SWDnovel Chapter 54: Stone Master: Here we go again?!
Chapter 54: Stone Master: Here we go again?!
When Shi Gong hurriedly arrived at Zhangtai Palace.
By this time, the mess inside the palace had already been cleaned up by the palace servants.
The bronze lamps flickered with a cold, dim light, illuminating the face of the emperor, who had once again sat upright on the high platform.
This made Ying Zheng appear exceptionally cold and hard.
Shi Gong practically ran all the way to the front of the hall, his wide robe sleeves slightly disheveled from the rush.
He was just about to tidy his appearance before paying his respects to this supreme being.
Before Shi Gong could catch his breath, the cold voice from the steps came crashing down like a blast of iron.
"Grand Master Zou Yun has disappeared without a trace. Does Master Shi know this?!"
This short sentence struck Shi Gong's mind like a thunderbolt, without warning.
"Click—"
This sound was not a real sound, but rather Shi Gong felt as if something in his mind had snapped, leaving him stunned on the spot.
Not again?!
"You beast! You didn't even tell your father!!!"
In an instant, anger and fear intertwined, almost burning away all of Shi Gong's reason.
Even though he was standing on solid stone slabs, Shi Gong felt as if he had been pushed to the edge of a cliff, and that one more step would lead to an abyss.
Ying Zheng's sharp eyes, like the most precise carving knife, were fixed on Shi Gong's face, not missing the slightest change.
He saw the momentary stiffness and disorientation of the stone master, and his genuine bewilderment.
However, this did not put Ying Zheng at ease; instead, it brought a lingering sense of disappointment to his heart.
"Shi Gong?"
Ying Zheng's voice was flat and emotionless, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Ah?! Your Majesty, I...I truly did not know!"
Shi Gong jolted awake, barely managing to break free from his immense shock, and hurriedly bowed his head.
Beneath the wide sleeves unseen by Ying Zheng, he dug his fingers into his palms, using the pain to bring himself back to his senses, while his brain raced.
In that split second, this old sorcerer, who had been swindling the powerful and wealthy for many years, was...
With keen survival instinct, he realized from Ying Zheng's reaction that things did not seem to have reached the most dangerous point yet.
"No, we can't cut ties with that brat Zou Yun yet!"
The thought flashed through Shi Gong's mind in an instant.
So, he suppressed his shock and decided to take another gamble.
"but......"
Shi Gong spoke again, his voice suddenly rising in pitch and his tone becoming firm.
"However, I would stake my life on it, that Grand Master Zou's actions must have a deeper meaning, or perhaps he had no choice but to do them!"
As he spoke, Shi Gong bowed deeply again.
"The reason...?"
Ying Zheng remained calm, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking.
That slightly drawn-out ending sound was like an invisible rope tightening around Shi Gong's heart.
"Yeah......"
Looks like I made the right bet!
Seeing Ying Zheng's appearance, Shi Gong's heart pounded wildly, and he could hardly contain his joy at surviving such a disaster.
However, this joy was fleeting.
Before it could fully bloom in his heart, it shattered instantly.
"In that case..."
Ying Zheng coldly said, "From this day forward, no one in the Immortal Temple shall ever step outside."
The emperor's words were like a cold iron clamp, severing all of Shi Gong's hopes.
"Step down."
"...Yes...Yes!"
Sensing the undeniable authority in Ying Zheng's words, Shi Gong knew that any attempt to argue would be futile. He could only bow deeply once more, swallowing hard as he agreed.
Then, stiffly, they retreated step by step until they left Zhangtai Palace.
The palace doors slammed shut behind him, shutting out the oppressive imperial majesty within.
But the air outside the palace did not make him feel any relief.
As soon as he turned around, he saw several Tiger Guards, clad in black armor and with long swords at their waists, waiting silently at the foot of the steps like cold statues.
They stood silently, their armor gleaming with a dark luster under the gloomy sky.
Shi Gong recognized the leading general at a glance.
It was that same ruthless figure who, outside Xing Le Palace, swiftly beheaded two sorcerers. That face had appeared countless times in his terrifying midnight nightmares.
"Master Shi, please!"
The general stepped forward, his tone surprisingly gentle.
But this gentle demeanor only intensified the chill in Shi Gong's heart.
He could almost smell the lingering, faint scent of blood on the other person, and he could also see his own possible tragic end at the hands of that longsword.
An overwhelming fear gripped him, almost making his legs go weak.
"Um."
But Shi Gong is Shi Gong after all.
The more terrified he was, the calmer and more composed he became. He even nodded slightly to the officer, as if the officer were just an ordinary guard on orders to escort him.
Then, under his escort, Shi Gong silently walked toward the Immortal Temple, which was about to become a prison.
After a while.
Even from some distance away from the Immortal Temple, Shi Gong could already see the once tranquil temple.
At this moment, it was surrounded by a dense array of Xuanjia guards, like a black tide, silently engulfing every inch of land outside the observation wall.
Long spears stood in rows, their chilling aura soaring into the sky.
Clearly, the moment he arrived at Zhangtai Palace, the area was immediately surrounded, cutting off all contact with the outside world.
Just before entering the door that was about to close and shut out everything from the outside world, Shi Gong paused almost imperceptibly.
He struggled to lift his head, his gaze piercing through layers of dark clouds, a desperate cry echoing in his heart.
"You brat, you must come back!"
Then, the door slowly closed behind Shi Gong, making a dull sound and cutting off the last ray of light.
"Achiu—!"
Deep in a remote, ancient forest, where few people venture, Zou Yun struggles to push aside the vines in front of him.
I sneezed without warning, startling several unidentified wild birds that were perched on the treetops.
"hiss......"
Zou Yun rubbed his itchy nose.
"Why do I feel like someone's talking about me again?"
"Great Master."
Following behind him, Feng Zhixue was already panting heavily. He leaned on his knees, looking at the seemingly endless elm forest in front of him.
"How about... we go back the way we came?"
These past few days, except for the first few days when we were able to rest at the post station normally.
Then the great master suddenly had a brilliant idea and insisted on taking a detour through this vast forest, crossing the woods and reaching the clouds.
Now, they have completely lost their way in the woods.
"Cough...cough..."
Zou Yun coughed a few times, feeling that the few days he spent in the forest should be enough to avoid the pursuers, and then pretended to regret it.
"Sigh... It seems this road is indeed blocked. Well then, let's do as you say and turn back the way we came."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Ze, who had taken over the lead alongside Meng Xuande, breathed a sigh of relief.
Fearing that the Grand Master might change his mind, the group quickly changed direction and followed the marks back the way they came.
Entering required overcoming numerous obstacles, but leaving only required following the previous path, so the group emerged from the elm forest in just one day.
After a short rest, just as everyone was preparing to continue their journey into the clouds.
Zou Yun suddenly spoke up.
"No need to go to Cloud County, let's go to the next location."
"this......"
The three looked at each other, their faces filled with astonishment, but in the end, under Zou Yun's calm gaze, they still bowed and said...
"only!"
In Xianyang, the Zhangtai Palace had been shrouded in a gloomy and suffocating atmosphere for several days.
The stagnation was dispelled by a piece of good news.
"Your Majesty, the Commander of the Guards has dispatched a messenger on horseback to deliver their recent travel records."
Zhao Gao held a bamboo slip in both hands and reported to Ying Zheng outside Zhangtai Palace.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Finally, a majestic voice rang out.
"Enter."
Zhao Gao took a deep breath, bowed, and stepped into the shadows inside the hall.