Douluo Continent: Copying Ya Li, the Carefree King of the Sun and Moon

The people of Mingdu City knew about the wedding even earlier than Ye Guyi.

Before dawn, notices were already posted all over the four city gates and notice boards throughout the city.

The inscription on red paper, bearing the official seal of the Crown Prince's residence, clearly stated: "Prince Xu Yanli, the Carefree Prince, and Ye Guyi of the Angel Clan will be married on the eighth day of next month. The entire city will celebrate, granting amnesty to prisoners of minor offenses and reducing taxes for one month."

The moment the notice was posted, the entire Mingdu City was in an uproar.

Teahouses, taverns, and streets were filled with the talk of the town.

"The Carefree Prince is getting married! His bride is a girl from the Angel Clan!"

"Ye Guyi? Isn't that the girl who's been with His Highness since she was little? I heard her martial soul is also an angel, she's such a perfect match for His Highness!"

"They even exempt me from a month's taxes! That'll save me a lot of money!"

"A general amnesty for prisoners and a tax reduction—His Highness is giving us people a great gift!"

The people were all beaming with joy.

In their hearts, the carefree prince was no longer just a prince; he was an angel who saved them from suffering, a god who protected the entire city. Their own god was getting married—this was an immense joyous occasion, even more festive than the Lunar New Year.

But the sect leaders who were detained in Mingdu were not so happy.

In the East City Inn, in the room of the Star Luo Empire's envoy, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the sky before a storm.

"The carefree king's wedding?" The Star Luo envoy slammed the notice on the table, his face ashen. "This is no wedding, it's clearly house arrest!"

The Heavenly Soul Envoy sat to one side, his face extremely grim, but he didn't say a word.

The Douling envoy paced back and forth in the room, circling several times before suddenly stopping and lowering his voice to say, "He's using the wedding as an excuse to keep us detained in Mingdu. By the time the wedding is over, it'll be too late. Should our three-nation allied forces fight or not?"

The Star Luo envoy sneered, "Fight? With what? The Sun Moon Empire has six level-nine soul-guided cannons, three hundred level-seven soul-guided cannons, and the Angel Legion. You saw them, didn't you? The troops our three kingdoms have put together are hardly enough to fill their teeth."

The room fell silent instantly.

No one can refute that statement.

Four years ago, they thought the Sun Moon Empire only relied on soul tools and that the foundation of soul masters was far inferior to that of the original Three Kingdoms.

But now, with hundreds of Angel Soul Masters of the Angel Legion standing there, who would dare say that the Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire are no good?

"So we're just going to wait here like this?" the Douling Envoy asked unwillingly.

The Xingluo envoy remained silent for a long time before finally sighing.

"Let's wait. Let's wait for news from the Three Kingdoms Alliance, wait for Shrek's actions, wait..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood.

What they were waiting for was a hope so faint it was almost invisible.

In another courtyard in the east of the city, the atmosphere was completely different.

This place was gathered with the former subordinates of the princess who had once served her—a dozen or so elderly men, all generals and civil officials who had followed her in the past. After the Xingluo Coup, some died, some fled, and some went into hiding, until Xu Yanli...

The Sun and Moon Empires gradually came to them and pledged allegiance to the son of their former master.

At this moment, a dozen elderly men sat around in the courtyard, with wine in front of them, and each of them had a smile on their face.

"The carefree prince is getting married! This is an incredibly joyous occasion!"

"That's right! With His Highness's marriage settled, we old bones can finally face the Princess with our dignity."

"It's a pity the eldest princess won't live to see this day..." someone sighed, and the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Chapter 182 Human life is the most precious thing.

"Nonsense!" An elderly man with white hair and beard slammed his hand on the table and glared at the speaker. "The Princess is watching from heaven! If she knew His Highness was getting married, she'd be overjoyed!"

"Yes, yes, I'm bad with words, I'll punish myself with a drink!" The man picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"What do you think should we give His Highness as a wedding gift?" someone asked.

"Why send any congratulatory gifts? His Highness saved all our lives. What's the point of sending gifts? We'd rather risk our old lives to help His Highness protect this legacy than send any congratulatory gift!"

"Well said! Cheers!"

"Dry!"

A dozen or so wine glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Some of these elderly people were generals of the Star Luo Empire, some were retainers of the Princess's mansion, and some were personal guards who had followed Xu Wangshu for many years.

In their lives, they have seen glory and experienced despair, been hunted down, and lived in anonymity. Now, they have finally seen the clouds part and the fog clear.

The old master is gone, but his son is still here.

This is enough.

It would be even better if he could be elevated to the position of Emperor of the Sun and Moon Empire.

Unfortunately, Xu Yanli is no longer in the mood for such things.

After all, becoming a god is no more enjoyable than being an emperor, especially since his divine position is that of two great god-kings.

Even if the throne were placed in front of Xu Yanli now, he would disdain it. They are now just waiting for Xu Yanli's child.

After all, that person could be said to be completely uninterested in women.

They might not have any offspring, and their young master is about to get married, isn't he?

As for the issue of mixed blood, once Xingluo became part of the Sun Moon Empire, there was no such thing as mixed blood.

As for his feelings for Xingluo....

They were all born into poor families and commoners, and they had absolutely no good feelings towards that place.

After all, the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Douling Empire didn't treat them like human beings at all. If they hadn't met Xu Wangshu, they would have died long ago.

There is another place in the east of the city, which is Shrek's Hotel.

The atmosphere here was even more somber than at the post station, and quieter than a cemetery.

Beibei sat by the stone table, holding the notice in her hand, and looked at it for a very long time.

Xu Sanshi leaned against a pillar, his eyes closed, his fingers tapping rhythmically and intermittently.

Dai Huabin squatted under the eaves, head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Ling Luochen sat inside the house with the door open, his gaze fixed on the few people in the courtyard, his eyes filled with exhaustion.

"The Prince of Xiaoyao is getting married." Bei Bei finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "The wedding date is set for the eighth day of next month, which is about twenty days away."

Xu Sanshi didn't open his eyes, his fingers still tapping.

Dai Huabin raised his head, glanced at Beibei, and then lowered his head again.

Ling Luochen's voice came from inside the house: "He's stalling for time, trying to wear down our patience and wait for the three-nation coalition to fall into chaos on its own."

Beibei remained silent for a long time before suddenly standing up.

"We have to go."

Xu Sanshi opened his eyes, looked at him, and didn't say anything.

Ling Luochen came out of the house with a deep frown: "How do we get out? All four gates are sealed off, and there are angel legions patrolling in the sky. We can't even get out of this courtyard."

Beibei raised her head and looked at the golden figure hovering above the courtyard wall. She remained silent for a long time before finally sitting back down slowly.

We can't leave.

They are trapped here, and even if they had wings, they could not fly away.

Like those sect leaders who were detained, they could only wait.

Waiting for a faint hope.

Waiting for a turning point that may never come.

The night wind blew through the courtyard, swirling up the fallen leaves and making a rustling sound.

The lights at Shrek's base stayed on all night again.

Xu Yanli stood atop the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion, his aura growing ever stronger.

The succession to the divine throne is now practically just one step away.

Xu Yanli touched the divine mark on his forehead, a hint of helplessness on his face. The time was almost right.

However, the Sun and Moon forces also need to launch an attack on the Three Kingdoms during this period.

When Huo Yuhao stepped into the backyard, Xu Yanli was leaning against the osmanthus tree, slowly twirling the jade carving knife in his fingertips, not in a hurry at all.

The autumn sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a golden glow on his shoulders.

He wore a moon-white casual robe with a matching thin shirt over it. His hair was loose and draped over his shoulders. He looked lazy and casual, showing no signs of being about to have a wedding. He seemed to be just relaxing in the sun.

A soft clanging of armor approached from afar, and Xu Yanli looked up.

Huo Yuhao was dressed in a crisp, dark blue military uniform. The silver stars on his epaulets shone brightly in the sun. A standard soul-guided sword was tucked into his waistband. His boots trod on the bluestone pavement, and every step he took carried the unique crispness and decisiveness of a soldier, without the slightest hesitation.

After years of hard work and training in the military, Huo Yuhao had long since lost his youthful naiveté.

His brows and eyes exuded both composure and sharpness, his gaze as bright as a tempered blade. Standing there, he was like a drawn sword, his aura completely different.

"Teacher." Huo Yuhao walked quickly forward, immediately knelt on one knee, his back straight and without the slightest hesitation.

Xu Yanli glanced at him up and down a few times, and the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

"Get up." His tone was flat and even, with a hint of teasing. "Are you dressed like that to go to the front lines or to a blind date?"

Huo Yuhao stood up, his face expressionless, but a small red mark appeared on his earlobe, making him feel a little uncomfortable.

"The Crown Prince just gave the order, instructing me to lead the melee soul master regiment and accompany General Orange on the expedition." He spoke slowly and clearly, "The Heavenly Soul Empire still has a few cities that are putting up a last-ditch resistance, and the front line urgently needs reinforcements."

Xu Yanli nodded, tucked the carving knife into his sleeve, and turned to walk towards the stone table.

"Sit down." He sat down first, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and then poured one for Huo Yuhao as well. "Have you decided on the tactics?"

Huo Yuhao sat down properly opposite him, his back still straight, his hands placed obediently on his knees, not daring to move at all.

"It's settled. General Orange's idea is to first bombard the city walls and fortifications with long-range artillery fire, then have our melee Soul Master Corps charge in and wipe out the remaining enemies house by house." He paused, then added, "This is the conventional tactic, which is reliable, but a bit slow."

“What’s wrong with taking it slow?” Xu Yanli picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, “Slow and steady wins the race. You can’t rush things when it comes to war.”

"But what about the Heavenly Soul Empire..." Huo Yuhao began, but was interrupted by Xu Yanli.