We Were Just Abandoned

Spiritual strength may not be able to be perceived directly like vigor path inner vitality was, but it could meld with heaven and earth, creating Buddhist instruments, dispel and transform evil energy, and fuse skills.

However, this sort of fusing was not without its restrictions. That was why Xia Ji had selected a hundred second or third-rate skill beads that involved using weapons of length. To put it in another way, the skill beads he chose had to be simple and at the same time, they had to be related to using weapons of length. One cannot be without the other.

This was the reward he reaped for reading more than a thousand books throughout the snowy nights without sleep or rest.

With the help of his formidable spiritual strength as a mediator, the hundred skill beads made out of mainly white and green slowly fused as they formed a vortex. In the end, they solidified into one light purple skill bead—Hundred Form (Exclusive) (Ninth level).

“It’s just a light purple color. Looks like adding even more ordinary skills won’t help with breaking through to superior dharma.

Xia Ji was slightly disappointed. He glanced at the word in the brackets again and a realization dawned on him. “Exclusive means that I must be the only one possessing this dharma and no one else can have it. Besides that, I can also continue with comprehending it to further enhance the skill level… Hmm, that isn’t too bad.”

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“Hundred Form, is to self-cultivate hundreds of ordinary skillsets to the ninth level, and later discard the impurities so only the essence remains. After that, the essences will be fused into one and cultivated hundreds of times over to turn into a skill. This would reduce many gaudy and unnecessary actions.”

“With a weapon of length at hand, I can use all of those skills. With that, I can utilize the dark halberd to unleash my full strength.”

Xia Ji experienced the proficiency level of the Hundred Form in his mind and muscles. It was not long before the fatigue from fusing the skills set in.

He had finished the last of his preparations, so he decided to empty his body and mind and went into a status that was ‘tensed yet relaxed, excited yet serene’.

He leaned backward as he enjoyed the water flowing from the ninth dragon head and the fragrant clouds created by the incense. Three to four inches of white silky fog drifted about quietly on the floors of Cloud Palace while outside the palace, it was snowing heavily. This was the favorite weather of Guifang’s Frost Giants.

The palace maids and eunuch had quickly spread the message of the Seventh Imperial Prince barging into Cloud Palace earlier on. The concubines left behind had slowly assembled there. They saw the glazed door shut tight, as well as the eunuch lying in the pool of blood. For a eunuch who was entrusted to guard Cloud Palace, he would undoubtedly have a pretty good hand in martial arts, but he had still ended up dead.

Everyone at the Imperial Harem looked at each other. The news of ‘the Heir Apparent dying in battle and his army of a hundred thousand obliterated while the exotic tribes were close by as they approached to lay the city under siege’ could not be kept under wraps. It had now spread throughout the Imperial Palace. The commoners may be oblivious to the truth, but everyone in the Imperial Palace was aware of the dire situation. Even though they knew there was no way of escape because the carriages in the Imperial palace were all gone, a few doors in the palace were still being guarded heavily by soldiers to the death.

The Imperial Emperor could leave.

The Imperial City could be besieged.

However, they would still need to ‘die rather than submit, fight to the death and to have an Imperial Prince guard the city’. This way, it would save the grace of the Imperial family and give the soldiers of the Shang Dynasty a great uplift in spirits and leave a spark burning in them. When spring arrived and the snow melted, they would be able to gain the favor of the people and it would be time to counter-attack and take back the city.

Everyone who was left in the palace had been given up as a sacrifice.

Some had accepted this, but others had not.

It did not matter if they had accepted the situation or not as right now as they were all shrouded in frightened panic.

All those in the Imperial Harem looked at the other side of the glazed door. What did the Seventh Imperial Prince, who was left here as a scapegoat, plan on doing?

Was he looking to enjoy life to the fullest before his death?

There were a few pretty concubines who began contemplating going through the door and servicing him.

If the Seventh Imperial Prince chose to escape, there might be a chance he would take them.

However, the women did not dare to do this so blatantly in front of each other.

There were many outside Cloud Palace, but it was dead quiet.

“Report~~~”

A voice could be heard from afar.

As Xia Ji had given instructions earlier, this elite guard was able to enter the Imperial Harem. When he saw the bevy of beauties in the Imperial Harem, he quickly lowered his head and did not dare to stare. He half-knelt in front of Cloud Palace and said loudly, “Reporting to the marshal, there’s urgent news from the frontline!”

The voice of the Imperial Prince came from behind the glazed door, “Go on.”

The elite guard was taken aback. This was classified military news. There was no precedent of announcing something like this in public.

However, he could not disobey a direct order from the marshal. He tore the letter open and read it out loud, “Tongguan has been breached. Guifang’s army is now within a hundred miles and they will arrive at the Imperial Capital in four hours at most.”

“Understood.”

“Hundreds of refugees are coming in from the West as they are escaping toward the Imperial City in hordes. General Deng would like to know from the marshal about what to do with them.”

“Let him do as he sees fit.”

The guard was slightly stunned but replied, “Understood.”

With that, he retreated with his head lowered.

As the palace maids, eunuchs and concubines heard the latest news, it no longer mattered to them that outsiders were allowed into the Imperial Harem. They looked at each other and the situation descended into chaos quickly.

None of them wanted to die. Everyone wanted to leave, everyone wanted to escape, but no one could.

The Imperial Emperor had considered this. Xia Ji would have been one of those who had wanted to escape, which was why the steward was left behind to guard the Imperial Capital. Unexpectedly, the steward had three of his limbs broken but Xia Ji did not escape.

The concubines thought quickly as each of them threw themselves toward the door of Cloud Palace as they shouted through the glazed door.

“Seventh Imperial Prince, the exotic tribes are not to be trifled with. It would be the best strategy to retreat first and make careful plans.”

“Seventh Imperial Prince, I’m Beauty Wang, Imperial Concubine Yu really liked me when she was still alive, and I’ve always been privately concerned about your well-being.”

“Seventh Imperial Prince, even if you aren’t thinking for yourself, you need to consider the Ninth Imperial Princess… Once we leave the Imperial City, we’ll do everything within our power to put in a good word for you.”

“Seventh Imperial Prince…”

The voices rose one after the other.

The exotic tribes would arrive at the Imperial Capital in four hours. What would that mean?

Everyone present understood the impact clearly.

Hell on earth was about to befall them.

Right now, the only one who could make an early escape and bring them along was the Seventh Imperial Prince who was now in Cloud Palace.

The palace maids wept, the concubines were in a panic mess, and the eunuchs were terrified…

Bam!

As there were too many people pushing from the back, the glazed door was subsequently pushed open. The concubines at the front dove into Cloud Palace. It really did look like heaven within as the cloudy mist wafted about.

In the haziness of it all, a divine yet devilish figure slowly got up:

The figure was clad in a beast-themed chain armor and his hand clutched an eighteen-foot dark halberd while wearing a thirty-three-piece prayer bead.

There was something forceful about this figure that compelled everyone who wanted to continue speaking to hold their tongues. All they could do was watch him walk out of Cloud Palace, carrying the halberd over his shoulder while striding further and further away. No one dared to run after him.

…

The Ninth Imperial Princess was dolling herself up in front of the bronze mirror. She took special care at the thought of the possibility of this being her face during death. She patted some blush on herself and took out a long box from below her bed. She removed a dagger in a White Shark scabbard from the box and tried pulling it out. The cold glow from the dagger chilled the air around it. It was clearly very sharp, more than capable of piercing through the heart in one stroke.

Xia Xiaosu was making sure to keep it close to her when there was a knock on her room door. A familiar voice could be heard from outside the door, saying something she had not expected.

“I’m hungry.”

Xia Xiaosu was momentarily stunned, but cocked her head to the side and smiled. “What do you want to eat?”

Xia Ji said from outside the door, “Mutton soup.”

“I’ll make it for you.”

“Wait a minute.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t put any pepper in it. I’m afraid I might suddenly need water halfway through the fight.”

Xia Xiaosu laughed and gently replied, “Very well.”