Even without cheats, we must survive the apocalypse

Huang Yanyao turned her head away.

My ancestors were good at this, but when I think about my figure, it is totally incomparable to hers. Maybe I can't do it well, and Huang Yanyao doesn't like this style either.

"Why? You think it's too despicable?"

Huang Wumeng's face suddenly came close to Huang Yanyao's ear. Although he was just a spirit, Huang Yanyao felt her earlobe inexplicably numb.

"……I do not like."

"Oh, so you, an unfilial descendant, think that love between men and women is something worth looking forward to?"

"I didn't say that."

"But I saw it on your face."

"..."

Huang Yanyao didn't answer.

"Then the boy from the Lu family is also a very good choice for you. If I were still alive, I would give it a try."

Her voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of seduction.

"Don't stare at me. I'm giving you some advice."

Huang Wumeng's voice became lower and lower, and her figure gradually became illusory. Huang Yanyao sighed, and finally sat back on her throne.

“…Are you tired?”

Gu Yunxi stood behind her and placed her hands on Huang Yanyao's shoulders. Only then did she feel that her muscles were very stiff, like stone.

"Well... I'm glad my sister is back."

Huang Yanyao responded and closed her eyes. She was really tired. It wasn't because of running around, but the internal affairs that piled up day by day, as well as the external threats and malice, had been wearing out her mind.

Gu Yunxi reached out and massaged her shoulders, saying softly, "I hope you won't blame me for acting on my own."

"How could that be? I know Sister Yunxi is good to me."

"So, what do you think of him?"

"He... seems to be no different from before. He is still very arrogant and ambitious, but he just looks down on everyone."

Huang Yanyao held Gu Yunxi's hand on her shoulder, which was a little cold.

"By the way, what did you gain from your trip to the Southeast Region this time? Tell me about it?"

“What a harvest…”

Gu Yunxi's eyes moved slightly, "Yes, of course."

……

Lu Mu followed the female official to a guest room in the Tongshi Palace, which was decorated very elegantly.

The female official saluted and wanted to leave, but Lu Mu stopped her.

"You are Huang Yanyao's personal maid, right?"

"That's right, my maid's name is Feng Ling."

The female officer nodded.

Although she was hiding her cultivation level, it was still easy for Lu Mu to see the hidden aura of a person. She had the cultivation level of the fourth level of the Palace Realm, which was stronger than the general and strategist. Her duties must have also included protecting Huang Yanyao's safety, not just taking care of her daily life.

"I want to know what you think of General Xin Jian and the strategist named Li?"

“…I have no right to judge.”

Feng Ling's words clearly showed that she was unwilling to reveal anything.

She didn't trust herself. After all, who would trust a newcomer?

Lu Mu smiled indifferently, "Don't worry, I'm only asking about your commander's opinion or that strategist's opinion. It doesn't involve any secrets."

"After all, it's easy to stop external enemies, but hard to prevent internal strife."

After Lu Mu finished speaking, Feng Ling was silent for a while, then slowly raised his head: "Although you are the young master of the ancient clan, you don't need to check whether the people around His Highness are trustworthy."

"Then just pretend I didn't say anything."

He looked at Feng Ling, bowed again, and walked out of the room.

The silence in the room did not disturb Lu Mu. He sat calmly in front of the table, his mind silently connected with the plants and trees in the Tongshi Palace.

The secret method of spiritual communication given to him by the Wentian Holy Tree is indeed a good way to explore the secrets.

Chapter 28: My Heartfelt Aspiration

There is a flower garden in the Tongshi Palace, which is arranged according to the garden of Huang Yanyao's bedroom in Tianhuang City. Pavilions, towers, bridges, flowing water, rockery and waterfalls are all lifelike and vivid.

Xin Jian strolled among them, his eyes fixed on the clusters of purple roses and white orchids, the iron-blooded murderous look in his eyes not diminished in the slightest.

Although the depression that had been accumulating in his heart was somewhat alleviated because Tianque City was taken by Huang Yanyao, more difficult enemies would follow. At this time, he really didn't want someone with completely different interests to intervene.

For example, Gu Yunxi.

Xin Jian has always disliked her. She always calls the Ninth Princess a sister, but she is just a casual cultivator with no background. He is a talented general with an army, but he has not been favored by others.

From the very beginning, he was not in favor of taking action against the Tianque City, thinking it was too risky. If it failed, the connection between Lingyun and Youfeng cities would be completely cut off. But in the end, it succeeded, and Tianque City fell into the hands of Huang Yanyao. The territory more than doubled, but Xin Jian always felt that this was nothing more than a short-sighted and reckless gamble.

One day, this adventure will fail.

And that guy who was wearing a mask and didn’t even give his name... Xin Jian disliked him even more.

Although it was nothing to recruit some casual cultivators as benefactors, what Huang Yanyao lacked right now was not casual cultivators who might draw a salary for nothing, but to train a larger and more elite combat army… But if he knew that the so-called “casual cultivator” was actually the Son of Shura, he would have knelt down in front of Lu Mu to apologize.

It’s a pity that some people are not even qualified to know Lu Mu’s identity.

"General Xin, are you free to come to this flower garden and enjoy the fragrance today?"

A cool yet gentle voice sounded behind him.

Xin Jian raised his eyebrows slightly, turned around and looked at the person who came. When he saw him, he didn't even bother to say hello: "Lord Li... I will be returning to the military camp outside the city later, and I just came here to take a look before leaving."

The person who came was the young strategist, Li Heng.

"I never knew you, Commander Xin, had such a refined taste."

Li Heng calmly walked into the path in the flower garden, stood beside Xin Jian, bent down, and sniffed the fragrance.

He seemed more elegant and casual, perhaps because he came from a noble family, and the life he had lived since childhood was quite different from Xin Jian's hard and brutal past.

"...Master Li is indeed from an aristocratic family. I am afraid that if a reckless man like me were to be with you, it would be an eyesore to you."

Xin Jian hit back at him with sarcasm.

The reason why Xin Jian didn't like Li Heng was not because he was competing with him for power in front of Huang Yanyao, but simply because Xin Jian didn't like anyone from an aristocratic family. Those guys were arrogant and always thought that the glory of their ancestors could be bestowed on themselves, making them powerful and majestic...

In fact, it is just pure dandyism and stupidity.

Xin Jian knew Li Heng's background.

The Li clan is the most powerful family in the Xianhuang Empire. Not only is they trusted by the emperor in the court, they also have connections in the southwest border of the empire. Every king and ruler of the southwest border is a puppet of the Li clan. The entire southwest border has been cultivated by this huge family for a long, long time... This family existed when the Xianhuang Empire was still an ancient dynasty.

Among the three supreme saints in the imperial dynasty, one of them is the patriarch of the Li family.

If it weren't for the fact that Emperor Xianhuang was still strong and healthy at this time, and had the power of national destiny, the Li clan's rebellious intentions would probably have been exposed.

Li Heng is a young member of the Li clan who is not very important.

How could such a person who could be given an important position be assigned to the side of the Ninth Princess and "exiled" to the southern Xinjiang which is so poor and destitute compared to the southwestern Xinjiang?

This guy is full of schemes and tricks. Xin Jian has a large army, but this strategist without any soldiers in front of him is even more valued by Huang Yanyao. Xin Jian has to admit that Li Heng is a very capable person when it comes to making money.

So Xin Jian was not very happy, especially since the two of them never concealed their momentum to seize power.

Everyone has ideas in their mind.

Whoever can gain the favor of the master he serves and is loyal to will be able to obtain more glory when she becomes successful... Of course, the prerequisite is that Huang Yanyao can become successful.

"…Lord Li, if you have something to say, you may as well speak directly."

Li Heng seemed to be immersed in the beauty of the flower garden, but Xin Jian just stared at him coldly.

"What can I do? Since His Majesty the Ninth Prince has asked us to investigate the assassin thoroughly, now we can only investigate honestly, right?"

"But the ancient inspector is back."

Li Heng picked up a petal and played with it.

Hearing this, Xin Jian narrowed his eyes slightly, "She lacks insight in her actions, but I don't care, as long as Your Highness sees it clearly."

"Is that what you think?"

"I am only responsible for commanding the army. I don't consider anything else."

"General Xin, you and I are both serving the same master, so please stop saying such hypocritical words."

Li Heng suddenly smiled, and a soft curve appeared in the corners of his eyes, just like a fox. He murmured in a low voice: "You and I are not on the same path with Gu Yunxi. The Ninth Prince trusts her. If she does something wrong, what can we do? Even if the ship sinks, she is just a casual cultivator, she can just pat her butt and leave."

"But what about you, me, and the soldiers and counselors who follow His Highness?"

What he said made Xin Jian feel cold all over.

Xin Jian frowned, his eyes burning: "Lord Li, please be careful with your words. It is not the behavior of a gentleman to talk about others behind their backs."

"I'm not a gentleman either."

"Of course, if we just trust Gu Tongchashi's ability and believe that she can do a good job, allowing His Highness the Ninth Prince to expand the territory and eventually swallow up the entire Southern Xinjiang, then it is not impossible... Unfortunately, neither you nor I are that kind of person."

He raised his hand and patted Xin Jian's shoulder.

Xin Jian's face was gloomy and he silently pushed away Li Heng's hand.

"Lord Li, I have not forgotten where you came from. For you, following the Ninth Prince is probably no different from exile. But now you want to tell me that you are just standing on this ship?"

"The Li clan has never supported anyone in the royal family other than the crown prince. The crown prince now is the eldest prince, not His Highness the Ninth Prince."

"If one day, the Ninth Prince really grows up and threatens the position of the eldest prince...will you stand on the side of the Li clan or the Ninth Prince?"

Xin Jian's armor was thick with blood. He fiddled with the hilt of his sword and stared at Li Heng with an aggressive look.

The smile on Li Heng's face gradually faded. "General Xin is worrying too much. How can I allow others to question my loyalty to His Highness?"

"Haha." Xin Jian sneered sarcastically, "I didn't know Lord Li was such a loyal person."

Li Heng did not answer. The petals in his hand fell and turned into powder before they hit the ground. He turned and left the flower garden, leaving Xin Jian's heart-wrenching gaze behind him.

……

In the guest room, the dark green light in Lu Mu's eyes slowly faded away.

He took in all the conversations between Xin Jian and Li Heng in his mind. No matter how much they thought, they would not know that Lu Mu had seen a lot.

Just as he thought, it is easy to resist external enemies but difficult to prevent internal strife. As for whether this internal strife will happen... who knows.

Lu Mu just had a rough idea in his mind and knew who to be wary of.

Chapter 29: In the Palace

Huang Yanyao's foundation itself is at risk of being shaken.

Lu Mu couldn't really tell what was going on in the conversation between the commander-in-chief and the strategist, which was filled with hypocrisy and temptation. After all, they were all in the same boat now. Huang Yanyao was expanding the territory, so they naturally had a share of the credit. Why should they risk losing all their favor to gain the benefit of others?

Lu Mu actually didn't know much about this guy Li Heng, nor did he care about him, because Li Heng never appeared in the original plot.

When Huang Yanyao took control of Southern Border and returned to Tianhuang City with a high profile, this person was not by her side.

Therefore, either he is not important at all, or he is just a pure traitor. People with rebellious hearts will not be able to survive, because Huang Yanyao's methods and character will only become more severe day by day, and she will never give traitors any chance.

And the Li clan...

This huge family crawled on the southwestern border of the Xianhuang Empire. It was not a parasite on the body of the empire, but the power of the Xianhuang Empire.

As for Xin Jian...he just seemed a little dissatisfied with the current situation.

Although he was dissatisfied, his background was even more rough than Li Heng's, so he couldn't be said to have any rebellious intentions now. To him, Huang Yanyao was still a master he could follow, and the position of commander of the army was considered an important position. If he was a smart man, he shouldn't have any other thoughts.

Furthermore, the army that can truly help Huang Yanyao seize power is not the current young and immature army with only tens of thousands of people, but the "Phoenix Blood Dark Army" led by the fifth prince Huang Xuan.