The wind certainly couldn’t blow off the gray overcoat, much less the disguise mask. The fact that they fell off was obviously intentional on Jun Changxiao’s part!

Actually, when he saw how destitute the Imperial Palace had become, Dog Leftover felt compassion stirring in his heart.

However.

He had no good excuse.

After all, his character was someone whose eyes lit up at the sight of money. If he suddenly went to help a woman, he’d definitely be labeled as “forgetting righteousness at the sight of beauty.”

Being a man is hard.

Being this book’s protagonist is even harder.

Just as Jun Changxiao was struggling with this dilemma, he saw the divination diagram and immediately realized that his arrival in the Scarlet Prison Realm was destined. Since that was the case, he might as well be a savior once more—he was quite experienced at it anyway.

He could help.

But he couldn’t lose his character.

After the deed was done, he must get benefits.

Admittedly.

The Azure Mist Empire was currently poor as a church mouse. What Yu Feiya said about “as much as you want” was likely just an expedient measure, but if he helped her integrate the various kingdoms, would they still lack money and resources?

The system provided a more reasonable explanation from its own perspective: “Host maintains his bottom line and doesn’t dare to rob people, but now the princess has knelt to beg for help, which gives him an excuse to accumulate wealth.”

“Scram!”

Jun Changxiao cursed.

The system got back on topic: “The diagram lists major events that will occur ten thousand years later. Could the person who left the divination diagram actually predict the future?”

“Indeed.”

Jun Changxiao said, “It’s too incredible.”

From the text above, it was clearly about himself. The time and location were calculated with perfect precision. The expert who assisted the Azure Mist Empire’s ancestor in establishing immortal achievements was either extraordinarily powerful, or… had traveled back from the future.

“Mister Jun!”

After receiving his agreement to help, Yu Feiya was overjoyed. She said, “The two nearest kingdoms still hold some respect for my Azure Mist Empire. You can go treat their illnesses and persuade them to assist us, then break through them one by one.”

“…”

Jun Changxiao was speechless.

Did this woman really think she could save the nation just by treating illnesses?

Young. Naive.

“Princess.” Jun Changxiao turned around and said, “Since I’ve decided to help you, there’s no need for such trouble.”

“Mister Jun, you…”

Seeing his appearance grow younger, Yu Feiya’s facial expression gradually froze.

Ah.

Sure enough, he shouldn’t reveal his handsome appearance.

Just then, Yu Feiya finished her sentence: “Your hair is crooked!”

During the previous battle against the ten great immortal sect masters at the Ten Thousand Ancient Sect, his hair loss condition had relapsed, so ever since leaving the upper realm, Jun Changxiao had been wearing his modified wig. He’d used too much force when shaking off the overcoat and mask, causing his hairstyle to become somewhat disheveled.

“Princess!”

General Che rushed in hastily. Regardless of Jun Changxiao’s presence, his eyes flashed with anger as he reported: “Emissaries from the various kingdoms have come again!”

“Why are they here again?” Yu Feiya’s willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly.

These kingdoms kept constantly watching the imperial family, coming to harass them every few days. She’d already grown accustomed to it.

Jun Changxiao said, “They should be coming to find me.”

“How can you tell?”

“Very simple. Given the princess’s current situation, you were able to learn that I can cure the fire poison terminal illness. Don’t the various kingdoms have informants in Revered Martial City?”

“You make a good point.”

Yu Feiya had actually been able to rush from the imperial capital at the first opportunity because she deeply trusted the divination diagram’s prophecy, so she’d been constantly monitoring Revered Martial City. As for City Lord Wang, he was one of the few who remained loyal to the imperial family.

…

In the palace’s great hall.

To describe it with an idiom: utterly destitute.

The emissaries from various kingdoms stood on both sides with swaggering airs, each one holding their head high and chest out, wishing they could raise their faces to the sky.

The Scarlet Prison Realm had experienced constant wars large and small over these years, with various kingdoms competing against each other, so these representatives naturally found each other disagreeable.

“Gentlemen.”

Yu Feiya emerged from a side door and sat on the imperial throne that only her father the emperor was qualified to occupy.

This move immediately caused the eyes of the various emissaries to flash with astonishment.

“Princess!”

One person said indifferently, “From ancient times until now, the imperial throne has only been qualified to be occupied by the empire’s supreme ruler. For you to sit on it is rather improper, wouldn’t you say?”

This was relatively tactful. Another emissary beside him sneered coldly: “Could it be the princess wishes to usurp power and take the throne?”

“The emperor has been imprisoned abroad by you traitorous ministers. As the saying goes, a nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day. How is the princess, who carries his bloodline, not qualified to sit on the throne of nine-five?”

“Who goes there?”

Everyone turned around to see a white-robed man around twenty years old walking from outside the great hall. He leaned against the doorframe, his face bearing an infuriating smile.

Yu Feiya, who had been somewhat panicked, saw her teacher appear and her fluctuating emotions immediately calmed.

Sitting in her father the emperor’s seat was Jun Changxiao’s suggestion, because the simplest method to support the empire from its decline and rescue the imperial family from collapse was to establish a new monarch, invite the heads of the various kingdoms over, and ask if they submitted!

Using healing methods to win over nobles would be very troublesome even if successful, and Dog Leftover didn’t have time to play around.

Now.

The simpler and more brutal, the better.

All who refused to submit would be made to submit completely.

“Boy!” an emissary shouted coldly, “Who are you?”

“Step.”

Jun Changxiao walked straight to the throne, casually pulled over a chair, and sat to Yu Feiya’s side. Crossing his legs and interlacing his ten fingers in a casual grip, he said, “Grand General of the Azure Mist Empire, Jun Changxiao!”

Grand General?

An emissary sneered: “Our Azure Mist Empire has been established for ten thousand years and has never had the position of Grand General.”

“There wasn’t before.”

Yu Feiya said, “Now there is.”

With that, she took out the Imperial Jade Seal her father the emperor had given her from her spatial ring and solemnly announced: “In the name of the Azure Mist Empire’s sovereign, I hereby appoint Jun Changxiao to the position of Grand General of the Azure Mist Empire!”

“Swish!”

Jun Changxiao quickly stepped down and cupped his fists: “Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

Your Majesty?

This woman dared to privately ascend the throne and proclaim herself emperor?

“Ha ha ha!”

A certain nation’s emissary laughed loudly: “A woman with no soldiers and no generals actually dares to attempt usurping the throne and proclaiming herself emperor. It seems the fire poison has attacked her heart and burned out her brain!”

“G-G-Great sir…” Just then, several soldiers stumbled in, their voices panicked: “There… there’s a… a monster in the sky…”

“Monster?”

Everyone was bewildered and rushed out of the great hall.

When they raised their heads, their facial expressions gradually froze until they reached the point of petrification.

What did they see?

They saw space in the firmament gradually distorting, as if torn by some terrifying power, then slowly revealing over a dozen massive warships. Their momentum was tremendous, shaking the heavens and shocking the mountains and rivers.

“Click!”

“Click!”

The ship cabin bottoms opened, and streams of light rapidly flew over, finally landing in neat formations in the palace’s inner courtyard, presenting a full two hundred thousand soldiers wearing excellent equipment and of tall, imposing stature.

The emissaries from various routes were completely dumbfounded.

Even Yu Feiya, who came out, was stunned.

“Swish!”

The two hundred thousand Demon Delusion Tribe soldiers all performed the highest standard military salute and shouted loudly: “We pay respects to Your Majesty!”

“We pay respects to the Grand General!”

The sound was so loud it seemed to pierce through the void and deeply shocked Yu Feiya and the various emissaries.

“Swish!”

Jun Changxiao flew out and stood before the great army. He was now clad in battle armor and cupped his fists: “This general Jun Changxiao is willing to brave fire and water for the Azure Mist Empire!”

He wasn’t showing off.

He was helping Yu Feiya show off.

—