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Why is there still no movement?

The temples inside the Imperial Palace are now the last stronghold of the Royalist Party....

After the largest temple in the Southeast Origin Confucius Temple was occupied, it took less than three hours for Mu Ye to lead a group of newcomers to take down the second temple, but they have yet to make a move on the temple closest to the Imperial Palace and the smallest in size.

Both sides have been in a standoff, and by noon the next day, there was still no sign of action.

The atmosphere was so tense that all the citizens of Capital City could feel it; even without open warfare, people hiding at home were on edge, unable to sleep for a whole night, and no one dared to venture outside.

The vast Capital City was deserted in the broad daylight, truly resembling a ghost town by now.

And those under the greatest pressure were those still holding out in the palatial temples.

"General Weichi, has your son not returned yet?"

As early as last night, Patriarch Weichi had already met up with the people at the last temple.

According to Lord Duke of Song’s analysis, the Emperor was a cautious man.

The temple, though small, was the closest to the Imperial Palace.

Therefore, its guardians must have been carefully selected for their utmost loyalty.

The enemy’s plan was to take them by surprise, so they would definitely not take risks in the early stage of their arrangements. They would rather have a lesser position than risk exposure too soon. It was highly likely that there were no insiders in the temple at the Imperial Palace.

For this reason, even though he was not transcendent, Patriarch Weichi dared to meet up and share the plans.

The one who was speaking to Patriarch Weichi was Siao Ping, the Marquis of Wu Village.

He was formerly a guard of the Siao Family and was said to have pledged allegiance to the Emperor back when he was still a concubine’s son, contributing significantly to his rise to power.

As a result, he was made a marquis. The only reason he wasn’t made a prince was due to his low origin, but everyone knew his importance in the Emperor’s eyes—he was the least likely to rebel.

He was also the man in charge of the last Ghost Temple.

"This... I truly do not know," replied the old Family Head with a worried frown.

This matter was probably the most uncertain of his life; he would have gone himself if he could have, rather than sending his son.

But there was no choice—as only his son, apart from His Majesty, could ride the Ghost Horse in all of Capital City.

Seeing Patriarch Weichi’s expression, Siao Ping opened his mouth to speak but ultimately decided not to press further.

Everyone knew Weichi Peng was General Weichi’s prized son.

By taking such a risk to venture into the Path of Yin and Yang, he had already sacrificed enough; it would be impolite to urge any further.

With that thought, his gaze shifted to another person, which evoked complex feelings within him.

That person was once the Emperor’s close confidant: Lord Duke of Song, Liu Yu.

Honestly, Siao Ping had been quite displeased when His Majesty killed Liu Yu, as the latter had significantly contributed to His Majesty’s ascension to the throne and was one of the most reliable among their old comrades. However, the Emperor had acted ruthlessly, which was somewhat disheartening.

But after learning that Liu Yu had not died and that it was all part of his own scheme, Siao Ping felt even more conflicted. He thought that simple folks like him were utterly out of place among such cunning old foxes.

"Mister Liu, shouldn’t we do something? We can’t just keep waiting like this...."

His words were quite direct; Weichi Peng had been in the Path of Yin and Yang for over five hours. The danger for a non-transcendent person venturing there was known to all, and he might already be gone by now. They couldn’t place all their hopes on Weichi Peng.

"Doing nothing is the best course of action," Liu Yu shook his head. "Without the Imperial Army joining the battle, our chances of a head-on victory are slim. Putting aside the being from the Southeast Martial Temple whom we cannot afford to provoke, let’s take the Northern Temple, for instance. Their defenses were not fewer than ours, yet they couldn’t hold even for half an hour.

The reality shows that even without Mu Ye, and even if the Ghost King cannot leave the Southeast Temple, just those newly-created Ghost People alone are more than we can handle. "

"As for why they haven’t attacked here immediately, I suspect they have some reservations. However, if we take the initiative to attack them, the outcome may be unpredictable. It is better to stay put."

"But isn’t that just sitting ducks?" Another marquis couldn’t help but express his anxiety.

"The only way to hold this place is to wait for news; there’s no other way," Liu Yu glanced at him indifferently. "As the enemy hasn’t attacked yet, perhaps they’re recovering their strength.

Marquis Bao Qing, if you don’t want to die defending this place, there’s still a chance to leave the Capital. "

"What do you mean by that, Lord Duke of Song? Is Liu someone who fears death?"

"I am no longer a duke," Liu Yu said with a smile. "Liu is just here to repay some favors by helping out. If the situation becomes truly dangerous, Liu will retreat at any time. So whether Marquis Bao Qing is afraid of death or not doesn’t concern Liu."

"You..."

"Alright..." Siao Ping quickly interrupted the other party and rubbed his temples, "Mister Liu, is there really no other way now?"

He knew what the other party said was true; the enemy had the Twilight Sorcery and could leave at any time.

It was different for him and his peers, even if he wanted to leave, the Martial Spirit within his body would not consent.

Defending this place and suppressing the rebellion was their only way to survive.

"We could take a gamble..." Liu Yu said with a smile as he looked outside, "The harsh noon sun has a great impact on the ghosts, and those with Martial Spirits are at their weakest during this time. Those red-eyed newcomers must have used some special Secret Technique to boost their power so quickly. It’s very possible that, under the harsh noon sun, their weakness will be even greater than yours. This might also be why they haven’t attacked yet. If Marquis is willing to take a gamble, there’s actually a fair chance of success. "

"Is this... reliable?" The other party was immediately doubtful. According to a soldier’s valor, rather than sitting ducks, he did want to take the gamble, but the stakes were too high. If the gamble failed, it would indeed be a total loss.

"I can’t guarantee that," Liu Yu shook his head, "Without intelligence to guide us, it’s purely a matter of luck. Since it’s a gamble, where is the question of reliability?"

"Let’s gamble!" Marquis Bao Qing gritted his teeth, "Rather than waiting to die, I’d rather take a gamble!"

"Don’t be impulsive..." Siao Ping frowned and tried to stop him, but when he turned around, he found that most of the people in the temple seemed to feel the same way, all gripping their weapons and standing up. Siao Ping’s frown deepened as he realized that the Martial Spirit within his body was also starting to boil.

"You’re right, it’s better to strike first than just wait to die!"

Siao Ping’s frown deepened. This voice came from the Martial Spirit within his body; they were more restless than he had thought.

Liu Yu watched this scene with slightly brightened eyes.

He remembered Zi Yue’s words; Ghost People indeed were formidable, not requiring food, only abundant Spiritual Energy to sustain their bodies and boost their strengths rapidly.

However, most Ghost People lacked patience, perpetually in a savage combat environment, making it difficult for them to form a true army.

An army relies on discipline, and this was exactly what the Ghost Soldiers lacked the most!

Just as the group of Ghost People in the temple couldn’t contain their ferocity and were about to rush out, a familiar voice suddenly came from afar.

"Don’t!"

Upon hearing this, Patriarch Weichi immediately stood up excitedly. He recognized the voice; it was his son, Weichi Peng. That foolish boy seemed to be lucky!

He looked over, and the figure behind his son was precisely the weakened Wei Gongxing.

"If you go out now, you’ll all die!" Wei Gongxing spoke weakly while lying on the back of a horse, "Their plan includes your inability to restrain yourselves and rush out!"

Siao Ping breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. To be honest, he least liked such reckless, gambling-like actions.

"You are Wei Gongxing, right? Did you send Mu Ye back?" Siao Ping was about to speak when the ghost within his body beat him to it with a question.

"Yes..." Wei Gongxing replied weakly.

"Has Lord Mu Ye really turned traitor?"

"At this point, do you still not believe it?"

The other party fell silent for a while, then continued, "What you just said, about them waiting for us to go out, why? Why don’t they just come in and attack?"

"They can’t break in..." Wei Gongxing shook his head, "What Lord Duke of Song conjectured just now... was half-correct..."