Chapter 605
Chapter 605
Shen Lang did not return home immediately but headed for Mount Lanhua. He planned to meet a legendary and tragic figure there.
Grandmaster Lan Dao, a man who was a titan of the Eastern world. Zhang Chong had studied martial arts under him for several months, and Ning Qi was also his student. Not only that, but Ning Qi's invincible general, Nan Po, had also been a student of Lan Dao. He was not only a grandmaster of martial arts but also the finest archer in the State of Yue. His skill with the bow was unparalleled.
But now, the tendons in his hands and feet had been severed, and his title of Grandmaster had been stripped away. A cripple, he lived in seclusion on Mount Lanhua. This man was crucial for Shen Lang's training of the second elite Nirvana Army; he could even be called its soul. Recruiting him would be like giving a tiger wings; the creation of the second elite Nirvana Army would already be halfway to success.
Deep in the remote mountains.
Shen Lang stood before a thatched hut and bowed.
"Shen Lang has come to see Grandmaster Lan Dao. I implore you, Grandmaster, to descend the mountain with me!"
Grandmaster Lan Dao's disciples could be found all over the country. Over his lifetime, he had taken a hundred disciples in total. Some studied with him for only a few months, others for several years. But accepting so many disciples was bound to lead to trouble. In the end, it was because of one of them that his life came crashing down.
About five years ago, he received a secret letter from a disciple claiming to have discovered ancient ruins. Grandmasters shared a common weakness: they could not resist the lure of ancient ruins. Lan Dao was no exception, and he set out immediately upon receiving the letter. As a result, he returned a broken man, the tendons in his limbs severed by an unknown assailant. From then on, he vanished from the world, and only his old friend, Sword King Li Qianqiu, knew he was living in seclusion on Mount Lanhua.
Shen Lang spoke again.
"Master Lan Dao, Shen Lang has come to see you."
After a moment, a hoarse voice came from inside the hut.
"I'm not seeing anyone! Does Li Qianqiu want to cut ties with me? Revealing my hiding place... is he telling me to move? Or does he want me dead?"
The voice was extreme and cantankerous, sounding nothing like the legendary Grandmaster Lan Dao. Lan Dao had originally been a cheerful and passionate man. If he hadn't been, he never would have taken on so many disciples. Li Qianqiu was about to offer a respectful greeting and begin speaking, but his wife, Lady Qiu, cut straight to the point.
"Why waste time with pointless words?"
She then stormed into the hut and, a moment later, dragged a man out. Was this Grandmaster Lan Dao? His body was completely emaciated, his hair like a patch of weeds. He sat in a wooden wheelchair, apparently unable to walk, and his hands were strangely twisted, trembling incessantly. Who could have severed the tendons in his hands and feet so thoroughly? In truth, the story of how Grandmaster Lan Dao was crippled remained a mystery. Was he caught in a trap, or was he framed? Who had severed his tendons? Everything was shrouded in mystery, and Lan Dao himself never spoke of it.
"Grandmaster Lan Dao, I wish to escort you down the mountain. Please, teach my army archery, so that your unparalleled skill may shine even brighter in the world."
To Shen Lang's words, Grandmaster Lan Dao replied firmly.
"I'm not going. Can't you see I'm already a cripple? I can't even hold a bowl or chopsticks. How could I possibly practice archery?"
Shen Lang stepped forward to examine his damaged tendons more closely. The damage was truly thorough. Countless tendons had been severed, and without proper treatment, they had healed into a tangled mess. If surgery were to be performed, it would be a massive undertaking. All the tangled tendons would have to be cut, then matched and reconnected one by one.
"I believe I can heal your injuries, Grandmaster! It might be impossible to restore your former martial prowess, but you should be able to walk and move normally again. Of course, there is a risk of infection during treatment, which could be fatal."
Grandmaster Lan Dao was startled, then spoke with contempt.
"Don't boast. I've been examined by all the so-called famous doctors in the world, and not a single one could treat my injuries."
It was true. Grandmaster Lan Dao had many disciples, and after he was injured, they brought countless famous doctors to treat him. Zhang Chong, who had only studied under him for a few months, had found four or five renowned physicians for him. But in the end, none of them could find a way to heal him. Every doctor who examined his wounds offered the same opinion.
"It's incurable."
At first, Lan Dao had held out hope for a cure, but eventually, he fell into despair and gave up on everything. He didn't want others to see his wretched state, so he went into seclusion on Mount Lanhua.
"Go, go! You too, Li Qianqiu, get out!"
Grandmaster Lan Dao began to drive them away. The Sword King's wife, Lady Qiu, stood before Lan Dao and said.
"Old man, look who I am."
Grandmaster Lan Dao asked in surprise.
"You... you're Little Sister Qiu?"
"That's right. It's me, Little Sister Qiu."
Lan Dao was greatly astonished. He knew well the wretched state the Sword King's wife, Lady Qiu, had been in.
'Poisoned by a terrifying toxin, she had lost her sanity, her skin had become like a toad's, and her body was bent like a beast's. Back then, Li Qianqiu had tried every method and sought countless famous doctors, but none could find a cure; they couldn't even find the cause of her illness. But now she's completely healed? Is that even possible? Still, Lady Qiu was poisoned, so all she needed was an antidote. My tendons in all four limbs were severed. My condition is fundamentally untreatable.'
Lan Dao could no longer even dare to hope; he only wanted to end his life.
"Go, go, go. All of you, leave. I'm moving soon!"
Grandmaster Lan Dao began shooing them away again. The Sword King's wife, Lady Qiu, said.
"So many useless words, so unmanly. Tang Yan, let's kidnap this old man!"
Upon hearing the order from his Master's wife, Tang Yan strode forward without a second thought, hoisted Lan Dao onto his back, and prepared to carry him away by force. Lan Dao roared in fury.
"Insolent! How insolent! Are you kidnapping a man in broad daylight? Put me down! Put me down!"
But no matter how hoarsely he shouted, no one paid him any mind. And so, the once-proud Grandmaster of an era was forcefully abducted.
***
The Capital. Zhu Hongzhu's residence.
The Crown Prince erupted in anger. In front of Zhu Hongzhu, he had no need to hide anything.
"How could he treat me like this? It was clearly his own incompetence that caused this mess, so why is he taking his anger out on me? I'm not the one with a debt of over ten million taels. He's the one who squandered his fortune and couldn't repay his debts, losing face in the process. What does that have to do with me? Has he forgotten how he begged Grandfather like a dog? If it weren't for the Zhu Clan, he would have lost his throne long ago."
Zhu Hongzhu said nothing, quietly listening as the Crown Prince vented his fury. Only after a long while did he speak.
"Are you finished?"
The Crown Prince drank cup after cup of tea, as if trying to extinguish the flames of anger in his heart.
"His Majesty is using Ning Qi's hand to suppress Your Highness. What can you do about it? Will you rebel?"
Rebel? Of course not. A rebellion required soldiers. Besides, things had not yet reached that point.
"Grandfather, he keeps elevating Ning Qi endlessly. If this continues, won't Ning Qi's power grow so large that he becomes unshakable?"
"His Majesty isn't trying to elevate Ning Qi; he is merely using him. He now views Ning Zheng with importance, so his intention in suppressing you is to make you and Ning Qi fight. That way, Ning Zheng can grow up safely."
Indeed, like the sly old fox he was, he had seen through the King and Shen Lang's secret plan at a glance. The Crown Prince couldn't believe Zhu Hongzhu's words.
'Father has started to value Ning Zheng? How is that possible? That boy is a failure who can't even fix his stutter. Without Shen Lang, he's absolutely nothing.'
"You don't believe it? But it is the truth!"
"Why? Ning Qi is still better than Ning Zheng."
"Zhong Yao's attempt to marry Zhong Sisi to the son of an Imperial Prince of the Great Yan Empire alerted the King. His Majesty realized that the Third Prince also has the influence of the Great Yan Empire behind him. Both you and Ning Qi have the Empire at your backs, which has made His Majesty deeply uneasy. Ning Zheng, on the other hand, has no connection to the Empire. It seems His Majesty believes that Ning Zheng inheriting the throne is the only way for the State of Yue to maintain its independence."
"Isn't the Great Yan Empire our suzerain state? What's wrong with having Yan Capital behind us?"
Zhu Hongzhu sneered inwardly.
'Ning Yi, you're good at saying all the right things. Right now, you need the power of Yan Capital for the succession struggle, so you pledge your loyalty to the Emperor with every breath. But once you actually sit on the throne of Yue, you'll surely sing a different tune.'
But Zhu Hongzhu would never voice such thoughts.
"Furthermore, His Majesty's heart has now tilted heavily toward Ning Zheng. And Ning Zheng is not what Your Highness thinks he is. He may not possess exceptional intelligence, but he is resolute and bold, with a willpower and magnanimity that ordinary people lack. At the very least, he will not be a bad king."
Hearing Zhu Hongzhu's words, the Crown Prince was even more surprised.
'Even Zhu Hongzhu gives Ning Zheng such an evaluation? It seems I can't underestimate that stutterer after all.'
"In the past, His Majesty worried that you and Ning Qi would engage in factional strife, so he suppressed you both to ensure that even if you fought, neither would be harmed. But now, he is provoking a fight between you. This is to protect Ning Zheng and to see if he is fit to inherit the throne. Moreover, His Majesty is likely hoping for Shen Lang's return at any moment!"
"Shen Lang is coming back? Isn't that impossible?"
"If Your Highness is defeated in the war with the Nanguo, Shen Lang might return."
"Has he lost his mind? Surely the King of Yue wouldn't intend for us to lose the war with the Nanguo just for the sake of Shen Lang's return?"
"That's not it. His Majesty is not that foolish. He inwardly hopes for a great victory on the Nanguo battlefield and will commit all his strength to the war, so do not worry on that account. Besides, His Majesty's thoughts must be very complicated right now. He longs to defeat the Qiang Kingdom, but if we do, Shen Lang will never be able to fully return, and Ning Zheng's chances of ascending the throne will vanish.
So, Your Highness Ning Yi, everything else is false; winning the war with the Nanguo is what truly matters. If you win this war, you will have achieved an unparalleled feat. Then, no one will be able to shake your position as Crown Prince—not even His Majesty. Therefore, we must stake everything on the Nanguo battlefield."
"But we can't just let him keep elevating Ning Qi, can we? If we do, even if we defeat the Qiang Kingdom, Ning Qi's power will become a great threat to us."
"Two things are already unchangeable. Ning Qi will definitely go to Tianbei Province to serve as the Grand Governor. If you give him that benefit now, he won't fight with you. Even Xue Che becoming the Central Governor of Tianyue is already a foregone conclusion. The only thing we can fight for is the position of Central Governor of Tianxi Province. And of course, that position must be ours. His Majesty has already decided inwardly to give the post to Zhang Zixu, but he wants me, the Prime Minister, to plead with him and show deference."
"Grandfather, there's no need for you to go!"
"I must go. Of course, I will. What's the big deal about a subject showing deference to his monarch?"