Chapter 857: Chapter 681: The Southern Emperor Arrives in Force
The horses’ hooves whinnied, stirring up billowing dust.
It was clearly just a troop of a few hundred people, yet it carried an aura of thunderous might that no one could ignore!
It’s a strange feeling, even when Prince Mu’s million-strong army was at the city gates, the City Defending Guard of the Capital City didn’t feel this way—heart pounding, as if their very hearts would be crushed by the sound of those iron hooves pounding the ground.
From afar, there was an overwhelming, indomitable momentum coming with these few hundred soldiers and horses!
"Heavens, who are they?" someone exclaimed, as various forces outside the city, originally closely monitoring the city gate, cried out in alarm.
This momentum was truly terrifying!
"Finally, back." Outside the Capital City, in a military camp, a figure in purple-gold stood proudly, the corners of his mouth slightly curved, possessing a beauty that could topple a nation in an instant.
"Yes, finally back." Beside him, a delicate young lady, her face covered with a white veil, stood silently. Even though she tried to endure it, her breathing inevitably quickened.
In another direction, among a group of Great Zhou forces observing the situation in the Capital City, a woman in black in her twenties pushed a wheelchair, looking at the line of people and horses approaching the Capital City from afar. She frowned slightly, whispering, "Is it her?"
"It’s her!" From beneath the long blanket on the wheelchair came a hoarse voice of a woman, as if missing half a tongue, speaking indistinctly.
But the woman pushing the wheelchair understood clearly, frowning even more tightly, "Such a strong aura, sister, are you sure she can handle it?"
No one knew who the ’she’ in this woman’s words referred to.
"Heh heh..." From the wheelchair came a sinister laugh, filled with boundless hatred, "She can, no one can escape, especially the arrogant strong ones."
Upon hearing this, the woman pushing the wheelchair finally relaxed her frown.
"Let’s go, the Capital City is the place for their grand wedding, but it’s not the battlefield I want to see. We’ll wait for them there; one day, they’ll head to their doom." A light tapping sound came from the wheelchair.
"Okay." The woman pushing the wheelchair turned and left without further words, disappearing into the crowd in the blink of an eye.
"Are those two insane? They don’t seem like people from the main forces, spouting nonsense here." After they left, whispers could be heard nearby.
"Whatever, it’s better to pay attention to the situation in the Capital City. At this time, someone dares to boldly charge the city gates with such momentum. Could it be a major force wanting to stir the muddy waters of the Capital City?"
"Who knows? Prince Mu has his army in hand, with invincible might, the Southern Emperor’s fifty thousand ceremonial guards are about to arrive with great fanfare. But the Vassal Kings in the city hold Emperor Zhoulin and Mr. Ban Shan, essentially holding the throats of these two. If things go awry, both Prince Mu and the Southern Emperor might be branded as disloyal and unfilial. This is going to be a show to watch."
"Isn’t that so? At this critical time, a woman came between Prince Mu and the Southern Emperor, the unwed couple. If they join forces, they are unstoppable. But rumors say the Southern Emperor is an extraordinary woman who declared during her concealment that her man can only belong to her. Now, having soared to the Dragon Gate and reached the throne of the Southern Emperor, if Prince Mu offends her, the Southern Emperor’s wrath could bring disaster to the entire Great Zhou."
"Isn’t that right? Luckily, Mr. Ban Shan is in the hands of the Vassal Kings in the city. Trying to get a share from these three forces is too difficult; one wrong move and there’ll be nothing left but bones. But no matter what, we can’t miss this show."
Every speaker is a dominant figure in Great Zhou, yet now they’re all in disguise, mingled among the crowd, secretly watching the situation in front of the Capital City, not daring to come closer.
"Hyah!"
"Hyah!"
"..."
The sound of urging horses shook the skies, coming closer and closer to the city gate. The crowd finally saw the attire under the black cloaks of the riders.
"Dark red! It’s dark red!"
"Heavens! Could it be the Dark Night Army?"
"The Southwestern Co-Ruler, the Southern Emperor Changsheng’s Dark Night Army!"
"..."
In an instant, everyone was terrified. The name of the Dark Night Army had spread throughout the world since Gu Changsheng started his campaign in the Southern Border, reputed to stop children from crying and make demons flee. Its power was evident!
"Something’s not right, the Dark Night Army is the Southern Emperor’s personal guards. The Southern Country’s envoy has yet to arrive, how has the Dark Night Army arrived first?"
"Could it be that the Southern Emperor sent them to pave the way?"
"Possible, goodness, using the Dark Night Army to pave the way, the Southern Emperor really is... quite authoritative." This person wanted to say that the Southern Emperor was really wasting talent!
The Dark Night Army was clearly an invincible force, how did it become a vanguard army to clear the way?
"People of the Capital City listen up, release Mr. Ban Shan or open the city gates wide, choose one of the two!"
Amidst everyone’s uncertainty, a stern shout came from the group whipping and urging their horses.
"Ah!"
"Oh!"
"What bold words, truly the elite Dark Night Army under the Southern Emperor!"
"Now the Vassal Kings in the city will have a hard time, likely failing miserably."
"Without even seeing the Southern Emperor’s ceremonial guard, just handing over Mr. Ban Shan directly, how can there be any show? Where will the faces of the Vassal Kings in the city go?"
"Tsk tsk... Let alone face, with the arrival of the Southern Emperor’s ceremonial guard, there might not even be lives left, let alone worry about face."
"Makes sense..."
The onlookers immediately burst into a clamor.
The grand spectacle is starting, something worth watching!
Coming on so strong right from the start with such a two-choice ultimatum, leaving no face for those in the city at all!
"Boom!"
Just as everyone was waiting to see a good show, a slender figure suddenly leapt into the air from the group, floated in mid-air, and slapped a hand forward.
The city gate immediately exploded.
The powerful sound of rupture sounded like it crushed space itself, blasting in all directions in an instant.
The onlookers were so frightened that they stepped back a few paces, their hearts pounding, almost jumping out of their chests.
Damn, this is terrifying!
It seemed like just an ordinary slap, but it could cause such might? It was like the earth shaking and mountains rocking. The slap was very accurate, directly knocking down the Great Zhou Imperial Flag on the Capital City Gate!
This...
The grand spectacle hasn’t even started, and the Imperial Flag has fallen?
On the battlefield, if the flag falls, it means an immediate rout!
The onlookers were in a panic, their eyes wide with fear because the slender figure that slapped was suspended in the air, motionless!
This...
A master!
A crimson cloak fluttered, and long hair swayed behind her. As the crowd looked up, they saw above the figure’s head a dazzling pearl yellow, shimmering with light, reflected by the sun, very majestic, unclear to see.
"What is that?"
"Heaven Seizing Pearl?"
"The rumored Heaven Seizing Pearl that can overshadow the Son of Heaven’s light, leaving the sun eclipsed?"
"No way..."
Some onlookers, who had seen much of the world, muttered in shock.
"Why waste words with them! They had the guts to imprison my foster father, so they should have the guts to endure my wrath!" Gu Changsheng hovered in mid-air, confronting the city gate with a cold, merciless voice, like someone overlooking all life.
"Ha! My foster father? She’s Southern Emperor Changsheng!"
"Heavens! That’s definitely the Heaven Seizing Pearl. Such a world-forgotten treasure actually exists, not a legend, and it’s worn on the Southern Emperor’s head!"
"South... Southern Emperor, so domineering..."
This is truly without saying a word and directly taking action! How much confidence does it take!
The crowd turned their heads everywhere, obviously the fifty thousand ceremonial troops from the Southern Country hadn’t arrived yet, so how did the Southern Emperor appear here with just a few hundred people?
"Boom!"
Gu Changsheng raised her hand again, slapping towards the city tower, causing chaos among a group of people, giving no chance for anyone to speak.
"My foster father, Han Qiu’s uncle Han Shan, if they lose even a hair, I will slaughter the Capital City, sweep across the Great Zhou, and level this great nation to the ground!" Gu Changsheng spoke coldly, her face solemn.
"My lady, also Emperor Zhoulin, His Majesty is in their hands too!" The team of more than four hundred finally reached the city gate, and Yuan Bao, mounted on a horse, raised his head and shouted to his lady.
Sweat, he could think of Han Qiu’s uncle, why not mention His Majesty? Could it be that His Majesty is inferior to an Old Eunuch?
Yuan Bao was quite speechless. Even if Emperor Zhoulin wasn’t good, he’s still the grandfather of his master. Even if Zhoulin and Lady Changsheng were at odds, he eventually acknowledged Lady Changsheng, allowing her and the master to be gloriously betrothed, right?
"Hm? Almost forgot!" Gu Changsheng, hearing this, glanced down at Yuan Bao, then looked up at the city gate, adding a line, "Oh, and that bad old man Emperor Zhoulin!"
Yuan Bao was on the verge of tears.
Godfather, how vengeful can one be? At this time, in this situation, calling Emperor Zhoulin that bad old man, is it really okay?
The onlookers were also rendered speechless. The words, wow, worthy of the Southern Emperor, indeed as reckless and arrogant as the legends!
"Gu Changsheng, stop being arrogant. You came with so few people and dare to provoke in the heart of the Capital Region; do you think my Great Zhou has no one?" From atop the city gate, Prince Liang hid behind the battlement, mustering up all his courage to shout.
Godfather, the commotion just now was too great. Gu Changsheng slapped away half of the battlement, almost scaring him to death.
"Prince Liang?" Gu Changsheng glanced at Prince Liang from afar and immediately guessed who he was, then laughed with ill intentions.
Even without this surging inner strength, with Gu Changsheng’s medical skills, just one look could identify what ailments this person had.
Unluckily for Prince Liang, he was afflicted with venereal disease.
And this disease, when traced back, was orchestrated by her.
"Why, seeing me, are you afraid?" Prince Liang, at this point, didn’t know what he was saying anymore.
"Haha... Prince Liang, you amuse me!" Gu Changsheng, upon hearing this, was genuinely amused. She had seen the ignorant, but never one this oblivious. Did she, Gu Changsheng, fear Prince Liang?