The location was unclear, making it impossible to pinpoint the King of Hell's whereabouts. My celestial observation techniques were useless; I couldn't discern colors in the underworld, everything looked the same. Even a master like Zheng Baobao couldn't identify him. Yet, a life still needed saving. Though this King of Hell was a stranger, I knew that eliminating a hundred thousand rebels was of lesser importance than saving him. Even if Erqi City fell, the King of Hell couldn't be killed!
A cavalryman from the imperial court passed by, seeming to be an officer, hurrying towards the main hall. I blocked his path. Just as I was about to reveal my identity, he recognized me. He immediately dismounted and handed me the reins, "Lord Wu! Officer [insert officer's name/title] is injured and cannot reinforce the capital. Please hurry to the Hall of Rebirth to save His Majesty!"
"Thanks!" I took the reins, mounted the horse, and headed straight for the Hall of Rebirth.
Wait, it should be the Hall of Rebirth. The officer must have meant, "Please, hurry, go to the Hall of Rebirth," not "hurry to the Hall of Rebirth."
I knew then that the underworld was generally solemn; such a cute place name wouldn't exist.
It was a swift horse. In a flash, I reached the Hall of Rebirth. The main gate had already been broken down by two rebel cavalrymen using iron chains and wooden poles. Dozens of rebel cavalrymen poured into the hall, hacking at anyone they saw. The hall, however, held no soldiers, only palace maids and attendants in various ornate robes, scurrying about in panic.
I spotted a frail palace maid running towards me. I bent down, lifted her onto my horse, and continued deeper into the hall, unable to stop. Quite a few rebel cavalrymen were still pursuing me!
I could only question her on horseback.
"I am Wu Chengfeng. Where is His Majesty?" I asked.
The palace maid pointed towards the hall behind us, "In the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"
"...The specific location!"
"The last side hall, the one on the west!"
"Thanks!" It wasn't me who said it, but a rebel cavalryman nearby, a woman. She had overheard and given us a mocking smile, then, holding a long spear, charged towards the west!
I was so frustrated. Couldn't you whisper it to me? Why shout it so loudly!
"Where are the Imperial Guards?" I asked again, hoping to organize them for a counterattack, which would be better than facing them alone.
"The Imperial Guards have all been dispatched by His Majesty to fight!" the palace maid continued to shriek.
No wonder the defenses were so weak. But I had developed a certain good impression of this King of Hell. To cooperate with my overall battle plan, he hadn't hesitated to sacrifice his own safety, dispatching his personal guards to the battlefield. I'll give him a temporary thumbs-up. Allowing a few rebels into the city was indeed my responsibility; it was an oversight I hadn't anticipated, a rather significant one!
Seeing a large vat about two meters in diameter filled with water not far ahead, I grabbed the palace maid and, as we passed the vat, tossed her in. This was to prevent her from being killed by a fall. Looking back, the palace maid showed an impressive will to survive, burying her head in the water and not surfacing, to avoid being cut down by the pursuing rebel cavalry.
The rebels who received the news were all heading through the western corridor. It seemed to be a straight path. To get ahead of them, I passed through the first main hall and then also skirted to the west. Indeed, it was a very, very long corridor. On the left was the high palace wall, and on the right, the western walls of several layers of great halls. I dismounted, switched to the Gale Force Technique, and flew directly to the end. Here, the palace wall had a protrusion extending westward, essentially an additional section. This extra space contained a courtyard and a great hall to the west of the courtyard. In the center of the small courtyard stood a massive bronze cauldron. About twenty people, dressed as palace attendants but armed with sharp blades, formed three rows on the square, tensely awaiting the enemy's charge.
I stopped in front of the palace attendants, took off my Soul Gripping Token, and raised it high. "I am Wu Chengfeng! Where is His Majesty?"
"Lord Wu! His Majesty is inside the hall!" one of the palace attendants replied.
"Does the main hall have a back door?" I asked again. The enemy was arriving momentarily, and this courtyard was too small to break through.
"No."
Fine, I'll see the King of Hell first.
I headed straight for the great hall. Several palace maids inside screamed upon seeing me enter and hid behind pillars. Only one woman did not hide. She looked calm and stood with her hands behind her back in the center of the hall. This palace attendant was rather old, appearing to be nearly forty. Her attire was also different from the other palace maids, embroidered with dragons and phoenixes. She wasn't the Empress, but likely a noble consort.
"Your Ladyship, I am Wu Chengfeng. Where is His Majesty?" I asked directly.
The consort was startled, "You are Wu Chengfeng? Weren't you fighting outside the city? How did you get here?"