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Capítulo 79

Ming Er smiled calmly, stood up gracefully, and looked at Qu Huailiu, saying, "How about I answer your question?"

Seeing Ming Er stand up, everyone in the room fell silent and looked quietly at the corridor.

Meeting Ming Erkong's gaze, Qu Huailiu clasped his hands and said, "It would be even better if Young Master Ming could answer my questions."

Ming Er nodded calmly. "If you believe that the two seniors have ulterior motives, then may I ask, what do you think their motives are? Fame? Profit? Or power?"

"Of course it's for..."

Ming Er shook his head, and Qu Huailiu could not say anything more.

"For fame? They are already renowned throughout the land, and even today, we still hold them in the highest esteem. Moreover, if you hadn't brought up the matter of Dongming today, the imperial court would have been completely unaware of it. So how could it be for fame? For profit or power? That's even less likely. You must know that they are the rulers of a nation, wielding the power of life and death and controlling the wealth of the entire country. Why would they travel thousands of miles to Dongming Island to steal a mere piece of gold and silver or a national seal? Please consider this: what fame or fortune in this world could they not give up if they were willing to relinquish their thrones and half the world?"

Ming Er's voice was gentle and refined, and his demeanor was elegant. It was pleasing to the ear and refreshing to the mind, and delightful to the eye. Not to mention that all the heroes admired him, even Qu Huailiu and Wan Ai could not feel the slightest aversion to him.

"That's right!" the heroes shouted again.

"Bai Feng and Hei Xi are no ordinary people; you are merely judging a gentleman by the standards of petty men!"

After a long and eloquent debate, the imperial court officials were in high spirits, while Qu Huailiu and Wan Ai looked humiliated and indignant.

"Alas, he brought this humiliation upon himself." Lan Qi couldn't help but shake her head, her green eyes fixed on Yun Wuyai, who had remained silent.

“I’m very curious about this Young Master Yun,” Ming Er said softly as he sat down.

"I'm also curious how he'll handle this."

"Young Master!" Qu Huailiu and Wan Ai looked at Yun Wuyai.

Yun Wuyai glanced at the crowd of heroes still excitedly shouting in the courtyard, then slowly raised his right hand and swung it down.

"Boom!" Suddenly, a heavy drumbeat rang out.

"Ouch!"

A series of screams rang out, and the heroes on the scene were seen bending over, clutching their stomachs, their faces pale and covered in cold sweat, clearly in excruciating pain.

After a moment of pain, the heroes slowly recovered and looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a large drum that had been erected on the peak above the layers of stone houses, with a person standing next to it.

Everyone looked at Yun Wuyai with utter fear and confusion; the sharp pain in his stomach just now was no accident.

Yun Wuyai stood with his hands behind his back, exuding a noble and lofty air. He calmly looked at the assembled heroes and said, "I tell you all the past events today so that we may work together. Therefore, I am being frank with you, not so that you may judge my merits and demerits." He paused slightly, then continued, "Whether for personal gain or for the sake of achieving hegemony, Dongming has been pursuing one wish for hundreds of years. And we, standing in this position, have things we must do. We have inherited the will of our ancestors, and we have responsibilities we must bear." His voice suddenly turned deep, "Therefore, we must step onto the imperial throne; therefore, you must submit!"

As Yun Wuyai finished speaking, the crowd, whether intimidated by his imposing presence or startled by the resolute tone of his words, froze, unable to react. The heroes who had stood firmly on the side of justice just moments before now swayed precariously under Yun Wuyai's imposing aura. Because he utterly disregarded the so-called righteous path and reason.

After a long while, Ai Wuying stood up from the crowd again, looked at Yun Wuyai, and said calmly and clearly, "I am unwilling."

After that shout, someone else stood up.

"I don't want to either!"

Then many more people stood up.

"I'd rather die than kneel before you!"

More people got up.

"I've experienced all your tricks before, what am I afraid of? I will never submit!"

The people on the platform all stood up and reached for the weapons at their waists.

"no way!"

"If you're going to do it, then do it quickly! I've been holding back for too long. The sooner we act, the sooner we can avenge those unjustly killed martial arts practitioners!"

The heroes had not forgotten the humiliation of their imprisonment, nor the more than a thousand innocent souls who had died at the hands of Dongming. At this moment, they were eager to take action and have a good, satisfying fight to vent their hatred!

Yun Wuyai watched and listened quietly, without surprise or anger.

Qu Huailiu and Wan Ai gripped their sword hilts tightly, watching the crowd warily.

Yun Wuyai waved his hand gently.

"Thump!"

With another heavy drumbeat, the heroes who had just stood there proudly, exuding murderous intent, all collapsed to the ground in agony.

Looking at the fallen crowd, Yun Wuyai said calmly, "In Dongming, there is a kind of 'Same Root Gu,' a male and female pair that live and die together. The male Gu is implanted in your stomachs, and the female Gu is placed in a drum. When the drum breaks, you will all perish."

"Oh." Lang Shang Lan Qi pretended to suddenly realize something. "I was wondering why Yun Wuyai was so frank, even revealing his secrets. It turns out he had already made a move in secret."

Ming Er looked at the bang and saw that everyone was lying on the ground without exception, it seemed that they had all been infected with Gu worms.

Lan Qi then pointed at Ming Er and said, "Your family's quack doctor didn't even notice it."

“Gu is neither poison nor disease, and Yun Wuyai dared to let them go, so he must be confident he wouldn’t be discovered,” Ming Er said, then turned his gaze to Kong and the others, but they didn’t react, suggesting that Yun Wuyai hadn’t planted any Gu worms in them. His eyes met Kong’s, and he was momentarily startled. Kong nodded slightly to him and then looked away.

"Are you really entrusting the entire martial arts world of the dynasty to us?" Ming Er raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Submit to Dongming, and I promise you a lifetime of glory. Within five years, I will lead you to the capital of the imperial dynasty, where you will all be founding heroes." Yun Wuyai's tone remained calm.

As the pain gradually subsided, all the heroes turned their gazes toward Ming Er and Lan Qi.

Yun Wuyai noticed this, and turned to look at Ming Er and Lan Qi, saying, "It would be better if you two didn't move around." As he spoke, he clapped his hands twice, and a whooshing sound was heard. Everyone looked over and was stunned.

On the stone house atop the peak stood several figures, but these were not the masters of Dongming; rather, they were people everyone recognized—the martial arts world of the Imperial Dynasty. Among them were Zhou Da, known as "Ghost Head Saber"; Wen Cui, known as "Flowery Spear Marquis"; Wu Wendao, known as "Iron Claw Hand"; Li Xili, known as "Heart-Shattering Palm"... Dozens of masters, all of whom had submitted to Dongming at that time, unable to endure the torture and torment.

Seeing these people, the heroes were both shocked and furious. No matter how high Ming Er and Lan Qi's martial arts skills were, it would be difficult for them to escape unscathed from being surrounded by so many experts, let alone defeat these people and seize the drum on the peak. They were afraid that the drum would be shattered before they even arrived.

For a moment, the heroes were almost in despair.

"Seniors," Yun Wuyai looked at Kong and the others, then turned to Ming Er and Lan Qi, and said, "Second Young Master, Seventh Young Master, what do you think? The people of the Imperial Dynasty are all heroes, unafraid of death, but can you bear to watch them die in front of you?"

Qiu Changtian and the others looked towards the sky, where Kong frowned and remained silent.

Lan Qi and Ming Er exchanged a glance.

how?

Half an hour.

He nodded, turned around, and was about to speak when another voice rang out.

"Can't……"

Ning Lang got up, his face covered in cold sweat from the pain, but he still said, "If I agree... then... even more and more people of the dynasty will die... We Jianghu people may be rough and unruly, but we will never be sinners!"

"Young Master Ning is indeed kind-hearted." A smile appeared in Yun Wuyai's eyes for the first time. "You can rest assured about that. As long as you submit and help me, I guarantee that I can change the dynasty without fighting and will not harm the people of the dynasty in the slightest."

“How could that be…” Ning Lang said, taking a breath.

“I don’t understand,” another voice said. It was Jin Que Lou, “Buddha’s Hand Three Thousand.” He slowly got up and looked at Yun Wuyai. “I am just a mere martial artist. Even if I were to submit to Dongming, or even if the entire martial arts world were to submit to Dongming, I would only number in the tens of thousands. How could I possibly be a match for the million iron cavalry of the imperial dynasty? What makes you so sure that if we submit to you, you can take over the imperial dynasty?”

After these words were spoken, many people nodded in agreement. These were seasoned martial artists, each possessing exceptional skills. Although they had never taken the imperial court and government seriously, they knew in their hearts that they were merely江湖草莽 (jianghu cao, meaning outlaws of the martial world), and if they were to truly oppose the imperial court, they would be no match for its army. Why was Yun Wuyai so certain that controlling the imperial martial arts world would allow him to seize the imperial empire?

Yun Wuyai nodded and looked at Jinque Tower, saying, "Great Hero Jin, don't underestimate yourselves. You are all highly skilled and rare talents. As for why Dongming took over the dynasty, I, the young master, have my own plans. It's not the time to say it now. You will know when you become ministers of Dongming in the future."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Have you all made up your minds?" Yun Wuyai's gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Ming Er and Lan Qi.

Lan Qi smiled slightly and said, "Young Master Yun, I have a small question. I wonder if Young Master Yun could answer it?"

"Seventh Young Master, please speak." Yun Wuyai nodded. At this moment, apart from these two, everyone else was under his control, and there was no need to rush.

"Where did Third Master Lie Chifeng go?" Lan Qi's emerald eyes sparkled, her smile captivating. "I haven't seen him in a long time, and I really miss him."

Yun Wuyai's gaze sharpened as he looked at Lan Qi. After a moment, he said, "Since Seventh Young Master misses Third Master Lie so much, then this young master will invite him out for a meeting." With that, he turned and gave Qu Huailiu a slight nod, and Qu Huailiu turned and left.

At this moment, most of the heroes had caught their breath and stood up.

Ming Er waved his hand slightly at them, signaling them not to make any rash moves for the time being.

"The Imperial Martial World... The Imperial Martial World..." Yuwen Luo frowned in thought, then suddenly shuddered and murmured, "I understand..."

"What do you understand, brother?" Ning Lang asked.

“He doesn’t want the people of the Imperial Dynasty’s martial arts world; he wants its power.” Yuwen Luo stared straight at Yun Wuyai.

"Huh?" Ning Lang looked at him.

"So that's how it is, I finally understand." Yuwen Luo's eyes suddenly lit up, and then he took out paper and pen.

Qiu Hengbo, who was standing to the side, was also looking at him. Just as she was about to ask him a question, she saw him muttering something to himself and couldn't help but listen attentively.

"The Ming family is in Tianzhou, and the adjacent Yingzhou is also their territory. Tianzhou and Yingzhou are connected to the East Sea. If the East Sea were to send troops to the imperial dynasty, they would have to pass through Tianzhou and Yingzhou. With the Ming family, it would be like opening the gates of the imperial dynasty." Yuwen Luo's hands were trembling as he quickly wrote this down, showing how excited he was.

Qiu Hengbo was taken aback, then suddenly understood.

"The Qiu family, the Lan family, and the Yuwen family occupy Huazhou, Yunzhou, and Yuezhou, with shops all over the country. They control almost one-sixth of the dynasty's wealth... We're rich! Oh, the Yuwen family is our family." He nodded repeatedly, still reading and writing at the same time.

"The Fengwu and Qianbi factions have long maintained ties with the imperial court, and the Grand Commander of Yuzhou is a member of the Fengwu faction—oh, that's military power… The prefects of Xizhou and Mozhou are from the Qianbi faction. Ning Lang also has a cousin who holds the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies in the court—a very important official… Hmm, I must pay him a visit when I return to the capital. I'm Ning Lang's sworn brother; that official should be able to see me… Oh… right… the Hua family's fire-thunder bombs are so powerful they can flatten a small mountain; if used to bomb soldiers, thousands would fall with a single shot… Oh, and the Jiutian Pavilion—they're the best at gathering information. I heard they even know how many moles the emperor has. I wonder if that's true; I must ask Pavilion Master Jiang another day. Hmm… each sect is located in a different place… that way…" "Surround them all... Ah, this force is comparable to the imperial court! Hmm... It's not just these sects; there are many capable people in the martial arts world. Leaving aside their top-tier martial arts, even petty tricks like disguise, poison, sleeping potions, and hidden weapons could be very useful against those in the imperial court. Perhaps if one could disguise themselves as the emperor, everyone would think they were the emperor. Sigh, if that really works, I'll try disguising myself someday... Hmph, so he intends to act secretly, using cunning to seize power. No wonder he couldn't bring himself to fight. Ha, his plan is quite good, but... Hmm... Sigh, it's a pity they've been thinking about this for hundreds of years. Why is this young master Yun doing this? It seems a bit desperate. A true king should ascend the throne honorably. Throughout history, no one who seizes power through cunning can last long."

As Qiu Hengbo listened to Yuwen Luo's chaotic mutterings, the surprise and shock in her bright eyes slowly faded, and then she looked at him quietly and thoughtfully.

"Brother, he... he just... please don't take it personally."

Suddenly, she heard Ning Lang's hesitant voice. She looked at him and saw him looking at her with an embarrassed expression, trying to explain: "Don't think that my brother is crazy. Actually, he is not. He is..." Ning Lang scratched his head, not knowing how to phrase it.

Qiu Hengbo chuckled, shook her head, and indicated that she didn't care.

Ning Lang breathed a sigh of relief and felt at ease.

Yuwen Luo finally finished memorizing, looked up, and said out of the blue, "This Young Master Yun doesn't seem like that kind of person."

"Alas, I wonder what Master Lie looks like now."

Lan Qi sighed softly from the eaves, his emerald eyes sweeping over the heroes and Kong, "I still prefer the way he swept across the world on Mount Ying."

Recalling how Lie Chifeng single-handedly defeated the heroes on Mount Ying, everyone felt a pang of unease.

"Seventh Young Master will know when you see him later." Yun Wuyai looked at Lan Qi with a questioning look in his eyes. "This young master also has something he has always wanted to ask Seventh Young Master."

"Oh?" Lan Qi glanced at him with her emerald eyes. "Young Master Yun, please speak."

"Is Seventh Young Master male or female?" Yun Wuyai asked calmly.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes, except for Kong, Feng Yi, and Ming Er, focused on Lan Qi. It was the question everyone wanted to ask.

"hehe……"

Lan Qi smiled softly, her smile as gentle as silk, stirring the hearts of everyone present. Each person's thoughts were stirred, and then the white jade fan slowly opened, gradually obscuring her face, yet revealing a captivating beauty and a subtle allure. When the fan was fully open, half her face was hidden beneath it, leaving only a pool of clear water embedded in the white jade. With a gentle ripple, spring colors flowed and jade blossoms bloomed, encapsulating all the romantic charm of the world.

At that moment, no one, regardless of gender, could look away.

Ming Er's gaze swept over the crowd, who had just been in agony but were now completely mesmerized. His brows furrowed, and a sudden displeasure rose in his heart. He thought to himself, "That devil is bewitching people again!"

"I am a man right now, of course."