I meet all the requirements for becoming a god in this world!

Chapter 237 The Gray-Robed Man Appears

As that sound rang out.

Yang Shi'en's brows furrowed sharply.

He had heard that voice before, in the imperial court, in the courtyard of the Regent's Office, and on the day the Prince of Zhenbei appeared before him.

The fox's golden vertical pupils also contracted abruptly at the same instant.

Together with Yang Shi'en, they looked up toward the source of the sound.

In the shadow of the city gate tower, Cheng Laiyun walked out unhurriedly, accompanied by Zhang Linzheng and Yu Qingzheng.

Zhang Linzheng remained as calm and composed as ever. His moon-white scholar's robe fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and a barely visible patch on the cuff was faintly visible in the moonlight.

Yu Qing stared blankly at Linghu and Yang Shi'en.

"You—why are you back?!" Yang Shi'en frowned slightly, looking at Cheng Laiyun indifferently.

His voice was deep and resonant.

Cheng Laiyun looked at them with a smile, his tone nonchalant: "You're allowed to plot, but others aren't allowed to see through your schemes?"

On the Chengtianmen city tower, the night wind suddenly froze.

Cheng Laiyun, Zhang Linzheng, and Yu Qingzheng formed a triangle, surrounding Yang Shi'en and the spirit fox in the center.

Zhang Lin's white scholar's robe fluttered slightly in the wind.

The inscription on Yu Qingzheng's sleeve glowed with a pale blue light.

Cheng Laiyun stood between the two, his gaze fixed on the spirit fox—the silvery-white light emanating from it was slowly receding, indicating that the transfer of its destiny was complete.

"Oh." Yang Shi'en's slightly cold voice rang out:

"If you see through it, then so be it."

"You're... a little late."

Having said that, he glanced at the spirit fox who was about to complete the "change of fate," and a slow smile appeared on his lips.

"Yang Shi'en, surrender."

"Perhaps I can spare your life." Zhang Linzheng spoke, his voice not loud, but like a boulder pressing down on the entire city tower. He looked at Yang Shi'en calmly, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light.

Yang Shi'en stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the three faces one by one, and then he smiled.

There was a hint of mockery, a hint of sorrow, and a hint of reckless madness born from being driven to the brink.

He stood with his hands behind his back, not looking at Zhang Linzheng, nor at Yu Qingzheng. His gaze passed over the city walls, over the layers of palaces in the imperial city, and landed in the distance.

Then he spoke, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear in the silent city tower:

"Zhang Linzheng, you came from a humble background, but you climbed all the way to the position of Commander of the Imperial Household Department through your own abilities."

"To earn the title of 'Prime Minister Zhang'."

"You have married a commoner's daughter, and your household does not own an acre of extra land. The new policies will only benefit you, and will not harm you."

"Cheng Laiyun, you are a peasant who crawled out of the Yong'an County jail. The new policy has given you power, given you fame, and given you the position to stand on the Golden Palace and debate with the scholars."

"Yu Qingzheng, Grand Elder of the Mo Sect, Minister of Works, your disciples are all over the world. With the implementation of the new policies, the Mo Sect's water conservancy workshops can receive more funding from the imperial court."

"All three of you are beneficiaries of the new policy. Of course you think the new policy is good."

He turned to face Zhang Linzheng, his gaze as calm as a stagnant pool. "But have you ever considered what those who have been hurt by the new policies think?"

"With the 'land tax reform' and the 'poltergeist reform,' do you know how many acres of land the Duke of Dingguo's mansion owns?"

"It's not just the Duke of Dingguo's mansion; which noble family in the capital didn't acquire their land through generations of risking their lives? These lands were personally granted by the founding emperor and approved by the previous emperors!"

"Now the imperial court has issued an edict to take back the power to levy taxes."

"You call this a new policy, something that benefits the country and its people—in my eyes, it's a knife, a knife that's carving away at the bones of us old ministers, one cut at a time!!"

……

His voice was deep.

It seemed so sharp in the quiet night.

Cheng Laiyun was momentarily at a loss for words.

He stared at Yang Shi'en, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Zhang Linzheng, who was standing to the side, slowly spoke up: "Duke Dingguo, the new policies have affected your interests, and I can understand your resentment."

"But tonight you sealed off the capital, colluded with the fox spirit, and plotted against His Majesty—have you considered the consequences if you fail?" "Once this case is proven true, the world will only remember that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion produced a traitorous minister."

Yang Shi'en smiled, a smile that was quite natural:

"Consequences? I've already considered that."

"What crime is treason? It's punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family."

"The new policies were Emperor Jianye's new policies."

"Which of these policies, the 'equalization of land tax and poll tax' and the 'decree of grace', wasn't aimed at us veteran officials?"

"His Majesty wants to weaken the power of the princes, collect taxes, and eradicate our noble families. If I do nothing, will the Duke of Dingguo's mansion still exist in ten years?"

"Will the descendants of my father's old subordinates, who fought alongside him their entire lives, still be able to get a decent meal?"

"How many years will the pensions the imperial court gives them be enough to live on? I'm standing here tonight not for myself."

"This is to seek justice for those noble families driven to the brink by the new policies!!"

"I do not deny that the new policies have improved the lives of some people in Changle County."

"But that's using our blood to feed the people." "You think it's worth it, but I don't."

Cheng Laiyun, standing behind Zhang Linzheng, suddenly spoke:

"Duke Yang, you say the new policies have shaken the foundations of the nobility. But have you considered where the foundations of those people who were oppressed by the poll tax before the new policies were?"

"You just said you were seeking justice for the noble families—but who will seek justice for those who can't pay their taxes, sell their children, and leave their homes?"

Yang Shi'en looked down at him, his eyes showing no anger or contempt, only a calm condescension, a respect that came from regarding him as an opponent.

He spoke softly:

"The affairs of the world are never simply black and white."

"You think I'm a bad person? I think you're just talking without understanding the situation."

"You are not a nobleman, you do not have any fiefdoms passed down from your ancestors, you do not know what it feels like to watch your family property, which your ancestors have protected for generations, be taken away by an imperial edict."

"What I am doing today is not to leave a good name in history, but for those like me—those who have been hurt by the new policies but dare not even cry out in pain."

"So tonight, either I die, or the world is given a new emperor who doesn't implement any new policies."

...Cheng Laiyun remained silent for a while.

With a soft sigh, he said, "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."

"Since that's the case, then tonight, after you die, watch from the underworld as I succeed, as I implement my new policies and restore peace and order to the people of this world!!"

His voice was deafening.

Firm as iron.

Zhang Linzheng and Yu Qingzheng subconsciously turned their heads to look at this young man in his early twenties.

Cheng Laiyun stood ramrod straight.

Standing between heaven and earth.

Like... a giant standing tall and firm.

……

Yang Shi'en stared coldly at Cheng Laiyun and his two companions, a chilling smile playing on his lips. His voice was laced with icy coldness:

"Do you really think that the three of you can defeat me?" Before he finished speaking, the blood and qi power of a peak third-grade martial artist in his body exploded.

A golden pillar of energy shot into the sky.

The entire Chengtianmen gate tower trembled violently beneath his feet, and the tiles on the battlements were shaken and fell down in a rustling sound.

The silvery-white light on the spirit fox's body was also suppressed, flickering uncertainly.

Cheng Laiyun stood behind Zhang Linzheng, his breath caught in his throat by the imposing aura, but his voice remained steady and clear:

"How much better are you compared to Li Xian back then?"

"Li Xian?" Yang Shi'en's eyes revealed an undisguised contempt.

"How can a plucked chicken compare to me?"

He raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and pressed down lightly.

The next moment, countless streams of blood-red energy rose from the Weilin Army formation below the city gate, like thousands of blood snakes winding and slithering in the night sky, surging wildly into Yang Shi'en's body.

His aura, which had already reached the peak of the third rank, began to rise again under the infusion of this blood energy—the threshold of the peak of the third rank was forcibly broken through, approaching the second rank, and it was still rising.

The armored soldiers of the Guardian Army roared in unison, their life force being drawn out and transferred through the military formation to Yang Shi'en alone. Cheng Laiyun had never seen such a bizarre scene before; the red aura carried the fighting spirit and killing intent of tens of thousands of people, so thick that it was almost tangible.

Zhang Linzheng and Yu Qingzheng's pupils constricted sharply, and they both blurted out:

"Military cultivation! Dual cultivation of military and martial arts?!?"

Yang Shi'en simply stared at them coldly, offering no reply.

The blood and energy of nearly ten thousand guards were still flowing into his body, and his combat strength had firmly reached the second rank, with even faint signs of breaking through to the peak of the second rank.

That force pressed down on Chengtian Gate, and on the hearts of everyone present.

Cheng Laiyun could feel his knees bending downwards, but he gritted his teeth and straightened his back.

Yu Qingzheng and Zhang Linzheng did not look well.

They served as officials in the same court as Duke Yang Enshi for many years.

They didn't even realize he was skilled in both martial arts and military strategy?!

To know.

It was precisely because they knew he was a warrior that they felt comfortable entrusting him with leading all the Imperial Guards in the capital. If he were a military cultivator, who would dare let him lead an army in the capital?!

But now is not the time to dwell on that.

Before him stood Yang Shi'en, a figure as imposing as a giant, slowly drawing his sword.

It was a long, jet-black sword, its blade covered with intricate spiritual runes, which glowed with a dark red light when infused with blood energy.

Where the blade pointed, even the air was rippled visible to the naked eye.

If this blow lands squarely, not only Chengtian Gate, but the entire capital city will be buried with it.

"Damn... thankfully I went to see Old Xie today..."

Just when Cheng Laiyun felt he was about to give up.

A faded blue scholar's robe fell from the night sky.

The figure descended slowly, as if walking down from the clouds, or as if seeping out from the moonlight.

He landed on the other side of the city wall, standing with his hands behind his back. His beard and hair were all white, his face was fair, and there were still a few specks of mud on the surface of his black cloth shoes.

Xie Yuheng. He's here.

Yang Shi'en's brows furrowed sharply:

"Grand Tutor Xie, didn't you say you couldn't interfere in the royal family's affairs?"

Xie Yuheng looked at him and spoke in a calm tone, as if calling out roll in class:

"I may not be able to manage the affairs of the royal family, but I can manage the livelihood of the common people."

"You have colluded with the spirit fox. Once your fate is altered and a new emperor ascends the throne, the new policies will be aborted tonight. The land tax reform will be gone, the grace decree will be gone, and the people of the world, who have just enjoyed a few good days, will return to misery."

"This is a matter concerning the people; how can I, an old man, stand idly by?"

Yang Shi'en sneered, a hint of madness in his smile.

He knew that now was not the time for reminiscing.

"Since we're here, let's die together."

"Tonight I will see whether what the late Emperor said thirty years ago, 'With Yuheng here, the sky of the Great Yuan Dynasty will not fall,' is truly true!"

He said no more, his black blade, imbued with the blood energy of ten thousand soldiers and the golden blood energy of a third-rank martial artist, intertwined and overlapped, the blade transforming into a dark red streak that slashed straight at Xie Yuheng's face. Xie Yuheng did not dodge.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers spread, and a very faint blue light shone from his palm—it was not the light of spiritual power, but the luster emitted after the righteous energy condensed into substance.

The black blade struck the layer of blue light, producing a deafening roar, and the tiles of the entire imperial city rattled in the aftershocks of the attack.

Xie Yuheng did not move an inch, only his sleeves fluttered in the wind from the blade.

He held the blade with his right hand, his left hand behind his back, his tone remaining calm:

"Yang Shi'en, your military formation is indeed exquisite—the vital energy of nearly ten thousand people is transferred to one person, combining military and martial skills, making it almost impossible for anyone in the same realm to directly confront you."

"Unfortunately, my Confucianism and Taoism... are only effective against military strategists."

As soon as he finished speaking, his righteous aura suddenly erupted, and an invisible wave of energy rippled outwards from him.

The aura of blood and qi of the nearly ten thousand guards below the city tower was slowly suppressed by this righteous energy, and the power that the military formation had given to Yang Shi'en began to be stripped away layer by layer.

Yang Shi'en gritted his teeth and desperately urged the military formation to stabilize the blessing, but with each urging, Xie Yuheng's righteous energy became even heavier.

The two forces formed a visible dividing line above Chengtian Gate—one side was dark red military aura, and the other side was light blue righteous energy. The two forces were locked in a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.

The battle reached a delicate stalemate. Just then, the spirit fox opened its eyes.

The silvery-white light emanating from it had completely receded, and the transfer of its destiny was now fully complete.

In the imperial study, Emperor Jianye leaned back on the dragon throne, his eyes closed, his face as pale as paper, and his breathing so weak that it was almost imperceptible—his destiny had been completely stripped away, and the fortune of heaven and earth no longer recognized him as the emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty.

Meanwhile, in the side hall of the East Palace, the Eighth Prince shuddered as a warm golden light surged into his body from the top of his head. He felt as if the entire weight of the world had pressed down on his shoulders in that instant.

The Eighth Prince is now the emperor recognized by Heaven and Earth.

The fox spirit stood on the battlement, a wide grin revealing its gleaming white teeth, and nodded slightly in the direction of the Eighth Prince, as if performing a courtly gesture.

Then it spoke, its voice not loud, but clearly reaching the Eighth Prince's ears:

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guard is suppressing a rebellion at Chengtian Gate. The rebels are powerful. We request that Your Majesty quickly dispatch a person with supernatural abilities to protect you."

The Eighth Prince didn't know what "rebels" were, nor what was happening at Chengtian Gate, but he could feel the warm golden power within him responding to the spirit fox's request—it was the instinctive reaction of dragon energy.

He subconsciously raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Chengtian Gate.

Deep within the imperial city, a gray-white figure soared into the sky.

The gray-robed man. A cultivator of the Universe level, he only recognizes dragon energy and disregards right and wrong.

Guided by the dragon's aura, he landed on the Chengtian Gate tower, blocking the spirit fox and facing Cheng Laiyun and the other two.

His face was still blurry, and he didn't exude any aura, but just by standing there, Cheng Laiyun felt as if his breath was being choked.

Zhang Linzheng and Yu Qingzheng's expressions changed simultaneously.

They all knew very well that among everyone present, no one was a match for a Yu-level supernatural being—Xie Yuheng was tied down by Yang Shi'en and couldn't break free.

Eunuch Lin, who was also a Yu-level supernatural being, went to various states to supervise the issuance of imperial edicts of grace by the vassal kings and was not in the capital.

In the entire imperial city, no one could stand in front of the gray-robed man.

Only Cheng Laiyun's gaze suddenly turned fiery upon seeing the figure of the gray-robed man.