Chapter 338, The National Master Should Always Stay By My Side
It was a very contradictory feeling.
Xu Yourong clearly detested and loathed living in humiliation.
But when he really stood in front of Li Shanyan, he couldn’t break free from that fear.
Even though he was now in the same Great Ascension Stage as Li Shanyan, his cultivation still didn’t provide him with an ounce of security.
At this moment, just being stared at by that old man, who had a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, made Xu Yourong feel like every pore in his body was trembling and screaming.
No, it couldn’t be.
He, he was Li Shanyan.
This fear, this sense of oppression…
It was him, it had to be him!
No one else could make me so terrified that I wouldn’t even have an ounce of courage to challenge them.
“General Xu, are you ready?”
Li Shanyan in front of him dusted off his whisk and slowly raised his hand: “Old man is going to make a move.”
“W-Wait a second!”
With a face ashen as a ghost, Xu Yourong ultimately didn’t dare to gamble.
The desire to survive kicked in at the last moment, scattering the little courage he had left.
“My lord, it was my rashness.”
“I am willing to take responsibility and resign, leaving the Holy Kingdom forever, never to set foot in Tianlang City again.”
“Can we just leave this matter behind?” He spoke with a trembling tone, fixating on Li Shanyan.
Li Shanyan thought for a moment and said, “Alright.”
At that instant, Xu Yourong felt as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.
He slowly extended his hand, signaling all the Tianlang Wei to, “…stand down.”
“General…” A few generals beside him wanted to say something.
“I said, stand down!” Xu Yourong suddenly turned around and glared at them fiercely.
The generals didn’t dare to persist and could only lower their heads, looking dejected: “Yes…”
At this moment, whether it was the Tianlang Wei, or the civil and military officials present, or the common folk at the door, everyone knew this farce had finally come to an end.
——
After the Tianlang Wei left in dejection, the officials wiped their sweats nervously while the citizens cheered as they departed.
As a group of eunuchs came to clean up the mess in the hall, Li Shanyan turned to Qin Xiuyuan and smiled, nodding: “Grand Eunuch Qin, thank you for your hard work.”
“I’m just a servant.” Qin Xiuyuan merely shook his head lightly: “It’s all thanks to the fortune of the National Master and His Majesty.”
“We’ll take Young Prince away first; should His Majesty need anything, just call for us.”
Once Qin Xiuyuan left, only Huo Ningxue remained alone on the dragon throne, looking lonely.
At this moment, “Li Shanyan” finally took off his mask, revealing the handsome face of Young Master Sang.
“Phew…” Young Master Sang let out a long breath, heavily stretching his back.
“Job done, wrap up.”
“I told you it wasn’t that hard.” He smiled, walking in front of Huo Ningxue, saying, “Your Majesty, I didn’t let you down, did I?”
Huo Ningxue didn’t respond.
She remained motionless on the throne, her beautiful eyes slightly dazed as they stared ahead.
Young Master Sang then noticed her hands were trembling slightly beneath her gilded dragon robe.
“Your Majesty… are you scared?”
Huo Ningxue fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking: “To say I’m not afraid… would be a lie.”
“Even when I ascended to the throne back then, there was never a moment as thrilling as today.”
Indeed.
The officials cornering the palace, the army storming the court, the Great Ascension Stage observing like wolves.
What happened today, perhaps any misstep could have sent Huo Ningxue into an abyss from which she couldn’t return.
“Earlier, there were really several times… I nearly couldn’t hold back and wanted to flee with you.”
“Actually, I already said.” Young Master Sang remarked, “Your Majesty, it’s fine if you didn’t want to step forward today. I could have made Xu Yourong and the Third Prince back down without a fight.”
“Yes.”
Huo Ningxue smiled faintly: “I believed in you.”
Young Master Sang was momentarily stunned, then slowly averted his gaze.
“Ahem. It’s all over now.”
“But for the Holy Kingdom, this hit is still quite substantial.” He gently leaned on the chair beside Huo Ningxue, muttering, “Xu Yourong is a solid Great Ascension Stage. His departure, along with the cleansing of responsibilities from the Tianlang Wei, has truly dealt a heavy blow to the Holy Kingdom.”
“Then… what should I do?”
“There is a way. When I was the Punishment Department’s interrogator in the Demon Cult, I invented a kind of soul imprint. As long as the other party willingly brands the soul imprint, they can’t harm the master of the imprint and can’t go against their commands.”
Young Master Sang continued: “As long as Your Majesty lets those Tianlang Wei leaders brand the soul imprint to atone for their crimes, you won’t have to worry about such shocking events happening again.”
Huo Ningxue hesitated.
In the end, she still shook her head.
“Branded with this imprint is akin to becoming a servant. For those proud generals in the Crossing Tribulation Stage, this kind of humiliation might only deepen their resentment.”
Young Master Sang looked at her in slight surprise.
What’s up with that?
How is this something my befuddled Empress would say?
What’s going on here, suddenly realizing things?
“Then, Your Majesty, aren’t you worried they’ll rebel again next time?”
“Actually, for the generals, rebelling wouldn’t necessarily bring them any benefits.” Huo Ningxue casually remarked, “In this rebellion, they were more just following Xu Yourong’s orders.”
“Now that the true culprit has been exiled, pursuing the subordinates will only lower morale. It’s better to show them grace and let them achieve merit while admitting fault.”
Young Master Sang stared at Huo Ningxue, and after a long time managed to squeeze out a sentence:
“…Wait, so Your Majesty was just playing dumb to fool me?”
“Huh?”
Huo Ningxue was dazed for a moment, her face suddenly turning a shade of crimson.
“No… I just felt that if I stayed by the National Master’s side for so long and didn’t learn anything, still being so clueless, it would be too ungrateful to the National Master.”
“What do you think, National Master? Am I a bit smarter than before?”
Her beautiful eyes blinked, golden flecks sparkling as she looked at Young Master Sang.
The slightly tilted head and cute demeanor were like two entirely different people from the deep, composed Empress of just moments ago.
Young Master Sang felt a bit flustered under her gaze.
He awkwardly turned away, not daring to meet her eyes and could only cough:
“Uh, Y-Your Majesty has always been exceptionally clever, no need to belittle yourself.”
“Hehe, National Master is lying to me again.”
Huo Ningxue covered her mouth and giggled: “I told you, I already know I’m a silly girl.”
“Without the National Master’s words, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.”
“As long as the National Master is by my side, I feel at ease and fear nothing.”
“So,” she suddenly stood up slowly and walked to Young Master Sang’s side, smiling brightly, and said:
“The National Master should always stay by my side, okay~”
Young Master Sang’s eyes widened slightly.
Moments later, they slowly drooped down,
“…Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?” Huo Ningxue looked at him with a smile.
“Sir, it’s time for me to leave.”
Huo Ningxue’s smile slowly froze at the corners of her mouth.
