The Emperor Returns in Triumph, Casually Gobbling Up All the Credit and Public Opinion

Outside the Yanshan Secret Realm, the sky was dark and gloomy.

When the last batch of people rushed out of the rift of the secret realm in a sorry state, the outside world was already in chaos.

At the foot of the mountain, the Imperial Guards formed up in ranks, operatives of the Western Depot shuttled back and forth, and the left-behind elders of various sects looked anxious. Even the garrisons of several nearby major cities had been temporarily mobilized, forming a wide perimeter around the entire Yanshan region.

Everyone knew that something major had happened inside the secret realm.

But no one expected things to escalate to this extent.

Following a violent distortion of the spatial rift, Wang Hao stepped out. He was covered in blood and his face was pale, yet his expression remained cold and stern. Although the faint blood-gold battle seal between his brows had faded, the lingering pressure of ancient martial arts radiating from him still made people afraid to look him directly in the eye.

The moment he emerged, the field first fell into dead silence.

In the next second, a sound like a tsunami erupted.

His Majesty has come out!

It is His Majesty!

Quick! Imperial Physicians! Protect His Majesty!

Imperial Guards, form ranks! Escort His Majesty back to the palace!

A massive number of gazes fell upon Wang Hao almost simultaneously, filled with shock, awe, and complex emotions that were hard to describe.

This was because the crowd following behind him looked far too miserable.

Xiao Chen's face was pale, his chest bearing large, overlapping marks of burns and dark corrosion. Gu Han's shoulder had been pierced through, with black mist still lingering around the wound. Bai Zhantang's fan ribs were mostly shattered; his usual suave demeanor was long gone, and the hem of his clothes was reduced to rags. Rong Xiaotian was covered in blood and filth, looking as if he had just crawled out of a pile of corpses. Although Ye Guyun still stood holding his sword, his sword-wielding hand was trembling slightly.

Shen Xue and Yun Meng looked slightly better, but it was obvious they had severely depleted their true essence, leaving their faces rather pale.

As for the remaining sect disciples and rogue cultivators, they were in a myriad of tragic states.

Some were missing arms or legs, others had damaged divine souls and unfocused eyes, and a few were even carried out by their fellow disciples, requiring someone to check their breathing just to see if they were still alive.

Yet, against such a tragic backdrop of a crowd, Wang Hao, walking at the very front, somehow managed to exude an aura of though millions oppose me, I shall march forward.

People are just like that.

Once the people around you are miserable enough, anyone who can stand even slightly firm will appear exceptionally towering and majestic.

Not to mention that Wang Hao was already an expert at putting on a front.

Your Majesty!

Wei Zhongxian and Yu Huatian rushed forward immediately. One supported his left side and the other his right. Their posture did not look like they were receiving an emperor, but rather welcoming a savior sage who had just returned from the deepest parts of the Nine Netherworlds after single-handedly subduing the King of Hell.

This old servant is late to protect Your Majesty, I deserve ten thousand deaths! Wei Zhongxian's eyes were red, his emotions perfectly on display.

Yu Huatian was more direct, his voice trembling. Is Your Majesty's dragon body unharmed? Has any evil aura invaded your body? Imperial Physicians! Where the hell are the Imperial Physicians? Get over here right now!

Wang Hao waved his hand. His voice was not loud, but it was just enough for many people around him to hear clearly.

I am fine.

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the crowd, and his tone deepened. Save the people first. Anyone who entered the secret realm to assist in the battle, regardless of whether they are from a sect, a noble family, or are rogue cultivators, must be treated first. Prioritize the heavily injured. The required medicinal pills will be covered by the Great Zhou royal treasury for now.

As soon as these words were spoken, many people around were momentarily stunned.

Then, the look in their eyes changed.

Especially those who had been muttering in their hearts, thinking that the Emperor of Great Zhou might not truly be so great and righteous, could not help but feel a tremor in their hearts at this moment.

The secret realm had just closed. Everyone's life and death were uncertain, the spoils had not yet been divided, and the rights and wrongs were not yet clear. A normal person's first reaction would definitely be to take stock of the battle results, protect their own people, and control the situation.

But Wang Hao's first sentence was actually to save everyone first.

This immediately elevated his magnanimity.

Shen Xue stood not far away, looking at Wang Hao's profile, her eyes slightly complex.

She knew very well that this person might not be as selfless as he appeared on the surface.

But the problem was—no matter what he thought in his heart, at least in this matter, he acted impeccably. It was the kind of performance where you couldn't pick out a single fault.

Yun Meng's eyelids twitched.

She had already begun to vaguely feel that the subsequent development of things might run wildly in a very outrageous direction.

Sure enough.

The next moment, as if suddenly remembering something, Wang Hao's voice turned cold as he directly said, "Yu Huatian."

"This old servant is here."

"Sort out the Image Recording Jades from within the Yanshan Secret Realm."

"Yes."

"In addition, pass down my decree—The Great Zhou Times will run an extra edition overnight starting today, printed urgently, and sent with eight-hundred-li express dispatch to all the cities in the Eastern Wasteland. The capital region takes priority, followed by the various provinces and counties, and it must also be delivered to the gates of the major sects."

Yu Huatian's eyes lit up: "Please bestow the headlines, Your Majesty."

Wang Hao gave him a faint glance.

"The first article: His Majesty Personally Suppresses the Evil Entities, Protecting the World from Collapse."

"The second article: The Heavenly Secret Pavilion Colludes with the Weird, Secretly Altering the Ancient Seals, with Irrefutable Evidence."

"The third article—"

As he spoke up to here, his gaze seemingly unintentionally swept over Shen Xue, Yun Meng, and the others, and the corners of his mouth lifted imperceptibly.

"Holy Maidens of the Three Great Factions Testify as Eyewitnesses: The Great Zhou is the True Orthodox Lineage of the Mortal Realm."

...

The air went quiet for a moment.

Yun Meng almost couldn't maintain her expression.

What did he mean by Holy Maidens of the Three Great Factions Testify as Eyewitnesses?

When did she ever testify to this?

She had obviously just gone in to fight a battle, and incidentally almost died inside. How did her identity automatically upgrade to the Great Zhou's orthodox certification officer the moment she came out?

Shen Xue's eyebrows also visibly twitched. On her face, which was usually as cold and clear as ice and snow, a subtle expression of 'This works too?' rarely surfaced.

Bai Zhantang was originally clutching his chest and panting. Hearing this, he laughed out loud directly. As a result, it aggravated his injuries, and halfway through his laugh, he coughed earth-shatteringly.

"Cough... cough cough... Brilliant, truly brilliant."

He gave a thumbs up to Wang Hao while coughing, "Your Majesty, when others return triumphantly to the court, they announce their victory. You, on the other hand, have conveniently decided how the history books should be written."

Xiao Chen's face darkened completely.

The thing he least wanted to see had indeed happened.

It was one thing for Wang Hao to become famous in the final battle while they risked their lives fighting the evil entities inside. But now, he had actually arranged in advance how the public opinion would be spun, how the credit would be divided, and how the blame would be pinned once they came out.

With this efficiency, it was a pity he didn't become a bandit.

Even Gu Han couldn't help but tilt his head and whisper, "So skillful."

Ye Guyun did not speak, merely glancing at Wang Hao, his eyes growing ever more tranquil.

Whether this new emperor of the Great Zhou was strong or not was one thing, but in terms of squeezing every last drop of advantage, he had truly reached a point of pure perfection.

And Wang Hao was clearly not finished speaking.

"Furthermore."

His tone was steady, as if he were stating a matter of course.

"During the journey to the Yanshan Secret Realm, fellow Daoists from all sides fought bloody battles and all have rendered meritorious service to the world. In particular, Xiao Chen, Ye Guyun, Gu Han, Rong Xiaotian, Bai Zhantang, and others did not retreat in the face of danger and fought bloody battles against the evil entities. They are all promising talents."

"Have the Great Zhou Times add another article. The title will be—His Majesty Has an Eye for Talent: Outstanding Heroes from the Ten Directions Jointly Support the State."

Just say that these young prodigies are exceptional talents this Emperor recognized in the midst of peril. Although they come from different backgrounds, they all share a heart for the common people, making them the future pillars of the Eastern Wasteland.

Bai Zhantang was dumbfounded.

Rong Xiaotian was also stunned.

Gu Han, for once, showed a slight change in expression.

Even Xiao Chen failed to react for a moment.

Wait, it sounded like he was praising them.

But why did it feel more and more off the more they thought about it?

What did he mean by His Majesty has a keen eye for talent?

What did he mean by exceptional talents this Emperor recognized in the midst of peril?

Once this narrative was put out there, they, who were originally heaven-chosen geniuses from various factions who had rightfully earned their reputations through sheer strength...

...would probably end up in the newspapers as:

The Great Zhou Emperor, with his unparalleled foresight, drafted them on the spot, bringing a group of arrogant geniuses under his wing to jointly pacify the Yanshan rebellion.

They had fought hard for half their lives, only to end up as proof of Wang Hao's good judgment.

Who could stomach that?

The veins on Xiao Chen's forehead twitched. Since when was I brought under your wing?

Wang Hao looked at him, his expression so gentle it was almost affectionate.

You misunderstand, Xiao Chen.

I said recognized, not subjugated. Young man, do not be so sensitive.

Furthermore, when the common people of the world read articles, they look for righteousness and a good story, not to scrutinize every single word. As long as the general idea is there, isn't that enough?

Xiao Chen: ...

He almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

Yun Meng finally could not hold back and cursed in a low voice, Shameless.

With his sharp hearing, Wang Hao caught the remark, turned his head to look at her, and replied calmly, You flatter me, Yun Meng. I am merely good at summarizing.

...

Yun Meng was left completely speechless.

She realized that trying to reason with this kind of person was a massive waste of her life.

Because he wasn't even conversing on the same level as you.

While you were still wondering if the matter itself was right or wrong, he was already thinking about how to package it, market it, let it brew, monetize it, and casually trample two rivals to death in the process.

At this time, the imperial physicians and several palace experts finally arrived, panting heavily, and immediately surrounded Wang Hao to examine him.

As soon as they checked his pulse, their expressions shifted slightly.

Your Majesty's meridians are severely damaged, your vitality is immensely depleted, and there are signs of trauma to your divine soul...

Although the lingering evil qi is not deep, it is extremely insidious. You must return to the palace to recuperate immediately.

You cannot remain standing any longer.

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding people looked at Wang Hao with an added measure of respect.

So this Emperor wasn't just standing there pretending to be fine.

He was actually enduring severe injuries while managing the big picture.

With this extra layer of reverence added, the effect was incredibly terrifying.

In his heart, Wang Hao actually just wanted to say: Nonsense, I am dying of pain here.

But on the surface, he merely nodded nonchalantly. Understood. Treat the other wounded first.

The imperial physicians hesitated to speak, ultimately only able to sigh in admiration, Your Majesty is benevolent.

Wang Hao's expression remained unchanged.

Putting benevolence aside, he knew very well that at this very moment, for every extra breath he endured, his gains were doubling.

Sure enough, the gazes of the sect elders and noble family experts not far away had gradually evolved from This little emperor is a bit wicked to This young man actually has the bearing of a sovereign.

This was impression management.

To win a great victory and only take the spoils of war did not make one a top-tier expert.

To seize the spoils, reputation, hearts of the people, public opinion, moral high ground, and the foundation for future alliances all at once—that was what you called professional.

Just then, the Imperial Guard Commander in charge of organizing the supplies hurried over and reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the spiritual materials, weapon embryos, ancient scrolls, and remnant pill recipes brought out from the secret realm have been roughly inventoried."

"There are a total of three hundred and twenty-seven chests of high-grade spiritual materials, one hundred and seventy-four fragments of ancient artifacts, nine torn scrolls suspected to be cultivation methods left behind by a Martial God, and various other rare resources."

At this point, he paused.

"Additionally, the disciples of the various sects and the accompanying experts are all waiting for... the distribution of the spoils."

As soon as these words were spoken, the ears of many people nearby perked up.

Indeed.

After fighting such a battle, who wouldn't care about the spoils of war?

Although many claimed they were doing it to suppress evil and for the sake of the common people, having actually entered the secret realm and made it out alive, who wouldn't want to reap some tangible benefits?

Especially those who had truly risked their lives inside; they felt even more entitled to a share.

Even Bai Zhantang perked up a bit, whispering, "Here it comes, here comes the most crucial part."

Xiao Chen also raised his head.

Even Yun Meng and Shen Xue couldn't help but look at Wang Hao.

They also wanted to know just how outrageously greedy this Great Zhou Emperor, whose thick skin was practically invulnerable to swords and spears, could be.

Wang Hao pondered for a moment, as if seriously considering the matter.

Then, he slowly spoke:

"The anomaly in the Yanshan Secret Realm this time stems from the unsealing of ancient evil entities, which concerns the safety of the Eastern Wasteland. The gains from this secret realm are not ordinary treasures, but resources meant to suppress the world's evils."

"Therefore—"

He paused, his tone solemn.

"Everything will be confiscated and placed into the Great Zhou treasury. They will be uniformly allocated and used to counter the upcoming conspiracies of the Heavenly Dao Alliance led by the Tianji Pavilion, the Red Moon anomalies, and the overarching cause of defending the world against evil."

The entire crowd: "..."

A dead silence fell.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Confiscate everything?

He actually had the audacity to say that!

Bai Zhantang opened his mouth, taking a long while to choke out a sentence, "Then... what about us?"

Wang Hao looked at him, his gaze actually carrying a hint of approval.

"You all will receive a spiritual reward."

Bai Zhantang: "?"

"By entering the secret realm and fighting a bloody battle against the evil entities this time, you have all made a name for yourselves in the world. This is an intangible and heavy reward, far surpassing ordinary spiritual materials and ancient artifacts."

"In addition, for anyone who is severely injured, Great Zhou may grant pills at its discretion. If anyone is willing to enter the royal court to serve, they will receive excellent treatment."

"As for the rest of you—"

Wang Hao smiled faintly, "You may receive a personal verbal commendation from Us."

Bai Zhantang almost fainted on the spot.

This was no longer just catching a white wolf with empty hands.

This was catching a white wolf with empty hands, then conveniently shaving off its fur and telling it that it was a royal blessing.

Even Rong Xiaotian couldn't help but widen his eyes. "That's it?"

Wang Hao asked in return, "What else?"

"Do you want resources related to ancient evil entities to be scattered across the world, or do you want people with ulterior motives to get their hands on these things and cause trouble again?"

"You are all sensible people. Surely you wouldn't fail to understand such a simple principle, right?"

With one sentence, he completely blocked all paths of argument.

Whoever fought for the spoils of war again would be disregarding the greater good.

Whoever wanted to divide the resources would be potentially fostering evil.

With such a massive accusation hanging over their heads, who would dare to forcefully snatch anything?

Xiao Chen clenched his fists, his face turning pale and green by turns.

Today, he had finally witnessed what it meant to rob someone while standing on the moral high ground.

And to make matters worse, the robbery actually sounded perfectly reasonable.