Bitter Realm: A Happy Person Traveling Across China

Since the Imperial Dynasty's visit, I've had a rather leisurely few days.

Meanwhile, the Marquis of Baishi returned to the court in a sorry state and reported Ye Jinming's barbed and incisive words in their entirety.

When the words "Beichen Yuanhuang" reached his ears, Emperor Yuliang, who was sitting on the brand-new throne, felt a slight crack appear on the armrest of his hand.

His face remained expressionless, but a chilling undercurrent of anger and barely suppressed rage surged in his eyes.

"What a 'stunning sword strike'... I'll go and meet him myself!"

The current Jade Emperor has just subdued the four tribes of the Northern Region with swift and decisive measures, and is now at the height of his pride and dominance.

He felt that he was destined for greatness and that his ambition was about to be realized. How could he allow a rogue cultivator from the mountains to be so contemptuous and provocative, let alone mention the name he feared?

Before long, outside Mingfeng Woxue, the originally quiet bamboo forest path was shrouded in an atmosphere of grandeur yet also faintly revealing restlessness.

"Golden chariots stand in unison, six dragons subdue them; cloud-borne chariots listen to historians riding the long winds. With wine in hand and poetry in hand, spear in hand, one day we will climb the sun and shoot it into the azure sky!"

His poems resounded loudly, echoing through the forests and fields.

Then, the Jade Emperor arrived slowly in a golden chariot drawn by six dragons, with a magnificent canopy and a grand procession.

He stepped down from the carriage, his armor gleaming with gold, its design exaggerated and intricate, like the Gold Saint Seiya.

This outfit is extremely gorgeous and majestic, but it also has a somewhat superficial feel, like "gold and jade on the outside, but rotten cotton on the inside".

He stood with his hands behind his back before the tightly closed doors of Woxueju.

"A single sword strikes, startling the night's embers; the lone emperor himself has arrived; will you not reveal yourself?"

The sound, infused with true energy, roared like thunder, attempting to directly knock on the barrier with the majesty of an emperor.

The trees rustled, the pond water rippled, and several rare birds took flight in fright.

Count your breaths in silence.

Just as Emperor Yu Liang's brows began to furrow and his patience was about to run out—

"A sword hangs in the vast emptiness, a thousand sharp edges hidden; my body rests lightly in the boundless expanse. I laugh as I watch the vicissitudes of human life; why leave a trace to disturb the moon's brightness?"

A clear and melodious voice rang out, unhurried yet crystal clear, instantly dissolving the thunderous question from before.

The two wooden doors of Woxueju opened silently once again.

The scene inside the door remained tranquil and picturesque, while a figure dressed in white, as if stepping out of an ink painting or solidifying from ripples in the void, slowly emerged before the door, gradually becoming more and more vivid.

Dressed in pristine white, Ye Jinming exuded a languid air, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. When his gaze fell upon Yu Lianghuang's dazzling armor, his smile seemed to deepen.

"The Imperial Dynasty has just been established, and everything is in need of rebuilding. The four directions are not yet at peace," Ye Jinming said casually, as if he were talking about the weather. "Instead of coming to my secluded mountain retreat, you should spend more time building your own empire."

Yu Lianghuang snorted coldly, his golden armor rustling slightly with his movements: "Hmph! You deliberately mentioned 'Beichen Yuanhuang' in front of Baishi Hou, wasn't that just to lure me to see you? Why bother with this pretense!"

Ye Jinming blinked, looking completely innocent: "Did I?"

He then shrugged, "I was just mentioning it casually; I didn't expect you to be so sensitive about it?"

"Oh?" Emperor Yu Liang's eyes were sharp as knives, trying to find a flaw in the other's face. "So, it seems I've misunderstood?"

The smile on Ye Jinming's face gradually faded, and the nonchalant aura around him subtly changed.

Although there was no earth-shattering burst of energy, an indescribable calmness and profundity emanated from him, as if the place where he stood was the center of the entire world, and every blade of grass, every stream, and every pond resonated with him.

He looked at Emperor Yu Liang, his gaze calm yet penetrating: "It's not a matter of instruction. My meaning has always been clear."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Obtain the dragon's energy before you speak to me. As you are now... you are not qualified."

The words "dragon aura" were like two cold needles piercing the ears of the Jade Emperor.

His face instantly turned ashen, his eyes blazing with fury and murderous intent.

Since he raised his army, those who obeyed him prospered and those who resisted perished. Never before had he been so openly despised, with his foundation being directly pointed out as weak.

"Very well!" Emperor Yu Liang laughed in fury, his voice icy cold. "It's been a very, very long time since anyone dared to speak to me like this!"

Before he finished speaking, he made a clenching motion in the air with his right hand, and with a flash of light, a long spear was already in his hand.

The gun is dark gold in color, ornately decorated, and its tip gleams with a cold light; it is none other than its iconic divine weapon – the General's Command!

The spear tip rose, its sharp aura instantly locking onto Ye Jinming. The surrounding temperature plummeted, the bamboo forest rustled without wind, and a chilling atmosphere permeated the air.

"Night Embers, do you think the Lone Emperor's spear is ineffective?"

Facing the spearhead aimed directly at his brow and the surging killing intent, Ye Jinming didn't even flinch. He even took a small half-step forward, as if it weren't a deadly weapon, but an insignificant tree branch.

He raised his hand and gently brushed aside a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the gunfire with his fingertips, a gesture so leisurely it made one's heart clench.

"My sword has never been ineffective!" Ye Jinming's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty. "Those who wish to make any move should first consider their strength!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Lianghuang stared intently at Ye Jinming, whose composed demeanor made him somewhat unsure of what to do.

After all, Ye Jinming is no ordinary nobody, and confronting him now would be detrimental to the Yu Yu Dynasty's ambitions.

After a brief standoff, Yu Lianghuang suppressed his boiling killing intent and rage, slammed his general's command down, and plunged the butt of his spear three inches into the ground.

He took a deep breath and asked the most crucial and unsettling question of his trip: "Ye Jinming, stop beating around the bush! I only want to ask you, is Bei Chen Yuanhuang... still alive? Where is he now?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Jinming's signature mocking smile reappeared on his face, even more pronounced than before, with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, your question is truly..." he drawled, "Even if I were to tell you now whether Bei Chen Yuan Huang is alive or dead, and where she is, given the current situation in the Northern Region, you would be overwhelmed!"

"Then you don't need to worry about it!" Emperor Yu Liang paused, then continued, "Besides, the Northern Phoenix was a fake and shouldn't have possessed dragon energy. It's in accordance with the will of Heaven for me to reclaim the dragon energy."

"Ha, well said. Then I wonder if you'd be interested in watching a good show?" Ye Jinming said with a hint of amusement.

"Hmm?" This question made Emperor Yu Liang hesitate, after all, the Northern Region had just been pacified and there were still a lot of things waiting for him.

"Looks like you don't have time then." Ye Jinming smiled. "Since you don't have time, how about we make a deal?"

After listening, Emperor Yu Liang seemed to understand something: "What kind of deal?"

"I'll devise a plan to eliminate Bei Chen Yuan Huang for you, and you'll only need to pay a small price!"

.........

Speaking of Bei Chen Yuanhuang, he was initially considered a wise ruler. During his reign, he abolished the live arena and promoted benevolent governance. However, unfortunately, after the incident involving the real phoenix and the fake phoenix, his heart became ruthless.

After the fall of the Beichen Dynasty, Beichen Yuanhuang plotted revenge. After she and the Drum Master were both severely injured, she was rescued by the Gu Emperor.

However, the Gu King saved him for a purpose: to devour his dragon energy and to use him as the key to restoring Nangong Shenyi.

Later, through Mu Shaoai's risky move, he successfully replaced Nangong Shenyi as the Pope of Yiliu.

However, it was also because of the absorption of Nangong Shenyi's consciousness that Beichen Yuanhuang's already complex nature became even darker...