If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

zizi——

The piercing sound of electricity sent a jolt through everyone's hearts.

Li Gang's hand, raised in preparation to give the order, froze in mid-air. He frowned and looked towards the direction of the City Daily News building, his face full of confusion.

Hasn't the notification already been issued?

Wasn't the young emperor's last imperial edict simply to establish a separate regime? How come there's still news about it?

"Has the person who went to receive the Daily News replied?" he asked, turning to one of his attendants.

The attendant shrank back, his eyes darting away.

"No...no."

Li Gang's unease instantly intensified, turning into a surge of anger.

"It's been almost half an hour! Why haven't you reported back?!"

The attendant was so frightened he almost knelt on the ground. Now that everyone in the mansion was in a frenzy of celebration, who would notice such an unusual place?

"Go and find out for me right now!!!" Li Gang roared.

"Yes! Yes!"

The attendants scrambled out of the room.

Just then, a concise voice came from the loudspeaker.

"The Emperor has decreed!"

If any illegitimate son of a noble family within the territory of Daliang is found to have committed treason, deceived the emperor, or disrupted the court, the family is granted the special right to execute him first and report later!

Those convicted will be pardoned and appointed to succeed their masters, taking their place!

The words fell.

The loudspeaker fell silent again.

The entire city of Qinggang fell into an eerie silence.

The anger on Li Gang's face suddenly froze, then his pupils dilated violently, and his face turned deathly pale.

His mouth opened wide, as if he wanted to say something, but he could only utter a trembling "uh" sound from his throat.

He was so terrified that he couldn't utter a single word.

He knew those illegitimate sons all too well.

They know all too well the resentment they harbor towards their own loyal followers.

That was the oppression and humiliation etched into our bones over the past century; the anger contained within it was enough to burn everything.

Normally, with the invisible mountain of clan rules holding them back, they can only endure their hatred.

But now, a decree from the young emperor descended from the heavens, like a divine punishment, directly shattering that mountain.

A century of suppressed rage is about to erupt!

Li Gang stiffly turned his head slowly, looking at the illegitimate sons and generals behind him.

Li Shiqi, Li Sanshiyi...

The numbness that had been there before had been replaced by fervor on everyone's face!

Li Shiqi seemed to sense something and turned to look at him; their eyes met.

From that fanatical face, Li Gang read the greed and murderous intent that he was all too familiar with!

Geek!

A warning bell rang in his mind, and he realized with a start that he only had three direct disciples of the Grandmaster level by his side.

Before nearly ten thousand soldiers, all men of humble origin, armed with weapons, he felt like a lamb to the slaughter.

Almost at the same moment!

The two shouted out:

"The direct descendants of the Li family have colluded with powerful clans to plot treason and usurp the throne! This is treason! Soldiers, follow me to slay the traitors and uphold the law!"

"Elders, protect the emperor! The illegitimate son is rebelling!"

After shouting those words, Li Gang didn't hesitate at all. He turned around and rushed to his mount, tumbling and scrambling onto its back. He then cracked the whip hard and galloped wildly out of the mansion.

His disheveled appearance was a far cry from his previous high-spirited demeanor.

The three master guards were taken aback at first, but immediately felt the murderous aura coming from all around them. They subconsciously activated their true energy and protected the direction in which Li Gang was fleeing.

"court death!"

Li Thirty-One's single eye flashed with a fierce light as he attacked simultaneously with Li Seventeen and several other generals who had also reached the Grandmaster level.

Several powerful streams of true energy collided violently, creating a strong wind that made the robes of those around them flutter loudly.

Although the three direct guards were strong, Li Shiqi and his group outnumbered them and were quickly entangled.

The nearly 10,000 soldiers behind them quickly recovered from their initial shock.

Most of them came from commoner backgrounds and still retained the concept of imperial supremacy.

In addition, the people who trained them and lived and ate with them were none other than Li Shiqi and his illegitimate sons.

At this moment, on one side are the loyal followers who are accused of "treason," and on the other side is the superior who holds the "imperial edict."

They can make a choice in less than a second.

"kill!"

It's unclear who shouted first.

The ten thousand soldiers moved instantly, forming a battle formation, their spears thrusting upwards, their target the three entangled grandmasters.

The three grandmasters were shocked. They could handle several opponents of the same level, but they were absolutely no match for an army of so many people.

Pfft! Pfft!

The protective shield of true energy shattered instantly under the dense spear tips.

Several cold spears pierced their chests and throats without mercy.

Fresh blood gushed out.

The expressions on the three people's faces were forever frozen in fear and disbelief.

They couldn't believe until their deaths that they would die at the hands of these illegitimate sons and lowly soldiers whom they usually regarded as ants.

Looking at the three corpses lying in a pool of blood, Li Shiqi recalled the various insults and tortures these people had inflicted on them, and his face erupted with fanaticism.

He raised his blood-stained sword high, its tip pointing deep into the Li mansion.

"Follow me to slaughter the traitorous Li family! Leave no one alive!"

"kill!"

"kill!!"

"kill!!!"

The deafening shouts of battle echoed throughout Qinggang City.

……

Meanwhile, Li Gang, spurring his horse onward at breakneck speed, was charging towards the Daily News Pavilion.

He needed to reunite with the guards he had sent out to gather information. If he could escape the city, he could survive!

However, when he rushed across the street corner and saw the scene in front of the Daily News building, a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, plunging him into the abyss of despair.

The few direct descendants of the Li family that he had sent out earlier were already decapitated, their bodies lying haphazardly in pools of blood.

Before their corpses stood a troop of soldiers clad in heavy black armor.

The army was silent, yet it exuded a chilling aura of iron and blood.

Behind them, a black flag fluttered in the wind.

On the flag, four large characters were embroidered in gold thread—

The Southern Army of Daliang!