“Five sword saints! All five of them!” Yang Hao sat on the fourth golden step, still having the presence of mind to comment, “How many more sword saints are hiding in this empire?”
Yang Hao shook his head, feeling the conspiracy was growing larger and more intriguing by the moment.
But what happened next was far from amusing. Qin Feng had made his move. Naturally, Qin Feng wouldn’t involve himself in the chaotic battle inside the hall. Effortlessly, he floated onto a step. The fourth golden step wasn’t meant for him, yet he still arrived.
“You’re impressive, Yang Hao. Truly impressive,” Qin Feng sighed. “At such a young age, mastering such power, you could become a dominant force anywhere in the universe. Unfortunately, you’ve angered the wrong people. The Senate is beyond your ability to oppose.”
“Someone has to stand up,” Yang Hao stood up, staring fearlessly at Qin Feng.
“But you’ve lost,” Qin Feng shook his head. “Your full strength is already here. You no longer have the power to turn the tide.”
Yang Hao anxiously glanced downward. Maya was barely able to control the increasing number of Imperial Guards. Meanwhile, Xie Fengting was at a disadvantage against the four elite warriors, relying solely on his divine artifact to barely hold his ground.
Qin Feng was right. Yang Hao had already revealed all his strength, yet the situation hadn’t changed. Even with the arrival of experts from the Oracular Autonomous Territory, they still couldn’t shake the Senate’s power. Judging solely from the current situation, Yang Hao had already lost.
“So now, it’s your turn to choose,” Yang Hao actually managed a smile. With an empty dantian and as a captive, he smiled at the Empire’s most enigmatic martial expert.
Qin Feng nodded, his expression serious. “Yes, my choice is for you to die.”
This was Qin Feng’s decision, and as the highest leader of the Imperial Guards, it was also his choice.
Undoubtedly, Qin Feng’s sole loyalty was to the Emperor, making him a potential force against the Senate. However, since his strength came from the Emperor’s foundation, this decision had to be made with utmost caution.
The Merchant Guild had decided early on to abandon Yang Hao and save themselves. But Qin Feng waited until now to make his choice, carefully assessing the situation until reaching a final judgment.
Qin Feng’s judgment was clear: Yang Hao lacked the capability to turn the tide, so Yang Hao had to die.
With Yang Hao dead, the Imperial Guards could maintain control, the Merchant Guild could survive, and more nobles would be spared from the civil strife.
Sacrificing Yang Hao’s faction would preserve the current balance of the Empire. That was Qin Feng’s decision.
But Yang Hao shook his head, scoffing, “You’re wrong.”
“Where am I wrong?” Qin Feng asked, puzzled.
“I’m not impressive at all,” Yang Hao patted his empty dantian. Only Hun Yuanzi remained there, while the once mighty qi, as vast as a small universe, had long since dissipated. “The power I displayed, the strength I showed you, wasn’t mine.”
“Then whose is it?”
“It’s the strength of all those who resist the Council—the collective power of all rebels.” Yang Hao coldly pointed at the battle within the hall. “The Oracular Autonomous Territory, the Celestials, the Merchants, the nobles—those fighting are the combined forces of all factions opposing the Council. This power has been gathering for far too long. They followed me because I resisted. I fought desperately. If you eliminate this force, you’re also cutting off your own wings. The Council’s influence will expand even further, and what will you have left? What will those behind you have?”
Qin Feng’s expression grew darker, especially when Yang Hao mentioned those behind him, his eyes even flashing with a hint of ferocity.
“You don’t understand, or perhaps you do but can’t make the decision,” Yang Hao nodded. “But someone does.”
“Before the Executive Elders return, you die, and I’ll ensure your people withdraw.”
Qin Feng said.
Yang Hao nodded but remained silent.
Qin Feng clapped his hands together, and a surge of black qi abruptly emerged. This chilling, icy black qi coalesced into a straight line in the air, resembling a long black needle, aimed directly at Yang Hao’s throat.
The power displayed by Qin Feng at this moment was beyond what a sword saint could describe.
If he wished, even becoming the tenth Executive Elder was not impossible.
Yet such a master had now decided to kill Yang Hao.
The black needle relentlessly shot toward Yang Hao’s neck.
Yang Hao, however, widened his eyes as if waiting for something—perhaps the arrival of light, silver sparks, and so on—seemingly unaware of the pain inflicted by the black force on his throat.
But he indeed waited for it.
A flash of silver light, sparks flying, the entire hall brightened momentarily, as if true light had arrived early.
Qin Feng actually took half a step back. This peerless expert was forced back by the sudden silver light. Enraged, Qin Feng’s beard and hair flew wildly, his black robe flapping violently. “Ling’er! Have you gone mad!!”
Yang Hao smiled bitterly and turned to look at Lan Ling, who had just saved him from Qin Feng.
The woman had somehow returned to the hall, and in desperation, she had abandoned even her Snowy Star Lion, rushing alone onto the golden steps.
The clash between the silver spear and the black force,
Qin Feng took half a step back, but Lan Ling suffered a serious internal injury. Her face was unusually pale, a streak of blood vividly red at the corner of her mouth, and her long hair hung disheveled.
Yet in Lan Ling’s eyes was an indescribable determination, a resolve that no one else could comprehend. The hesitation and uncertainty she had shown in her previous interactions with Yang Hao were completely overshadowed by this firmness.
When does a woman truly realize her feelings for a man? Not during the intoxicating moments of romantic nights, nor during the dreamy moments of drizzling rain. Only at the final moment of life and death, when she makes a decision instinctively, can the truth be known.
Lan Ling could have captured Yang Hao, could have prevented his subordinates from stepping onto the golden steps, but she could not bear to see Yang Hao die, watching his blood flow down the golden steps.
On that night at Zhi Nao Star, Yang Hao had left his master’s sword to Lan Ling, and Lan Ling had left her most precious treasure in Yang Hao’s heart.
Lan Ling never spoke of these things, but they had indeed happened.
Before this moment, Lan Ling was still the most beautiful woman in the capital, the most beloved disciple of Qin Feng, and the leader of the Snowy Star Lion Corps. But at this moment, Lan Ling had become a woman in love.
She wept, biting her lip and sorrowfully calling out, “Master…”
“Are you really going to help him?” Qin Feng’s hand trembled; the person before him was truly his most beloved disciple.
“Master…” Lan Ling’s sorrow was profound; where was the image of a Saint Domain expert now? Her silver spear dragged on the ground, unable to point at Qin Feng.
Qin Feng’s black qi surged, seemingly even expanding his entire body. He exuded an astonishing pressure that silenced the entire palace.
All the fighting within the palace ceased, and everyone was stunned by the change, especially the four experts battling against Xie Fengting. They were Lan Ling’s senior apprentices, well aware of how cold Lan Ling usually was. The nickname “Ice Beauty” wasn’t given in vain.
But today, she had cried for a man.
And even betrayed her sect for him.
Yet Yang Hao, the instigator of it all, smiled, taking Lan Ling’s hand and saying:
“So you would still be sad if I died.”
“Idiot!” Lan Ling bit her lip so hard it bled. In such a situation, Yang Hao still had the mood to tease her, making her wish—wish to stab him with her spear dozens of times.
Though she thought this, Lan Ling ultimately couldn’t bring herself to do it. She let Yang Hao hold her hand and walk toward the palace gate.
No one dared to stop them.
Though Qin Feng’s power surged, he remained trembling, not making a move. Lan Ling looked back at her master with a sorrowful expression, taking three steps for every glance. She deeply understood that even if her master was furious, he wouldn’t harm her, but today’s actions had truly burned away all the emotional ties with her sect.
Was it really worth it?
Lan Ling didn’t know. She hadn’t even dared to think about it carefully. What she did was simply follow her heart.
So now, it was Yang Hao, completely devoid of power, who held her hand and walked. Yang Hao’s steps were steady, step by step, firmly stepping on the blue stone bricks of the palace. All the surrounding chaos seemed unrelated to him as he held his woman’s hand and left this place of slaughter.
Xie Fengting and Maya also broke free from the battle, cautiously defending behind Yang Hao.
The changes today were too fast for even Xie Fengting to predict. He had originally come to die alongside Yang Hao, who could have imagined that there would actually be a chance to rescue Yang Hao.
What to do after rescuing him? How to escape? How to survive outside the Senate’s territory?
These were matters Yang Hao himself had to think about. As a leader, he had already shown sufficient talent. From now on, following Yang Hao’s footsteps, the skies of the Empire might become different.
Yang Hao held Lan Ling’s hand, walking with Xie Fengting and Maya to the entrance of the grand palace, suddenly stopping.
“What’s wrong?” Lan Ling turned her head in surprise.
Yang Hao sighed; it wasn’t going to be that simple. From the moment he started sighing to the air filled with a brief sense of unease, only a short moment had passed.
But Lan Ling’s expression had already changed because at the entrance of the grand palace, the air was wildly twisting, and bright flashes of light were appearing within it, as if several spaces were gathering together, and that place was about to be torn open.
Lan Ling stomped her foot, and the silver spear in her hand shot forward like lightning, directly aiming at the nearly formed spatial wormhole.
In Yang Hao’s eyes, this strike was worthy of applause. Lan Ling was indeed the youngest warrior in the Empire to have entered the Saint Domain. Even in a state of intense emotional fluctuation, she could still deliver such a perfect attack, which contained no techniques, no impurities, only pure speed and pure power.
Yang Hao was convinced that even if Situ Hai were here, facing such a perfect spear strike from Lan Ling, he would have no choice but to retreat.
Perhaps only if Situ Hai used his heaven-defying sword could he match it.
But Yang Hao was wrong.
The person emerging from the spatial hole did not retreat, not even bothering to evade Lan Ling’s full-strength strike. The person at the forefront simply raised his hand and flicked it aside as if brushing off a branch, easily deflecting the silver spear.
Even more shockingly, upon contact with the person’s hand, the spear seemed to be coated with thousands of degrees of heat, instantly turning red-hot as if it had just been taken out of a furnace.
Lan Ling hastily let go, but a faint burn mark was already left on her palm.
Who else could easily deflect a strike from a Saint Domain expert other than the three Executive Elders?
The three Executive Elders, Wu Yi, Hei Feng, and Rong Li, stepped out from the forcibly torn spatial hole. They had returned in a short time, though their appearances were slightly disheveled.
Rong Li’s hair was somewhat disheveled, and Hei Feng’s left arm even appeared to be injured. This situation was truly extraordinary. The Executive Elders were highly revered figures within the Empire; their assertion of being among the nine top experts in the universe was no mere boasting. Given their strength, aside from the Supreme Sovereign, it was hard to imagine anyone else posing a threat to them.
Yet now, not only did the three look disheveled, but one of them was even slightly injured, clearly having encountered fierce battle in the Dan Ding Cave.
Indeed, Elder Wu Yi abandoned his usual refined demeanor and glared menacingly at Yang Hao.
Yang Hao naturally had no choice but to retreat. The opponent could easily deflect a perfect strike from a sword saint. Even if he had two sword saints, what could he do?
Yang Hao, Lan Ling, Xie Fengting, and Maya retreated into the grand palace.
Elder Wu Yi slowly floated upward, enveloped in a sacred light that made his voice even more resonant: “Six sword saints plotted to assassinate the至尊’s body. Fortunately, we returned in time to prevent them from succeeding.”
Elder Wu Yi’s words were naturally intended for all the court officials to hear. The officials listened in stunned silence, particularly the lower-ranking ones, who were only aware of the three sword saints within the Empire. Yet Wu Yi claimed that six domain experts had conspired to assassinate the至尊. What was truly happening?
Inside the palace, only the Minister of the Privy Council and the commander of the Imperial Guards, Qin Feng, showed slight changes in expression.
Elder Wu Yi, standing so high and shouting so loudly, naturally intended his words for them. The old man’s focus was on Qin Feng, but he forgot to watch Yang Hao. Yang Hao’s escape route was cut off, yet he didn’t show any sign of panic. Instead, after hearing Wu Yi’s words, a strange smile appeared on his face.
He was captured again, yet he still smiled. Lan Ling increasingly admired this man’s fearless and reckless character.
“When did your Dan Ding Sword Sect gain such strength?” Elder Wu Yi looked down at Yang Hao, his voice filled with bone-chilling coldness. “Six sword saints, sacrificed just to buy you a little time. Don’t tell me this is the remnant of your Dan Ding Sect from a thousand years ago.”
“No, absolutely not!” Yang Hao patted his chest to guarantee.
“Then who sent them?” Elder Wu Yi sneered. “Tell me, and I’ll spare your life.”
Qin Feng’s expression changed drastically; the old man’s face turned pale, even more anxious than when Lan Ling had betrayed him. Looking at his expression, he seemed to wish to kill Yang Hao on the spot.
Who else in the Empire could casually deploy six hidden sword saints? It was practically obvious.
But if Yang Hao admitted it himself, the situation would be completely different.
The rebellion was transformed into an assassination of the Supreme Emperor, and the effect was indeed different. Qin Feng could almost see the Empire in turmoil, the imperial city drifting in a sea of blood.
“That…” Yang Hao dragged out the word, deliberately teasing them, “was the reinforcement from the Oracular Autonomous Territory.”
“Reinforcement?”
“Of course. As the Lord of the Oracular Autonomous Territory, when I ran into trouble, naturally reinforcements would rush to help.” Yang Hao said mysteriously, “Old bear Herd has been training more than thirty apprentices, each of whom has entered the Saint Domain. Sacrificing six of them is nothing.”
Yang Hao’s words were half-truths and half-lies, mostly lies, but others couldn’t distinguish the truth from falsehood. Elder Herd, as the spiritual leader of the resistance forces, was the biggest threat to the Empire in recent decades. Moreover, Herd had already entered the Saint Domain, and his current strength was difficult to estimate. If he had cultivated a force against the Empire, it was quite possible.
The Oracular Autonomous Territory was too far from Earth, and its force composition was mainly made up of external rebels. Even the King of the Intelligent Brain couldn’t analyze the exact number of troops,
let alone Elder Wu Yi.
Elder Wu Yi frowned, half-believing and half-doubting: “What if they are reinforcements? They’re merely coming here to die. No matter how much outside assistance you have, you can’t even harm a single hair on the Zunzhi.”
As Elder Wu Yi spoke, the two Elders, Rong Li and Hei Feng, also moved. Elder Rong Li flicked his finger, and Lan Ling felt her blood reversing violently inside her body, as if her entire blood circulation was controlled. She endured the internal turmoil, forcefully tapping her meridians several times, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood before collapsing weakly. On Lan Ling’s white clothes, the bright red blood bloomed like a flower, dazzlingly vivid.
This was already Rong Li showing leniency because Lan Ling was someone he had watched grow up. Otherwise, that casual move earlier could have completely destroyed Lan Ling’s cultivation.
The situation wasn’t as good on the other side. Elder Hei Feng had already been injured while fighting several sword saints earlier, and now he was looking for someone to vent his fury. Therefore, he showed no mercy and pulled out his usual weapon. It was a black piece of iron, like a paperweight, but when swung, it seemed to emit the wails of trapped souls.
“The Thousand Soul Paperweight!” Xie Fengting recognized it, exclaiming in anger.
“Good to know,” Elder Hei Feng arrogantly raised the black iron. “My Thousand Soul Paperweight has already absorbed the souls of 998 experts. Just two more, and it will be fully matured. It’s truly your fortune to be crushed under my treasure.”
Xie Fengting was about to lose his last bit of fighting spirit. Elder Hei Feng’s Thousand Soul Paperweight was a famous weapon in the universe. It was said to be ranked in the top ten on the weapon list of the Celestial Strategist Elders.
Bear in mind, the weapons ranked at the top of that list were famous divine artifacts like the Night Axe. For Elder Hei Feng to have his self-cultivated item listed was a first in history.
As the name suggests, the Thousand Soul Paperweight required absorbing one thousand souls to reach full maturity. However, when Hei Feng was cultivating it, he only chose to kill those who had broken through to the Grand Sword Master level. Each kill absorbed the person’s power, so when he killed two hundred people, the power of this item was already formidable.
The Thousand Soul Paperweight’s most glorious moment was during the rebellion of the thirty-six royal branches years ago. That night, the Thousand Soul Paperweight traveled a thousand miles and assassinated four Saint Domain experts from a distance, making it famous overnight. The souls of those four Saint Domain experts further enhanced the energy of this evil artifact.
Elder Hei Feng had been waiting for this day. If he could kill two more Saint Domain experts and complete the thousand souls, this weapon could officially be upgraded to a divine artifact.
Creating a divine artifact was something only gods could do. Now, Elder Hei Feng was about to achieve it, which would greatly elevate his status among the Executive Elders.
Xie Fengting’s short sword was also a divine artifact, but unfortunately, the power gap between them was too large. Xie Fengting released his Aurora several times, the dazzling light almost blinding, but against the Thousand Soul Paperweight, it was like a cow entering the sea, completely absorbed without a sound.
The Thousand Soul Paperweight was saturated with the souls of the damned, a most sinister object. Anything related to light would be absorbed.
Elder Hei Feng was delighted. He naturally looked down on a Saint Domain like Xie Fengting. In his eyes, the only use for a Saint Domain soul was to be absorbed by the Thousand Soul Paperweight, eventually becoming the cornerstone of his success.
The black divine paperweight soared high, ready to smash onto Xie Fengting’s head. Xie Fengting had been a hidden sword saint for so long, yet he had never encountered such a crisis. In this life-or-death moment, he no longer cared about the ownership of the divine artifact. He raised his hand, and the sword, only finger-length, flew out, confronting the Thousand Soul Paperweight.
Elder Hei Feng sneered, “Fool, do you want to give your divine sword to me?” He arrogantly reached out, trying to grasp the divine short sword in his palm.
But at that very moment, an ominous feeling came from behind him.
An uncomfortable feeling.
As an Executive Elder, his strength was a full level above the Saint Domain experts. Elder Hei Feng naturally wasn’t easy to sneak up on. However, while attacking Xie Fengting, behind him was only Yang Hao, who had lost his powers. Naturally, he didn’t bother to guard against a useless person.
But who could have guessed that even a useless person might strike back at a crucial moment.
Just as Elder Hei Feng reached out to seize the sword, an invisible divine artifact shot out from Yang Hao’s body. Although there was no sword core to consume, Yang Hao had long since swallowed two primary cores. At this moment, his cultivation had already entered the Saint Domain. If his power were fully restored, it would be more than enough for him to become a sword saint.
When Elder Hei Feng felt the air shift behind him, he hastily tried to dodge, but it was already too late. Yang Hao’s Shadow Moon cut a piece of flesh from Hei Feng’s arm.
Then, Shadow Moon continued its momentum, leaving a trail of blood in the air. It joined Xie Fengting’s divine sword in colliding with the Thousand Soul Paperweight.
An unusually dull sound caused the palace’s floor to tremble three times, and the smooth, flat stone tiles on the ground were shattered into pieces.
Two divine artifacts colliding with the Thousand Soul Paperweight, no matter how powerful its master was, it was difficult to resist. This was the first time the Thousand Soul Paperweight had suffered such a heavy blow since its creation. It let out a wail and fell back into Hei Feng’s arms.
“How dare you!!” Elder Hei Feng was furious. He looked at his beloved treasure with heartbreak, the black iron having two deep gashes on it.
The essence of this weapon had suffered unprecedented damage, and the souls inside were spilling out uncontrollably. This time, Elder Hei Feng’s Thousand Soul Paperweight was completely ruined. It would be hard to even restore its previous power, let alone become a divine artifact.
“You!” Elder Wu Yi could no longer act arrogantly. He landed on the ground and used his true power to press Yang Hao down, immobilizing him. “You’ve regained your power?”
“Of course… nonsense!” Yang Hao gasped, his liver quivering from the exertion.
Yang Hao had kept this secret until now. If it weren’t for Xie Fengting’s imminent danger, he wouldn’t have acted so recklessly. Since being captured back from Zhi Nao Star, Yang Hao had been meditating, hoping to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for his own use. But the power in the Milky Way was too weak. Every day, only a trickle of energy came in, making it practically unusable.
Having a god in the dantian did have some benefits. Hun Yuanzi proudly took on the additional task of capturing spiritual energy. Whenever a bit of spiritual energy entered, Hun Yuanzi would pounce on it like catching a butterfly, then condense it together.
After many days, Hun Yuanzi finally condensed all the true energy into a small clump the size of a fingernail. If it were in the past, such a small clump of true energy wouldn’t have been of much use. However, Yang Hao had continuously broken through two thresholds and entered the Frostwalking Realm.
With his original combat power, he should have officially entered the Saint Domain. Therefore, this small clump of true energy was enough for Yang Hao to launch an attack, even if it was the weakest attack. As long as it was unexpected and combined with the power of Shadow Moon itself, it could be quite effective.
Indeed, this sudden attack destroyed Elder Hei Feng’s prized weapon and pulled Xie Fengting back from the brink of death.
Elder Wu Yi was furious. Today’s plan had been flawless, with layers of defenses set up to eliminate Yang Hao’s forces. Who could have predicted so many unexpected events? Not only were Yang Hao’s subordinates stronger and more numerous than anticipated, but the至尊’s body had nearly been attacked. Now, Elder Hei Feng’s decades of hard work had been destroyed in an instant.
Elder Wu Yi’s face turned dark green as he carefully looked at Yang Hao, whose face was as smooth as jade. Just how many unknown things were hidden in this young man that had pushed the Executive Elders to such a situation.
Elder Wu Yi decided he could wait no longer. He suddenly realized that Yang Hao was a dangerous person, someone who could make him feel chills from the depths of his heart. No one knew what Yang Hao would become if given more time, how terrifying an opponent he might turn into.
Elders Hei Feng and Rong Li shared the same thoughts as they approached. The three Executive Elders simultaneously extended their hands and placed them on Yang Hao’s head. They had made up their minds: they wouldn’t use Yang Hao as a weapon anymore but would instead destroy him completely, ensuring he could never cause any more trouble.
The power of the three Executive Elders gathered above Yang Hao’s head. At this moment, Yang Hao could truly do no more. He was pinned down by Elder Wu Yi, completely unable to move.
However, Yang Hao’s expression was quite strange. Feeling the killing intent above his head, he showed no fear but instead looked expectant. In his star-like eyes, there was truly an expression of anticipation.
Beside Yang Hao, Lan Ling lay on the icy ground, her hair spread to one side, her lips tightly pressed, silently watching Yang Hao.
Yang Hao smiled at her.
A woman’s heart is sometimes something even she herself cannot explain. Lan Ling’s icy heart had completely melted because of Yang Hao. In fact, she had always wanted to tell Yang Hao that the happiest day of her life was the day they spent together on Zhi Nao Star.
That was all of Lan Ling.
The Empire’s history, the battles and fights, had always made Lan Ling live in a dead water. Her heart wasn’t cold, but the world was too cold for her to be able to move.
If there really was a chance, to live together in that sunny place, how wonderful that would be. Lan Ling thought to herself, regretting not having accepted Yang Hao’s proposal earlier.
There might be no more chances. Lan Ling looked at the Executive Elders slowly applying their power to Yang Hao’s forehead, only lightly smiling, while her heart was bitterly saying goodbye.
Yang Hao was still full of anticipation. He firmly believed that what he was waiting for would indeed arrive at the final moment.
And that moment would become a new chapter in the history of the Empire, a watershed moment of an era.
No one knew what Yang Hao, who was about to die, was waiting for.
But that moment truly arrived.
Just as the power of the Executive Elders was about to press down on Yang Hao’s forehead, only needing a little more force to make his head explode.
“Imperial Decree!” A person, panting for breath, appeared at the grand palace. “The Emperor’s decree!!!”
“Long live the Emperor!” Although the ministers in the hall were stunned for a moment, they still knelt halfway and shouted in unison.
The three Executive Elders naturally did not kneel. They still maintained their posture of about to kill, standing and looking towards the messenger.
Standing on the sixth golden step was the Imperial Heir, holding an imperial decree sealed with the royal mark, loudly announcing, “The Grand Emperor of the Milky Way Empire has issued a decree. Lord Yang Hao of the Oracular Autonomous Territory, who has been granted the title of Viscount, has performed meritorious service in protecting the Emperor at the Dan Ding Cave and established the Dan Ding Sword Sect, making extraordinary contributions to expanding the Empire’s territory. Therefore, by imperial decree, Yang Hao is promoted to the rank of Baron, and the Oracular Autonomous Territory is granted as his fief. Additionally, Princess Xianlan and Lord Yang Hao are mutually affectionate, and the Emperor has decreed their marriage to take place on an auspicious day.”
The Imperial Heir finished reading the decree in one breath, not even having time to wipe the sweat from his brow, and urgently said to Elder Wu Yi, “Senior Elders, did you all hear the Emperor’s words clearly?”
Elder Wu Yi was in a daze, not only him, but almost everyone else was as well.
Not only were they dazed, but if the ministers here hadn’t experienced much in life, they might even have gone mad. After all, times change, and anything can happen. But this was simply too fast.
Yang Hao had been punished for attempting to assassinate the Emperor, yet the decree spoke of his meritorious service in protecting the Emperor? Protecting what? Could it possibly be that the Emperor was protected from a fly by Yang Hao with a flying sword?
Yang Hao was clearly the leader of the anti-Empire alliance. When did he become someone who expanded the Empire’s territory? A rebel being officially enfeoffed was unprecedented in the Empire’s history.
Even more shocking was the mutual affection between the Princess and Yang Hao. This was simply stretching the truth to the heavens. Princess Xianlan and Yang Hao had only met once, and they were practically at each other’s throats. Where was the mutual affection? Mutual antagonism would be more accurate. Yet the decree ordered their marriage.
Could it be that the Emperor had really become senile?
“Is this really the imperial decree?” Elder Wu Yi asked.
The Imperial Heir smiled bitterly and wiped his sweat with effort. “Senior Elder, do you think I dare to forge an imperial decree? I personally watched my father write it.”
“Does he know what he is saying?” Elder Wu Yi coldly said. There was already obvious dissatisfaction with the Emperor in his words.
The ministers in the hall had already stood up, led by the Minister of the Privy Council, showing great vigilance. As the core force of the Emperor, the Privy Council had always been in opposition to the Senate. If it weren’t for the execution of Yang Hao, these ministers wouldn’t have been so respectful to the Elders.
“Senior Elder,” Qin Feng spoke slowly. “Since that is the case, please release Sir Yang Hao. Princess Xianlan is waiting to marry him.”
“Marry…” Yang Hao was also somewhat dazed. Honestly, since the imperial decree was announced, the most dazed person was Yang Hao himself. In fact, what he had been waiting for all along was the Emperor’s statement. However, no one had expected that the decree would end with an order for him to marry the Princess.
Was this not the devil’s work? Yang Hao had no affection at all for that shrew, Xianlan. In his memory, besides her constant scolding, she had only been stirring up trouble and damaging Yang Hao’s reputation.
Make Yang Hao marry her? What a ridiculous idea!
Even if she were stripped naked and delivered to Yang Hao’s bed, he might have a little interest.
“Sir?” Elder Wu Yi’s gaze was already cold enough to freeze the entire world. He still maintained the posture of suppressing Yang Hao, the white light ball in his hand ready to be pressed in. With just a flick of his finger, Yang Hao’s precious head would be gone from this world.
But was he really going to do it?
“Yang Hao, did you really protect the Emperor?” Elder Wu Yi actually lowered his head and softly asked.
“Whether it’s killing or protecting, isn’t it all up to him to decide?” Yang Hao smiled naturally. “Don’t forget, he is the master of this Empire, the Emperor of this Empire.”
“Even with the Emperor’s support, don’t imagine you can defy the Senate.” Elder Wu Yi’s growing unease was beyond ordinary understanding, yet he couldn’t channel the power in his hands into Yang Hao’s mind. Although such an act would be as simple as crushing an ant, he was unable to do it. Instead, he spoke in the gentlest tone, delivering the gravest of threats: “Don’t forget, behind you stands only the Emperor, while behind us, there is also the Supreme Sovereign.”
“The Supreme?” Yang Hao said. “What if… the Supreme is already dead? What would happen to this world then?”
The three Executive Elders trembled. The fury on their faces was beyond comprehension.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage