Star Trace Gate

Chapter 829 The End of the Emperor’s Tomb

Twenty thousand Chaolong Guards were buried in Luoshen Mountain, and none of General Yang and his family members survived.

The whole story of this battle spread throughout the five cities of Xianlan the next day; three days later, it shocked the entire Jiuli world.

To outsiders, some felt that Mr. Yang's death in battle, along with the annihilation of his family, was a truly auspicious event, as the five Xianlan cities held a lucrative niche that might yield immense benefits in the future. Of course, others felt that Mr. Yang lived up to his reputation as a loyal general, knowing his son-in-law was a worthless man and that Chaolong's army was no match for the other four cities. Yet, he still led his troops into battle, asserting the last bit of dignity for both the Long and Yang families.

But all these discussions were nothing more than the feelings of a group of onlookers who were just watching the fun. But for the tens of millions of people in Chaolong City, the death of General Yang in battle was like a bolt from the blue, making countless people panic.

The reason why the attack on Datong River failed was that the other four cities only mobilized 60,000 troops to attend the alliance meeting, but secretly set up 60,000 ambushes, as if they had guessed General Yang's thoughts and were waiting for him to lead his troops into the trap.

Twenty thousand elite Chaolong soldiers fought their way from the Datong River to the halfway point of Luoshen Mountain, killing more than twenty thousand enemies and defeating nearly thirty thousand of them. They disrupted the sixty thousand troops in the open with almost absolute disadvantage, but they were no match for the hundreds of third-grade and above cultivators who descended from the sky, let alone the sixty thousand ambushes.

This battle nearly wiped out Chaolong City's most elite troops, but that wasn't the most crucial point. The most crucial thing was that the four city lords were all alive and well, and after killing 20,000 Chaolong Guards, they quickly retreated and left Luoshen Mountain.

The bodies of General Yang and his famous generals were also taken away by the lords of the four cities.

what does this mean?

This means that Chaolong's elite troops have been completely wiped out, and the four cities will surely make a comeback in the near future, sending 400,000 troops to attack Chaolong City directly.

By then, the city would no longer have the protection of the Yang family generals, and even less of the high-ranking people. It would be a tragedy that the city would be destroyed, people would die, and countless civilians would be massacred and looted.

Therefore, when news of General Yang's death reached Chaolong City, it terrified countless civilians and officials. Chaos reigned within the city. Merchants, seizing the opportunity to profit, frantically controlled and hoarded grain, causing prices to skyrocket. The many gentry dependent on the Yang family frantically considered when and how to flee. Without their superiors and their resolve, petty officials resigned and went on strike, staying at home and watching the situation unfold, searching for a way out.

In addition, the people in the city had different opinions on the deployment of troops in the other four cities.

Some people believe that these 20,000 Chaolong guards died in Luoshen Mountain, and the other four cities seemed to have guessed General Yang’s intentions and set up ambushes in advance. Then why didn’t they march directly to Chaolong after their victory?

The general had just died, and the city was bound to be in chaos. If we were to besiege and attack the city now, it would be the best time! But why did the lords of these four cities suddenly withdraw their troops and remain silent?

Some speculated that although the four city lords had set an ambush, they hadn't anticipated the sheer force of the 20,000 Tide Dragon Guards. Not only did they disrupt the 60,000-strong army, they also severely injured the four city lords who had used themselves as bait. Even General Yang nearly killed one of the city lords before his own death. Therefore, the soldiers from the four cities quickly retreated, preparing to wait for the city lords to recover before attacking the city.

Some also believed that although Yang Lao and his army were dead, Chaolong City still had a hundred thousand troops standing still. With the might of their city defense formation, they would surely be a formidable opponent, so the four cities needed to regroup their forces...

In short, there are all kinds of rumors out there, but the sudden withdrawal of troops from these four cities really looks very strange and puzzling.

However, no matter what the people of Chaolong speculate, they will all accept one fact, that is, the troops from the four cities will definitely come again, at the latest in three to five months, and at the latest in more than ten days.

……

When the city was in chaos, Long Yuqing, who had just returned, went to the Renjian Inn.

This was what Old Master Yang told him before he left, and it was also a move that Long Yuqing had to make at the moment.

After the news of his father-in-law's death reached Chaolong, countless officials, gentry, and common people in the city blocked the gates of the City Lord's Mansion. They knelt and shouted, hoping that the City Lord would step forward at this time to drive back the invading enemy and restore peace to the area.

Under the pressure of such "public opinion," Long Yuqing could no longer remain in hiding in his room, refusing to see guests or go out. Otherwise, if the people became angry, the Long family would be chopped into pieces before the soldiers from the four cities arrived...

evening.

When Long Yuqing arrived at the Renjian Inn, the first person he wanted to ask to see was Senior Jiang Yu, but after Manager Hong "informed" him, the other party refused to see him.

There was no other way, so he had to settle for the second best and wanted to meet the Little Bad King's wife Xu Qingzhao, but after waiting for a long time, the one who came out was a middle-aged man dressed in gorgeous clothes, looking very wealthy.

The two sat down in a private room. The wealthy man spoke softly, "My name is Li Yan, and I'm the sworn brother of the ancient emperor's descendant. His wife has found an opportunity in the emperor's tomb and hasn't come out yet. Elder Jiang doesn't see strangers either, so if you have anything to say, please tell me."

"...!"

After a brief silence, Long Yuqing looked at Brother Lang with a pleading expression, his voice trembling, "With the army approaching, my Long and Yang families have no hope of survival. This city is in chaos, and disaster could strike at any moment. I'm truly desperate, and can only come to you for help... You are all brothers and close friends of the descendants of the Ancient Emperor, and you all have connections with Senior Shenban... If you can intervene, I believe the soldiers from the four cities will never dare to attack Chaolong."

Li Yan held his chin and remained silent.

"Brother Zhu and I hit it off right away. We're close friends. You're his elder brother, and you're also my elder brother. I beg you... help Chaolong City!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Long Yuqing lifted up the corner of his clothes and was about to kneel down and kowtow.

"brush!"

Li Yan raised his hand and lifted Long Yuqing up with the powerful power of the star source. "City Lord Long, you're welcome. But do you know why that old senior didn't see you?"

Long Yuqing was slightly stunned and shook his head, "The old senior is the Supreme God of Forbidden Realm, maybe for...!"

"Nothing special. The reason the old senior was able to sever fifteen peaks with a single sword strike was because Zhu Zigui was here. The world has changed, but there are future generations who will restore peace and order to prevent the chaotic world from becoming even more chaotic. All he can do is cause the immortals to perish, not completely change it."

Li Yan had never had a deep conversation with Jiang Yu, but he said with great certainty, "So, he didn't see you because he can't do anything. Everything that happens next will be handed over to Zhu Zigui. This... is also true for us close friends."

"I know about the friendship between you and Zigui. You even nearly faced death for saving him... But neither I nor Zhu Zigui's wife can make decisions for the Ancient Emperor's heir." Li Yan said elegantly and firmly, "Whether to save Chaolong City or not will depend on the Ancient Emperor's heir's decision after he comes out of seclusion."

"Until he comes out, we won't get involved in the power struggle in the human world. Why is Big Brother the Big Brother? Because he must know his limits and not overstep his authority...!"

Li Yan looked at him and asked, "Have I made myself clear enough?"

Upon hearing this, Long Yuqing's face immediately turned pale: "Then... then there's no way to save him?"

"Ah."

Li Yan's grasp of human relationships and worldly wisdom was at least a hundred years ahead of King Huai: "Let me give you an idea."

"Speaking!"

"You go into the Emperor's Tomb and look for the descendant of the ancient emperor. If you can awaken his state of enlightenment, ask him to express his opinion. If he personally sends a message back, we can help you. If you cannot awaken his state of enlightenment, wait for him to come out of seclusion in the Emperor's Tomb." Li Yan would not make a decision for Ren Ye, but he would not hurt Ren Ye's only good friend in the local area, so he gave the advice.

"What if, while I'm waiting for him to come out, the soldiers from the four cities attack?" Long Yuqing asked.

"I will protect your family and make sure their lives are safe." Li Yan replied without hesitation.

After hearing this, Long Yuqing immediately stood up and clasped his fists, "I understand. Thank you, Brother Li, for your generous help. I will return to the government office, pack up quickly, and then go to the Emperor's Tomb to find Brother Zhu."

"You're welcome." Li Yan nodded slightly.

After the two finished their discussion, Long Yuqing quickly left with his servants.

Li Yan stood at the window of the private room, looking at Long Yuqing's departing back, his brows furrowed and his eyes extremely deep.

……

into the night.

Long Yuqing squatted beside the bed, looking at his beloved wife Yang Ling'er who had passed out in sleep with a loving expression, and said with tears in his eyes, "Don't worry, everything will be over...!"

Just as her husband was released, her father and dozens of her closest relatives were killed in battle. Under the onslaught of such great joy and sorrow, Yang Ling'er was overcome with rage and became bedridden. Her cheeks were pale, having just drunk some medicine and fallen asleep.

Long Yuqing looked at her, stood up and walked to the desk, and wrote a letter with his own hands, explaining in detail why he wanted to enter the emperor's tomb and seek the descendants of the ancient emperor.

After everything was settled, Long Yuqing looked at the servants who had grown up with Yang Ling'er and instructed them, "After I go up the mountain, if there is a war in the city, you must immediately go to the Renjian Inn to find a man named Li Yan. He can protect you and others. If there is no war, you must take good care of Ling'er and don't let her go out. Wait for me to return."

"Yes, Master!"

After saying that, Long Yuqing left the City Lord's Mansion without taking anyone with him, carrying only his luggage, and headed straight for the Emperor's Tomb at Xingshan.

At this moment, in the ungraded land of the Emperor's Tomb, there are still many high-level cultivators who have obtained opportunities and have not yet come out. However, because the Dao rhyme of the Great Emperor in this place is dissipating, there is no difference in the speed of time flow in 90% of the Emperor's Tomb area.

However, at the end of the Emperor's Tomb, in the Guichen Dojo, there is still a 7:1 time flow difference: one day in the outside world is equal to seven days in the Guichen Dojo.

Long Yuqing entered the tomb from the Wupin Land, trekking through mountains and rivers until he finally arrived outside the Guichen Dojo. However, the deeper he went, the stronger pressure of the Emperor's Blood from the inside prevented him from entering.

Helplessly, he could only stand outside the Guichen Dojo, constantly transmitting messages and shouting, trying to awaken the Ancient Emperor's descendant from his state of enlightenment. But the crimson color that filled the sky seemed to have already blocked out everything.

He shouted for several days in a row, but still did not get any response from Ren Ye.

If he turned back to Chaolong City now, he would be in jeopardy. The four city lords might plot a decapitation attack on him, secretly sending high-ranking cultivators into the city to kill him. But if he chose to continue waiting here, the news that the Dragon City Lord had entered the Emperor's Tomb to beg for the Ancient Emperor's successor would sooner or later spread to the other four cities. This would cause his enemies to suspect and speculate, and make them feel uneasy.

Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Long Yuqing did not leave in a hurry, but waited alone outside the Guichen Taoist Temple.

The days passed in loneliness and confusion. In the blink of an eye, four months had passed outside the Guichen Dojo, while two years and four months had passed inside the Guichen Dojo.

During these four months, the troops from the four cities remained stationary, but slowly gathered towards Chaolong and set up camp fifty miles away from the city gate, completely enclosing the city in all four directions: east, west, south and north.

If it were an ordinary person, after waiting for four months in such a desperate situation, he would probably have gone crazy and his mentality would have been shattered. However, Long Yuqing remained calm and only kept company with the green mountains, the sun and the moon, and stared at the blurry Guichen Taoist temple every day.

After all, he was locked up in a narrow dark room in a stone house for nearly a year!

When it comes to waiting and enduring hardship, he really doesn't admit defeat to anyone.

During these four months, Long Yuqing faced the Guichen Taoist Temple all day long and saw many strange phenomena.