Chapter 753: Revenge Plan
Fighting across a thousand miles and slaying a Saint and geniuses in a single night was an achievement that would undoubtedly cause a massive sensation if word got out. However, at present, besides Su Han and Li Qingyue, no one else knew.
When Su Han and Li Qingyue returned to the Imperial Capital, it was dawn, with the sky just beginning to brighten. With Su Han’s status as a prince, his passage was naturally unobstructed, and no one dared to stop him. Soon, he had brought Li Qingyue back to Tianxing Hall.
"Grandfather!" The moment she saw Li Mingliang, Li Qingyue’s beautiful eyes reddened and welled with tears as she rushed toward him.
Li Mingliang had also sensed their arrival and had come out of the hall to greet them. Seeing Li Qingyue safe and sound, he was so overwhelmed with emotion that tears streamed down his old face, and the heavy weight in his heart was finally lifted.
"It’s good that you’re safe. It’s good that you’re safe!" Li Mingliang hugged Li Qingyue, muttering constantly. She was the apple of his eye; if Li Qingyue had died, he would not have wanted to live either.
Once the two had calmed down a little, Su Han said, "Let’s talk inside." The three of them then entered Tianxing Hall, where Su Han recounted the gist of what had happened.
"That was far too dangerous. I never expected there to be not only a Saint from King Yama’s Palace but also four geniuses from the Hidden Dragon List."
Hearing Su Han’s account, Li Mingliang felt a chill run down his spine. It had been a deathtrap with almost no chance of survival. Anyone else would have surely died in the Chaotic Burial Ground tonight, never to return. Even Su Han had faced immense danger, going so far as to expend two top-tier Saint Treasures just to rescue Li Qingyue. Although Li Mingliang hadn’t experienced it firsthand, he could well imagine the perils involved.
Li Mingliang fumed, "The Sword Lunatic and the Sword Maniac are one thing; after all, they aren’t part of the Heavenly Sword Dynasty. But for the Yun Jun Holy Maiden and the Heartless Holy Son to be involved... one is the Holy Maiden of Nanshu Jian Gong, and the other is the Saint Heir of Heart Sword Sacred Palace! Both are sacred lands within the Heavenly Sword Dynasty’s territory and under its jurisdiction. To commit such insubordination and ambush a prince—their audacity is boundless! The Sword Maniac hails from the Ancient Chu Family, making him difficult to deal with, and the Sword Lunatic was a lone cultivator, so with his death, there’s no one to hold accountable. But for the Yun Jun Holy Maiden and the Heartless Holy Son to attempt the assassination of a prince... that’s utterly brazen!"
"Naturally, I will not let this grudge go," Su Han declared, a cold, murderous light flickering in his eyes. "Although the Yun Jun Holy Maiden and the Heartless Holy Son are dead, the fact that they dared to attack me means their backers, Nanshu Jian Gong and Heart Sword Sacred Palace, cannot escape responsibility."
To repay kindness and settle all scores—that was his true nature.
If not for his thorough preparations tonight, his life would have truly been in peril. Su Han could not simply let such a life-and-death grievance slide. Moreover, he needed to seize this opportunity to gather Cultivation Resources and enhance his own strength.
Nanshu Jian Gong, Heart Sword Sacred Palace, the Ancient Chu Family, and King Yama’s Palace—all would be targets of Su Han’s revenge. However, since the Ancient Chu Family and King Yama’s Palace were immensely powerful and located outside the Heavenly Sword Dynasty, Su Han prioritized them for later. He would first deal with Nanshu Jian Gong and Heart Sword Sacred Palace.
Nanshu Jian Gong was located in Shu State, in the southern part of the Heavenly Sword Dynasty. While Heart Sword Sacred Palace’s location was shrouded in mystery, finding it was no challenge for the dynasty. In any case, they would not escape the charge of failing to properly discipline their disciples.
"Mr. Su, Nanshu Jian Gong and Heart Sword Sacred Palace are, after all, long-established sacred lands, home to numerous powerful experts. With just the three of us, seeking revenge will be incredibly difficult!" Li Mingliang voiced his concern. Their combined strength was insufficient, and they lacked the manpower to mobilize against such formidable powers.
SWISH!
At his words, Su Han reached out, and the Emperor’s Order materialized in his hand.
"This is the Emperor’s Order given to me by the Flying Immortal Great Emperor. To see this order is to see the Emperor himself. With it, I can mobilize the army of Sword Cultivators. In addition, I have the Third Prince’s personal Tiger Talisman, which allows me to command the Black-Armored Dead Soldiers."
Su Han produced both the Emperor’s Order and the Tiger Talisman. With these two items, he commanded thousands of troops. The army of the Heavenly Sword Dynasty was no ordinary military force; it was composed entirely of powerful Sword Cultivators capable of forming devastating Sword Arrays. Even sacred lands would have to bow their heads before them.
"As for top-tier combat power, I plan to pay a visit to Wei Manor!" Su Han had already formulated every step of his revenge plan on the way back, leaving no room for error.
"Wei Manor!" Li Mingliang was slightly startled but realized upon reflection that it was an excellent choice.
Wei Manor was the estate of the Nineteenth Prince’s maternal family. The current Wei Duke was the Mysterious Great Sword Saint himself, the foremost Sword Saint in the Heavenly Sword Dynasty, whose strength was immense and no less than that of the Heaven-Piercing Spear Saint. Although the Mysterious Great Sword Saint was in seclusion to break through to the Great Emperor realm, other Saints still resided in Wei Manor. As long as Su Han could borrow a few of them to back him up, he could force Nanshu Jian Gong and Heart Sword Sacred Palace to submit. After all, his identity was the Nineteenth Prince, and he was backed by the Flying Immortal Great Emperor and the Heavenly Sword Dynasty itself. How could two mere sacred lands under the dynasty’s jurisdiction possibly hope to contend with its full might?
"Mr. Su, will such a large-scale move not incur the Flying Immortal Great Emperor’s displeasure?" Li Mingliang asked, voicing his worries. "Furthermore, once we act, King Yama’s Palace will certainly learn of it, which I fear will put us at a disadvantage!" After all, Su Han wasn’t the real Nineteenth Prince. A high-profile act of revenge using the dynasty’s power would have unimaginable consequences if his identity were exposed. Moreover, with the failure of their mission, the mastermind behind the assassination would not let matters rest. Having lost a Saint, King Yama’s Palace was also unlikely to let this go. That was the true hidden danger.
"It doesn’t matter. I am the Nineteenth Prince now," Su Han stated calmly. "Besides, the Flying Immortal Great Emperor gave me the Emperor’s Order; he clearly isn’t afraid of me using it. More importantly, the more powerful my talent and strength appear, the more valuable I become.
"As for King Yama’s Palace and the mastermind, I was just wondering how to flush them out. If they dare to make another move, it will be the perfect opportunity to drag them into the light and see who they really are."
Su Han already had a suspect in mind for the mastermind. It would take someone extraordinary to hire a Saint from King Yama’s Palace, as their price was exorbitant and beyond the reach of ordinary people. Among those the Nineteenth Prince had offended, the most likely culprit was the Dugu Imperial Clan, the power behind the Demon Swordsman. Liu Xu had previously warned him to be wary of them. It seemed they were not only bold enough to act but also swift in their retaliation.
However, Su Han was unafraid. He would counter every move they made. To cultivate his Second Divine Power, he needed to devour the Demon Bloodline of the Dugu Imperial Clan. If one of their Saints truly decided to take action, it would only present him with an opportunity.
Starting with Nanshu Jian Gong and Heart Sword Sacred Palace and aiming for King Yama’s Palace and the Dugu Imperial Clan, Su Han would either not seek revenge at all or do it on a scale so grand that the name of the Nineteenth Prince would resound throughout the entire Central Plains.
Those who plot against me will be hunted down and killed, no matter how far they flee!