Tuoba Xiangtai left with a dagger in hand, leaving a hall full of barbarian generals and soldiers standing bewildered in the wind.
Wait, the Third Prince went to find Xiao Mingzhao, but what about the barbarian army outside the city? What about them? Right now... should they go out to save them? Or should they not?
What on earth should they do?
In contrast to their confusion, Tuoba Xiangtai's mind was extremely clear at this moment; he was completely calm and rational.
He finally understood.
Xiao Mingzhao, from the very beginning, had wanted to leave him!
Dispatching the imperial guards and the border army to attack their barbarian forces outside the city was all for the sake of rescuing Xiao Mingzhao from the Yuchen Mansion later. And now, the existence of this Xiangxiang completely confirmed it.
Xiao Mingzhao was actually keeping...
A beloved person!
He, who was constantly told by Xiao Mingzhao that she loved him, was in reality just a substitute!
Just a substitute!
Xiangxiang's substitute!
So, when it all came down to it, Luan'er wanted to leave him!
But,
She couldn't!
Absolutely not!
He was going to be with Luan'er for all lifetimes. If they couldn't be together in life, they would die together, staying with Luan'er forever and ever!
...
While Tuoba Xiangtai was heading to the backyard, Pei Jingzhi had already taken a step ahead.
Pei Jingzhi truly had not expected that things would turn out to be so surprisingly easy.
Originally, the Yuchen Mansion was heavily guarded by barbarian soldiers, so strict that not even a fly could enter. But who knew whether his earnest heart to serve Her Majesty had moved the heavens or if the Great Yu's national power had exerted itself, the barbarian soldiers suddenly fell into chaos.
Those barbarian soldiers were running in and out, creating a complete uproar.
Even the guards at the entrance had retreated inside the Yuchen Mansion.
They left the main gate completely deserted.
How could Pei Jingzhi let such a great opportunity slip by?
He immediately sneaked inside.
Unexpectedly, entering was also quite smooth. The barbarian soldiers were in such a chaotic state that they seemed to have no time to notice him, allowing him a smooth journey all the way to the inner courtyard.
The closer he got to the inner courtyard, the safer Pei Jingzhi became.
This was because the closer he got to the inner courtyard, the more deserted it was.
With the map left by Sun Da and Sun Er in his hand, his understanding of the Yuchen Mansion was no worse than that of these barbarian soldiers. He immediately slipped in and quickly found the room where Xiao Mingzhao was detained.
He immediately pushed the doors open.
The moment he saw the scene inside, tears instantly surged down Pei Jingzhi's old face.
He had already heard from Sun Da and Sun Er that Her Majesty was bound by Tuoba Xiangtai with golden chains, preventing Her Majesty from leaving the room. But what he saw right now was that, in addition to the golden chains, heavy iron chains had also been added.
The Emperor of their Great Yu was actually tied up here like a dog!
This was the Emperor of their Great Yu!
The ruler of all the people!
How, how could she suffer such humiliation?
Pei Jingzhi fell to his knees with a thud, his eyes filled with hot tears as he wept bitterly. Your Majesty, this old minister is late to your rescue and has allowed Your Majesty to suffer. This old minister deserves to die ten thousand deaths!
Xiao Mingzhao's spirits lifted. My beloved minister Pei?
You, you have finally come!
Quick, quickly save me and get me out of here!
Pei Jingzhi dared not delay. Enduring the devastation and sorrow in his heart, he immediately tried to untie Xiao Mingzhao. However, whether it was the golden chains or the iron ones, it was as hard as ascending to the heavens for someone like Pei Jingzhi who knew no martial arts.
Moreover, even if he did know martial arts, he would not be able to sever these chains in one strike.
The keys are over there... Xiao Mingzhao pointed into the distance and said, The keys are kept right there. Take them and unlock these iron chains for me!
Pei Jingzhi felt another pang of sorrow in his heart.
The keys were placed exactly out of Xiao Mingzhao's reach. Tuoba Xiangtai, that barbarian beast and savage bastard, dared to treat Her Majesty so cruelly. Every citizen of Great Yu would surely be willing to spill their blood to slay this thief!
Fortunately, his resolute nature allowed him to quickly fetch the keys.
He unlocked the shackles on Xiao Mingzhao's body one by one.
Feeling the weight lifted off her body, Xiao Mingzhao instantly felt as if even the air had become free. Her heart was filled with excitement, and she could not help but ask Pei Jingzhi about the current situation.
Pei Jingzhi responded while he worked.
The border army and the imperial guards are currently slaughtering the barbarian army outside the city. It must be under Ren Tianye's orders. Right now, this Yuchen Mansion is in total chaos. This is a great opportunity. Your Majesty, it is heaven's will that Great Yu shall not perish. Now is the perfect time for you to escape!
The excitement on Xiao Mingzhao's face, however, paused.
She asked, My beloved minister Pei, are you saying that Ren Tianye has come to save me?
No, it is... Before Pei Jingzhi could explain, rapid footsteps echoed from outside the door, and his expression changed drastically. It is likely Tuoba Xiangtai approaching.
He looked at Xiao Mingzhao, who had just been freed from the iron chains, and without a single moment of hesitation, he said directly, Your Majesty, at this rate, we will not be able to escape. Right now, there is only one way!
Your Majesty, please take off your clothes!
Xiao Mingzhao, who had been lost in her own thoughts, was instantly stunned upon hearing this. What?
Your Majesty, take off your outer garments and let this old minister wear them. If I sit with my back facing Tuoba Xiangtai and blow out a few candles, Tuoba Xiangtai will surely be deceived. Then, this old minister can buy Your Majesty some time. Your Majesty...
You can use that opportunity to escape.
As long as Your Majesty can remember the lesson of this incident after escaping, treat the people of the world kindly in the future, revitalize the imperial court, execute the treacherous, and wipe out the barbarians, this old minister will have no regrets even in death!
Xiao Mingzhao understood Pei Jingzhi's intentions.
However, Xiao Mingzhao decisively shook her head.
Pei Jingzhi grew anxious. Your Majesty, this old minister's life is as insignificant as an ant's. If this old minister can trade this worthless life for Your Majesty's dragon body, it would be a tremendous blessing. Your Majesty, in such a critical moment, you absolutely must not hesitate!
Xiao Mingzhao still shook her head and said, My beloved minister Pei, that is not what I mean. I want to say...
Xiao Mingzhao looked out the window at the pitch-black darkness, much like the perilous situation she was currently in. Yet, the occasional burst of firelight was like a bright beacon illuminating her heart.
The road ahead had always been difficult, but as long as a breath remained, one should bravely pursue it.
Thus, she said, Ren Tianye has come to save me!
In the past, I treated Ren Tianye poorly and hurt his sincere devotion to me.
This time, I want to give him a chance!
I believe that he has made all the necessary deployments and will absolutely not allow Tuoba Xiangtai to cause me the slightest harm.
I misjudged people and did the wrong things in the past, bringing about a great disaster. This time, I will not make the same mistakes again!
Pausing, she turned to the utterly incredulous Pei Jingzhi and added, My beloved minister Pei, please rest assured. Even if it is solely for my sake, Ren Tianye will definitely plan everything thoroughly. With you and me here, there will not be the slightest bit of danger!
Just set your mind at ease!
...
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
