An unexpected encounter with the sleeping Little Dragon Girl leads to the annihilation of the Quanzh

Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an, Imperial Palace.

Late at night, the imperial study was still brightly lit.

Emperor Lizong of Song, Zhao Yun, who was nearly fifty years old, paced back and forth in the room with a look of anxiety on his face. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and the back of his dragon robe was already soaked with cold sweat.

Before him, several of the most important ministers of the court were also frowning and silent.

The atmosphere in the entire imperial study was so oppressive it was almost palpable.

"Still no news? Has Meng Gong's next urgent report not arrived yet?" Zhao Yun stopped and asked in a hoarse voice.

An elderly minister with white hair and beard, Jia Sidao, the Right Chancellor of the court, bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, General Meng's messenger has been traveling day and night and should be arriving soon. However..."

"Just what? Speak up!" Zhao Yun shouted impatiently.

"But... the journey from Sichuan to Lin'an is long. And that Marshal Lin... his whereabouts are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. I'm afraid... he will arrive before the messenger," Jia Sidao said, forcing himself to speak.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun swayed and almost lost his balance, but fortunately, the eunuch next to him caught him in time.

He plopped back down on the dragon throne, feeling as if all his strength had been drained away.

"A monster... what a monster..." he muttered to himself.

Just a few days ago, he received his first urgent message from Meng Gong, the commander of Sichuan.

The contents of the letter made the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty jump up from his dragon throne on the spot.

The letter stated that the newly appointed Grand Marshal Lin Ye single-handedly defeated Möngke's 300,000-strong army at Diaoyu City.

One man defeated an army of 300,000!

Zhao Yun's first reaction was that Meng Gong had gone mad and was joking with him. He even considered ordering Meng Gong to be arrested and executed.

However, intelligence coming in from all over the front lines soon confirmed this utterly absurd news.

Countless defeated soldiers and countless eyewitnesses described the scene that day, which was like a miracle and also like the end of the world, in the most horrified language.

Then, a second urgent report arrived.

Meng Gong said that Lin Ye found the Mongols too noisy and went alone to the Mongols' hometown of Karakorum to solve the problem at its root. Meng Gong himself had already led troops to pursue them and requested the Emperor's decision.

A decision? What makes him decide?

Send troops to stop them? Who would dare to stop a monster who can wipe out an army of 300,000 with a wave of his hand?

Zhao Yun felt like she was going crazy.

Why did he listen to Meng Gong and appoint such an unknown person as the Grand Marshal of the Army? He thought he had gained a peerless general who could turn the tide, but who knew that he had invited a god, or rather a devil, into his home!

"My esteemed ministers, say something!" Zhao Yun glared at the group of officials who were feigning ignorance, his anger flaring. "What should we do now? That Lin Ye, he's returned from Mongolia, and his next stop will definitely be Lin'an! Is he coming to ask for rewards, or... to take my dragon throne?"

The ministers looked at each other, none daring to speak first.

This matter was completely beyond their comprehension. They had spent their entire lives studying the classics and handling state affairs, but which book had ever taught them how to deal with a flying deity who could single-handedly defeat 300,000 people?

A minister from the Ministry of War hesitated for a long time before whispering, "Your Majesty, perhaps... we should mobilize the Imperial Guards from the capital and deploy them outside the city to demonstrate the might of our Great Song Dynasty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jia Sidao interrupted him with a cold laugh: "Heavenly might? Lord Zhang, are you joking? Three hundred thousand Mongol cavalry are like paper in front of him. Do you think our tens of thousands of Imperial Guards in the capital, who have hardly seen any blood, are enough to fill his teeth? Are you trying to make him think we are provoking him, so he'll raze the entire city of Lin'an to the ground?"

The official, Zhang, turned pale with fright and quickly knelt down, stammering, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty misspoke! You deserve to die!"

"Alright, alright! What time is it for you to keep talking nonsense!" Zhao Yun waved his hand irritably.

Another civil official, advocating for peace, said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, since Marshal Lin accepted our dynasty's investiture, it shows that he harbors no ill will towards our Great Song. His journey north has been a monumental achievement for our dynasty. We should welcome him with the highest honors, bestow upon him ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand beautiful women, and further elevate him to the rank of king, thus appeasing him..."

"Appease? Easier said than done!" a member of the royal family immediately retorted. "This kind of person cannot be bought off with money and beautiful women. If he really wanted it, the whole world would be his! What we're doing will only make him think we're weak and easily bullied! In my opinion, we should immediately issue a proclamation to the world, condemning his indiscriminate killing of innocent people, calling him a demon, and calling on all the armies and heroes of the land to join us in punishing him! I refuse to believe that he alone can stand against the entire world!"

"Fool!" Jia Sidao cursed without any politeness. "Make an enemy of the world? Do you know that just a few days ago, Guo Jing, the great hero, and Yang Guo, the Condor Hero, two of the most outstanding martial arts masters of the time, couldn't even catch a finger from him? One's martial spirit collapsed, and the other was so frightened that he burst into tears on the spot! You still expect those roughnecks from the martial world to do what they want? They'd be lucky if they didn't lick that guy's boots!"

The Imperial Study was in complete chaos.

Some advocated for war, some for peace, and some even secretly suggested that the emperor should pack his valuables and escape through a secret passage to the sea to avoid trouble.

Zhao Yun was completely bewildered. He felt like he wasn't the emperor, but a pitiful creature sitting on the crater of a volcano, about to be swallowed up by the erupting lava at any moment.

These days, he has been having nightmares every night. In his dreams, he sees Lin Ye's indifferent face and the terrifying scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood behind him.

Just then, a eunuch came stumbling in, shouting in a shrill voice, "Report—!!"

"Urgent report from the North!!"

The imperial study fell silent instantly. All eyes were fixed on the young eunuch.

Zhao Yun's heart leaped into his throat, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Was it...was it Lin Ye who called?"

"No...no!" the little eunuch gasped, his face showing extreme confusion and shock. "It's...it's an envoy sent by the Mongols!"

"Mongol envoys?" Zhao Yun was stunned. "What are they doing here? Are they here to deliver a challenge?"

"No...no..." The little eunuch pulled out a letter of state sealed with sealing wax from his robes and held it high. "They...they've come...to deliver a letter of surrender!"

"What?!"

The entire imperial study, including all the ministers and Emperor Zhao Yun himself, stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

The Mongols...surrendered?

That powerful empire that had been entangled with the Song Dynasty for decades, destroyed the Jin Dynasty, and conquered half the world, just like that... surrendered?

Zhao Yun snatched the letter of state and tore it open with trembling hands.

The letter was written in Chinese, and it clearly stated: Kublai Khan, the newly appointed Great Khan of the Mongols, respectfully obeys the decree of "Shang Shenlinye" and wishes to be forever subservient to the Great Song Dynasty, pay tribute every year, and never invade its borders.

Shang Shenlin Ye...

Zhao Yun felt a wave of dizziness as he looked at those four words.

He got it.

That man was not only a warrior who could fight against ten thousand men, but he... he actually went to the capital of the enemy country all by himself and forced the other country's monarch to submit!

This is something that ordinary people cannot do.

This is something only a god could do!

The Imperial Study was deathly silent.

The ministers, who had been arguing fiercely just moments before, now looked like ducks with their necks choked, mouths agape but unable to utter a sound.

Only one thought remained in their minds.

The world is about to change.

That night, Emperor Lizong of Song, Zhao Yun, did not sleep a wink.

He sat alone in the empty imperial study, repeatedly looking at the surrender document from Mongolia, until dawn broke.

Fear, shock, confusion, ecstasy... a complex mix of emotions swirled within him, making him feel as if he were in a bizarre dream.

For hundreds of years since the founding of the Song Dynasty, its greatest internal threat had been resolved so easily by a man named Lin Ye.

He should be happy, and should immediately announce it to the world, offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and celebrate this unprecedented and unparalleled achievement.

However, he couldn't feel happy at all.

Because he knew perfectly well that after dealing with one Mongol, a Lin Ye who was ten thousand times more terrifying than the Mongols had appeared.

How should we treat this "god"?

Zhao Yun thought about it all night and finally figured it out.

Such beings cannot be judged by common sense.

You can't win him over with power or position, because he can decide the ownership of an empire with a single word.

You can't bribe him with money, because all the wealth in the world might not be worth as much as a snack on the street in his eyes.

You absolutely cannot threaten him with force, because that would be tantamount to courting death.

The only way is to comply.

Complete, unreserved, and submissive submission, abandoning all dignity.

Make him happy, make him satisfied, make him feel that you, the emperor, are still somewhat useful and won't crush you like an ant.

Its daybreak.

Zhao Yun summoned all the civil and military officials in the capital and announced his decision in front of the most magnificent Chaotian Gate in Lin'an.

"Issue my decree!"

Zhao Yun's voice carried a hint of weariness, but it was unusually firm.

"Grand Marshal Lin Ye has rendered unparalleled service to our Great Song Dynasty. His achievements are beyond compare, and his virtue matches that of Heaven! I... will personally lead all officials thirty miles outside the city to welcome the Grand Marshal's triumphant return with the highest honors!"

Upon hearing this, the assembled officials below erupted in uproar.

"Your Majesty! This is absolutely forbidden!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Since ancient times, it has always been the case that subjects welcome the emperor, not the other way around!"

"This act damages the national dignity and the imperial authority! How will history record this? How will future generations view us?"

An elderly Minister of Rites with white hair cried and wailed, banging his head on the ground and shouting, "The laws of our ancestors cannot be changed!" He claimed that if the Emperor insisted on this, he would smash his head against a pillar at Chaotianmen and die.

Despite the fierce opposition from his ministers, Zhao Yun remained expressionless.

He merely stared coldly at the old minister who was contemplating suicide, and said indifferently, "Lord Wang, do you think that the laws of our ancestors are more important than my life, more important than the lives of all of you, and even more important than the lives of the million people in Lin'an?"

The old minister was stunned.

Zhao Yun continued, "Who do you think Marshal Lin is? Is he Guo Jing? Is he Yue Fei? He's a 'god' who can wipe out 300,000 Mongol troops and make Kublai Khan kneel and submit!"

"It would be a loss of face for me to go thirty miles outside the city to greet him. But if we displease this deity, a single finger from him could cost us our heads!"

"Which is more important, saving face or having your head? You choose!"

Zhao Yun's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's heads.

The officials, who had been so passionate just moments before, suddenly fell silent.

Yes, compared to one's own life, what national system or prestige is all bullshit.

The old minister who was about to be run over silently got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and returned to the ranks, as if nothing had happened.

"My mind is made up. There's no need for further discussion!" Zhao Yun waved his dragon robe. "Immediately prepare the ceremonial procession. We will depart in half an hour!"

Once the order was given, the entire city of Lin'an sprang into action.

The emperor was to travel thirty miles outside the city to welcome the legendary divine marshal!

The news spread like wildfire, instantly reaching every corner of Lin'an City.

The people spread the word and flocked to the streets, eager to witness this unprecedented scene.

In the teahouse, the storyteller recounted Marshal Lin's "miracle" at Diaoyu City with great enthusiasm.

Inside the restaurant, busybodies placed bets on whether Marshal Lin had three heads and six arms or a blue-faced, fanged monster.

The entire city of Lin'an was engulfed in a bizarre frenzy of fear, curiosity, and excitement.

Half an hour later, the extremely large royal guard slowly drove out of the south gate of Lin'an City.

The emperor's dragon palanquin was carried in the very center by thirty-two strong men. The entire palanquin was made of gold and inlaid with countless gems and pearls, which shone brightly in the sunlight.

Civil and military officials, as well as imperial relatives, lined up on both sides according to their rank, stretching for several miles.

The Imperial Guards and the Imperial Household Guards, fully armed, stood guard on either side, with banners waving and swords and spears flying everywhere.

This grand procession, representing the highest power and glory of the Song Dynasty, marched in a mighty procession toward the pavilion thirty miles outside the city.

They weren't going to fight a war, nor were they going on an inspection tour.

They were going to meet someone.

A person they both fear and have to rely on.

Inside the imperial carriage, Zhao Yun sat upright with a calm expression, but his hands, gripping the armrests tightly, betrayed his inner tension.

He didn't know whether his decision was right or wrong.

All he knew was that he was about to meet a god who could decide his fate, and the fate of the entire Song Dynasty.

And he, this so-called emperor of the mortal world, could only wait before the gods.

Awaiting the unknown judgment.

The procession moved slowly, the thirty-mile journey seemingly without end.

A tense and oppressive atmosphere filled the air; everyone held their breath, waiting for the legendary figure to arrive.

On the official road leading to Lin'an, a young Taoist boy who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old, with delicate features, was carrying a tattered bag and walking forward step by step.

His name is Zhang Junbao.

Just a few days ago, he was an unknown sweeping monk in Tianlong Temple. But now, he carries a letter that concerns the fate of all living beings, and is on his way to find the legendary immortal marshal, Lin Ye.

Along the way, he heard too many rumors about Lin Ye.

In the teahouse by the roadside, the storyteller described Lin Ye as a guardian general who descended from the sky to save the Song Dynasty from peril.

Among the fleeing crowd, the refugees who came from the north described Lin Ye as a capricious, ruthless, and inhuman demon.

Some say he is three zhang tall, with a blue face and fangs; others say he is as handsome as a god, with a smile that can topple cities.

These contradictory rumors left Zhang Junbao feeling both confused and frightened.

What kind of person is he looking for?

I am just a weak and helpless Taoist novice. Can I really meet that person whom even the emperor fears? And if I do meet him, what should I say?

He thought about giving up more than once, turning back to Tianlong Temple, and continuing to be his sweeping monk.

But whenever this happens, he thinks of Master Yideng's deep eyes and the words, "This is your destiny, and also your choice."

He would also remember his brother, Dong Tianbao, covered in blood, roaring at the heavens with a wooden stick in the dilapidated temple.

"Junbao, we must all learn martial arts well and make something of ourselves!"

Tianbao has already become an apprentice of a peerless master and embarked on his own path. And what about me? Am I destined to be a janitor for life, forever following in his footsteps?

No!

Zhang Junbao clenched his fists, his eyes hardening.

He could not fail his master's orders and his brothers' expectations.

Regardless of whether Lin Ye is a god or a demon, he must find him and deliver the letter to him.

With this belief, he braved the elements and slept in the open, resolutely heading towards Lin'an.

That day, he was at a roadside stall, using the few coins he had left to buy a sesame seed cake to fill his stomach, when he suddenly heard several men dressed as江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people of the martial arts world) at the next table talking loudly.

"Have you heard? Today's a big day!" A burly man with a thick beard said excitedly after taking a swig of wine.

"What? Have the Mongols attacked again?" his companion asked.

"Attack? Ha, they'd love to!" The burly man with the thick beard scoffed. "Your information is so outdated! The latest news is that Kublai Khan, the newly enthroned Great Khan of the Mongols, has already sent an envoy with a letter of surrender! From this day forward, they are the grandsons of our Great Song!"

"What?!" The group of people at the table all stood up in shock. "Really? This... how is this possible?"

"Absolutely true! The news has spread throughout Lin'an!" the burly man with the thick beard said smugly. "Do you know who did this?"

"Could it be... Marshal Lin?"

"Who else could it be but him!" The burly man with the thick beard slammed his hand on the table. "He flew all by himself to the Mongol capital, pointed at their Khan's nose, and told them to surrender, and they surrendered obediently! Don't you think that's divine intervention?"

"A god! He's a living god!" everyone exclaimed in admiration.

"That's not all!" the burly man with the thick beard said in a low voice, mysteriously. "The most amazing thing is yet to come! To welcome this living deity, our Emperor has decided to personally lead all officials thirty miles outside the city to greet him! This is unprecedented!"

"My goodness! The emperor himself went thirty miles out of the city to greet a mere subject?"

"This is quite a spectacle! We must go and see for ourselves! Let's see what Marshal Lin really looks like!"

"Let's go! Let's go!"

After settling their bill, the group of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) men excitedly headed towards Lin'an.

Zhang Junbao, who was listening nearby, was dumbfounded.

The emperor personally went out of the city thirty li to greet him?

The Lin Ye he was looking for actually had such a lot of influence.

He suddenly felt a surge of relief; thankfully, he hadn't given up. It seemed that as long as he followed the crowd, he would definitely find Lin Ye.

He finished the sesame seed cake in a few bites, then quickly shouldered his bag and joined the vast crowd surging towards Lin'an.

The closer you get to Lin'an, the more people there are.

The official road was bustling with traffic and people, even more lively than a festival.

After walking for most of the day, Zhang Junbao finally saw the majestic outline of Lin'an City in the distance.

Outside the city, on an open field, huge banners representing royal majesty fluttered in the wind.

Countless soldiers stood in neat square formations, their golden armor gleaming in the sunlight, stretching as far as the eye could see.

At the very front of the formation, an extremely luxurious golden dragon carriage stood quietly, as if waiting for something.

Zhang Junbao was so overwhelmed by the magnificent royal grandeur before him that he was speechless.

He knew that the center of the storm that had shaken the entire world was right there.

And he, an unknown young Taoist novice, was about to step into the eye of this storm.

His heart began to pound uncontrollably.

On another path leading to Lin'an, an old man and a young boy were walking slowly.

The old man, with his white hair and beard, leaned on a shiny green bamboo cane and carried a large gourd on his back. Although his clothes were tattered, his eyes were bright and piercing. He was none other than the former leader of the Beggars' Clan, "Northern Beggar" Hong Qigong.

The younger one, with a chubby face and a shrewd look, was none other than Dong Tianbao, who had been taken in as a disciple by Hong Qigong.

"Master, let's hurry up! If we're any later, we'll miss the show!" Dong Tianbao urged impatiently.

Ever since he heard about Lin Ye's deeds in the dilapidated temple that day, he had been itching to learn more.

One man, who subdued the entire martial arts world and crushed an empire.

This is a real man! This is a true strongman!

He dreamed of seeing this legendary figure in person and seeing just how powerful he was.

"What's the rush?" Hong Qigong took a leisurely sip of wine, burped, and said, "Good things come to those who wait. Besides, why are you so excited? It's a battle of gods, what are you, a little beggar, doing getting involved?"

"Master, you can't say that!" Dong Tianbao said earnestly. "I just want to go and see what a truly superior person is like! What he can do, I, Dong Tianbao, will definitely be able to do in the future!"

His eyes gleamed with an ambition and desire beyond his years.

Looking at his newly accepted disciple, Hong Qigong felt both fondness and worry.

What I like about this kid is his fierce determination and ambition, just like I was when I was young.

The worry is that this kid is too ambitious and too ruthless. If he is not guided properly, he may go astray in the future.

"Kid, do you think that Lin Ye is very impressive?" Hong Qigong asked.

"Of course!" Dong Tianbao answered without hesitation. "Everyone in the world fears him; even the emperor has to go thirty miles out of the city to greet him! What else could this be but a display of power?"

"Do you know why he's so powerful?"

"Because he's a master of martial arts! Might makes right!" Dong Tianbao said matter-of-factly.

Hong Qigong shook his head and sighed: "You only saw his fist, but you didn't see what was behind his fist."

"With just one sentence, he made the Mongols surrender and saved the Song Dynasty from war. Do you know how many lives that one sentence saved?"

"Power itself is neither right nor wrong. Using power to save people is chivalry. Using power to harm people is evil."

"Old beggar, I taught you martial arts in the hope that you can use these skills to help those in need in the future, not to make you some kind of superior person who tramples others underfoot."

Hong Qigong gave him earnest advice.

Dong Tianbao lowered his head and responded with "oh, oh," but he didn't think much of it.

Saving lives? Heroism?

Can it be eaten as a meal?

He could never forget the humiliation of being trampled underfoot in the dilapidated temple, unable to even keep half a moldy steamed bun.

Where were those so-called heroes back then?

He believed that only by becoming stronger than everyone else could he avoid being bullied and protect the people he wanted to protect.

Just like Lin Ye!

"Master," Dong Tianbao looked up, his eyes sparkling, and asked, "Tell me, if you and that Lin Ye were to fight, who would win?"

Hong Qigong was so angry at his question that he laughed. He tapped Dong Tianbao on the head with his bamboo cane.

"What kind of nonsense are you thinking about, kid?"

"My meager skills are no match for theirs; I'm like a three-year-old child. Forget about hitting them, they could send me to meet the King of Hell with just a breath."

"That's not a human being, that's a natural disaster! Have you ever seen anyone fight against God?"

Hong Qigong's words did not frighten Dong Tianbao; on the contrary, they excited him even more.

Even a master like his own master admitted that he was inferior to him.

Just how strong is Lin Ye?

He absolutely had to go and see!

He not only wanted to observe, but he also wanted to find a way to get close to this person and learn even a trick or two from him. Even learning just a little bit would be enough to benefit him for the rest of his life!

"Master, let's go quickly!"

Dong Tianbao grabbed Hong Qigong's sleeve and quickened his pace considerably.

Hong Qigong shook his head helplessly and had no choice but to quicken his pace.

The master and apprentice soon arrived outside Lin'an City.

When Dong Tianbao saw the royal procession with its banners obscuring the sun and armor gleaming in the sunlight, he was completely awestruck.

This is the power of authority!

All of this was just to welcome one person.

In his heart, the seed called "ambition" broke through the soil and grew wildly at this moment.

He stared intently at the golden dragon carriage and the empty stage in front of it, waiting for the protagonist to make his appearance.

His fists clenched without him even realizing it.

One day, I, Dong Tianbao, will make this world move for me!