princess Yinghan, and she too had found Shen Lang wanting—no, to be precise, she was a woman who found everyone wanting. However, her attitude was quite endearing. She maintained a very innocent sense of self and was a person who practiced true, great love. She never intentionally provoked anyone and would say something very honestly, like:
*‘I'm not targeting you. In my eyes, everyone here is trash.’*
The important thing was that although she despised men, deep in her heart, she was still filled with goodwill towards humanity, whether she was dealing with Shen Lang or Xu Qianqian. Qiu Yao'er was arrogant and solitary, refusing to let anyone get close to her, yet like the sun that shines on all things, she sought to protect everyone under her wing. She appeared cold on the outside, but was warm in reality.
Yinghan was the exact opposite of Qiu Yao'er. On the surface, she was easygoing and frank. Although not overly friendly, she put on no airs, which made her seem approachable. But inside, her heart was nothing but cold indifference—the kind of indifference that saw all the people of the world as insignificant ants. Of course, Shen Lang himself was no better than Yinghan in that respect. Whether in the capital or in the White Night Army, Shen Lang had shown such arrogant indifference to countless common people. It was just that now, he was on the receiving end of that arrogance.
***
Yinghan left the capital without a sound, but another person entered it with great pomp and circumstance, surrounded by a massive entourage. That person was Zhong Sisi, the legitimate daughter of the Zhong Clan. This arrogant and insolent woman had once beaten and injured Mulan in the capital, her tyranny knowing no bounds. Hadn't Xue Li been willful enough in the past? But even she was just a watered-down version of Zhong Sisi. Zhong Sisi was not a princess, yet she carried herself with more airs than one.
The Zhong Clan was the most ancient noble family in the State of Yue. On the surface, the Zhong Clan's domain spanned over ten thousand square kilometers, more than four times the size of the Su Clan's territory. Furthermore, the entire northern part of Tianxi Province was the Zhong Clan's base of power. The area of Tianxi Province was certainly no smaller than Tianbei or Tiannan Province, yet it had only one Central Commandery. The successive Central Commanders of Tianxi Province only governed the six southern commanderies, and while the Yue court still dispatched officials to manage the seven northern commanderies, they could find no way to penetrate the Zhong Clan's influence.
The Zhong Clan was the largest military power in the State of Yue, and in some respects, their power base was even greater than Duke Bian Wu's. Bian Wu occupied a territory equivalent to three commanderies and only managed military affairs, leaving all civil administration to the officials of Yue. The fact that Bian Wu had previously expressed his wish for Zhang Chong to be appointed Deputy Commander of Yan Province was a sign that he intended to cede control of the province to Ning Yuanxian. Thus, although Yan Province had only been part of the State of Yue's territory for a little over a decade, it was practically King Ning Yuanxian's direct power base. In contrast, the northern part of Tianxi Province had been part of Yue for hundreds of years, yet the influence of the Zhong Clan could still not be erased.
Duke Bian Wu, though arrogant, was exceptionally close to King Ning Yuanxian and would never refuse any of the king's decrees. Zhong Yao was different. In fact, twenty-some years ago, during the struggle for the throne, the Zhong Clan had subtly sided with Ning Yuanwu. After Ning Yuanxian successfully ascended the throne, he conducted a great purge of the military factions but dared not touch the Zhong Clan.
The Zhong and Su Clans were on completely different levels. The Su Clan possessed a territory of three thousand square kilometers and, between their formally registered private soldiers of four to five thousand, bands of mounted bandits, and hidden forces, commanded a total army of over ten thousand. However, the fundamental reason Su Nan was able to launch a major rebellion was his ability to manage the State of Jiang, draw in various nations from the Western Regions, and receive long-standing aid from the State of Chu. Of the thirty to forty thousand troops in the Su rebellion, half were mercenaries hired from the Western Regions, along with monk soldiers supported by the Great Tribulation Temple. Based on these facts, the true strength of the Su Clan's army was likely no more than twenty thousand. In comparison, the Zhong Clan openly controlled a grand army of over one hundred thousand, and their forces were constantly on the front lines facing the State of Chu. Therefore, Ning Yuanxian could touch anyone, but he could not touch the Zhong Clan.