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!
...
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!
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
