Chapter 76: Gravely Wounded in an Ambush

The withered corpse of Zhao Gao seemed possessed by madness, ignoring Fan Li and the others in the distance, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly toward the main hall of Epang Palace.

Cao, Liu, and Sun were still fiercely battling the Twelve Golden Men, with no clear victor emerging.

“How long is this stalemate going to last?” Fan Li fretted inwardly.

Qingqiu showed no indication of intervening, and Princess Changle did not seem to be a match for Zhao Gao either. He himself was powerless, and Zhao Gao was unable to do anything to their side. If things continued like this, it would hardly matter to Zhao Gao, a dried corpse, but Fan Li could not possibly remain in the imperial mausoleum forever—would he not become a living terracotta soldier?

Lost in these idle thoughts, Fan Li was suddenly startled by the anxious cry of Princess Changle.

“Watch out!”

The princess moved even faster than her voice; she actually lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Fan Li!

Caught unprepared, Fan Li’s body tilted as he felt a great swathe of golden light descend behind him.

Golden light?

What was this?

The golden light was bone-chilling, carrying a lethal edge. It swept over them in a mighty wave, making Fan Li feel as small and insignificant as an ant.

Not only him—the more than two thousand elite palace guards present, all of them highly trained cultivators in the Golden Core realm, found themselves utterly suppressed beneath the frigid golden radiance, unable to move a muscle!

“Is someone launching a surprise attack on me?!”

Just as the thought flashed through Fan Li’s mind, a surge of azure light erupted!

Vibrant with life, the blue light sprang up like a swiftly growing forest of ancient trees, forcibly blocking the golden light.

“Qingqiu! You’re harboring outsiders. I’ll report you to the First Holy Lord!” an indignant woman’s voice thundered.

Though the blue light seemed to hold back the golden, it was ultimately a hurried defense. A slender beam of golden brilliance pierced the azure barrier and struck Fan Li.

With a sickening sound, Fan Li felt as though he had been struck not by a ray of light, but by a pillar as heavy as a mountain. Every bone in his body seemed crushed; he spat a mouthful of blood in agony.

He saw, through blurred vision, that Princess Changle was similarly gravely wounded, blood spilling from her lips.

“I’m sorry. The Saint of Golden Virtue attacked without warning, and I failed to guard against it. You’ve suffered because of me…” Qingqiu’s voice reached Fan Li’s ears.

Saint of Golden Virtue?

Fan Li, gravely injured and barely able to think, forced himself to remember that name.

“Qingqiu! I am acting on the First Holy Lord’s orders to execute Fan Li—stand aside at once!” the Saint of Golden Virtue declared as she revealed herself.

She clearly knew that Qingqiu had absorbed ninety-nine percent of the damage from her sudden attack. The little that remained had mostly struck Princess Changle, which was why Fan Li had not died instantly.

“The First Holy Lord’s command?” Qingqiu hesitated at these words, her attempt to block the Saint of Golden Virtue faltering momentarily.

“Hmph!” The Saint of Golden Virtue sneered, believing Qingqiu had been intimidated, and prepared to strike again to ensure Fan Li’s death.

“Wait.” Qingqiu finally made her move.

She spread her palms, and a verdant barrier rose between the Saint of Golden Virtue and Fan Li.

The Saint of Golden Virtue advanced, only to be halted abruptly by the barrier.

“Qingqiu, do you dare defy the First Holy Lord’s command? Are you planning to betray the Pure Land?” the Saint of Golden Virtue shouted in fury.

Qingqiu merely shook her head calmly. “My orders are to investigate Fan Li. I do not believe he should die. For the First Holy Lord to order his execution before my investigation is complete is a violation of our rules. I will return to the Pure Land and ask her what is going on.”

Among the ten Saints of the Pure Land, the First was indeed supreme, but all were like sisters and equals in rank. Yet Qingqiu’s tone was so direct, it was as if she placed no special reverence even on the First Holy Lord.

With that, Qingqiu sent out a wave of blue light, cocooning Fan Li and Princess Changle, gently carrying them into the halls of Epang Palace.

“With my secret arts protecting them, none of the corpse guards in the mausoleum can harm these two. With your current power, you cannot breach this palace. Once I’ve clarified matters with the First Holy Lord, I’ll come back to rescue them.”

The Saint of Golden Virtue was taken aback by Qingqiu’s disregard for her abilities.

Furious, she sneered. “Qingqiu, you’re only the ninth Saint of the Pure Land, and I am eighth—do you forget your place? How dare you show such confidence? Watch as I enter the palace and kill them myself!”

She gathered her full strength to break through the barrier and force her way into the underground palace.

Yet in the next instant, the verdant barrier vanished of its own accord—Qingqiu had withdrawn it.

With no more hindrance, the Saint of Golden Virtue thought Qingqiu had conceded, and strode toward Epang Palace with a cold smile.

But as she drew within thirty paces of the palace, she noticed a withered, unremarkable eunuch’s corpse kneeling by the entrance suddenly rise and hurl itself at her with a piercing shriek.

“Another assassin? With me, Zhao Gao, on guard, no one shall disturb His Majesty!”

“Pathetic.” The Saint of Golden Virtue glanced at him with disdain.

From his tattered clothes, she could tell that even in life, this eunuch had been the lowest of the low.

Casually, the Saint of Golden Virtue struck at Zhao Gao, intending to obliterate him with a single blow.

Zhao Gao thrust his sword toward her, but she quickly realized that while the golden sword was a treasure, in Zhao Gao’s hands it could not unleash its true power and was wielded no better than a common weapon.

She laughed…then her expression shifted in shock as pain exploded in her palm.

Zhao Gao’s sword had pierced her hand with ease.

“How is this possible? I am already at the third tier of the Great Ascension realm… Wait—is that thing also at the Great Ascension realm?!”

She withdrew her hand in agony, only to be assaulted by a wave of foul wind.

Staring, she saw that the withered Zhao Gao had changed tactics, sweeping his right leg at her.

Who knew how many years that corpse’s leg had decayed? The stench was overpowering, utterly unbearable.

Accustomed to luxury, the Saint of Golden Virtue had never encountered such a horrid smell. Suppressing her nausea, she retreated rapidly, barely stopping at the spot where she had ambushed Fan Li.

Yet Zhao Gao did not pursue, instead returning to stand guard outside the palace doors, regarding her with hollow, eyeless sockets.

“What…what is that thing?” the Saint of Golden Virtue said in terror.

Only now did she realize, to her horror, that she’d nearly perished through her own carelessness.

Qingqiu Saint could not be bothered to explain. “I am returning to the Pure Land. You may come with me or stay, but be warned: you are no match for that creature.”

Swallowing with difficulty, the Saint of Golden Virtue knew she could not argue. Her palm throbbed with excruciating pain—she urgently needed to return and heal her wound.

“Qingqiu…I’ll do you this favor today and return with you…” she began, but Qingqiu was already turning away.

Her face flushed, then paled, but she could only grit her teeth and hasten after Qingqiu.

“What now!?”

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, still locked in combat with the Twelve Golden Men, were startled by the sudden arrival of the Saint of Golden Virtue.

“Envoys of Han, we are powerless here. Let us withdraw and regroup with General Fan Chun,” Confucian scholar Yan Yuan said, his face ashen.

Though the Saint of Golden Virtue had not targeted him, the all-encompassing golden light had left him deeply shaken.

“An intruder in the Immortal Palace! Where are the guards?!”

At that moment, the withered Zhao Gao seemed to go mad once more. He shrieked at the top of his lungs, recalling all Twelve Golden Men, and together they retreated into the main hall of Epang Palace…