This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

Jiang Ping'an flew over, stumbled and fell to the ground, then crawled over on his hands and feet.

"Wang Lang... Wang Lang..."

Jiang Ping'an looked flustered, tears streaming down his face.

Wang Yangming in her arms was like a deflated balloon, all his superhuman strength and the effects of the Heavenly Soldier Talisman had faded away.

There was also a dented fist mark on his chest.

Clearly, Wang Yangming lost the clash with the golden-armored general.

Being struck in the chest with a full-force punch from a Grandmaster at the sixth level of cultivation, the extent of his injury is unimaginable.

Wang Yangming bled from all seven orifices, and his internal organs were almost completely shattered.

If it weren't for the Heavenly Soldier Talisman, he would probably be dead by now.

In contrast, the golden-armored general not far away had his armor almost completely shattered, his helmet was gone, and his gray hair was disheveled, making him look quite pathetic.

A closer look reveals that his aura remains unchanged, and his presence has not diminished in the slightest.

Clearly, Wang Yangming's offensive had not harmed him.

"Ping An...I'm afraid...I...I can't take you with me..."

Wang Yangming's breath grew weaker and weaker, and his eyes slowly closed.

Jiang Ping'an shook his head repeatedly, trying to hold back his tears.

"It's alright, it's alright... If Wang Lang leaves, I will be safe... I will never live on in disgrace..."

Jiang Ping'an took out the porcelain bottle that Wang Yangming had just given her, poured out the last Qingling Fusheng Pill, and put it into Wang Yangming's mouth.

At this moment, the Prince of Jin and the emperor's personal eunuch finally approached.

The golden-armored general slowly calmed his blood and qi and walked over as well.

Looking at the unconscious Wang Yangming, his eyes held a rather complex expression.

To be honest, he didn't want to kill Wang Yangming.

But the emperor had given the order, and Wang Yangming refused to back down, so he had no choice but to take action.

Jiang Ping'an looked at the approaching people, his eyes filled with sorrow.

She looked up at the Prince of Jin and said in a trembling voice:

"Second brother...why...can't you just let us go?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Jin sighed softly, his eyes darting away, seemingly hesitant.

The chief eunuch stepped forward and said:

"Princess Ping'an, His Majesty has decreed that if you obediently go north to marry him, His Majesty will spare Wang Yangming's life."

"But how long he and his royal family can live depends entirely on how much time you, Princess, can buy for the Great Zhao..."

Jiang Ping'an was startled, and the short sword in his hand silently slipped from his grasp.

She looked down at Wang Yangming, who was unconscious in her arms, her eyes filled with reluctance.

"Does Your Majesty keep your word?"

The eunuch frowned and said:

"His Majesty's words are law, and naturally they stand."

Jiang Ping'an chuckled and looked directly at the chief eunuch, saying:

"His Majesty also betrothed me to Wang Yangming..."

The eunuch was stunned and speechless for a moment.

Jiang Ping'an remained silent for a moment, then reached out and grasped Wang Yangming's wrist, feeling his pulse gradually strengthen, and slowly loosened his grip on the short sword.

"Okay... I promise you..."

Jiang Ping'an slowly stood up and turned to look at Prince Jin.

"Second brother, I've done everything you asked. I only ask one thing of you..."

The Prince of Jin sighed softly.

"you say..."

Jiang Ping'an turned to look at Wang Yangming, his voice choked with emotion, and said:

"Let him leave Kyoto...and ensure him a peaceful life..."

After a moment's hesitation, the King of Jin finally replied:

"good..."

Upon hearing this, the chief eunuch's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Prince Jin, saying:

"Your Highness Prince Jin, has His Majesty issued a decree...?"

With a wave of his hand, King Jin immediately placed Qiu Wanli beside Wang Yangming, his gaze fixed on the golden-armored general, his eyes filled with solemnity.

"Eunuch Gao, His Majesty did not say that he wanted Wang Yangming to remain in the capital."

The head eunuch was taken aback upon hearing this, then angrily said:

"Your Highness Prince Jin, this is defying an imperial decree..."

The Prince of Jin gave a cold laugh.

"Ha... I did not disobey the imperial decree."

"Furthermore, His Majesty had personally promised to marry Ping An to Wang Yangming, but due to the war in the northern border, he had no choice but to send Ping An to marry him."

"We already owe Wang Yangming a debt of gratitude. If we were to eliminate him now, it would surely enrage scholars across the land, destabilize the literary tradition, and endanger the nation."

"I am doing this for the sake of the Great Zhao Dynasty and for the sake of my father."

The chief eunuch was furious upon hearing this, but he didn't know how to refute it.

The golden-armored general glanced coldly at the Prince of Jin, then turned to Qiu Wanli and said:

"Does Your Highness believe that he alone can stop this old man?"

The Prince of Jin smiled.

"Commander Wei's martial arts are unparalleled, and relying solely on Grandmaster Qiu would indeed be difficult, but today, I will protect him..."

No sooner had the words been spoken than figures appeared flying in from the direction of the capital.

Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be top-notch martial arts masters.

The Prince of Jin was in charge of the Jianghu region of Dazhao, and his subordinates included countless talented and extraordinary individuals.

Now that I see it, it is indeed extraordinary.

However, the main reason why the Prince of Jin did this was because he knew that Wang Yangming had an unfathomable master behind him.

Judging from Qiu Wanli's account of the opponent's strength, he has most likely surpassed the sixth realm and reached the legendary seventh realm.

Regardless of whether he can save Wang Yangming today, as long as he has done this, the other party will definitely remember his kindness.

If one could gain the support of a Grandmaster of the Seventh Realm, then the position of Supreme Being would no longer be just a mirage.

However, to the Prince of Jin's surprise, after the experts he had prepared appeared, a deafening roar resounded throughout the capital.

A cavalry force of about two hundred men, riding entirely black warhorses, surged out of the city like a black torrent.

Each cavalryman wore a ghost-face mask; they were the emperor's personal guards, the Ghost-Faced Black Riders.

A terrifying cavalry force composed of Grandmasters of the Fourth Realm.

The Prince of Jin's expression changed drastically. He never expected that the Emperor would send out his personal guards, who had been stationary for years.

Clearly, the emperor was wary of him...

Prince Jin turned to look at Jiang Ping'an, whose face was deathly pale, his eyes filled with helplessness.

Now that things have come to this, there's nothing he can do.

"Safety..."

The Prince of Jin said in a hoarse voice.

Jiang Ping'an smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Second brother... there's no need to waste any more lives..."

The Prince of Jin shook his head helplessly, waved his hand, and let Qiu Wanli leave with his men.

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Gao gave a light snort, and then gave the order:

"Guards, escort the traitor Wang Yangming back to the palace. His Majesty wishes to personally oversee this matter..."

To be on the safe side, the golden-armored general stepped forward and tapped Wang Yangming repeatedly, sealing off all the meridians in his body.

Wang Yangming, who was still unconscious, was then taken into the palace along with Jiang Ping'an.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Qingling Rejuvenation Pill was extremely potent, and Wang Yangming woke up in less than a quarter of an hour.

Although he was still weak, at least the fatal injuries inside his body had stabilized and he was no longer in danger of dying.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw the emperor sitting on the supreme throne.

Looking around, he saw the Crown Prince and the court officials in attendance, but Jiang Ping'an and the Prince of Jin were not by his side.

Wang Yangming was heartbroken and ultimately failed to escape the capital.

"Traitor, do you know your crime?"

Wang Yangming looked up at the emperor and understood that he was making an example of someone to warn others, to show all the officials in the court that even a talented person like himself, who had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations, could be discarded at will if he dared to defy the emperor's authority.

Wang Yangming slowly stood up, his back straight, his eyes fixed on the emperor, showing no fear or hesitation.

"I...am innocent..."

These words caused an uproar among the officials.

Wang Yangming used "I" instead of "your subject".

Such blatant disrespect is truly unheard of.

"How dare you, Wang Yangming! His Majesty, mindful of your talent, intended to spare your life, yet you remain so obstinate..."

The crown prince stepped forward, pointed at Wang Yangming, and angrily cursed him.

Wang Yangming remained unmoved, still looking at the emperor on the supreme throne without bowing his head.

"The emperor is untrustworthy, so we can only use force to coerce him. You can kill me, but don't forget, this Great Zhao is not yours alone."

"The emperor is without virtue and faith; the Great Zhao Dynasty... will surely perish soon..."

These words caused an uproar in the court, with civil and military officials pointing at Wang Yangming and cursing him angrily.

The emperor's face turned ashen, and he trembled with rage.

"Alright, alright... if that's the case... then..."

The emperor was about to order Wang Yangming to be executed on the spot.

A deafening roar seemed to explode in everyone's hearts.

A terrifying pressure suddenly descended.

It was as if a mountain had crashed down on the imperial court. Apart from the commander of the Imperial Guards, who was at the peak of the sixth realm, who could still stand with his back bent, all the other officials and the emperor were prostrate on the ground.

Only Wang Yangming remained completely unaffected.

"Well said! The Great Zhao Dynasty deserves to perish with such a foolish and immoral ruler..."