Da Zhou.
In the magnificent Yujing City, within the imposing "Prince Qi's Mansion," a secret chamber was filled with the fragrance of incense.
Zhou Zhikun, the second prince of Da Zhou, who had been bestowed the title of Prince Qi by the emperor two years ago, sat there with a dark and unpleasant expression on his face. In his hands, he tightly grasped a confidential letter that had just arrived from Gunzhou.
The letter stated that everyone, led by Xiang Tianqiu, had been killed at the peak of Xishan in Gunzhou. Among them were Yue Changyuan of the Su Family in Yujing City and even peak Grandmasters like Qin Changshan!
On the other hand, there were no casualties on the side of the sixth prince.
The letter also analyzed that it was suspected that Su Yi was behind the outcome that favored the sixth prince.
Although these messages did not provide specific details, they sent Zhou Zhikun into a fit of anger.
"Second brother, now that the matter has already occurred, there is no need to be angry about it anymore. The most important thing is to understand our father's attitude toward this matter," said Zhou Zhizhen, the third prince, in a deep and resolute voice. "In my opinion, the person around the sixth brother who committed such a bloody act is bound to cause turmoil in Gunzhou. Our father is destined not to spare him!"
His words were icy and carried a sense of coldness.
"The position of the Governor of Gunzhou is lost, and I don't care about that. What I didn't expect is that the mediocre and flamboyant prodigal son, the sixth brother, would have such means!" Zhou Zhikun's face grew darker. "We have underestimated him before!"
"I don't think so," Zhou Zhizhen's gaze flickered, and he said, "The success or failure of this tea gathering ultimately lies with that Su Yi."
Zhou Zhikun's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said, "But according to the information I've gathered, this person, despite coming from the Su Family, is extremely unworthy. From childhood to adulthood, he has been neglected and even his father, Su Hongli, sees him as a rebellious villain. I can't imagine how someone like him could possess such incredible means."
Zhou Zhizhen nodded and said, "Indeed, there are many strange things about this person. However, we don't need to take action ourselves. The Su Family in Yujing City will never let him off!"
As he spoke, a cold light flashed in his eyes.
Zhou Zhikun's expression eased a bit as he said, "You're right, third brother. This person actually dared to kill Yue Changyuan, the steward of the Su Family. It will surely enrage the entire Su Family."
Pausing for a moment, he sneered, "With his lowly status in the Su Family and so many abnormal things happening to him, if I were a member of the Su Family, I would never remain indifferent!"
Just then, a sharp voice came from outside the secret chamber, "Your Highness, there is news from the palace."
Zhou Zhikun's spirits lifted, and he immediately asked, "What does our father say?"
Outside the secret chamber, that sharp voice carried a hint of respect as it said, "After learning about the news of the tea gathering in Gunzhou, His Majesty remained silent for a full half quarter, drank another cup of wine, and then burst into laughter, saying only, 'This child, Xiao Liu, is somewhat similar to me in the past!'"
Zhou Zhikun and Zhou Zhizhen glanced at each other, their faces subtly changing. Not only was their father not angry, but he seemed to appreciate the actions of the sixth prince?
This was somewhat unfavorable!
Zhou Zhikun took a deep breath and asked, "Are there any other news?"
The sharp voice outside the secret chamber answered in a low voice, "Grand Preceptor Hong Canshang proposed to investigate the background of a young man named Su Yi. His Majesty said that this is the Su Family's matter and should be resolved by the Su Family themselves."
Zhou Zhikun was taken aback and said, "So the Grand Preceptor has also noticed that something is amiss with this Su Yi. Then... did our father mention me?"
"No."
The sharp voice replied.
Zhou Zhikun's heart sank.
Praising his sixth brother but not mentioning him at all undoubtedly meant that he had failed to satisfy their father in this test!
With this in mind, Zhou Zhikun's expression grew even darker.
"This Su Yi... deserves to die..."
The third prince, Zhou Zhizhen, couldn't help but murmur, his eyes filled with a chilling killing intent.
"I want to see how the Su Family will deal with this fellow they consider a villain..."
Zhou Zhikun gritted his teeth, emphasizing each word.
...
Yujing City, Su Family.
Under a flourishing century-old tung tree.
Su Hongli sat cross-legged on a cushion at the base of the tree, holding an ancient book and casually flipping through its pages.
The head of the Su Family wore wide-sleeved robes, with his long hair tied up with a wooden hairpin. He had a unique appearance, exuding a profound and peaceful aura, like a well-read scholar who had experienced the world.
Beside Su Hongli, an old Taoist in a daoist robe sat. He had a childlike face, clear and innocent eyes, and a breath that was long and almost imperceptible.
In front of him was a guqin, and as his ten fingers moved across the strings, the sound of the qin flowed like a mountain stream, melodious and ethereal, like heavenly music.
Suddenly, Su Hongli looked up and raised his hand, gesturing, "Fellow Daoist, a mundane visitor has arrived to disturb us."
The Taoist in the daoist robe smiled faintly and put away his hands from caressing the qin.
At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from a distance, and a middle-aged man in a solemn black robe quickly approached, with an aura as profound as a mountain.
"I pay my respects to the Elder."
The middle-aged man bowed respectfully.
"Speak."
Su Hongli spoke softly.
The middle-aged man in the black robe nodded and spoke softly, "Elder, news has arrived from Gunzhou, saying..."
He proceeded to recount the events of the tea gathering in Gunzhou.
During this time, Su Hongli maintained a calm and indifferent expression, showing no emotional fluctuations. However, the old Taoist beside him showed a slight startle and a contemplative look in his clear eyes when he heard the name "Su Yi."
When the middle-aged man in the black robe finished speaking, Su Hongli nodded and asked, "What did His Majesty say about this matter?"
The middle-aged man in the black robe hurriedly replied, "His Majesty said that this is our Su Family's matter and should be resolved by our Su Family ourselves."
Su Hongli placed the book in his hand on the desk and looked at the middle-aged man in the black robe, casually asking, "Did this wretched child Su Yi act in the name of the Su Family?"
In that instant when he was stared at, the middle-aged man's body stiffened, as if being scrutinized by divine beings from the heavens!
An invisible pressure caused the middle-aged man's knees to weaken, and a chill ran down his spine.
"He... probably did not."
The middle-aged man in the black robe lowered his head deeply.
Su Hongli continued, "Did he set foot in Yujing City?"
"No!"
This time, the middle-aged man in the black robe answered decisively.
Su Hongli acknowledged with a sound of understanding, retracting his gaze. He raised his hand and picked up the ancient scroll on the desk, flipping through it as he asked, "Who instructed Yue Changyuan to get involved in the conflict between the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince?"
The middle-aged man in the black robe trembled in his heart and said with a brave face, "It should be the command of Lady Si, the fourth wife who receives the most favor from you, Consort Youqingzhi."
Su Hongli nodded, seemingly unsurprised.
He turned his gaze to the Taoist beside him and said, "Fellow Daoist, what do you think is the best way to resolve this matter?"
The Taoist in the daoist robe smiled and shook his head, "This is your family matter, and I shouldn't interfere."
Su Hongli also smiled and said, "That's fine. You have a transcendent temperament and disdain the entanglements of the secular world. I won't trouble you further."
His gaze returned to the middle-aged man in the black robe and he said, "Convey my decree and let Pei Wenshan personally go to Gunzhou to deliver a message to that wretched child. As long as he bows his head and admits his mistake, I can give him a chance to start afresh."
His words were casual and composed, as if discussing a trivial matter. "If he refuses, it doesn't matter. I can give him some time to consider. Set the deadline for the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Now, go."
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man in the black robe respectfully took the order and hurriedly left.
After the middle-aged man in the black robe disappeared, the Taoist in the daoist robe sighed, "Friend, your cultivation has become even more formidable. It seems that you are on the verge of 'harmonizing with heaven and earth.' With such depth, you can easily enter the realm of the Primordial Way. Why are you hesitating to break through?"
Su Hongli pondered for a moment and calmly said, "One should broaden their perspective to grasp the essence of things. If I wanted to embark on the path of the Primordial Way, I could have easily set foot on it more than ten years ago. But what I seek extends far beyond that."
Pausing for a moment, he smiled and continued, "Fellow Daoist, as someone who is already on the path of the Primordial Way, you should understand that the strength of each practitioner varies greatly, despite being on the same path. I, Su Hongli, disdain the ordinary ways of cultivation in the Primordial Way."
The Taoist in the daoist robe narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "It is widely known that among the ten Precelestial Martial Ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty, your cultivation, as well as that of Grand Preceptor Hong, is the most profound and unfathomable. I am truly looking forward to seeing what kind of path you will tread upon in the Primordial Way."
Su Hongli's gaze fell on the book in his hand, and after a moment of silence, he whispered, "There's no need to rush."
The Taoist in the daoist robe nodded and remained silent.
...
In another part of the Su residence.
Shortly after Su Hongli issued his orders, Lady Si, known as Consort Youqingzhi, received the news.
"The master actually plans to give that brat a chance to reform himself? And he even dispatched Marquis Yushan, Pei Wenshan, personally?"
A feeling of discomfort surged within Lady Si, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as a hint of malevolence flashed in her eyes.
Pei Wenshan, titled Marquis Yushan, was one of the eighteen Marquis from external families!
It was widely known that among the nine external Princes, the Su family held three positions.
Among the eighteen Marquis from external families, the Su family held five positions.
Marquis Yushan, Pei Wenshan, was one of them.
"Mother, don't worry. Although Father is giving Su Yi a chance to reform, it doesn't mean he intends to reinstate him."
Su Bonong smiled and reassured her, "On the contrary, in my opinion, Father is giving Su Yi an ultimatum."
He was Su Hongli's son, ranked fifth, sixteen years old this year, with a handsome appearance and promising future. He was regarded as a peerless genius of the younger generation in Yujing City.
Lady Si was astonished. "What do you mean?"
Su Bonong confidently explained, "Father said he will give Su Yi some time to consider, with a deadline set on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Mother, have you forgotten that on that day, Father deposed Su Yi's mother, Lady Ye Yu? She lost her status and was completely banished to the cold palace. It was from that day on that she fell critically ill and struggled until the second day of the second lunar month of the following year before passing away."
A cold light flickered in Lady Si's eyes. "Of course, I remember. It was on that day that the wretched woman lost her position and was completely ruined. This ultimatum given to Su Yi is a reminder that if he doesn't repent, he will suffer the same fate as his mother, Lady Ye Yu, completely and irrevocably."
Upon hearing this, Lady Si's eyes revealed a hint of admiration, and she sighed, "Bonong, you resemble your father when he was young. Although you are still young, you possess wisdom and strength."
Su Bonong slightly cupped his hand and smiled, "That's all thanks to Mother's careful guidance."
Lady Si corrected him with a smile, "It's thanks to your father's careful guidance. Without your father, how could you have reached the level of a Grandmaster at the age of sixteen and become the most highly regarded martial prodigy of the younger generation in Yujing City?"
After a pause, a coldness appeared on Lady Si's face. "As for that brat, Su Yi... Since your father has made a decision, I will wait until the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to see if he will truly reform himself!"
Su Bonong smiled and said, "In my opinion, there is no place for Su Yi in our Su family. Whether he reforms or not is ultimately inconsequential."
...
Shushi Residence.
At noon, Su Yi was dining with Chajin.
Yuan Luoyu arrived with a group of soldiers, carrying a large box with him.
"Mr. Su, this box contains some artifacts collected from the peak of Xishan. His Highness, the Sixth Prince, personally instructed us to deliver them," Yuan Luoyu said, bowing with a respectful expression on his face.
Today's battle at the peak of Xishan had greatly impressed him, and when facing Su Yi again, he felt even more reverence in his heart.
Su Yi nodded and said, "Just leave it there."
Yuan Luoyu thought for a moment and asked, "Mr. Su, my father would like to visit you. When would be a suitable time?"
"Tomorrow," Su Yi replied casually.
Soon, Yuan Luoyu took his leave with his men.
In the past, he would have stayed and conversed with Su Yi for a while longer.
But after experiencing the events of today, he inexplicably felt more reserved and even sensed an invisible pressure when facing Su Yi.
"Chajin, whoever comes to visit today, tell them to come back tomorrow," Su Yi instructed.
Chajin nodded in agreement.
Su Yi got up, carrying the large box, and returned to his room.
Opening the box, he found various weapons, spirit materials, and pills inside.
After a quick glance, Su Yi picked up a dark-colored longsword in his hand.
This sword was named "Shanwei."
It was an heirloom of Qin Changshan, a Grandmaster at the Fifth Stage, weighing 317 kilograms and made from thirty-three types of fourth-grade spirit materials.
It was said to be a "spiritual weapon" gifted to Qin Changshan by a land-bound immortal.
In Su Yi's opinion, it could indeed be considered a spiritual weapon, as the sword exuded a trace of spirituality.
However, the craftsmanship was somewhat sloppy, and it didn't fully unleash the power of the spirit materials used to forge the sword.
"I still have a piece of star meteor refined iron in my possession, which is an excellent material for forging a spiritual sword. Once I collect some more spirit materials, I will melt down this Shanwei sword, combine it with the star meteor refined iron, and reforge a new sword," Su Yi pondered.
Today, at the peak of Xishan, he used the Yuxuan Sword to manipulate the power of the hundred zhang cloud sea, effortlessly defeating Xiang Tianqiu and the others who planned to escape.
But as a result, the "Cai Xuan" command power of the Yuxuan Sword was greatly depleted, and there were even imperceptible cracks appearing on its blade.
Ultimately, the Yuxuan Sword, despite its power, was only a spiritual sword forged from a second-grade spirit material.
Leaving aside the power of the Cai Xuan command, its grade was far inferior to the Shanwei sword in the hands of Qin Changshan.
Moreover, now that Su Yi had reached the late stage of the Gathering Qi realm and cultivated the "Dao Gang" power, it was difficult for the Yuxuan Sword to fully unleash his true strength.
In fact, if he exerted his full cultivation power, it was highly likely that the Yuxuan Sword would be destroyed by the immense force it couldn't bear.
All of this made Su Yi have to consider the matter of forging another sword.
As for the Shanwei sword...
It could be reluctantly used, but it was not suitable for him.
Ultimately, the essence of a sword cultivator's sword lay not in how terrifying its power was, but in whether it could perfectly align with one's own strength.
Next, Su Yi carefully stored away the spirit materials and medicines from the box that he could use for himself. He intended to give the remaining items in the box to Chajin and have them sold at the Goldstone Pavilion.
After completing these tasks, Su Yi approached the desk by the window.
From this position, he had a perfect view of the distant emerald green lake.
Lotus flowers swayed, reflecting shimmering ripples, creating a tranquil and serene scene.
On one side of the lake, Chajin, dressed in a water-green long dress, was playing with a young Chi Ni, her beautiful face radiating a gentle glow under the sunlight.
The offspring of the Chi Yan Bi Jing Beast, Chi Ni had grown considerably. Its chubby body was about half a chi long, covered in soft and smooth fur.
It looked like a chubby white puppy, adorable and endearing.
A touch of melancholy quietly rose in Su Yi's heart.
Originally, when he first took in Chi Ni, he intended to give this little creature to Wen Lingxue as a pet.
But now...
He could only temporarily abandon that plan.
"At some point, I'll find an opportunity to awaken its spiritual wisdom, impart scriptures to it, and its future achievements will depend on its own destiny," Su Yi thought to himself.
Lost in thought for a while, Su Yi withdrew his gaze from the window. He spread out a blank sheet of paper on the desk and picked up a brush saturated with ink, swiftly writing on it.
"Who dares to test the Heavenly Sword that leans on the sky? A lone wild goose traverses through the ages, witnessing its brilliance flickering."
Each character was simple and tranquil, subtly conveying a sense of desolation.
On this day, it was the 399th year of the Great Zhou Calendar, the fifteenth day of the third month.
On this day, at the peak of Xishan outside Gunzhou City, Su Yi killed Yue Changyuan, Qin Changshan, Yu Baiting, and the heads of four top aristocratic families in Gunzhou City.
With just one person and one sword, he turned the tide of the situation, assisting the Sixth Prince Zhou Zhili in turning defeat into victory.
Gunzhou City fell into turmoil, triggering a massive wave that captured the attention of the world.
In later generations, it would be known as the "Xishan Massacre."