Checking In for Sixty Years, From Puppet Emperor to Heavenly Emperor – Chapter 13

Ch 13: Imperial Palace Decisive Battle

Inside a house outside the Imperial Palace, Jiang Xian paced anxiously back and forth. He hadn’t received Sai Nai Mu’s message yet, which was far beyond the estimated time.

He couldn’t worry about much else; the arrow was already on the string and had to be fired. If this assassination failed, his own safety would be directly endangered.

He suddenly stopped and said to a general beside him, “Commander Pang, it seems the assassination in the Imperial Palace has failed. We can only use the last resort.”

Commander Pang, the current Emperor is muddle-headed and incompetent, willing to be controlled by the Empress Dowager. Only the Sixth Imperial Prince is the wise ruler of Qianyuan. This is our last chance.”

Commander Pang was the commander of the Imperial Palace guards. He sighed. If the Sixth Imperial Prince hadn’t appeared, he wouldn’t have helped the Left Prime Minister. He stood up and said, “Understood, the Purple Guard will be left to us.”

Commander Pang picked up the battle blade next to him and left. Jiang Xian immediately clasped his fist and said to the other six people in the room, “Everyone, if this succeeds, you will all be enfeoffed as marquises and become prime ministers. You will not be short of benefits. I’m counting on you.”

“Lord Left Prime Minister, rest assured, the Azure Guard killed my family. How could I let that old witch go?”

“That’s right, the Azure Guard doesn’t care about right or wrong and killed my father. This time, even if I risk my life, I will avenge my father.”

“That’s right, Lord Left Prime Minister, rest assured, everyone has been waiting for this day for a long time.”

These were all Jianghu people who had been persecuted by the Azure Guard and had become the Left Prime Minister’s retainers, secretly kept in the city.

“This cup of wine is to everyone.” The Left Prime Minister picked up his wine cup, clinked glasses with everyone present, drank it down in one gulp, and threw away the cup.

The six people picked up their weapons and left. The Left Prime Minister slowly put down his wine cup. At this time, a figure walked out of the shadows behind him, wearing a tattered Taoist robe, and chuckled, “Lord Left Prime Minister, these people won’t accomplish anything.”

“It’s no problem to deplete some of her internal force. When the Sixth Imperial Prince invites the Duke Protector of the Realm, even if Shangguan Lingwei can still win, how much internal force can she retain? Then I will have to trouble the Taoist Priest.” The Left Prime Minister clasped his fist and saluted.

“Haha, easy to say, as long as the Left Prime Minister doesn’t forget what he promised this poor Taoist.” The Old Taoist chuckled, stroked his beard, and carried two dark red great blades behind him.

“Definitely.” The Left Prime Minister smiled.

Inside the Imperial Palace, all the Imperial Guards protecting the place received the signal. Except for a few teams guarding the gates, all the Imperial Guards rushed into the Western Palace, targeting the Purple Guard there.

As the Empress Dowager’s personal guards, the Purple Guard was the strongest espionage force, and each member was a well-known expert in Jianghu.

Although the Imperial Guards had greater numbers, they did not dare to underestimate these assassination experts.

As soon as the Imperial Palace guards moved, the Empress Dowager in the Eternal Life Palace heard the commotion, flew out of the palace, stood on the roof, and saw all the Imperial Guards running towards the Western Palace.

She frowned and snorted, “Good for you, Jiang Xian, to be able to persuade the Imperial Palace guards. I underestimated you.”

“Empress Dowager, please allow your subject to kill the Imperial Guard Commander.” The Purple Guard with the number 2 engraved on his mask immediately called out.

“Jiang Xian won’t just have these methods. The Imperial Guards are just to delay the Purple Guard. Let Number 1 guard the Western Palace.” The Empress Dowager calmed down, stood on the roof with her hands behind her back, and watched the turmoil in the Imperial Palace.

“Yes.” Number 2 Purple Guard had someone convey the order, and she stood aside waiting.

Before long, hundreds of Jianghu experts appeared. When they got closer and saw the Empress Dowager, their eyes turned red with excitement.

“Old witch, your day has come. We will make you pay for the blood debts of our families today.” The group shouted.

“Presumptuous, kill.” Number 2 Purple Guard shouted, and the Purple Guard protecting her rushed up at the same time.

The sound of weapons colliding and the aftermath of internal force erupting shattered the walls of the courtyard. These people who could be valued by the Left Prime Minister were all Jianghu experts, at least at the Innate Seventh Level, and three of them were at the Innate Eighth Level, belonging to the top experts in Jianghu.

The Empress Dowager only had ten Purple Guards by her side. Facing hundreds of experts, they were quickly killed one by one. In the end, only Number 2 Purple Guard was left, fighting three Innate Eighth Level experts alone.

The Empress Dowager didn’t look at them and said calmly as she looked ahead, “Duke Protector of the Realm, I didn’t expect you to interfere as well.”

“Empress Dowager, if I don’t come out, the Imperial Family will probably be wiped out by you.”

On the palace opposite, an old man wearing a straw raincoat was standing, holding a bamboo pole in his hand, which was still wet, as if he had rushed over suddenly while fishing.

“I really don’t want to kill you. You are a veteran of three dynasties and have made unparalleled contributions to the Qianyuan Empire. It’s a pity that you and the Late Emperor had such low vision.” The Empress Dowager sighed, a lonely look in her eyes.

“Perhaps the Empress Dowager has a more distant vision, but no matter what, you shouldn’t take his place. Why don’t you assist the Imperial Princes and let them complete your goals?” The Duke Protector of the Realm spoke as if he was talking to an old friend, and the surrounding fighting scenes seemed to be just a play.

“I have already left descendants for the Zhou Family. Zhou Di is learning by your side, do you think I don’t know? Take him away, and I won’t pursue it. Live out your remaining years in peace and let Zhou Di be an ordinary person to leave a seed for the Zhou Imperial Family.”

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, purple electricity appeared on her body. At the same time, the Jianghu experts around her flew onto the roof, surrounding the Empress Dowager. Number 2 Purple Guard had already been killed by them together.

“Can’t do it.” After the Duke Protector of the Realm finished speaking these three words, these experts attacked at the same time.

Hidden weapons, bows and arrows, and flying daggers were fired almost simultaneously, and the Empress Dowager had no space to dodge.

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager transformed into purple electric light and appeared in front of two Jianghu experts in the blink of an eye. With a flash of electric light, the two were cut open, and the electric current also burned the wounds.

The twenty-odd people who jumped onto the roof didn’t even see clearly. In the time it took to breathe, all of them were killed, and their corpses rolled off the roof.

At this time, all the hidden weapons that had been fired hit the spot where the Empress Dowager had just been standing, and some flew through the air.

Such speed made the scalps of the other Jianghu experts tingle, and they revealed fearful expressions.

However, they all had deep hatred for the Empress Dowager. Fear was just a momentary thought and was quickly replaced by hatred. Under the leadership of three Innate Eighth Level experts, they all charged up again.

“Purple Current Rosy Clouds”

The Empress Dowager used the Shangguan Family’s unique skill. The purple lightning transformed into rosy clouds. Although the people who charged up were not lacking in internal force, none of them could touch the Empress Dowager at all. Instead, they were hit by the rushing purple electric rosy clouds, screaming miserably as they rolled off the roof.

The three Innate Eighth Level experts were horrified and gritted their teeth to use their respective unique skills to collide with the Empress Dowager’s purple electric palm blade.

As soon as they touched, the burst of energy shattered the entire roof of the palace. Then, the three of them spat blood and flew out, the electric current burning their hands along their weapons.

When the Empress Dowager was about to continue her pursuit, the Duke Protector of the Realm’s Qianyang Heavenly Alignment Fist slammed down on her from above.

The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, turned around, and her hand blade collided head-on with the purple electricity. The Fierce Sun internal force and the purple electric internal force erupted, and the first floor of the palace was instantly shattered. The purple electricity and the Fierce Sun energy ignited the wood, emitting a raging fire.

“The Qianyang Heavenly Alignment Fist is indeed overbearing, but it’s a pity that this set of fist techniques requires the Vast Universe Art to unleash its true power. Your Fierce Sun Art is a bit lacking.”

The Empress Dowager used the Purple Electric Crazy Blade, waving her hands and shooting out dozens of purple electric blade energies, enveloping the Duke Protector of the Realm’s body.

The three Jianghu experts took the opportunity to rush out from behind, and their fist techniques, palm techniques, and leg techniques simultaneously attacked her back and the back of her head.

“Courting death.” The Empress Dowager suddenly changed her move, turned around, and swept the purple electric blade energy towards them.

As soon as the three of them got close, they didn’t have time to dodge and were hit by the blade energy, their internal force was pierced, their hands and feet were cut off, and then their bodies were penetrated by the blade energy.

At the same time, the Duke Protector of the Realm’s Qianyang Heavenly Alignment Fist arrived. Under the activation of the Fierce Sun Art’s internal force, the fist force transformed into a dozen Fierce Sun fists and hit the Empress Dowager’s back.

He sent her flying into the Eternal Life Palace, piercing through two floors and crashing into the ground.

The three Jianghu experts smiled when they saw this scene. They would make this old witch pay with her life even if they died.

However, after the three of them landed, the last scene they saw before they died was the Empress Dowager letting out a long howl and breaking through the Eternal Life Palace. The outer robe on her body was shattered, revealing the golden fish scale inner armor inside. When the Vast Universe Art internal force erupted from her body, they all died with shocked and unwilling expressions.

“Eighth Level Vast Universe Art!” The Duke Protector of the Realm was shocked. His Qianyang Heavenly Alignment Fist was bestowed by the Great Ancestor Emperor back then. Because it was just a fist technique, it could be learned, but it could not be spread to outsiders.

The Vast Universe Art was something that only the direct descendants of the Imperial Family could learn no matter what.

“Duke Protector of the Realm, you can rest in peace dying under this unique skill.” The Empress Dowager drove the Vast Universe Art internal force, and the palm blade transformed into a huge blade energy and rushed straight towards him.

The Duke Protector of the Realm really had no way to dodge. The Empress Dowager’s speed was too fast. He could only forcibly activate the Fierce Sun Art and blast out the Qianyang Heavenly Alignment Fist.

When the two forces collided, the Duke Protector of the Realm’s fist was forcibly cut open by the blade energy, and then he was hit in the chest by the Empress Dowager’s palm blade.

He spat out a large mouthful of blood, and the person stood stiffly in place. The clothes on his body had been stained red with blood, and it dripped from the cuffs and hem onto the ground.

“What exactly do you want?” The Duke Protector of the Realm asked finally.

“Without entering the Innate Realm, the Empire will perish sooner or later, and no one can change it. I will let Zhou An leave a seed for the Zhou Family. One day, this Qianyuan Empire will still be returned to the Zhou Family.”

Hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, the Duke Protector of the Realm closed his eyes and fell to the ground.

Zhou An, who had been standing in the Star Observation Tower, was secretly amazed by this battle. This Empress Dowager was actually at the peak of the Innate Ninth Level, while the Duke Protector of the Realm should be in the middle range of the Innate Ninth Level.

“Left Prime Minister, if the Duke Protector of the Realm is your trump card, then you have lost.” Zhou An muttered with a smile.