Past Hall, Spirit Mountain Holy Land:
The Past Buddha sat on a lotus platform with a group of bodhisattvas and arhats standing in the surroundings. Everyone looked at a man wearing embroidered clothes standing in front.
“Han Imperial Dynasty’s Embroidered Uniform Guard chiliarch, Tang Tian, greets the Lord Past Buddha!” That man bowed slightly.
[TL Note: Chiliarch is a military rank in the ancient Macedonian army. It means commander of one thousand men. Here is the Wikipedia entry on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiliarch.]
“Gu Hai sent you? Tang Tian?” The Past Buddha looked at the man before him with some confusion.
He was not aware of any such person in the Han Imperial Dynasty.
“This humble one is an Embroidered Uniform Guard chiliarch and is only responsible for all intel about the Spirit Mountain Holy Land.” Tang Tian nodded.
“Oh? Just an ordinary Embroidered Uniform Guard?” the Past Buddha said sullenly.
“Yes!” Tang Tian nodded.
“Did Gu Hai send you to me? Are you not afraid that this buddha will keep you here forever?” the Past Buddha asked.
“This humble one is just a nameless soldier, an Embroidered Uniform Guard chiliarch. The Han Imperial Dynasty has thousands—tens of thousands—of these. I have little value. If Past Buddha would like to keep me here, then do so. It will not be a loss to the Han Imperial Dynasty,” Tang Tian said with a carefree smile.
“Aren’t you afraid of death?” the Past Buddha asked coldly.
“Who wouldn’t be? However, I am willing to die for the Han Imperial Dynasty, for His Reverence!” Tang Tian retorted indifferently.
“Huh?”
“His Reverence saved my entire family—my son, my daughter, my father, and my mother. His Reverence has already made the best arrangements for them. What do I have to worry about? Past Buddha, I’m not here to discuss my life or death but to pass on a message from His Reverence,” Tang Tian said.
“Speak!” The Past Buddha frowned at Tang Tian.
“His Reverence said although Tang Gu betrayed His Reverence, he is still His Reverence’s son. He also said he would leave Tang Gu’s souls with you for now and would come for them in the future. If Tang Gu’s souls are gone when he comes, he will cut off your flesh piece by piece while you are alive!” Tang Tian said.
“How audacious!” The bodhisattvas and arhats burst into fury.
How dare you come to the Past Hall, point at the Past Buddha, and say things like cutting his flesh off piece by piece while he is alive? Are you tired of living?
Blargh!
The immense pressure made Tang Tian spew a mouthful of blood. However, he did not show any fear, even as his life hung by a thread. Instead, he showed a ferocious smile.
The Past Buddha raised his hand, stopping all the bodhisattvas and arhats as he stared coldly at Tang Gu.
“Since Gu Hai cares about Tang Gu’s souls, why didn’t he come here to tell this buddha in person? Even if he did not, why didn’t he use a zither puppet to tell me? Instead, he had you speak on his behalf?” the Past Buddha asked coldly.
“I’ve already delivered the message, so it is time for me to leave. Of course, you can kill me too,” Tang Tian retorted with a cold smile, not answering the questions.
After turning his head, Tang Tian walked out of the hall.
The bodhisattvas and arhats wanted to stop Tang Tian as he walked out. However, the Past Buddha forestalled them.
The Past Buddha watched with a somewhat sullen expression as Tang Tian strolled out of the hall and disappeared.
“Lord Buddha, what does Gu Hai mean by that? Sending someone to threaten you? Where does he get his courage?” a bodhisattva said with a frown.
“He defeated Sect Master Heavenly Access twice. Would he not dare to?” the Past Buddha answered coldly.
The bodhisattvas felt stifled as they suddenly remembered how horrifying Gu Hai was.
“However, it is as Lord Buddha asked. Why didn’t Gu Hai contact you directly with a zither puppet? Instead, he sent an unremarkable Embroidered Uniform Guard chiliarch?” a bodhisattva said with a frown.
“Gu Hai does not wish to negotiate with me? Hah! He sent a person just so I would pay note to Tang Gu’s souls and not destroy them. Furthermore, Gu Hai cannot get distracted now? Rather, he does not dare to seek me out?” the Past Buddha said with a frown.
“He does not wish to negotiate with Lord Buddha?”
“Gu Hai is truly crafty. Humph!” the Past Buddha snorted coldly.
“Lord Buddha, what should we do about Tang Gu’s souls? Should we interrogate him?”
“Naturally, we have to interrogate him. Send him to the eighteen layers of hell and slowly interrogate him!” the Past Buddha said.
A large palace hall within Martial Heaven City:
Long Shenwu and Six Fingers looked at a white-clad woman. This woman looked horrified, biting her lips as she held a four- or five-year-old boy tight in her arms.
“Mother, it hurts!” the boy called out, feeling wronged.
The white-clad woman immediately loosened her embrace. “Little Bao, don’t be afraid. Mother is here.”
Long Shenwu looked at the white-clad woman and frowned. “Madame Sima, there’s no need to worry. We will not make things difficult for you.”
The white-clad woman, Madame Sima, continued biting her lip, not saying anything. She only hugged the boy with some fear.
Long Shenwu frowned at Six Fingers.
“When I went there, Madame Sima was carrying Young Master Sima and sneaking away,” Six Fingers explained.
“Sneaking away?”
“Yes, Your Reverence. Although I have extraordinary hearing, I cannot get overly distracted. The Sima Clan is a large clan, and I need to monitor everyone, so I rotate among people when listening. I did not expect Madame Sima to sneak away with Young Master Sima. I had listened in earlier, and the Sima Clan’s servants apparently mentioned someone contacting Madame Sima recently. Perhaps that person told her the rumors of Your Reverence wanting to deal with Sima Changkong. Not wanting to cause trouble for Sima Changkong, she fled.” Six Fingers frowned.
Long Shenwu frowned slightly. “Are there really that many rumors in the city?”
“Yes!” Six Fingers nodded.
Long Shenwu considered Madame Sima in silence.
Whoosh!
Just then, a beam of light streaked into the hall.
“How audacious!” Six Fingers shouted.
The guards outside the palace hall held up their weapons.
It was Ao Sheng, flying into the palace hall with Sima Changkong.
Whoosh!
The two landed.
“Your Reverence, I’ve brought him!” Ao Sheng said.
“Your Reverence!” Sima Changkong respectfully saluted Long Shenwu upon entering the palace hall.
“Father!” the boy behind cried out in pleasant surprise from behind, his eyes lighting up.
Sima Changkong felt slightly shocked. “Little Bao? My dear?”
The woman held Little Bao, not letting the boy rush over.
The woman seemed shaken, only holding Little Bao and not speaking.
Little Bao cried out anxiously, “Mother! Mother, let me go! Father is back! Father said he would bring me toys! I want toys! I want Father! I want Father to hug me!”
Little Bao struggled, while Sima Changkong felt like crying. He immediately understood what was going on.
Then he turned his head and looked at Long Shenwu.
“Your Reverence, this official has an agreement with Your Reverence. No matter when, Your Reverence would not disturb my family as long as this official does not betray the Wu Imperial Dynasty. Your Reverence, you promised this official!” Sima Changkong said with bloodshot eyes.
Six Fingers immediately smiled and said, “Some wicked men tempted Madame Sima, provoking a misunderstanding of His Reverence and prompting her to hide, so I—”
“Shut up!” Sima Changkong glared.
“Mister Six Fingers? I’m speaking with His Reverence. It is not your place to interrupt. Don’t think you have His Highness the Crown Prince to protect you. This involves the nation’s politics. Even His Highness the Crown Prince cannot interfere with His Reverence’s judgment!” Sima Changkong glared at Six Fingers.
Six Fingers’s expression stiffened, and Long Shenwu’s face sank.
“Your Reverence, this official failed at the front lines. If Your Reverence feels this official is incapable, you can remove me from my position. Why are you doing all this? Your Reverence, this is not how you are. You used to trust this official. Previously, you assigned this official to manage the Wu Imperial Dynasty before the Revival Convention. This official has worked hard. His Highness the Crown Prince planned to usurp the throne and tried to recruit this official. However, this official did not waver, continuing to watch the nation for Your Reverence. Your Reverence, why do you doubt this official?” Sima Changkong said bitterly.
Ao Sheng frowned slightly, not saying anything as he watched from the side.
“Sima Changkong, we naturally saw your efforts and achievements,” Long Shenwu said after a deep breath.
“Then what is going on with this official’s wife and son?” Sima Changkong asked with bloodshot eyes.
“We invited them here to be witnesses. Sima Changkong, since you say you are loyal to us, you can prove it here now!” Long Shenwu said seriously.
“Huh? Prove it? How does Your Reverence want me to prove it?” Sima Changkong said with bloodshot eyes.
Sima Changkong suddenly discovered to his despair he could not give his excuses and explanations. He had been prepared to explain Gu Hai’s schemes, but the emperor did not care about the purpose of those schemes. The emperor only wanted to turn him into a zombie.
His Reverence promised he would never turn me into a zombie. Is His Reverence going to break his promise?
“Become my progeny, and we will trust you unconditionally. You can mobilize all the military forces of the Wu Imperial Dynasty as you please, even the dragon army. How about that? You will be our most trusted man!” Long Shenwu said gravely.
Buzz!
Sima Changkong’s head buzzed. His Reverence said it in the end.
He does not trust me? He wants to make me his zombie progeny?
“Hah! Hahaha! Your Reverence, you have changed. You have lost confidence in yourself. You have changed, no longer daring to let people come close to you. You said that the zombie bloodline was just an auxiliary ability and that you would not overly rely on it. After all, not everyone wants to become a zombie. As a sovereign, you embrace all talents in the world, not relying on zombie progenies to pressure all the talents. This would only make all the talents in the world fear you more and grow even more distant from you!” Sima Changkong said anxiously as he looked at Long Shenwu.
Long Shenwu frowned slightly. “We know. But we care about Mister Sima more.”
“What if this official says no?” Sima Changkong stared at Long Shenwu.
Six Fingers sneered, “It is not up to you.”
Long Shenwu appeared firm, determined to get his way. Ao Sheng gaped, not knowing what to say.
“Father! Mother, let me go! I want Father!” Little Bao shouted behind.
The woman firmly held the child, crying silently.
Sima Changkong’s eyes turned slightly red. Now, he felt extremely disappointed in Long Shenwu, giving up on him.
“Your Reverence, if this official objects, are you going to attack this official’s wife and son?” Sima Changkong asked with bloodshot eyes.
“Don’t worry. We only care about you. As long as you cooperate, you can take them away. You can even bring them to the front lines,” Long Shenwu said seriously.
“Hah! Hahahahahaha!” Sima Changkong revealed an expression of despair.
His cultivation was weak compared to that of the other people in the hall, insufficient to resist. However, when he heard Long Shenwu’s words, he felt extremely disappointed. The zeal and aspiration he previously felt now turned to sorrow and disillusionment.
Just as Sima Changkong despaired, a loud voice suddenly came from outside Martial Heaven City.
“Sima Changkong, you told the Mosquito Daoist you would join the Han Imperial Dynasty only if you gave up on Long Shenwu. Have you given up on him yet?”
The shout echoed throughout Martial Heaven City.
“What?” The officials and citizens in the city broke out in a commotion.
“Gu Hai’s voice?” Six Fingers’s expression suddenly changed.
“That’s impossible! Gu Hai came to Martial Heaven City?” Ao Sheng’s expression changed.
Long Shenwu raised his eyebrows, looking at Sima Changkong in shock.
Sima Changkong was stunned. Gu Hai’s voice? That’s right. It’s him! Why is Gu Hai’s voice in Martial Heaven City? Did he come here just to receive me?
