If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

The wind along the riverbank carried a heavy stench of blood, blowing across the scattered limbs and mutilated bodies with a mournful sound.

The surface of the Liang River was tinged with a dark red hue as it flowed slowly.

The battlefield, which had been filled with the deafening shouts of battle, was now deathly silent.

Grandpa Hai dragged a severed arm with one hand, while his other foot was firmly planted on Master Hu's back.

Master Hu's limbs were broken, and he lay on the ground like a lump of mud, groaning in pain. His cloudy eyes were filled with only despair and regret.

He couldn't understand how things had come to this.

Shen Miaochu walked up to Master Hu, looked at his twisted limbs and blood-stained body, her lips moved, and after a long time she managed to squeeze out a few words.

"Master, is it really worth it for Taixu Temple to become the best in the world?"

Her voice was soft, without hatred, only an overwhelming sense of sorrow.

Master Hu struggled to turn his eyes toward his most prized disciple, making a hoarse sound in his throat.

"You don't understand...you don't understand..."

His cloudy gaze passed over Shen Miaochu and looked up at the boundless sky, his voice becoming ethereal and eerie.

"This world... is too small, too small! The number one sect in the world is just... the beginning..."

After saying this nonsensical sentence, he coughed violently and fell silent.

Both Eunuch Hai and Shen Miaochu were completely confused.

Only Zhao Yu felt a sudden jolt in his heart when he heard "this world is too small".

As a bookworm from the 20th century, he immediately understood the hidden meaning in those words.

There are probably other worlds beyond this one!

But Zhao Yu didn't say it aloud; he just secretly speculated about it in his mind.

Shen Miaochu took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and asked another question that had troubled her for a long time.

"Even so, why do you insist on choosing Zhao Yu? Can't you see that he's a selfish and petty person?"

Mentioning Zhao Yu, Master Hu's face showed endless regret, and two tears streamed down his face.

"I regret it! I really regret it!"

He cried out hoarsely, "If only I could have seen him sooner...if only I could have seen you sooner..."

Master Hu suddenly looked at Zhao Yu, his eyes filled with resentment.

"If it had been a year earlier, no, even just six months earlier... I wouldn't have chosen that good-for-nothing Zhao Yu! But by the time I discovered you, it was too late... there was no turning back!"

All the pieces have been placed, all the stakes have been bet, and he is now completely tied to Zhao Yu's wrecked ship, forced to watch helplessly as it sinks.

Hu Tianshi suddenly turned back to look at Shen Miaochu, his breathing becoming more and more rapid, as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"It's alright...it's alright...I still have you...my disciple, you can do it...your Taoist skills are already no weaker than your master's, you will definitely lead Taixu Temple to...to become the number one sect in the world!"

This became his final obsession.

Shen Miaochu fell silent.

She had no interest in this; she only wanted to cultivate herself quietly.

But seeing her master, who raised her and taught her martial arts, reduced to such a state, she still couldn't sever the bond between master and disciple.

After a long silence, she nodded solemnly.

"I promise you."

Seeing Shen Miaochu accept her dying wish, Master Hu revealed a relieved smile.

He turned to Zhao Yu, his voice barely audible.

"bring it on."

Zhao Yu raised his hand expressionlessly.

Click.

With a soft sound, Master Hu's neck tilted to the side, and he fell completely silent.

The abbot of Taixu Temple, who stirred up the most powerful Taoist arts in the world, has thus come to an end.

The wind by the river seemed even colder.

Hai Gonggong removed his foot from Hu Tianshi's back, struggled to stand up, and bowed deeply to Zhao Yu.

"Thank you... Your Majesty for saving my life. This old servant was almost killed by those Sakura warriors."

"No need for such formalities."

Zhao Yu waved his hand, "Since you've chosen to stand on my side, I naturally won't just stand by and watch you get surrounded and attacked."

"Besides, you have helped me so much. First, you helped me with the dragon scales, then you helped me break Zhao Yu's imperial weapon, and then you helped me protect Consort Shen. If anyone should thank you, it is I who should thank you."

Eunuch Hai didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he changed the subject and pleaded, "Everything this old servant has done is to repay the late emperor's kindness. The late emperor wished for the prosperity of Great Liang, and this old servant has gone towards that prosperity, but..."

Suddenly, Eunuch Hai knelt down and pleaded, "I hope Your Majesty will not change the name of the country and will continue to use the name 'Da Liang'."

Zhao Yu shook his head.

"Logically, I should agree, but I'm sorry, I cannot agree to the change of the country's name."

But I can make a new era, dividing the period before the Great Liang Dynasty into one era, and the new dynasty into a new era.

In this way, all nations will come to an end in the old era, and the people of the new era will know that they were born from the Great Liang.

The people still hold the Great Liang in their hearts; how can the Great Liang be considered dead?

A new era!

Hai Gonggong was shocked by these words. He had never imagined that he could divide the era to achieve his goal.

But upon further reflection, it makes sense.

Before the rise of various countries, wasn't it also called the ancient wilderness?

Moreover, according to Zhao Yu, as long as Zhao Yu unifies the world, wouldn't all the people of this new era be Liang people?

Eunuch Hai immediately kowtowed in gratitude. "This old servant from Daliang thanks Your Majesty."

Hai Gonggong knew that Zhao Yu's trend toward unification was unstoppable.

Even if Zhao Yu didn't agree, there was nothing he could do, but he had to thank Zhao Yu for coming up with such a method.

Zhao Yu waved his hand, intending to lead the two towards Lianghe.

But then, as if remembering something, Eunuch Hai's expression changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid the situation is still not good!"

He spoke urgently, "Master Hu's imperial artifact—the Thousand River Bowl!—was taken by Zhao Yu this morning. When activated, it can instantly teleport a thousand miles along a river!"

"If he escapes, he'll probably go straight back to the capital! He has a face exactly like yours; if he gets there first, he can use your identity to regain control of everything!"

The air seemed to freeze as soon as he said that.

Shen Miaochu's expression also changed.

The two instinctively looked at Zhao Yu, their eyes filled with deep worry, not a trace of doubt.

At this moment, they had already tacitly agreed in their hearts that Zhao Yu was the true master of Daliang, while the escaped Zhao Yu was nothing more than an emperor who was unworthy of his position.

Zhao Yu frowned.

If Zhao Yu were to return to the capital, all the efforts he had made to improve the Great Liang would likely be wasted due to Zhao Yu's malicious actions!

"We must get back to the capital as soon as possible; we can't let him get there first."

Zhao Yu's voice deepened as he looked at Shen Miaochu.

"At our current speed, can we get there before him?"

After a moment's thought, Shen Miaochu quickly gave her an answer.

"Traveling normally is absolutely impossible. However, Taixu Temples are scattered throughout Daliang, and each temple has its own treasured artifact—the Shrinking Earth Talisman, which can greatly shorten the journey."

There is a branch of the Taixu Temple less than ten miles from here, where we can borrow talismans.

Following this route, it should take about half a day to return to the capital!

"Zhao Yu was startled and needs some time to recover; half a day should be enough!"

"Then let's go."

Zhao Yu made a quick decision: "We can't delay for even a moment."

A murderous intent surged within him.

Zhao Yu must die!

Not only to prevent his deeds from being ruined, but also for the tragic deaths of the Meng family father and son!

He glanced at the carnage of corpses scattered across the ground, his eyes remaining expressionless, and then turned and strode towards the forest.

Shen Miaochu and Hai Gonggong, who was supporting the man with the missing arm, followed closely behind.

The three figures quickly disappeared into the blood-red twilight.