Taking the Barak Kingdom Without Bloodshed

"Your Majesty, do you know how long I have waited for this moment? Every moment, I dreamed of escaping this filthy, ugly empire."

"You are the most useless emperor in all of history. If not for the vast territory of the Heaven Dou Empire supporting your extravagance, and if not for the prestige left behind by the previous emperor deterring the Star Luo Empire and Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire would have long since become a relic of the past with your abilities."

"You are trapped in the beauty everyone has woven for you and cannot free yourself. I eagerly await the day the Republic Empire replaces the Heaven Dou Empire."

Emperor Xue Ye, seated upon the dragon throne, was overcome with rage, his entire body convulsing atop the throne.

The guards at his side hurriedly tended to him, and he barely recovered.

"Yuwen Huai'an, where have I ever treated you poorly? Why did you betray the empire?"

Emperor Xue Ye muttered to himself, filled with anger as well as a trace of confusion.

He turned his gaze back to the letter.

"Your Majesty, I suppose you must have fainted from rage just now! You must be wondering why I betrayed the empire."

"I will not beat around the bush. The empire has treated me rather well, and we have enjoyed quite a few privileges. But what of it? You have wantonly trampled upon our dignity."

"On the surface, I am a noble. In truth? You arranged for members of the imperial clan to restrict me. Every move I made was under your surveillance, while a woman trampled the dignity of me as a man beneath her feet."

The tone of the letter suddenly changed. "Heh heh, I have said a little too much. Let me remind you of something: from beginning to end, I kept this letter beneath my pillow."

"If you had discovered it sooner, perhaps I would not have been able to leave so smoothly."

"Still, that was within my expectations. After all, the woman you arranged to stay by my side is an idiot, an idiot who spends all day craving the pleasures of the flesh."

"During the days since I left, she must have been having a wonderful time with those black-dog fathers of hers!"

"Your Majesty, I wish you luck in the end!"

The letter ended there. Everything had proceeded in an orderly manner, exactly as Yuwen Huai'an had predicted.

Emperor Xue Ye sat on the dragon throne with icy hands and feet. "Monster... You truly are a monster!"

Below, Yuwen Huai'an's wife stood there blankly, her thoughts having drifted far away.

Emperor Xue Ye's vicious voice rang out. "Guards, take Xue Qiu away. Execute her tomorrow!"

The dazed Xue Qiu did not react at first. Only when the cold armor touched her body did she come back to her senses.

"Big Brother, what did I do wrong? Why are you killing me?" Xue Qiu's voice trembled with fear.

Emperor Xue Ye, consumed by rage, had no intention of explaining anything to her. He merely waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to drag Xue Qiu away.

Xue Qiu's miserable pleas for mercy echoed through the resplendent palace hall.

Her begging was destined to accomplish nothing. She had become an object for Emperor Xue Ye to vent his anger upon, and she would bear the full brunt of his fury.

Bai Fan's mighty army arrived at the outskirts of the Barak Kingdom as planned.

This time, Bai Fan did not give the order for a fierce assault. He leaped into the air, and Little Golden Dragon's body instantly enlarged, carrying Bai Fan onto the city gate.

Within the Barak Kingdom, all of its high-ranking Soul Master forces surrounded Bai Fan.

Under Bai Fan's command, Little Golden Dragon unleashed Holy Dragon Breath from the sky. Soul Masters below Soul King level were blasted away by golden waves of light.

"Where is the one in charge of the Barak Kingdom?"

The dragon might of the Golden Holy Dragon firmly suppressed everyone atop the city gate. Kundela, ruler of the Barak Kingdom, straightened his chest and stepped before Bai Fan.

"I am the one in charge of the Barak Kingdom. You may call me Kundela."

Bai Fan grabbed Kundela by the collar and brought him onto Little Golden Dragon's back.

The two stood facing one another.

"City Lord Kun, I assume you know something about us. I asked to speak with you alone because I sincerely wish to invite you to join us."

"Heh, do you think I would believe your nonsense? Do not think I do not know what you are after. You want me to surrender? No chance. At worst, I will die."

Bai Fan shook his head slightly and sighed. "City Lord Kun, why must you be so stubborn?"

"As far as I know, your Barak Kingdom is merely a vassal state of the Heaven Dou Empire and is not directly governed by it. In other words, you are a dog of the Heaven Dou Empire, a guard dog. Not only will the Heaven Dou Empire not give you bones, you even have to offer them bones as tribute on schedule."

Bai Fan's words were sharp, leaving Kundela silent at once.

Bai Fan pressed his advantage. "The replacement of empires and the changing of regimes are the natural course of events. Our Republic Empire will create an unprecedented golden age. By then, you will no longer need to be controlled by others, nor will you need to make regular offerings as you do now."

"You make it sound nice, but in the end, we would only be changing masters."

"Then let me give you a more fitting comparison. If you agree to my decision, you may continue living. If you refuse, Kundela will disappear completely from this day onward."

Seven Soul Rings revolved around Bai Fan, and the powerful pressure made cold sweat seep from Kundela's forehead.

"If I agree to your request, can we gain any benefits?" Kundela asked Bai Fan against the pressure.

"Benefits? So long as you cooperate with us actively, it would not be impossible for you to remain the city lord afterward."

Kundela frowned as he considered Bai Fan's words, then let out a helpless sigh.

"Do I still have a choice?"

Bai Fan extended his hand toward Kundela. "I am glad you made the correct choice."

"Can you tell me who you really are?"

Bai Fan turned around, leaving Kundela only his back. "Is that important? Just do what you are supposed to do."

Little Golden Dragon instantly shrank, and Bai Fan descended on the World-Destroying White Lotus. As for Kundela on the dragon's back, he plummeted rapidly toward the ground.

The outcome of this negotiation had been decided from the very beginning. Bai Fan's purpose in negotiating was merely to save time and avoid needless casualties.

The Barak Kingdom had always possessed a high degree of autonomy. The original work had mentioned that when the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Imperial Battle Team came to Soto City, it had been a show of force by the Heaven Dou Empire toward the Barak Kingdom.

Bai Fan had merely broken the matter down and explained it to Kundela. After all, being anyone's dog was the same. So long as one could live, one still wanted to live.

Just after Bai Fan left, Kundela felt a tightening sensation around his heart, as though someone had gripped it in their hand.

Cold sweat broke out across Kundela's forehead. "What a terrifying opponent. When exactly did he leave a means of control inside my body?"

Bai Fan's voice echoed in Kundela's mind. "You have three days to put the Barak Kingdom in order. Three days from now, we will come to take over."

The mighty army began to withdraw. Kundela had no time to rest and hurried to complete the task Bai Fan had assigned him.

Little did he know that the method Bai Fan had left within him was far more mysterious than he imagined.