FIMA Ch129: Strategizing

After Gu Siyuan’s words fell.

A dead silence swept the venue. For a long time, no one spoke. The representatives of the major factions all turned ashen, their expressions incredibly ugly.

Absurd! They were both shocked and enraged in their hearts.

But looking at Gu Siyuan’s cold and stern face, they couldn’t utter a single word of refutation. After all, they were the ones who had set such a high moral tone at the beginning. To object now would be slapping their own faces.

Wouldn’t that prove they had selfish motives and that everything was just for the imperial throne? Then how could they continue chanting lofty slogans and righteously fight for the Imperial Seal?

The gazes of the people from the major factions as they looked at Gu Siyuan became complicated to the extreme.

Meanwhile, Tang Sheng, who was sitting very close to him, had long since turned pale. His hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched into fists, trembling slightly.

This damned guy came specifically to cause trouble, deliberately making things difficult for him!

Xiao Hanxin regretted it even more deeply. She absolutely shouldn’t have taken the initiative to provoke this person. Who cares what tune he could play? Who cares if he broke her Spirit Eye Technique? If she had just endured it for a moment, what would have been the big deal?

What was she supposed to do now?

Thus, with a tacit understanding.

At this very moment, almost everyone present shared a common thought.

If only time could turn back. They absolutely would not have let this person speak. A person like this should have been thrown down the mountain—or better yet, beaten to death—the moment he opened his mouth…

Thinking of this, someone’s eyes lit up.

The next moment, a person stood up directly, pointing at Gu Siyuan and the Song Clan beside him, roaring: “What exactly are you trying to do, spouting nonsense here?! Could it be you’ve been bought off by that foolish ruler, and came specifically to sabotage today’s ‘Choosing a Ruler on Behalf of Heaven’ assembly?!”

“Right! The rules of our ancestors, how can they be changed just like that? This is making things difficult for all the brothers here, and making things difficult for the Holy Land!”

“Since this guy is here to cause trouble, let’s kick him out and continue with the assembly!”

“Right, kick him out!”

…

Facing this overwhelming fury and pressure.

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged. Instead, he infused a bit of internal energy into his voice, allowing his words to reach every corner of the venue: “Are you all so agitated because you have guilty consciences and are flying into a rage out of humiliation? Just because your own moral character is too inferior to achieve this, do you assume others cannot achieve it either?”

As he spoke, he immediately turned his head to look at Tang Sheng: “Take Brother Tang, for example. The Wu Family Army that Brother Tang belongs to is a top-tier righteous army with a reputation for benevolence. Just now, Brother Tang spoke with the word of a gentleman, expressing that his only desire is to save the world and aid the people, holding absolutely no covetous desires for the imperial throne.”

“I…” Tang Sheng was momentarily at a loss for words.

He glared hatefully at Gu Siyuan. Could he really directly deny it right now?

The next moment, Gu Siyuan had already turned his head back to Xiao Hanxin: “Since the other factions present are unwilling to abide by the Holy Land’s rules and all harbor selfish motives, while only Brother Tang is truly selfless and impartial—making him the exact wise and enlightened monarch the Holy Land is looking for—what are you still waiting for, Miss Hanxin? Why not just hand the Imperial Seal of the Realm directly over to Brother Tang?”

“Brother Tang already possesses the beautiful reputation of being one of the ‘Twin Dragons of Jiangdong’. If he raises his arms and calls out with the Imperial Seal in hand, who within the four seas wouldn’t follow him? Before long, Brother Tang can lead his righteous army to sweep across the world, end this chaotic era of conflict, and restore peace and tranquility to the mortal realm!”

Xiao Hanxin’s expression was unreadable.

This was originally exactly what the Outer Heaven Pavilion and she had planned, but hearing it come from the mouth of this massive troublemaker felt bizarre to the extreme, especially in this kind of situation.

This guy was likely trying to ‘besiege Wei to rescue Zhao’ (create a diversion to defuse the situation) and borrow a knife to kill.

But she couldn’t completely shut the idea down either, because the Imperial Seal truly was going to be given to Tang Sheng in the end.

Licking her lips, Xiao Hanxin said slowly: “What does the young master mean by this? Young General Tang is indeed an outstanding hero, and directly entrusting him with the Imperial Seal is not out of the question, but we still need the heroes present to…”

However, at this moment, Tang Sheng’s eyes were unfocused, entirely dazed.

For some reason, the scene Gu Siyuan had described surfaced in his mind—what a beautiful scene it was.

Received the Mandate of Heaven; May he live long and prosper. Who could refuse those eight words?

Seeing him like this at a glance, Xiao Hanxin couldn’t help but frown, calling out softly: “Tang Sheng…”

And right at this moment, Yang Tai, who had remained silent among the Wu Family Army group, suddenly stood up. With a resolute expression, he said, “Brother Gu speaks reason! Since everyone here harbors selfish motives and is unwilling to abide by the rules of the Outer Heaven Pavilion, then what if my Wu Family Army claims this Imperial Seal?!”

Tang Sheng snapped out of his fantasy, looking at Yang Tai in shock. Did this guy take the wrong medicine? Hasn’t he always been at odds with me? Or does he think that after I get the Imperial Seal, I’ll actually bring it back to the Wu Family Army to be redistributed, so he wants to ride my coattails?

Although Wu Man’er didn’t understand these major military and state affairs, the Wu Family Army had come to Jiangcheng for two reasons: one, to connect with the Thunderbolt Hall, and two, for this Imperial Seal.

The Imperial Seal was even more important; it represented legitimacy and righteousness, which would attract more people to join them in the future. For it to be obtained by her Big Brother Tang now was naturally the best outcome.

She immediately stood up as well, beaming with a smile: “That’s right! Since your words and hearts do not align, failing to meet the requirements of an enlightened monarch, then today this Imperial Seal belongs to my Wu Family Army, and belongs to my Big Brother Tang!”

The crowd in the venue was utterly shocked by this sudden turn of events, looking at each other in dismay.

What is going on?

This is too ridiculous. They had been fighting tooth and nail trying to drive that brat surnamed Gu away, and as a result… the Wu Family Army was actually so shameless as to try and take advantage of the situation to reap the fisherman’s spoils!

Just then, under Chu Yuan’s signaling, Lei Yan also stood up and burst into loud laughter: “Well done, Big Brother Tang! Our Thunderbolt Hall didn’t misjudge you! Then today, this Imperial Seal belongs to the Wu Family Army and Tang Sheng! The Thunderbolt Hall will shoulder all other matters. My Thunderbolt Hall brought men here today exactly to ensure the safe departure of the Wu Family Army envoys from Xuanqing Mountain, and from Jiangcheng!”

The moment these words came out, the atmosphere in the venue instantly shifted.

The implicit provocation in this was far too strong.

The people of the other factions simply bared their fangs entirely.

“A measly Thunderbolt Hall actually dares to spout such arrogant nonsense! Our Four Great Sects haven’t even spoken yet!”

“The Wu Family Army is also ridiculous! Do you take us for soft persimmons? Wanting to monopolize the Imperial Seal like this—absolutely impossible!”

“I advise you all to behave yourselves and drop your delusions about the Imperial Seal, otherwise it’s uncertain who won’t be walking out of Xuanqing Mountain!”

“Hehe… young people truly don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth!”

Facing this sky-filling fury head-on, Tang Sheng’s expression immediately changed, secretly blaming them in his heart: Lei Yan was too impulsive; this situation is about to spiral out of control. Xiao Hanxin felt even more that things were going terribly wrong.

Yet at this very moment, Yang Tai drew the long saber at his waist and laughed at the sky: “So what if we treat you like soft persimmons?! We won’t know the final result until we fight! Stop throwing your weight around just because you’re old!”

Tang Sheng looked at Yang Tai in shock. Is this guy insane, pouring oil on the fire right now?

The next moment, however, he saw Yang Tai pat his shoulder and say: “Brother, do not worry! Our Wu Family Army has amassed troops on the south bank of the Yangtze River, occupying five cities including Ezhou, a mere two hundred li from Jiangcheng. Adoptive Father knew long ago that today’s matter regarding the Imperial Seal would likely not end peacefully. Therefore, before coming here, he secretly made ample preparations, dispatching thousands of elite troops to sneak in! Right now, the base of the mountain is completely surrounded by our people! Later, we’ll blow up all their ships and sink them! We’ll see who is the one failing to walk out of Xuanqing Mountain today!”

Lei Yan also hurriedly chimed in: “That’s right! Big Brother Tang, you don’t need to worry. With my Thunderbolt Hall’s firearms assisting, we planted massive amounts of explosives all over Xuanqing Mountain a day in advance! Let’s see who dares to act rashly later; the moment I send the signal, we’ll blow them straight to the sky!”

“…” Tang Sheng.

You guys made this many preparations? He suddenly felt as if these two idiots, who originally dragged him down, had turned into tactical geniuses.

But upon hearing these words, the other factions in the venue went crazy.

Before coming here, they had originally made private non-aggression pacts with one another. Otherwise, since everyone was a person of high status and power who cherished their lives dearly, who would dare come here to take risks?

But who could have expected the Wu Family Army to be this insane?! Actually daring to make a move against them?!

Zhao Tianzong, who had an immense grudge against Tang Sheng, immediately raged: “You dare risk universal condemnation like this?! Do you want to be crusaded against by all the factions together?!”

“Right! Does the Wu Family Army want to make enemies of the entire world?!”

“Hmph! Stop trying to scare people! Whether we make a move against you today or not, as long as the Imperial Seal falls into our hands, you will inevitably swarm us like mosquitoes smelling blood. Since that’s the case, why should we hesitate?!” Yang Tai raised his saber and sneered coldly.

“Oh, by the way, let me tell you the truth! In fact, this Imperial Seal of the Realm has long since belonged to the Wu Family Army, and Miss Hanxin has also long since made a lifelong promise of marriage to my Brother Tang! Holding this so-called ‘Choosing a Ruler on Behalf of Heaven’ assembly was nothing more than an excuse to gather all the masters of the major factions here, and then catch you all in one fell swoop! Haha!”

As soon as these words came out.

The venue erupted in an absolute uproar.

“What?!”

“You actually dare to scheme against us like this!”

“To think the Outer Heaven Pavilion would do such a thing!”

“What bullshit Holy Land, just a haven for filth and corruption!”

…

Wu Man’er blinked, her expression changing drastically. Big Brother Tang and this Miss Hanxin actually have that kind of relationship?

Xiao Hanxin and Tang Sheng exchanged a glance, their minds completely blanking out. The gaze they leveled at Yang Tai was like looking at a demon.

How did this guy know about the relationship between the two of them? How did he know the Outer Heaven Pavilion’s decision? Furthermore, what exactly was his goal in deliberately blurting all this out in front of everyone? And finally, since when did they want to catch the other factions in one fell swoop?! What nonsense is he spouting?!

…

The two of them felt something was terribly wrong and immediately wanted to speak up and refute it.

But right at this moment, Yang Tai continued to laugh loudly and mockingly: “Haha, you bunch of idiots! You deserve to be stepping stones for my Wu Family Army and my Brother Tang!”

“You’re courting death!”

Among the other factions, a hot-tempered middle-aged burly man immediately flew into a furious rage and tried to lunge directly toward them.

Suddenly, they saw someone in the Thunderbolt Hall wave a small yellow flag.

Immediately following, two violent whoosh-whoosh sounds tore through the air. Two small black spherical projectiles shot out rapidly, flying straight toward the advancing burly man.

Fearing it was some hidden weapon, the middle-aged man immediately dodged subconsciously.

However, the moment the black beads brushed past him, they exploded with a loud BANG.

These beads seemed ordinary and tiny, yet their power was incredibly astonishing. That patch of mid-air seemed to shudder, and the middle-aged man, struck by the explosive force, was blasted back several zhang. His clothes were shredded into pieces, and it went without saying that his entire body was already a bloody, mangled mess. Countless wounds everywhere gushed fresh blood outward.

Companions traveling with him immediately rushed forward to save him, but the man’s arms had already dropped limply; his entire person was devoid of breath.

“It’s Thunderbolt Pellets!”

“The Thunderbolt Hall’s Thunderbolt Pellets!”

“The Wu Family and the Thunderbolt Hall actually dare to murder people!”

That sudden, unexpected turn of events thoroughly lit the fuse on this situation that was already as dangerous as a powder keg.

Just then, a voice from an unknown location roared: “The Wu Family Army is ruthless and vicious! We cannot just sit and wait for death! Everyone attack together! Kill them and charge down the mountain!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

The heroes in the venue all changed expression, gearing up for battle, and directly lunged toward the Wu Family Army to slaughter them.

At this point, even if Tang Sheng and Xiao Hanxin wanted to explain anything, it was already too late.

Especially since the strongest killing intent was entirely directed at the two of them. They could only fight with their lives to defend themselves. Because their martial arts were quite high, they naturally killed several people while defending themselves. Thus, this hatred grew thicker and deeper, until it was ultimately impossible to resolve.

However, as the battle progressed, the two of them paradoxically began to relax.

During their argument earlier, Yang Tai and Lei Yan had claimed they were fully prepared, and this was actually no lie. The moment the chaotic brawl began, nearly a thousand armored elite soldiers swarmed up from the base of the mountain.

Following that, the most terrifying thing in this chaotic battle occurred.

The most formidable reaper of human lives in the fight was not the Grandmaster experts, nor superb martial arts, but the omnipresent Thunderbolt Fire Bombs in the hands of those near-thousand elite soldiers. This was likely a newly developed contraption; they didn’t even need a mechanical launcher to fire. As long as they were tossed using internal energy, they would explode instantly upon touching a person. Bombs and fire rained down across the venue, impossible to defend against.

In an instant, the number of people from the jianghu and major aristocratic clans who died to these Thunderbolt Fire Bombs was uncountable.

The entire summit of Xuanqing Mountain was littered with corpses, and blood flowed like a river!

Some old servants guarding their masters said urgently: “We can’t hold them off! This old servant will protect you as you jump off the mountain peak. With Heaven’s blessing, if you swim to the opposite bank, there might be a sliver of hope for survival!”

Hearing this, several opulently dressed middle-aged and young men immediately leaped off the mountain into the river water below. Those old servants relaxed slightly upon seeing their masters depart and were just about to charge back into the fray.

Yet they heard a series of muffled booms coming from below the mountain, and monstrous waves churned on the river surface. This was clearly the might of explosives and firearms again.

They instantly realized: the Wu family had executed this so meticulously that there must have been men ambushed all around the base of Xuanqing Mountain. Those people jumping down just now was no different from fish throwing themselves into a net.

With their masters captured, the people on the mountain who were originally still resisting fell into a daze, and their defeat instantly became like a collapsing mountain.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Only then did the summit gradually quiet down, the sounds of killing and shouting fading away.

Those who died, died; those who surrendered, surrendered.

Tang Sheng climbed up from the ground. Looking at the indistinguishable mix of blood and minced flesh on his body, he smiled.

He had won after all. Haha… the Imperial Seal of the Realm was his.

He looked to the side at Xiao Hanxin, whose white clothes had already turned a purplish-black, and smiled: “Now no one can stop us.”

Xiao Hanxin’s expression was unreadable. For things to turn out like this, she truly didn’t know if it was good or bad. But at this moment, she could only barely prop up her body and give a light nod to Tang Sheng: “En.”

Then, soft sounds echoed across the summit.

It was the sound of people walking, stepping on fallen leaves and branches. Because they weren’t deliberately trying to be quiet, the sound traveled very clearly to the ears of the few surviving people.

Tang Sheng looked up.

He saw the group of armored elite soldiers who had come up the mountain earlier suddenly and orderly part in the middle, creating a path. And along that path, several figures slowly walked up.

His eyes snapped wide open.

Gu Siyuan stood at the entrance of the mountain path, his hands behind his back. Looking at the scene on the summit, his expression wasn’t very good.

He said faintly: “Next time, let’s have fewer people die.”

“…”

Xie Chenyun snapped out of his slight daze.

Even Lei Yan, who feared Gu Siyuan to death, couldn’t help but shoot him a disdainful look.

Isn’t everything before us caused by your single thought? And now you’re here putting on an act of false mercy and a soft heart.

Gu Siyuan ignored the gazes of the two and coldly ordered his subordinates on his left and right: “What are you staring blankly for? Capture everyone who can still move, and for the intact corpses, add another stab!”

“Yes!” the soldiers responded loudly.

“…” Xie Chenyun fell completely silent.

Look at these ruthless and venomous words; how poorly they match his melancholic, mourning appearance from just a moment ago. He still understood Gu Siyuan far too little.

Gu Siyuan walked a few steps forward with his hands behind his back, seemingly inspecting the results of his planning, and also checking if anyone was faking death.

Tang Sheng looked at Gu Siyuan, looked at Xie Chenyun, looked at Lei Yan, and looked at Yang Tai.

Finally, he locked his gaze on Gu Siyuan’s face: “It’s you. These elite soldiers are your people? Lei Yan is also following your orders…”

As he spoke, he looked at Yang Tai: “You actually listen to him too? So earlier, you were deliberately fanning the flames constantly? Deliberately causing the major factions to conflict with us?”

Yang Tai chuckled softly: “You’ve finally realized.”

Tang Sheng gritted his teeth.

But he didn’t understand why. Lei Yan listening to this man surnamed Gu was understandable; he was probably caught that day at the Lingxu Pavilion and threatened or controlled by this person using some method.

But Yang Tai was a proud and arrogant person, usually going tit for tat with him in the Wu Family Army. How could he be manipulated so easily?

Furthermore, once today’s events spread, the Wu Family Army would inevitably become the public enemy of the world. Yang Tai was a Young Marshal of the Wu Family Army alongside him; how did this move bring him even a sliver of benefit?

Unless the person in front of him could bring Yang Tai an even greater benefit…

He tilted his head back, staring dead at Gu Siyuan: “You… who exactly are you?!”

Xie Chenyun gave a cold sneer.

Gu Siyuan didn’t pay any attention at all.

Yang Tai, however, stepped forward and delivered a vicious kick, sending the exhausted Tang Sheng stumbling.

He shouted loudly, “The Son of Heaven of my Great Zhou is here! You rebel, you actually dare to be insolent!”

Tang Sheng’s entire body trembled.

The Son of Heaven of Great Zhou?

The Son of Heaven?

He stared at Gu Siyuan, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets: “You… you are actually that foolish ruler!”

Xiao Hanxin was equally in disbelief.

This person is actually the emperor of the Great Zhou dynasty? That tyrannical, foolish ruler?

Yang Tai immediately kicked him again: “Still daring to spout nonsense! His Majesty’s enlightened decisiveness and masterful strategizing—how could it be comprehended by stupid people like you?!”

“Hehe…”

Tang Sheng immediately began to laugh hysterically.

That’s right. If someone who, without losing a single soldier or steed, buried the key figures of more than half the rebel armies and aristocratic factions could still be considered a foolish ruler, then he truly didn’t know what kind of person counted as smart.

However, he also had to thank Yang Tai’s two kicks for pushing him this close.

The next moment, using the last remnants of his internal energy, he raised his palm and lunged toward Gu Siyuan. ‘To catch the bandits, first catch the king.’ Grabbing Gu Siyuan as a hostage was his only path to survival.

Support me on Ko-fi