Emperor, I Am Here to Rebel

All eyes converged on Fang Xiu, the Marquis of Guanjun who once dominated Mo Nation.

Even though his cultivation had been crippled, his presence still captivated the attention of the multitude.

Among the surprised gazes, a subtle awe for the Marquis of Guanjun lingered.

A toothless tiger was still a tiger. Standing there alone was intimidating enough.

"Fang Xiu, you crippled my son, and I won't let you go," declared Qin Jian, the Minister of War.

His eyes burned red, striding forward with thunderous steps toward Fang Xiu.

Following him, the Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, and Grand Tutor Li were also ablaze with anger, descending the palace steps.

Their rage momentarily made them forget that they were in the esteemed Azure Cloud Palace.

Due to the peculiar circumstances of all four being the only sons in their families, they were treated as treasures.

While the three with broken legs might recover, what about Qin Jian, whose lineage faced an uncertain future?

"Not let me go? What can you do against me?"

Fang Xiu took a step forward, standing within half a foot of Qin Jian.

His icy gaze was as sharp as the keenest blade, piercing through Qin Jian's being.

Hiss!

Qin Jian gasped, his entire demeanor changing abruptly.

He couldn't help but take a step back.

Although he was the Minister of War, the opponent before him was a war deity—someone who had experienced the baptism of blood and possessed a gaze akin to death itself.

"Qin Jian, with your demeanor, you fear a man who is already crippled. Marquis of Guanjun is no more, and now you fear a mere shell of a man. Pitiful," disdainfully remarked Grand Tutor Li.

Indeed, Fang Xiu, with his shattered dantian, was nothing more than a cripple.

Mo Nation no longer had a Marquis of Guanjun.

Despite being a Ninth-Rank Master himself, Qin Jian's fear seemed absurd.

"Fang Xiu, you crippled my son, and I will make you bleed for it," Qin Jian erupted again, releasing the aura of a Ninth-Rank Master, creating a storm within Azure Cloud Palace.

Swish!

A sword emitting a red glow suddenly appeared in front of Qin Jian. Fang Ying, a figure akin to a cold-blooded assassin, declared, "Do you want blood spilled here?"

"A mere little girl dares to block this Minister of War."

Qin Jian disregarded Fang Ying, aiming a palm strike at her head.

Swoosh!

Despite his swift movement, Qin Jian was no match for Fang Ying, also a Ninth-Rank Master.

Blood sprayed, leaving a deep wound on Qin Jian's chest.

"Halt!"

Princess Royal stood up, roaring.

Although many did not understand Fang Ying's prowess, she knew well.

Not only was Fang Ying formidable, but she was also fiercely loyal to Fang Xiu.

On this day of her joyous engagement, she couldn't afford disturbances that might lead to Qin Jian's death, turning herself into a laughingstock.

"This is enough."

Five princes spoke, redirecting their attention to the main affair.

Qin Jian and Fang Ying causing a scene at Princess Royal's engagement ceremony was indeed inappropriate given their status and position.

"Fang Xiu, you were invited by Qing'er. Take a seat."

The emperor addressed Fang Xiu, his gaze somewhat complex.

Yet, beneath the surface, a trace of murderous intent continued to surge.

"I prefer standing; it gives me a clearer view," Fang Xiu replied with a casual tone, subtly implying a deeper meaning.

What he wanted to observe wasn't the engagement ceremony but the ugliest side of the royal family.

At this moment, an old eunuch beside the Emperor, with a quivering voice, announced, "The Mo Nation celebrates! The engagement ceremony of Princess Royal and Myth Sky Sect's Yu Shuai commences now."

With these words, Zhao Qing'er rose, and beside her, Yu Shuai also opened his eyes for the first time.

Gracefully, he stood, like a gentleman, taking Zhao Qing'er's hand.

The pair, a perfect match, drew everyone's attention.

Amidst the crowd's whispers, some admired the match, while others couldn't help but compare Fang Xiu unfavorably to Yu Shuai.

"Indeed, only someone like Yu Shuai deserves our Princess Royal."

"Absolutely, compared to Yu Shuai, Fang Xiu falls short by far."

"Well, Marquis of Guanjun was a true genius in his prime, a young innate master. All major sects in Yun State once wanted to recruit him. However, he has ended up like this, and today, Fang Xiu can't match Yu Shuai."

The atmosphere was filled with murmurs, but Fang Xiu was indifferent as if watching an elaborate play unfold.

After the exchange of tokens, Zhao Qing'er pointed her sword at Fang Xiu, expressing her sentiments, "Fang Xiu, you humiliated me with a letter of divorce. Today, as I engage Yu Shuai, I invite you to witness. I want you to understand that with your current status as a waste, you are unworthy of me, Zhao Qing'er. My ideal husband is undoubtedly someone like Yu Shuai, a pride of the nation and heavens. Today at my engagement ceremony, I demand you to retract the divorce letter, accept my annulment, and from now on, let bygones be bygones."

Let bygones be bygones?

Fang Xiu smiled calmly.

The pains inflicted upon him by the royal family were indelible.

The idea of glossing over these wounds with a simple phrase like "let bygones be bygones" was ludicrous.

Haha...

Fang Xiu suddenly burst into laughter, the sound resonating throughout the hall.

"What are you laughing at?"

Zhao Qing'er retorted coldly.

"I'm laughing at your foolishness," Fang Xiu replied bluntly, nearly making Zhao Qing'er cough up blood.

"Impudent! Fang Xiu, how dare you disrespect Princess Royal."

"Do you still think you're the invincible Marquis of Guanjun? Fang Xiu, I advise you to be sensible and seat still."

"Insulting Princess Royal, shouting in the hall, deserves death."

Accusations echoed, full of vehemence and condemnation.

"Silence."

Fang Xiu scanned the accusing faces, finally fixing his gaze on Zhao Qing'er.

"Zhao Qing'er, you invited me here today, merely to humiliate me using Yu Shuai's talents, hoping to shame me and erase your past disgrace. Sorry, but I won't retract the divorce letter. Instead, I have a special gift for you and the Emperor."

While speaking, Fang Xiu reached for his storage ring, flicked his sleeve, and a corpse crashed into the hall.

The corpse lay face-up, clearly visible to everyone.

Swoosh!

The moment the body was thrown out, Zhao Qing'er stood up abruptly, and even Zhao Qingyun, the emperor, with eyes changing several times, finally settled on Fang Xiu.

"Your Majesty, is this person familiar to you?"

Fang Xiu asked, locking eyes with Zhao Qingyun and smiling.

"Lin Zhengyue, a master of the imperial palace."

"My goodness, he's an innate master! How did he die? Could it be Fang Xiu who killed him? Impossible! Fang Xiu is a cripple; how could he have killed Lin Zhengyue?"

"A dead innate master as a gift? What is Fang Xiu planning? Is he rebelling?"

Azure Cloud Palace was instantly in an uproar.

Everyone knew Lin Zhengyue was the Emperor's personal master.

Fang Xiu had killed him and presented the body before the Emperor—this was a blatant provocation.

"Emperor, are you satisfied with this gift?"

Fang Xiu squinted, observing Zhao Qingyun's reaction.

"Did you kill him?"

Zhao Qingyun didn't believe Fang Xiu was able to kill Lin Zhengyue, but the presented corpse was indisputably real.

His eyes, like venomous snakes, sought to see through Fang Xiu but found him to be an abyss, impenetrable.

"Humph! Zhao Qingyun, do you think I, Fang Xiu, came today for Zhao Qing'er's engagement ceremony? I came to fulfill your long-cherished desire."

Fang Xiu snorted, stepping onto the hall's platform. "I, Fang Xiu, am here today to rebel."