Lin Zixiao's previous actions had already dissatisfied his seven sworn brothers. Now, his subservient attitude only fueled their discontent, and they began shouting in protest.
"Big brother, do you really only want the Empress's Edict of Repentance?"
"Big brother, where does this leave us brothers?"
"Big brother, wake up! You absolutely cannot do this."
...
"That's right, you absolutely cannot do this!"
As soon as Lin Zixiao said this, the faces of his seven agitated brothers instantly lit up with joy. Had their wise and martial big brother finally come to his senses at the critical moment?
That would be wonderful.
Unfortunately, the smiles on their faces didn't even last a second before they heard Lin Zixiao say, "How can we treat Her Majesty's Edict of Repentance so lightly?"
"Men, hurry and set up the incense altar for me. Place an incense burner on it and light some incense. Then, lay out a tray lined with bright yellow brocade and a kneeling cushion..."
Lin Zixiao ordered anxiously.
Remembering something, he even deliberately went to wash his hands.
He had to treat this hard-won Edict of Repentance with the utmost caution. Besides, this was a decree issued personally by Her Majesty the Empress; how could he not treat it with respect?
Instantly, this infuriated his seven brothers even more.
Right at this moment, the personal guards sent by Ren Tianye to deliver the decree arrived.
Lin Zixiao did not hesitate. He fell to his knees with a heavy thud, his posture extremely respectful: "Your subject, Lin Zixiao, respectfully requests the Imperial Envoy to proclaim the holy edict."
The guard was stunned for a moment.
Wait, why would the rebel army value an imperial edict so much?
It seemed the Grand General's predictions were spot on.
Thus, he smilingly read out the imperial edict and then personally helped Lin Zixiao up: "General Lin, Her Majesty has said that your Lin family is full of loyal martyrs. It was Her Majesty who made a mistake, and she now sincerely apologizes to you."
"She hopes you can forgive her."
Looking at the Edict of Repentance written personally by Xiao Mingzhao on the imperial scroll, Lin Zixiao could no longer control the hot tears welling up in his eyes, and they poured out. Hearing the envoy's words, he was moved to a flood of tears.
He, Lin Zixiao, had finally cleared his father's unjust name!
Her Majesty was reasonable after all!
To recognize one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest of virtues!
He said, "Sir Envoy, please pass on my message to Her Majesty."
"How could this lowly subject dare to accept Her Majesty's apology?"
"Her Majesty is wise and brilliant. My late father's unjust death was certainly not Her Majesty's fault; it was truly the treacherous officials who deceived the imperial ear that led to such a thing. Now that Her Majesty is willing to issue an Edict of Repentance for this lowly subject, it is already the utmost benevolence and righteousness. This subject can only shed tears of gratitude."
"I dare not harbor the slightest bit of resentment!"
Pausing, Lin Zixiao said with a firm tone: "From now on, this subject harbors no more grievances. I will immediately hand over my military power, so as not to fail Her Majesty, nor fail my late father!"
The guard's eyes widened.
Holy crap, he's handing over his military power just like that?
The command of two hundred thousand elite troops?
Is it really this easy?!
A look of impatience and eagerness instantly washed over his face.
However, this action could not be carried out, as the seven brothers had already stepped in to stop it.
"You absolutely cannot hand over the military power!"
"Commander, we brothers bet the lives of our entire nine generations, all just hoping to follow you and earn the merit of establishing a new emperor. Now you want to hand the military power over to the imperial court? Then what are we supposed to do?"
"With the way the Empress is, if you dare to hand over the military power today, she'll dare to find an excuse to execute us tomorrow. Are our lives not lives?"
...
The brothers shouted themselves hoarse.
Their address for Lin Zixiao changed from Commander back to Big Brother, then from Big Brother to Commander, and they were even on the verge of calling him directly by his name.
Lin Zixiao's gaze, however, suddenly turned cold and stern.
"All of you, shut up!"
"My father and I have been loyal to the sovereign and loved our country our entire lives. Her Majesty is a sage who knows to correct her mistakes. The world of Great Yu is destined to become increasingly prosperous, and the common people of this world are destined to live better and better lives."
"Yet you only think of the merit of establishing a new emperor?"
"So what about the nine generations?"
"For Her Majesty, for Great Yu, even if our nine generations are entirely wiped out, that is exactly what we as subjects ought to do."
"Whether it is thunderous wrath or gentle dew, all are the sovereign's grace. Do you not even understand this?"
Lin Zixiao's imposing manner was fierce, but the flames in the eyes of the crowd only grew brighter. Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, someone suddenly came from outside the door to report.
"Report! Commander, the Empress has sent someone to deliver another imperial edict."
Lin Zixiao froze for a moment.
Another imperial edict?
Seeing an opportunity, the brothers immediately started shouting.
"The Empress must have regretted it, and now she's coming to take back that Edict of Repentance."
"Yes, yes, yes, that must be it. We brothers know exactly what kind of person that Empress is."
"Commander, wake up! Pinning your hopes on the Empress is truly not as good as you becoming Emperor yourself. We could also earn the merit of establishing a ruler, get appointed as Grand Generals or Grand Marshals, and clear your father's name."
"That's right, Commander! I'm still waiting to give her a lifetime of glory and favor. If you get schemed against by the Empress, what capital will I have left?"
...
These few words did make Lin Zixiao's heart skip a beat.
He suddenly felt a bit worried.
But he still braced himself and received the second imperial edict.
As a result...
The Empress Xiao Mingzhao's second edict was written even more straightforwardly, its tone filled with earnestness.
"Lin Zixiao, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. I should not have killed your father. For this, I am filled with remorse day and night, often washing my face with tears. I beg the General to forgive me!"
Lin Zixiao's emotions, which he had just barely managed to control, collapsed again.
Her Majesty had given him another Edict of Repentance!
And using such a pleading tone?!
He, Lin Zixiao, was guilty! To have actually caused Her Majesty to feel such guilt, he was unworthy of being a subject.
He fell to his knees once more and said to the guard delivering the edict: "Please reply to Her Majesty that it is not Her Majesty's fault, but the fault of Lin Zixiao. I should not have raised an army, much less marched on the capital."
"If I had been able to go straight to the capital and present my case to Her Majesty face-to-face back then, how could I have caused such a disaster?"
The second guard returned to report.
Lin Zixiao was still kneeling on the ground when the third guard arrived.
It was yet another imperial edict from the Empress.
Still an Edict of Repentance.
Still an apology!
And three Edicts of Repentance were far from Ren Tianye's limit.
Thus, next, the messengers at Lin Zixiao's door went a bit crazy.
"Report! Commander, the Empress has sent another edict!"
"Report! Commander, the Empress has sent yet another edict!"
"Report! Commander, the Empress has sent another, another, another edict!"
"Report..."
Lin Zixiao received the imperial edicts one after another. The guilt on his face grew deeper and deeper, and the boiling emotions in his heart surged ever more violently. By the time he received the eighteenth Edict of Repentance sent to him by the Empress Xiao Mingzhao, Lin Zixiao was already crying like a baby.
Eighteen of them!
Eighteen Edicts of Repentance!
What virtue or ability did he, Lin Zixiao, and their Lin family have?!
To make the Empress humble herself to such an extent?!
He, Lin Zixiao, had actually forced the Empress to this point!
He was guilty!
Therefore, after slightly controlling his emotions, Lin Zixiao suddenly stood up and shouted loudly: "Her Majesty has said that I am to enter the capital for an imperial audience."
"But having committed such a grave mistake, how could I have the face to see Her Majesty if I entered the capital alone?"
"Therefore..."
Lin Zixiao returned to his commander's chair and issued a cold command: "Pass down the order to the entire army: take off your armor, raise white flags, line up, and follow me to the gates of the capital to submit to Her Majesty's judgment and punishment!"
"Military orders are like mountains! No one is allowed to disobey!"
...
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."
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
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.”
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
