Monster Chronicles: My Daoist Skill Comes from Mythology
Chapter 207 - 193: The Art of Disarming Soldiers by Taoist, Assistant Chief of the Imperial Academy

Chapter 207: Chapter 193: The Art of Disarming Soldiers by Taoist, Assistant Chief of the Imperial Academy

"The Emperor’s ascension to immortality is a matter of great significance. Brother Song, Brother Xinn, would you be interested in witnessing it?"

Wang Zhen asked drunkenly.

Cheng Shilian, sitting nearby, was displeased.

"Why am I specifically excluded?"

Wang Zhen put down his teacup and laughed. "The ascension to immortality involves the underworld’s ominous energies. Brother Cheng, your yang energy is insufficient to witness it."

Song Lin and Xinn Gongping exchanged a glance.

Xinn Gongping, hardly a frail scholar, had once roamed the world as a swordsman adventurer, yet he had never witnessed such an Emperor Ascending Immortal scene before.

The two immediately agreed.

"Very well, tomorrow, when you arrive in Chang’an, please wait for me under the ancient locust tree west of Ba Bridge. For tonight, stay temporarily at the West Gate of Kaihua Square, at the Wang Family’s residence."

With that, Wang Zhen vanished once more.

This time, a jade pendant was left behind where he had stood.

It seemed to suggest everyone should take the jade pendant to the Wang Family for accommodation.

That evening, the group took up lodging at the Wang Family’s residence.

After eating and drinking to their fill, they sat in a pavilion, appreciating the moon and sipping wine.

At this moment, Cheng Shilian glanced around and whispered, "Gentlemen, have you noticed how overly respectful the Wang Family has been to us?"

The Wang Family held the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice, a position of high rank and noble authority. The highest rank among Song Lin’s group was merely a County Magistrate, which by rights wouldn’t even qualify them to step foot into such a residence. Yet after presenting the jade pendant, the Wang Family’s attitude had taken an abrupt turn.

"Do you know what I saw?"

"What?"

"Just now, when I passed by the Wang Family Ancestral Hall, I inadvertently noticed that a memorial tablet for Wang Zhen was enshrined there."

If the guess was correct, Wang Zhen must be an ancestor of the Wang Family.

The following night.

Cheng Shilian stayed temporarily at the Wang Family’s residence, while the other two went to wait under the ancient locust tree at Ba Bridge.

Late into the night, the wind and clouds suddenly stirred fiercely. A chilling Yin Wind swept in from the horizon.

It transformed into a cohort of soldiers and two warhorses. Atop one horse sat Wang Zhen, while on the other was a golden-armored General, towering at a height of one zhang.

These figures bore little resemblance to living humans. Their expressions were wooden, their complexions pale, resembling ghosts and gods.

Seeing these figures, Xinn Gongping’s heart initially tightened, but he soon regained his composure.

Song Lin, however, remained indifferent from start to finish, a demeanor that earned him the approval of the Golden-armored General.

The two of them stepped forward to greet them.

After Wang Zhen introduced them, the General laughed and said, "Guests are welcome. Since you’ve brought them here, you must take full responsibility. Do not neglect your duty as a host."

"Understood!"

Wang Zhen conjured two paper horses, which Xinn Gongping and Song Lin mounted to follow this peculiar troop into Chang’an.

The journey was silent, yet Song Lin’s mind was racing.

This Golden-armored General’s cultivation was extraordinary. Judging by the yin energy emanating from his body, his strength must at least be at the Core Formation stage.

Xinn Gongping seemed to have a special background. Otherwise, he would not have been accepted by Wang Zhen and the General.

If nothing unexpected happened, Xinn Gongping would likely serve under the General after his death.

As for himself, perhaps he was merely benefiting from Xinn Gongping’s connection.

"Who could have thought the situation had deteriorated to such an extent."

There must be an even more formidable force behind these individuals.

The fate of a ruler was thus decided as if it were nothing, and easily made a public spectacle—clearly, the underworld’s situation had reached a critical point.

The group entered Chang’an.

An indistinct official appeared to arrange for them to stay in a temple.

"The timing is not right. The Emperor is under the protection of divine spirits. Forcing entry into the palace may delay the auspicious hour. You will wait here until the time is ripe."

The group remained in the temple for several days.

The Golden-armored General grew impatient.

Wang Zhen proposed, "The palace is currently hosting a banquet. At such a time, the gods will lower their guard. We should act promptly."

"Very well! At 7 p.m., we will enter the palace and meet the Emperor!"

Night fell, and the sky was uncommonly clear. The edges of the moon glowed faintly red, lending it an eerie appearance.

The troop entered through the Phoenix Gate, passed the Hanyuan Hall, then Guangfan Gate, and finally Xuanzheng Hall.

They moved unimpeded. The guards at the gates acted as if they could not see them.

The Golden-armored General ordered his forces to surround the banquet hall where the Emperor was hosting the feast.

The General himself led a group of Ghost Soldiers into the hall.

Song Lin and Xinn Gongping followed closely behind.

Inside the hall, music echoed, and the scene was lively with dancing and singing.

Strangely, the dragon-etched pillars’ candle flames burned with an unsettling green hue.

The banquet musicians were expressionless, their faces wooden. The dancers moved mechanically, oblivious to the intruding figures.

The atmosphere was eerie, and the music was somber—not festive banquet tunes but more akin to a dirge.

Seated at the head of the hall was a middle-aged man clad in a golden dragon robe.

This was the Emperor of the Great Tang, Li Chun.

Li Chun appeared to be aware of his fate. He gazed at the Ghost Soldiers in silence, his eyes remaining fixed on the hall’s performances.

The Ghost Soldiers waited quietly, watching the dancers perform.

The atmosphere grew increasingly strange.

At midnight.

The hall doors creaked open, casting a long shadow within. Entering was a bizarre figure garbed in a jade-green robe and black pants, with a cloak draped over their shoulders. They wore a grotesque human-skin mask and had a gait reminiscent of a monkey.

The strange figure held a golden dagger and spoke in a sharp, screeching voice, "The auspicious time has come!"

The Golden-armored General took the dagger and ascended the steps, kneeling before the throne to present it.

The Emperor, upon seeing the dagger, seemed dazed and dizzy.

He was then supported by the strange figure and led into the West Pavilion.

Time passed; it was unclear how much.

The General grew increasingly impatient.

"The opportunity for celestial ascension cannot be delayed. Hurry and prepare the Emperor for the ascension!"

"First, let the Emperor cleanse and disrobe," came the shrill, venomous voice from within the West Pavilion. Soon, the sound of water trickling and a body being washed could be heard.

Xinn Gongping shivered.

The Emperor made no sound, lying like a corpse as the strange figure moved him.

A corpse?

Could it be that the strange figure had killed the Emperor—was this "immortality"?

In this moment, Xinn Gongping’s worldview was utterly shaken.

Having grown up under the Emperor’s grace, even amidst the division of vassal towns and the diminished imperial prestige, the Emperor was still the supreme authority in his eyes.

Yet now, the Emperor was treated like livestock. It was too much for him to reconcile.

Song Lin’s face grew somber.

The faintest hint of an iron-like metallic scent wafted from the West Pavilion.

Without a doubt, the Emperor had likely been slain.

Song Lin also sensed multiple indistinct gazes fixed upon this place as if some higher forces were observing in secret.

This ascension ceremony was far from simple.

Who knew how many powerful entities were involved?

Before long, the Emperor emerged, supported by the grotesque figure.

His expression was vacant, showing a look of detachment toward all things.

With sarcastic mirth, the General asked a few mocking questions, inquiring whether the Emperor had forsaken earthly luxuries or achieved inner peace.

The Emperor replied that he had transcended such concerns.

The General laughed heartily!

"Escort him—onto the celestial carriage!"

The Emperor mounted the carriage, and the procession departed the Xuanzheng Hall.

On either side knelt palace maids and concubines, weeping as they clung to the celestial carriage, hesitant to let the Emperor leave.

The carriage left a strange trail of blood in its wake.

The Emperor turned back to reassure them, saying he had achieved immortality, and then he and the Ghost Soldiers ascended to the heavens, disappearing like thunder and wind.

In a corner of the palace, a young man of noble bearing stifled sobs with his hands, tears streaming down his face, biting his lip to keep from wailing.

Song Lin and Xinn Gongping were escorted out of the city by Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen offered a special explanation before departing.

"You two need not worry. This was merely the Taoist art of ’dissolution and ascension.’ The golden knife you just saw was a tool for the ritual. Our paths part here—farewell!"

With that, Wang Zhen transformed into a Yin Wind and vanished.

The following day, no news came from the court, as if that night’s events had been nothing but an illusion.

Xinn and Cheng both received promotions and were reassigned to positions outside the capital.

Song Lin was appointed Assistant Chief of the Imperial Academy, tasked with compiling books at the Hongwen Academy.

The appointment suited him perfectly, giving him the opportunity to research the lives and works of Li Chunfeng and Yuann Tiangang.

During the Great Tang’s pinnacle, many great treasures must have been amassed.

Song Lin moved into the official residence, awaiting the transition of responsibilities before assuming his new role.

A month later, news finally emerged: the Emperor had passed away.