Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 25: The Imperial Chancellor

"Who could be thinking of me now?" Wang Chuan was resting at a teahouse outside the city when he couldn't help but touch his nose. Having already sensed the power of the Great Dao and possessing the true sense of communion between Heaven and Man, he could easily detect when someone was plotting against or thinking of him.

"Why is this wretched place so unbearably hot?" he muttered.

Just then, several people entered the small teahouse. At their head was a burly young man with short golden hair, accompanied by a group of brutish, coarse-looking companions. Their loud shouts filled the room with vulgarity. Thick hair covered their bodies, and their manners were utterly savage.

Where did this band of wild men come from? everyone silently wondered.

"The... the Ape Clan?" cried someone well-traveled, unable to contain his shock.

The others were equally stunned; they had never seen one alive before. The barbarians were supposed to dwell in the northern wastes, along the borders near the Kingdom of Jin and other states, in the wild and desolate lands. Moreover, rumors painted their relations with the people of the Central Plains as anything but friendly. The people of the Central Plains, for their part, had always looked down upon them as barbarians, as if they were creatures yet unfinished in their evolution.

The space was already cramped, and these newcomers immediately filled it to bursting.

"Move aside!"

Without hesitation, the foreigners kicked others out of the way, claiming tables and chairs with a thunderous clamor. "Bring us wine!"

"Gentlemen..." The teahouse owner emerged with a look of distress. "This is a teahouse—we don't serve wine."

"Then what's the point of your wretched teahouse!" The ape-man slammed the table, splitting it with a single blow. "I don't care—bring it!"

"Who are these beasts making a scene?" a voice suddenly rang out from a corner of the teahouse.

"Who said that? Show yourself if you have the guts!" The ape-man smashed another table, unable to pinpoint where the voice had come from. Rising, he searched the room.

Only six or seven remained in the teahouse. Save for Wang Chuan, the others cowered in fear, terror etched on their faces. The ape-man scowled as he surveyed them, then strode over to Wang Chuan with a mocking smile. He failed to notice the young man's face behind Wang Chuan blanch instantly. The rest broke out in cold sweat, too frightened even to breathe.

"Out of my way!" The ape-man kicked aside the stool across from Wang Chuan, "kindly" asking him to yield his seat.

His face was cold as ice, his eyes sharp as blades as he glared around and growled, "As I traveled south, I found that all humans are cowards! As for your so-called cultivators, not one among them is worth a fight. How dare you call yourselves warriors?"

He sneered, his hawk-like gaze sweeping the teahouse. Those he looked at immediately lowered their heads, especially the brash young man from earlier, who shrank into his seat. Even the onlookers turned away to avoid his eyes.

Only Wang Chuan met his gaze, unperturbed.

In this world where strength reigns supreme, power alone grants one the right to stand above others. This was the essence of survival.

He calmly poured himself another cup of tea, the clear sound ringing out sharply in the tense, oppressive silence.

"What, do you mean to defy me?" The ape-man's lips curled in disdain. He drew a sharp breath. After all his posturing, this man dared ignore him.

Narrowing his eyes, he fixed Wang Chuan with a cold, venomous stare, gathering his energy. The others immediately felt a suffocating pressure.

"Fool! Get back to where you came from!" Wang Chuan suddenly flung his teacup, splashing the scalding liquid across the ape-man's face. The ape-man howled. The heat itself was nothing to him, but for some reason, the moment the tea struck him, his vital energy shuddered and stalled.

It was as if he had been drawing water from a bucket, only for the bottom to suddenly vanish and everything drained away.

"I'll kill you!" Humiliated, the ape-man attacked without thinking, sending a wave of force crashing toward Wang Chuan.

"A beast will always be a beast—all brute strength and nothing else!" Wang Chuan sneered, snatching a chopstick from the table and hurling it. With the force of a thrown javelin, it pierced through the ape-man's defenses and sent him sprawling.

In the next instant, Wang Chuan leapt atop him, pressing a second chopstick toward the ape-man's eye.

The ape-man's face contorted with terror as he struggled and shrieked.

"Prince Wang Chuan, please stay your hand! This is the son of the Ape King." Just as Wang Chuan was about to teach his adversary a lesson, a flash of light filled the room and a voice resounded.

Wang Chuan frowned slightly; the newcomers had torn through space to arrive, an extraordinary feat. The laws of space were not something an ordinary master could command, though some, with the aid of magical devices, could achieve it.

And now, before him, several women appeared—all of them of stunning beauty. Some even bore fluffy tails that swayed gracefully behind them: fox spirits!

The woman at their head was of unparalleled allure, enough to enchant nations. The others in the room were already spellbound.

"So, the Demon Clan—the fox spirits—know of me?" Wang Chuan casually picked up the young ape prince, asking, "Who are you?"

The young ape prince struggled fiercely but could not move an inch. His furious roars were utterly ineffectual—his dignity in shambles.

"I am the sixth princess of the Fox Clan. You may call me Liu," the beauty replied, glancing at the ape prince. "He is the son of the Ape King. Prince Wang Chuan, I ask you to spare him this once. Why not let our clans—the demon folk and the barbarians—form an alliance?"

With a single smile, the sixth princess could overturn kingdoms. The men in the room were entranced, and even the ape prince seemed momentarily dazed.

Her beguiling power had reached a level of utter naturalness.

Wang Chuan, however, remained unmoved. "An alliance? Are the barbarians not at war with us?"

"There are many barbarian tribes. The Ape Clan is not among those at odds with you," the sixth princess explained. "I do not deceive you. Your Emperor of Jin and others are already trying to win over various barbarian tribes to check the more belligerent factions. I have heard that among your people, wisdom is revered, and strategies of alliance and division are well known."

"So you know of such tactics? You read and write as well?" Wang Chuan tossed the ape prince aside. "But the barbarians dwell in the northern wastelands. And your demon clan—weren't you all exiled to the overseas immortal isles long ago? How is it that you are here, mingling with the barbarians?"

"Your Highness, our clan's oracles have foreseen an age of chaos and the rise of a Human Sovereign," the sixth princess said, her eyes on him. "It is only right that our peoples join forces once more."

An age of chaos? The Human Sovereign?

Wang Chuan attempted to divine further, and his expression grew grave. Was the great struggle imminent? Yet to peer too deeply into fate would only invite disaster. Still, he sensed the woman spoke no falsehood.

"You..." The ape prince, flung aside, seethed with rage, but the sixth princess easily restrained him with a slender hand.

"Enough noise! I told you already, the human race has many masters—it's just that you haven't met one until now. This man before you is among the very best, his cultivation unfathomable. There is no shame in your defeat. Unless you truly break into the Heaven Realm, you stand no chance against him. Otherwise, you would be slain outright."

"Very well! I lost to you today, but one day I shall settle the score." The ape prince calmed himself and addressed Wang Chuan. "The demon clan has many great warriors—no fewer than your own. If you are so strong, you ought to spar with Little Tiger King; even I can barely match him!"

"Not interested," Wang Chuan replied coolly, preparing to leave.

"Your Highness, I shall visit you again. With the recent phenomenon in Fucheng, I hope we may cooperate for mutual benefit," the sixth princess called after him.

"I'm rather curious about your demon clan's lands—those immortal isles over the sea. Are they truly so isolated from the world?" Wang Chuan asked.

"Indeed, I could invite you as my guest when I return," the sixth princess offered.

"Oh? You would invite me to the demon realm? Has any outsider been there in all these years?" Wang Chuan raised an eyebrow.

"Our clan does not shun all contact with the world," she replied. "Over the centuries, there have been the rare visits from outsiders; we, too, have ventured to the human realms. Surely you have heard such tales. Would you honor me with your presence? With your legendary might, it would be my privilege to seek your favor."

"As you wish. I would like to see the demon realm for myself. When you have finished your affairs, seek me out," Wang Chuan nodded and took his leave.

"Safe travels, Your Highness," the sixth princess bade him.

Given her familiarity with the human world, Wang Chuan doubted the demon clan was truly isolated. After the great war of the myriad races, the higher beings departed for other realms, and this world was left behind. Over the years, martial arts and culture had developed anew, though none could break through the old limits—mastery remained the ceiling.

The same must be true for the barbarians, the demon clan, and the other races.

Long ago, the demon clan migrated en masse from the Central Plains to the immortal isles beyond the sea, and relations between the two peoples were not so hostile. The barbarians, however, were driven by their ancestors to the northern wilds.

The overseas immortal isles were said to lie tens of thousands of miles away. Some had sailed for over twenty days to reach them, mapping the route in the process. And stories did persist of demonfolk visiting the Central Plains.

Now, Wang Chuan was most concerned by her words: an age of chaos, the rise of the Human Sovereign—surely this meant a great struggle was nigh.

At that moment, a figure approached along the road ahead. Wang Chuan frowned—why were so many seeking him out lately? The age of chaos had not yet arrived, and he was already growing weary of these disturbances.

The newcomer was a stranger, an unremarkable-looking man dressed like an old farmer in plain coarse clothes, yet scrupulously clean.

"Greetings, Your Highness. I have waited long for you," the man said, stepping forward.

"Someone has been waiting for me and I did not even know it. Who are you?" Wang Chuan asked.

Given his current cultivation, Wang Chuan should have sensed any matter concerning himself. Yet this man's cultivation was so profound as to seem completely ordinary, the very embodiment of returning to simplicity. This was the first time Wang Chuan had encountered such a person.

He examined the man: nothing extraordinary at all, his aura indistinguishable from that of a commoner, and no matter how hard Wang Chuan tried, he could not sense his true strength.

Was he truly a common man?

Impossible. Wang Chuan could not accept that.

He couldn't discern the man's true cultivation, only that he concealed it well—so well, in fact, Wang Chuan could only treat him with utmost seriousness.

"I am Tian Xingzi," said the short, elderly man.

Wang Chuan noticed that, unlike a real farmhand, the man's back was perfectly straight, his teeth were clean and white, and his bearing, though short, was upright and steady as a pine.

"So it's you," Wang Chuan remarked, raising an eyebrow.

He had heard of this man, famous even fifty years ago. At his birth, it was said, multicolored clouds filled the house. As a child, he could point out passersby and unfailingly predict their fortunes and misfortunes, earning great renown.

He left home before coming of age, wandering the world and growing ever more respected, until he became a renowned fortune-teller. It was said he never returned home, for his own destiny was ill-fated—he claimed those close to him would suffer calamity. Yet after he left, his family lived out their days in peace and prosperity.

Over the years, he had walked the corridors of power and the byways of the countryside, sometimes vanishing for years at a time. Not once had he failed.

He was a master of divination, and could read auras.

Now, he gazed intently at Wang Chuan. "You possess the aura of an emperor, reaching to the heavens, forming the mark of a great leader. The world stands on the brink of chaos, a time of great struggle is at hand—will you accept the mantle of Human Sovereign?"