Chapter 127.1
These two people were none other than Commander Luo, the one who had betrayed him, and that Innate.
They were holding the head of Liu Eunuch in their hands, blood still dripping from it, his eyes wide open in death, unblinking.
Even their sole guardian deity had perished at their hands, filling the Great Yue Emperors heart with despair. He collapsed to the ground, drained of strength, muttering to himself, Its over, this time its truly over!
Commander Luo and Innate exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.
At this moment, the Great Yue Emperors people were left without any protective power; werent they at their mercy to be slaughtered?
As long as they captured him and brought him back, it would be a great achievement.
Even more, they could pry the whereabouts of the treasure from the Great Yue Emperor.
No matter how you looked at it, this deal was worth it.
Your Majesty, please be sensible and do not resist! We are both rough men, and we dont know our own strength. It would be unfortunate if we ended up killing you, wouldnt it?
First, tell us where the treasure is hidden! I have served you for many years, its not unreasonable for me to want some compensation, right?
Great Yue Emperor had no words left to say, for there is no greater sorrow than a heart that has given up.
But just then, a playful laugh could be heard from not too far away.
What a lively scene we have here!
Whos there? The complexions of the two Innates changed as they looked in the direction of the voice.
Seeing a somewhat disreputable old man squatting on top of a big stone, he was grinning cheekily and curiously watching them.
Upon seeing this person, the expressions of the two Innates changed once again: Empty Hand Master!
Only the Great Yue Emperor showed a trace of joy on his face.
Thats right, it is indeed I, the Empty Hand Master! The Empty Hand Master chuckled, leapt off the big stone, and with a whoosh, he actually crossed several tens of zhang to arrive in front of everyone.
His Majesty told me that there was a good show to watch here, and indeed there is!
The Empty Hand Master winked at Commander Luo: An internal traitor who has been lurking for over 20 years has finally revealed himself at the moment of the Emperors peril! Executing loyal ministers, and even inciting another to defect and jointly harm the Emperor What a splendid drama indeed! Haha
The faces of the two Innates didnt look too good, especially the one who had just betrayed. Everything he had said had been witnessed by others, and he suddenly felt utterly ashamed.
Commander Luo snorted: Theres nothing much to say about this, everyone has their own master!
Youre right, my lords!
Empty Hand Master nodded and shouted loudly, I, too, am here under the command of His Majesty the Emperor to take away the Great Yue Emperor and his family. I hope you will not make this difficult for me!
You want to fight us for them? Commander Luo drew a knife, pointing it at Empty Hand Master, and angrily exclaimed.
Another Innate also refused to show weakness, drawing his weapon.
A great battle was on the verge of breaking out!
Yet, Empty Hand Master just laughed, What, you want to have a go at me? I dont mean to look down on you, but even if you all joined forces, you would be no match for me! Take advantage of my good mood right now as I dont wish to kill. Get lost!
You! The two Innates were furious, but they did not make a move.
Among them, one Innate quietly asked Commander Luo, What should we do now?
Commander Luo, very unwillingly, said, Empty Hand Master possesses Astral Qi-level strength, far surpassing us in power. We stand no chance in a fight, so lets retreat!
Innate sighed, accepting the reality.
Commander Luo shouted, Empty Hand Master, well remember this debt! There will be other days; well wait and see!
We will definitely avenge this!
After leaving a few harsh words, they fled in defeat.
Empty Hand Master scoffed with disdain, Who cant utter threats? Its the silent dogs that bite, not the barking ones. The real tough ones are those who can finish things decisively!
Turning his head to look at Great Yue Emperor and the others, he waved his hand and said, Lets go. Do you really need this old man to carry you there?
Thus, Great Yue Emperor followed Empty Hand Master, traveling wearily all the way to the Great Xia capital city.
Lin Beifan said with a smile, Great Yue Emperor, Ive long admired your reputation. Welcome to Great Xia as a guest!
Great Yue Emperors mouth twisted bitterly, Now I am no longer an Emperor, just a destitute man fleeing for his life! Here, I thank Your Majesty for your rescue. I am deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart!
I didnt save you for nothing; you should know what I want! Lin Beifan said.
Great Yue Emperor nodded, I know. In a moment, I will tell you the location of the Great Yue treasure trove!
Lin Beifan nodded with satisfaction, Very good! I most appreciate those who understand the air!
Great Yue Emperor bowed, I also hope that Your Majesty, considering this Emp this old mans cooperation, can grant me some dignity! I can no longer be an Emperor, I only wish to live out my remaining years in peace and meet a good end!
Lin Beifan spread his hands, That depends on how much you give. The greater the contribution, the greater the reward, right?
Great Yue Emperor said, The treasures of my Great Yue are worth approximately eight million taels of silver!
Lin Beifan was very pleased, Not bad, I will confer upon you the title of a duke!
Just a duke?
Great Yue Emperor was somewhat dissatisfied, The Emperors of the Peng, Shang, An, and Mo nations, their contributions were not as great as mine, yet they all became dukes! I have eight million taels of silver, surely I should live better than them? Moreover, I was once the Emperor of a great kingdom
Lin Beifan waved his hand dismissively, I dont care about your past identity; now you are just one of my subjects! As for those eight million taels of silver, indeed your contribution is greater than theirs, but times have changed!
When they surrendered to me, I was in dire need of money. Their financial support was like sending charcoal in snowy weather! But now, I am not in such need of money anymore. Your monetary contribution is merely icing on the cake! Therefore, granting you a dukedom is already quite generous, dont be ungrateful!
Great Yue Emperor opened his mouth, realizing he had no room for bargaining.
So he lowered his demands: Could you do me a favor?
Lin Beifan asked, What favor?
Great Yue Emperor gritted his teeth: Help me kill those two traitors!
Lin Beifan laughed: Sure, I too detest traitors!
At this time, the armies of Great Shi and Great Zhu had completely occupied Great Yue.
However, after scouring the land, they discovered, to their astonishment, that there was nothing left.
No gold, silver, or jewels; very little grain and rice remained; it seemed as if the mineral resources had been exhausted, and even the land appeared to have suffered severe fertility loss, resulting in malnourished rice seedlings.
The troops of both nations were dumbfounded!
How did Great Yue become so poor?
It was known that Great Yue was a great kingdom no less inferior to theirs!
They had plentiful domestic resources, and so did Great Yue!
During peacetime, there were frequent frictions among the three kingdoms, but none dared to truly start a war because Great Yue was indeed powerful!
It was only now, when the strength of the Great Yue Kingdom had weakened that they dared to send troops and join forces to attack Great Yue.
But after conquering the land, they found no spoils of war!
Had they fought for so long only to end up with loneliness?
It is said that Great Yue was once very wealthy, but it was plundered by Great Xia, and all the valuables were taken away! General Shi Canghai of the Great Shi Kingdom said with a gloomy expression.
They cleaned out everything too thoroughly, leaving nothing behind! General Zhu Biwu of the Great Zhu Kingdom exclaimed angrily.
The war had just ended, and they were eager to return with some gold, silver, and jewels to show for their efforts.
But now, they couldnt find anything. How were they supposed to report back?
Could they honestly answer that they had conquered Great Yue but found nothing and hope that the emperor would understand?
Who would believe such a statement!
They would be suspected of embezzlement, and it would be a mercy if they werent beheaded!
Perhaps we should attack Great Xia?
General Shi Canghai suggested. It is said that Great Xia is the best at looting! They have nearly plundered the neighboring kingdom, amassing a wealth of treasures! With the combined strength of our two armies, we could surely
No, this is highly improper!
Zhu Biwu shook his head. Great Xia may be rich, but it is also a tough bone to chew! Previously, the three great noble families joined forces with Great Yue, as well as the rebels of Great Xia. Altogether, more than a dozen Innates and a million troops couldnt bring down Great Xia! Great Yue even suffered a great loss of national power, which allowed our two nations to take advantage of the situation!
With our combined forces, we are not much stronger than the Great Yue at its prime! Without the support of noble families, no one to coordinate with from the outside, and having to march long distances to fight, taking down Great Xia is as difficult as ascending to the heavens!
Alas, youre right, General Shi Canghai sighed.
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