Enemy of the Whole Province?

The elderly gentleman stood upright and quickly walked to the backyard. He nudged open the door to a small room, revealing a portrait that adorned the wall. If Qin Huai were present, he would immediately recognize the figure in the portrait: the Emperor of Qingzhou.

“Great-grandfather, is this the emperor of Qingzhou?” a young man inquired as he followed behind.

His eyes examined the portrait of a striking but carefree man. Had it not been for his great-grandfather’s treasured placement of this artwork, he might have thought the artist had randomly found a rich young master to show off his exquisite skill.

“Indeed… He was the undisputed emperor of this place, Qingzhou. While he reigned, all immortals, gods, and demons were dealt with in Qingzhou,” the old man replied, a complex expression on his face.

“Sadly, he was our enemy.” The elderly man’s sigh was barely audible, and his eyes glinted with an intense will to fight. “And his descendants and successors are doomed to be our enemies as well!

“A plot that has been brewing for ten thousand years, the persistent strangeness that has gripped Qingzhou for ten thousand years… I didn’t expect it to be the handiwork of the emperor of Qingzhou.” He shook his head in disbelief. “He orchestrated this mystery, abducting the young geniuses under the age of thirty. Clearly, he was seeking an heir.

“No wonder no one from our family has ever been swept away by those strange occurrences. Perhaps he foresaw this scenario.”

Once upon a time, the old man rejoiced that his family seemed chosen, as they remained untouched by the bizarre force that had been operating for ten thousand years. But now, it seemed as though the emperor of Qingzhou had intentionally overlooked them.

“Perhaps this mystery is his final gambit.” The old man’s eyes narrowed in contemplation. “Given that this sinkhole has appeared, and the schemes of the emperor have been exposed, it’s likely that he has found his successor. “Peng’er, lead our forces to the sinkhole personally and search for the one who inherited the legacy of the emperor…”

“Understood!” Peng’er immediately bowed in acknowledgement, prepared to depart.

“Wait! First, visit your second uncle and get a record of all the prodigies who have vanished in Qingzhou City over the past twenty, no, thirty years!” the old man commanded assertively. “Also, take the Qingzhou guards with you and secure all entrances and exits of the sinkhole.”

“Great-grandfather, you mean…” Peng’er sounded astonished.

“Kill anyone who comes out of the sinkhole!” the old man said firmly, leaving no room for discussion.

“I will do as you say!” Peng’er promptly responded, ready to carry out the task.

The old man gazed into the distance and murmured to himself, “No matter how much the world changes, no matter how much the empire evolves… the human race must always prevail!”

…

Meanwhile, in Wuji Mountain…

Kong Binghuang found himself amidst the clouds. The ethereal white smoke he spewed out coiled into a long river-like dragon, and the energy it radiated lingered and seemed to merge with the clouds. Despite this serene scene, Kong Binghuang felt restless. “Bronze artifact…”

He had grown up on tales and legends about Qingzhou. As a child, the story of the emperor of Qingzhou intrigued him, but his knowledge was primarily based on ancient texts originating from the prefecture overseer’s estate.

The elders in his sect had once validated these tales, claiming they were once the talk of the town. Interestingly, in those legends, the revered emperor of Qingzhou was referred to as the Demon of Qingzhou. The title of emperor only began to gain popularity in recent years.

“Do you think the owner of the bronze artifact is the Emperor of Qingzhou or the Demon of Qingzhou? Which narrative holds true?” Kong Binghuang asked slowly.

The middle-aged man replied with conviction, “I personally believe that the recent discoveries at the bronze sinkhole suggest that the mystery that’s been haunting Qingzhou for ten thousand years is the work of its owner.

“Over these millennia, numerous Qingzhou prodigies have lost their lives because of him, shattering the hopes of many sects. The weakness of the region can be largely attributed to this individual. If I were to choose, I’d label him as the Demon of Qingzhou. He invaded Qingzhou in life and continued to do so for ten thousand years after death!”

Kong Binghuang remained silent, deep in thought.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh…

Shortly, another young man ascended from the mountain peak.

“Mountain Chief, there’s fresh news from the city. The bronze sinkhole’s owner is likely the villain who’s tormented Qingzhou’s geniuses for ten thousand years. I found multiple ancient books in the prefecture overseer’s storehouse that confirm the bronze sinkhole’s owner is the Demon of Qingzhou, a dreaded demon who escaped from the Demon Valley. The eight virtuous kings of Great You sacrificed their lives to defeat him ten thousand years ago.”

As he spoke, the young man presented a thick pile of proclamations, all originating from the prefecture overseer’s manor to corroborate this claim.

“I hadn’t expected this demon to have a contingency plan… a disaster stretching over ten thousand years. What does the prefecture overseer intend with this?” Kong Binghuang asked.

“The prefecture overseer is convinced that the bronze sinkhole and the mystery persisting for ten thousand years result from the Demon of Qingzhou’s scheme to convert prodigies into demons, eventually finding a suitable host among them. Hence, the prefecture overseer has commanded his eldest grandson, Pang Huiwu, to lead the Qingzhou guards to the sinkhole.

“Also, he requested the assistance of the five great sects to seal all the sinkhole’s entrances and exits, and eliminate anyone who might emerge from it. This includes people from the outer city’s sects or the prodigies from Qingzhou involved in this mysterious situation.”