Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

Chapter 81: With his heart demon vanquished, he regained his true self

“Ah! Murong Lin, your heinous actions warrant a horrible demise befitting your deeds!”

“The emperor shall avenge us, and your name, Murong Lin, shall be scorned by the people of the world!”

“Rebels like you deserve nothing but death! Murong Lin, your life shall bear the consequences of defying the emperor!”

Beyond the walls of the imperial court, the loyalists faced their demise while still uttering curses upon Murong Lin. Yet, it seemed futile as Murong Lin remained unaffected.

Murong Lin sat regally upon the imperial throne, his gaze fixed on the eunuch who concealed his true identity as the floor master, Qing Miao Lou. Giving a subtle nod of understanding, Qing Miao Lou moved forward with poise, “Today, the new emperor has decided to conclude the morning court ahead of schedule due to some discomfort in his health. I kindly ask everyone to take their leave.”

The officials knelt on the ground, their faces filled with bewilderment as they struggled to comprehend how Murong Lin had managed to seize the throne. Before they could even make sense of the situation, they found themselves promptly chased out of the imperial court.

Amidst the grand halls of the imperial palaces, the officials were being led away in an orderly manner by the people of the Qing Yi Tower. However, a harrowing sight unfolded outside as a mountain of lifeless bodies adorned the surroundings, creating a haunting and gruesome spectacle.

The three generals of the imperial court were absent, while the head of the palace guards were most likely dead. As for those who might have entertained thoughts of rebellion, they found themselves utterly powerless to act against Murong Lin’s authority, realizing they had no means to halt his ascendancy.

The leader of the cabinet of ministers sought the aid of the Murong clan, given their significant position as the imperial clan. Meanwhile, the prominent figures from the six departments composed a letter, urgently dispatching it to the generals stationed outside the city, imploring their prompt return.

Inside the vast and desolate great hall, Murong Lin sat slumped upon the emperor’s throne, wearing an air of relaxation and contentment as he gazed around with a sense of ease and joy.

The floor master Qing Miao Lou served him from the side, “Master, Murong Jiao from the Murong clan will be arriving shortly. Additionally, the imperial guards are also preparing to send a group of their men back. How should we handle these situations?”

Murong Lin closed his eyes in a state of ease, responding with indifference, “I have no real intention of maintaining my position as the emperor. Once Sheng Yi, that brat, launches his counter-attack, I expect to be promptly dethroned.

At that point, I’ll gauge whether he harbours any aspirations to become the emperor or if he would lend his support to someone else vying for the throne. But it doesn’t matter, since he’ll die anyways.”

An expression of realisation washed over Qing Miao Lou’s face.

Out of the over ten thousand members of the Qing Yi Tower, a significant portion had been dispatched to the thirty-two counties and the remaining forces had been sent to infiltrate the large influential forces to raise rebellions. Consequently, only about five thousand of them were presently assembled here in the imperial court.

The present individuals could only exercise temporary control over the imperial court, but they lacked the means to resist the army that would be dispatched by the imperial guards.

Murong Lin had never harboured genuine aspirations of becoming the emperor. His decision to assume the throne was solely driven by his desire to free himself from the Heart Demon left behind by the original Murong Lin.

With the heart demon now vanquished, Murong Lin could finally return to his authentic self.

“Right, have you not found any news of Sheng Yi?”

Murong Lin asked.

Qing Miao Lou swiftly replied, “Master, our agents in the capital have searched extensively, but to no avail. It seems that Sheng Yi has either deliberately kept his distance from the capital, or he is concealed within one of the influential clans.”

“En. It’s regrettable that he had the assistance of a Sky Reaching realm expert. But never mind that now, let’s pay a visit to my worthless father first.”

Murong Lin rose from his seat and, accompanied by Qing Miao Lou, he headed toward the confinement room.

As they walked along the road, aside from the essential eunuchs and palace women attending to their duties, no one else dared to venture out of their rooms.

Even the concubines residing in the harem refrained from leaving their chambers easily.

Their reluctance to venture out stemmed from the realization that Murong Lin was not hesitant to take decisive actions.

Having heard the disturbances from the previous night, the concubines anxiously summoned their guards and awaited updates with bated breath.

To their dismay, instead of their guards, it was the forces of the Qing Yi Tower under Murong Lin’s command that stormed in. Swift and ruthless, they neutralized every guard capable of resistance, asserting control over the entire palace.

In a desperate attempt to resist, some concubines with notable backgrounds dared to stand against the Qing Yi Tower. However, their defiance was met with swift and brutal retribution. The Qing Yi Tower executed them without hesitation or Murong Lin’s opinion, using them as a gruesome example to intimidate others into submission.

And once the news of Murong Tong’s capture had spread, Murong Lin wasted no time in orchestrating a humiliating spectacle. He ordered his men to parade Murong Tong around the palace, subjecting him to public shame and degradation.

Only then did the palace inhabitants finally grasp the reality of the revolt.

The third prince Murong Lin had truly revolted, and he had succeeded.

A profound sense of fear gripped everyone in the palace, rendering them silent and speechless, including the harem, which fell into complete and eerie silence.

All except for one person, Concubine Xue.

The destruction of the Xue clan left her heart shattered.

Concubine Xue’s unwavering devotion to the Xue clan was widely known among all.

Amidst the harem, she fiercely battled to secure a stable position for the Xue clan in the country and to acquire additional resources for their benefit.

Upon learning about the complete annihilation of the clan she had devoted her entire life to, her clan that had been mercilessly massacred in a single day, her heart shattered instantaneously.

She sobbed as she desperately sought out Murong Tong, yearning to implore him for his aid in seeking vengeance for the decimated Xue clan. But how could the vexed Murong Tong have done anything? Who could he even find to blame?

Murong Tong simply informed her about the enemy’s plot in replacing Murong Lin, but to concubine Xue, this revelation held no significance.

But that was until the news of Murong Lin’s revolt last night entered her ears.

Her keen intellect allowed her to connect the dots swiftly, linking the Xue clan’s tragic annihilation directly to Murong Lin’s revolt. In an instant, she realized that Murong Lin was the mastermind behind the ruthless massacre of the Xue clan.

After all, only Murong Lin possessed both the capability and the profound grudge towards the Xue clan that was necessary to commit such an act.

The overwhelming feelings of hatred and sorrow within concubine Xue were now entirely directed towards Murong Lin, the very son she had once despised.

She wanted revenge!

But a woman’s revenge was different from a man’s, women were far more vicious.

Just like Murong Liu.

Concubine Xue was acutely aware that she stood no chance against Murong Lin. As such, she swiftly announced her closed-door cultivation and refusal to meet Murong Lin.

Then, she sent out her trusted aides to seek out those that were capable of dealing with Murong Lin.

And surprisingly, everything went incomparably smoothly, so smoothly that even concubine Xue questioned it.

After all, all of this was the trap that Murong Lin had laid for Sheng Yi.

On the other side, Murong Lin had arrived at the confinement room. Raising his head, he looked at the room that had brought his youthful self an endless amount of traumatic memories.

“It didn’t change at all!”

As an unfavoured prince, while no one dared to boldly bully him in the light of day, Murong Tong dared to.

In a show of strict familial discipline and purportedly good parenting, Emperor Murong Tong had once confined Murong Lin, who had committed a small mistake, to the same room for an entire month.

Despite Murong Lin’s desperate pleas for mercy, not a soul dared to even approach this room.

It was a month overwhelmed by despair.

The dark room lacked any proper circulation of air, devoid of even the faintest glimmer of light, sound, or scent.

Murong Lin felt as if his five senses had been banished, leaving him with only the sensation of the chilling ground beneath him. He lived as though he was dead.

This confinement room served as a place of retribution for those who had committed grave sins, and now it held Murong Lin in its unforgiving grasp.

This experience had been the catalyst for the darkness and cruelty that resided within the original Murong Lin’s heart.

Emerging from his month-long confinement, Murong Lin walked out with a pallid complexion and a hollow stare. Through clenched teeth, he vowed with determination: He would definitely become the emperor and take his vicious revenge on Murong Tong!

And now, he had fulfilled his vow.

Murong Lin stood outside, his gaze fixed on Murong Tong, who remained confined within.

Murong Tong’s tendons had been crippled, leaving him without his once formidable spiritual powers, he was reduced to an ordinary human.

And this was precisely what Murong Lin desired.

He took a deliberate step forward, deftly manipulating the array to transmit his voice inside. “Father, how are you feeling?” he inquired.

Murong Tong remained seated, his regal aura still emanating strongly. With majestic and commanding poise, he opened his eyes and replied,

“Murong Lin, I recall that you’ve been here before. What was your impression?”

The Murong Tong, once a formidable expert of the Sky Reaching realm and a ruler of a nation, naturally felt no fear in the face of such a trivial confinement room. However, the experience was undoubtedly humiliating.

Murong Lin laughed, “Father, don’t hold onto hope for anyone coming to save you. You’ve acted too recklessly, and now, you have nothing left!”

Resentment surged within Murong Tong’s heart, yet his expression remained indifferent as he calmly responded, “You, too, shall not live much longer.”

“Hahahaha! Just witnessing your wretched state like this makes my life complete!” Murong Lin laughed, cutting off the voice transmission and leaving Murong Tong in complete silence once more.

He then turned to the Qing Miao Lou at his side and commanded, “Spread the news of my deeds, let everyone know the true nature of the third prince – a ruthless traitor who kills his brothers and imprisons his own father!”

“Yes!”

Translator’s note

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