“Ahh… Help me!”
Inside the golden hall, the usually dignified ministers and officials had abandoned their noble decorum, scrambling in panic with their hands over their heads, running aimlessly in all directions.
A violent gust of wind sent the officials flying, and with a deafening crash, the golden doors of the grand hall were slammed shut by Qiao San.
“Tell me, who is the Left Chancellor?”
With a single motion, a minister desperately seeking an exit was immediately drawn into Qiao San’s grasp. However, before he could even hear the demon’s words clearly, he was so frightened that his eyes popped out, and he fainted dead away.
Among the military officers, there were still a few brave and loyal souls, but they too were casually struck down by Qiao San. In no time, no one dared to stand in Qiao San’s way.
“Left Chancellor, you old dog, come out!” Ghostly clouds swirled around their master, sending Qiao San’s hair flying into the air, creating an overwhelming aura of murderous intent. The Left Chancellor, hiding among the crowd, nearly fainted from fear, his plump body wishing he could flatten himself into a piece of paper and slip into a crack in the ground.
Amid the chaos, human instinct caused the officials to divide into three groups: one loyal to the Left Chancellor, one to the Right Chancellor. Compared to these two factions, the Emperor’s own supporters were fewer in number. Additionally, the Dragon Throne’s lofty position made the ministers instinctively reluctant to approach it. This allowed the rogue Qiao San to spot the pale-faced old man immediately.
Qiao San didn’t recognize the man, but he recognized the imperial dragon robe. In his urgency and anger, he didn’t care much about anything else. His ghostly clouds shifted, and Qiao San had already lunged toward the emperor.
“Save… save the Emperor!”
A smooth-skinned eunuch cried out for the emperor’s rescue but quickly rolled himself down the steps like a clever rat.
“Old man, are you the Son of Heaven?” Qiao San grabbed the old emperor with one hand. As he threatened and questioned him, the rogue’s mind still had room for wild thoughts.
Damn it, this emperor doesn’t seem any different from an ordinary person! What’s all this talk about the “True Dragon Emperor” and “Mandate of Heaven”? It’s all just nonsense to fool the common people. This emperor is just a pile of crap—I’ll beat him just the same!
“Dare you! I am the sovereign of this nation and cannot be… threatened!” The old emperor, having ruled men his entire life, naturally possessed some imperial bearing. Unfortunately, under Qiao San’s narrowing eyes, his “Dragon Tongue” began to stutter!
It turned out that the emperor was just an ordinary person after all. In the face of someone more powerful, he transformed from a dragon into a mouse.
“Slap! Slap!”
The emperor’s identity made Qiao San particularly excited. As his blood surged, he threw a slap, and then, in a fit of anger, another one. Holding the pitiful emperor by the chest, he deliberately mimicked the emperor’s tone to provoke him: “Dare you! I am the rogue of this nation, and you, this dog emperor, dare not answer me!”
After those two slaps, the emperor’s noble aura was indeed shattered. Fearing for his life, the old man quickly changed tactics. “Grea… Great Immortal, spa… spare me! I will appoint you as the National Preceptor, how about that? Oh, and I will help you punish the Left Chancellor to death—I can even exterminate his nine closest clans!”
Facing temptations of fame and fortune that few could resist, Qiao San, the rogue with a heart of greed, slapped the old emperor again. “Damn it! I told you not to act all high and mighty like an emperor. If I have a grudge, I’ll settle it myself! Don’t make me show you what a ‘dog’ emperor really is!”
“Ahh… I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you… He is the Left Chancellor!”
As Qiao San loosened his grip, the old emperor immediately fell to the ground—and crawled, quickly scrambling beneath the Dragon Throne, hugging his head and trembling in fear. He was terrified that this self-proclaimed rogue might call him a “dog emperor” again.
“Swish!” Qiao San’s gaze, sharp as a blade or sword, turned toward the direction the emperor’s finger pointed. A large group of the Left Chancellor’s followers were so frightened that their souls seemed to fly from their bodies. They quickly scattered left and right, creating a sudden commotion that exposed the cowering Left Chancellor in the center.
“Chancellor, run!” Amid the chaos, someone’s “loyalty” reached its peak. Not only did they shout, but they also made sure Qiao San heard them clearly, repeatedly pointing at the Left Chancellor and yelling for him to be careful!
“You—Are you the Left Chancellor?!” Ghostly clouds floated and shifted behind Qiao San, reflecting the icy, murderous expression on the rogue’s face. Step by step, Qiao San slowly approached the Left Chancellor.
“I…” Instinctively, the Left Chancellor tried to dodge left and right, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t escape the terrifying gaze of the demon. This kind of mental torment was the cruelest. The once lofty Left Chancellor now cowered like a beggar on the street.
“Boom!” Just then, the golden doors were heavily pushed open, and a group of saviors appeared, bringing renewed hope to the Left Chancellor’s already lifeless eyes.
The old masters from the Imperial Cultivation Hall of various sects appeared one after another. They came in many forms—”monks, Taoists, nuns, and laymen”—and displayed various techniques—”movement, stillness, arts, and schools”—each with their own unique flair.
“National Preceptor, save me!” The instinct to survive is always powerful. The Left Chancellor, driven by desperation, suddenly became as light as a swallow, running swiftly.
“Chancellor, don’t be afraid! Fellow cultivators from various sects have arrived. They will surely subdue this demon!”
As the Left Chancellor was about to escape into the crowd of cultivators, Qiao San’s anger surged. His figure stirred up a violent wind, and the sword at his waist was drawn again. A brilliant sword beam shot straight toward the Left Chancellor’s back.
Strength lies in numbers. The fear in Master Thunderfire’s heart had completely vanished. The Left Chancellor was his worldly support—how could the National Preceptor let him come to harm? Moreover, the old Taoist wanted to regain some dignity in front of his fellow cultivators.
“Demon! How dare you! Fellow cultivators, eliminate this evil creature—don’t show any mercy!”
“Right! How can the human world tolerate such a monster running rampant!”
In an instant, several magical beams were already rushing toward Qiao San. Master Thunderfire was particularly cunning. His lightning fire did not directly strike the target but instead shot toward the space behind the Left Chancellor—the very path the demon had to take to chase him!
“Whoosh…” The air grew tense and heavy, making it hard for ordinary people to breathe. The stillness of the golden hall etched into everyone’s memory this most delicate and tense moment.
At this moment, Qiao San was still about three zhang away from the Left Chancellor, while the Left Chancellor was only two zhang from the various cultivators. Viewed from afar, it seemed as if Qiao San was racing against the cultivators, with the Left Chancellor at the center of the vortex.
If—If Qiao San continued his relentless pursuit, he might kill his enemy, but he would surely be injured by the magical weapons!
If—If Qiao San retreated or dodged, he might survive unscathed, but the Left Chancellor would escape to live another day!
Though the situation seemed complex and tense, in reality, it was only a flash of lightning, a fleeting moment. Qiao San ignored all the magical weapons completely, and his sword tip, instead of slowing down, sped up even more toward the Left Chancellor’s back!
“Bang!” A magical talisman struck Qiao San’s shoulder, tearing his clothes and breaking his skin. But he was already less than two zhang away from the Left Chancellor.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!” Two beams of light struck simultaneously. Qiao San actually blocked them with his arm, which splattered with blood and exposed bones. After knocking away the two attacks, he was only a zhang away from the Left Chancellor!
At the same time he took his third step forward, more than ten human magical weapons struck Qiao San’s entire body. Spells, talismans, immortal swords—all fell upon him like a strange “garment” of deadly intent, wrapping around the demon’s form!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage