Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 815 - 674: Evil Begets Evil

Chapter 815: Chapter 674: Evil Begets Evil

The great victory at Xuanfu had profound impacts on both the inside and outside of the Court, and the one who felt it most deeply was Lin Youzhen, the former deputy Zuodu Yushi.

Previously, during the palace coup, Lin Youzhen, being at the Temple of Heaven and single-handedly confronting the Minister of Rites, Hu Ying, was cut off from information from the outside world.

Fortunately, he was quite sensitive to the Dragon Qi gathered at the Temple of Heaven, so when the Zhengtong Emperor’s luck began to wane, he knew trouble was brewing and immediately fled the Temple of Heaven.

However, Lin Youzhen’s escape was still too late, although he managed to break free from the Temple of Heaven. By then, the "Wulong and Jiuding Hunyuan Array" had shifted from decline to prosperity and once again enveloped the Capital City.

Li Xuan had already entered the city and dispatched several heavenly-level masters to block access in and out of the Capital City.

The core members who had rebelled with the Jingtai Emperor mostly failed to escape.

Among them was Lin Youzhen, who had no choice but to hide in the home of a colleague surnamed Wu.

This person held a position in the Ministry of Personnel as a Yuanwai. He had been Lin Youzhen’s subordinate and had always sympathized with the Zhengtong Emperor and the former Crown Prince, Yu Jianshen.

Before the palace coup, this person was a member of the Emperor’s faction, secretly aiding the Zhengtong Emperor and the Empress Dowager by planting dozens of their supporters in crucial positions.

Lin Youzhen hid in a cellar at this Wu-surnamed colleague’s home, and nothing happened for seven days.

However, that night, Lin Youzhen sensed something was amiss.

Today, within the Capital City, bursts of firecracker sounds and gongs had suddenly sprung up, continuing from morning until evening.

Lin Youzhen was puzzled and amazed. These were the days of mourning for both Emperors and the Empress Dowager.

What could the nearby civilians possibly be thinking, setting off firecrackers at this time? Wouldn’t the Shuntian Government intervene?

Moreover, his colleague used to personally bring food and drink every afternoon, drinking and discussing the Court affairs and the overall situation of the realm, mutually encouraging each other.

But today, all the way until the evening, the Wu-surnamed colleague had not shown up, only a young servant came to deliver food and water.

What alarmed Lin Youzhen was the servant’s strange complexion, appearing somewhat distracted, and he was avoiding Lin Youzhen’s gaze.

Lin Youzhen was a decisive and ruthless person, and he immediately grabbed the servant’s collar, "What’s happening outside? Where is your master?"

The young servant’s face instantly turned pale as paper, completely drained of color: "Sir! Sir! I am not sure about my master, he, along with the mistress and several young masters, disappeared early in the morning. He just instructed me in the morning to bring you food and water at this time."

Lin Youzhen’s mood immediately sank, continuing to inquire: "What exactly is happening outside, why have the firecrackers been sounding from morning until night?"

"It’s because of the great victory at Xuanfu."

The young servant muttered and swallowed a gulp, then answered in a subdued voice: "The County Prince Fenyang from the Court has triumphed greatly over Mongwu’s forces at Xuanfu, reportedly beheading several hundred thousand and even capturing Totaabuqa Khan himself.

So, the civilians are all celebrating, the Capital City didn’t have so many firecrackers, they had to be transported from Tianjin, so many people could only buy them in the evening."

Lin Youzhen was momentarily stunned, unable to believe it.

He discussed the Court affairs daily with the Wu-surnamed colleague, who, being part of the Emperor’s faction, was fairly well-informed.

Thus, Lin Youzhen knew that Li Xuan’s trip north had not included his Shenji right and left camp, it was merely him along with the Shaofu Yu Jie, and General Zhenshuo Zhu Guoneng marching north alone.

With Xuanfu’s forces, defeating an army of over four hundred thousand from Mongwu and claiming such a massive victory with hundreds of thousands beheaded seemed impossible.

Even if Zhu Guoneng could rely on his old troops to regroup the scattered military spirits of Xuanfu Town, it still seemed impossible.

Yet Lin Youzhen could not disbelieve, as in such significant military affairs, Li Xuan, that brash young man, wouldn’t dare to deceive the Court, and Shaofu Yu Jie would not allow him to do so.

Moreover, this battle even captured Totaabuqa Khan, making it even less likely to be a false report of victory.

Additionally, the actions of his Wu-surnamed colleague’s family also corroborated the truth of this event.

Lin Youzhen snorted coldly, immediately channeling his Hao Qi, directly killing the servant he held, and then quickly left the cellar.

The cellar was located inside the study of the Wu residence, and as Lin Youzhen stepped out, he noticed a letter on the desk addressed ’To Brother Lin’.

Lin Youzhen gestured with his hand to summon the letter and continued to read it as he walked out.

In the end, his face ashen, he tore the letter in his hand to shreds.

The letter was filled with words of apology from Mr. Wu, his colleague. It mentioned that after Prince Fenyang’s great victory at Xuanfu, the political landscape at The Court was bound to change drastically, and he had no choice but to flee south with his family to avoid disaster. Furthermore, because Lin Youzhen was too conspicuous a target, he dared not take him along, and he begged forgiveness for any offense this might cause.

"Ungrateful scum!"

Recalling the promotion he had given this man, Lin Youzhen clenched his teeth in anger and hatred: "When Lin has a chance to soar high on cloudbursting ambition, I will make you pay the price!"

But for now, his priority was to leave the Wu residence and find another hiding place within the Capital City.

Lin Youzhen dared not hope for an escape at this time. He knew that although Yu Jie and Li Xuan had already left for Xuanfu, there were still up to ten heavenly level warriors in the Capital City from both the Emperor’s faction and Prince Fenyang.

There was also Yu Hongchang, the woman appointed by Jingtai Emperor as ’Protector Princess’ who had the power to rule The Court and had already seized all the Dragon Qi in the Jin Dynasty.

Her combat strength was even stronger than that of Jingtai Emperor, who had ascended the throne thirteen years ago; she was among the top warriors in the world.

Besides, it was rumored that the Inner Court was reforming the ’Darkdragon Guard.’

Lin Youzhen didn’t know how far the formation of the ’Darkdragon Guard’ had progressed, but he knew that the palace always had candidates for the Darkdragon Guard, some of whom were cultivated during the Jingtai era.

Thus, a forceful breakthrough was definitely out of the question. Lin Youzhen planned to wait until the security lockdown of the capital was lifted and the scrutiny at the city gates was relaxed before fleeing the Capital City.

However, just as Lin Youzhen was climbing over the wall of the Wu residence, he was slightly startled.

He saw an old man dressed in a python robe, hovering ten feet away in the air, looking at him with a cold and harsh expression.

With a cold smirk on his lips, the man’s voice was sharp, "Lord Lin, you have made it quite difficult for Qian to find you."

This was Qian Long, the chief eunuch of the Sili Bureau!

Lin Youzhen gasped in fear and then flipped backwards, sprinting away.

But just then, a purple Hao Qi surged down from behind him. The power was so great that it slammed Lin Youzhen to the ground in one fell swoop.

"’The Analects of Confucius’ state, ’When guilty before Heaven, there is no place to pray for mercy!’"

Above the Wu residence, Minister of Rites Hu Ying looked down at Lin Youzhen with an icy expression: "You pseudo-confucianist evil spirit, having caused the death of the former Emperor, do you still think you can escape?"

Just then, Qian Long threw a punch from the air, hitting Lin Youzhen in the chest and creating a huge hole right through it.

As Lin Youzhen sustained serious injuries, a dark energy began to manifest from his Hao Qi.

Seeing this, Minister of Rites Hu Ying’s eyes grew even colder: "Indeed an Evil Spirit!"

This person mimicking Hao Qi was flawless—

Lin Youzhen must have had exceedingly firm beliefs and his mimicry of Hao Qi was extremely skillful, enabling him to elude both him and the Hufa of Neo-Confucianism’s scrutinizing gaze.

"Gentlemen, please show mercy and spare his life!"

With this chilling voice, Zuo Daoxing, also known as Dudu Tongzhi from Xiuyiwei, leaped over the wall and entered, looking at Lin Youzhen with a cruel smile: "I still have many things to ask this Lord Lin!"

Lin Youzhen’s spirits sank to the bottom, despair burgeoning within him.

Simultaneously, Lin Youzhen also saw the human head that Zuo Daoxing was holding in his hand.

—It was precisely his colleague who had hidden him for seven days, the former Yuanwai from the Ministry of Personnel, Wu Yousheng!