Chapter Ten: There Is Always Someone Who Remembers Me

Zhu Yu stepped into the hall, gazing at the false emperor standing before the dragon throne. In his heart, he could not help but marvel. The resemblance was uncanny—like looking into a mirror, not a single detail out of place.

He sighed inwardly, thinking, “Can this still be called martial arts? With such a skill, it surely belongs in the realm of fantasy.”

Noticing Zhu Yu’s fixed stare at the false emperor above, Ji Yaohua, perhaps mistaking his mood for displeasure, drew a handful of purple powder from her sleeve and scattered it toward the pretender’s position.

In mere moments, the skin on the false emperor’s face began to change color and wither, shriveling into a ghastly, wrinkled mask. After several breaths, Ji Yaohua summoned her inner force and struck at the false emperor with a palm from afar.

The wind generated by her inner strength swept over him, and as it passed, the wrinkled skin on his face flaked away piece by piece, revealing the person’s true visage beneath.

It was a woman of breathtaking beauty.

Everyone in the Golden Imperial Hall watched this unfold. The ministers, shocked, rose to their feet, no longer bowing to her.

As the transformation completed, Zhu Yu recalled the plot and remembered that the one impersonating the emperor should have been Liu Yan. Yet, upon closer inspection, though this woman was lovely, she bore no resemblance to Liu Yan.

The thought flashed through his mind—now was not the time for distractions.

Surveying the crowded hall, Zhu Yu called out loudly, “The capital and palace have been taken over by the garrison at Wusheng Pass. An Yunshan and Chancellor Cai have committed grave crimes in rebellion. All present, hear my decree: kill them!”

At his command, the experts behind Zhu Yu surged forward, joining the fray. With so many of Zhu Yu’s skilled fighters present, the battle was heavily one-sided; the opposition faltered almost immediately.

Only one area differed—the place where An Yunshan, Zhu Wushi, and Zhuge Zhengwo fought.

Within ten meters of their duel, not a soul dared approach.

Liu Xi, whom Zhu Yu had met on the journey back to the capital, stood before him, warning, “Your Majesty, beware. These three are martial arts grandmasters; their skills are unfathomable. Even a stray ripple of force could be fatal to ordinary men.”

Elsewhere, the fighting had already concluded, and everyone watched the trio’s confrontation.

In the beginning, the three exchanged blows with vigor, but when An Yunshan unleashed the Absorption Technique, Zhu Wushi and Zhuge Zhengwo instantly retreated.

Zhu Wushi then utilized some secret method, causing a thin, visible layer of qi to appear over his body. He advanced once more, entangling with An Yunshan, and the Absorption Technique seemed to lose its effect, unable to drain Zhu Wushi’s inner force at all.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Zhengwo produced a hairpin from who knows where, and began to channel his energy. His right arm flushed red, steam rising from it, and the hairpin in his hand grew increasingly vibrant, giving off an uncanny aura.

He pressed forward, wielding the hairpin in rapid succession.

An Yunshan, whether he sensed something or already knew, dodged the hairpin’s attacks.

Gradually, An Yunshan’s movements became constrained, the tide turning in favor of Zhu Wushi and Zhuge Zhengwo.

Despite An Yunshan’s best efforts to avoid Zhuge Zhengwo’s hairpin, a lapse after prolonged combat led to a slip; Zhuge Zhengwo drove the hairpin cleanly through An Yunshan’s palm!

The moment the hairpin pierced him, An Yunshan’s face flushed with blue and red—any martial artist could see his inner force was out of control.

Victory was assured. Joy flickered on the faces of those surrounding the fight—save for one, whom Zhu Yu could not yet see.

That person was the eunuch Liu Xi, standing before him.

Though Zhu Yu could not see Liu Xi’s expression, he could hear him muttering softly.

Liu Xi’s face grew grim as he murmured, “Something’s wrong. Judging by the fluctuations in his inner force, An Yunshan has reached the ninth and highest level of the Absorption Technique! But what about the legendary remote absorption? Where is the most formidable remote absorption?”

These words instantly unlocked a long-held mystery in Zhu Yu’s mind.

Among the palace’s three great eunuchs—Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian—Zhu Yu knew their origins. But Liu Xi’s background had always eluded him, leading Zhu Yu to assume that Liu Xi was merely a skilled martial artist native to this world, unrelated to the martial arts dramas he remembered.

Yet Liu Xi’s soliloquy was like a key opening Zhu Yu’s memory. He suddenly recalled which drama Liu Xi belonged to.

The Proud Twins!

A wildly adapted version of the legendary classic.

It had been years since he watched it, and most details had faded. The sole memory was of Jiang Yuyan’s tragic beginnings and her later slaughter of everyone, ending the story in blood.

This was a ruthless figure who left only the drama’s title standing—a force even more formidable than Zhu Wushi!

Suddenly, Zhu Yu remembered a plot twist, and his heart gave a jolt.

He recalled that Jiang Yuyan had not only killed martial artists, but even the emperor had fallen to her hand!

A wave of sorrow swept over him. Zhu Yu truly felt he had nowhere to vent his grief. He resolved that if he ever encountered Jiang Yuyan, he would seize any opportunity to eliminate her. If that proved impossible, he would at least ask, “Did the emperor steal your rice? Why kill the emperor in a martial arts drama?”

Before Zhu Yu could finish his musings, a string of strange sounds erupted in the hall, snapping his attention back to the scene.

An Yunshan’s inner force was running wild, making resistance increasingly difficult. The Absorption Technique failed him, and Zhu Wushi spotted an opening, launching a complete set of punches against An Yunshan’s chest for all to see.

An Yunshan collapsed, coughing blood, unable to rise again.

Zhu Wushi moved to deliver the final blow, but Zhu Yu quickly intervened.

“Royal Uncle, spare him. I have questions for him. Imprison him in the Heavenly Prison under strict guard, but do not let him die.”

The first half was addressed to Zhu Wushi, the second to Liu Xi.

After a pause, Zhu Yu continued, “And do not cripple his martial arts. I don’t care whether you use medicine or torture—my requirements are threefold. First, he must not die. Second, his martial arts must remain intact. Third, if there are any problems or he escapes, I expect someone to bring your head to me with the news. Understood?”

“Your servant obeys. I will not fail Your Majesty’s trust!” Liu Xi bowed deeply, his gaze cold as it fell upon An Yunshan, still coughing blood on the ground.

One: he must not die. Two: his martial arts must not be crippled. Slightly challenging, but the third point was the easiest.

The Eastern Depot’s black prison—everyone who’s been says it’s the best! There’s no way he’ll have the strength to escape.