These fairies want me to deal with them every day.

However, she took a deep breath, and the breath that surged from her lungs flowed through her body, as if a gentle breeze was blowing.

She smiled, a smile as warm as spring blossoms, instantly captivating.

Yes, this is what he left for himself, to accompany him... It's as if he can feel that the other person is still by his side as long as he breathes.

It's a kind of warmth, and even more so, a sense of familiarity.

Then her eyes regained their sparkle.

She slowly raised her hand and pointed at Ye Yunhen.

"Ye Yunhen, look behind you again, what exactly is there?"

Ye Yunhen felt that this woman was still bluffing, putting up a last-ditch effort, and was so stubborn that she was practically obsessed.

He turned his head.

He burst out laughing. Wasn't this still the Valiant Cavalry? Wasn't this still the Valiant Cavalry that had served him faithfully and allowed him to reach the capital without any obstacles?

Who else could it be?

"Dong dong dong..."

"Dong dong dong..."

Suddenly, the sound of drums gradually rose up, which made Ye Yunhen pause. Where did this drum sound come from?

It seemed to be approaching from afar, and very quickly.

His smile gradually faded until someone rushed over, knelt before Ye Yunhen, and hurriedly called out.

"Something terrible has happened!! Prince Ye! There are... there are troops of unknown origin in the palace!"

"Unknown origin?! What do you mean, 'unknown origin'? What nonsense are you spouting!"

Ye Yunhen shoved the soldier away.

He pushed through the crowd and quickly ran to the army base, where he looked over.

The sound of armored footsteps echoed from all directions, one after another, dense and numerous.

Soldiers, whose origins are unknown, filed in.

They managed to surround these thousands of people from all sides.

Until a man clad in armor slowly appeared in front of Ye Yunhen.

His expression was cold, his face square and upright, and he looked at Ye Yunhen in a deep voice.

"Your humble servant Murong Ji pays his respects to the Prince of Ye."

Murong Ji!

Ye Yunhen stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it.

This man... who should be at the border right now, defending against invasions by foreign troops, and who is known as the God of War of the Great Shang Dynasty... how could he be here!

How can it be? !

Our intelligence has received absolutely no news of the enemy returning to Chaoge! Where are these troops?

Did he bring it back from the border?

How could this be! With such a large army moving, there's no way I wouldn't know! Impossible!

Where did these people come from? Where did they come from at all?!

Even though Ye Yunhen's figure was almost out of sight, Ye Bingluan seemed to know what Ye Yunhen was thinking.

She slowly curled the corners of her mouth and said with a smile.

“My brother, General Murong returned to Chaoge alone five days ago. Naturally, you wouldn’t know that, and even the soldiers at the front lines don’t know. As for the soldiers you see now… they are from the Crimson Dragon Camp. They arrived just when Dugu Ming last came to see me. The Crimson Dragon Camp soldiers currently defending against your Dawn Camp outside the city are actually only… a few hundred. You were too hasty, too hasty… Now let’s see who’s really trapped here.”

Ye Yunhen turned around, his body trembling, and stared intently at Ye Bingluan.

However, Ye Bingluan did something that surprised everyone at this moment.

She took a long sword from the guard beside her, then slowly walked down the steps, talking as she went.

"Now... I'll give you a chance. I know you've cultivated... So now, if I fight you one-on-one, and you win, you ascend the throne; if I win... your entire family is executed. Shall we go?" PS: I originally wrote over four thousand words, but I cut and edited some details. Otherwise, I felt the foreplay was too long and unnecessary. I didn't intend for this plot to be particularly exciting; the main focus was on the characters' changes and the development of their emotional arcs. So, I'll keep it simple and get straight to the point. Also... LGD, raise the Aegis tomorrow! Raise it high!!

29. Siblings kill each other

Today's weather is characterized by heavy snowfall.

However, in the minds of most people, it should be considered a 'bloody storm'.

The armies inside and outside the imperial city engaged in fierce battles in the streets and alleys.

Countless corpses lay on both sides of the streets and alleys.

The shouts echoed throughout the entire city of Chaoge, and the innocent people could only try their best to hide. They knew what was happening by now. These people were pouring into the palace in batches, which probably meant that a world-shaking change was about to take place.

It may never come, or it may begin today.

Qu Bai, his face covered in blood and panting heavily, had his spear stained red, and his white robe and silver armor were also stained with bright red blood, making him indistinguishable from a ghost. His murderous aura was overwhelming.

He took a deep breath at the entrance of the Azure Dragon Gate.

The spear was pointed inside.

"The rebels are inside! Every one we kill is a merit, Crimson Dragon Camp soldiers, kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

The thunderous footsteps were like a rushing thunderclap.

These sounds poured into the imperial city, and increasingly more deafening shouts came from all directions.

"Protect the Emperor!!"

"Protect His Majesty!"

"Slay the traitors!"

It's as if you can tell something just from that sound.

For example... Ye Yunhen now has no way out.

Someone was talking in his ear.

"Your Highness... this is a matter of life and death. If... if we can't kill Ye Bingluan, everyone's efforts will be in vain. What does life or death matter? But Your Highness has endured until today! We can't be soft-hearted anymore. Kill her! There is no way out, Your Highness!"

Ye Yunhen did not hear the woman say a single word to him: that as long as they laid down their weapons and surrendered, she and her fellow people would have a chance to live.

Because everyone understands that promises made at this time are absolutely useless.

No emperor could live if someone challenged his position or harbored ambitions against him.

So this is a situation where there is no room for complacency.

As the snow fell heavily, Ye Yunhen, clad in armor, took a deep breath.

"Clang."

The armor on his body fell to the ground.

Those around Ye Yunhen seemed to understand something and stared at him in a daze.

Ye Yunhen, having removed his armor, gripped his greatsword tightly and walked step by step toward Ye Bingluan.

His eyes revealed a do-or-die determination, which to others seemed to exude an indescribable danger.

The greatsword in his hand dragged on the ground with a harsh sound, and his eyes were only on the young woman in the dragon robe who looked so dazzling.

Ye Bingluan was also looking at him, the long sword in her hand as delicate as she was.

"Ye Yunhen... I know you have cultivation. I'm not really giving you some so-called hope to make the game seem more fun. This isn't a game; it's a gamble from beginning to end. You gamble on your chances, and I gamble on your stupidity."

At this point, the woman's words seemed to have little effect.

Because everyone knows that the next situation is a matter of life or death.

Even though someone was trying to stop this young woman who had all the advantages, no one could resist her will at this moment.

Ye Yunhen revealed a sinister look in his eyes.

"I know... you also have cultivation. What do you want to do? Is it to kill me in front of everyone? To prove how secure your throne is? That no one can take the country from you? Or... is it that your anger has reached the point where you need to kill your own brother to vent your hatred, and no one else can satisfy you? Hahahaha... Ye Bingluan, actually we are no different."

Ye Bingluan smiled, so beautiful that she seemed almost unreal.

She was the first female emperor in thousands of years, and she was also the most beautiful woman in this great nation.

"That's right... It seems we're all the same, both pouring our hearts and souls into the throne... Is that how you see it? But... that's not really the case. You think I cultivate immortality to achieve eternal life, to remain on this throne for countless millennia, but that's not the truth. I've considered giving up the throne; I genuinely believe that's all there is to being an emperor..."

"Don't joke around!"

Ye Yunhen roared, his face contorted in a grotesque and distorted expression.

It was as if his initial hope had gradually turned into despair, and now his obsession was finally turning him into a beast, no... more like a demon.

"Now you're saying these things... Do you think you'd give me the throne if I didn't do these things? Would you even say such things? Even if you could say it, you wouldn't do it! Your suspicion has been there from the very beginning. If I hadn't been feigning illness all this time, I probably wouldn't even have this opportunity today! What's the point of you saying these things now?!"

Ye Bingluan stopped, the distance was close enough.

The two sides have split up, although in terms of numbers, the situation is now one-sided.

But everyone seemed incredibly nervous.

The woman in the dragon robe shook her head with a hint of regret.

"You couldn't help it... so you couldn't help it at all. It's not that I can't give it to you, do you remember what I said? If you were the one who ascended the throne back then, that would be great... But look at Ye Yunhen, this country, these people, I saved them all, whether it was Jiuyang City or Chaoge City... Where were you when I was being coerced and harmed by the Wu Clan?"

Perhaps all people are like this, avoiding risks and only wanting to reap the delicious fruit… Tell me, what reason did I give you? Family? Besides… now that you've barged in, what reason do you have? If you can endure it, perhaps one day I'll let go of my resentment. But you can't.”

Ye Yunhen was filled with strange emotions.

I couldn't quite define my emotions—was it anger, regret, or utter rage?

He raised his greatsword high, facing Ye Bingluan directly.