The red-clothed man walked slowly towards them.
Gu Qianying's delicate eyebrows furrowed.
This person's figure… was so familiar.
Meng Yi, standing behind her, stared in astonishment at the red-clothed man following the Emperor of the Imperial Capital.
Was that… his master?
He leaned forward, his feet instinctively moving forward.
"What are you doing?"
Jiaolong A Mu grabbed Meng Yi.
Meng Yi looked back, snapping out of his daze, and took two steps back.
It couldn't be. His master had been captured by the Evil Emperor, how could he be here?
Impossible!
He dismissed the ridiculous thought that had just surfaced, yet at the same time, he desperately hoped that the red-clothed man in the mask was indeed his master.
If so, it would mean his master was safe for now.
Beside him, A Mu, unaware of Meng Yi's thoughts, found Meng Yi's behavior today somewhat unusual.
And at this moment, besides Gu Qianying and Meng Yi, who found the Imperial State Preceptor's figure somewhat familiar,
Du Chun and Nangong Mo also harbored doubts.
Nangong Mo turned to look at Gu Qianying. As he looked, Gu Qianying also looked at him.
Neither of them spoke, but being familiar with each other, they knew what the other was thinking even without words.
Gu Qianying smiled at Nangong Mo and patted his hand.
Signaling that she knew what to do.
As soon as the Emperor of the Empire arrived, he ordered the Imperial Guards to surround the Ling Shu Pavilion inside and out.
Archers were also prepared around the perimeter.
Under Jiaolong A Mu's signal, the evil spirits escorting the Xuan Ling Masters placed their swords on the shoulders of all the Xuan Ling Masters.
The atmosphere was tense.
Gu Qianying, however, remained leisurely, drinking the warm tea handed to her by the maid Wu Zi.
"You evil demons dare to provoke our Empire, truly courting death!"
The eunuch serving the Emperor of the Empire, with a voice like a duck, shouted loudly.
At this moment.
The Emperor of the Empire also spoke, "Release my princes, princesses, and the wives and children of our court officials. Then, I can grant you evil demons a whole corpse."
As the words fell.
Several archers revealed themselves, their bows and arrows ready to be loosed at a moment's notice.
Each arrow tip was encircled by wisps of crimson spiritual energy, indicating that these archers were cultivators.
And at this time.
The few people following Gu Qianying, and all the evil spirits present, showed no fear on their faces.
Lowering her gaze to drink her tea, Gu Qianying did not look at anyone, and even the slight doubt she had felt towards the red-clothed man earlier was well hidden.
Her demeanor was nonchalant until she finished the tea in her cup. She then slowly raised her eyes, without standing, and looked coldly at the Emperor of the Empire.
"It seems His Majesty the Emperor wants his most beloved daughter to die here. Very well! A Mu!"
Jiaolong A Mu nodded and walked to Shangguan Sang Xi. As the evil spirit holding Shangguan Sang Xi retreated, he grabbed Shangguan Sang Xi by the back of her collar, dragged her forward, and brought her to the center.
As they moved forward, Shangguan Bei Chen, standing beside them, raised his palm to strike, but was held back by the Third Prince Shangguan Rong Jing.
"Big Brother, aren't you curious about this young lady's intentions in putting on this act?"
Shangguan Bei Chen looked at Shangguan Rong Jing and frowned, "Sang Xi is our sister. Do you know what you're doing?"
"Heh!"
This statement amused Shangguan Rong Jing.
He leaned forward, closer to Shangguan Bei Chen, and whispered into his ear, "There has never been any familial affection in the royal family. Ten years ago, you personally killed your own brother and took the position of the First Prince. Big Brother, why do you pretend in front of me like this?"
A thick, fragrant scent mixed with the smell of blood wafted into Shangguan Bei Chen's nostrils.
He frowned, intending to push Shangguan Rong Jing away, but Shangguan Rong Jing hooked his neck with his good right hand. "Big Brother, I want this young lady, and none of the men around her can be left alive. However... before that, I hope you will cooperate with this act. Later, once this young lady is mine, you can have anything else, including this throne..."
Hearing this, Shangguan Bei Chen's eyes deepened.
Shangguan Rong Jing released him and turned to continue being his "hostage."
Meanwhile.
Jiaolong A Mu, holding Shangguan Sang Xi, walked to the center and held his sword against Shangguan Sang Xi's neck with one hand.
Shangguan Sang Xi was terrified.
But she also felt that no one in the Empire dared to treat her like this, and she became furious.
"Release this princess! If you dare to harm me, I will take your dog life!"
Jiaolong A Mu remained unmoved.
"You are a subordinate of that filthy evil person. Tell me, how much did she pay you? I will give you ten times that amount. Be my personal guard and be loyal to me. I will make you the most powerful person in the Empire, how about it?"
"Shut up! Or I'll cut out your tongue!"
A Mu shouted coldly.
He detested women's chatter and would not allow anyone to insult his sect leader.
If it weren't for the fact that today's events were all part of his sect leader's plan, he would have already killed those who insulted his sect leader and this irritating woman.
Unable to persuade the cold-blooded man before her,
Shangguan Sang Xi cried out towards the main entrance, "Father, save Sang Xi! Sang Xi is so scared."
Seeing that these evil people before him were unmoved, and had even pushed out his most beloved daughter.
The Emperor of the Empire was furious, his sharp eyes filled with murderous intent.
The Emperor's authority could not be insulted.
He beckoned General Han, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and ordered him, "Kill all these evil people here! Leave none alive!"
General Han was slightly taken aback. "Your Majesty... the Third Prince, the First Prince, the Third Princess, and the Fourth Princess are all in their hands. If we kill them all, then the Third Prince and the Third Princess... will...?"
The Emperor of the Empire's gaze turned cold as he looked at General Han.
General Han quickly shut his mouth.
"What does it matter if a few princes and princesses die? Is the palace short of princes and princesses?"
The Emperor of the Empire's words were cold and ruthless.
General Han felt a chill down his spine. He dared not disobey the order and replied, "Yes."
As he turned, the State Preceptor Yan Ao Tian, who had been standing behind the Emperor of the Empire without speaking, called out to General Han, "Wait!"
General Han stopped in his tracks.
The Emperor of the Empire turned to look at Yan Ao Tian, frowning in confusion. "Master Yu Hua, what is the meaning of this?"
His expression was hidden beneath his mask, but his powerful aura could be felt emanating from him.
"Your Majesty, these evil people are not a threat, and it doesn't matter if a few princes and princesses die. However, if Your Majesty insists on doing this, it will be difficult to silence the public, and Your Majesty's reputation for a lifetime will be ruined."
"Moreover, among those being held hostage today are the family members of court officials. If their deaths cause dissatisfaction among the court officials towards Your Majesty and breed resentment, it is inevitable that they will defect to the feudal lords, rebel, and usurp the throne."
Hearing this.
The Emperor of the Empire thought for a moment and then asked, "Does the State Preceptor mean to let me release these evil spawn?"
"Not only should these people be released, but we should also make a deal with them."
"Hmm?"
The Emperor of the Empire was somewhat confused.
"Your Majesty, the Bai Ze divine beast is about to be born. All the Xuan Ling Masters with decent cultivation in the Empire have rushed to Ling Shu Pavilion to try and contract with the Bai Ze divine beast. However, the Bai Ze divine beast is an ancient divine beast with extremely strong offensive power. How easy is it to subdue this divine beast?"
"Even I am not confident in subduing the Bai Ze divine beast. What capability do those evil people have to do so? By making a deal with them, firstly, we can use a borrowed knife to kill, and when the divine beast goes berserk, it is common for a few people to die."
"Furthermore, I have heard that although the sect leader of Jue Sha Sect, Gu, is the empress of the demonic realm, she has a high reputation in the martial world. Apart from our Empire, several other small countries have people loyal to Jue Sha Sect. The combined forces of these people are not to be underestimated."
"In contrast, our Empire, over the past thousand years, while claiming to annihilate evil people, has suffered countless casualties. The internal situation is already vulnerable. Killing a few evil people is a small matter, but confronting Jue Sha Sect is not worth the loss. By making a deal with them, we only acknowledge Jue Sha Sect, not the evil people."
"Of course, before doing this, our Empire must secretly seek letters of support from the emperors of other small countries to help Your Majesty annihilate all evil people in the world. Once all these evil people are under the Bai Ze divine beast, Your Majesty can then announce to the world that the evil people have been annihilated, and present the supporting letters from the emperors of other small countries."
"At that time, Your Majesty will become the hero who annihilated the evil people, and we will gain fame and fortune without lifting a finger. What does Your Majesty think of this method?"
As he spoke, Yan Ao Tian glanced at the red figure seated on a chair not far away.
When he withdrew his gaze, his eyes, as calm as a deep pool, held no emotion.
But no one could see that his fists, clenched tightly under his sleeves, were clenched so hard.
A Ying!
Three months and three days, I finally see you!