Chapter 283: The Emperor's Turn

Just as the Emperor was furious to the extreme, a clear and resonant voice suddenly rang out.

Yet, falling into the Emperor's ears, it was no less than a thunderclap, causing his expression to change instantly.

The Emperor only felt the space before him darken; a remarkably handsome young man in black had appeared in the hall, no one knew when. He stood with his hands behind his back, a smile on his face, like a deep and unfathomable ancient well.

"You are the 'First Heavenly Venerable' Yu Liancheng?"

The Emperor stared fixedly at the young man in black, having already recognized the other's identity. He felt extraordinary shock and anger; the Imperial Palace was the residence of the Son of Heaven, guarded strictly. Yet both Yu Liancheng and Zhu Wushi treated the Imperial Palace like a back garden, coming and going freely, strolling as if in a leisurely courtyard.

The Emperor quickly suppressed this emotion, keeping himself calm.

At the same time, a touch of sorrow could not help but rise in his heart.

An emperor sits high on the dragon throne, overlooking all living beings, possessing supreme authority.

The Edo is but a corner of the land; no matter how high one's martial arts are trained, how could they possibly resist thousands of troops and horses? As for the so-called Eight Great Sects, as long as he made up his mind and paid a certain price, it was not impossible to uproot them entirely.

But now, two transcendent experts had appeared.

——Zhu Wushi, Yu Liancheng.

They might not be able to form an army alone, but they could come and go freely among thousands of troops, plucking a person's head as easily as reaching into a bag.

Just like now.

If the Emperor were to shout loudly, the Imperial Guards outside would hear the order and immediately surge in like a tide to protect his safety.

But before the Imperial Guards could arrive, the other party would be capable of killing him ten times, a hundred times.

What's more, Zhu Wushi controls the Ten Great Generals and the military power of the world. Under his command are two major organizations: the Dragon Protection Villa and the World's First Villa. And Yu Liancheng, as the master of the Demon Sect, has widely recruited experts and already shows signs of invading the East; as long as they are willing, they could likewise cause the world to be draped in mourning and rivers of blood to flow.

"They are all rebellious subjects, hateful! Truly hateful!" Although the Emperor was gnashing his teeth with hatred in his heart, he could not show it on his face at all.

Just as Yu Liancheng said, being this emperor was truly stifling.

"Since Your Majesty knows my identity, things will be much easier."

Yu Liancheng wore a smile, and with a flick of his sleeve, a memorial flew from the ground into his palm. He scanned it casually: "Zhu Wushi wants Your Majesty to abdicate the throne to him in three days. Although Your Majesty is furious to the extreme, you are powerless to stop this matter. I wonder if I am right?"

The Emperor gave a cold snort, his expression sinking slightly, and did not answer.

It was precisely because Yu Liancheng killed Cao Zhengchun that his plans lost control and the danger of being overthrown arose; he truly had no good feelings for this Edo ruffian.

Yu Liancheng chuckled: "Even if you are willing to step down from the throne, Zhu Tiedan is broad-minded, but how can his subordinates sit still? As long as you are here for one day, they will never have peace. No matter what, you are bound to die."

The Emperor said coldly: "What exactly are you trying to say? Could it be that you came specifically to mock me?"

"No, no, no." Yu Liancheng shook his finger and smiled: "I said from the beginning that I am here to make a deal with the Holy One."

"What deal?"

Yu Liancheng tossed the memorial aside and said: "I can help you resolve the rebellion. Of course, you must also pay the corresponding price."

The Emperor sneered: "My imperial uncle's martial arts are superb, he has countless experts and capable people under his command, and the support of the Ten Great Generals. What will you use to resolve the rebellion?"

Yu Liancheng laughed: "Zhu Tiedan's martial arts are high, but my martial arts are higher. Although I don't have ten-tenths certainty to deal with him, I have seven or eight. You can rest assured and wait."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly. After a long silence, he said: "Then... what is the price?"

Yu Liancheng glanced at the Emperor and chuckled: "The price? Given the Holy One's current situation, besides that dragon throne under your backside, what else is there worth taking out?"

He called him Your Majesty and Holy One at every turn, but his tone was ordinary, without the slightest hint of respect.

The Emperor's expression changed violently, and he scolded sharply: "What a thief! So you also want to usurp the throne. It is simply wishful thinking, absolutely impossible."

"Calm, calm." There seemed to be an indescribable Zen quality in Yu Liancheng's voice, like the tolling of an ancient temple bell, which instantly calmed the Emperor's mind and spirit.

After a brief pause, he continued to smile: "I have always been very curious, so I want to know what it feels like to be an emperor. I hope the Holy One can grant me this."

Although the Emperor had regained his calm, he still sneered: "Even if I let Zhu Wushi steal the throne, it is still the empire of my Zhu family. How could I collude with an outsider like you to usurp the throne? You are being too fanciful."

"The empire is meant for the capable. It is your Zhu family's now, but in the future, it might be my Yu family's. Haha, but don't worry, I just want to taste the feeling of being an emperor and see if it can improve my state of mind. If I were to truly be your emperor, I would actually find it stifling and too restrictive."

Yu Liancheng laughed, then suddenly his expression turned cold: "What's more, this deal was just something to say to you; it doesn't matter whether you agree or not."

"You..." The Emperor's face had changed. Just as he was about to summon his guards, he found that his throat felt as if it were stuffed with a stone, and he was unable to speak.

"Alright, Your Majesty, let me change your face first. When I get tired of it, I will help you change it back." Yu Liancheng chuckled, and with a wave of his hand, he suddenly enveloped the Emperor, like a canopy of heaven.

Three days later.

Dragon Protection Villa.

Zhu Wushi sat upright at the head of the desk, his face calm and his eyes deep, casually flipping through documents one by one, seemingly no different from any other day.

But if one looked closely, one would find that Zhu Wushi was sitting on a dragon throne, a dragon throne carved with lifelike golden dragons. The yellow robe he wore was also embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons, as if they were about to ride the clouds and mist at any moment.

And the documents on the head desk were the memorials sent by the ministers of the court.

In these three days, the memorials of all the court officials were sent to the Dragon Protection Villa, and he would then issue decrees to decide the lives and deaths of thousands.

Whoosh~

The palace lantern flickered, the candlelight was dim, and a man in green had appeared in the hall; he was one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits. He bowed and cupped his fists: "Holy One, the time has come, and no edict of abdication has been issued from the palace."

Zhu Wushi finished reviewing a memorial and placed it on the desk, a sneer curling his lips: "Since my nephew does not know what is good for him, don't blame me, his elder, for being impolite. With the military power of the Ten Great Generals in hand and Cao Zhengchun dead, what kind of waves can he still stir up?"

Just then, another Heavenly Spirit walked into the hall: "Reporting to the Holy One, four people have broken into the Dragon Protection Villa."

Zhu Wushi raised an eyebrow and said: "Oh? Who are they?"

The Heavenly Spirit said: "Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao, Shangguan Haitang, Cheng Shifei."

"So it is them." Zhu Wushi's gaze was like an abyss or the sea: "Is this your final trump card? Puzhao."