Chapter 167: The Xue Clan’s Imperial Mausoleum Is Destroyed
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The Xue Clan’s Imperial Mausoleum had long fallen into neglect.
Now, it appeared desolate and forlorn.
Some old officials, nostalgic and sentimental, quietly wiped away tears. They bore no grievance against Emperor Xuan Ping, but the sorrow of bygone days weighed heavily on their hearts. Things had changed, leaving them feeling deeply distressed.
The Xue Clan was the dynasty’s downfall, and they, too, were fallen ministers of that past era. For years, they had avoided contact with the Xue family to demonstrate their loyalty, and they dared not step foot in the Xue Clan’s Imperial Mausoleum for decades.
Kneeling here now to pay respects to their former sovereign stirred conflicted emotions. Emperor Xuan Ping’s permission for this act of worship — whether born of suspicion or trust — was unclear, but their sincerity in honoring the departed monarch was genuine.
“The handkerchiefs they’re burning look oddly familiar,” one elderly official murmured, though he couldn’t recall where he had seen them before.
“They seem to be performing some kind of ritual,” another noted.
The sight unsettled the old officials, as vague suspicions churned in their minds without clarity.
Lord Xue Huang took a deep breath and sliced his finger, letting his fresh blood drip into a bronze basin. The moment the blood touched the flame within…
Whoosh!
A pillar of fire roared upward, forcing Lord Xue Huang to stagger back, narrowly avoiding his hair catching fire.
“The ritual has begun…” The esteemed expert grew uneasy and instinctively glanced at the sky. Despite the bright midday sun, the instant blood entered the basin, ominous clouds gathered, shrouding the sun. Under the darkened sky, an eerie tension filled the air.
Lord Xue Huang felt exhausted, his mouth tasting of blood after mere hours of preparation. Without this borrowed life, he wouldn’t last six months.
The Xue Clan knelt, heads bowed low. “We beseech the heavens for mercy, to bless the Xue family with prosperity, longevity, and countless descendants.” They dared not utter their longing for the restoration of the previous dynasty aloud.
Lord Xue Huang announced his birthdate and time: “Xue Huang, born on… Today, I borrow fifty years of life from Lu Dynasty’s Chao Chao. May the heavens bear witness.”
As his voice faded, a fierce wind surged from the bronze basin, propelling the flames skyward and toppling the offerings on the altar. Plates and dishes clattered to the ground, and terrifying thunderclaps echoed across the heavens.
Daytime lightning split the sky, shaking the earth. The Xue Clan’s members found it hard to stay kneeling as fierce winds roared, accompanied by lightning and thunder that seemed to circle directly above them. The oppressive weight of divine wrath descended upon the scene.
“What is happening?”
“Why has the weather changed so suddenly?” Panic spread among the onlookers as they clutched at each other amidst the deafening noise. Sand whipped through the air, leaving their hair and clothes in disarray. The crackling thunder overhead sent chills down their spines, raising goosebumps all over.
The esteemed expert was horrified. The unnatural phenomena seemed like an expression of divine fury. “How could this be? How could the heavens be enraged?” His face turned ashen at the sight of the lightning, thunder, and obscured sun, his blood running cold. He had committed countless misdeeds in his line of work, yet such wrathful celestial signs had never manifested before.
“Whose life are you borrowing?” he demanded, trembling. “This must be someone protected by the heavens! No, it’s more than that…”
The realization dawned too late. He muttered, “Disaster! Disaster!” as he stared at the looming storm clouds. It felt as though the heavens themselves were warning him.
He turned and fled. Battling against the violent winds and flying sand, he managed only ten paces before a terrifying force bore down upon him.
Lightning crashed, dragging a glowing tail as it pursued him relentlessly.
“Ah!” His scream was abruptly swallowed by the deafening roar of the lightning strike. Blood pooled around his lifeless body.
His final thoughts remained unspoken. [Why? Why? It was just a child’s lifespan. Why would the heavens retaliate with such fury?]
Pointing weakly at Lord Xue Huang, he croaked, “Borrow… cannot borrow…” and died on the spot.
The Xue Clan was left stunned. The elderly officials, paralyzed with terror, could only watch in silence.
“H-how could this happen?” Lord Xue Huang stammered, his scalp prickling with fear as he glanced upward. The lightning storm descended with merciless intent.
“No! No! Stop!” he screamed in vain.
The sky rumbled, and multiple lightning strikes surged down toward…
The Xue Clan’s Imperial Mausoleum.
The lightning struck with unyielding precision, obliterating everything in its path.
“No! Stop! Please, stop!” Lord Xue Huang’s cries were heart-wrenching. The mausoleum was the Xue Clan’s final vestige, painstakingly preserved at great cost. Yet, under the witness of countless eyes, the mausoleum was reduced to rubble by the violent strikes.
Their ancestral tomb… destroyed.
The Xue Clan’s Imperial Mausoleum… obliterated.
The old officials felt their scalps tingle as their fears erupted. Mothers and fathers! The mausoleum had been utterly annihilated before their very eyes.
Rocks and debris flew as the structure crumbled into dust. Even the jade coffins were shattered beyond repair. The Xue Clan’s descendants stood frozen, trembling uncontrollably in the storm’s fury. Several elders fainted on the spot from sheer shock and despair.
Lord Xue Huang dashed into the ruins, only to find ashes and wreckage. He vomited blood, crying out in despair. “Why? Why? Heavens, why must you punish the Xue Clan so cruelly? This mausoleum was all we had left!”
His words were drowned by his own violent coughing of blood, his body collapsing as his last breath teetered on the edge. The six months of borrowed life he had clung to… were no more.
Madam Xue, clutching Lord Xue Huang’s frail body, sobbed uncontrollably. “Huang’er, Huang’er! Oh, heavens! What has the Xue family done to deserve such a fate? Must you cut off every last thread of hope?”
The gathered officials exchanged grim looks, their hair standing on end. [What atrocity has the Xue Clan committed to provoke such divine wrath?]
Restoring the former dynasty… impossible now. No one would dare follow a clan that had incurred heaven’s fury.
Terrified, they sought an excuse to leave. “Your Majesty, let us return to the court.”
The Xue Clan had no idea what had gone wrong.
“The esteemed expert kept saying it’s not borrowable. Could there have been a mistake with the birthdate?” Madam Xue growled through gritted teeth, her face contorted in rage.
“No! We must seek justice from the Zhongyong Marquis’ Manor!”
The Xue Clan, devastated beyond words, saw no other option.
Meanwhile, Emperor Xuan Ping couldn’t hide his glee as news of the destroyed mausoleum spread like wildfire. His heart, once burdened with unease over the lingering remnants of the former dynasty, now felt lighter than ever.
“Ha! Those ministers who still dreamt of the past are probably scared senseless now!” He laughed heartily, pleased beyond measure.
Holding Lu Chao Chao in his arms, he kissed her cheek and teased, “You’re my little treasure, Chao Chao. You may destroy the Xue Clan’s mausoleum, but don’t go near mine, alright?”
The Zhongyong Marquis’ Manor, however, now braced itself for the Xue family’s fury.