On the streets of the capital of the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom, a deathly silence fell.
Everyone stared blankly at the headless corpse in the street, unable to react.
Regent Benno, though not the strongest in the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom, was still a top expert ranked within the top three.
The reason the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom's foremost swordsman was killed when he forcefully entered the royal court previously was largely because Benno had occupied most of the swordsman's attention, allowing the royal court assassins to ambush and kill him.
Furthermore, setting aside Benno's own strength, he was currently leading a large contingent of the Imperial Guard, and he was accompanied by powerful personal guards…
Even the strongest person on the White Feather Continent would not necessarily be able to easily take Benno's head.
But now… Ye Ling had dealt with Benno with just a slight raise of his hand… This immense visual impact struck the nerves of everyone present.
It was Baima who reacted first. She immediately used Ye Ling's imposing presence to step in front of Ye Ling and addressed the Imperial Guard, "Regent Benno intended to rebel, his crime warrants death, therefore I have beheaded him as a warning to all!"
"I forgive you for your ignorance and will not pursue any charges… Will you not quickly kneel and submit to me?"
As soon as Baima spoke, the Imperial Guard exchanged glances.
However, with the Regent dead, they were leaderless and dared not defy Baima. They all knelt before Baima and shouted, "Long live our Emperor's return to the court! Long live the Emperor for ten thousand years!"
Although Benno's personal guards harbored resentment and wished to avenge Benno, Ye Ling was still by Baima's side, and he dared not make a move. In the end, he could only follow the prevailing trend, kneeling alongside the Imperial Guard and submitting to Baima.
However, although the personal guard decided to endure the humiliation and plan for the future, all his thoughts were seen by Ye Ling.
Since Ye Ling had decided to help Baima secure the throne, he would not let any fish slip through the net.
The moment Benno's personal guard resolved to seek revenge, his soul was marked by Ye Ling with a rune, his fate sealed to a dead end.
From the moment Ye Ling arrived in the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom, all outcomes were predetermined and unworthy of any description.
As for Princess Baima, although she appeared to be a frail woman, she was not as delicate as her appearance suggested.
Upon recognizing Ye Ling's invincible power, she immediately rode on Ye Ling's coattails, boldly mounting Benno's horse and leading the Imperial Guard back to the palace.
In the following period, Baima, relying on Ye Ling's power, purged her opponents and took control of the entire royal palace with lightning speed. She even bloodied Benno's royal residence, leaving no survivors.
The news of Princess Baima's return to court, her public execution of Benno, her control of the palace, and the bloodbath of the royal residence quickly spread throughout the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom.
The old ministers in the court who supported Baima and had been suppressed by Benno, all emerged from retirement after Benno's return to help Baima manage the overall situation and remove Benno's influence from the court.
Baima, in conjunction with the old ministers, swept through Benno's faction in the court with overwhelming force.
Those who had sided with Benno, after losing their power, understood that once Baima secured the throne, she would undoubtedly launch a great purge, and none of them would survive!
Therefore, many began to secretly stockpile troops and provisions, preparing to rebel.
The Heavenly Wheel Kingdom appeared outwardly calm, but internally it was already on the verge of collapse, like a building about to fall.
The situation in the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom even attracted the attention of surrounding powerful nations. The Great Yan Kingdom had already begun to deploy troops on the border, preparing to take advantage of the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom's internal chaos.
However, no matter how many forces schemed within this vortex, they all made a fatal mistake.
They completely underestimated Ye Ling's role.
Ye Ling…
Was not just a Martial God.
Those who intended to rebel in secret, as well as the elite guards secretly cultivated by Benno, were all found by Ye Ling, one by one.
Of course, after Baima's return to the throne, Ye Ling did not engage in a widespread massacre to eliminate all resistance.
After all, Benno had been in power in the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom for many years, his influence spread throughout the country, and his roots were deep.
If Ye Ling were to eliminate everyone associated with Benno, the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom itself would be severely weakened and targeted by other countries.
Once Ye Ling left, the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom would be devoured by other nations, ultimately leading to its demise.
To prevent this, Ye Ling's methods for dealing with the rebels were gentler. He simply used his "Ink Domain" to transform them into loyal followers of Baima.
With a snap of Ye Ling's fingers, Baima gained a large number of loyal, devoted followers, solidifying her position as the most stable female emperor in the history of the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom!
Ye Ling's return with Baima, his assistance in her regaining the throne, and her complete control of the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom took less than three days.
The most time-consuming part was Baima's compilation of lists!
The total time Ye Ling spent taking action was likely less than a minute!
And Baima witnessed all of this that Ye Ling did!
Now Baima understood… Ye Ling was completely different from them.
They were human, while Ye Ling was… an omnipotent god!
It was precisely because of this that in the eyes of the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom's populace, the decisive and iron-willed empress was, in private, as obedient as a kitten before Ye Ling, not daring to overstep.
One day, in the imperial study.
Baima stood by, respectfully attending to Ye Ling, who was reading.
In these short three days, Baima had been completely conquered by Ye Ling.
If Ye Ling spoke, she would not hesitate to offer herself to him.
Baima, wearing the imperial robe, stared at Ye Ling's profile, pursed her lips, and said to Ye Ling, "Benefactor… Thank you for your help these past few days, allowing me to return to the throne… Your great kindness, Baima truly doesn't know how to repay."
Ye Ling said nonchalantly, "I merely helped you reclaim what is rightfully yours… Although I have laid the foundation for you now, how this country will fare in the future depends on you."
"Benefactor is right… Baima will be a wise ruler, making the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom prosperous and strong, and the people happy," Baima assured Ye Ling.
Ye Ling read his scroll and waved his hand, "That is your own business. You don't need to assure me. I am just a passerby, and I will be leaving in a few days."
"A passerby…"
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Baima's eyes first dimmed, and then she couldn't help but feel relieved.
After all, she was the ruler of a nation, and Ye Ling was a being who completely surpassed her.
Even if Ye Ling paid no attention to Baima's decisions, Baima would subconsciously consider the impact on Ye Ling when making decisions.
This passive behavior greatly limited Baima's own potential.
Perhaps only Ye Ling's departure would allow her to fully utilize her talents.
However, Baima's deepest desire was for Ye Ling to take her with him.
After hearing Ye Ling's words, Baima's emotions were incredibly complex.
However, she quickly regained her composure, took off the red bead from her chest, and presented it to Ye Ling, saying, "Benefactor… This is my mother's遗物 (relic), please accept it."
"This bead is of no use to me. You keep it for self-defense."
Ye Ling put away his scroll and smiled at Baima, "I have been observing in secret these past few days. You have the ability to govern a country. Although the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom is now stable, it possesses rich mineral resources, and surrounding countries have always been eyeing this piece of fat. Your national strength is not enough to ensure your safety."
"That Fire Phoenix can serve as your nation's guardian beast. Leaving it here will be more beneficial."
"I know all of this, of course."
Baima looked directly into Ye Ling's eyes and said earnestly, "But this is my greatest wish. I implore Benefactor to accept it. If I truly reach a point where I need to rely on the Undying Fire Phoenix, the Heavenly Wheel Kingdom would already be on the verge of collapse, and it would be useless to keep it."
"You…"
Seeing Baima's serious expression, Ye Ling was first stunned, then seemed to understand something, shook his head, smiled, and reached out to take the bead, "Alright, I will accept this bead."
However, the moment Ye Ling touched the bead, he sensed a familiar and ominous aura from within it, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.
A monitor?
Ye Ling froze, then asked Baima with a shocked expression, "Where did you get this bead from?"