Breaking Army - Chapter 21

After finishing his transmission, Xiao Chen stood up. He decided to simply incinerate the tattered commoner clothes he had changed out of. Within the bedchamber, the sound of flowing water introduced into the hall created a peaceful, distant melody. Though the palace was magnificent, it possessed a unique quality that allowed one to find inner stillness.

Xiao Chen’s gaze drifted over the lotus lamps floating on the water. A thought struck him: since the Purple Lotus had merged with his soul, had it brought about other changes?

Immunity to all poisons, a heart-to-heart connection… perhaps there was more?

With a flick of his finger, the water flowing quietly along the floor rose with a splash, forming a shimmering curtain. This water curtain was imbued with a spell that reflected his image as clearly as a mirror.

Standing before the watery mirror, the fiery red mark on his forehead emerged. A transformation rippled through him as his white battle robes, accompanied by a radiant glow, draped over his frame. His hair was bound high behind his head, and the hidden Cangfeng Sword hung at his waist. This was the true form of Po Jun, the handsome and majestic Star Lord.

His true manifestation was a set of sleek yet luxurious battle robes fitted with light armor. It carried the aura of a God of War without being cumbersome. Xiao Chen reached out to touch the fabric, surprised to find subtle lotus patterns woven into the robes. They shimmered faintly in the light, dormant and quiet, yet undeniably striking.

Just like the original master of the Purple Lotus.

Xiao Chen lowered his hand with a complicated expression. What was he to call this? He truly had been branded with Rong Yuan’s mark from body to soul. Likely due to the Purple Lotus, he could now walk through the Underworld with no difference from a native, coming and going as he pleased without being troubled by the nether energy.

When things had become entangled to this degree, could a simple letter of divorce truly sever the bond?

Xiao Chen withdrew his true form, and the mark on his brow vanished along with his battle robes. He was still frustrated when he thought of Rong Yuan’s reckless descent into the mortal realm, but after a long period of calm, the tightness in his chest had eased. This lad, Rong Yuan, was better at playing innocent than Xiang Zhi and a better fighter than Geng Xie. Alone, he was more of a headache than the other two combined. Most crucially, they had shared physical intimacy; Xiao Chen could no longer treat him with the detached attitude of a senior toward a junior.

Xiang Zhi and Geng Xie were family and disciples, but what was Rong Yuan? He was his spouse, in name and in fact. Though this spouse was shrouded in mystery, he constantly poked at Xiao Chen’s heart, often hitting the exact right spots. It was a difficult situation to manage.

Xiao Chen straightened his clothes with a conflicted look and headed out to find Rong Yuan.

Rong Yuan’s usual place of business was the Great Hall of the Underworld, where news from all regions was gathered. However, following the resonance of the Purple Lotus, Xiao Chen left the Ghost City and arrived at the Hell Department, stopping before the Hall of Yanluo.

The atmosphere in the Hell Department was vastly different from the Ghost City. The city was a place for living, filled with a peaceful air, but the architecture of the Hell Department was stern and forbidding. One could occasionally hear sobs, sometimes near and sometimes far, but even the ghostly weeping was suppressed and cautious, as if fearing the sound might offend some deity.

Looking at the three large characters for “Hall of Yanluo,” Xiao Chen thought that since official business was being conducted, it was inconvenient to discuss private matters. Just as he considered leaving, a guard hurried forward to greet him, bowing low. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Xiao Chen nodded. “No need for such formality.”

“Is Your Highness looking for the Sovereign? He is currently handling important affairs. I shall go and report your arrival.”

Xiao Chen replied, “No need, I will wait for him.”

“Then please follow me to wait inside the hall.”

This was acceptable. Usually, there were side halls near the main hall for resting or receiving guests. The guard led Xiao Chen through a side door into a space separated from the main hall by only a single screen. It wasn’t a remote side hall but more like a partitioned compartment. If someone entered, the person sitting on the high throne in the main hall would be able to see their shadow.

Xiao Chen gave the guard a half-smile. The guard replied earnestly, “The Sovereign gave orders long ago to treat you as we would treat him. If Your Highness wishes to wait, it must naturally be in the closest possible spot. The other side halls are for guests, you are not an outsider.”

Treat me as they would treat him.

Xiao Chen savored those words in his mind. Before he could dwell on them, several screams echoed from the main hall across the screen, followed by the panicked voices of others saying, “Sovereign, please appease your anger!”

What was happening?

Even the guard was startled. Xiao Chen initially wanted to check, but his steps faltered at the screen. Although the guard said he wasn’t an outsider, the Underworld officials were settling public matters. Xiao Chen felt it was inappropriate to barge in, so he stopped. From here, he could vaguely see silhouettes. Rong Yuan was seated in the primary seat, and the voices of the others were perfectly audible. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see Rong Yuan’s written words, so he didn’t know the specifics of the situation.

Seated high above, Rong Yuan had snapped the paperweight on his desk with his bare hand. With nothing left to hold, his fingernails dug into his own palm, drawing blood.

Those below were as silent as cicadas in winter. If Zuo Yi and You Chang hadn’t stepped in just now, the five souls from Ruoshui Town would likely have been obliterated on the spot. The reason was simple: when these townspeople were audited, their Records of Life and Death clearly stated their crime: “Devouring the flesh and blood of the Star Lord Po Jun.”

In the mortal realm, Rong Yuan hadn’t personally witnessed that scene after Mu Qing dissipated. When Xiao Chen spoke with Bai Zhu, he had exposed this fact, but at the time, Rong Yuan had been soothed by Xiao Chen and hadn’t fully processed it. Hearing it again now with the culprits right before him, how could he not be enraged?

How did they dare? How did they dare!?

The muscles in Rong Yuan’s face tightened, and his breathing grew heavy. The desk emitted a cracking sound. It was forged from black iron and could serve as a shield, yet it could not withstand the fury of the Underworld Sovereign, appearing ready to shatter.

You Chang and Zuo Yi hadn’t blocked the souls out of sympathy. Zuo Yi bowed and said, “Sovereign, please appease your anger. If they are obliterated while you are in a rage, wouldn’t that be letting these sinners off too easily? Only by sentencing them according to their crimes will they receive their proper retribution.”

Mortals often believed that death was the end of everything, which led some to commit evil without hesitation. But in the world of karmic retribution, how could it be so easy?

Zuo Yi’s words caused Rong Yuan to slowly withdraw his pressure. Indeed, total annihilation would be a form of release for them. His aura of fury had been unbearable for many of the nether officials below, leaving them drenched in cold sweat. Now that the pressure was lifted, they quietly exhaled, finally able to straighten their backs. The desk, too, was saved.

Rong Yuan withdrew his pressure, but his anger did not diminish in the least. The words appearing before him radiated a bone-chilling cold: “Sentence them.”

The Magistrate hurriedly replied, “Yes!”

As the Magistrate began to read the sentence, Rong Yuan felt a stir in his heart. He looked toward the screen separating the side hall. The nether official beside him saw a line of text fly toward his eyes: “Go check if the person in the side hall is the Star Lord Po Jun. If so, remove the screen.”

This line of text, compared to the cold and heavy “Sentence them” from before, seemed to have been written by a different person. Having received the order, the official hurried to the side hall. Seeing it was indeed Xiao Chen, he bowed and respectfully removed the screen.

With the screen gone, Xiao Chen could clearly see the scene in the main hall. The Magistrate was still reading the verdict. Combined with the souls below, Xiao Chen understood; it seemed this was the source of Rong Yuan’s rage. Once the verdict was finished and the officials dragged the sinners away, the crowd turned to bow to Xiao Chen. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

The side hall was furnished with tables and chairs, and the guard had already brewed tea for him. Xiao Chen looked toward the figure on the high throne. “I did not mean to disturb your official duties. Please forgive me.”

The Magistrate said, “Your Highness jokes. You are the Consort of our Underworld, how could caring about official matters be a disturbance?”

Consort… Xiao Chen’s expression became very subtle. He thought to himself that it was a good thing he wasn’t drinking tea, or he would have surely choked.

“Consort” was the formal title for the Sovereign’s spouse. However, Xiao Chen’s own reputation was so great that everyone in the Underworld usually addressed him as “Prince Po Jun.” Being called the Consort for the first time made him acutely aware of this status, and he felt uncomfortable all over.

The people of the Underworld had originally assumed the marriage between Rong Yuan and Xiao Chen was merely a matter of mutual convenience, perhaps the Sovereign needed the Star Lord’s help with something and they would eventually part ways. But seeing Rong Yuan’s behavior just now, he clearly cared deeply for Xiao Chen. The nether officials, being quick to read the room, immediately shifted Xiao Chen’s position in their hearts from the “famed Prince Po Jun” to someone much more intimate.

Regardless of how things developed between the Sovereign and the Prince later, doing this now was definitely the right move. Hadn’t they seen the Sovereign’s aura soften the moment he heard the word “Consort”?

A Consort had the right to sit as an equal beside the Sovereign in court, but Rong Yuan knew Xiao Chen wouldn’t do that, which was why he removed the screen so Xiao Chen could see everything without actually stepping onto the dais.

Xiao Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip. “In that case, please continue. Don’t mind me.”

He had spent quite a long time regulating his breath. Over a hundred demons had already been sentenced. In Ruoshui Town, thirty-five people had died due to the stampede or their own blades. After the five just now, only five remained. Had he not heard the crimes from the Records of Life and Death, Xiao Chen wouldn’t have been able to distinguish who had eaten his flesh and who had wounded him. At that time, his head was spinning and his vision was blurred; he hadn’t remembered a single face.

After the sentencing was finished, most of the nether officials withdrew, leaving only a few to organize the scrolls. The work was done. The Magistrate, Zuo Yi, and You Chang remained. As Rong Yuan’s confidants, they were able to speak with him privately. Rong Yuan stepped down from the high throne and walked to Xiao Chen’s side.

The decor of the side hall was elegant, a stark contrast to the solemn main hall. A bronze censer burned soul-soothing incense, the screen featured a painting of white cranes among the clouds, and an ancient zither sat in the room. At some point, Xiao Chen had pulled the zither toward him and was currently stroking it thoughtfully.

The Magistrate, holding his scrolls, offered a casual compliment, “I have heard that Your Highness is skilled with the zither. Truly, your knowledge is vast.”

Xiao Chen’s eyes flickered as a plan formed in his mind. He let out a smile. “I know a little. I happen to be in the mood, so I shall play a piece.”

You Chang and Zuo Yi leaned in curiously. Zuo Yi said, “Rumor has it that during the Battle of Wind-Watching Valley, the demon and devil rebels laid out a formation of ten thousand men. Your Highness broke the formation with a single song, forcing the enemy back dozens of miles. The ‘Formation-Breaking Song’ that is widely circulated today was composed by someone based on accounts of that battle.”

You Chang looked expectant. “Yes, I’ve heard that song. It is powerful and grand, like iron horses and golden spears, a chilling slaughter that breaks through frozen rivers. I never thought I would have the chance to hear Your Highness play it in person. It is truly an honor.”

Under the expectant and admiring gazes of the crowd, Xiao Chen, dressed in white and looking composed, casually plucked the strings.

In an instant, the quiet hall erupted with the vibration of the zither! One could hear three parts bravado, five parts wildness, seven parts slaughter, and eight parts decisiveness, and ten parts… wailing ghosts and howling wolves.

Zuo Yi and You Chang forgot all about respect and covered their ears in horror. The scrolls in the hands of the Magistrate and the nether officials clattered to the floor, papers and rolls scattering everywhere. The guards outside the hall jumped nearly three feet in the air, filled with suspicion and confusion. The souls being escorted away hadn’t gone far and let out shrill screams at the shock. Blending with the music, they sounded as if they were already experiencing the agonies of hell before even reaching the gates.

Only Rong Yuan remained motionless, standing tall amidst the cacophony.

Before the music could literally bring hell into the room, Xiao Chen pressed his palm against the strings, finally withdrawing his “divine power.” He looked at the audience with a smile. “Well?”

The nether officials moved their lips, but not a single word could escape. The Star Lord’s music was world-shaking and soul-shattering, truly something far beyond the ability of commoners like them to appreciate. Zuo Yi and You Chang felt nothing but the relief of having survived a disaster; they could say nothing else.

However, Rong Yuan calmly clapped his hands, his writing praising him leisurely: “I have long known the fame of Your Highness’s formation-breaking song. Having the luck to hear it today, it is indeed extraordinary.”

“…”

This was the reaction of Zuo Yi, You Chang, and the Magistrate.

You Chang, feeling faint, pinched Zuo Yi. Zuo Yi was caught off guard and almost made a sound, but forced it back down. Xiao Chen’s hands were still on the strings, and the group worried that he might play another piece after receiving Rong Yuan’s praise. Their gazes rested on his fingertips in terror. In reality, Xiao Chen was perfectly self-aware regarding his musical skills: he used music as a weapon, and when infused with spiritual power, it could be used to break formations and kill enemies. He was no good at refined, classical melodies.

That Rong Yuan could actually find a way to praise it was quite impressive. If he wasn’t deaf, then his heart must be blind. What exactly had clouded his senses so much that he could endure that noise?

Xiao Chen smiled warmly at the nether officials. “Since official business is finished, may I borrow your Sovereign for a moment?”

The group couldn’t wait to leave and immediately bowed and withdrew. It wasn’t until they were outside the Hall of Yanluo that they could finally breathe a long sigh of relief. The Magistrate and two officials hurried away with their jumbled scrolls.

You Chang’s expression was blank as he muttered, “Tell me… is our little Sovereign alright?”

Zuo Yi’s expression was more serious. “I thought the Sovereign only wanted the Star Lord’s help with something. Looking at it now, we need to re-evaluate the position Prince Po Jun holds in his heart.”

“I naturally respect the Prince, but… but the Sovereign might not necessarily feel that way. Maybe he just heard too many stories about Prince Po Jun in the past and developed an admiration…”

As You Chang spoke, he felt something was wrong. There were plenty of people who had never met Xiao Chen in person but admired him to their very bones. It wasn’t impossible for that to turn into love. The more You Chang thought about it, the more he confused himself.

“Oh no,” he said worriedly. “Is the Sovereign suffering from unrequited love?”

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