When the Emperor

Great Yan Dynasty, Imperial Capital.

Countless soldiers were cleaning up the streets in the aftermath.

Gu Qingfeng had unleashed tens of thousands of demons, making everyone in the capital believe they were under invasion. People fled in panic, crimes ran rampant, and the city descended into chaos, as if the world were ending.

Fortunately, Gu Qingfeng left with his demon army, allowing the Crown Prince to step forward and swiftly win over the people. He branded Gu Qingfeng as an evil demon, spreading propaganda that he had disguised himself as a human with sinister intentions, infiltrated the palace, and murdered the Emperor.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince portrayed himself as the savior—the one who held the crumbling empire together, rescued the people from disaster, and was destined to be a legendary ruler.

At this moment, the Crown Prince sat arrogantly upon the dragon throne, his face alight with triumph.

This was a position he had never dared dream of before, yet now, with Young Master Yin’s help, he had seized it effortlessly.

The price? Merely a million lives.

The Great Yan Dynasty had a population in the hundreds of millions—what did a mere million matter?

All he had to do was claim that a border city had been wiped out by demons.

For the first time, the Crown Prince truly understood the saying: It’s easy to enjoy shade when you lean against a great tree.

Yes, Young Master Yin was domineering and arrogant—but so what? As long as he delivered what was promised, such flaws were insignificant.

What did it matter if he was a demon?

The Crown Prince had already made up his mind. He would curry favor with Young Master Yin at all costs, dedicating the nation’s resources to please him. After all, his throne was still unstable—his foolish younger brothers were already plotting against him.

"Summon one hundred virgin boys and girls. Clean them thoroughly and lock them up," the Crown Prince commanded his subordinates.

This was the feast he had prepared for Young Master Yin. Demons loved human flesh, especially tender children.

In the Crown Prince’s mind, Young Master Yin would surely eliminate Gu Qingfeng and his master, returning victorious before long. After a fierce battle, he would surely be hungry.

"Well, well, nephew. Your tastes have grown quite... refined."

The Crown Prince jolted in shock. "Who’s there?!"

He spun around—only to find a face twisted in a sinister grin staring straight at him.

"Gu... Gu Qingfeng?!"

The Crown Prince stumbled off the dragon throne as if he’d seen a ghost.

"You—you’re not dead?! Guards! Protect me! PROTECT ME!"

Panicked, he screamed for help.

Soon, a swarm of guards and his trusted aides—experts at the Dragon Transformation Realm—flooded the hall, their numbers growing by the second.

Gu Qingfeng watched indifferently as the Crown Prince summoned reinforcements. He leisurely took a seat on the dragon throne, running his fingers over its armrests with a sigh.

"Ah, not long ago, this throne was shared between me and my dear brother, the Emperor. Who would’ve thought his own unfilial son would murder him? How tragic. How pitiful."

"Gu Qingfeng! Stop spouting nonsense! My father was poisoned by your Ageless Pill! Where is Young Master Yin? You fled like a coward when he chased you—how dare you return?!"

"Fled like a coward?" Gu Qingfeng sneered. "I was merely concerned for the citizens of the capital. I couldn’t bear to fight that insect within the city walls and risk harming innocents.

As for Young Master Yin? Here, take a look."

With that, Gu Qingfeng retrieved a grotesque, mangled wolf’s head from his spatial ring and tossed it onto the palace floor.

BOOM!

The sheer weight of the head cratered the marble tiles upon impact.

Waste not, want not—thrift was ingrained in every descendant of Huaxia. Naturally, Gu Qingfeng wouldn’t let a Divine Realm demon’s corpse go to waste. He planned to feed it to his demon subordinates to boost their strength.

The crowd stared at the massive wolf’s head, their pupils trembling.

Every person present was a martial artist—they could all sense the terrifying pressure radiating from the remains.

A power that surpassed the Dragon Transformation Realm.

"You killed Young Master Yin?! Impossible!" The Crown Prince’s voice cracked with disbelief.

"Why is that so hard to believe? And don’t worry—you’re next." Gu Qingfeng grinned savagely.

The Crown Prince’s face paled. "KILL HIM! NOW!"

He scrambled backward, desperate to escape, while ordering his men to attack.

But in the next instant, an invisible ripple emanated from Gu Qingfeng.

In a flash, everyone in the hall froze in place.

Their souls felt as if they had been encased in ice—not a single finger could twitch.

It was as though the gaze of an abyssal demon god had locked onto them.

And this was Gu Qingfeng holding back. Had he unleashed even a fraction of his divine aura, they would have been obliterated—body and soul.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Gu Qingfeng strolled past the paralyzed guards until he stood before the Crown Prince.

Sweat poured down the prince’s face, his fear reaching its peak.

"W-what are you going to do?!"

"Do? Why, reunite you with your father, of course." Gu Qingfeng smiled.

The Crown Prince’s pupils shrank—he opened his mouth to beg for mercy.

SPLAT!

Gu Qingfeng’s fist exploded through his skull.

Blood and brain matter splattered across the guards. Some of the weaker-willed ones wet themselves in terror.

"Tell me—what’s so great about being Emperor? What could drive a son to kill his own father? I’m genuinely curious. Maybe... I should try being Emperor myself?"

The crowd was stunned.

"Hmm, it makes sense. Half this empire already belonged to me. Now that the Emperor is dead, and the Crown Prince is dead... shouldn’t it be my turn? Besides, a man should experience everything in life—otherwise, what’s the point?"

Gu Qingfeng reclined on the dragon throne once more. The idea of becoming Emperor had struck him on a whim.

He’d never done it before—so why not try it now?

It wasn’t like it would interfere with his plans.

Of course, he knew that if he claimed the throne, many would oppose him, calling his rule illegitimate.

But that didn’t matter.

He had the Oath of Submission.

Suddenly, a crimson light flashed in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes—the Illusory Spirit Heavenly Demon Pupils activated.

Instantly, everyone in the hall fell into a trance, their eyes vacant, like puppets.

"Swear your allegiance."

Under Gu Qingfeng’s control, they began reciting the oath.

By the time they regained their senses, they had all become his loyal hounds.

Gu Qingfeng repeated the process, ordering them to summon every Dragon Transformation Realm expert in the palace, every high-ranking official—anyone of importance.

Hypnotize. Swear. Enslave.

After a day, Gu Qingfeng had subjugated over ten thousand nobles and officials, effectively seizing complete control of the Great Yan Dynasty’s imperial court.

From then on, no one dared oppose his claim to the throne.

His ministers were fanatically loyal—so much so that he could rule as a hands-off Emperor, skipping court for a year without fear of rebellion.

Moreover, Gu Qingfeng issued a decree: no corruption, no bribery, no oppression of the people. Every official was to serve with integrity, dedicating themselves to the welfare of the nation.

With these reforms, the Great Yan Dynasty entered an unprecedented golden age.

Not a single treacherous official remained in court.

Gu Qingfeng found this quite satisfying. Though he was cruel and tyrannical, he also enjoyed times of peace and prosperity—because only in such an era could he truly have his fun. What was the point if the world was constantly ravaged by war, with entertainment in decline and young girls too afraid to even step outside?

This world... needed only one villain like him.