Chapter Ten: The Second Divine Martial Contest Section One: A Clear Understanding
Chapter One: Knowing Full Well
The dawn had long since broken as he stood atop the city wall, gazing out over the vast grasslands.
The four cities under construction were expected to be ready for the tribes to relocate within about three months.
The Evening Glow Tribe was flourishing now. Although the major festivals of the Spirit Soul Sect and many symbolic rituals had become widespread, he had yet to see any seekers of the Spirit Soul Will come forward of their own accord to pledge allegiance. Nor had the Spirit Soul Sect truly established a kingdom.
The morning sun rose slowly, and the people of Northern Yin City awoke from their slumber, beginning another day of labor.
At this moment, Emperor Ao Pan of the Zhou Dynasty was awakened by a maidservant to partake in his meal. After a night of rest with the Empress, his strength had somewhat recovered. Having been imprisoned and starved for days within the grand hall of the Zhou capital, he had narrowly escaped death. Now, the most perilous times had passed, and he had finally broken free from the control of the Zheng State.
Yet the Empress showed little joy upon seeing him.
“Your Majesty... is something troubling you?”
At that moment, several dozen civil and military officials who had escaped from the capital gathered outside, shouting, “Long live our Emperor!” They had come early to pay their respects.
Ao Pan ordered his servants to open the door. The Chancellor entered with a kowtow, kneeling as he reported, “I have a word to speak, Your Majesty.”
“Speak.”
“Your Majesty, I believe the Left Bank Luobi of the Evening Glow Tribe has rendered great service in protecting Your Majesty. It is only fitting that he be generously rewarded. Although the Black Wolf Tribe was once considered barbaric, this time, in saving Your Majesty, they fought fiercely against the Zheng army. The Great Luobi of the Black Wolf Tribe should also be richly rewarded.”
“That was my intention from the start,” Ao Pan replied.
The old Chancellor praised the Emperor’s wisdom and then withdrew to wait outside.
The Empress, however, wore a worried expression. “Your Majesty, this old friend indeed shows loyalty and righteousness. Without his desperate rescue and the risk he took in bringing the imperial jade seal out, how could we have escaped with our lives?”
“The Empress misunderstands. The Chancellor’s concern lies in the Left Bank’s possible ulterior motives. That is why he urged me to grant them a generous reward.”
“But the Left Bank Luobi does not seem like a deceitful man…”
“If he were merely loyal and righteous, why would he risk bringing out the imperial jade seal? I have long known of his ambition. Seeking his help to escape the Zheng army was like leaving a wolf’s den only to enter a tiger’s lair. Yet staying among the Zheng troops would have meant certain death. With him, at least our lives are safe. As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood; there is still hope to restore the grandeur of the Zhou Dynasty. I have no choice…”
Hearing this, the Empress’s face was filled with worry. “Think of all the blood and sweat the Great Zhou shed to overthrow human rule and bestow blessings upon the world. Yet today, there is not a single loyal and brave man to be found!”
“Your Majesty need not worry. Though the Left Bank is ambitious, he is not heartless or unfaithful. I am not afraid he would disgrace the sacred authority. It is far better than being in the capital, where even a low-ranking Zheng army commander dares to swagger before us!”
Together they left the chamber to receive the officials’ kowtows. Under the guidance of slave laborers, they headed straight to the dining hall.
Both Bai Yue and Bai Xing had not slept well, but after resting for more than half an hour, they forced themselves awake to accompany the Emperor, mustering their spirits as they went to pay their respects.
After the meal, Bu Jingxian and the Bai sisters accompanied Emperor Ao Pan on a tour of Northern Yin City. Suddenly, the Chancellor and other civil and military officials collectively petitioned the Emperor to confer honors upon the Left Bank, praising his protection of the throne. Ao Pan publicly ordered the imperial jade seal to be brought forth and bestowed the title of Northern Sovereign upon Bu Jingxian. Bai Yue, overjoyed, knelt with Bu Jingxian to express their gratitude.
Ao Pan then conferred the title of Martial Sovereign upon the Great Luobi and inquired about the names of the eight Great Luobis of the Black Wolf Tribe, granting them all the rank of Marquis. He tasked Bu Jingxian with delivering the royal edicts.
Bu Jingxian accepted the mission at once.
Bai Yue and the others waited patiently throughout the day, accompanying the Emperor on his tour of the city. Returning to their quarters, Bai Yue finally took out the phoenix robe she had long treasured and changed into it. Bai Xing also donned a similar garment. The two sisters examined themselves repeatedly in the mirror, laughing with joy. When a servant addressed Bai Yue as “Sect Leader,” she sharply rebuked him, “From today onward, address me as Princess Consort, no longer Sect Leader or Priestess!”
The servant quickly corrected himself and warned the other slaves as he left. Soon, the entire city knew.
That night, as Bai Yue and Bai Xing trained atop the mansion, the people of Northern Yin City saw them and knelt, shouting, “Long live the Princess Consort!”
Bai Yue was so delighted she nearly lost her focus on cultivation.
At the same time, Emperor Ao Pan and the Empress, unable to sleep, strolled together in the garden. They noticed the Bai sisters atop the palace, solemnly gazing at the full moon, performing a profound kowtow.
Ao Pan had seen them practicing at night before but from afar and from behind. At that time, he had his suspicions but thought it unlikely.
The Empress, upon seeing their phoenix robes, sneered coldly, “How fitting for the Bai clan! Your Majesty, look—they have already prepared their phoenix robes. Their ambition is plain to see!” Then she suddenly wondered aloud, “Your Majesty, how is it that the Bai sisters worship the moon like the imperial Moon Clan?”
“I have long suspected, but if they truly bore Moon Clan blood, how could they serve Prince Chen?”
As they spoke, they saw crescent moon marks appear on Bai Yue and Bai Xing’s foreheads, glowing with a flowing golden-red light. The full moon in the night sky seemed to brighten in an instant.
“Your Majesty!” the Empress exclaimed, horrified.
Ao Pan, both astonished and overjoyed, quickly summoned the old Chancellor of the capital.
Shortly after, the Chancellor hurried in. He had already noticed the strange aura of the two Northern Sovereign Princess Consorts atop the city wall. When the Emperor asked him to inspect, he examined them carefully.
“I congratulate Your Majesty! The two Princess Consorts of the Northern Sovereign must be descendants of the Moon Clan!”
“Indeed!” Ao Pan exclaimed.
“Absolutely no doubt,” the Chancellor confirmed firmly. He then ordered a minister to bring the Moon Clan genealogical records.
A short while later, the minister arrived. The Chancellor read aloud, “The Bai lineage… Forty years ago, King Bai had a son named Bai Yang. During the wars, all news of him was lost. I believe the Princess Consorts must be descendants of Bai Yang! They are Your Majesty’s cousins! Princesses of the Zhou Dynasty!”
Ao Pan was overjoyed and quickly commanded, “Summon my two cousins to speak! Summon them at once!”
A servant was dispatched. Bai Yue and Bai Xing were displeased; their training was interrupted. But since it was the Emperor’s summons, they had to oblige. Both ceased their cultivation and followed the servant to the garden.
To their surprise, the entire Zhou civil and military officials were present, kneeling and kowtowing, loudly proclaiming, “We pay respects to the princesses!”
Ao Pan and the Empress, beaming with joy, quickly approached them, calling out, “My cousins! You are descendants of the Moon Clan, of the royal bloodline of Great Zhou, princesses of the Zhou Kingdom, my own family!”
“P-Princesses!” Even the composed Bai Yue was stunned, unable to accept it. Bai Xing was utterly dumbfounded, unable to come to terms with the reality.
Meanwhile, Bu Jingxian delivered the Emperor’s edict to the Great Luobi. The Great Luobi was dismissive, scoffing at the idea of the Black Wolf Tribe recognizing the Zhou Emperor. He casually set aside the imperial document.
“Why should the Left Bank Luobi care about the Zhou Emperor?”
Bu Jingxian anticipated this reaction. “Great Luobi, from our perspective, the Zhou Emperor is useless and has nothing to do with us.”
“Exactly!”
“Great Luobi, do you know why the Black Wolf Tribe has failed to conquer the Zheng State?”
“It is because of insufficient funds and supplies, and Zheng is strong. Our army has never been able to take the city.”
“Then why did Great Luobi initially conquer large swathes of Zheng territory only to lose them?”
The Great Luobi frowned. “The Zheng army was powerful and launched counterattacks to reclaim the land.”
“Great Luobi is mistaken,” Bu Jingxian said, sitting upright and speaking seriously. “It is because the people of Zheng were united. Why were the military and civilians united? Because the Seven Powers regarded us as barbarians. No one wanted to be ruled by us, so the people were united. When Great Luobi tried to establish a kingdom, the Seven Powers refused to acknowledge it. Why? Because they saw us as barbarians unworthy of equal standing.”
“That makes sense. Those Seven Powers are all proud and arrogant. Their armies are as strong as ours! If they can set up kingdoms, why can’t we? It’s maddening!”
“But all this will change because of the Zhou Emperor’s edict! The Seven Powers are all kings, nominally subjects of the Zhou Dynasty and the Zhou Emperor. If Great Luobi accepts the Emperor’s decree, then Great Luobi is a legitimate king and can naturally establish a kingdom. No one among the Seven Powers can deny the Emperor’s will! They can no longer call us barbarians. Furthermore, the Zhou Emperor was harmed by the Zheng State. If he sends envoys to the Seven States to announce Zheng’s treason and regicide, the Zheng State will lose legitimacy and be scorned by all. Our tribe’s future campaigns will then be justified as suppressing rebellion and punishing a tyrant.”
The Great Luobi was moved but still hesitant. “The Zheng King seeks to kill the Zhou Emperor. Would he really have such influence?”
“Of course! Otherwise, why would the Zheng King want him dead but dare not let him die at the hands of Zheng troops? He set a complicated poison trap to frame us. It is precisely because the Zheng King fears the stigma that he does not kill him personally. The Seven Powers all hope for the Emperor’s death, but none dare to act. Unlike us Black Wolves, who act boldly, the Seven Powers care deeply about reputation and honor—even when they steal women and treasures, they justify it by saying those things don’t belong to commoners. They would never say, ‘I took your woman and treasure simply because I wanted them.’ It is the same with the Zhou Emperor.”
“Left Bank Luobi truly understands the Seven Powers. Very well! I accept the decree and will convene the Luobis to discuss founding our kingdom! Ha ha ha...” The Great Luobi laughed joyfully but then lowered his voice. “Left Bank Luobi, about this Zhou Emperor matter…”
Bu Jingxian guessed his thoughts immediately and smiled. “Great Luobi has long known about the Zhou Emperor, which is why attacking the capital was necessary. Of course, it was also my plan. Otherwise, why would Great Luobi attack the capital? I saw through the Zheng State’s schemes and only used their plan to save the Emperor’s life.”
The Great Luobi rejoiced, seeing this as a chance to redeem his reputation. “Indeed, I have long seen through Zheng’s schemes. I just didn’t understand why they set such a trap. But after your reminder, I now know it was to kill the Emperor and frame us.” He then chuckled, “Left Bank Luobi, thanks to your help this time, a few days ago several tribes sent three hundred fat sheep, fifty beauties, a thousand taels of gold, and a hundred fine horses. I have already forwarded these gifts to the Evening Glow Tribe.”
“I will accept with gratitude. Many thanks for Great Luobi’s generosity.”