Translator: Lordbluefire

  The Wind King was watching with interest and showed no signs of wanting to interfere.

  Although its fight with the kirin earlier was ferocious, both of them didn’t even unleash 1% of their full power.

  “I was wondering why that kirin didn’t want to unleash all its power. So this is the case!”

  The Wind King sneered at that kirin. After that, it recalled that it was also trapped in the Wind King Divine Hall and had no idea when it could be free, thus it was depressed again.

  However, one good thing was that it knew it could believe in Li Ziqi’s character.

  “Everyone, don’t be in a hurry to scold people. Do you guys really understand this ‘Xia Taikang’?”

  Sun Mo spoke to the people from Great Xia, telling them to be patient.

  “What do you mean?”

  Everyone didn’t understand.

  Xia Taikang wasn’t only the crown prince of the Great Xia, but he was also proclaimed to be a genius of the millennium, someone that could lead the Great Xia Empire to become the top empire in the Nine Provinces.

  Although the Xia Emperor had yet to abdicate the throne, Xia Taikang was already controlling parts of the country with his status as the crown prince. Besides, it was said that after the Five Empires War Discussion ended and Xia Taikang obtained the first place, the Xia Emperor would officially abdicate the throne.

  Bluntly speaking, Xia Taikang was someone who wanted face. He wanted to become the next Xia Emperor by borrowing the prestige of the champion of the Five Empires War Discussion.

  “Why didn’t the grand tutor of your country come?”

  Sun Mo counter-asked.

  The other countries had sent their grand tutors. After all, whether the crown prince’s performance was outstanding or not concerned their prestige.

  “Grand Tutor Xia’s body isn’t too good and is recuperating in our country. What’s the problem?”

  Someone answered.

  “Oh, he’s actually still alive? I thought he’s already dead!” Sun Mo analyzed. “From the looks of things, he has a hand in this too!”

  “Great Teacher Sun, what are you talking about exactly?”

  The Qi Emperor was completely clueless.

  “I just want to tell everyone that this Xia Crown Prince is fake. Someone is masquerading as him. His true body has died, and his body is only an empty shell now.”

  Sun Mo’s words were like a cold current that came from the north and directly stunned everyone into silence.

  “Your Majesty, did I hear wrongly? He actually said that this Xia Taikang is a fake one?”

  The queen felt this was very ridiculous.

  Although in this world there were indeed a few magical and mysterious secret arts or treasures that could seize one’s soul and change one’s face, that could only work if the target was someone ordinary. The various royal clans all had secret methods to identify one’s identity and bloodline.

  Besides, the grand tutors and great teachers employed by the royal clan would all be people with wide horizons and immense experiences. Even if someone planned to substitute a prince, their plots would surely be sniffed out.

  It was basically impossible to use such schemes to seize the throne.

  “Sun Mo, what nonsense are you speaking? How can this crown prince’s reputation be besmirched by someone like you?”

  Xia Taikang howled with a flushed face.

  “Then, how do you explain your sudden surge in strength earlier?”

  Sun Mo questioned.

  “Can’t I be a genius?”

  Xia Taikang coldly snorted. “Besides, I’m the crown prince. All the cultivation resources I use are top-graded ones!”

  “Hehe, you can ask Grand Tutor Su about this. Even if a genius eats heavenly ingredients daily, can he reach the Legendary Realm like you at the age of twenty-five?”

  Sun Mo’s Divine Sight was activated. He actually wasn’t able to identify Xia Taikang’s actual cultivation realm, but it was for sure not low. This was why he took action. He was able to depend on his various peak-level cultivation arts to block Xia Taikang’s attacks. If it was other Longevity Realm experts in his place, they would have been smashed to death.

  “Great Teacher Sun must be joking. If it was so easy to reach the Legendary Realm, everyone on the street would be one.”

  Grand Tutor Su self-mockingly laughed.

  Speaking of resources, Grand Tutor Su also didn’t lack any. But didn’t he still have to climb up step by step?

  “Sun Mo, stop talking with no proof. If you are capable, show some proof!”

  Xia Taikang glared at Sun Mo like how he was looking at the killer of his father.

  “Sure!”

  Sun Mo shrugged. Just when everyone had their eyes wide open and wanted to see how Sun Mo would prove it, he suddenly attacked.

  Swish~

  A platinum glow shot toward Xia Taikang.

  He wanted to dodge, but that beam of light was too fast.

  Putong!

  Xia Taikang’s head was pressed onto the ground.

  “What are you doing?”

  Clang! Clang!

  The people from the Great Xia diplomatic group all pulled out their weapons and stared at Sun Mo in rage.

  “Your crown prince was dead a long time ago. He was refined into a living puppet by someone using a forbidden technique. After that, that person also used another technique to replace his soul with another soul.”

  Sun Mo explained.

  “What I used was Freedom Proof. It can cause a rejection reaction between that soul and your crown prince’s corpse!”

  As expected, Xia Taikang’s body started squirming. It looked like a monster out of a horror movie, it was very frightening.

  “I, I’ll kill you!”

  Xia Taikang’s voice turned bizarre.

  The diplomatic group from the Great Xia were all stunned. For a time, they didn’t know what they should do. After all, this matter was too major.

  “Who knows if you used some methods to secretly ambush His Highness? You should stop first!”

  The main commander of the diplomatic group recovered first and pleaded with the Qi Emperor. “Your Majesty, please help us protect Our Highness. At the same time, please summon your top-level puppeteers and spiritual controllers to inspect Our Highness.”

  “Beloved Subject Sun, this matter is too huge in terms of impact. It’s best not to speak recklessly!”

  The Qi Emperor felt a headache.

  Xia Taikang was the Xia Empire’s hope. If he died, things would be extremely troublesome. A war might truly be invoked.

  “I’m not speaking recklessly. You can find anyone to come and inspect him. There are traces of a forbidden technique being used on this body.”

  Sun Mo was very calm.

  At this moment, a human-shaped black shadow shot out of Xia Taikang’s body.

  “Sun Mo, you destroyed my life. I’m going to kill you!”

  The black shadow was enraged, “Xia Zeyang, spread my command and start an all-out war against the Great Tang and the Central Province Academy!”

  “Ah?”

  Xia Zeyang was none other than the main commander of the Xia diplomatic group. He jumped in fright when he heard this voice. This voice seemed to be the voice of the Xia Emperor?

  Just when Xia Zeyang was in a daze, Sun Mo lowered his head and instructed Li Ziqi with a few sentences. After that, the little sunny egg waved her hand and cast a divine language of spiritual control.

  It was Land Proof.

  Strictly speaking, humans could be considered land-based lifeforms and were within the range of this divine language.

  It was a pity that the soul strength of this shadow was simply too strong. The divine language was ineffective.

  “Teacher!”

  The little sunny egg stuck out her tongue.

  Just when Sun Mo wanted to act, the Wind King took matters into its own hands.

  “Allow me!”

  Swoosh~

  A transparent wind arrow penetrated the black shadow. After that, numerous shackles erupted forth from it and entangled the shadow, binding it and forcing it to reduce to the size of a walnut.

  “Hehe, not bad. I have a new toy again!”

  The Wind King was very happy.

  “Sun Mo, please leave that thing behind!”

  Xia Zeyang spoke out. What if that black shadow truly belonged to the Xia Emperor?

  Without waiting for Sun Mo to reply, the Wind King retaliated. Everyone couldn’t even see its attack clearly. They only saw that after Xia Zeyang finished speaking, his entire person was diced into countless pieces of flesh that splattered onto the ground.

  “Ant, you actually dare to act so arrogantly before this king. You really don’t want your life anymore.”

  The Wind King coldly snorted.

  This scene caused many people to shiver.

  “‘This king’, was Li Ziqi’s spiritual control beast a king?”

  Grand Tutor Su guessed.

  Chapter 1223: End of the War Discussion, Taking On a Personal Teacher at the Dinner Banquet!

  Translator: Lordbluefire

  The citizens of the Great Xia always had a sense of superiority. They felt that they were the most outstanding people of the Nine Provinces and that citizens of the other empires were low-grade trash.

  Even if someone from their country committed a mistake, they thought that the emperors of the other empires had no qualifications to judge them.

  Hence, when they saw Sun Mo bringing that black shadow away, the people of the diplomatic group immediately wanted to stop him. But as Xia Zeyang suddenly died, all of them fell silent due to fright.

  A bloody stench assailed their nostrils and pieces of flesh and inner organs spilled everywhere. The scene was simply too brutal.

  “Why are you not screaming anymore?”

  The Wind King coldly laughed. “I won’t know who to kill next!”

  “L……Li Ziqi……”

  A prince originally wanted to say that if she did this, a war might start. In the end, before he could finish speaking, his entire person was smashed into mush.

  Swish~

  The others hurriedly retreated with pale expressions.

  These invisible and formless wind blade attacks were simply too terrifying.

  “Ziqi, don’t kill anymore!”

  The Qi Emperor felt a headache.

  “Your Majesty, don’t worry. I believe that the Xia Emperor is a brilliant man and knows how to resolve this matter.”

  Sun Mo laughed.

  “Your Majesty, we will take our leave first!”

  The people from the Great Xia no longer dared to say any ruthless sentences. After bowing to the Qi Emperor, they hurriedly brought Xia Taikang’s corpse that was lying on the ground away, preparing to use the quickest time to return to their country.

  “The Xia Empire is in huge trouble now!”

  Everyone discussed.

  The Xia Empire had lost their guardian divine beast, and the Xia Crown Prince was revealed to be someone who had died long ago. Regardless of what the end result was, the Xia Empire was destined to decline.

  “Your Majesty, the Five Empires War Discussion has ended, and the Great Tang is undoubtedly the first, right?”

  Sun Mo asked.

  “That’s only natural!”

  The Qi Emperor nodded.

  Li Ziqi’s outstanding abilities were unquestionable. Sadly, she was a female.

  “In that case, we will bid our farewell too!”

  Sun Mo prepared to return.

  “Ah? This Emperor has prepared a celebratory dinner banquet, don’t you guys want to participate?”

  The Qi Emperor felt a headache. (If you leave, what about my daughter? I already planned to make you establish a flying regiment of soldiers for me, and I’ve even handpicked them myself.)

  “It’s fine!” Sun Mo rejected with thanks. “Let’s leave!”

  “Great Teacher Sun, please wait, please wait!”

  The Qi Emperor chased over.

  “Your Majesty, forget it. Since such a major thing happened, the Great Tang has to make preparations like how they should deal with the Xia Empire’s reaction!”

  Grand Tutor Su persuaded.

  “Ai, the literature and arts battle was so nice to watch, but why did the martial battle end up so chaotic?”

  The Qi Emperor was depressed. “Oh right, what’s going on with that Xia Taikang exactly? Is this the action of some dark great teachers?”

  “I have no idea!”

  Grand Tutor Su shook his head, but he had a blurry answer in his heart.

  If the Xia Emperor didn’t know about this matter, it meant that the mastermind had already secretly controlled the royal palace of the Great Xia. If the Xia Emperor knew about this, it was even more terrifying.

  Once he had recalled all the performances displayed by Xia Taikang in the war discussion, Grand Tutor Su was more inclined to the second possibility.

  “For the sake of living longer and achieving his ambitions, he actually sacrificed his own son by seizing his body. This Xia Emperor is truly ruthless!”

  Grand Tutor Su cast a glance at the Qi Emperor.

  In the past, he always felt that the Qi Emperor was muddle-headed and incapable. Other than eating good food, playing, and fooling around, he had no major ambitions and knew nothing else. Grand Tutor Su had once thought that his talents might be put to better use if he went to assist the ambitious Xia Emperor. But from the looks of things now, the Qi Emperor was much better than the Xia Emperor. ……

  The Great Tang diplomatic group returned to their hotels and packed up, preparing to leave.

  “Why are we in such a rush?”

  Han Cangshui was unhappy now. Why did the entire diplomatic group have to cater to Li Xiu and Li Ziqi? “You guys can leave first, I’m still planning to stay a few days here!”

  “Great Teacher Han, please feel free to do whatever you want!”

  Li Xiu wanted to rush back to Chang`an and tell her royal brother about everything that had happened here. Maybe, they even needed to prepare themselves for a war with Great Xia.

  When Han Cangshui heard this, his countenance grew unsightly. (Can’t you persuade me a little? As expected, since Sun Mo is here, do you feel that I’m useless now?)

  Li Xiu naturally couldn’t be bothered to care about Han Cangshui’s emotions. After she gave the command, she headed into Sun Mo’s room. In the end, she saw all his students there.

  “Aunt!”

  Li Ziqi stood up and greeted.

  “Sun Mo, I know that you have a treasure that can travel 1,000 miles in a day. I hope you can bring me along, including Ziqi and Li Xuan. We should immediately go back to Chang`an!”

  Li Xiu suggested.

  “Don’t panic, the Xia Empire won’t be able to attack.”

  Sun Mo consoled her.

  “What do you mean?”

  Li Xiu frowned. Matters between countries were never insignificant. Moreover, it was about the Xia Empire who was wildly ambitious and always wanted to expand their borders.

  “Because the Xia Emperor has already died!”

  Qin Yaoguang explained.

  “What?” Li Xiu was astonished. “How do you know that?”

  “More accurately, the Xia Emperor hasn’t died. He’s imprisoned by my eldest martial sister’s battle pet, the Wind King.”

  Qin Yaoguang explained. “This is something our teacher told us just now.”

  “You are saying that the black shadow is the Xia Emperor?”

  Li Xiu was stunned. After that, dread appeared on her face. “Doesn’t that mean that the Xia Emperor seized the body of his son?”

  “That’s right.” Sun Mo nodded.

  “When did you discover this secret?”

  Li Xiu continued to ask.

  Now when she thought about it, Xia Taikang’s behavior had been truly strange in many aspects. For example, he would inadvertently exude the prestige of an emperor that was even greater than her own royal brother.

  “During the chess battle, I only felt that something was wrong with him. So, I paid more attention to it. It was only until the guardian divine beast appeared did I finally verify my guesses.”

  Honestly speaking, Sun Mo also didn’t expect that the Xia Emperor would do such a thing. It was too inhumane.

  “.……”

  Li Xiu didn’t know what to say. After being silent for some time, she suddenly sighed in her heart. After all, if one had to face the Xia Emperor who aspired to be the hegemon of this world, they would surely be nervous.

  Now, the hidden danger was resolved.

  “The Xia Emperor’s soul is being imprisoned by the Wind King. This also means that the Xia Empire has no authority figure. And after those royal descendants regain their senses, the first thing they do will be to seize the throne.”

  Sun Mo chortled.

  Coming to look for him to get the black shadow back?

  Stop joking. Since those princes were sensible enough to think for themselves, all of them wanted nothing more than for the emperor to die as soon as possible.

  “Sun Mo, I understand this matter, but I still have to trouble you to send me and Ziqi back first!”

  Li Xiu pleaded.

  Sun Mo smiled and didn’t answer.

  “Ziqi, stay behind. The others are to get out.”

  Li Xiu instructed.

  Helian Beifang didn’t move. His hand was placed on his blade hilt, and his eyes had a hint of wariness. However, Tantai Yutang pulled him along.

  “Let’s go!”

  The sickly invalid could guess what Li Xiu wanted to say.

  When everyone left, Li Xiu looked at her niece. “If we plan to let you inherit the throne, what do you want to do?”

  Li Ziqi frowned. “I’ve no interest in the throne. I only want to follow Teacher to learn and complete my dream to build the largest library in the Nine Provinces.”

  “In that case, do you want Li Xuan to lead the Great Tang into decline?”

  Li Xiu asked.

  Li Ziqi fell silent. Her own royal brother was mediocre, but his ambitions were higher than the heavens. She understood this very clearly.

  “After you ascend to the throne, you will have boundless authority. Let alone building a library, even if you want to build one in every province, that wouldn’t be a problem.”

  Li Xiu tempted her.

  “Teacher!”

  Li Ziqi turned and looked at Sun Mo.

  This scene caused a hint of discomfort to appear in Li Xiu’s heart. This meant that her niece relied on Sun Mo extremely much. However, after she thought of how Sun Mo was the one who had granted her niece her current strength and glory, the eldest princess relaxed.

  If she herself had such a good teacher, even if she had to make his bed and recommend herself to warm his bed, she would also do it.

  “What would you feel if you lost a penny?”

  Sun Mo smiled.

  “I’ve never brought so little money out before!”

  Li Ziqi bitterly smiled.

  Pak!

  Sun Mo rapped the little sunny egg’s head.

  Li Ziqi stuck out her tongue. She understood her teacher’s meaning. “If I were an ordinary farmer, I would surely feel very depressed if I lost a penny. If I lost 10,000 taels, I probably would die from heartache.”

  “Alright. I won’t give you any more examples. I just want you to know that regardless of a penny, or 10,000 taels, or the emperor’s position, everything is the same. Obtaining them after a long period of hard work actually isn’t the ultimate goal. Self-actualization is then the inherent and most high-level pursuit of everyone.”

  Because of these words, Li Xiu started to seriously survey Sun Mo.

  “Wealth, position, authority, etc. All of these are tools to help you actualize your dreams.”

  Many people in the Nine Provinces were just living normally and wouldn’t think about things like their dreams. Everyone wanted to make money for the sake of leading a better life.

  “Actually, when many people are young, they all have dreams. But slowly, their sharpness is tempered and ground down by reality because they discover that just trying to live better is already something extremely tiring!”

  Sun Mo stared at the little sunny egg. “You said that you wanted to build a library. But actually in your heart, you are hoping that everyone could learn a skill of survival or two, so they could display their brilliance and actualize their dreams on the great stage known as life.

  “If you become the emperor, you will be able to give everyone more ‘stages’ to perform, allowing them more chances to display their talents.

  “Naturally, you can also choose not to be the emperor. I only hope that you won’t choose to ‘run away’ because of some reasons.”

  What reasons?

  For example, mutual slaughter between siblings, or the culture that thought having a female emperor wouldn’t conform to the rules, etc……

  “Ziqi, with your talent, you shouldn’t just be the administrator of a library.”

  Sun Mo looked at his eldest disciple and was filled with anticipation toward her. “You should let this world know about you, be it 1,000 or 10,000 years later, that you are the grandest and most noble of all emperors with no exceptions, in the history of this world.”

  Boom!

  Priceless Advice activated. This was Sun Mo’s hope for Li Ziqi.

  “Teacher!”

  Li Ziqi was stunned. She didn’t expect her teacher to have such a high recognition of her.

  Li Xiu was similarly stunned. (The grandest with no exception? Aren’t these words a little too imposing?)

  “Eldest Princess, do you want to support Li Ziqi to become an emperor? By doing so, your name will also be branded into the world’s history.”

  Sun Mo teased.

  “Hehe!”

  Li Xiu laughed dryly but her heart was moved. In fact, she even wanted to personally replace Li Yingqi so she could become a female emperor. But luckily, she was rational enough to suppress this crazy thought.

  Speaking of which, guys that could think were truly handsome!

  Li Xiu suddenly grew angry when she thought of her unambitious husband.

  “How good would it be if Sun Mo was born a few years earlier!”

  Li Xiu sighed.

  She had long since stopped judging people by their looks.

  (Alright, Sun Mo was indeed handsome. I actually lust for him too at times.) Upon thinking of this, she suddenly felt that it was a pity.

  An Xinhui had truly benefited.

  “But my royal brother……”

  Li Ziqi was still in conflict.

  “Sigh, if Li Xuan is the slightest bit capable, I also wouldn’t have chosen to say this!”

  Sun Mo sighed. “Also, there’s another matter I have to tell you guys.”

  Sun Mo continued speaking in a low voice and his words caused the two of them to turn pale. Their faces were then filled with anger as they wanted to do something immediately.

  “This is not the time to do anything yet!”

  Sun Mo advised.

  If it wasn’t Li Xiu clearly stating that she wanted to support the little sunny egg to take the throne, Sun Mo wouldn’t reveal this secret.

  “Alright, I can lend the eight-gate cloud to you and allow you and Ziqi to return to Chang`an first. I still have to wait for that mastermind behind the scenes to come and take back the Xia Emperor’s soul!”

  Sun Mo knew that Li Xiu was in a hurry to go back because the Xia Empire would surely descend into chaos. She could use this heaven-sent opportunity to pull some strings and get someone who was inclined to ally with the Great Tang to become the next emperor at the very least.

  Before everyone finished packing their luggage, the Qi Emperor and his queen arrived and they were waiting at the hotel’s door.

  “Great Teacher Sun, Princess Xiu. No matter what, you guys have to attend the celebratory dinner banquet tonight!”

  The Qi Emperor persuaded.

  According to the rules, after the Five Empires War Discussion, everyone would have a three-day break before they attended the celebratory banquet. In the end, in order to accommodate Sun Mo and Li Ziqi, the Qi Emperor actually shifted the date of the banquet forward.

  “Great Teacher Sun, even if you guys want to leave, a day’s delay counts for nothing. At the very most, this emperor will give you guys a few thousand-li horses!”

  The queen also felt very regretful. She hadn’t had any in-depth reaction with Sun Mo yet, and he was already going to leave.

  “Alright then!”

  Li Xiu compromised. The Qi Emperor was already speaking so nicely. If she still wanted to leave, she would surely offend him.

  Time passed quickly and it was soon night time.

  When the moon was at its peak, the entire Qi Palace was already brightly lit with lamps and there was also melodious music in the atmosphere.

  When the guest seats were filled, the Qi Emperor entered the great hall with his left hand holding Li Ziqi and his right hand holding Sun Mo as he chatted with them. And as for the queen?

  She still had to walk behind the three of them.

  “Great Teacher Sun, come, sit together with this Emperor!”

  The Qi Emperor invited.

  Si~

  This honor caused the guests to inhale a breath of cold air as they felt incomparably envious. If Sun Mo chose to live here in the future, his status would surely be below one man but above tens of thousands.

  Sun Mo wanted to reject it, but under the urgings of the emperor and the queen, he eventually chose to comply.

  This scene caused everyone on the scene to feel so sour as though their mouths were stuffed with lemons.

  “This Emperor wants to take this opportunity to announce something!”

  The Qi Emperor retracted his smile and his expression turned solemn. “From today onward, all of this emperor’s descendants will be handed over to Sun Mo for teaching. Great Teacher Sun, please teach them well and help them to nurture their talents!”

  When Grand Tutor Su heard these words, he was started. After that, he felt a little unhappy. However, he soon relaxed after recalling Sun Mo’s achievements.

  In the future, Sun Mo would absolutely become a person of absolute authority in the great teacher world. If he were the Qi Emperor, he would also take the initiative to hug Sun Mo’s thigh.

  And after the Qi Emperor finished speaking, the princes and princesses, other than Jiang Yuzhen, went toward Sun Mo and kowtowed to him.

  “The Qi Emperor has truly thrown all his prestige away!”

  Han Cangshui spoke in disdain, but when he saw these royalty kowtowing, he felt so much envy and hatred in his heart.

  “I have to remind Ziqi to treat Sun Mo better!”

  Li Xiu suddenly felt a sense of danger. Her gaze drifted toward Jiang Yuzhen. She didn’t seem to want to take Sun Mo on as a personal teacher, and it shouldn’t be because she looked down on Sun Mo. Could it be that……

  “Your Majesty……”

  Sun Mo bitterly smiled. He didn’t want to accept disciples so casually.

  “Great Teacher Sun, all great teachers talk about distinctionless education. I know that their aptitudes are ordinary, but they will definitely not do anything that humiliates or insults your teaching!”

  The Qi Emperor guaranteed. “If there are any, beat them to death if you need to!”

  Xiang Zhao had still been hesitating, but after seeing this scene, he directly stood up and walked quickly toward Sun Mo.