You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 556 - 554: Ascending to Heaven
Crossing Lion Workshop Bridge, heading along West Street to Yao Bell Tower Square, a left turn leads to the Gatefront Street.
The 'Gatefront' of Gatefront Street refers to the south gate of the Imperial Court, Tianyang Gate, where most ceremonies, rituals, and announcements start. Therefore, Tianyang Gate is regarded as the main gate of the Imperial Court, a symbol of the Imperial Court. For most people in Yanjing, their impression of power is embodied in that magnificent and lofty Tianyang Gate.
With the swift blade gliding, Leyu stepped onto Gatefront Street, and the first thing that met his eyes were the bright red trees on both sides of the street. The branches were full of silver flowers; even without streetlights, these bright plants alone were enough to illuminate the entire street.
The fire trees and silver flowers, which should have only grown by the riverside, were forcibly transplanted to Gatefront Street, an expenditure that hardly needs mentioning. Even the "Fire Silver Bureau" under the Ministry of Works was specially tasked with maintaining these plants. But no matter how difficult things are for the Imperial Court, no one suggests cutting the Fire Silver Bureau—when your gaze follows the shining fire trees and silver flowers, and you see at the end of the street the majestic and solemn Tianyang Gate, with the ancient and heavy Yao Bell Tower behind it, the glory of two thousand years of history feels directly upon you. The common people shed tears upon witnessing it, the youth are filled with lofty ambitions, and the heroes see it with ambitious intent... Countless talented people of Yanjing found their life goals standing at Gatefront Street.
Not all splendor is mere decoration; some immortality always requires rituals to embody.
Entering the Imperial Court, walking Gatefront Street is the fastest route. Leyu glanced eastward and noticed that the night had begun to fade, and the blue vanguard of dawn silently occupied the edge of the sky.
The time left for him was running out.
Sailing along the Gatefront Street, Leyu noticed many people kneeling below the fire trees and silver flowers. Facing Tianyang Gate, their foreheads touched the ground, forming two rows along the street. It seemed they had been kneeling the entire night; some had fallen asleep kneeling, but more had reddened eyes, continuously kowtowing, filled with hope, waiting for tomorrow's arrival.
It's not just because there are rebels attacking the city outside; it's also because people yearn for true stability. If you're not from Yanjing, you likely can't understand—what does a new emperor ascending have to do with ordinary people? However, the Emperor of Yanjing is not just a ruler; she is also the country's last line of defense, the sword hanging over everyone's head. When the Emperor reigns and the Holy Sword hovers, whether officials, martial artists, nobility, or influential families, they will at least fear the Holy Sword's cold edge, dare not indulge in their despotic desires. Even the White Night only dares to act secretly.
The throne being vacant for two years directly triggered large-scale riots and independence in the Outer District, Backlight Organization surged, Statistical Department rose, and the National Relief Association initiated a demonic transformation... Perhaps transformation is the inevitable outcome, chaos is the spiral of history, accumulated conflicts will erupt sooner or later. But people are creatures yearning for stability; they would rather return to the unchanging peace of a thousand-year-old past than willingly step into an era of turmoil.
People yearn for the new emperor, people crave the new emperor to ignite, people hope the new emperor will continue the era.
Under the scrutiny of countless citizens, Leyu crossed through the street of fire trees and silver flowers, stopping midway on Gatefront Street.
Like tombstones, the armored warriors stood in the center of the street, silently blocking the road of Gatefront Street. Meanwhile, armored warriors emerged from alleys and lanes in all directions, encircling Leyu without leaving any gaps.
"You should be the last of the Imperial Guards within the Imperial Court," Leyu said. "Did Commander Li dispatch all of you? Isn't he afraid of something happening?"
"There are still two martial pillars in the Imperial Court; Commander Li is one of them. Moreover, besides the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Court also has the Mulan Guards, so the Imperial Court is never in danger," said the leader of the Imperial Guards standing in the center of the street. "By the oath of the Cabinet's gold and stone, we welcome Mr. Qin here. Please wait a moment, as soon as the Ascension Ceremony ends, I will lead Mr. Qin into the palace to meet the Saint Emperor."
"Interesting, so in the future, when I go to see Ming Shuiyun, I'll have to send someone ahead to report?" Leyu laughed. "Truly, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, never underestimate a poor young girl."
"Please don't make things difficult for us, Mr. Qin," the leader of the Imperial Guards said, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, showing no intention of retreat even when faced with the future Chief Minister.
In the intelligence reports of the four guards of Yanjing, Leyu knew the Imperial Guards and the Mulan Guards in the Imperial Court were trained from a young age by the Imperial Family. In addition to being orphans of former generals, there are also noble offspring among them. Throughout the training process, extensive mental influence techniques are used, almost daily brainwashing in patriotic education.
And the Sea of Consciousness within the thousand-year Imperial Court is simply too abundant, these guards are exposed over long periods during their growth to the Sea of Consciousness concept of 'loyalty and righteousness'. Their emotional desires are suppressed as barren as wilderness, their will comparable to a Grandmaster of Abstinence unmoved by provocative images, each knowing only to follow the orders of the Imperial Family like a tool man.
Although it sounds somewhat inhumane, becoming Imperial Guards or Mulan Guards has always been the first choice for noble offspring of families in Yanjing. After all, growing up with princes and princesses, having a guard close to the emperor can ensure the family's prosperity without interruption for decades.
However, emotionless guards are actually difficult to cultivate, not only needing to be raised from a young age, but if they leave the environment of the Imperial Court, various emotional desires quickly proliferate like bamboo shoots after rain. Many guards even apply to return to the Imperial Court to serve as guards forever upon reaching old age—living as uncomplex tools is a form of happiness, after all, due to their loyalty, the Imperial Family's rewards towards them are never lacking.
But this also means, aside from forcibly suppressing the Imperial Guards, Leyu has no other path to take.
Even if the Imperial Guards do not intend to use firearms, they all at least reach the level of Integration and Mastery, and a few even surpass into higher realms. In fact, Leyu has never experienced fighting against many with few—most of the time, he bullies the few with many, relying on strength to dominate the weak.
He crouched down to prepare untying the blade components fastened to his boots, but at this moment, Leyu suddenly felt a chill at the back of his neck.
A familiar sinister killing intent chilled him to the bone, stirring goosebumps all over.
The next second, a gunshot rang out!
Bang!
A bullet pierced through the knee, splattering a burst of blood!
The leader of the Imperial Guards groaned, kneeling down clutching the wound at his knee, shouting loudly, "Be alert against cover, there's a sniper!"
Bang!
Another gunshot echoed, the closest Imperial Guard to Leyu was shot in the knee, letting out a scream before collapsing, quickly dragged into an alley for treatment by his comrades. The leader of the Imperial Guards struggled to stand, but the next gunshot pierced his other knee!
His legs could no longer support his weight, his heavy body rendered powerlessly to fall, a nearby armored warrior decisively grabbed the leader to retreat to cover, yet the leader of the Imperial Guards fixedly stared behind Leyu, pulling out a signal firework aimed at Yao Bell Tower, shouting loudly:
"That's the Instant Annihilator! Position on top of the Yao Bell Tower! Stay hidden! Continue the task!"
Instant Annihilator!
Unable to resist, Leyu turned to look at the towering Yao Bell Tower behind, yet the next second, a bullet burst the floor behind his heel, the explosive aftermath propelled Leyu's Swift Blade Boots to slide ahead.
"With us here, how can it be hard for you?"
From the top of Yao Bell Tower, a long firearm adorned with a blue butterfly-wing pattern silently extended from the center of the massive circular clock. Behind the center was the repair room of Yao Bell Tower, where Ning Xinyuan lay flat on the floor, eyes, sight, and target aligned, breath and heartbeat faint to negligible, she seemed to transform into a silent annihilating turret!
Next to Ning Xinyuan was Yan Yi using a monocular to watch the activity on Gatefront Street, saying: "Brand of Jianji Noodle Shop, down five, right three."
Bang!
"Nameplate of Annan Bookstore, down four, left four."
Bang!
"Sign of Juxia Building, down one, left one."
Bang!
"Plaque of Everlasting Glory, down five."
Ning Xinyuan did not shoot. Yan Yi clicked her tongue and said, "I wasn't telling you to shoot him. You could have shot the floor near his feet. Why hasn't he moved yet? Doesn't he trust us?"
As she spoke, a whirlpool of lightning suddenly emerged from Yan Yi's entire body. She lightly leapt backward, resembling a Thunder Fox as she jumped across the entire repair room, just in time to seize the neck of the brocade-clad warrior entering, pressing him to the ground with a gentle hand strike that knocked him out cold.
She returned to the observer's position, watching through the monocular at the red-haired man waving to them. She chuckled softly, "Let's go. With us here, you'll be safe along the way."
Le Yu stopped waving and, with great effort, skated forward, charging toward the Gate of the Sun with the Swift Blade Boots without hesitation.
Whenever any Imperial Guards tried to rush out to intercept Le Yu, their knees would be pierced by the soul-catching, life-taking instant annihilation shot.
Just one long firearm, one instant annihilation shot was enough to suppress a ten-mile long street, intimidating all!
Under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guards, Le Yu passed through the main street in front of the gate as if no one was there, just one step away from the Imperial Court!
In front of the Gate of the Sun stood the Grand Ancestor's statue square. The young and handsome luminous Grand Ancestor faced south with his back to the Imperial Court, hands gripping the glorious Holy Sword, his expression proud and lofty, with benevolent and compassionate features. It is said the statue was erected during the Taizong era and has been maintained through the ages, overlooking the world for two thousand years.
At this moment, Le Yu finally stopped. It wasn't because he was awed by the Grand Ancestor's statue, nor because the tightly shut Gate of the Sun suddenly rumbled open, but because a person walked out from the Gate of the Sun.
An old man.
An old man dressed in a golden silk robe, with silver hair and a long beard, adorned with tasseled red boots, standing tall and proud.
Le Yu quietly disassembled the blade components, fearlessly walking toward the old man step by step. The closer he got, the more tense Le Yu became, every muscle taut, his hands glowing as countless combat strategies flashed through his mind.
Yet none of these strategies could yield even a 1% success rate.
In the face of this colossal chasm of strength that was like a natural moat, all plots were merely bubbles that would burst at a touch, all techniques like the laughable kitten punches of children.
The distance narrowed to twenty meters, ten meters, five meters.
Finally, Le Yu stood face-to-face with the old man.
The next second, the old man brushed past Le Yu, completely ignoring the red-haired Snow Lord, striding away in brisk strides.
Le Yu stood dumbfounded for three seconds, then suddenly turned to look at the old man, "Principal, where are you going?"
"To the frontline," Cha Huan did not turn back, "The students are all fighting on the battlefield, now it's my turn as the principal."
Le Yu asked, "You're not stopping me?"
Cha Huan let out a snicker, "Do you know when my most glorious moment was? It wasn't when I became the principal, nor when I became the head of the academic department, but the night I escaped Yanjing... It was raining that night, the sky was very dark, and the road was invisible outside the city, with soldiers chasing me from behind. I fell many times, but each time I laughed, with each step feeling my body filled with courage because I was sticking to my will! Perhaps I could never become a legendary minister like Wen Xiaodao, nor a martial arts grandmaster like Xu Wufu, but even if I died on the spot, I would be content because I lived as myself, as the one and only Cha Huan!"
"So, do what you want to do. Even if the sky falls, the principal can still hold it up for a while."
With that, Cha Huan leapt up, soaring into the sky. His flying boots caught the wind, arrogantly gliding above Yanjing, heading straight for the blazing city walls.
Le Yu watched Cha Huan's silhouette, suddenly feeling his Immortal Blood boil as power surged through his body. He held his head high and walked through the Gate of the Sun, stepping into the radiant core of power — the Imperial Court!
The Imperial Court was silent. The graceful Mulan attendants stood around, but they ignored Le Yu, allowing him to cross the Golden Bridge, pass through the front courtyard garden, stride through the Golden Throne Hall, and step by step approach the highest structure of the Imperial Court — the Ascension Platform!
Click!
As the sound of steel-soled boots echoed through the Ascension Garden, the court officials kneeling turned around, greeting Le Yu's arrival with incredulous eyes.
The entire court in purple and blue split in two lines, facing the Ascension Platform in reverent prostration. The sky was already a bright blue. Le Yu didn't pause for a moment as he briskly walked along the long path of blue bricks, advancing towards the Ascension Platform under the watchful eyes of the high officials on either side.
The minister kneeling at the forefront was strikingly the Chief Minister in the gold-rimmed purple gown, also the only military pillar in the current Imperial Court, General Li. But he seemed not to hear Le Yu's footsteps, letting Le Yu pass by him, not uttering a word despite the hushed exclamations of the other cabinet ministers nearby.
Beside the Ascension Platform sat a grand and noble older woman on a jade throne, watching Le Yu's arrival with a complex expression, but she spoke no words, tacitly allowing all of Le Yu's actions.
Click!
As Le Yu stepped onto the white jade steps of the Ascension Platform, the officials in purple and blue could no longer hold back their agitation — by etiquette, only royalty could set foot on the Ascension Platform! The Ascension Platform, like the throne, symbolized imperial authority which could not be overstepped in the slightest!
However, as the Empress Dowager and the Chief Minister were silent, they could only suppress their inner anger, watching with wide eyes as the red-haired Snow Lord climbed the heavens step by step!
The Ascension Platform had a hundred steps. Le Yu looked into the distance and saw a figure standing at the end of the platform. As he climbed step by step, Yanjing lay prostrate beneath him, all beings appearing insignificant in his eyes!
As the first ray of morning light pierced the night, crossing over the city walls, passing through the Gate of the Sun, falling on the top of the Ascension Platform, Le Yu finally crossed those hundred steps, reaching the celestial heights. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Dazzling sunshine crossed his shoulders, illuminating the person before him, whose radiance was so blinding that Le Yu couldn't help but squint his eyes.
At this moment, Ming Shuiyun was more stunning than ever, with her elegant hair adorned with a pair of gilt phoenix hairpins, dressed in a snow-white ceremonial outfit adorned with countless gold ornaments, pearl shakos, and tassels, like light clouds covering the moon, like the drifting wind returning snow. As the morning light shone, she was as bright as the sun's morning glow, serene in observation, radiant as the lotus on clear waves.
Holy and pure, noble and proud.
Yet more dazzling than her attire was the sacred blazing light surpassing the sunlight, circulating endlessly around her, as graceful as a startled swan, as smooth as a swimming dragon. Even with his Immortal Blood physique, Le Yu felt a vast and mighty force crushing his spirit and startling his soul upon directly gazing at her!
Ming Shuiyun gazed at Le Yu, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, while the light in her eyes slowly dimmed. She extended her hand towards Le Yu, softly saying:
"You have arrived, my scabbard."
Le Yu took her hand, kneeling on one knee like a subject.
"I have arrived, my keeper."
