The was at the border was ablaze, and the war between Great Han and the Mai Kingdom had reached a fever pitch. Both kingdoms’ soldiers were all red-eyed, wielding their large swords ruthlessly, even fighting bare-handed when their weapons were lost, engaging in intense combat. A cavalryman charged, skillfully thrusting his long spear into an enemy’s neck, causing blood to spurt out. The scent of gunpowder mixed with the smell of blood, stimulating their noses and lungs and making their stomachs churn uncomfortably. Battle cries and drum beats echoed, seemingly shaking the very heavens and earth, as dark clouds rolled and storm approached.
Huangfu Yuchen sat on his horse majestically, his spiritual sense stealthily wandering through the sky, diving into the enemy camp to search for Meng Xiaohun’s trace.
Inside an inconspicuous tent, a man dressed entirely in black seemed to sense something. His eyes suddenly turned sharp, and he immediately attempted to dodge.
However, Huangfu Yuchen’s cold voice resonated in the man’s mind, “Meng Xiaohun, don’t you want to settle things with me? Or are you afraid?”
A strange smile appeared on Meng Xiaohun’s face, “Taking down Great Han doesn’t require me to take action personally. Why should I dirty my hands with you?”
“Oh? So you’re that confident?” Huangfu Yuchen’s voice grew even colder.
Meng Xiaohun sat down leisurely, crossing his arms, “The Mai Kingdom soldiers on the battlefield are quite average in strength, hasn’t Your Majesty noticed?”
Huangfu Yuchen suddenly had a bad feeling.
Meng Xiaohun seemed to guess his thoughts and kindly explained, “They carry a plague virus, your soldiers are already doomed.”
“Plague!” Huangfu Yuchen’s heart sank, “All thirty thousand the Mai Kingdom soldiers have contracted the plague?”
“Correct.” Meng Xiaohun chuckled in satisfaction.
“You deliberately infected them with the plague, with the purpose of spreading it to my soldiers?” Huangfu Yuchen knew Huangfu Yuhu’s ruthlessness, but he didn’t expect him to be so merciless. A chill ran through him.
“Correct.” Meng Xiaohun remained calm and even crossed his legs, “Even if you withdraw now, it’s too late. Your soldiers have already contracted the plague. Once they have it, it’s like a terminal illness, even the most skilled medical experts can’t save them. Hahaha…”
Huangfu Yuchen retracted his spiritual sense, his face livid.
“Your Majesty?” Cao Zhan was puzzled. Great Han’s soldiers had gained the upper hand, so why did the Emperor look so grim?
“Yang Zhuo?”
Yang Zhuo was among the entourage and immediately replied, “Here!”
Huangfu Yuchen said, “Didn’t I bring a carriage full of supplies? Go immediately and bring out the medicinal powder from inside. Boil it with wormwood to make a soup, have all the soldiers drink a bowl, and replace the soldiers on the battlefield, let them all drink a bowl too.”
“Yes! Your Majesty!” Yang Zhuo hastened on his horse to execute the order.
Cao Zhan didn’t understand, “Your Majesty, may I ask what’s happening?”
Cao Zhan was the main general, so Huangfu Yuchen didn’t hide anything, but he waved away the others around him, “The Mai Kingdom soldiers are infected with the plague, and I’m afraid it has already spread to our soldiers. However, I brought the medicinal herbs prepared by Xiao Ge, which can cure and prevent the plague. There’s no need to panic.”
Cao Zhan’s hanging heart settled, “Understood.”
Huangfu Yuchen once again lamented that his treasure was truly his good fortune. The battlefield would have many corpses, and they couldn’t be buried in time, which was most likely to breed a plague. This problem had always been the most troublesome for monarchs and generals. Before departing, he asked Yan Ge if there were any ways to prevent or treat the plague, and Yan Ge had let him bring this batch of medicinal herbs. He never expected that this batch of medicine that was capable of preventing and treating the plague was the “chicken eggs” Yan Ge collected during their trip to the Demon Fortress. They were dried like little stones and then ground into powder.
Even if he was already assured of victory, he was covered in a cold sweat. If Yan Ge hadn’t collected those foul-smelling things, not only would these border soldiers lose their lives, but the entire Great Han would be affected. Huangfu Yuhu was truly ruthless.
“Report—” A soldier rushed over.
“Report to Your Majesty and General, a batch of military supplies has arrived.”
“So fast?” Cao Zhan was pleasantly surprised.
The soldier replied, “This batch of supplies was provided by Huang Guiqing’s First Company, free of charge.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s eyes flashed with a warm smile, “What was sent?”
The soldier replied, “Twenty carriages of food and forage, thirty carriages of clothing, twenty carriages of meat, twenty carriages of eggs, and ten carriages of medicinal herbs.”
“Good, you may leave.”
“Yes!”
Yang Zhuo and several deputy generals marveled secretly. Huang Guiqing was really generous. However, the soldiers were fortunate. If they still couldn’t win with this support, they wouldn’t deserve Huang Guiqing’s thoughtfulness.
The smile on Huangfu Yuchen’s face quickly faded, and his spiritual sense once again probed Meng Xiaohun’s tent.
Meng Xiaohun was sitting inside, somewhat bored. He checked the time. It was already noon, so he had a table of delicacies delivered: bear paw, camel hump stew, spicy stir-fried clams, crispy milk-white shrimp, and spicy braised oysters and tofu soup, a feast of rare delicacies.
However, after almost half an hour, the good news he was waiting for hadn’t arrived. Thinking of Huangfu Yuchen’s capabilities, his smile disappeared and his face turned an angry, gloomy gray.
He threw away his chopsticks, suddenly opened the tent, and walked out in large strides.
At this moment, a wave of killing intent struck without warning from mid-air, both imposing and overwhelming.
Meng Xiaohun’s eyes turned cold and he hurriedly dodged, taking several steps in mid-air like he was climbing stairs. He leaped into the air to see that the Great Han soldiers below were not getting weaker, but rather fighting with increasing fierceness. He couldn’t believe it. “This can’t be!”
Huangfu Yuchen’s figure flashed before him. He was also flying into mid-air, his cold gaze piercing him as he calmly said, “Nothing is impossible. Just like how even my most beloved brother could betray me.”
Meng Xiaohun’s eyes flickered.
The soldiers below exclaimed, staring in astonishment at the imposing man standing in mid-air. He was wearing a bright yellow imperial robe, as if he appeared out of nowhere.
Huangfu Yuchen focused his inner qi, loudly proclaiming, “I am the true monarch, blessed with immortal techniques, destined to become a dragon and ascend to immortality. Kill the Mai Kingdom people and show the might of our nation!”
“Yes!” The soldiers were excited. Their morale rose, and they roared in high spirits as they charged forward.
Meng Xiaohun stared at Huangfu Yuchen in disbelief.
“Great Han has medicine to cure the plague. It seems your intelligence hasn’t caught up.” Huangfu Yuchen scrutinized Meng Xiaohun and saw traces of his brother in him.
Meng Xiaohun pretended to remain calm, glaring at him with resentment.
“Why?” Huangfu Yuchen asked calmly.
Meng Xiaohun replied, “Why what?”
Huangfu Yuchen repeated, “Huangfu Yuhu, where did I wrong you, and why did you betray me?”
A familiar and indifferent voice echoed in Meng Xiaohun’s mind.
–“Ding. Main mission – Kill Great Han’s Emperor, Huangfu Yuchen. Mission rewards when successfully: one million silver, Ninth Layer of the Overlord’s Curse. Accept the mission, ‘Yes,’ decline the mission, ‘No.’”
“Because I not only want to be Emperor of Great Han but also the overlord of the entire continent!” Meng Xiaohun unhesitatingly accepted the mission. He closed the “Overlord Development System” interface in front of him, not denying that he was Huangfu Yuhu.
Huangfu Yuchen’s feelings for him had long been worn away by his betrayal, and hearing this answer, he was not disappointed. He drew out his spiritual sword and said, “Since you’ve betrayed me, I’ll kill you. Even Father Emperor and Mother Empress beneath the yellow springs won’t blame me.”
At the thought of Father Emperor and Mother Empress, Meng Xiaohun’s eyes showed a trace of guilt, but it vanished in an instant. His gaze turned cold and heartless once more, and he sneered, “Alright, since you put it that way, I don’t need to show you any mercy.”
With that, he activated an incantation and moved his hands together. Black mist materialized out of thin air between his palms, resembling two fierce beasts. They ferociously lunged toward Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen’s powerful spiritual sense easily captured his movements. Under the dominance of his sharp spiritual awareness, Meng Xiaohun’s actions seemed like they were in slow motion. He swung his spiritual sword in a sweeping motion, and the abundant spiritual qi contained within the sword burst forth, forcibly dispersing the black mist and aiming at Meng Xiaohun’s heart.
Meng Xiaohun shifted mid-air and stabilized himself. As if there was an elastic rope in his hands, he suddenly pulled in opposite directions, and the black mist, as of possessing a will of its own, retracted suddenly and then shot out, one up and one down, attacking Huangfu Yuchen.
A bone-chilling cold rushed over and Huangfu Yuchen activated the true qi in his dantian, advancing instead of retreating. His spiritual sword circled in the air, suddenly disappearing, and then appearing two inches in front of Meng Xiaohun’s face, stabbing fiercely.
Meng Xiaohun quickly recited a spell, shrinking his body when it was just an inch, sidestepping and deftly avoiding Huangfu Yuchen’s attack.
Huangfu Yuchen slightly distanced himself from Meng Xiaohun, and formed some gestures with both hands. Between him and Meng Xiaohun, a bright light that was as white as snow burst open, releasing dazzling silver rays.
Caught off guard, Meng Xiaohun closed his eyes due to the light. Sensing the killing intent near his chest, he knew that he was in danger and immediately opened his eyes, swiftly evading.
A white sword qi shot out from the light, leaving a sword mark about an arm’s length on his chest with a crisp “shua”.
The was at the border was ablaze, and the war between Great Han and the Mai Kingdom had reached a fever pitch. Both kingdoms’ soldiers were all red-eyed, wielding their large swords ruthlessly, even fighting bare-handed when their weapons were lost, engaging in intense combat. A cavalryman charged, skillfully thrusting his long spear into an enemy’s neck, causing blood to spurt out. The scent of gunpowder mixed with the smell of blood, stimulating their noses and lungs and making their stomachs churn uncomfortably. Battle cries and drum beats echoed, seemingly shaking the very heavens and earth, as dark clouds rolled and storm approached.
Huangfu Yuchen sat on his horse majestically, his spiritual sense stealthily wandering through the sky, diving into the enemy camp to search for Meng Xiaohun’s trace.
Inside an inconspicuous tent, a man dressed entirely in black seemed to sense something. His eyes suddenly turned sharp, and he immediately attempted to dodge.
However, Huangfu Yuchen’s cold voice resonated in the man’s mind, “Meng Xiaohun, don’t you want to settle things with me? Or are you afraid?”
A strange smile appeared on Meng Xiaohun’s face, “Taking down Great Han doesn’t require me to take action personally. Why should I dirty my hands with you?”
“Oh? So you’re that confident?” Huangfu Yuchen’s voice grew even colder.
Meng Xiaohun sat down leisurely, crossing his arms, “The Mai Kingdom soldiers on the battlefield are quite average in strength, hasn’t Your Majesty noticed?”
Huangfu Yuchen suddenly had a bad feeling.
Meng Xiaohun seemed to guess his thoughts and kindly explained, “They carry a plague virus, your soldiers are already doomed.”
“Plague!” Huangfu Yuchen’s heart sank, “All thirty thousand the Mai Kingdom soldiers have contracted the plague?”
“Correct.” Meng Xiaohun chuckled in satisfaction.
“You deliberately infected them with the plague, with the purpose of spreading it to my soldiers?” Huangfu Yuchen knew Huangfu Yuhu’s ruthlessness, but he didn’t expect him to be so merciless. A chill ran through him.
“Correct.” Meng Xiaohun remained calm and even crossed his legs, “Even if you withdraw now, it’s too late. Your soldiers have already contracted the plague. Once they have it, it’s like a terminal illness, even the most skilled medical experts can’t save them. Hahaha…”
Huangfu Yuchen retracted his spiritual sense, his face livid.
“Your Majesty?” Cao Zhan was puzzled. Great Han’s soldiers had gained the upper hand, so why did the Emperor look so grim?
“Yang Zhuo?”
Yang Zhuo was among the entourage and immediately replied, “Here!”
Huangfu Yuchen said, “Didn’t I bring a carriage full of supplies? Go immediately and bring out the medicinal powder from inside. Boil it with wormwood to make a soup, have all the soldiers drink a bowl, and replace the soldiers on the battlefield, let them all drink a bowl too.”
“Yes! Your Majesty!” Yang Zhuo hastened on his horse to execute the order.
Cao Zhan didn’t understand, “Your Majesty, may I ask what’s happening?”
Cao Zhan was the main general, so Huangfu Yuchen didn’t hide anything, but he waved away the others around him, “The Mai Kingdom soldiers are infected with the plague, and I’m afraid it has already spread to our soldiers. However, I brought the medicinal herbs prepared by Xiao Ge, which can cure and prevent the plague. There’s no need to panic.”
Cao Zhan’s hanging heart settled, “Understood.”
Huangfu Yuchen once again lamented that his treasure was truly his good fortune. The battlefield would have many corpses, and they couldn’t be buried in time, which was most likely to breed a plague. This problem had always been the most troublesome for monarchs and generals. Before departing, he asked Yan Ge if there were any ways to prevent or treat the plague, and Yan Ge had let him bring this batch of medicinal herbs. He never expected that this batch of medicine that was capable of preventing and treating the plague was the “chicken eggs” Yan Ge collected during their trip to the Demon Fortress. They were dried like little stones and then ground into powder.
Even if he was already assured of victory, he was covered in a cold sweat. If Yan Ge hadn’t collected those foul-smelling things, not only would these border soldiers lose their lives, but the entire Great Han would be affected. Huangfu Yuhu was truly ruthless.
“Report—” A soldier rushed over.
“Report to Your Majesty and General, a batch of military supplies has arrived.”
“So fast?” Cao Zhan was pleasantly surprised.
The soldier replied, “This batch of supplies was provided by Huang Guiqing’s First Company, free of charge.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s eyes flashed with a warm smile, “What was sent?”
The soldier replied, “Twenty carriages of food and forage, thirty carriages of clothing, twenty carriages of meat, twenty carriages of eggs, and ten carriages of medicinal herbs.”
“Good, you may leave.”
“Yes!”
Yang Zhuo and several deputy generals marveled secretly. Huang Guiqing was really generous. However, the soldiers were fortunate. If they still couldn’t win with this support, they wouldn’t deserve Huang Guiqing’s thoughtfulness.
The smile on Huangfu Yuchen’s face quickly faded, and his spiritual sense once again probed Meng Xiaohun’s tent.
Meng Xiaohun was sitting inside, somewhat bored. He checked the time. It was already noon, so he had a table of delicacies delivered: bear paw, camel hump stew, spicy stir-fried clams, crispy milk-white shrimp, and spicy braised oysters and tofu soup, a feast of rare delicacies.
However, after almost half an hour, the good news he was waiting for hadn’t arrived. Thinking of Huangfu Yuchen’s capabilities, his smile disappeared and his face turned an angry, gloomy gray.
He threw away his chopsticks, suddenly opened the tent, and walked out in large strides.
At this moment, a wave of killing intent struck without warning from mid-air, both imposing and overwhelming.
Meng Xiaohun’s eyes turned cold and he hurriedly dodged, taking several steps in mid-air like he was climbing stairs. He leaped into the air to see that the Great Han soldiers below were not getting weaker, but rather fighting with increasing fierceness. He couldn’t believe it. “This can’t be!”
Huangfu Yuchen’s figure flashed before him. He was also flying into mid-air, his cold gaze piercing him as he calmly said, “Nothing is impossible. Just like how even my most beloved brother could betray me.”
Meng Xiaohun’s eyes flickered.
The soldiers below exclaimed, staring in astonishment at the imposing man standing in mid-air. He was wearing a bright yellow imperial robe, as if he appeared out of nowhere.
Huangfu Yuchen focused his inner qi, loudly proclaiming, “I am the true monarch, blessed with immortal techniques, destined to become a dragon and ascend to immortality. Kill the Mai Kingdom people and show the might of our nation!”
“Yes!” The soldiers were excited. Their morale rose, and they roared in high spirits as they charged forward.
Meng Xiaohun stared at Huangfu Yuchen in disbelief.
“Great Han has medicine to cure the plague. It seems your intelligence hasn’t caught up.” Huangfu Yuchen scrutinized Meng Xiaohun and saw traces of his brother in him.
Meng Xiaohun pretended to remain calm, glaring at him with resentment.
“Why?” Huangfu Yuchen asked calmly.
Meng Xiaohun replied, “Why what?”
Huangfu Yuchen repeated, “Huangfu Yuhu, where did I wrong you, and why did you betray me?”
A familiar and indifferent voice echoed in Meng Xiaohun’s mind.
–“Ding. Main mission – Kill Great Han’s Emperor, Huangfu Yuchen. Mission rewards when successfully: one million silver, Ninth Layer of the Overlord’s Curse. Accept the mission, ‘Yes,’ decline the mission, ‘No.’”
“Because I not only want to be Emperor of Great Han but also the overlord of the entire continent!” Meng Xiaohun unhesitatingly accepted the mission. He closed the “Overlord Development System” interface in front of him, not denying that he was Huangfu Yuhu.
Huangfu Yuchen’s feelings for him had long been worn away by his betrayal, and hearing this answer, he was not disappointed. He drew out his spiritual sword and said, “Since you’ve betrayed me, I’ll kill you. Even Father Emperor and Mother Empress beneath the yellow springs won’t blame me.”
At the thought of Father Emperor and Mother Empress, Meng Xiaohun’s eyes showed a trace of guilt, but it vanished in an instant. His gaze turned cold and heartless once more, and he sneered, “Alright, since you put it that way, I don’t need to show you any mercy.”
With that, he activated an incantation and moved his hands together. Black mist materialized out of thin air between his palms, resembling two fierce beasts. They ferociously lunged toward Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen’s powerful spiritual sense easily captured his movements. Under the dominance of his sharp spiritual awareness, Meng Xiaohun’s actions seemed like they were in slow motion. He swung his spiritual sword in a sweeping motion, and the abundant spiritual qi contained within the sword burst forth, forcibly dispersing the black mist and aiming at Meng Xiaohun’s heart.
Meng Xiaohun shifted mid-air and stabilized himself. As if there was an elastic rope in his hands, he suddenly pulled in opposite directions, and the black mist, as of possessing a will of its own, retracted suddenly and then shot out, one up and one down, attacking Huangfu Yuchen.
A bone-chilling cold rushed over and Huangfu Yuchen activated the true qi in his dantian, advancing instead of retreating. His spiritual sword circled in the air, suddenly disappearing, and then appearing two inches in front of Meng Xiaohun’s face, stabbing fiercely.
Meng Xiaohun quickly recited a spell, shrinking his body when it was just an inch, sidestepping and deftly avoiding Huangfu Yuchen’s attack.
Huangfu Yuchen slightly distanced himself from Meng Xiaohun, and formed some gestures with both hands. Between him and Meng Xiaohun, a bright light that was as white as snow burst open, releasing dazzling silver rays.
Caught off guard, Meng Xiaohun closed his eyes due to the light. Sensing the killing intent near his chest, he knew that he was in danger and immediately opened his eyes, swiftly evading.
A white sword qi shot out from the light, leaving a sword mark about an arm’s length on his chest with a crisp “shua”.
