The Bronze Emperor

“You’re quite good at this,” the emperor said, surprised as he watched Qin Huai expertly navigate the scene. “Could it be that you come from an ancient clan?”

He tried to probe Qin Huai’s body for any telltale signs of heritage but found nothing.

Qin Huai just smiled faintly, deciding not to mention his past life knowledge. Suddenly, his fingers paused and he zoomed into a particular part of the image. He had found them.

…

On the outskirts of Qingzhou City, in a massive sinkhole…

Wen Zonghao led his subordinate Huang Qiguang, the adopted son of a Blood Poison Gang disciple, and a large group of Blood Poison Gang members. There were more than a hundred people, including the most elite members of the Blood Poison Gang.

Looking at the gaping entrance to the sinkhole, akin to a bottomless abyss carved into the mountain, Wen Zonghao commanded, “Let’s go!” He signaled to Huang Qiguang, “You lead the team in!” Huang Qiguang gestured at one of his subordinates who, despite panicking, couldn’t find anyone willing to meet his gaze. “If I tell you to go, then go. Why are you talking so much nonsense!” he scolded, slapping the back of the bone pattern realm expert’s head.

The latter reluctantly led a group of men into the pit.

“Leader, everything is fine down there!” a voice echoed from the depths of the pit after a while.

Exchanging glances, Wen Zonghao and Huang Qiguang entered the sinkhole. Torches flared to life one by one, illuminating their surroundings.

A broken bronze pillar emitted a green glow and gray flowers, already turned into stone, littered the ground. As Wen Zonghao bent down to touch one of the flowers, it disintegrated into dust.

“It’s been too long,” he murmured, his eyes drawn to the broken bronze pillar.

“Qiguang, I remember that young people these days enjoy reading myths,” Wen Zonghao said, abruptly changing the subject.

“Yes,” Huang Qiguang replied, puzzled as to why his leader would bring up such a trivial topic at this moment. “About two to three decades ago, even since I was a teenager, there were these elderly men, vibrant and lively in their attire, who would appear from nowhere. Similarly, there were storytellers at various local restaurants, spinning tales dating back to ten thousand years ago — they were like fairy tales.

“They would speak of the eighth underworld king and the emperor of Qingzhou,” he continued. “These people were talented storytellers. Some of their tales were true, others fabricated. Regardless, these stories captured the imaginations of the young, leading to their immense popularity. As a result, several booksellers decided to compile these myths into books and sell them. The sales were remarkably impressive.” action “How much do you know about the emperor of Qingzhou?” Wen Zonghao asked, steering the conversation back to their current situation.

Huang Qiguang’s face lit up at the question. “The emperor of Qingzhou? In the stories I read, he was a mighty demon who could consume the heavens and the earth. He was an orphan who survived by scrounging for food on the streets. But his unique talents led him to the path of martial arts. Despite his potential, he was petty, holding grudges over the smallest slights, which caused him to make countless enemies. He even murdered his own teacher.”

He continued, “This led to him being universally hunted. Despite that, his incredible talent helped him weather the storm and become the strongest martial artist in Qingzhou, thus earning him the title of ’emperor’. He drew power from the state itself, developing a technique known as the emperor’s force. In the end, he supposedly killed everyone in Qingzhou, causing rivers of blood.”

Huang Qiguang chuckled. “He supposedly challenged the eight wise kings of the Great You and defeated them all. I can’t recall the details afterward, but the emperor of Qingzhou was undoubtedly powerful, though morally questionable. There are many versions of the story, all with different descriptions of the emperor.”

Wen Zonghao, eyes sparkling, cut him off, “You’re not entirely clueless.” He turned to Huang Qi and gestured for him to continue leading the way.

As they moved deeper into the cavern, they discovered several lifelike murals made of bronze pottery.

“The emperor of Qingzhou might have actually existed,” Wen Zonghao mused, “And we could be standing in his ruins!”

His excitement was palpable as they ventured further, surrounded by an array of bronze artifacts: pillars, murals, trees, and beast statues. The group’s anticipation grew. If the emperor of Qingzhou was the legendary figure they had heard about, imagine the wealth hidden in his treasure trove.

“If we discover this treasure, we might become the most powerful force in Qingzhou!” Huang Qiguang’s eyes glowed with desire.

Wen Zonghao just smirked, silently contemplating. If they indeed found the emperor’s secret treasure, he was ready to eliminate everyone, including his own allies from the Sacred Heart sect, to claim it all for himself.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud sound echoed in the chamber.