FVN 127. Standoff
127. Standoff
The dust had not yet settled on the Imperial Ancestral Temple Square. Officials, still reeling from the shock, many remained slumped on the ground, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. The Imperial Seal of the State hovered in mid-air, emitting a soft golden light that illuminated the area where the fierce battle had just taken place.
Lin Mo endured the excruciating pain in his chest and slowly lowered the imperial seal. This national treasure seemed to acknowledge his touch, radiating a gentle light in his hand. He turned to look at Li Yan, the orphaned son of the crown prince, who was being protected by the crowd in the center. The young man's face was pale, but his eyes now held a hint of determination.
"Fellow colleagues," Lin Mo's booming voice broke the silence of the square, "you all witnessed His Majesty being possessed by a demon, but fortunately, the Imperial Ancestral Temple intervened and the Imperial Seal protected him, thus averting a great calamity."
He had barely finished speaking when a shrill voice suddenly came from the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple: "Nonsense!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the gates of the Imperial Ancestral Temple open again, and a figure slowly walked out. It was the "Emperor" who had just turned into black smoke and fled. At this moment, he had actually returned to human form, but his face was even more gloomy, and a layer of faint black mist shrouded his body.
"Your Majesty!" Some of the senior officials knelt down instinctively.
"Rise, all of you!" the Emperor roared, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, you colluded with sorcerers, using demonic arts in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple to bewitch the people, plotting a rebellion!"
Lin Mo was startled, never expecting that the Heavenly Demon would return and attempt to distort the truth. He gripped the jade seal tightly, feeling the warmth emanating from it, which gave him the courage to continue the confrontation.
"Your Majesty accuses me of using sorcery," Lin Mo said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Then please explain, Your Majesty, why did the Imperial Seal attack you? Could this national treasure of the Tang Dynasty not recognize its true owner?"
The Emperor sneered, "The Imperial Seal has been bewitched by sorcery and has lost its true nature. You traitors deserve to be punished!"
At this moment, Zhang Yuan stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I have a question. Three years ago, the late Crown Prince died suddenly. At the time, the imperial physician diagnosed him with heart palpitations, but I recently discovered that the late Crown Prince had a private conversation with Your Majesty before his death, after which he suddenly fell ill. What is Your Majesty's explanation for this?"
"Insolence!" the Emperor roared, his eyes blazing with dark energy. "The death of the Crown Prince grieved me deeply. What are you trying to achieve by bringing this up again today?"
Zhao Mingcheng also stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I have another question. Last year, during the great border war, Your Majesty suddenly ordered the withdrawal of 30,000 troops from the northern front, allowing the foreign tribes to advance unimpeded, resulting in countless deaths and injuries among the border people. If it weren't for the desperate resistance of the Prince of Zhenbei, the northern border of the Tang Dynasty might have been lost. Your Majesty said at the time that it was a strategic adjustment, but was the price of this adjustment too heavy?"
One question after another followed, and the "emperor's" face grew increasingly grim. The black aura surrounding him began to emanate uncontrollably, and the officials present all felt the chilling presence.
"Are you all going to rebel?" The emperor's voice began to distort, taking on an inhuman hoarseness.
Lin Mo stepped forward, his gaze resolute: "It's not that we want to rebel, but that you are not our Great Tang Emperor at all!"
He raised the Imperial Seal of the State, which immediately shone with a brilliant golden light: "By the reigns of past emperors, today Lin Mo dares to request verification of my identity!"
The light of the imperial seal shone on the "emperor," who let out a painful roar as his skin began to crack, and black energy seeped out from the cracks.
"Stop!" the Emperor roared. "I am the Son of Heaven, you cannot..."
"You are not!" A clear voice interrupted him. Li Yan, the last surviving son of the Crown Prince, stepped forward from the crowd. Though his voice still carried the immaturity of youth, his tone was exceptionally firm. "Your Imperial Uncle should have a dragon-shaped mark on the back of his neck; this is proof of his royal bloodline. Do you dare allow the ministers to verify it?"
The emperor subconsciously took a step back, a subtle movement that was noticed by all the officials.
Master Qingyun stepped forward, holding a peach wood sword pointed directly at the "Emperor": "I, Qingyun, have cultivated for sixty years. Today, I swear on my life that the person before me is no human, but possessed by a demon from beyond the realm!"
"You heretic!" the Emperor gritted his teeth. "You've all conspired together..."
"Whether it's collusion or not, a test will tell." Lin Mo suddenly interrupted him, "Does Your Majesty still remember that three years ago when I accompanied you on a hunt, Your Majesty bestowed upon me a precious sword? What did Your Majesty say at the time?"
The "emperor" was stunned. His eyes flickered as he searched for the body's memories, but to no avail.
Lin Mo sneered, "His Majesty said at the time, 'This sword has been with me for many years; today I bestow it upon you, hoping you will serve the country loyally.' But in reality, that sword was given to me by the late Emperor; His Majesty has never used it."
An uproar erupted in the square. This detail was too private for outsiders to know without experiencing it firsthand.
"Furthermore," Zhang Yuan continued, "last year on Your Majesty's birthday, I presented you with a painting titled 'Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.' Your Majesty praised the exquisite craftsmanship, but in reality, that painting was a forgery I made; the original is still in my home. If it were truly Your Majesty, how could you not tell the difference?"
One detail after another was revealed, and the "Emperor's" flaws became more and more apparent. His face contorted in rage, the black aura was completely out of control, and his entire body began to twist and deform.
"Enough!" the Emperor suddenly roared, his voice completely changing tone. "You lowly creatures, how dare you question me?"
He finally revealed his true form—a monster with a jet-black body, two horns on its head, and eyes like those of an abyss. The officials retreated in terror, some of the more timid ones collapsing to the ground.
"See that?" Lin Mo shouted. "That's the monster who's occupied the dragon throne for three years!"
The Heavenly Demon laughed wildly: "So what if it is? This body does indeed belong to your emperor, but his soul has long been devoured by me! Three years ago, he prayed for immortality in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which gave me the perfect opportunity!"
These words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving even Lin Mo stunned. They had always thought the emperor was merely possessed, never imagining he had already been devoured.
"What...what did you say?" an elderly minister asked in a trembling voice, "His Majesty..."
"He's long dead!" The Heavenly Demon laughed smugly. "For the past three years, I've been ruling this country! How about it? I've done a good job, haven't I? Border wars, political turmoil, and widespread suffering... This is exactly what I wanted!"
Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Li Yan's eyes: "Uncle...Uncle really..."
The Heavenly Demon looked at Li Yan, a greedy glint in his eyes: "The Crown Prince's bloodline... what an unexpected delight. If I devour you, I can fully adapt to the rules of this world and no longer need to cling to this broken body!"
It suddenly sprang up and pounced straight at Li Yan. Its speed was beyond everyone's imagination.
"Protect His Highness!" Lin Mo shouted, raising the jade seal at the same time. Golden light shot out like a tangible object, striking the Heavenly Demon and causing it to let out a miserable scream.
But the demon only paused briefly before continuing its advance. Its power seemed even greater than before.
Master Qingyun hurriedly cast a spell, and the peach wood sword transformed into several golden rays, binding the Heavenly Demon. Zhao Mingcheng and Han Zhen also led their soldiers forward to block it.
However, the Heavenly Demon was far too powerful. With a casual wave of its hand, several soldiers were sent flying. Black mist filled the air, and anyone who came into contact with it collapsed to the ground in agony.
"It's useless!" the Heavenly Demon laughed wildly. "I have already adapted to the power of the Imperial Seal; you cannot do anything to me!"
Just then, a long howl suddenly came from afar. A figure in white streaked across the sky like a shooting star and landed in the center of the square.
The newcomer appeared to be around thirty years old, with a stern face and an ancient-looking longsword at his waist. His mere presence seemed to lower the temperature of the entire plaza.
Lin Mo's pupils contracted sharply when he saw the person who arrived: "Xiao Hanyue!"
This person was none other than his nemesis from his past life, the "Ice Soul Sword" Xiao Hanyue, feared by everyone in the martial arts world. But at this moment, Xiao Hanyue's eyes were empty, his face expressionless, as if he were a walking corpse.
The Heavenly Demon was overjoyed to see Xiao Hanyue: "Perfect timing! Kill them all!"
Xiao Hanyue mechanically turned her head to look at Lin Mo, and slowly drew the long sword from her waist. The moment the sword was drawn, a chilling aura emanated from it, and a thin layer of ice formed on the ground.
Lin Mo was deeply shocked. He never expected to encounter his enemy from his past life at this time and in this place. Even more unexpected was that Xiao Hanyue had been controlled by the Heavenly Demon and had become its accomplice.
"Xiao Hanyue, do you still recognize me?" Lin Mo tried to call out, but there was no response.
The Heavenly Demon laughed smugly: "It's useless. His mind is completely under my control. Now, he's nothing more than my puppet."
Xiao Hanyue raised her sword and pointed it at Lin Mo, the sword energy sharp and aimed straight at his face.