The Emperor Arrived

Great Zhou's national fortune took the form of a dragon, its excited cries piercing the clouds high above.

Its body stretched yard by yard, its bones and joints strengthened inch by inch, and its scales blazed with light. It transformed from a young dragon into one in the prime of its life.

It had been nourished by the Human Emperor Fortune! It had grasped the Human Emperor's ambition! It roared in all four directions, at Great Fan's bear! At Great Meng's wolf! At Goryeo's tiger!

Their very existence enraged it!

It surveyed the surrounding territories before finally fixing its gaze on the Cold Northeast Lands, stirring with the urge to act...

The head of the Directorate of Astronomy dropped the Compass, cracking it.

Master Tianxuan of the Great Light Sound Temple snapped his prayer beads.

The Retired Emperor in the palace raged impotently.

The aristocratic clans guarding the imperial tombs suddenly harbored treacherous thoughts.

The kings of other nations slapped their tables and laughed.

The last emperor to proclaim a grand vow had already lost his kingdom, his family, and his entire bloodline!

Great Zhou's downfall was near!

Wu Junji knew none of this. All he knew was that, among countless hidden little paths, he had found a broad, sunlit road.

The tremendous display lasted a quarter of an hour before finally contracting into an inscription. As though carved by knife and chiseled by axe, it sank deep into his flesh and took root on the joint of his middle finger.

Heaven and earth bore witness. The oath was sealed. If he acted out of selfish motives, heavenly punishment would find him.

Over a thousand students, human and demon alike, gathered of their own accord. The dilapidated Yuesi Pavilion became the eye of tonight's storm.

Yet Wu Junji's broad, sunlit road had stirred up a hornet's nest.

Dormant Human Emperor Fortune was food. Roused Human Emperor Fortune was a weapon!

A weapon against every faction!

Xiong Yu, Mu Zhao, White King, Gao Hu, Lang Xi, and the Demon Heirs of the various factions were pressed beneath the fortune filling the sky, unable even to lift their heads.

Countless monsters lay prostrate on the ground, roaring in fury. They had already signed the National Pact with Great Zhou!

The Human Emperor Fortune had already reached their mouths. How could they let it escape like this!

The students whose heavenly eyes had opened were scared out of their wits by the demons' roars, scattering in every direction to find cover!

The generals summoned by the heirs of the three nations carried them up to higher ground to look down on the scene.

Amid the shredded flesh and broken corpses strewn across the ground, the Chicken Demon cook trembled.

All five Disciplinary Masters of the Jixia Academy were alerted.

Ruan Yuan felt no joy at the resurgence of the Human Emperor Fortune.

He felt only panic and anger.

"How could you gamble with Great Zhou's Mandate for your own selfish desires!"

"Do you know that if you fail to fulfill your grand vow, all of Great Zhou will fall!"

"In a thousand years, only two Human Emperors have made grand vows, binding their nations' fortunes to themselves: Di Xin and Ying Zheng. Which of them met a good end!"

Wu Junji had not known. "Now I know."

The pawn every faction had tacitly discarded wanted to turn the tables from the brink of defeat.

And so countless great hands reached out to press him back down.

Wu Junji was surrounded.

Half were human, half demon. To think he could become the common enemy of both sides. What a cause for celebration.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

He threw back his head and laughed, and even his loose, crudely made hair tie abandoned him.

His blood-matted hair clung to his face. Crown Prince Zhou, who looked like a porcelain immortal, seemed to have been tempted into demonic depravity by the blood serpent overhead. Even the corners of his eyes shone with demonic nature.

He raised his right hand before his face, displaying the Oath Mark on his middle finger to every faction, and proclaimed at the top of his voice.

"From this day forth, if I am guilty, heaven itself shall punish me. If heaven does not punish me and you have doubts, take them up with heaven!"

He looked at Ruan Yuan and said, each word distinct, "I am Great Zhou's Crown Prince. It is my duty to bear its mandate! If I cannot bear it, can you?"

"I entered the Academy intending to study diligently, but the Academy broke its own rules, imprisoned my summoned general, and allowed demons to run rampant. If Great Zhou truly falls one day, you will be the first sinner recorded, your name stinking for ten thousand years."

"I can no longer put my trust in its rules. From today onward, my rules are the rules for every demon in the Jixia Academy."

Facing the demons' predatory stares, he showed no fear. He advanced step by step, bold enough even to circle them and stare them down.

"Those who see me and fail to bow in full obeisance."

"Those who spew filth and abuse at me."

"Those who covet my fortune and plot to steal it and harm me."

"Die!"

A shrill scream made everyone's hair stand on end. The Chicken Demon cook, who had swaggered so arrogantly that very day, was ground into pulp bit by bit by the Human Emperor Fortune overhead!

Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!

He stood before them, barely three feet tall. Hemp clothes, dirty shoes, a tender face, and such a young age-taken together, he could scarcely have looked weaker.

Yet he said, "Anyone who refuses to submit, come fight!"

The Lord of Changbai Mountain was moved. If he had an heir like this, no amount of cherishing would be excessive.

He glanced unobtrusively at White King. The centuries-old Demon Heir wore all the immaturity of a green boy on his face, his eyes astonishingly bright with yearning and admiration.

I like him, I like him, I like him, I like him!!!

The Lord of Changbai Mountain was stunned.

The Lord of Changbai Mountain fell silent.

The Demon Heirs did not move. The Demon Kings did not move. No demon dared answer!

Eyes of black and white were the Creator's greatest miracle. They could be cold, gentle, or inviolably majestic. Their power could make humans and demons alike avert their gazes, not daring to meet them.

The hall full of cowards earned a single scoffing laugh, steeped in contempt.

"May I ask how the Jixia Academy intends to pass judgment on tonight's events?"

Ruan Yuan avoided his gaze, lowering his eyes and cupping his hands.

"These thirty demons coveted Your Highness's fortune and intended to commit evil. The Demon Heirs offered righteous aid. Though their methods were fierce, their actions were understandable."

Wu Junji sneered again.

See, in this world, without strength of your own, there was no such thing as fairness.

Now, in the blink of an eye, he had gone from a criminal who incited Demon Heirs to slaughter their own kind to a victim.

"Headmaster, when will you return my summoned general?"

Ruan Yuan bent a little lower at the waist.

"Your Highness jests. The Academy invited your summoned general over merely to learn Your Highness's preferences so we could prepare your residence. We intended to send your general back after Night Reading. We never expected to cause this misunderstanding. I will certainly punish the Student Guide severely."

Wu Junzheng ran out and pointed at Ruan Yuan's nose as he cursed.

"Who are you trying to fool with those honeyed words?! My summoned general was trussed up and dragged away! Is that what you call an invitation?!"

Ruan Yuan glanced at the Lord of Changbai Mountain and evaded responsibility.

"This humble commoner was unaware of the matter. I do not know who took the Second Prince's summoned general away, but once I return, I will certainly investigate thoroughly."

The Lord of Changbai Mountain's aged face twitched. "Some beast must have been playing a prank. I will certainly provide an explanation."

Wu Junzheng shouted, "I want them dead!"

The Lord of Changbai Mountain agreed at once. "Very well!"

His ready agreement left Wu Junzheng at a loss for words.

Wu Junji lifted his chin and said to Wu Junzheng,

"Pick one."

Wu Junzheng understood at once. He selected a pheasant whose corpse was still reasonably intact.

With its magnificent tail, brilliant feathers, and compact body, it looked much tastier than the rooster cook.

"No ambition," Wu Junji disparaged him.

But he did not ask him to choose another.

"Make yourselves at home."

Dragging the pheasant, Wu Junzheng followed behind Wu Junji, and the two walked out together.

With every step he advanced, the demons retreated a step.

The ring remained a ring, the encirclement an encirclement. They did not want to let him leave, yet dared not advance.

An uneasy feeling rose in the Lord of Changbai Mountain's heart. Frowning, he asked,

"What are you dragging that Chicken Demon's corpse away for?"

Wu Junji said calmly, "To eat."

The Lord of Changbai Mountain's expression changed drastically. "Outrageous!"

"Do not push us demons too far!"

The demons who had long disliked Wu Junji found an outlet for their fury. They sprang into the air, their gaping, blood-red maws and beastly faces hideous, and lunged from every direction at the tiny figure in their midst.

Wu Junji spread his fingers toward the sky, but before he could speak,

A dragon's roar rang out from above.

A long pink dragon with a severed tail stirred up gusting winds. Roaring, it opened its jaws and swallowed a hundred demons in a single gulp!

"Die by my imperial command!"