Chapter 1: Reversing Heaven and Earth

  Rumble rumble rumble~~~~

  A burst of thunder rolled around the edge of the dark, somber clouds, turning in a circle before falling back and rushing towards a more distant place. The sound of thunder grew fainter and fainter, the sky was pressed lower and lower, the northwest wind whirled and blew against the flags with different numbers embroidered on them, making them flutter loudly. Under the flag corners, soldiers wearing different uniforms either rode horses or stood on the ground, their eyes fixed straight ahead at those dense, scattered, and mostly mutilated corpses.

  Gazing coldly at the army surrounding the palace on all sides, Yuan Longqiao's face didn't show a single ripple.

  Summer stepped up to the city wall, anxiously standing still behind him, glancing around, whispering: "Xiao San, let's... escape."

  "Flee? Do you think I will be defeated by them?" He was expressionless, his voice cold and stern. With a wave of his long sleeve, a batch of suicidal warriors immediately charged forward from the city below. "Boom~~" In the midst of the dark smoke, mutilated corpses were blown to pieces and scattered everywhere, making it impossible to distinguish friend from foe. Fresh blood splattered wildly, slowly gathering on the ground into a small river of crimson hue.

  She covered her mouth with one hand, and Summer retreated in terror, using the other to prop herself against the wall as she struggled to suppress the turbulent waves in her stomach. Panting heavily, she cried out in desperation: "Stop, stop it! Don't let them go to their deaths anymore! Let's surrender, those people besieging the palace are your brothers, they won't kill you." She paused for a moment, looking at him with some pity, and a determined glint appeared in her misty eyes. "Even if... even if they want to kill you, I'll accompany you. We'll die together, okay?"

  "Die?" Yuan Longqiao curled up the corner of his mouth disdainfully, proudly raising his head. "I am the ruler of a country, the master of the world, how can I possibly die! Do they think they can take my life with these treacherous officials and traitorous sons!" With a cold hum, he picked up a jade cup from the tray held by Zhou Song beside him, slowly bringing it to his lips to take a light sip. ...Suddenly, his eyes gleamed fiercely, and with a flick of his hand, the remaining wine in the cup was splashed down towards the city below.

  It was as if they had received an order, and the dozens of remaining dead soldiers in the city formed a fan shape and rushed towards the surrounding troops.

  "Loose arrows!" The officer in charge stood at a high place in the mighty array and raised a small red flag, shouting loudly.

  In an instant, arrows flew like clouds and fell like rain.

  The dead warriors of the Protect-the-Nation Army were fighting valiantly, wielding their weapons in all directions while charging forward with their feet. Some fell to the ground, like hedgehogs; some were wounded in the arms, waist and legs, but they didn't care at all. The dead warriors had no self, felt no pain, as long as they were alive, they would never turn back, until death.

  A deafening "Boom~~ Boom~~" shook the sky, smoke filled the air, and the gunpowder carried by the dead soldiers caused another commotion in the crowd.

  The city wall beneath my feet trembled slightly, the sound of horses' hooves and crumbling tiles filled the air, even the heavens seemed to be cooperating as a low rumble of thunder echoed through the nine skies. The flames that had erupted at the foot of the city wall rose high into the sky, corpses littered the ground, like a scene from hell.

  Summer stared nervously at Yuan Longqiao.

  He quietly gazed down at the city below, unmoved.

  Below was chaotic for a while, but with many people and momentum, it slowly became a siege again, still surrounding the palace.

  The palace people scattered and fled, the palace had already become a mess. A huge fire broke out somewhere, and the flames illuminated the chaotic scene. Xia Tian looked back at the palace, her gaze lingering on the lone figure standing by the city wall. Taking a deep breath, "Let's give up!" she urged unyieldingly.

  "Why give up?" Yuan Longqiao slightly tilted his face, with a hint of mockery between his eyebrows.

  Her eyes flashed as she stared at him, and she could no longer bear it: "To win the world, one must first win people's hearts. Since you have already lost everyone's heart and incurred public outrage, even if you continue to resist, it will only lead to more innocent lives being sacrificed."

  He suddenly turned back and stared at her tightly, "Am I still inferior to those cheap slaves under the city in your heart?"

  "You know it's not true!" She bit her lip, feeling wronged.

  Her thin lips were pursed, and a faint smile flashed in her bright eyes. Playing with the jade cup in his hand, he sneered with a raised corner of his mouth and half-closed eyes: "But in my eyes, you are no different from these cheap slaves under the city!"

  Summer was stunned, her big eyes with clear black and white pupils stared straight at him, her eyelashes stretched out one by one, blinking like fluttering butterflies.

  "I've told you before that I don't like you, have you forgotten?" He let out a scornful snort, his gaze falling on the white-robed general who was covered in blood yet still standing firm at the city gate. "The last time I spared your life was for today's sake. How could I bear to let Xiaoyang leave just like that? Moreover, he still holds my Imperial Guard in his hands."

  "You... were you using me from start to finish?"

  Zhou Song was originally standing quietly beside her with her head down, staring blankly at the jade pot in her hand. At this moment, however, she involuntarily raised her head and glanced at her.

  "Or what?" Yuan Long sneered cruelly, "Even if the whole world betrays me, as long as you're here, Xiaoyang is still here. How could your brother just watch you fall into prison? I'll use the Imperial Guard to exhaust most of the rebel army's strength, and then ignite the gunpowder that has been buried at the city gate. Do you think I will lose?"

  "How despicable!" she gritted her teeth.

  "Hahaha!" He threw his head back and laughed, something he rarely did with such abandon.

  In a flash, Xiatian saw Zhousong's sorrowful and pleading gaze at Yu Longqiao, and her heart suddenly flashed with a hint of doubt. She calmed down the fluctuating emotions and panted heavily: "You're deceiving me, aren't you? You want to deceive me again, but this time I won't fall for it!"

  "Hmph!" He snorted softly with his nose, too lazy to even respond with words.

  In the summer, she was furious and turned her head away, her hands trembling slightly. The past events were all brought up again, and on that day, his ruthless betrayal and heartless expulsion were really justified? Her heart was hesitant. Suddenly, she saw him raise his hand again, and she quickly looked down at the city below, where her brother was single-handedly charging into the enemy army. A dizziness, without even thinking, she turned around and rushed straight to the city below. In her heart, it was like a raging fire, not even looking back at the man behind her. The support of her father's power, the sworn protection of her brother, the loyalty of the Xia family, were all these worth it?!

  A crisp crack, the jade bowl in his hand was pinched into pieces, Yuan Longqiao's gaze fixed on the thin figure rushing out of the city gate, a faint smile rising to his lips.

  "Your Majesty!" Behind him, a man with a sword suddenly appeared.

  "You're right on time!"

  Zhou Song silently fell to the side, his eyes wide with terror, a sword wound on his neck oozing dark red blood droplets.

  "Your Majesty, please!" The newcomer's treasured sword hung upside down, with bloodstains dripping one by one onto the seams of the bluestone floor tiles, wet and sticky, making people feel extremely uncomfortable.

  Yuan Long furrowed his brow, glanced at the dead Zhou Song, and slowly turned around. His eyes were calm and unruffled. "How is it that you don't even trust a eunuch by my side who can't even truss up a chicken?"

  "I will serve Your Majesty well from now on, no need for idle people to disturb your ears and eyes."

  He smiled slightly and coldly, "The only one who can disturb my eyes and ears is you!"

  That person's expression paused, and he lowered his head without making another sound.

  "Alright, I am now your captive. Do as you please! However, it's best that your master keeps his promise to me. Otherwise, even if I become a ghost, I won't let him off!"

  "Big Brother!"

  A mournful cry echoed from the city below, and Yuan Longqiao's eyebrows twitched as he involuntarily turned his head to look. A chill ran down his neck, the iron flavor hard as stone, the blood-stained sword tip was now pressed against his throat. Silently sighing, he tossed the already shattered jade bowl high into the air.

  "Bang!" Bao Yu crashed into the bluestone bricks with a crisp sound.

  Rumble...

  The sound of explosions was endless, rocks and gravel splashed everywhere, flames shot up to the sky, and the city walls collapsed with a loud crash...

  In the summer, I stared blankly at the city building exploding and collapsing in front of me, my mind a complete blank. A thick, hot flow slowly flowed between my legs, my breathing rapid, my heart racing as if it was going to jump out of my chest. My abdomen was wracked with intense, spasmodic pain that seemed to go on forever.

  The gloomy sky seemed unable to bear the weight any longer, and a torrential downpour finally came with the muffled thunder.

  One hand tightly held the brother who was slowly losing temperature in his arms, while the other hand pressed hard on his abdomen. Sweat and rainwater flowed freely down his face, but his vacant eyes never left the ruins of what once was a home.

  She couldn't understand, Yuan Longqiang had clearly said that he buried gunpowder around the palace to blow up the rebel army, but why did the explosion happen on the city tower in the end? Isn't he a master of strategy? Didn't he say he was the ruler of this world and would never die? Why are all the rebels alive and well now, while he was blown to pieces?

  Powerless, she fell onto Xia Yang's cool body, letting the raindrops heavily pound her face and heart. The rebel army passed by her side, entering the palace, without anyone paying attention to her, as if she was just another corpse on the battlefield. Her consciousness faded away with the pain in her lower abdomen, her eyes filled with his lonely figure standing at the edge of the city wall.

  Why is it like this?

  Her remaining consciousness began to lose control, and with her eyes closed, she could even feel the space-time changing. All people, things, and objects flashed through her mind one by one. In a daze, she seemed to have returned to that day, which was not long ago but felt like several lifetimes ago...