Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Chapter 84 The Fall of Great Chen

The news of the grand army's defeat spread into the city, and naturally, the noble families had to make their choices. Quietly, they opened the closed city gates and let the Chu Army enter this majestic city. It is likely that the designer of the city never imagined that none of their carefully designed defenses would be used, as the saying goes: "The strongest fortress often crumbles from within."

Inside the Imperial Palace at this time, the King of the Great Chen Dynasty listened quietly to the news delivered by an eunuch, his face surprisingly calm. With a gentle wave, he dismissed the eunuch, who had been terrified to the point of weak knees.

Alone, he walked quietly within the Imperial Palace, gazing upon the golden splendor of the buildings, and with a heart cold with despair, he said, "A great land is thus brought to ruin."

The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs had already heard the news of the grand army's entry into the city and were now in a chaotic mess. The Imperial Palace, which was usually the epitome of order and decorum, now resembled a noisy marketplace.

The King paid no heed to this scene, gently tapping his fingers on the balustrade, lost in thought, he turned to see a beautiful woman dressed in royal attire standing behind him, it was none other than his favored consort, Su Wenji.

"Oh! Is my beloved consort coming to bid me farewell?" Chen Fei seemed not at all surprised, smiling at the beautiful woman before him.

Su Wenji, now free of her former allure and bearing a more composed air, was surprisingly charming in her own way. She looked at Chen Fei with surprise and asked, "When did Your Majesty find out?" She had not expected her identity to be revealed so soon.

"Ever since my teacher died, I suspected something was amiss about you. I suppose it must be those cultivators' way of retaliation, after all, Jinguang Taoist and I did plot against them," Chen Fei said calmly, reverting to the Emperor who once declared that fate was nothing to fear.

"Then, Your Majesty still..." Su Wenji began to speak but stopped herself.

"At first, I believed that human will could triumph over fate, but later I realized that what is truly powerful is destiny. Seeing that, why should I struggle? Isn't it better to live in drunken dreams than to stay wide awake, watching my own demise?" There was an indescribable solemnity in Chen Fei's voice.

"It's said that the Emperor rules over all under Heaven, yet why is the path to immortality closed to us? Cultivators speak of fate, but I would like to ask, why is this so-called fate dictated by the Immortal Gods? Are their words fate itself?" Chen Fei said hysterically.

"I am not content with such a fate. When Jinguang Taoist said he had a way for me to cultivate, I decided to take a desperate chance. Since my death is predestined, why not take the risk? In the end, it was all for nothing. Actually, I should have realized, how could Jinguang Taoist's capabilities reverse this so-called destiny?"

"I have resisted and also failed. Now, it's time to accept this so-called fate."

Su Wenji, looking at this Emperor driven to a dead end, wasn't sure whether to say his ambitions were higher than the heavens or that his talents were insufficient for his grand ambitions.

"The Ancient Human Emperor once made a pact with the Immortal Gods of heaven and earth, declaring that the rulers of the mortal realms were forbidden to cultivate. Human nature is inherently selfish; if the Emperors could live for eons, their gaze would undoubtedly fall upon those Immortal Gods who refuse to be governed by them.

Besides, the Heavenly Emperor himself is a supreme practitioner of this way, so how would he allow others to compete for his power?" Su Wenji revealed these secrets, leaving Chen Fei utterly astonished.

"Haha, it turns out I'm really a frog at the bottom of a well; there's so much secrecy in this world." Chen Fei said mockingly, his eyes unusually bright at that moment.

"Regrettably confined within this small realm, I have not seen the vastness of the world." His face bore a look of longing, his tone full of regret. At this moment, Chen Fei didn't resemble an Emperor, but rather like a curious young man fascinated by everything.

"Then please, my beloved consort, take a good look at the grandeur of this world for me!" he said to Su Wenji with a smile.

"As the Son of Heaven, now that the mountains and rivers are shattered and the splendid realm is surrendered, how can I allow myself to be humiliated by those petty officials in court? An emperor should die the death of an emperor."

He carefully adjusted his makeup and smoothed out the wrinkles on his Dragon Robe with his hand, smiling, "My beloved consort, let's meet again in the next life!"

Having said that, he pulled out his sword. A flash of crimson passed, and the last King of the Great Chen took his own life, forever closing his eyes, leaving his merits and demerits for later generations to judge.

Su Wenji looked at the dead man with a complex expression and couldn't help but sigh, "This human world is truly uninteresting!"

She took Chen Fei's body to Zhaixing Terrace and quietly looked out at the scenery of Fengjing. The noble families had already led their people to breach the Imperial Palace, needing Chen Fei's head to pave the way for their future glory and prosperity.

The messy noise echoed over the land that once valued strict etiquette as someone saw the woman standing on the high terrace.

"The Enchantress Consort is on Zhaixing Terrace, that foolish king must be there too!" they shouted excitedly, as if they could already see wealth and honor beckoning to them.

A throng brandishing sharp weapons surged towards Zhaixing Terrace. They lacked the courage to fight to the death with Lu Zhang's great army, but they had plenty of ways to deal with a weak woman.

An overwhelming aura burst forth from Zhaixing Terrace, and the seemingly fragile woman suddenly transformed, with a pair of fox ears appearing abruptly and nine fox tails swaying behind her, shaking the ground and the mountains, causing those who were prepared to rush the terrace to lose their footing. They could only cling desperately to the railings next to them to maintain their balance.

"A demon, a demon!" a piercing scream arose, their fear beholding the breathtakingly beautiful face on the terrace, tearing at their souls like a poison snake.

With a "boom," the towering Zhaixing Terrace completely collapsed, crushing countless people below. Flames suddenly appeared, engulfing the entire terrace, and atop the highest part of the terrace lay the body of the Great Chen's Emperor Chen Fei.

At this moment, Su Wenji, with an awe-inspiring aura, walked barefoot over the blazing flames, her nine immense tails swaying. She slowly approached Chen Fei's body and said, "After all, we were husband and wife; how can I let these lowly creatures desecrate your body?"

After speaking, she turned her head and slowly disappeared in the reflection of the fierce flames. Her voice came from the sky, "Taoist, our karma is settled. Let me not see you again."

The two Taoists outside Fengjing City watched Su Wenji depart. The older one sighed and said, "I've often heard that fox ladies are affectionate. I didn't expect that such a powerful Fox Spirit couldn't escape sentimentality either; she's truly moved."

"It's a good thing this Fox Spirit didn't want to settle scores. We dare not act rashly again next time. That aura just now was a bit alarming," the younger Taoist said, still with trepidation. They deeply feared that if the Fox Spirit turned against them in their last encounter, they would be the targets of her wrath.

"This Chen Fei, in the end, turned out to be a real man. He lived up to the title of Emperor. From now on, my grudge against him is null, and henceforth I shall devote myself to cultivation and no longer interfere in the human realm," said the older Taoist.