The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 536 Paper Money Flies into the East Wind (Part 2)
Xiao Yan chuckled, as if it were just a casual remark made when old friends meet again, but it made Shi Yao's shoulders inexplicably tense.

She vividly remembered that during the Bianjing Incident, Xiao Yan had asked her to relay his proclamation against Yuan Tiangang, but she ultimately did not do so.

Although Xiao Yan should not have known about this matter, when they met again two years later, this greeting made her feel inexplicably flustered.

So Shi Yao simply maintained her bowing posture, her head lowered: "Your Majesty flatters me. With the passing of loved ones and the turmoil of war, it is already a stroke of luck to have survived in this chaotic world. I dare not accept such praise from Your Majesty. But Your Majesty... has now led your army south, sweeping across the land, pacifying the Jianghuai region, and rebuilding the Tang Dynasty from the brink of collapse. Such unparalleled achievements are worthy of being recorded in history and benefiting all people..."

"There's no need for those polite words,"

Xiao Yan toyed with the riding whip on the table, abruptly interrupting Shi Yao's fluent eulogy, then smiled faintly. "I only ask you, did Yuan Tiangang send you here because he felt ashamed to see me, or because he believed that even now, I am not worthy of his personal meeting?"

"The Commander-in-Chief has absolutely no such intention!"

Shi Yao looked up in shock. The candlelight flickered on her slightly beautiful face, reflecting a fleeting moment of panic. Fortunately, she immediately realized her mistake, quickly lowered her eyes, and spoke in an even more respectful tone, even with a hint of pleading:

"The Grand Marshal said that His Majesty has already grasped the vast land and commands a million elite troops, enough to secure the realm and bring peace to the world. What is happening in Nanjing is merely a final act of a play that is about to end. He wants to sweep away the last grime for His Majesty before this final chapter, as a... congratulatory gift."

"A congratulatory gift?" Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. "He is indeed thoughtful."

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, and stared at Shi Yao.

"But let's not even talk about whether I need his congratulatory gift. Just consider that he paved the way for Li Xingyun to escape, letting that so-called fake Li take the lead and become emperor, taking on all the blame, whether he should or shouldn't have. Now he wants to use this carefully orchestrated 'martyrdom' ceremony to preserve his last bit of dignity as the Bad Commander, and incidentally pin the blame for 'causing chaos in Jiangnan' on that fake Li, thus settling all past grievances?"

He spoke calmly, lightly tapping the handle of his riding whip, and said with amusement, "Shi Yao, tell me, on what basis does Yuan Tiangang think I would need such a so-called congratulatory gift?"

Shi Yao took a deep breath, her full chest rising and falling slightly.

Although Xiao Yan was smiling, the smile did not reach his eyes, making her feel an invisible pressure that was more unsettling than any harsh words.

The candlelight crackled inside the tent, while Li Maozhen sat to the side, intently staring at the teacup in his hand, as if the patterns on the cup held some hidden secret.

She paused for a moment, then finally said, “As expected… nothing can be hidden from His Majesty. The various causes and effects before and after Li Xingyun’s ascension to the throne were indeed orchestrated by the Grand Marshal behind the scenes. The Grand Marshal said that the world has been in chaos for two years, with the North and South facing each other across the river, and the strange phenomenon of ‘two Tangs’ coexisting has emerged. Regardless of the reasons for this situation, it requires a clear explanation for the sake of the legal system and the public's perception, an explanation that can serve as a warning to those who follow suit, so as to set the record straight.”

"Explain?"

Xiao Yan feigned sudden realization, then stood up and slowly walked to her, stopping just short of Shi Yao's lowered gaze.

Then, Xiao Yan gently lifted the riding whip in his hand, lifting Shi Yao's smooth chin with just the right amount of pressure, forcing her to tilt her head back and expose her entire face to the flickering candlelight, meeting those dark, angry eyes.

This action had a rather frivolous feel to it, and given Tianyouxing's dislike of using her beauty to please others, it would have surely provoked her fierce resistance in the past.

However, when faced with this young face that had been her equal in status just a few years ago, Shi Yao froze for a moment, and then a blush of humiliation spread from her neck to her ears. But she dared not look away and could only stare fixedly into the other person's eyes.

Li Maozhen continued to sip his tea with his eyes lowered, his posture relaxed, as if he were the only one sitting alone in the tent.

"Now that the world is about to be settled, everything is in need of rebuilding, and the people are eagerly awaiting peace. This is the moment we are fighting for. Does he really think that I came here to watch him put on this 'True and False Dragon Kings causing trouble in Jinling' show? It's just the life and death of two people. Is it really worth me stopping here to accompany him in this grand drama?"

Xiao Yan looked down at Shi Yao, and at this point, he couldn't help but sneer: "What kind of explanation is this, a childish thing?"

The force from her chin caused Shi Yao a slight pain. Her slender neck tensed, and her throat moved slightly as she tried not to appear too embarrassed: "The commander-in-chief said that this is not child's play, but a necessity to set things right."

She tried to avoid that intimidating gaze, but her eyes had nowhere to land, and in the end, she could only look at the other person's clothes. Her voice grew lower and lower, with a sense of resigned submission.

"The Bad People's three-hundred-year mission and numerous past entanglements should be completely resolved at this moment. The Grand Marshal is willing to sacrifice himself to end all old grudges and bring His Majesty a... clean and prosperous Kaiyuan era, so that the Tang Dynasty will be free from the entanglements of past karma."

"clean?"

Xiao Yan chuckled again, then subtly flicked his wrist to remove the riding whip.

Shi Yao's jaw eased, but the slight stinging sensation seemed to linger. Her whole body remained slightly tense, her neck involuntarily shifting as her gaze followed Xiao Yan's figure as he walked past her.

He walked to the tent entrance and used his riding whip to lift a corner of the tent flap.

A night breeze rushed in, ruffling Xiao Yan's clothes. He gazed at the blurry yet enormous outline of Jinling City in the darkness, his voice carried back into the tent by the wind.

"Yuan Tiangang's problems are his own business. As for the unification of the country and the livelihood of the people, that is my business. When has my desire to govern the world ever required anyone's sacrifice? And when has it ever required some so-called 'innocence' to vindicate me?"

Shi Yao was slightly taken aback.

Then Xiao Yan said again: "I am not interested in who lives or dies. I have no intention of getting involved in Yuan Tiangang's three hundred years of entanglement. I only know that the rice fields in Jiangnan are waiting for irrigation, the waterways in Huaibei need to be dredged, and the displaced people are looking forward to returning home... These are things that cannot wait and are what I should be concerned about."

The tent was silent. Li Maozhen remained seated, but had already put down his teacup, looking at his clasped hands as if there were some lines between his rough knuckles that were worth exploring.

Xiao Yan simply turned around and looked at Shi Yao again, but at that moment, his gaze was so sharp that she could hardly bear it.

"I came here today expecting Yuan Tiangang to have some brilliant insights, but now I find it utterly pointless. Go back and tell him I only have two questions..."

He walked back to the desk and gently placed the riding whip on it.

"Firstly, there are still hundreds of thousands of people in Jinling City. I do not want them to suffer as innocent bystanders because of the war. If you, the Bad People, still have some humanity left, and can find a way to protect these innocent lives from the suffering of war, and promptly open the city gates, then you will have done a great service."

"Secondly," Xiao Yan's voice deepened, "after the royal army enters the city, the takeover of the puppet dynasty's officials, treasury, military equipment, and city defenses must be carried out in an orderly manner, without causing chaos or disturbing the people. Those household registers, land records, and criminal case files must also be handed over to the royal army completely and without any discrepancies. Any damage or loss..."

Shi Yao immediately bowed her head, her speech quickening: "Your Majesty, the Commander-in-Chief has made arrangements. The Bad People have secretly taken control of all key government offices, major granaries, and armories within the city, and have drawn up detailed city defense maps and the timing of garrison deployments. We are just waiting for the royal army to give a clear signal, so we can coordinate from within and without, open the designated city gates, guide the royal army directly to the key points, and take control of the entire situation as quickly as possible, minimizing damage. The documents and archives within the city are also being guarded by special personnel, and will certainly not be damaged or lost."

Xiao Yan listened quietly, his expression unreadable. He remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze once again to the deep night outside the tent.

"it is good."

After saying this one word, he finally added, "Also, tell Yuan Tiangang that if he opens the city gates quickly and keeps the city intact, I can still tolerate him. If he still insists on some so-called 'prosperous and pure era,' then the so-called 'two Lis' should both die in Jinling... Brother, prepare to enter the city."

After saying this, the man turned and left. Li Maozhen suddenly got up and followed him, leaving Shi Yao kneeling on the ground, pale-faced and unable to recover for a long time.

------

Under the same night sky, however, a completely different scene unfolded inside the main hall of the Jinling Palace.

Yang Shuzi's sudden appearance caused the situation to quickly spiral into an unpredictable and volatile direction.

"Teacher...master?"

Li Xingyun stood there, stunned.

The face before him, the face he thought he might never see again in this lifetime, was now vividly present. A surge of ecstasy rushed to his head like a torrent, but after the ecstasy came a deeper sense of bewilderment and helplessness, like ice water being poured over his head.

Why is Master here?

Upon seeing Uncle Yang, the fake Li's nerves tensed up instantly, and he was just as flustered as Li Xingyun.

However, he was only stunned for a moment before he suddenly came to his senses. He stared intently at Li Xingyun's expression, then looked at Yang Shuzi, the uninvited guest, and suddenly grinned, letting out a sneer.

"Uncle Yang... Ah, what a coincidence! Good, very good! He's even brought you back as a dead piece, it seems he really intends to play this game to the end! What, are you here to take the blame for your good apprentice, to bear the pent-up anger of me, his adopted pawn... for ten years?"

Yang Shuzi remained calm, not even glancing at Li Xingyun beside him, and simply said:
"Xingyun is caught up in this situation, trapped and in a dilemma, all because I failed as his teacher and did not fulfill my responsibility to guide him, which has led to his current predicament. I am willing to bear the burden of your grievances, resentment towards Xingyun, and hatred of the injustice of fate."

"You're taking full responsibility?" The fake Li seemed to have heard the most absurd joke in the world, and suddenly burst into wild laughter. Then, his finger trembled as he pointed at Uncle Yang, and then pointed fiercely at Li Xingyun.

"Can you bear the weight of this? Do you know how I've lived these past ten years? Living in his shadow with this face! I've learned to walk like him, to talk like him, to learn everything about him! But I've never received a 'good' comment, never been given a proper look! I'm like the clown backstage waiting to be replaced, all my efforts, all my struggles, in your eyes, are just to make him look more convincing when he takes the stage!"

His chest heaved violently as he pointed at Yang Shuzi and sneered, "Now, you think you can erase all this with a casual 'I'll bear the consequences'? You think you can make me willingly die for him? Fine, very well indeed. As expected of a master and disciple, I've truly seen the extent of your shamelessness today!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his aura surging forth. His ochre-yellow robe moved without wind, fluttering and rustling. His powerful inner strength surged forth, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker violently, casting eerie shadows.

Zhang Zifan's expression changed, and he instinctively stepped in front of Li Xingyun, who had not yet recovered his strength. Jing Xinmo was sweating profusely, and hesitated to speak.

Yang Shuzi, however, seemed oblivious, only sighing softly: "Foolish child. The Commander-in-Chief gave you an identity and taught you martial arts. The gratitude and hardship involved are all within your own heart. Your hatred for Xingyun is merely hatred for the self that can never escape his shadow. The person you truly want to prove to him, the person you want to gain his approval from, has never been Xingyun, nor anyone else in this world... It's the Commander-in-Chief. It's the one you both crave his approval for, yet know you can never truly obtain... the Unruly Commander."

"shut up!"

Like a wild beast whose tail had been stepped on, the fake Li's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. "None of you understand! None of you understand! Today, I'll kill you, you old bastard, first, and then let Yuan Tiangang watch with his own eyes how everything he cherishes is destroyed before his very eyes!"

Before he could finish speaking, the fake Li had already moved!
It was fast! So fast that it left only a blurry yellow afterimage.

During the verbal exchange just now, the fake Li had secretly pushed his Heavenly Gang Technique internal energy to its peak. Now, he poured it into his right arm without reservation, pointing his fingers like a sword, and aimed straight at Yang Shuzi.

Before the sword even arrived, the condensed gale had already torn through the air, emitting a piercing shriek.

Yang Shuzi's expression hardened. The way the fake Li pounced was driven by anger, and the ruthlessness and speed far exceeded his expectations.

He dared not meet the attack head-on. His footwork was fluid and graceful, his figure like a lotus in the wind, swaying and elegant. In the nick of time, he slid half a step to the side and back. At the same time, he used his right hand as a pen, his fingers as a sword, to draw a clear arc of light and point it at the Shenmen acupoint on the fake Li's wrist, intending to force him to withdraw his move.

However, the fake Li was particularly familiar with Yang Shuzi's martial arts style, and coupled with his current crazed state, his moves became even more bizarre. With a flick of his wrist, he moved like a boneless snake, bypassing Yang Shuzi's fingertips, and the fierce hand-sword continued its momentum, piercing straight into Yang Shuzi's chest and abdomen! The speed of the move and the angle were so tricky that he completely disregarded his own defense, adopting a posture of mutual destruction.

Yang Shuzi had been out of the martial world for many years. Although he had not neglected his internal strength, his energy and vitality were no longer at their peak. He had not expected that the fake Li would fight so desperately from the very first encounter. He quickly circled his palms, trying to neutralize the fierce attack with gentle force, but he only felt a domineering force penetrating straight through him.

"Oh!"

The force of their energy clashed, producing a dull thud.

Yang Shuzi staggered back three steps, his chest heaving with blood and qi, a flush instantly spreading across his face. He suppressed the metallic taste rising in his throat, his gaze towards the fake Li becoming more serious.

The fake Li gained the upper hand in one move, and his madness intensified. He gave Uncle Yang no chance to catch his breath, let out a low growl, and pounced on him again.

He pushed the internal energy of the Heavenly Gang Technique to its limit, sometimes turning his fingers into swords, sometimes his palms into knives, each move aimed at Yang Shuzi's vital points. It was as if he wanted to pour all the resentment, all the unwillingness, and all the pain of unfulfilled desires accumulated over the past ten years onto this middle-aged man who was both a teacher and a father to Li Xingyun.

Although Yang Shuzi was at a disadvantage, his defense was rigorous. In the blink of an eye, he had already used the movement technique of Qinglian Sword Song to the extreme. He moved and dodged in the small space, his clothes fluttering. Occasionally, he would find an opening to counterattack. His finger wind was sharp and even forced the fake Li to slightly return to defense. For a while, the two were deadlocked.

In an instant, two figures clashed rapidly within the hall, their energy surging and tearing the curtains, leaving deep scratches on the beams and pillars. The muffled sounds of their battle and the frenzied roars of the fake Li echoed continuously in the empty hall.

Li Xingyun watched anxiously from the side.

Although Zhang Zifan had released the pressure points on his body in time, his internal energy was like a dried-up riverbed, with only one-tenth remaining, making its circulation sluggish. Therefore, when the fake Li suddenly launched his attack, he was even a beat slower in his reaction.

Although he had never truly fought Yang Shuzi and did not know the extent of his master's current skill, he could tell that Yang Shuzi was old and had been out of the game for a long time, while the fake Li was in his prime, with profound skill and ruthless moves, probably no weaker than himself at his peak.

Seeing that Yang Shuzi was struggling under the fierce attack of the fake Li, who was like a mad tiger, and that his steps were becoming increasingly disordered, Li Xingyun could no longer care about anything else. He let out a low shout, forcefully gathered the remaining true energy in his dantian, and leaped into the battle.

Knowing his internal strength was insufficient, he feared that if he forced the use of the Heavenly Gang Technique, he would be completely suppressed by the fake Li's more refined and domineering internal strength upon contact, and might even suffer a backlash. Helpless, he could only forcefully activate the "Dragon Elephant First Appearance" of the third level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill. Instantly, Li Xingyun's arms faintly glowed with a pale golden light as he faced the fake Li, attempting to use clumsiness to overcome skill and share the pressure on his master.

Zhang Zifan had not yet had time to cultivate the Five Thunder Heavenly Heart Technique, and was no match for the fake Li. He knew that if he rashly got involved at this moment, it would not only be of no use, but might also distract Li Xingyun and Uncle Yang, causing unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, when he saw Li Xingyun step forward, he did not stop him. Instead, his eyes narrowed, his feet moved swiftly, and his folding fan unfolded with a "whoosh" as he stood guard on the outer edge of the battle circle.

His eyes were sharp, watching the Mirror Heart Demon, whose expression was also changing and who seemed to want to say something but couldn't, while also keeping an eye on the battle situation, waiting for an opportunity to use his fan-like energy to harass the fake Li and relieve the pressure on Li Xingyun and Yang Shuzi.

Despite facing the combined attack of the three, the fake Li's offensive did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it became even more ferocious.

He was intimately familiar with the martial arts styles of Li Xingyun and Yang Shuzi. Although he was fighting three against one, he seemed to be able to anticipate the moves and find the slightest openings at the last moment, launching a more ruthless attack.

He unleashed the domineering internal force of the Heavenly Gang Technique without reservation, his surging energy enveloping his entire body. For a time, he managed to suppress Li Xingyun and Yang Shuzi, fighting them to a standstill, and even gaining a slight advantage.

The candlelight inside the hall flickered erratically due to the fierce wind, shadows swayed, and shouts and the sounds of clashing energy filled the air.

A moment later, just as the fake Li forced Yang Shuzi back with a single move, his body twisted unpredictably, and then, with a palm strike imbued with all his power, aimed directly at Li Xingyun's back, which had been slightly exposed due to his rescue of his master. Zhang Zifan was too late to react—

The entire hall seemed to freeze in an instant.

It wasn't just the sound that disappeared; everything—light, dust, turbulent inner energy, the expressions on people's faces, and even time itself—seemed to be suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, frozen in an instant.

A vast, overwhelming pressure, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, suddenly descended without warning.

It didn't come from any particular direction, but rather filled every inch of this space, so heavy that it was hard to breathe, and even thought seemed to become sluggish.

The turbulent energy subsided silently, and the raging candlelight returned to its upright position.

A figure suddenly appeared in the center of the hall, positioned between the fake Li and Li Xingyun.

An old indigo robe, a bronze mask.

He didn't even look at the palm strike that carried the force of wind and thunder. He simply raised one hand and gently grasped the wrist of the fake Li, which contained all his strength and was powerful enough to split stone tablets.

In an instant, the fake Li's violent and surging Heavenly Gang internal force vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

Fake Li was initially shocked and incredulous, even experiencing a moment of fear, but that fear was quickly replaced by a deeper sense of humiliation and rage. His face contorted in rage as he desperately tried to channel his inner energy, only to find that his meridians were completely locked, and he couldn't even move a single finger.

Then, the man flicked his wrist slightly, just a casual flick.

The fake Li was like a puppet with its strings cut, completely unable to resist the overwhelming force. He was involuntarily lifted off the ground, tracing a brief arc before crashing heavily against a pillar in the corner of the hall with a loud bang. His ochre-yellow robe was covered in dust, and he huddled there in a disheveled state, unable to struggle for a moment.

"Commander!"

Jingxin Demon felt a sense of relief, as if he had found his backbone. However, when he saw the miserable state of the fake Li, his face turned pale. But he immediately reacted and knelt down without hesitation, prostrating himself on the ground.

Almost at the same time he knelt down, all the doors of the main hall were pushed open. Li Xingyun helped Yang Shuzi stagger back, and looked back in astonishment. He saw the firelight flickering outside, and could only see hundreds of figures holding torches silently surging up the steps. Each person was carrying an unidentifiable object, which had already subtly surrounded the entire hall area.

It was in this moment of deathly silence that, from a distant direction outside the imperial city, the faint, thunderous sound of horns and the low clashing of countless soldiers marching and armor clashing could be heard.

The sound was initially indistinct, but then became clear, like a tide washing over the palace walls, unstoppable as it entered everyone's ears.

The army is entering the city.

Yuan Tiangang seemed oblivious to all of this.

He didn't look at anyone from beginning to end, but simply put one hand behind his back and looked at the throne on the steps of the palace.

"The play should come to an end."

(End of this chapter)