"You've finally arrived."
In the grand hall of the imperial palace in Yangzhou, Yang Guang, who had been sitting on the dragon throne with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. He looked at the group of black-clad figures entering through the main door. Although these people were all dressed in black, with their heads wrapped in black cloth, it was easy to see that more than half of them were bald. As for where these people came from, there was no need to ask.
"Yuwen Huaji, Sima Dekan, you have betrayed me." Seeing Yuwen Huaji, dressed in armor, and Sima Dekan, the leader of the imperial guards, among the black-clad figures, Yang Guang's expression remained unchanged.
"Where is Dugu Sheng?"
"Commander Dugu was too stubborn and has already left before Your Majesty." As Yuwen Huaji spoke, one of the black-clad figures threw out a head. It was the head of an old man with an unremarkable appearance—Dugu Sheng, the second-in-command of the Dugu Clan.
"I thought he would betray me too. I didn't expect him to be so loyal." Looking at Dugu Sheng's head, with its disheveled hair and beard, Yang Guang sighed softly.
Yang Guang was well aware of his situation. Just as these people had entered the palace without alerting any guards, it was clear that with the strength and influence of the Temple of Compassion, the Pure Land Sect, and Ning Daoqi, it was all too easy to persuade Yuwen Huaji and Sima Dekan, who already had rebellious intentions.
Even persuading the Dugu Clan wasn't entirely unexpected for Yang Guang. After all, Yang Guang was now a sinking ship, unable to provide the Dugu Clan with any benefits.
For certain aristocratic families, as long as there was enough profit to be gained, anything could be negotiated. Even betraying the nation was possible if the benefits were high enough.
Just look at the situation during the late Ming Dynasty to understand the nature of some people.
The information released by Daniel Davis and Yang Guang might have made ordinary martial artists wary of the Buddhist sect, but for aristocratic families, the impact wasn't as significant. In the end, what truly decided everything was strength.
Expecting the Temple of Compassion and others to abandon their long-planned schemes based on mere words was impossible. To put it bluntly, if Daniel Davis hadn't been involved in the subsequent events, once Yang Guang died, the Temple of Compassion and Ning Daoqi could have come forward to clarify things, at most punishing a few bad apples within their sect. Although this would have damaged the Buddhist sect's reputation, they could have still survived the crisis.
"Yang Guang, you have acted against the heavens, tyrannized the people, and caused chaos in the world. Now, you have gone completely mad. Today, we will rid the world of you, this scourge." One of the black-clad figures stepped forward and loudly listed Yang Guang's crimes.
The black-clad figure listed ten major crimes of Yang Guang, which were essentially the same as the ten crimes Li Mi had accused Yang Guang of in the original story. Originally, this should have been done by Li Mi, but unfortunately, due to Daniel Davis's interference, Li Mi's power had been greatly reduced, and he no longer had the opportunity to accuse Yang Guang.
In the original story, Li Mi's accusations were meant to boost his own prestige. However, if he were to accuse Yang Guang with his current level of power, it would only make him a laughingstock.
The same actions taken by people of different statuses yield different results. For example, if an ordinary person were to shout about bringing world peace, it would be seen as childish. But if someone like Ying Zheng or Li Shimin were to say the same thing, it would be seen as having grand ambitions and foresight.
So, what some call childishness is simply a matter of insufficient ability. For example, a certain "Evil Eye" user would be seen differently if her eyes truly possessed magical powers.
"Indeed, you are a foreign cult, ungrateful wolves. It's a pity I didn't realize it back then, or I would have exterminated you all, leaving none alive." As Yang Guang spoke, a capsule suddenly appeared in his hand. Under the confused and puzzled gazes of the black-clad figures, he swallowed it.
"Why waste words with this tyrant? Attack!" As soon as Yang Guang finished speaking, one of the black-clad figures suddenly burst into action, his body glowing with golden light. He charged at Yang Guang, shouting, "Yang Guang, do you know what you've done? You deserve to die ten thousand times!"
Yang Guang's actions had caused immense damage to the Buddhist sect, especially to their reputation. This loss was far greater than any loss of wealth or personnel. To recover from this, even for the Buddhist sect, would take at least several decades, and in the worst-case scenario, it could take a century.
To kill Yang Guang this time, the Temple of Compassion and others had paid a hefty price to persuade Yuwen Huaji and Sima Dekan to withdraw the imperial guards.
For Yuwen Huaji and Sima Dekan, this was a rare opportunity to extort benefits, especially after witnessing the wealth of the Buddhist sect. Although they had long intended to betray Yang Guang, they took the chance to extract significant gains from the Buddhist sect.
As this black-clad figure attacked, the others did not move. They were well aware of this person's identity and strength. With Yang Guang's current power, he stood no chance against him. The reason so many people had come was to ensure success and to deal with someone hiding in the shadows.
The people of the Temple of Compassion were no fools. Yang Guang's sudden actions, combined with Daniel Davis's lack of effort to conceal his movements, not to mention Yuwen Huaji and others who would never help him hide, made it clear that if they didn't know the truth, they might as well be dead.
Thud.
However, what happened next left the black-clad figures dumbfounded. Their trusted comrade, whom they had high hopes for, was pierced through the chest by Yang Guang's right hand.
This scene left even the attacking black-clad figure in disbelief. Among all the people who had come today, he wasn't the strongest, but he was certainly in the top ten. Moreover, he practiced the Golden Bell Shield, a defensive technique that made him nearly impervious to attacks. Even against someone like Ryan, he shouldn't have been defeated in a single move.
"You want to kill me? With just you trash? You'd need Ning Daoqi for that." Yang Guang then removed the black cloth covering the man's head, revealing a bald head with nine ordination scars. The man's face wasn't particularly old, appearing to be in his forties or fifties.
"You—" The black-clad figure tried to say something to Yang Guang, who was now right in front of him, but before he could speak, Yang Guang beheaded him with a swift chop of his hand. He then kicked the headless body toward the other black-clad figures in the hall.
"Senior Brother Jin Gang!" One of the black-clad figures rushed forward, trying to catch the headless body, but the next moment, the body exploded, scattering flesh and blood in all directions. The black-clad figures who were splattered with the blood immediately cried out in pain.
"Poison! Yang Guang, you—" At this point, the flesh and blood had turned an eerie black-red.
"Surprised? But this poison, as potent as it is, still pales in comparison to your cruelty. If only you had come today, then unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to kill me."
As Yang Guang spoke, he threw the head he was holding toward the black-clad figures. This time, no one dared to catch it. The black-clad figures scattered, clearly afraid that Yang Guang would repeat his earlier tactic.
Screams!
Just as the black-clad figures scattered, several screams rang out. It turned out that Yang Guang had somehow appeared among them, delivering punches to several of them. Judging by the caved-in chests of the black-clad figures, they were unlikely to survive.
"A grandmaster? How is this possible?" Many of the remaining black-clad figures exclaimed in shock. Yang Guang's displayed strength far exceeded their expectations.
"It can't be a grandmaster. It must be due to the drug he took earlier. He's burning his potential. It won't last long. Attack!"
Although Yang Guang's martial prowess was unexpected, the black-clad figures all understood one thing: Yang Guang had to die. Moreover, someone had revealed the reason for Yang Guang's sudden surge in strength. With that, the black-clad figures immediately launched their attack on Yang Guang.
A fierce battle erupted in the grand hall. There were about sixty black-clad figures in the palace hall, and none of them were weak. The weakest among them was at least a Xiantian-level expert. Even with Yang Guang's enhanced strength, it would be difficult for him to kill all of them in a short time.
While the black-clad figures desperately surrounded Yang Guang, Yuwen Huaji and Sima Dekan took the opportunity to retreat toward the palace gates.
Yang Guang's current strength was too great. If not for the black-clad figures' relentless assault, Yang Guang might have already killed these two traitors.
Under such circumstances, Yuwen Huaji and Sima Dekan naturally had no intention of risking their lives. After all, the main attackers today were from the Temple of Compassion. They didn't need to fight so desperately.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, the ceiling of the grand hall was shattered. Yang Guang and several black-clad figures landed on the palace roof. Only eight black-clad figures remained around Yang Guang, while the others lay dead in the hall.
Moreover, these eight were all injured. Of course, Yang Guang wasn't faring well either. His body was covered in wounds, and his left arm was twisted. His golden dragon robe was now stained red with blood.
"Ning Daoqi, Liaokong, Fan Qinghui, you four bald donkeys, if you want to kill me, Yang Guang, you should come yourselves. Do you really think these people can kill me?" As Yang Guang spoke, another capsule appeared in his hand, which he swallowed. After taking the capsule, Yang Guang's pale complexion immediately flushed, and his aura surged.
After speaking, Yang Guang immediately charged at the remaining eight black-clad figures.
"What have you done?" The black-clad figure farthest from Yang Guang suddenly paled, as Yang Guang's voice wasn't just heard by them—it seemed to echo throughout the entire city of Yangzhou.
Logically, even if Yang Guang's martial arts had reached the level of a grandmaster, it would be impossible for his voice to be heard by the entire city.
"The Temple of Compassion wants to choose the emperor on behalf of heaven, and they've chosen Li Shimin, the second son of the Li Clan. How interesting. Are you planning to have Li Shimin kill his father, his brothers, and then become emperor? How ruthless. This way, you can control him better. Your plan is quite thorough." As Yang Guang fought, his voice, though not particularly loud, echoed throughout Yangzhou once again.
"Don't let him speak!" Yang Guang's words made the remaining Buddhist experts furious, as his words were too damning. If Li Shimin truly believed they were plotting this, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"What's wrong? Afraid I'll expose your conspiracy? What can you do about it? Hahaha! Even if I have to sacrifice my life and this empire, I won't let your plan succeed." As Yang Guang spoke, he kicked another black-clad figure to death.
"Ning Daoqi, Fan Qinghui must be quite the experience. But I wonder how you and that bald donkey Liaokong share Fan Qinghui. Do you take turns, or do the three of you enjoy her together? Ning Daoqi, Liaokong, Fan Qinghui, I leave you with this: 'Bald donkey, how dare you compete with this Taoist for the nun!'"
As soon as these words were spoken, two of the remaining black-clad figures spat blood simultaneously. At the same time, six more black-clad figures appeared on the palace roof, surrounding Yang Guang. These six were clearly extraordinary.
Even with Yang Guang's drug-enhanced strength, he couldn't easily deal with these six.
"Form the formation! Don't give him a chance to speak!" The six immediately intensified their attacks, leaving Yang Guang no opportunity to speak.
At the same time, as Yang Guang's voice echoed through Yangzhou, the imperial guards finally reacted. Although Yuwen Huaji and Sima Dekan blocked most of them, a significant number of imperial guards rushed into the palace square, ready to assist Yang Guang.
However, at that moment, nearly a hundred more black-clad figures emerged, engaging the imperial guards in battle and preventing them from aiding Yang Guang.
"It seems Ning Daoqi and Fan Qinghui won't show themselves. I wanted to take them with me, but it seems there's no chance now." As Yang Guang spoke, his hair began to turn white, and his muscles started to sag and age. The side effects of the drugs were beginning to take effect.
The capsules were, of course, given to Yang Guang by Daniel Davis. They were a byproduct of Daniel Davis's research, combining knowledge from various worlds, including the凶药 (a potent drug). Originally, Daniel Davis had no intention of using them, but after speaking with Yang Guang, he handed them over.
With the enhancement from the drugs, Yang Guang could now fight Ning Daoqi head-on.
"Yang Guang, your retribution has come."
"Retribution? I think it's your retribution that has come."
Just as the six black-clad figures surrounding Yang Guang prepared to deliver the final blow, Yang Guang suddenly smirked. A black light began to emanate from his body.
"Not good! Retreat!"
The sudden change filled the six black-clad figures with a sense of impending doom. These six were no ordinary individuals—they were among the top experts of the Buddhist sect, second only to the Four Great Holy Monks. Together, they could even challenge Ning Daoqi.
For this assassination attempt, neither Ning Daoqi nor Fan Qinghui or the Four Great Holy Monks could personally intervene. The Buddhist sect had sent their hidden experts, such as these six, who hailed from the sects of the Four Great Holy Monks.
The Four Great Holy Monks were backed by four major sects: the Tiantai Sect, the Sanlun Sect, the Huayan Sect, and the Chan Sect. Each of these sects held a status within the Buddhist sect second only to the Temple of Compassion and the Pure Land Sect.
The high status of the Four Great Holy Monks was due not only to their martial prowess but also to their positions within these sects.
Unfortunately, although these six reacted quickly, the black light was faster. In an instant, a black sphere nearly a hundred meters in diameter engulfed the six figures and everyone fighting in the square.
(End of Chapter)
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