From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 200 Celestial Divine Sword, Imperial Daughter's Flower on the City Wall

Outside the capital, a large army surrounded the city.

At the city gate, Qin Yuan rode atop a black horse, holding a long spear, exuding confidence and vigor.

Behind him, a group of black-clad riders stared at him with fanatical eyes. A Grandmaster! This is a Grandmaster!

Their leader actually became a grandmaster!
Who would have thought?
There is no shortage of ninth-rank experts in this world, but there are grandmasters!
Before this, there were only four Grandmasters who suppressed the world.

But now, it's only been a few years!

Two of the four grandmasters have fallen, but three more have risen to prominence.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian of Daqing, eunuch Mao Qiwu of the Eastern Palace, and commander of the Eastern Palace guards Qin Yuan!

what does this mean?
This means that the Crown Prince, who is known as the Martial Saint, has truly figured out the path to becoming a martial arts master.

Otherwise, the current situation cannot be explained.

The Nine Ranks of the Heavenly Kingdom have been searching for answers for many years without success, but what about the Crown Prince?

Not only him, but two of his four henchmen are already grandmasters. Doesn't that speak volumes?
This path has truly been opened up for the Crown Prince!
Thinking back to the legendary scene at Tieshan Pass where Qin Yuan overpowered Shang Shanhu and advanced to the Grandmaster level in one fell swoop, how could they not be excited?

Although this newly crowned grandmaster is a bit unreliable, a grandmaster is still a grandmaster!

For twenty years, the Northern Qi relied on a Grandmaster to suppress the world. Now that Ku He is gone, the Northern Qi has lost its Grandmaster, while the Southern Qing is pressing its borders with a Grandmaster. Is this war still necessary?
Didn't you see Qin Yuan standing alone on horseback at the city gate, and thousands of guards on the huge city tower didn't even dare to show their heads?
Qin Yuan, mounted on his horse, gazed at the empty city walls, as if in a dream.

Yes, it really feels like a dream.

Following His Highness's advice, I fought a fierce battle with Uesugi Tora. After that battle, I became a Grandmaster.

Who would believe that if I told them?
It has to be His Highness the Crown Prince!

This is no prince, he's a living martial arts saint!
No, not a martial saint, this is a god!

The true God!
Thinking back to Ku He, who was poisoned to death not long ago, I suppose that bastard Gui Zitian must have become a grandmaster by now.

The Four Heavenly Kings and Three Grandmasters of the Eastern Palace!
That bastard Guo Baokun hasn't even succeeded yet!

Oh yeah, that bastard hasn't made it yet. When I go back this time, I'll make him furious!
Thinking of this, he became even more delighted. Looking at the heavy city gate, he curled his lip, picked up his spear, and roared, "Listen up, you people inside! Do you think a broken city gate can stop your Master Qin? If you know what's good for you, hand over your Holy Maiden and surrender! Otherwise, don't blame your Master Qin for being ruthless!"

The words were unserious, but the sound was like thunder, as if they were real, and each sound penetrated the city walls and reached the ears of the defenders.

As the sound reached their ears, the expressions of the guards inside the city walls changed drastically. Those with strength above the fourth rank fared somewhat better, but the soldiers below the fourth rank were struck as if by a heavy blow. Their bodies went limp, and they lost their grip on their weapons, which fell to the ground with a series of clanging sounds.

Those martial artists of the fourth rank and above who were barely able to control themselves turned pale and were extremely flustered.

How can we fight this war? What's the point of fighting?

That's why they say a grandmaster is worth 100,000 soldiers. Putting everything else aside, just one roar from him is enough to overwhelm any number of soldiers!
And that city gate, it looks sturdy, but can it really withstand a master's attack?

Is it possible?
The generals guarding the city looked at each other, and finally sighed and put down their weapons.

A moment later, with a rough creaking sound, the heavy city gate slowly opened, and the guards inside the city knelt on the ground.

"Hmph, you're smart to know your place!"

Seeing this scene, Qin Yuan snorted coldly and waved his hand, about to order his Black Riders to enter the city, when his heart suddenly skipped a beat. A sense of crisis surged into his heart, and subconsciously, he swung his spear violently, and a terrifying aura suddenly burst forth.

Thump thump thump thump…

The black-armored cavalrymen behind them were caught off guard and all fell to the ground.

But at this moment, Qin Yuan had no time to think. His spear instinctively twirled in a flourish to protect his body.

boom! !

A streak of snow-white sword light shot out from within the city, fiercely colliding with the spear flower, and a terrifying clash of energies occurred instantly.

An invisible force exploded, and Qin Yuan staggered back several steps, his face drained of color. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the black horse beneath him was reduced to a bloody pulp by the attack. The black-armored cavalry behind him were all thrown several feet away, and the Northern Qi soldiers inside the city gate were also blown away. Only Qin Yuan and his broken spear remained at the huge city gate.

As the aftershocks subsided, a gleaming longsword was stuck less than three zhang (approximately 10 meters) from the city gate.

The sword intent was like the heavens descending to earth, and Qin Yuan's scalp tingled. He stared at the sword, completely stunned.

"I heard you wanted to seize Haitang, did you ask me first?!" A figure appeared on the city wall, a golden-red dragon robe fluttering in the wind under the setting sun, a beautiful face with ambiguous gender revealed a hint of cold smile, Zhan Doudou coldly looked at the disheveled Qin Yuan, "You are not qualified, let Li Chengqian come."

※※※

Time rewinds to half an hour ago.
Northern Qi, Shangjing

As dusk fell, the glazed tiles of the Golden Palace turned a dark red, and the copper bells on the eaves wailed in the north wind.

Empress Dowager and Emperor Zhan Doudou, both pale-faced, sat side by side on the throne.

Zhan Doudou gripped the gilded dragon head on the armrest of the dragon throne, her knuckles turning white.

The courtiers in purple robes and jade belts knelt on the ground like a flock of restless crows.

Inside the hall, the princes and ministers, led by the Imperial Censor Qi Tongwen and the Marquis of Changning, knelt on the ground. Beside the dragon throne, Haitang Duoduo's face was flushed with anger and agitation. Lang Tao, the prince, gripped the curved knife tightly in his hand, as if he were about to rush forward and kill these treacherous ministers at any moment.

"Your Majesty...!" Imperial Censor Qi Tongwen cried out in anguish, "Your Majesty, for the sake of the millions of lives of our Great Qi, for the sake of all the people under heaven, I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!!"

His voice was like weeping blood.

At this moment, the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi looked as if she had aged twenty years. Her hair had turned completely white, and her once smooth and supple skin was now wrinkled. She stared blankly at the courtiers in the hall, her mind a complete blank.

How did that happen?

How did it all turn out like this?

What happened to the promised peaceful and harmonious marriage between the two countries?

How could things have turned out like this in just two years?
What happened to these loyal ministers who used to be so devoted to her, who were so eager to offer their hearts to her?

What are they doing now?
With difficulty, she turned her head and glanced at her daughter, and regret began to creep into her heart.

I deeply regret it.

Why did they fight for power and profit back then? Why did they put their own daughter in such a dangerous position?

Yes, the emperor's position is incredibly prestigious, but in a time of national annihilation like this, it is the most dangerous place!
She regretted it, but it was no use; things had already come to this point, what good was regret?

Looking at her daughter's beautiful face, she felt her heart pound violently. Her vision went black, and her body leaned forward slightly, as if trying to grab something, but she grabbed nothing and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager...!"

The Empress Dowager's fall caused a gasp of alarm. Haitang Duoduo reacted quickly, leaping forward to help the fallen Empress Dowager up. Zhan Doudou also stood up abruptly. She hadn't been resting well lately, and the sudden movement made her head spin. She paused, then gripped the armrest of the dragon throne tightly. Due to the force, the armrest tilted slightly downwards.

In a dimension unseen by anyone, an invisible vortex rippled slightly. Zhan Doudou was completely bewildered, feeling as if her thoughts had been drawn into the endless void in that instant. The next moment, she came to her senses, her gaze clear and revealing a hint of surprise.

"I am Jiang... no, I am Zhan Doudou, he... Xiao Meng, you are as bold as ever, daring to even reach into the underworld?!"

He muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing deep in his eyes.

"Your Majesty—!" Haitang Duoduo, who had just helped the Empress Dowager up, saw her body sway slightly and her expression changed drastically.

"It's nothing!" Zhan Doudou waved her hand, took a deep breath, and straightened her body. "I'm fine."

Suddenly, a voice came from the city gate. Although the voice was not loud, it carried a powerful and awe-inspiring force.

"Listen up, you people inside! Do you think a broken city gate can stop your Master Qin? If you know what's good for you, hand over your Holy Maiden and surrender! Otherwise, don't blame your Master Qin for being ruthless!"

In an instant, the courtiers and officials were in turmoil once again.

Haitang's expression changed drastically.

Zhan Doudou glanced at the panicked officials, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Since you all think we should surrender, then surrender."

"His Majesty--!"

Wolf Peach's expression changed as he stepped down the steps.

"Go to the city wall."

Zhan Doudou glanced at Lang Tao and smiled slightly, "I heard that Qin Yuan has been promoted to Grandmaster, and he even dared to say that he wanted to steal Haitang. I want to see what kind of person this newly promoted Grandmaster is!"

(End of this chapter)