Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 224 Two Pieces of Bad News, Liang Kingdom's Conditions

After listening to Li Nanzhi's intermittent sobs.

A cold light flashed in Li Wudao's eyes, and his killing intent towards the eldest prince Li Zheng had reached its peak!

How dare they plot against his family like this! This scoundrel will be punished with swift and decisive action!

He suppressed his boiling murderous intent and tried to keep his voice calm as he comforted her, "Don't scare yourself. Things may not be as bad as they seem. My aunt and the others are lucky; they'll surely turn misfortune into good fortune."

"Okay, stop crying. If you keep crying, you'll really turn into a little kitten and you won't look pretty anymore."

He gently raised his hand and wiped away the streaks of tears on the girl's cheeks, his tone unusually gentle.

However, beneath the boy's seemingly calm eyes lay a deep, icy undercurrent.

He turned his head to look at Shen Ming, his voice remaining calm, "How long does it take at the fastest from the capital to the Liang army's border?"

After a moment's thought, Shen Ming said in a deep voice, "If we ride the fastest beast in the army, the Wind-Riding Beast, and travel day and night without regard to the horse's strength, it will still take at least two days."

Li Wudao frowned.

Judging by the time, Prince Rui and his wife have probably already arrived at the border.

Since the eldest prince dared to make such a move, he must have a backup plan.

With his old injuries still fresh, how long can Prince Rui withstand the attacks from both inside and outside?

After carefully considering all possibilities, the conclusion remains pessimistic.

Two days is too long. By the time he arrives, I'm afraid...

In an instant, an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, as if things were slipping out of his control, washed over him like a cold tide, leaving him feeling empty and uncomfortable.

Just as the atmosphere inside the room reached its most oppressive point, a sense of gloom settled over everything—

"Da da da!"

Suddenly, a series of hurried and orderly footsteps came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by the clanging sound of armor clashing, breaking the deathly silence of the courtyard.

A group of soldiers clad in black armor, exuding a fierce aura, quickly surged into the courtyard. Leading them was an old general clad in heavy armor, with white hair and beard.

Although the old man was over seventy years old and his face was etched with the wrinkles of time, his posture remained as upright as a pine tree.

Wearing a set of black iron armor weighing over a hundred pounds, his steps created a whistling sound, and his tiger-like eyes shone brightly, exuding a powerful aura that was in no way inferior to that of a middle-aged martial artist.

It was none other than the God of War of the Great Yu Dynasty, Duke Shen—Shen Huaimin!

He stepped into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the corpses and congealed blood scattered on the ground. Even though he had spent his life on the battlefield and was used to seeing mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he couldn't help but change his expression slightly and gasp.

"this......."

With his sharp eyes, he could naturally tell that these dead people were all skilled fighters with considerable cultivation in life, and some even had residual auras of Martial Kings!

However, they lay there like weeds, their deaths tragic, clearly the result of a crushing massacre in which they had no chance to resist!

He couldn't help but wonder, who was behind this?

What kind of fierce battle took place here last night?!

Shen Huaimin's unease grew, his old face turned solemn, his breathing became rapid, and he shouted sternly:

"Spread out! Search thoroughly!"

"We must find the young master! Alive or dead... we must find his body!"

As he finished speaking, his voice trembled slightly.

"Yes!"

The soldiers obeyed the order with a solemn air and immediately scattered, carefully avoiding the corpses as they began their search.

Hearing the commotion outside, Li Wudao slowly walked out of the room.

Their eyes met, and the moment Shen Huaimin saw the boy, he was visibly stunned, his face filled with surprise and astonishment:

"Young Master Li... what brings you here?"

Seeing the old man making such a fuss, and the barely concealed anxiety on his face...

Li Wudao suddenly realized and stepped aside, saying, "Old Master Shen is here. Come in and let's talk."

Suppressing his deepest doubts, Shen Huaimin followed him into the house.

When his gaze fell upon Shen Ming, who lay pale on the bed with his abdomen wrapped in thick bandages, his old eyes widened in shock, and he rushed forward: "Ming'er! How...how are you injured?"

Shen Ming was also taken aback when he saw his grandfather arrive.

He then forced a smile and said, "Grandpa, don't worry. I'm tough. It's just some superficial injuries. I'll be fine after a few days of rest. I won't die."

Hearing that his grandson could still laugh and talk, Shen Huaimin finally felt relieved and breathed a long sigh of relief.

He immediately turned his head, his gaze complex as he looked at the neatly dressed, ethereal young man beside him, who seemed completely out of place in this bloody environment, and couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Li, outside this courtyard..."

"Oh, you mean those people—"

Li Wudao spoke calmly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, and pointed to the corner of the room, "I killed this turtle and I on a whim."

There, the green-haired tortoise was engrossed in working on a ring, oblivious to everything around him.

"..."

Shen Huaimin froze on the spot, looked at the unremarkable-looking tortoise, and then looked down at the boy, feeling a sense of horror.

The fact that a single man and a tortoise could slaughter so many powerful figures, including several Martial Kings, is nothing short of a fantasy, and no one would believe it.

Moreover, judging from Li Wudao's nonchalant demeanor, he clearly hadn't exerted his full strength!

Such strength even made this seasoned veteran feel a chill run down his spine.

Immediately, he couldn't help but recall the brief exchange with the boy in front of the Imperial Treasure Pavilion that day. He felt relieved, but also a sense of lingering fear welled up inside him.

It turns out that he wasn't the only one who held back back then...

"By the way, Young Master Li—"

Shen Huaimin suddenly remembered his important matter, his expression instantly turning extremely solemn. He said in a deep voice, "I was just about to look for you, but I have two pieces of bad news..."

He took a deep breath, as if the words he was about to say would weigh a ton: "I just received an urgent military report from the border, which is eight hundred li away. The Liang army has breached Tianmen Pass, and the defending general, Guan Chengze, has defected in the face of battle!"

"Prince Rui and his consort...fought fiercely but were captured!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Li Nanzhi's vision went black and she nearly fainted, but Li Wudao caught her.

Li Wudao's face was gloomy. Amidst his anger, a sliver of reason flashed through his mind like an ice line.

"Perhaps this isn't entirely bad news..."

He frowned in thought, then said in a deep voice, "Since the Liang army did not kill them on the spot, but chose to capture them alive... this shows that they have other plans. Prince Rui and the Princess should be safe in the short term..."

"Young Master Li is meticulous and insightful! I admire him greatly!"

Shen Huaimin's old face froze for a moment, then his eyes flashed with genuine admiration, and he couldn't help but stroke his beard and nod.

As a founding veteran who was upright, incorruptible, and had a very high vision, he rarely praised a younger generation so sincerely.

But the young man before him possessed exceptional talent, strength, temperament, and wisdom—truly a prodigy unlike any he had ever encountered.

Even his beloved grandson, hailed as the greatest genius of the Great Yu Dynasty in a hundred years, paled in comparison to Li Wudao and could not be compared at all.

Faced with the old Duke's high praise, Li Wudao remained calm and did not take it to heart, and asked again, "So, old Duke, what are the conditions offered by Liang?"

"Just thinking about it makes me angry!"

Shen Huaimin's face instantly turned ashen, his chest heaving violently, his voice filled with barely suppressed, overwhelming rage:

"The envoy sent by the Crown Prince of Liang has entered the capital with an arrogant air!"

"They demanded that Dayu cede ten more cities in the south! And offer ten million in gold!"

"Otherwise...otherwise we will behead Prince Rui and his consort, and their heads will be displayed throughout the nine border regions!"

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

"Crack!"

Suddenly, the two blue bricks beneath Li Wudao's feet turned to dust!

A terrifying killing intent, almost tangible, suddenly erupted, sweeping out like an ancient cold wave from the far north, causing the temperature in the entire room to plummet to freezing point!

His eyes were sharp, like a god or demon looking down upon all living beings from the heavens; his voice was icy cold, as if it could freeze the soul.

"Well done, Li Zheng! Well done, Crown Prince of Liang! You were given a way out but refused to take it, choosing instead to seek your own death! Very well!"

He suppressed the urge to immediately raze the Liang army camp and massacre the imperial palace.

Taking a deep breath, Li Wudao tried his best to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "Old Duke, what's the other bad news? Tell me all at once..."