As night fell, several shadowy figures slipped out of the city under the cover of darkness, gradually vanishing into the black expanse.
Two days later, the siege resumed. This time, even Fang Zhiyi took to the battlefield personally. There was no other choice—the rebel forces fought like men possessed, fearless of death. Rumor had it these rebels had evolved from a folk religious sect, fervently believing themselves invulnerable to blades and bullets, and that death would transport them to paradise.
The city walls were nearly overrun at one point, but Fang Zhiyi, leading from the front, rallied his men and reclaimed their defenses.
Inside the capital, the nobility and officials grew increasingly anxious. Some contemplated pledging loyalty to the rebels in secret letters, while others plotted to flee the chaos. But they had all underestimated the Surveillance Bureau—originally established to suppress political rivals—as heads piled higher in the execution grounds of Cai Shi Kou.
When aggrieved aristocrats sought to complain to the emperor, they were told Emperor Shunying was resting in the inner palace and would see no one.
Elderly ministers slapped their thighs, lamenting that the Wei Wu dynasty was doomed—only to be swiftly arrested and thrown into prison.
Covered in blood and grime, Fang Zhiyi listened to Gao Liang’s report and nodded in satisfaction. "You’re far more capable than that Cao Ji."
Gao Liang, staring at the battle-hardened man before him, dropped to his knees in haste. "Thank you for your praise, General! I am but your loyal hound!"
Fang Zhiyi frowned and pulled him up. "A hound? No. I want you to be a hawk, not a dog. Stand straight!" He understood all too well the value of a secret police force in times like these—without it, those treacherous officials would have sold out both him and Emperor Shunying without hesitation.
Gao Liang slowly straightened his posture. Fang Zhiyi’s words echoed in his mind. If before he had acted out of fear, now he was truly awed. This man—General Fang, no, perhaps more than just a general in the future, maybe even... Gao Liang didn’t dare finish the thought.
After half a month under siege, the capital’s civilians had been mobilized in shifts to man the walls, repelling wave after wave of attacks. Even Fang Zhiyi was nearing his limit. Then, on this very night, he finally received a secret missive.
Reading its contents, Fang Zhiyi smiled—a smile that unsettled the other defending officers. Over the past fortnight, they had witnessed his ruthless efficiency in battle, leaving them both awed and fearful.
"Give the order," he declared. "All wounded rebel prisoners who have recovered are to be given travel funds and a pardon—stamped with the emperor’s seal! Then release them."
The room erupted in shock.
Releasing prisoners was one thing, but a pardon? With the emperor’s seal? General, have you lost your mind? How could the emperor ever forgive these rebels?
In truth, Fang Zhiyi had sent a messenger to Emperor Shunying, who had generously handed over the imperial seal without question.
The officers were stunned. They had heard of the emperor’s trust in the general, but this much? Handing over the seal? With that, one could even declare oneself the rightful ruler!
But Fang Zhiyi ignored their astonishment. The situation was urgent, and he had to act.
Over the following days, batches of prisoners were released—some even personally escorted by Fang Zhiyi.
Watching them march back toward the rebel camp, the defending officers sighed. General, isn’t this setting tigers free in the mountains? Healing their wounds, giving them money, just so they can return to fight us again?
Rumors spread like wildfire through the ranks.
Yet Fang Zhiyi offered no explanation. That night, scouts reported chaos in the rebel camp.
"I infiltrated their ranks," a spy reported. "Their so-called 'Heavenly King' tried to behead several prisoners we’d released, but their fellow villagers resisted. A brawl broke out! By the time I left, small groups were already deserting."
Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Officers, heed my command!" The stunned officers reflexively snapped to attention.
"Assemble the troops. We ride out tonight to raid the rebel camp!"
"General! This is madness!"
"General! It’s just a minor skirmish. The rebels outnumber us several times over. Think carefully!"
Fang Zhiyi tossed a letter onto the table. "Read this."
It was a secret report. Two weeks prior, Fang Zhiyi had dispatched envoys to several rebel leaders, offering not only pardons but also land and noble titles. Some had already written back, swearing allegiance to the emperor and pledging to serve as the vanguard against the rebellion.
"But... how?" one officer muttered in confusion.
Fang Zhiyi explained, "Rebellions don’t happen unless officials are cruel and people starve. But if rebelling brings not just pardon but a chance to rise—who would keep risking their lives for an uncertain future?"
His letters had detailed each rebel group’s grievances and their leaders’ ambitions. If you overthrow the emperor, who takes his place? Would your new ruler later execute you as threats? The emperor’s thoughts are unknown, but you know me—Fang Zhiyi. If I pardon you, it stands. The emperor won’t object. I recognize your talents and will elevate you—granting titles and land to help govern this realm. If you keep fighting, how many will die? The court can always retreat south and continue the war. Are you so sure you’ll survive?
To ensure credibility, Fang Zhiyi had even stamped the letters with his personal seal.
The simple-minded rebels took his words to heart. They had risen against tyranny, corruption, and starvation—but now Fang Zhiyi was offering them governance of their own homelands. Thoughts of their families made them waver. And the Heavenly King’s character? His history of seizing wives and daughters proved he was no just ruler.
Rebel factions meant to join the Heavenly King’s forces now camped nearby but kept their distance. Smaller groups had already begun deserting his camp.
The city gates swung open, battle cries piercing the night. Fang Zhiyi assured his men this was no reckless assault—it was a show of force.
True enough, the rebel camp descended into chaos, unable to mount a proper defense.
Fang Zhiyi didn’t charge in. Instead, he reined his horse to a halt before the camp. The Heavenly King, spear in hand, emerged in confusion. What was this?
"Fellow countrymen!" Fang Zhiyi dismounted and bowed deeply to the hastily assembled rebels. "On behalf of the court, I apologize for your suffering."
The armed rebels hesitated, unsure of the court’s intentions.
"Today, I swear this to you all: henceforth, under Wei Wu’s rule, every man shall have food to eat and land to till!" He paused. "I will select capable men among you to govern your own hometowns—free from corrupt officials! And your rebellion? The court will not punish it."
The words struck the illiterate rebels dumb. No punishment? Even official posts?
The Heavenly King, recovering, thrust his spear forward. "Don’t listen to this snake-tongued official’s lies! He’s deceiving you!"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
