Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

"Impossible!" Ji Mingyu blurted out, "The Imperial Uncle was entrusted by Father to manage state affairs; he would never condone such..."

"Would never condone fratricide?" Ji Mingyuan interrupted him, his smile becoming meaningful, "Third Brother, think about it—why has Father remained undecided about the heir to the throne? Was it truly difficult for him to choose before he fell into a coma?"

Ji Mingyuan continued, "What Father wanted to see is precisely this scene. What the Imperial Uncle wanted to see is precisely this scene. This throne is not something given by charity, not recommended by ministers, and certainly not judged by virtue and talent!!!"

He widened his eyes, bloodshot with veins, staring directly at Ji Mingyu, his pupils burning with a fiery blaze: "This throne must be fought for! Must be killed for! Must be paved with a road of blood!"

"Only those who dare to fight, dare to kill, and dare to face infamy throughout history, deserve to sit on that position! Deserve to stabilize the Great Xia Kingdom when the Martial Saint is declining, and the world is about to descend into chaos!"

Ji Mingyu firmly grasped the sword in his hand, its tip trembling slightly.

This, he had already discerned, but had never been able to make a decision.

Because whether it was his fifth brother, seventh brother, eighth brother, ninth brother, twelfth brother, or fifteenth brother, they were all raised by him.

He still remembered how his fifth brother used to follow him, wiping his nose, calling out "Third Brother, Third Brother."

He couldn’t forget when his eighth and ninth brothers, of similar age, often fought, and the eighth brother would come crying to him when he lost.

He pretended to spank his ninth brother to appease the eighth, but the eighth, wiping his tears, said he hadn’t made the ninth cry.

He couldn’t forget the matters concerning his twelfth and fifteenth brothers...

Every night, he was filled with hesitation and doubt.

...

"So..." Ji Mingyu’s voice was hoarse, "The Imperial Uncle won’t stop you?"

"Not only will he not stop me," Ji Mingyuan said coolly, "I fear he will help clear obstacles for me. Because what the Imperial Uncle wants is an emperor who can stabilize the kingdom in this chaotic world, not a virtuous gentleman."

He paused, his voice turning cold: "Third Brother, we are brothers. I’m giving you dignity."

Ji Mingyuan took out a white jade small bottle from his bosom and gently placed it on the ground.

"Poisoned wine, lethal upon contact with blood, with minimal suffering." His voice was flat, "If you kill yourself, I will ensure your mother enjoys her old age and your wife and children remain uninvolved. If you resist..."

He did not finish, but behind him, the Forbidden Army stepped forward in unison, the cold light of their blades illuminating Ji Mingyu’s pale complexion.

Ji Mingyu looked down at the white jade small bottle, then raised his eyes to look around.

The Golden Armor Forbidden Army was densely packed, at least three hundred in number, all were Martial Arts Strongmen.

And within his Chengde Hall, there were only over twenty bodyguards, whose martial arts capability was not even matching the most elite presence among these Forbidden Troops.

Unable to escape, unable to win.

He let out a tragic smile, slowly bent down, and picked up the bottle.

"Fifth Brother," Ji Mingyu gripped the Jade Bottle tightly, his voice suddenly calming, "Have you ever thought, that today you kill siblings to seize the throne, will your son one day do the same to you?"

Ji Mingyuan’s eyes slightly trembled but soon regained hardness: "That is a concern for me. At least today, I can sit on that position."

"Well, well... at least today." Ji Mingyu uncorked the bottle, the rich aroma of the wine mixed with a hint of almond scent wafted out.

He looked at Ji Mingyuan again, at those surrounding Golden Armor Forbidden Army, the knuckles gripping the Jade Bottle whitened from effort.

"Fifth Brother, tell me, was all this—this fratricide, coloring the palace with blood—your own doing, or was someone instigating from behind?"

Ji Mingyuan met his gaze without a ripple, his voice calmly frigid: "Third Brother, at this step, what meaning does asking these questions have? The path was chosen by me, the deed undertaken by me, naturally all were my decisions."

"Your decision?" Ji Mingyu gave a tragic smile, sweeping his gaze over the iron-clad, silent Forbidden Army around.

He shook his head: "You’ve managed to mobilize these three hundred Golden Armor Forbidden Troops to surround my Chengde Hall, to cause Seventh Brother’s sudden demise overnight, for Ninth Brother’s estate to catch fire accidentally, and the assassination of Twelfth Brother..."

Upon saying this, Ji Mingyu paused: "Fifth Brother, though you have some foundation within the army, with your own power, it is absolutely impossible to extend your reach this far, act this quickly, and let the Imperial City Department, Forbidden Army, and Patrol Camp cooperate so seamlessly. Behind you... there must be someone."

Ji Mingyuan’s eye subtly flickered once, without responding immediately.

Ji Mingyu seemed to see through his silence, slowly speaking: "Is it General Shen Xiao?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Mingyuan’s gaze remained calm, without any ripple.

"Third Brother, your guesses bear no significance."

"Of course." Ji Mingyu’s last thread of luck was extinguished, his tone carrying an understanding sadness, "To let you so confidently mobilize the Forbidden Army, to execute matters within the Imperial City so cleanly, apart from General Shen, who controls the military power in the capital, could anyone else achieve this?"

Ji Mingyuan’s gaze remained calm, without denial.

Ji Mingyu seemed to have opened Pandora’s box, continuing: "Not just that, your deeper cooperation with General Shen is likely related to his favored daughter, Shen Mengyun?"

"Back then, Father intended to betroth Shen Mengyun to Eighth Brother, but General Shen declined, citing ’daughter already has someone in mind.’ This raised quite a bit of speculation in the palace but soon faded away. Looking back now..."

He stared at Ji Mingyuan, slowly saying: "That someone in mind, was you, Fifth Brother?"

At this moment.

From behind the Golden Armor Forbidden Army, a woman dressed in Bright Silver Armor slowly emerged.

The woman had a delicate face, with her ponytail neatly tied behind her head, holding a long sword in her hand.

"It is indeed you!" Watching the woman emerge, Ji Mingyu slowly exhaled.

"It is I!" Shen Mengyun nodded. Directly admitting all of Ji Mingyu’s suspicions.

Ji Mingyu gazed at the woman before him, having gotten his answers, yet his heart felt no delight in revealing the mystery, instead, it overflowed with deeper exhaustion and sorrow.

Brotherly discord and family feuds, intertwined with power and ambition, along with such entangling romances.

Yet such sentiments have become a part of the bloodstained blade.

General Shen’s dearest daughter, cherished like a treasure.

Back then refusing Emperor’s betrothal, indeed had the consideration of not wanting to be drawn into the contention between princes, but more was out of respect for his daughter’s wishes.

And Shen Mengyun’s will, was tied to Ji Mingyuan.

This affection became the strongest and most hidden bond connecting Ji Mingyuan and Shen Xiao.

With this relationship, Shen Xiao would choose to place his bets on Ji Mingyuan during the bloody upheaval for the throne, leveraging his powers and supporting this perilous move.

At this moment, everything became clear to him.

And his heart settled into complete despair.

Struggles for the throne that involve a Marquis still allow some possibilities to resist.

But involving a King-level strongman, especially General Shen, a Martial Arts Strongman holding military power, supporting with all strength, and reaching this point today, he holds not a sliver of hope to struggle.

Ji Mingyu gripped the bottle of poisoned wine, tightening then loosening his grasp.

He glanced at the mouth of the bottle, then raised his eyes to Ji Mingyuan: "With General Shen’s full support, no wonder you dare to play this risky game."

He slowly brought the mouth of the bottle closer to his lips, the aroma mixed with the bitterness of almonds became even stronger.

"Third Brother!" Seeing this, Ji Mingyuan stepped forward impatiently, his voice tinged with an unnoticeable urgency: "I promised to ensure the safety and prosperity of your mother and wife and children."

Ji Mingyu’s action paused, looking at him, suddenly he laughed, a smile filled with endless ridicule; whether it was towards Ji Mingyuan, himself, or against the cold fate of the royal family.

"Then I thank you, Fifth Brother!" He loudly declared.

Leaving these words, he hesitated no longer, tilted his head back and drank the poisoned wine in one gulp.

The liquid was burning hot, quickly turned into a scorching pain as it spread rapidly through his entire body.

Ji Mingyu’s body shuddered violently, the Jade Bottle slipped from his hands, and its shattering echoed crisp and clear.

He staggered, using his sword to support himself, barely staying upright.

Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, not bright red but rather an eerie dark purple.

He made an effort to widen his eyes, attempting one last look at the sunrise of the palace he had lived in for decades, but his vision quickly blurred.

His ears seemed to catch Ji Mingyuan’s slightly distorted shouting and the fine stir of Forbidden Army, but everything felt far away.

"So...this is the taste of death..."

His heart murmured as consciousness fell into endless darkness.