Yunji City was surrounded by mountains on three sides; only its main gate faced a winding road leading down.
At this moment, the night was deep and pitch-black, so dark one could not see their own hand in front of them.
Yet, a convoy was slowly approaching.
Illuminated by the firelight, two armored soldiers could be seen leading the way. They wore long swords at their waists and held up two gilded tokens to clear the path.
Behind them followed a carriage.
Drawn by four white horses, the carriage was painted jujube red, its cabin carved with patterns resembling flowing clouds.
A bright yellow phoenix emblem adorned the roof of the carriage.
Surrounding the carriage were twenty golden-armored soldiers holding torches.
This procession moved from far to near, drawing closer and closer to Yunji City. Before long, they arrived at the base of the city walls.
The convoy halted. Following Ren Tianye's instructions, Deputy General Wang Ming shouted at the top of his lungs toward the people on the city wall, "Her Majesty has issued a decree! Summon the defending general of Yunji City, Zhan Shubai, to receive the imperial decree!"
The city wall instantly erupted into a flurry of activity.
Someone could be heard shouting, "It is an imperial envoy sent by Her Majesty! Hurry and report to General Zhan!"
Soon after, a man on the gate tower called out, "Greetings, Lord Imperial Envoy. We pay our respects. However, it is currently curfew. We cannot allow you to enter the city immediately. Please wait a moment, my lords."
"Once we have General Zhan's orders, we will open the gates at once."
These words immediately drew a furious rebuke from Ren Tianye.
"Are you blind? Can you not see that we are imperial envoys sent by Her Majesty? How many lives do you have that you dare obstruct this official from delivering the imperial decree?"
"Open the city gates for this official immediately!"
The man shouting from the top of the wall replied submissively, "Please forgive us, Lord Imperial Envoy. The rules of Yunji City are exceedingly strict. We subordinates must seek the General's permission before we can open the city gates at night."
"We beg for your understanding, Lord Imperial Envoy!"
Ren Tianye was growing anxious.
What he needed was the element of surprise. If they waited for Zhan Shubai to be notified, the city's garrison would be awakened, which would be extremely disadvantageous for them.
He then reprimanded them even more sternly, "This official rode through the night to reach this place because the matter is of grave importance. Not a single moment can be delayed."
"How dare you lowly soldiers use the city gates to obstruct this official?"
"If you delay this crucial matter, are you not afraid that Her Majesty will execute your entire nine clans?"
This threat was ruthless enough.
Yet the defending soldiers of Yunji City, though submissive and too afraid to even show their heads under the scolding, absolutely refused to open the gates.
This completely stalled Ren Tianye and his party on the spot.
They were caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.
He had not expected his carefully laid plans to instantly crumble before the extremely strict military discipline of Yunji City.
It also showed that Zhan Shubai was indeed a man of talent.
At the very least, he was highly skilled at managing his troops.
But right now, this skill of his left Ren Tianye burning with anxiety.
Eight hundred soldiers were ambushed not far away, waiting for the signal arrow.
He could not stay here for long.
Delay would invite disaster!
However, with Yunji City's defenses so tight, no matter how resourceful he was, he was completely at a loss right now.
He could only wait where he was.
Waiting in agonizing anxiety.
...
Inside Yunji City, in a simple, even shabby barrack not far from the General's Manor, only a single candle burned. Zhan Shubai was bent over his desk, writing tirelessly.
He had maintained this posture for a full two hours. His entire body was utterly exhausted, yet he still refused to relax even the slightest bit.
It wasn't until he had finished processing all the large and small affairs of Yunji City for the day that he finally stood up.
A satisfied smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
His eyes involuntarily glanced at a potted plant placed to the side. Its flowers and leaves were pure white and translucent, looking increasingly magnificent under the candlelight.
He had personally picked it from the mountain; it was called the Immortal Soul Epiphyllum.
Under his meticulous care, its petals were now fully blooming, looking especially moving in the night.
It was a gift he had prepared for the Empress.
The Empress's nation-toppling beauty involuntarily surfaced in his mind's eye. The smile on Zhan Shubai's lips turned gentle and infatuated.
"Your Majesty, you promised me..."
He murmured as if sleepwalking, "As long as your subject could defend Yunji City and make it as impregnable as a fortress, you would allow me to return to the capital and stay by your side."
"Over the years, your subject has worked conscientiously and diligently, not daring to slack off in the slightest. Fortifying the walls and training the soldiers has long yielded outstanding results."
"Although this Yunji City cannot compare to Shanhe City, and its garrison numbers only a few thousand, under your subject's management, it is enough to withstand a million-strong army."
"Your Majesty..."
"My achievements have been continuously reported back to you. It is time you let me return, isn't it?"
As he spoke, his emotions surged, and tear stains faintly appeared on his face. At the height of his deep longing, he blurted out, "Your Majesty, I miss you!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Heavy footsteps shattered the tranquility, disturbing Zhan Shubai's state of mind. He furrowed his brows, about to lose his temper, when a messenger soldier rushed in, panting heavily as he reported, "General, Her Majesty has sent someone to deliver an imperial decree!"
"What?" Zhan Shubai's anger turned to joy, his face filled with ecstasy. "Is it a convoy from the capital?"
"Yes, General. Your subordinates have already verified it. It is a convoy from the capital. There are armored soldiers clearing the way holding tokens, and a phoenix emblem on the carriage. It must be a convoy from the capital!"
"Hahaha..."
Zhan Shubai was overjoyed.
"It must be that Her Majesty has seen my achievements in guarding Yunji City and has come to bring me back. My immense efforts in Yunji City have not been in vain."
"Your Majesty, I will finally be able to see you again."
In his ecstasy, he didn't even have time to put on his armor. Wearing the shabby clothes that looked no different from those of an ordinary soldier, he strode out.
Grabbing his weapon and leading his guards, he rushed straight for the main gate of Yunji City.
With a creak.
He had the city gates opened. His gaze swept over the area and landed on the person who had come to deliver the decree. Suddenly, his body stiffened.
At the same moment, Ren Tianye also got a clear look at the newcomer.
The man leading them was tall and had fair skin. Though dressed plainly, he held a long spear and carried the distinct air of a scholar-general.
Behind him followed over a hundred soldiers, all possessing an extraordinary aura. At a glance, it was clear they were elite troops forged through years of rigorous training.
Although Ren Tianye had never seen Zhan Shubai before, with just this one look, he recognized him.
The man before him was Zhan Shubai, the defending general of Yunji City.
It was just...
He took a look.
"How does this person look anything like me?"
Since they were both body doubles kept by Empress Xiao Mingzhao, there had to be some resemblance, but Ren Tianye simply couldn't see it.
If he had to point out any similarity, their physical builds were somewhat alike.
However, such thoughts only flashed through Ren Tianye's mind for a brief moment. He couldn't be bothered to worry about these messy matters.
What mattered right now was how to seize Yunji City!
The current situation was extremely disadvantageous to him.
Now that the defending general Zhan Shubai had arrived, Yunji City was on guard. Even if he fired the signal arrow now, with just their twenty-odd men, they likely wouldn't survive until the eight hundred soldiers arrived.
Fortunately, Ren Tianye remained calm. At this moment, he could only adapt to the changing circumstances by remaining still.
"It's you?"
"Ren Tianye?"
What Ren Tianye didn't expect was that the moment Zhan Shubai saw his face, he completely lost his composure. He had been full of excitement, sitting steadily on his horse, but now he swayed so violently he nearly fell off.
"How could it be you?"
"How in the world could it be you?"
Zhan Shubai's face was full of disbelief. "Delivering an imperial decree is a matter of utmost importance. No one but the court eunuchs or Her Majesty's close confidants are granted such an honor. You are nothing but an abandoned body double of Her Majesty. What right do you have to deliver a decree on her behalf?"
"This is impossible!"
"Impossible!"
"Her Majesty didn't even grant me such an honor, so why would she give it to you?"
"On what grounds?"
"How are you better than me?"
He let out a long howl that tore through the sky, his face full of grief, looking more devastated than if his own mother had been killed.
Ren Tianye was stunned.
No, what the hell... did he run into another braindead fool?
How many of them had he encountered these past few days?
Why did he have to bump into another one right now?
Gathering his thoughts and sensing an opportunity to strike, Ren Tianye spoke in a leisurely tone, aiming right for Zhan Shubai's deepest fears and ruthlessly kicking him where it hurt most.
"Why is it impossible?"
"Could my imperial envoy procession be fake? Could my token be fake? Or... do you think the imperial decree in my hand is forged?"
"Heh, let me tell you the truth. Her Majesty and I are very close, far closer than you could ever compare..."
These words indeed stung Zhan Shubai. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he leaped straight off his horse and pointed accusingly at Ren Tianye. "You are lying! Her Majesty clearly does not like you."
"You do not listen to Her Majesty's orders at all. You just go through the motions with the tasks she assigns you, never considering her feelings. You are a useless piece of trash."
"Her Majesty gave up on you long ago."
"Otherwise, when you were kicked into the army by the Ren Duke's estate, how could Her Majesty not speak up for you?"
"You are so inconsiderate towards Her Majesty."
"How could Her Majesty possibly be close to you?"
"Closer than she is to me?"
"You are lying! You are lying! You are lying!"
Zhan Shubai's screams grew increasingly shrill and loud.
But the more he yelled, the more it revealed his inner fear and panic. Ren Tianye understood this perfectly, so he did not say a word, simply watching him with a cold sneer.
Sure enough, Zhan Shubai broke down even further.
Tears streamed down his face as he kept muttering, "Impossible, impossible..."
This vulnerable state made Ren Tianye feel he was definitely on the right track, so he provoked him even more sharply. "Still think it is impossible?!"
"Do you know what Her Majesty's decree is ordering you to do?"
"Her Majesty is sentencing you to death!"
As he spoke, Ren Tianye mentally praised his own brilliance.
The forged imperial decree was originally just for show.
But striving for authenticity, he had fabricated a lie that Zhan Shubai was colluding with the Chifeng Army and was to be executed.
Now, it actually came in handy.
He tossed the decree to Zhan Shubai. "See for yourself. I am sure you recognize Her Majesty's handwriting."
Zhan Shubai was in no state of mind to verify the handwriting. Grabbing the decree, he immediately unrolled it, and upon seeing the words "sentenced to death," his vision went dark.
Then, he began to scream even more frantically.
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
"Her Majesty slaughtered the Chifeng Army because their commander, Lin Yi, opposed her marriage and stood in the way of her love! That is why she ordered the kill!"
"Although I love Her Majesty deeply, I would never oppose her."
"I only want to stay by her side as a quiet, undemanding lover in the shadows. Her Majesty knows my heart, so how could she ever think I would collude with the Chifeng Army?"
"This is impossible!"
...
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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!
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...
