The death of Great Scarlet’s emperor marked the end of House Yan.
Emperor Vastsea led his men into the palace and exterminated the entire imperial lineage, leaving none alive. With the a.s.sistance of the three great sects, another purge was conducted in the capital, completely uprooting House Yan’s foundation.
The extensive slaughter caused a great amount of anxiety amongst the citizens, but Jiang Chen was quick to ease their fears.
“The imperial family colluded with the Eternal Celestial Capital to invade Myriad Domain and slaughter all that I held dear. My vengeance today is only directed towards House Yan and their collaborators. Those who have nothing to do with them can rest easy. There’s no need for panic.”
These words eased the public’s anxiety a little.
“Young lord, we’ve done all we can here. What should we do about the fourth rank sects that also invaded Myriad Domain?” Emperor Vastsea smiled.
“Those sects are no longer a cause for concern. They’re sitting ducks now that we’ve taken over Great Scarlet.” Jiang Chen smiled blandly. “Vastsea, split your men into four groups and stamp out the Qitian Sect, Bamboo Sect, Golden Glyph Sect, Zither Sect…
“Jiao Yun, you shall lead two more groups of men to deal with the Four Quadrant Sect, Cloud and Wind Palace…
“Jiao Feng, lead two groups as well and deal with the Mystic Fire Sect, Nine Waves Sect…
“Old Brother Mo, accompany me to the Thunder Note Hall and the Great Roc Sect!”
It was only natural that Jiang Chen would want to destroy those two sects out himself as they were the ones who’d personally invaded the Regal Pill Palace.
…...
He quickly graced the two sects with his presence, arriving when they were still contemplating if they should flee after hearing about the purge. These fourth rank sects all suffered major losses when they attempted hunting down Jiang Chen, so much so that they were no longer any better than the fourth rank sects from Myriad Domain.
They could never withstand a series of onslaught by the Peafowl Guards, especially when overseen by Jiang Chen himself and with Emperor Peerless here in support.
Palace Head Dan Chi and Elder Yun Nie was finally able to vent their grievances after so many years. They showed the two sects no mercy and slaughtered the high level executives like pigs. This was especially true for Palace Head Dan Chi. A half-step emperor like him was now a mammoth-like existence to them. Fueled by seething hatred, he personally disposed of at least a dozen of them.
Having trained in Veluriyam Capital for many years, the Regal Pill Palace disciples quickly realized how mediocre Great Scarlet fourth rank sects were now. Since widening their horizons, these sects that were once deemed too gargantuan to overcome had become a small nuisance at the very most. They were now far stronger than the geniuses from these fourth rank sects. In fact, the geniuses from Regal Pill Palace consistently flattened their peers.
Three days later, the slaughter in Great Scarlet finally stopped. House Yan and their collaborators were completely purged from the face of the earth. Those who managed to escape the catastrophe would eventually be captured as well. There was nowhere to hide from an all-encompa.s.sing net.
The fourth rank sects had been uprooted from their very foundation. A complete and utter s.h.i.+ft had occurred in Great Scarlet after the dust had settled. The region was now advancing towards a new tomorrow.
“Young lord, we"ve completely taken over the region. The only factions left are the third rank sects and the weaker fifth to sixth rank sects. All collaborators of the imperial family have been cleansed from the realm.”
“Young lord, this region is quite vast.”
“Why don’t we take over the reins and turn it into Veluriyam Capital’s rear garden?” The crowd voiced various suggestions.
Jiang Chen smiled. “You needn’t worry as I’ve already made plans. For now, let’s leave them to their own devices.
The crowd didn’t understand what Jiang Chen was thinking.
“Young lord, now is a great time to take over Great Scarlet. The imperial family has fallen and there’s a void to fill. Wouldn’t it be a pity if we don’t strike while the iron’s hot?”
Jiang Chen waved his hands. “We’ll take over the region one day, but now isn’t the time. Eliminating them was only the first step. Now, we need to move onto the next step and restore my homeland back to its former glory. Everyone, care to take a trip with me to Myriad Domain?”
“We are more than willing.” The crowd answered willingly.
“But young lord, why aren’t we taking over the region now?” Emperor Peerless asked curiously.
Jiang Chen smiled. “If we leave the three great sects to their own devices, they’ll start a power struggle to fill the void of authority. After they’re done clawing at each other’s throats and the region has fallen into utter chaos, we’ll come back and take over the place in one fell swoop.”
Emperor Peerless’ eyes glimmered after a moment’s thought. “How brilliant!”
The Jiao brothers simply couldn’t fathom the reasoning behind all of this. What difference did that make? Were they supposed fear the three great sects? These lowly peasants posed no threat! One could easily obliterate them with a swat of a hand!
Emperor Vastsea also slapped his thighs after pondering about it briefly. “Such brilliance! Young lord, I’m thoroughly impressed by your foresight.”
Jiao Yun scratched his head with puzzlement. “Everyone is singing the young lord praises, but this brute still has no idea why.”
“Hehe. If the young lord takes over the region now, the outside world will denounce him for commencing conquest under the guise of revenge. This will reflect badly on the young lord.
“If the region falls into chaos by itself, the young lord can a.s.sume control of the region under the guise of keeping peace. By then, the citizens would have grown weary of the chaos inflicted by the three sects. They’ll be begging for a powerful faction to intervene, stabilize the situation, and return peace to their home. Moreover, they’ll be more than happy to welcome the young lord due to his reputation and status.
“Any naysayers from the outside world would be wasting their breath as long as the citizens supports the young lord’s reign. They will willingly let the young lord take power as he is the only one who can return peace, stability, and prosperity to the region.”
The Jiao brothers finally understood what was going on. Jiao Yun scratched his head. “Heh! To think that there’s so many intricacies to this situation! A brute like me only knows how to fight and kill! I’m not very good with my brain.”
Jiang Chen laughed. “Alright, since most of House Yan’s stragglers have already been eliminated, let’s head to Myriad Domain.”
…...
The senior executives of the three great sects had been under a great deal of stress lately. What were they going to do if the young lord chose to stay? However, their worries quickly faded away when they heard that young lord Jiang Chen was leaving for Myriad Domain with his men.
The news made the three sects beyond excited. The young lord was a lot more honorable than they’d initially thought. Was he really going to leave right after taking his revenge, leaving behind the entire region? Anyone with even the slightest ambition would’ve taken the area for themselves.
“Are they really leaving?” The Sky Eagle sect head thought that it was a hoax when he first heard the news.
“Sectmaster, Veluriyam Capital’s army is already preparing to depart.”
“Report!” Someone immediately rushed into the room. “Sectmaster, great news! Young lord Jiang Chen and his cohort of experts have left the Great Scarlet capital! Half of Veluriyam’s men have already departed!”
“What?” The sect head surged to his feet. “Quickly, summon the sect executives! I have plans to arrange!”
The Myriad Buddha Sect and the Scarlet Parting Sect had received news of Jiang Chen’s departure as well. The sect heads of the two sects were already excitedly plotting for the future. Jiang Chen’s departure meant that Great Scarlet was now without a ruler, and that they were the most powerful factions here! This was an opportunity of a lifetime!
Their ambitions instantly blossomed to extreme proportions.
…...
Jiang Chen led his army to the borders of Myriad Domain. The land was still in tatters and a downcast pallor still clung to everything. It was apparent that the region hadn’t recovered from the invasion yet. The four emperors in charge of overseeing Myriad Domain immediately came to greet Jiang Chen when they learned he was here.
“You’ve worked hard. All four of you.” Jiang Chen commended.
Palace Head Dan Chi and the others were overwhelmed by various emotions after stepping foot on Myriad Domain soil. It was a mix of excitement, melancholy, antic.i.p.ation, as well as endless painful memories.
Tears streaked down Elder Yun Nie’s face. “To think that an old man like me would set foot on Myriad Domain soil once again. The heavens have eyes! The Regal Pill Palace will finally see the day once more after all these years because of young lord Jiang Chen!”
Elder Yun Nie suddenly faced Jiang Chen and went on his knees. “Young lord Jiang Chen, please accept this kowtow from me.”
Thump! Thump!
The young disciples of the Regal Pill Palace followed suit and got on their knees too.
“Everyone please get up! I may be the young lord of Veluriyam Capital, but I’m also a member of the Regal Pill Palace! How can I accept your bows when it is also my responsibility to restore our sect to glory and reclaim our homeland? Come, let us head to the sect!”
Jiang Chen helped everyone up.
The crowd grew more and more cheerful as they made their way towards their home. They’d finally returned, not discreetly, but proudly. No matter how much tragedy they’d faced, the worst had already come to past. A new dawn was finally rising for the Regal Pill Palace.