Demon Emperor

Chapter 17 Going to Luoyang? No, it's returning to the capital!

Despite the fact that Ruan Hu was the true emperor, he finally returned to Xijing, the capital he was "loyal to".

But at this moment.

Ruan Hu, however, had the air of a traitor marching into Luoyang with a sword drawn.

My heart was surging with emotion, and I couldn't suppress the smile on my face.

Overjoyed, he thought, "They're all mine!"

As soon as Nguyen Hu entered the city, he immediately had the officers and soldiers he had brought back take over the defense of the city gates and palace gates.

At the same time, the officers and soldiers who had participated in the rebellion were placed under guard in the military camp at the drill ground, and most of the soldiers' armor and weapons were put into the armory.

Afterwards, Ruan Hu bathed and changed his clothes, and then summoned all the civil and military officials in the Zichen Hall.

Ruan Hu sat on the dragon throne with an air of nonchalance, doing whatever made him comfortable.

Normally, someone would immediately say that the emperor's behavior was not in accordance with etiquette, but at this moment, no one dared to say so.

Everyone was terrified, and no one dared to face the emperor directly.

"See Your Majesty!"

"..."

Inside the main hall, Ruan Hu glanced at the assembled officials.

"All my beloved ministers have arrived."

Then, Ruan Hu seemed to be searching for something.

"Where is the Prime Minister?"

The officials looked around, but indeed did not see the prime minister.

At this moment, a eunuch whispered something to Ruan Hu, who then looked out of the palace.

Yuchi Chongwu, who was on duty at the entrance of the main hall, nodded to Ruan Hu. Then, a figure appeared outside the hall and bowed deeply inside.

It was Zhou Kaigu, the former city gate lieutenant. Ruan Hu understood and asked again.

"Where is the Prime Minister?"

Why haven't they arrived yet?

At this moment, Zhou Kaigu entered the main hall and spoke respectfully.

"His Majesty!"

"A fire has broken out at the Prime Minister's residence, and the flames are spreading rapidly and are difficult to contain."

Ruan Hu: "What?"

Ruan Hu hurriedly walked out of the main hall, and the courtiers followed him out, forming a grand procession like a long dragon.

Standing outside the main hall, everyone could easily see thick smoke billowing in the distance. Although the firelight was not obvious during the day, they knew that a large fire had broken out there.

"Send men to put out the fire immediately, and make sure the Prime Minister is rescued alive."

Ruan Hu suddenly thought of his uncle, but he was afraid he would burst out laughing on the spot, so he didn't say it.

Then after a while, someone else came to report.

The fire has been extinguished, but the prime minister could not be rescued and died inside along with his retainers and advisors.

Ruan Hu stood there for a moment, then turned around and said.

"remember!"

"The Prime Minister has been framed by a treacherous person!"

"A grand funeral!"

Some of the courtiers standing nearby were still trying to understand what was happening, while others had already grasped the situation.

In short, the once lifeless and dull imperial court hall suddenly came alive because of the prime minister's death.

The Prime Minister died a good death, a truly fitting one.

Ruan Hu returned to his post, and the officials below submitted their memorials one after another.

"The Prime Minister must have been murdered by the Pillar of State General. Everyone knows Pei Yuanxiao's wolfish ambitions. Your Majesty must be on guard!"

"We are irreconcilable enemies with Pei Yuanxiao."

"Your Majesty, please investigate this case thoroughly as soon as possible. There must be traitors and accomplices of Pei Yuanxiao in the court."

Ruan Hu listened to the advice that suddenly became vibrant, and looked at the court where everyone had become unwaveringly loyal.

In the main hall, he activated the [Changpo·Jianren] technique again.

Then discovered.

Many of the court officials who were originally hostile to him became neutral.

Many neutral officials sided directly with him.

Even in a short period of time, some people's appearances changed slightly, which deepened Ruan Hu's understanding of the art of physiognomy.

"Fortunately!"

The Prime Minister's death is the best-case scenario; otherwise, Ruan Hu would have definitely carried out a major purge of the entire court, rendering most of the civil officials who had previously sided with the Prime Minister unusable.

At this critical juncture, Nguyen Ho did not have time to conduct a major reshuffle and quickly build a system capable of supporting the operation of the entire country.

He still remembers it.

At this moment, General Pei Yuanxiao, the Pillar of State, is still leading his troops toward Xijing.

We must slay the evil spirits and uphold the nation!

Seeing the ministers express their opinions, Ruan Hu then feigned disagreement. "My esteemed ministers are overthinking this."

“Pei Qing is a pillar of the nation, how could he commit such a treasonous act? It must be a misunderstanding.”

"Once Pei Qing arrives, the misunderstanding will naturally be cleared up."

Ruan Hu appeased the officials and made some minor adjustments before concluding the audience.

Dusk.

Ruan Hu stood by the pool where he had fallen into the water. Zhou Kaigu removed his sword and knelt down.

Ruan Hu fed the fish in the pond without looking back.

Question: "What did the Prime Minister do when he died?"

Zhou Kaigu: "If the Prime Minister is unwilling to be dignified, I have no choice but to make him be dignified."

Ruan Hu: "What else did he say?"

Zhou Kaigu: "That last traitor said... said..."

Ruan Hu: "Speak freely."

Zhou Kaigu: "He said that even if he were to become a vengeful ghost after death, he would still want to return to the human world."

Ruan Hu laughed, threw away the fish food, and turned to Zhou Kaigu.

"I am preparing to establish a special investigation agency, and you will be in charge of it."

Zhou Kaigu didn't know what the Detective Agency did, but he did know that he had suddenly risen to prominence.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

Zhou Kaigu was indeed mediocre in martial arts and unqualified to be a military general, but Ruan Hu discovered that he seemed to have another kind of potential.

Of course, more importantly, Zhou Kaigu opened the city gate for him at the crucial moment.

Even if he really is a useless piece of trash, Ruan Hu is determined to pull him out of his predicament.

Subsequently, Ruan Hu summoned Yuchi Chongwu.

Ruan Hu has not made any major moves regarding the civil officials so far.

However, Ruan Hu planned to carry out a major purge of military officers from top to bottom.

Even though the Imperial Guards had performed poorly in their previous battle against the Donkey Army's ghost soldiers, he knew they weren't a strong force. But they were the only force he currently had under his command.

Moreover, with a total of 10,000 people, they are capable of changing many situations and accomplishing many things.
-
A secluded palace in the dead of night.

"Roar!"

Ruan Hu saw the tiger inside his body emerge again, but this time the ferocious tiger did not rush towards the sky, but instead disappeared through the blue brick ground.

Ruan Hu looked at the blue bricks of the palace, lost in thought.

And at the same time.

Suddenly, bursts of lightning flashed across the dark sky above the underworld, and a terrifying tiger claw tore through the gale, its ferocious head peering downwards.

On the gray, dark earth, stood a sinister and terrifying temple.

"Boom!"

Outside the hall, groups of ghostly soldiers and generals knelt on the ground, while a group of horse-faced demons were counting their numbers. At that moment, they saw lightning flash and looked up at the sky following the sound of the thunder.

Then you will see it.

The tiger head opened its blood-red maw and inhaled, instantly sending the several ghostly soldiers below soaring into the sky.

"Woo!"

The vicious tiger swallowed the ghost soldiers whole, then withdrew its head and returned to the human world.

Inside that eerie and terrifying temple, a three-eyed deity looked up at the sky and let out a chilling, inhuman laugh.

At that moment, two figures stepped through the void and shadows, standing hazily and illusory in front of the temple.

Two more figures arrived in the underworld from the mortal realm.

One of them was killed in broad daylight when Ruan Hu shouted angrily at him, causing him to fall from the city wall and be smashed into a bloody pulp.

A horse that failed as a human being and became a ghost.

The other was dressed in a purple official robe, but his entire body was burned black, and his eyes were filled with resentment and hatred.

It was the prime minister who had died in the fire not long ago.

The prime minister was surrounded by black aura. Although he did not know any evil magic or witchcraft in life, his appearance after death was far more terrifying than that of an unknown person like Ma Zhui.

Ruan Hu was staring blankly at his desk, holding a vermilion brush, while palace servants waited quietly on either side of the screen.

Ruan Hu raised his head.

The tiger is back.

The tiger circled around Ruanhu a few times, spitting out several beams of light that entered Ruanhu's eyes, and then gradually entered Ruanhu's body.

【Changpo - Skilled in archery and horsemanship】

【Changpo - Hundred Battles Sword Technique】

【Changpo - Skilled in archery and horsemanship】

Ruan Hu experienced the skills brought by Changpo, and at the same time, he realized that one of them seemed to be missing.

"There's no horse, Ma Zhui?"

"Could it be that those who died indirectly from falls don't count as being killed by me?"

(End of this chapter)