Chapter Seventy-Three: The Capital

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Imperial Capital
Chapter Eleven: In the Hidden Tranquility of Capital Forest, the Seven Powers Struggle in the Chaotic Spring and Autumn (Part Three)

After the trial performance, Ye Hua put away the Illusion Moon Mirror. Black light flickered in both hands, and a small, jet-black drum appeared in his grasp. Gazing at the drum, a faint smile spread across Ye Hua’s face. With his right hand, he tapped the drumhead lightly, and two soft “dong dong” sounds rang out. Instantly, two massive stones, each the size of a millstone, erupted with a thunderous crash, shattering into clouds of stone dust and smoke.

Ye Hua was inwardly impressed: “Though this black drum appears unremarkable, I never imagined it would be so formidable! If it merely shattered the stones, that would be nothing special—the Scarlet Crow Dagger could also split stone and cleave mountains with ease. What’s truly impressive is that, with a mere gentle sound from the drum, the massive rocks dissolved entirely into a haze of stone dust. That’s ten times harder than simply splitting stone! Even the Scarlet Crow Dagger could never achieve this!”

Ye Hua leapt into the air, glancing down at the valley from above, then alighted upon a stone platform. He mused to himself, “I’ve lingered here for over ten days; my wounds are mostly healed, and it’s time to leave. I wonder how my senior brothers are faring now. They must be frantic since I was transported away. In the past ten days, the teleportation array has shown no sign of activity. Has something gone wrong over there?”

After pondering for a moment, Ye Hua steadied himself midair, scanned the landscape, and then, transforming into a streak of rainbow light, shot eastwards. In less than an hour, he had flown several hundred miles. Villages of varying size now dotted the land below; fields stretched out like checkerboards, crisscrossed by narrow lanes. Ye Hua felt a surge of joy and descended into a dense forest.

From outside the woods came the sound of voices—people speaking, accompanied by a few barks from dogs. Ye Hua walked toward the source and soon saw, under a large willow tree a dozen yards away, several farmers chatting idly. Beside them, a big yellow dog lay curled up, watching cattle and sheep grazing in the distance.

A wave of familiarity swept over Ye Hua, warming his heart. Scenes like this had played through his mind countless times; it had been three years since he’d last seen his parents in his hometown. He strode forward eagerly, calling out, “Uncle!”

The farmers, startled to see a youth of sixteen or seventeen emerge from the woods, exclaimed, “Who’s this lad? He’s not from around here, must be a traveler!”

Ye Hua answered respectfully, “That’s right. May I ask, uncles, what place is this?” The farmers took in Ye Hua’s handsome features and somewhat tattered clothing. Judging by his words, he seemed a scholar from a respectable family. An elderly man with a reed hat asked curiously, “Lad, how do you come to be here all alone? You haven’t run into bandits, have you? But this is the capital’s doorstep—things are always peaceful here!”

A swarthy middle-aged man shook his head. “That’s not necessarily so, uncle. Didn’t the Zhang family get robbed on the road a couple of years ago? That case still isn’t solved.”

The old man with the reed hat snorted, “Nonsense! They were hurrying along at midnight and spooked themselves, losing their goods. What bandits?”

The swarthy man flushed. “Uncle, that incident was the talk of the town—how could it be fake?”

Another elderly man, his hair and beard white, interjected, “Enough, let the young gentleman speak. Here you are arguing away!” Turning to Ye Hua with a kind smile, he asked, “Young sir, where are you coming from, and where are you headed? This is the You District of Northern Yan, Ji Province.” He pointed to a large cluster of thatched cottages in the distance. “That’s Shamen Town. Are you bound there, young sir?”

At the mention of Ji Province and Yan You, Ye Hua was startled, then inwardly dismayed: “I never thought... I’ve been transported to the Ji-You region! What now? I can’t believe the teleportation array sent me all the way here—thousands of miles from Mount Wutai!”

Ji Province was famed throughout the land—even a three-year-old knew it was home to the capital of the Chinese realm. Ye Hua, taught by his parents since childhood, was well-versed in the thirteen provinces of China. Hearing that he was in Ji Province, he was deeply shocked.

He gazed toward the distant village, then at the mountain ranges beyond, and gave a wry smile. “Uncle, may I ask—is the capital just south of here?”

The elder grinned at him. “Indeed, lad, you’re a sharp one!” Rising, he pointed ahead. “Just follow the main road from here, and in two days you’ll reach the capital. If you catch a carriage, you can be there in a day. But the Zhao family’s carriages have probably already left—you’re too late to catch them. Best to wait until tomorrow morning... Eh?”

The old man was speaking animatedly, but when he turned around, the youth was already gone. Startled, he cried, “Hei Zhu, Old Ding—where’s that boy?” The two, having been arguing, hadn’t noticed the conversation. Hearing the old man’s shout, they turned to look—sure enough, the youth had vanished without a trace! Alarmed, they looked to the sky and saw a streak of blue light flash overhead, soaring into the distance.

The three gaped in astonishment. The old man with the reed hat stammered, “Could—could that have been an immortal?” He was about to kneel and worship the heavens. Hei Zhu quickly supported him. “Uncle Tang, that must be one of those sword immortals from the stories! I heard from Ah San that in the capital, he often sees such streaks of light—disciples from the various sword sects, flying on their swords!”

The white-haired elder, recovering from his shock, nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard that too—these sword immortals can soar through the skies and vanish without a trace. I never believed it, but today I have seen it with my own eyes...”

Meanwhile, Ye Hua was flying swiftly south on his sword, determined: “I’ll head for the capital first, then make my way from there to Northern Tai. It may take a long time, but there’s no avoiding it.”

After flying for three or four hours, Ye Hua noticed the villages and towns below grew denser, merging into a continuous sprawl. Relieved, he thought he must be near his destination. Sure enough, after flying a bit longer, a colossal city wall came into view ahead—dozens of stories high, stretching beyond sight, bristling with battlements and flags. The sheer scale was breathtaking, seemingly beyond human capability.

Soldiers stood guard every five paces, with patrols every ten. Though they looked like ordinary troops, Ye Hua now noticed a wave of forbidden energy emanating from the walls, rising into the sky to form a transparent barrier—an endless, invisible wall. The city’s great defensive array made no effort to conceal its presence, radiating a chilling aura. Even while still several miles from the walls, Ye Hua felt its oppressive force, his spirit burdened.

He halted in midair, shaken. “So this is the Imperial Capital’s great protective formation? Its scope is truly vast, and its power, boundless! It seems I’ll have to enter the city on foot.” Not far ahead was a low hill; he gently landed upon it. Ancient cypresses grew thick atop the mound, the winding path shaded and tranquil. Ye Hua followed the trail down, and at the base found himself on a main road lined with dozens of shops.

Directly ahead stood a teahouse, its sign hanging from a great willow. It was midsummer and the sun was blazing, but beneath the willow was a broad patch of shade, with a dozen tea tables set out. A gentle breeze wafted by, and travelers paused here to rest and refresh themselves with tea.

Ye Hua, parched with thirst, approached and seated himself at an empty table. “Tea, please!” he called.

The shopkeeper hurried over. “Right away, sir—please wait a moment!” He briskly wiped the table, then fetched a pot of cool tea.

Ye Hua filled a cup and had barely finished pouring when voices drifted over: “Heh, I hear those Four Young Lords are something else. With King Yuan gathering the talents of youth, would he let the prize go to their family?”

“Ah, you never know. This is the capital, after all—don’t underestimate the heroes of the realm. Those Four Young Lords are impressive, but isn’t it just their lineage that earned them that title? If you ask me...”