"Flowing Sand?"
Ning Que froze.
This wasn't what he'd imagined...
He'd thought he would become the heir to Northern Liang or something along those lines...
"Can I edit it again?"
[Ding. Host, you cannot. There is only one free edit, and it generates a random background. If you wish to edit it yourself or choose from multiple options, you must upgrade the system.] [Current system level: 1]
"..."
Ning Que was speechless.
He even had to upgrade the system.
According to the system, the power of Background Editing would increase with its level.
For example, it could only generate a random background at first. Later, it would gradually unlock multiple options for Ning Que to choose from.
Once it reached a high enough level, Ning Que could edit his own background.
Of course, any background he created had to fit the world.
Ning Que learned a little more about this world and discovered that this was no ordinary age of chaos.
Dynasties were as numerous as the stars in the sky. The Great Li Dynasty was merely an utterly inconspicuous one among hundreds or thousands.
Above the dynasties stood sects and spiritual lineages, immortal sects and sacred lands.
Of course, he was currently in a dynasty at the very bottom and had no way of coming into contact with such powers.
"Sigh... fine!"
It was free, anyway. Why demand a bicycle on top of it?
[Edit successful. Generating background...] [Generation successful! Causality altered!]
Half of an ancient-looking, dragon-shaped jade pendant appeared around Ning Que's neck.
Falling Phoenix Manor, in a corner of the Great Li Dynasty.
A slender man wearing half an iron mask, his long silver-white hair flowing freely, stood before a towering waterfall, gazing at it in a trance.
He, too, held half of a dragon-shaped jade pendant in his hand.
Mu Lingfeng's greatest wish in life was to find the previous Juzi's child for him.
To be precise, this was not his wish alone, but that of every member who still followed Flowing Sand and had never left.
Unfortunately, despite the enormous manpower and money they spent searching every year, they had never found a trace.
"Report! Juzi, we've found him! We've found him!"
Just then, an urgent voice announced the news.
Mu Lingfeng held his breath, his whole body trembling with excitement. "You've found him? Where...?"
"Inside the Li Royal Palace!"
"Hahahaha!"
Mu Lingfeng burst into laughter. "Wonderful! The Juzi's son is still alive!"
His laughter drew the manor's other members over.
"What has you so happy?"
There were men and women, fat and thin, carrying all manner of weapons-sabers, swords, paired halberds, giant hammers, and hooked claws...
The most striking among them was a white-haired woman carrying an umbrella sword!
Dressed in purple, she was poised and elegant.
Beneath her open umbrella, she was as cool and aloof as a fairy of the moon palace.
"We've found the Juzi's child!"
"What?!"
At those words, the woman with the umbrella sword visibly trembled.
She wasn't the only one. Every single person there wore an expression of delighted surprise.
They didn't ask where exactly he was or what circumstances he was in.
As long as he had been found, they could resolve whatever predicament he faced!
There was no one beneath heaven whom Flowing Sand could not kill!
By the same token, there was no one Flowing Sand could not rescue!
"Who's closest to the Li Royal Palace?"
"Yin Jiuyou!"
"That god of slaughter?"
Mu Lingfeng paused, then said, "Send him! He must bring the Juzi's son back as quickly as possible! There can be no mistakes!"
"Yes!"
"Also notify every member of Flowing Sand scattered across the land. Tell them the Juzi's child has been found! Order them to come at once to receive him!"
Those two ironclad orders sent tremors through everyone's hearts.
How long had it been since all of Flowing Sand had assembled?
The last time had been when Juzi Ning led Flowing Sand to become the Great Li Dynasty's largest underground organization!
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
The rain came down even harder.
"The hour of the Rabbit has arrived!"
Ning Que was brought to the execution ground.
Wang Yong, the Minister of Personnel, had come in person to oversee the execution!
"Carry out the sentence!"
With a cold sneer, he tossed down a command tablet.
The executioners on either side raised their gleaming blades.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
But the next instant, a sharp rush of wind exploded in everyone's ears.
It was a long black saber!
"Squelch!"
The saber pierced straight through an executioner's neck!
Blood sprayed everywhere!
Even more terrifying was the force behind the saber: it dragged the corpse along for dozens of meters.
Finally, there was a thunderous thud!
It pinned the corpse directly to the stone wall of the execution platform.
"Hum..."
Eerie, blood-red markings appeared on the black saber, and all the executioner's blood flowed toward them.
It was a blood-drinking demonic saber!
"Boom!!!"
The sight terrified everyone. Every soldier present raised his weapon and warily scanned the surroundings.
Wang Yong shouted furiously, "Who goes there?"
Yet in the next instant, they saw a pitch-black figure appear before Ning Que like a phantom and check the dragon-shaped jade pendant around his neck.
Then he split the cangue around Ning Que's neck in two with a blade and swept away with him.
The entire process took less than ten seconds, flowing like clouds and water in one seamless motion.
By the time Wang Yong and the others reacted, Ning Que had already been carried off.
Wang Yong was dumbstruck.
"My lord, he's been rescued."
"I'm not blind!"
Wang Yong roared furiously, "Such insolence! Such insolence..."
Beside himself with rage, Wang Yong shouted, "Put Ning Que on the wanted list immediately! Notify the military commanders in every province, tighten security, and search house by house! I refuse to believe we can't find him!"
"Rumble..."
The torrential rain continued, and dazzling flashes of lightning lit the heavens from time to time.
In their light, a swift horse could be seen galloping at full speed.
Ning Que gazed at the curtain of rain filling the sky, his face brimming with excitement.
Even basic Background Editing was this powerful. How terrifying would the backgrounds become as the system leveled up?
"Great Li Dynasty, didn't I tell you? Since you failed to kill me this time, next time I'll be the one to wipe you out!"
A cold gleam of murderous intent flashed through Ning Que's eyes.
"Gasp!"
The Palace of Lasting Sorrow, within the Great Li Royal Palace.
Mu Xuehuang's eyes flew open, and she jolted upright as though waking from a nightmare.
Her beauty could topple cities. Her brows resembled distant blue-green mountains, her bearing was radiant as jade, and she exuded the majesty of a mother to all under heaven.
Yet terror now covered her exquisite face, and cold sweat poured from her body.
Something was wrong!
Terribly wrong!
Her dreams had never made her feel this way before.
But this time, the nightmare had been like a whirlpool, dragging her into its darkest depths.
It was too terrifying!
Even after she woke, that overwhelming fear still shrouded her heart and refused to fade.
Mu Xuehuang hurriedly summoned her personal maid, Xiao Huan. "Quickly, tell the imperial physician to prepare the medicinal ingredients!"
"Huh? Your Majesty, are you starting again?"
Xiao Huan was dumbfounded.
Her Majesty worked tirelessly to govern well and stood as a mother to all under heaven. Everything about her was admirable.
Except that she sometimes behaved rather mysteriously, entering seclusion every so often.
Every retreat left her utterly exhausted, as though she had expended an enormous amount of energy...
Thus, before every retreat, she would have the imperial physician prepare medicinal ingredients and pills to restore her body.
No one knew that Empress Mu Xuehuang had been born with a special ability-she could perform Heavenly Dao Divination!
She could divine a glimpse of her own future, as well as the course of Great Li's destiny.
Because she could glimpse the future in advance every time, Mu Xuehuang had been able to make the right move at every turn.
In the end, she became the first Empress in history!
But tonight, she had suffered an indescribable nightmare, and even after waking, its lingering shadow still filled her entire body.
It was as though some great terror had set its sights on her!
As it happened, the time had come when she could perform Heavenly Dao Divination again.
She wanted to see just what it was that could frighten her so badly.
Before you continue