My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Li Yishao stumbled down from the stands and grabbed his mother's head.

The head was already cold, the phoenix crown was askew, and the makeup on the face was blurred by blood and dust.

He held his mother's head tightly in his arms, his shoulders trembling violently, and a suppressed, beast-like sob escaped his throat.

His gaze swept over the other heads on the ground.

Familiar faces, people he had called "Royal Brother" and "Royal Sister".

Some of them were very young, and they died with their eyes still open.

Some of them were already adults, their faces frozen with fear and confusion.

Everything is here.

They were all killed.

Li Yiguang...

What exactly did you do...?

He knelt there, holding his mother's head, looking at the corpses of his loved ones scattered on the ground, as if all his strength had been drained away.

From the imperial carriage came a violent, heart-wrenching cough.

Li Yan.

The old man had already stood up.

His legs were trembling, and he was swaying precariously.

Those cloudy eyes stared at the human heads scattered on the ground.

His queen, his son, his daughter, his bloodline.

His hands gripped the armrests of the imperial carriage tightly, his knuckles as white as paper.

When Li Yan was young, the Demon King's army was rampaging through the land. He was injured in the genitals during a battle and lost his fertility.

Because when he ascended to the throne, there were still many people who opposed him.

However, he still managed to become the emperor of the Holy Ancient Empire through his outstanding abilities.

He then used a great deal of resources to cure his illness, and it wasn't until 40 years ago that he had his first prince.

That is, Li Yishao.

Therefore, the pain in Li Yan's heart as she looked at the heads of her offspring on the ground was something that ordinary people could hardly understand.

However, the first thing Li Yan said was...

"Shao'er..."

His voice was hoarse and aged.

Li Yishao raised his head and looked at his father.

"Stand up."

Li Yan said that she put all her effort into every word.

"You are my son, the eldest prince of the Holy Ancient Empire. What kind of behavior is it to kneel on the ground and cry?"

Li Yishao was stunned.

He looked at his father, at that aged face covered with age spots.

There were no tears on that face, only an almost cold calm—the calm unique to emperors.

It means suppressing all emotions and maintaining a dignified calm even in the most devastating moments.

Li Yishao took a deep breath.

He lowered his head and took one last look at his mother in his arms.

Then he reached out, gently closed his mother's eyelids, placed the head on the ground, and stood up.

His knees were covered in blood, and his eyes were still red.

But his back was already straight.

"Someone come here."

Several guards immediately stepped forward.

"Put these...put these away carefully and send them back to the palace. When I return, I will personally...personally handle the funeral arrangements."

The guards obeyed and carefully began to collect the heads.

Li Yishao turned around and looked at the old man in the gray robe.

"senior."

The old man in the gray robe bowed slightly.

"There's a hunter at the palace. Only you in the entire empire can subdue him. Please return to the palace immediately to suppress the rebels."

The old man in the gray robe was silent for a moment, then looked at Li Yan.

Li Yan nodded.

Without further hesitation, the old man vanished from the spot in a flash.

Li Yishao then looked at the court alchemists who had been following Li Yan.

"Immediately erect the highest-level protective barrier around His Majesty. Do it now."

The alchemists immediately sprang into action, taking out various alchemical materials from their spatial rings, and runes began to spread across the ground.

Li Yishao finally looked at the guards around the square.

"Gather everyone and surround the arena. From this moment forward, no one is allowed to enter or leave. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy."

The guard commander accepted the order and left.

The sound of footsteps thundered and the clanging of armor echoed. In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire Glory Square was surrounded by a dense array of guards.

Shields were raised, spears stood like a forest, and archers climbed to high places, sealing off every angle.

The nobles in the square fell silent.

The contestants stood there, bewildered.

Finally, everything was arranged.

Li Yishao took a deep breath and turned back to Li Yan's side.

"Father, please sit down."

He helped Li Yan sit down, his movements very gentle and steady.

Li Yan looked at him, a complex light flashing in her cloudy eyes.

He didn't speak, but simply nodded and slowly sat down.

Li Yishao stood beside him, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

Some of the nobles lowered their heads, not daring to look at him.

Some of them secretly glanced up to look at him.

Some of them still had expressions of shock on their faces.

But he saw something else in those eyes—reverence, submission, and…acknowledgment.

"Li Yishao is indeed no simple man."

"Yes, it takes extraordinary people to calm down and make the best arrangements in such a short time."

"I think he's the one and only candidate to become the next emperor."

……

Li Yishao still wore that serious expression.

But no one knew that deep down, there was a sliver of... relief.

Li Yiguang is finished.

His younger brother, who had always vied for the throne, had personally driven him to his doom.

They killed the empress, and so many princes and princesses.

This is treason, it is heinous crime, it is utterly catastrophic.

From this day forward, Li Yiguang will forever be nailed to the pillar of shame.

There is absolutely no chance of turning things around.

And his performance today was witnessed by everyone present.

He can only be the next emperor.

He lowered his head, looking at his father's aged profile. His lips twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his sorrowful expression.

Just then—

"This contestant, the match hasn't started yet, please return to the stands."

A voice rang out, interrupting Li Yishao's thoughts.

He looked in the direction of the sound.

A figure dressed in a black cloak slowly emerged from the crowd.

The figure moved with steady steps, neither too fast nor too slow, and the black cloak fluttered slightly in the sunlight.

A black sword hung at his waist, and a small pink and white creature perched on his shoulder.

Lin Mo.

Li Yishao's pupils contracted slightly.

Why is Lin Mo still here?

He suddenly realized something.

No, that's not right.

This is a diversionary tactic!

His mind suddenly went blank.

He just sent that level 95 old guard back to the palace!

This Lin Mo is known as the most wanted criminal.

He is someone who can escape unscathed from an assassination attempt by the Iron Chamber.

What is Li Yiguang planning to do by leaving him here?

A terrifying thought suddenly popped into Li Yishao's mind.

At this moment, Lin Mo was walking over step by step.

His eyes were fixed on Li Yan.

He did not stop walking even a step despite the guard's warning.

All eyes were on Lin Mo.

"Final warning, or else—"

The guard blocked Lin Mo's path, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his voice cold and hard.

He didn't finish his sentence.

The sword flashed.

The guard swayed, then fell straight down, a thin line of blood running down his throat.

He didn't even have time to make a sound.

The audience gasped!

"Holy crap! Murder!"

"Murder here! Who is this?! He's insane!"

"This...this person, I've seen him before, he's on the wanted poster...his name is Lin Mo!"

"That most wanted criminal?! What's he up to?!"

……

The nobles who had been discussing the matter just moments before erupted into a frenzy, with screams and exclamations rising and falling.

People in the front row tried desperately to shrink back, while those in the back row stood up to try and escape, but were squeezed and unable to move.

Lin Mo did not stop walking.

He slowly raised his head to look at Li Yan behind the protective barrier and said in an extremely calm tone, "Old dog, it's time to pay your debts."