Volume One: The Sovereign's Command Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Rise and Fall That Stabilizes the Realm

The eccentric swordsman wearing the ghost fox mask did not belong to any organization present, and the techniques he employed were not part of the known sects or schools—only strange and arcane arts.

Xiao Qingshu’s short spear was knocked from her hand. The two attackers surrounding her were skilled warriors, far beyond her crude spear technique. Fortunately, she possessed great strength; in a moment of rage, she forced them back with a powerful punch and quickly ran to hide beside Liu Xiaoyi.

“Scoundrel, help me retrieve my spear—it was a gift from my sister, very precious,” Xiao Qingshu whispered, tugging at Liu Xiaoyi’s clothing.

“Quiet. Let me think of a plan. Why don’t you use your usual skills?” Liu Xiaoyi frowned. Among the six ghost fox masked figures present, three sided with him, while the other three were attacking the Prince of Qin from both sides.

Though these six were not top-tier cultivators, their techniques were so peculiar that Bai Yiting dared not intervene recklessly—especially the one who wielded poisonous smoke, who had already incapacitated the Crown Prince with a single strike. The prince now convulsed, foaming at the mouth, his fate uncertain.

“I’m scared! The ghost fox mask is terrifying, it looks like a demon. I can’t bring myself to fight,” Xiao Qingshu admitted, her temperament that of a young girl, her strength unconsciously reduced by a third when facing that mask.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Qin was holding his own against three assailants. His iron sword was entwined with a golden dragon, dancing in the air. The purple poisonous smoke could not approach him, only corroding the protective qi around his body from a distance.

Bai Yiting observed carefully. The golden dragon coiling around the Prince of Qin—if not the fortune of the Iron Dynasty, then what else could it be? “It seems the Prince of Qin has been chosen; the Fourth Prince stands no chance. This power surpasses the golden dragon spirit carried within the King’s Token by far. It must be a new inheritance drawn from the dragon vein.”

For millennia, the inheritance bestowed by the dragon vein had always taken the form of the King’s Token. But today, a new precedent was clear—the Prince of Qin’s power far exceeded that of the King’s Token.

Though the origins of the ghost foxes were unknown, their tenacity was evident. The two men flanking the Prince of Qin wielded matched blades working in seamless coordination, their pull and tug tearing a rift in the prince’s protective qi.

The Prince of Qin opened his mouth and spat out a dazzling pearl—“A dragon pearl!” Empress Xiao gasped. She had seen records hidden in the Liao family archives about the dragon vein spitting forth a pearl.

The King’s Token was not the strongest; the dragon pearl was. Yet in all these thousands of years, no one had ever witnessed the dragon vein actually spitting a pearl. Seeing it today drained the color from Empress Xiao’s face—her claim to the throne was no longer secure. She looked despondent as she rushed to the wounded Crown Prince’s side.

“Heng’er, Heng’er, wake up! The imperial physician’s antidote pill will cure you, please wake up!” Empress Xiao prayed only for mother and child’s safety, abandoning all thoughts of the throne. But the other assassins had no such mercy. The death soldiers trained by Xue Pan aimed to kill everyone present.

“Empress, do not panic. Gong Cheng is here!” At the moment a blade descended toward the empress’s head, a red light intercepted it.

Xun Gongcheng held the Moon-Grasping Bow, concentrating his qi onto feathered arrows which he fired in a volley around the empress. Shooting from high to low, all visible targets became live targets. The assassins could neither dodge nor catch the arrows, and those who failed perished beneath them.

With the appearance of the dragon pearl, the five ghost foxes all withdrew, gathering before the Prince of Qin. Each produced a badge from their waist and shouted in unison, “Soldiers’ Tomb Ghost Foxes, here to retrieve the dragon pearl!”

At these words, a chill ran through the prince’s body. He knew exactly what the Soldiers’ Tomb was. The only other person to show a startled expression was Xiao Qingshu.

“Hey, Liu Xiaoyi, let’s run! The Soldiers’ Tomb won’t come empty-handed; they must have a way to deal with the dragon pearl,” Xiao Qingshu urged.

Though Liu Xiaoyi did not know the sect of the Soldiers’ Tomb, his matters all stemmed from the King’s Token. Moreover, he had questions about his father to ask the Prince of Qin—this prince could not die here.

“If you want to leave, go ahead. I have questions for the Prince of Qin.”

Xiao Qingshu hesitated repeatedly but gritted her teeth and ran over to retrieve her spear. “If you don’t leave, neither will I. Even if we die, we’ll die together. You can’t run away!”

Though she said this, tears streamed down her face. She was deeply afraid of these unknown foes, her hand trembling slightly as it grasped the spear.

“The sky may fall, but there’s always someone tall to hold it up. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Liu Xiaoyi approached Mount Zhenyuan, where a ghost fox was sealed inside. If necessary, he would trade its life to save the Prince of Qin.

The ghost fox seemed to know Liu Xiaoyi’s thoughts and spoke up, “Don’t think you can use me as a bargaining chip. The Soldiers’ Tomb only value weapons, regardless of lives.”

“Bold words. Just wait till I refine you into blood and water with this treasure. Then we’ll talk!” Liu Xiaoyi quietly activated the Fire Seal, and the temperature of Mount Zhenyuan suddenly surged. Though he wouldn’t use Mount Zhenyuan’s restraints, the Fire Seal was at his command.

Sensing the heat, the ghost fox fell silent, using its own qi to resist the blaze. It was convinced Liu Xiaoyi intended to destroy it utterly.

Facing the five mysterious Soldiers’ Tomb ghost foxes, the Prince of Qin remained calm. He took two small pellets from his belt pouch and tossed them into the air. These grew in the wind, revealing two identical statues of night-shining winged horses.

“Fourth Prince, you’ve always wondered why I insisted on finding the winged horse statues. Today, I’ll reveal the truth!”

Xun Gongcheng understood and swiftly loosed two feathered arrows, striking the statues. The statues shattered, releasing two half-scrolls. The Prince of Qin gestured to collect them. These scrolls radiated brilliant light, forcing back the ghost foxes nearby.

Taking advantage of this dazzling glow, the Prince vanished from sight. Moments later, the sounds of clashing armor and war cries echoed within the Dawnbright Palace. A squadron of spectral iron cavalry charged from the horizon, and before anyone could react, their hooves landed on the faces of the ghost foxes.

“There’s been a change! The Prince of Qin wields more than one weapon! Retreat quickly!” The ghost foxes panicked, abandoning their sealing devices for the dragon pearl. Two were killed instantly upon encountering the cavalry.

“Everyone, stay! The Iron Dynasty will not allow the Soldiers’ Tomb to exist here!” The Prince of Qin spat through clenched teeth. The iron cavalry emerged from intact scrolls in his hands, dragon vein qi surging through them. More cavalry appeared from all directions, surrounding the remaining ghost foxes.

“You should know the fate of those who offend the Soldiers’ Tomb. The fall of a small dynasty is but a flick of the finger. Are you sure you want this?”

The ghost foxes threatened the prince, implying the Soldiers’ Tomb stood above these dynasties—a testament to their immense power.

It was worth noting that centuries-old, even millennia-old sects merely cooperated with a few dynasties. For sects to thrive, they needed the people’s support. The Soldiers’ Tomb clearly did not abide by such rules.

The Prince’s stance toward the Soldiers’ Tomb was unexpectedly resolute: “There’s no need. Even if a message is sent, it will take years. By then, the Iron Dynasty’s strength will have grown so much, even the Soldiers’ Tomb will think twice.”

As he spoke, the iron cavalry charged, breaking the ghost foxes into pieces with no survivors. Their masks were shattered, and the Prince stomped mercilessly on one remains.

Silence fell inside and outside the Dawnbright Palace. Blood flowed from the corpses, staining the once-gray stone floor crimson. The sunlight reflected off this red expanse, cold and merciless.

The fate of a dynasty was decisively forged amid the clash of swords and blades. The Iron Dynasty’s foundation for the next hundred years remained unshaken by family strife.

Empress Xiao collapsed weakly to her knees, clutching the Crown Prince’s body as she wept silently. The prince foamed at the mouth, the antidote pill having failed. It was clear he was near death.

Xue Pan attempted to leave but was blocked by several Iron Guards who crossed their blades in front of him. “I am a senior statesman of the Iron Dynasty, the Chancellor! You have no right to stop me!” he growled, but the guards ignored him, dragging him toward the prison to await a life of endless darkness alongside his son.

Spared execution only by the Prince’s last mercy, the remaining generals departed as if nothing had happened. The Minister of War barely crawled out of the Dawnbright Palace and soon fell gravely ill at home, passing away not long after.

The old thief seized the chaos to shatter Nie Xiang’s dantian. The old eunuch, having lost his last support, bit his tongue and ended his life before the Dawnbright Palace.

Bai Yiting bowed in farewell, preparing to leave with Meng Qiaoqiao. Unwilling to return, Meng Qiaoqiao clung tightly to Liu Xiaoyi’s arm. Dao Xuzi noticed and pulled Bai Yiting away. “Children must grow up and be let go.”

Xiao Qingshu showed no weakness. The two girls grasped one arm each of Liu Xiaoyi, tugging in turn, making him somewhat embarrassed.

The Fourth Prince bowed deeply. “Prince of Qin, when will you ascend the Heavenly Treasure?”

“Tomorrow at this time, please come witness the ceremony.”

“Then I shall take my leave and prepare. It has been a long time since I returned home; the residence is likely dusty and disorderly.” The Fourth Prince departed with the monks of the Great Transformation Temple, leaving only Liu Xiaoyi and his companions.

The Prince of Qin’s gaze lingered on Liu Xiaoyi, his expression com