The Yu Emperor's Game

"Unfortunately, no one believes this except us."

The gaunt middle-aged man sneered, "They just think our Wang Family is trying to fool them, using this to lure them into helping us. These guys won't do anything without a reason. Without profit as their motivation, even if the Mo River extends to their hometown, they'll only choose to move, not solve the problem of clearing the Mo River!"

"That's just how people are; you can't blame others."

The old man shook his head slightly and said, "Unfortunately, accumulating 10,000 merits is too difficult. It requires destroying the Nether Capital Tier Mo River ten times. Only Zhendong is at the Great Peace Dao Realm; otherwise, it would be impossible to complete."

"Let's talk about the Dragon City Fallen River in Liang Prefecture, Liangzhou first."

The dignified middle-aged man said, "That young man from the Li Family lured those three Demon Kings into the Dragon City Fallen River, probably intending to perish together with them in the Mo River."

"That Mo River is extremely dangerous, more troublesome than other Youdu-level Mo River, ranking among the Top Ten of the Youdu-level Mo River."

"Li Xiaoran has the Bloodline of the Li Family, giving him a natural advantage, but he hasn't made much progress in recent years, so he might not gain anything this time either."

"This is indeed a rare opportunity to catch a turtle in a jar. Killing that Great Void Realm Sovereign will severely damage the Great Void Realm, causing it to fall from its top-tier status. This will also allow the Demon Suppression Division to send people to clean up the area, relieving pressure on the Frontier."

"But the other Saint Palaces and Dragon Gate will most likely not stand idly by, and may anticipate our actions, which could then trigger a major war."

"What do you think? Should we ask Uncle Zhendong to come out, or should we go ourselves? If the old lady of the Xia Family chooses not to intervene, we should withdraw immediately."

I don't think it's worth it.

The gaunt middle-aged man said, "Uncle Zhendong is already working hard enough cleaning the Mo River, and now we have to run around doing this. We agreed back then that they would guard the frontier and we would take care of the Mo River, but now we have to deal with all their trivial matters too. Isn't that ridiculous?"

The dignified man looked at the old man, who remained silent for a long while before finally speaking:

"I'll go there myself and take a look first. After Zhendong leaves the Mo River, let him rest for a while. If necessary, we'll come back."

"Uncle, are you really going?"

The gaunt middle-aged man was stunned, and couldn't help but say, "Didn't our Wang Family sever ties with these Demons? Over the years, they've slain demons and monsters, achieving great deeds. Although the Li Family lost six sons in battle, they were still dutiful, but at least they've earned a clean reputation!"

"But who will remember those of our Wang Family who died in the Mo River? They'll even be removed from the Merit Board. Ask anyone in the All Under Heaven now, who still remembers that the Wang Family was once Divine General Residence?!"

"If we help them, who will help us get rid of the Mo River?"

The old man paused for a moment after hearing his excited words before looking up at him and saying:

"I am going not out of a duty to the Wang Family, but out of Warrior's conscience!"

"Humans and Demons are mortal enemies. Slaying demons and eliminating evil is the goal of martial Martial Dao Warrior like us. What is the point of having martial arts skills if one merely lives a life of ignominy in the marketplace?"

"The Wang Family's achievements may be unknown to the world, but Heaven, Earth, and His Majesty know them, and our Wang Family will remember them—that is enough!"

The gaunt middle-aged man was taken aback by his resolute gaze; his lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately said nothing more.

Great Yu Province, the Holy City and Imperial Capital.

In the majestic Imperial Palace, in the deep courtyards.

Snap!

With a crisp sound, in the courtyard where peach blossoms were in full bloom, in the pavilion, two figures sat idly playing chess.

One was Yu Emperor, and the other was dressed in a magnificent Flood Dragon Robe, around forty years old, with a few white hairs at his temples.

The word "Qing" is engraved on his waist tag, and everyone in the Imperial Palace and even the entire Holy City knows that this waist tag only represents one identity, Prince Qing and Jiang Qingshan.

In the martial arts world outside the imperial court, he has another name: Dao Lord Qingshan!

"Brother, you've won again."

Seeing that Black Stone had blocked the road, cutting his territory into pieces and completely severing his throat, Jiang Qingshan gave a helpless bitter smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

Yu Emperor chuckled, "If you're always so modest, Chess becomes no fun."

"Your Majesty's Chess are superb, how could I dare to be modest? I have already given it my all, but unfortunately, I am no match for you. I will have to practice more when I get back," Jiang Qingshan said with a bitter smile.

Upon hearing this, Yu Emperor was greatly pleased, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said:

"Your Chess definitely need improvement. You should find a better Chess Player to come to your residence and train with you properly. After decades, you're not even as good as a child; you haven't made any progress at all."

Jiang Qingshan was speechless, and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, you are humiliating me. Although my Chess are not as good as yours, I can still hold my own against the Little Chess Saint. How could I be worse than a child?"

When Yu Emperor saw that he was unconvinced, he smiled, but then, thinking of the carefree young man under the Willow Tree, his smile faded, and he said nothing.

He paused his Chess Piece and said softly, "You already know about the situation in Liang Prefecture. Do you have any plans?"

Seeing this, Jiang Qingshan stopped fiddling with the Go Board and placed the pieces, and said seriously:

"While the Saint Palace, Dragon Gate, and Great Void Realm are attacking Liang Prefecture, other Demon forces are also stirring, keeping an eye on other states and preventing them from diverting too much of their resources."

"They intend to use Liang Prefecture as a breach, and once they occupy Liang Prefecture, they will use the aquatic Demons of the Wei River to advance unimpeded and attack other states. Furthermore, they plan to utilize Liang Prefecture's terrain—defending on land and attacking with their navy—to truly challenge my Great Yu!"

Yu Emperor nodded slightly and said, "You should also know about the situation behind them."

Jiang Qingshan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded. "I heard that the Li Family's son lured that Great Void Realm Sovereign to the Dragon City Fallen River Death. Now is the perfect opportunity to catch him like a turtle in a jar. Did my brother summon me here to have me join the hunt?"

"I'll let you hunt, but the target isn't Dragon City Fallen River."

Yu Emperor tapped his fingers lightly on the Go Board, his eyes fixed on the Black Stone that had fallen off the Go Board, and smiled:

"Sometimes the outcome of a game of chess is decided not on the Go Board, but outside of Go Board."

"The Grand Elder of the Dragon Gate, Lu Yuan, joined forces with the Candlelight God to try and capture Liang Prefecture. According to intelligence reports from the front lines, the Candlelight God originally didn't plan to show himself, but he was forced to reveal himself because that child was too troublesome."

"However, the Dragon Gate's leader and many elders of the Saint Palace did not participate in this battle."

Where do you think they'll all be?

Jiang Qingshan's heart stirred slightly, and he quickly came up with an answer, but shook his head and said, "This foolish younger brother is slow-witted; please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Yu Emperor said calmly, "The older generation of the Li Family hasn't shown up, which means they must have realized the problem. Besides wanting to seize Liang Prefecture, they also want to make a big profit and raze the Divine General Residence to the ground!"

"The involvement of the three major powers has made their intentions clear. Fortunately, the Li Family is shrewd and did not leave rashly."

"Now that they've Qing Prefecture, and our territory is currently vacant, this is the perfect opportunity to hunt them down!"

Jiang Qingshan's eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Does Your Majesty intend for me to wipe out their stronghold and uproot their foundation?"

"After more than a decade in Northern Yan, the Saint Palace should pay a price!"

Yu Emperor nodded slightly, gazing at the vibrant peach blossoms in the courtyard. "My garden is evergreen all year round, but outside it's already autumn."

"It's been many years since I went hunting with you in the autumn. I wonder how your Hunting Arts are now, or if they've declined?"

Jiang Qingshan smiled slightly and said, "I am certainly not as good as my elder brother, but when I hunt a Mountain Peak, I will make sure there are no survivors!"

"Then we'll wait for you to come back for a drink!"

Yu Emperor laughed.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingshan stood up, bowed respectfully, and formally accepted the order.

After seeing Jiang Qingshan off.

Chu Jiuyue slowly walked back to the pavilion and saw Yu Emperor, who was still staring at the Go Board in a daze, and said:

"Your Majesty, are you thinking about that child?"

Yu Emperor lowered his gaze and fixed it on him. "Tell me, has the fortune of my Great Yu Dynasty truly declined?"

Chu Jiuyue's expression changed slightly, and she quickly said, "Your Majesty, our Great Yu Dynasty is blessed by the Late Emperor and is destined to prosper. How can it be said to be declining!"

"If it hasn't declined, then why did the ninth son of the Li Family die young in the borderlands more than a decade ago, with no trace of his remains?"

"Why is that child, only fifteen years old, in such a dangerous situation? They are Future hope and pillars of our Great Yu Dynasty, but Heaven seems unwilling to give them time."

Yu Emperor gazed at the distant Blue Heaven outside the courtyard and murmured, "If we could give that child another ten years, even just ten years, it would be enough."

Chu Jiuyue remained silent for a moment.

Thinking of the secret reports sent back from Liang Prefecture, he knew this was true.

At the age of fifteen, he cultivated to the Three Immortalities Realms, and his cultivation was so solid that it was unimaginable. He used the Three Immortalities Realms to slay Demon King and even fought against the Unique Skill Realm. It was truly incredible!

Such a prodigy is no exaggeration to say that he has the potential to Sainthood-Seeking.

Perhaps that's why he was able to attract the ruler of the Great Void Realm, who would abandon the overall battlefield situation to hunt him down alone... Chu Jiuyue thought to herself.

"Your Majesty, what about the Mo River in Liang Prefecture...?"

Yu Emperor fell silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"Go and summon Ninth Brother. Tell him to go there in person and bring him back at all costs!"

Chu Jiuyue's pupils contracted slightly. Were they actually going to release that madman?

"Your Majesty, but if we do this..."

Are you scared?

Yu Emperor glanced at him indifferently, his expression already calm. "If he comes out, the first sword strike will probably be aimed at me, but it doesn't matter. For that child, I'll take the blame."

"His Majesty..."

Chu Jiuyue was shocked; she never expected that Yu Emperor would do something so risky.

That Ninth Prince... is not someone to be trifled with!

In this vast Imperial Palace Royal City, and among all the royal nobles, that being was a taboo subject.

He was once a madman who nearly shattered the Imperial City with a single sword strike!

With the Battle of Liang Prefecture over, undercurrents were stirring throughout the land.

The 500,000- Imperial Clan army remained stationed in Liang Prefecture, awaiting news from beyond the Mo River.

After consulting with the Two Princes, Li Tiangang joined forces with the Liang Province Army and dispatched a total of 200,000 elite troops to the Dragon City Fallen River.

They set up camp outside the Mo River, forming Military Formation, preparing to rescue Li Hao and Li Xiaoran who might emerge from the Mo River Death at any time. At the same time, they also needed to deal with the ruler of the Great Void Realm; if they could ambush him, that would be a good thing.

Although an army of 200,000 could hardly harm Dao Domain, this place is not just a large army; many powerful individuals are also hidden within.

The news of whether powerful figures from all sides were rushing to or declining the mission had already fallen into the hands of Li Tiangang and his group, allowing them to make strategic deployments in advance.

However, time passed.

Before any conflict even broke out outside the Mo River, a major upheaval occurred in the Northern Yan Region.

Qing Prince led an army of a million to conquer the Saint Palace, level the Saint Mountain Saint Palace Secret Realm, destroy the mountain gate, and kill countless Demons.

Now, the Saint Mountain and precious land of that Saint Palace have had their spiritual springs cut off and their peaks destroyed, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.

The news reached the Demons, and soon it reached the ears of the Demons gathered in Qing Prefecture.

"Damn it, the Dao Lord Qingshan is ruthless!"

"He actually led the expedition himself. I heard that the Palace Master of the Saint Palace was seriously injured and escaped."

"The other Saint Palace Elders have already returned, but it's probably too late."

The secret land of Qing Prefecture is inhabited by many ferocious figures, but they are all elders of the Dragon Gate.

As the situation in Liang Prefecture reversed, an elder from the Saint Palace realized that the ambush plan in Qing Prefecture was about to fail.

Once Liang Prefecture is stabilized, the old man from the Li Family will have no reason to Divine General Residence again.

In this way, their ambush would be pointless.

However, no sooner had the elders of the Saint Palace retreated than devastating news arrived from Northern Yan.

No one expected that the Dao Lord Qingshan would take this opportunity to not support Liang Prefecture, but instead turn his attention to the Saint Palace's stronghold!

When news of this battle arrived, the elder Bird Demon of the Tianji Hall personally reported it. At this moment, many elders of the Dragon Gate, including the Dragon Gate Master, were shocked and Anger.

At the same time, there was also a lingering sense of fear.

Their forces left to guard the mountain gate and the demon's lair are even weaker. If another prince is sent to besiege them, they themselves will likely suffer as well.

After some discussion, they had no choice but to retreat.

The two old men from the Li Family stayed indoors, clearly having guessed their plans; continuing the ambush was pointless.

"Contact the Saint Palace and head to the Mo River. There's no turning back now; we must rescue the Candlelight God."

"This good-for-nothing, he's Half-Step Dao Realm, and he still can't even take down a little brat!"

"Has the Great Void Realm been living in seclusion for so many years that they've forgotten how to eat people?"

Many of the elders of Dragon Gate were filled with resentment and Anger.

This time, neither Liang Prefecture was captured nor the Li Family in Qing Prefecture was subdued; the entire plan failed.

When the Many Emotions from the Tianji Hall was relayed back, and after reviewing the overall situation, they discovered that the plan had failed because of one variable: the young general named Haotian!

The other party is from the Li Family, it's the Li Family again!

Not only the Dragon Gate, but also many Demon Kings in the Saint Palace harbored resentment.

Inside the Divine General Residence.

Upon learning that the stronghold of the Northern Yan Saint Palace had been destroyed, Li Muxiu burst into laughter.

He knew that His Majesty would never disappoint.

The stronghold of Northern Yan Saint Palace was destroyed. The Palace Master fought alone and was defeated by Qing Prince. Both of them unleashed the power of the Great Peace Dao Realm, which can be considered to be extremely well hidden.

But Qing Prince was even more skilled, defeating him. With his million-strong army, all elite Imperial Clan soldiers, sweeping across the land, the entire Saint Mountain was flattened.

This battle made him famous throughout the Demon realm, showing them that this aging Male Lion still possessed the power to deliver a powerful blow and bite off the enemy's neck!

"Those guys in Qing Prefecture should be scared by now."

"Wait a little longer, a few more days, and I'll leave quietly for Liang Prefecture."

Li Muxiu arrived at the Ancestral Shrine and explained his plan to Li Qingzheng: "You know the situation in Liang Prefecture. These guys are definitely not honest and won't let us ambush Candlelight God. That way, their alliance will collapse."

But the Candlelight God must die!

Li Muxiu's eyes flashed with a cold light as he said, "Also, I need to go and bring Hao'er and Fourth Brother back, otherwise they will be in danger too."

"But that Candlelight God is Half-Step Dao Realm, can you stop him?"

Li Qingzheng showed worry.

Li Muxiu narrowed his eyes and said, "Half-Step Dao Realm cultivator, who isn't one!"

Li Qingzheng was slightly taken aback, and looked at him in astonishment, "You, you touched it too?"

Li Muxiu nodded slightly, his expression suddenly turning somewhat sad. He said, "It was an epiphany I had while chatting with Hao'er while Angling over the years. Speaking of which, I have to thank that child..."

Li Qingzheng became somewhat agitated, but upon hearing him mention Li Hao, and thinking of the boy who had sat in the courtyard playing chess with him for four or five years, he sighed inwardly and said:

"It's a pity that Heavenly Gang is too stubborn, and that child is also headstrong. However, now that you've reached that point, you can be considered to have finally caught up with your Eldest Brother."

"Eldest Brother..."

Li Muxiu of his Eldest Brother, who had been ambushed and killed by the Dragon Gate Master and several Demon Kings during the Battle of Dragon City, and his fists clenched slightly involuntarily.

At that time, he was still traveling and enjoying life, pursuing the girl he longed for.

When he learned of that news, he finally came to his senses and returned to the Li Family, taking over from the Fourth Brother and guarding the Listening Rain Pavilion. He also lost contact with that girl.

Although many people advised him that this matter had nothing to do with him, during the Battle of Dragon City, Li Tianzong personally led the troops to defend the city, and the others were not there, each guarding their own territory.

But Li Muxiu felt that was not the case.

He was not favored by his father from a young age, and was carefree and unemployed.

He was free, and therefore he felt guilty, a guilt that remained deeply rooted in his heart, something he was unwilling to revisit.

"I heard that Hao'er has reached the Three Immortalities and can even contend with the Demon King. I wonder how he cultivated."

Seeing his second brother's dejected and heartbroken look, Li Qingzheng immediately changed the subject, smiling as he said, "Now that we've brought him back, he shouldn't need to compete with that little fellow Li Qianfeng anymore. We can directly designate him as True Dragon."

"Heavenly Gang shouldn't have any objections, after all, Hao'er's achievements in this battle are obvious to all, and he should be Enfeoffment as Marquis!"

Hearing his words, Li Muxiu snapped out of his daze, a flash of Anger crossing his eyes, and coldly snorted:

"Of course! This achievement is in no way inferior to Xiao Jiu's back then. Hao'er is only fifteen years old, yet he's already been appointed a general and Enfeoffment as Marquis. I want to see what Heavenly Gang has to say about his son's lack of character!"

"What happened back then was a misunderstanding. I don't know why Heavenly Gang acted so impulsively. Before Hao'er could finish speaking, he..." Li Qingzheng shook his head and sighed.

Li Muxiu's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "I just don't know if Hao'er is still willing to come back, or if he'll still acknowledge me as his Second Master."

Li Qingzheng glanced at him, recalling the image of the young man walking alone out of the Divine General Residence amidst the swirling snow, and fell silent for a moment.

As time goes by.

After Liang Prefecture was pacified, everyone's attention was focused on the Mo River, which Beyond the Border.

The Earthly Territory where the Mo River is located was originally part of the territory of Great Yu, but it was later separated from the area because of the Mo River.

This demonstrates the difficulty of the Mo River, which even forced the Great Yu Dynasty, which always valued its territory highly, to cede land and avoid it—something that even top-tier Demon forces could not accomplish.

Li Tiangang was stationed in the Western Border of Liang Prefecture, the area closest to the Mo River, where he kept a close watch on the situation.

As another month passed, Li Tiangang finally couldn't bear it any longer and found Li Xuanli, entrusting him with the guarding of this place.

I need to go to Heaven's Gate Pass.

Li Tiangang said.

"You're going to see Hao'er? But I heard that's just his Martial Dao clone."

Li Xuanli immediately understood his thoughts.

While they had previously recaptured Liang Prefecture, they also sent people to investigate the situation at Heaven's Gate Pass, only to find that there were no signs or disturbances from Demons.

They could understand this, after all, Li Hao's Battle Flags were too intimidating, and if they were planted Heaven's Gate Pass, no Demons would dare to go there.

Moreover, when they recaptured Liang Prefecture, they learned about Li Hao from the Bird Demons they captured from the Tianji Hall.

Five thousand miles Outside the Pass have been swept away by Li Hao; no Demons dare to invade!

Furthermore, the Demons' attack on Liang Prefecture this time was intentionally aimed at avoiding Heaven's Gate Pass!

These two pieces of news shocked them and the other soldiers, including the powerful figures from all sides who came to reinforce them.

No one expected that the Demon army, which brought together the three top Demon forces, dared to face the million-strong army of the Western Border, but dared not invade the Southern Territory Pass guarded by the young man!

One man can fight against a million soldiers!

Given the power Li Hao displayed on the battlefield, everyone was not only shocked but also fell silent.

The boy's fighting prowess was indeed worthy of the Demons' respect and awe.

The people who know whether you're a good or bad player are usually not your teammates, but your opponents.

Similarly, only you know who the worst player on the other side is.

Undoubtedly, they had not yet noticed the boy's growth, but the Demons outside the Heaven's Gate Pass had already experienced it firsthand.

In addition, Li Tiangang wrote to the Imperial Palace, hoping that His Majesty could send more Battle Flags to assist them in guarding Liang Prefecture.

However, it took several days to receive a reply: the Bureau of Astronomy did not yet possess such means, and instructed Li Tiangang to inquire with Li Hao about where he had learned such extraordinary abilities.

Upon receiving this reply, Li Tiangang was somewhat bewildered.

He thought of what the Candlelight God had said when he appeared, and felt his blood surging.

Did that child concoct those Sword Formations and Battle Flags himself?

Who helped him?

Li Tiangang realized that he really knew far too little about his son.

Besides being valued by Yu Emperor and loved by the older generation in his Lineage, this child also had some secrets that he himself was unaware of.

He wrote to his Second Uncle again to inquire, but the response he received was somewhat sarcastic. "He's your son. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Li Tiangang had long been familiar with his Second Uncle's temper, so he didn't get angry.

But from this reply, he realized that his Second Uncle probably didn't know either.

After all, this matter is of great importance, and even if his Second Uncle is angry with him, he will not be ambiguous about such a thing.

Since that's the case, he can only find out by asking Li Hao himself.

Li Hao has not yet returned from the Mo River, and his fate remains unknown.

He planned to go to Heaven's Gate Pass first, having heard that Li Hao's Martial Dao clone also possessed basic mobility and might carry some of his memories.

Besides asking about the Battle Flag, he also wanted to know if Li Hao was confident he could escape from the Mo River.

With my Fourth Uncle, who has been exploring Dragon City Fallen River for over a decade, by my side, I should be alright...