Protect Our Patriarch
Book 5: Chapter 137: Your Majesty the Demon Emperor! I'm sorry to disturb you

...

Although the battle groups led by Wang Fugui and Yun Mengyu were elite, they only numbered around ten thousand people.

In the vast expanse of Xiang Ancient City, they were like a handful of cilantro sprinkled into a large pot, pitifully few. Once the pot started boiling, the cilantro could easily be washed away.

In such a situation, swift action was essential.

The Southern Yan Imperial Palace was an ancient structure with a long history, existing almost as long as the Southern Yan nation itself. Its internal structure was grand and majestic, with countless spiritual realms within the palace.

If the Emperor and the Imperial Guard were stationed within the palace, supplemented by the palace's defensive formations, it would be a fool's dream for the Fugui and Mengyu battle groups to take it down quickly.

But now, Emperor Yuanji of Yan and his Imperial Guard were being chased around like dogs by the Wang's Clan militia and the Red Fire Heavy Cavalry led by Emperor Qingyu of Liang. Even the national spiritual beast, Old Ancestor Kui Niu, had become Wang Fugui's prisoner.

With the top-tier powerhouses absent, how could the remaining inner guards and attendants within the palace withstand the fierce onslaught of Fugui and Mengyu's troops?

In less than two hours, the palace's defensive array was shattered, and after a token resistance, the inner guards and attendants were all captured.

At this point, the Southern Yan Imperial Palace was like a helpless bride, at the mercy of Fugui.

Half a day later.

After thoroughly looting the visible treasure vaults, the chief eunuch Zhao Ninghai was brought to the scene.

As one of the chief eunuchs, Zhao Ninghai had been sent to the palace at a young age and had grown through the ranks of the eunuch system to become a highly respected treasurer of the Treasury of Keys.

Among the many eunuchs, he was one of the few prominent figures, and outside the palace, his status was comparable to that of an ordinary commandery prince, earning him the respectful title of "Eunuch Hai."

But now, the once prestigious Eunuch Hai was in a pitiful state, shackled and chained, with his spiritual platform and Purple Mansion sealed by a Soul Lock.

"You damn robbers~~" Watching the Heavenly Treasure Vault being looted clean like locusts passing through, Eunuch Hai's heart ached as tears streamed down his face. "Even the oil lamps and the Brave Troops statues at the entrance of the Heavenly Treasure Vault weren't spared. You... don't pry up those floor tiles! I don't want to live anymore! Be gentle! That palace lantern is a masterpiece, very expensive! Woo~ Please, give this old servant a quick end~"

The Heavenly Treasure Vault was one of the treasuries under Eunuch Hai's jurisdiction, which he had meticulously cared for over two hundred years, treating each item like an ancestor.

But now, these "ancestors" he held dear were being violently looted by these "thieving soldiers." Worse yet, they were digging three feet into the ground, trying to find the vault's secret chamber.

"Don't cry, Eunuch."

As Eunuch Hai wailed, a young man in luxurious attire, with a slightly round face, approached him, offering a handkerchief and softly comforting him, "My soldiers' methods are indeed a bit rough. Bear with it; it'll be over soon."

The young man wasn't strikingly handsome at first glance, but he exuded a warmth and nobility that made people feel an involuntary sense of closeness. He was clearly someone blessed with fortune.

This young man was none other than Wang Fugui.

Wang Fugui had spent some time in the Daqian Imperial Palace with his grandmother as a child and had met many eunuchs. They had all served him diligently, and with Old Eunuch Yao by his side since childhood, he didn't harbor any aversion to eunuchs.

"Young master, it's all gone! The two secret chambers of the Heavenly Treasure Vault have been emptied; there are no more secret chambers!" Eunuch Hai cried even harder at the young man's gentle expression. "There really are no more~~~~"

Unexpectedly, as soon as Eunuch Hai finished speaking, a "yiyi yaya" sound came from nearby.

A tree, seemingly carved from seven-colored glazed glass, jumped into a pit where a floor tile had been pried up, waving its branches to indicate there was treasure below.

Seeing this, the soldiers searching for secret chambers were overjoyed and immediately began digging frantically.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before they uncovered another secret chamber, filled with millions of stored immortal crystals.

Wang Fugui had heard people talk about millions or even tens of millions of immortal crystals before, but seeing them in person, he realized they could indeed form a small mountain.

"Uh..." Eunuch Hai's cries were choked, and he glanced awkwardly at Wang Fugui. "This, that... this old servant didn't know about this secret chamber."

"No worries, no worries," Wang Fugui patted his shoulder kindly. "Eunuch Hai can continue to lie. But for every lie you tell, I'll have someone cut off one of Princess Jiabao's hands or feet. You have four more chances to lie."

Hearing this, Princess Jiabao, who was also bound by various restrictions not far from Wang Fugui, was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out: "You, you, you, why cut my hand if Eunuch Hai lies?"

"Because I want to," Wang Fugui replied calmly.

"You, you, you... you wicked Great Demon King! Scoundrel!" Princess Jiabao cursed, "If you have the guts, kill me! If I, Qiu Daoyu, frown, I'll take your surname."

"Enough, enough. In battles between immortals and demons, there's never been mercy between us. Your Demon Yan army's conduct has always been more reckless than mine." Wang Fugui glanced at her calmly. "At least I don't kill indiscriminately, don't plunder civilians, and restrain my subordinates from abusing women. If your Demon Yan army captured one of our princesses, you know the outcome without me saying. Do you think death is the greatest suffering?"

Eunuch Hai's heart chilled, and he hurriedly advised Princess Jiabao, "Your Highness, don't speak further. This noble young master is indeed very kind. The secret chambers, yes, for the princess's safety, this old servant can reveal all the secret chambers."

Princess Jiabao opened her mouth but ultimately dared not speak further out of fear.

With Eunuch Hai's cooperation, the speed of clearing out the palace's wealth increased significantly.

And within these two days, even families like the Qiu Clan obediently sent ransom money to redeem their heirs, giving more than they dared to give less. This was the sorrow of being at the mercy of others.

Given the current emptiness within each family, none could withstand Wang Fugui's wrath. Whether second-grade or third-grade families, they could be wiped out with a wave of the hand.

As a result, the wealth concentrated on Wang Fugui was increasing at an alarming rate. Although a considerable portion of the good things looted from the palace would inevitably be distributed, it was still an astonishing fortune.

The biggest beneficiary, however, was Wang Fugui's life-bound spiritual tree, the "Seven-Colored Glazed Treasure Tree" — Wang Bao Cai.

After successive plundering, he was already gleaming with treasure, and the treasure aura accumulated around him was dense like fog, almost overwhelming.

"Yiya yiya."

Wang Bao Cai circled Wang Fugui, waving his branches to express his opinion.

He had no choice; he relied on gathering treasure aura to advance. Now, the treasure aura he had accumulated was more than enough for him to break through to the fifth tier.

But the problem was, the growth limit of a life-bound spiritual plant was often restricted by its owner's cultivation level.

Wang Fugui's current cultivation was at the third level of the Lingtai Realm, equivalent to the third tier of a fierce beast, so Wang Bao Cai's advancement limit, gathering treasure aura from Wang Fugui, was the fourth tier. Going further would encounter a significant bottleneck.

If Wang Fugui's cultivation remained stagnant, Wang Bao Cai, no matter how much treasure aura he accumulated, couldn't rapidly ascend to the seventh, eighth, or ninth tier!

"Alright, alright, I understand." Wang Fugui affectionately rubbed Bao Cai's branches. "I've just reached the bottleneck of the early Lingtai Realm, so I'll conveniently advance."

With that, Wang Fugui casually found a room, and under the protection of his personal guards, he smoothly broke through to the fourth level of the Lingtai Realm in no time, becoming a bona fide mid-stage Lingtai Realm "expert."

Of course, with his peerless prodigy B-grade bloodline aptitude, his actual combat power at this moment was naturally not comparable to an ordinary mid-stage Lingtai Realm.

When he stepped out of the room, his complexion was noticeably more radiant and his aura more stable, indicating that this advancement had been quite beneficial for him.

Eunuch Hai and Princess Jiabao were left staring at each other in shock.

Was this still a human? How could he be so monstrous? How old was he, and he was already at the fourth level of the Lingtai Realm.

Princess Jiabao remembered that she had just broken through to the Lingtai Realm at fifteen or sixteen, and by the time she reached the fourth level of the Lingtai Realm, she was already twenty-two or twenty-three. Even then, she thought she was quite remarkable, looking down on others and thinking their aptitude was poor.

"How old is this noble young master?" Eunuch Hai weakly asked.

"Sigh, time flies. In the blink of an eye, I'm already fourteen," Wang Fugui lamented.

He had been away from home for several years, missing out on countless joyful moments at the Clan School.

A fourteen-year-old mid-stage Lingtai Realm?

Eunuch Hai's pupils contracted.

Is this damn thing even human? Could he be a direct disciple of the Immortal Sovereign from the Immortal Palace?

Compared to him, those so-called "prodigies" he had seen before were probably not even worth a pile of dung.

"..." Princess Jiabao was also speechless.

She had thought this little rascal was just slightly stronger than her, but who would have thought they weren't even in the same league.

At this rate, wouldn't he break through to the Celestial Realm in his twenties?

Rumor had it that her relative in the Demon Dynasty, hailed as a "super genius," the Little Demon Lord, was like this when he was young, right?

Moreover, at just over ten years old, he had already accomplished so many earth-shattering feats, something the Little Demon Lord probably couldn't match.

And with Wang Fugui's cultivation advancing a level, Wang Bao Cai's shackles were also broken.

Threads of spiritual energy suddenly gathered from all directions.

Wang Bao Cai's body, like a glass sculpture, suddenly emitted dazzling seven-colored light, and under the glow, his form began to rapidly expand.

In just a moment, he had grown to three or four zhang tall, and his aura had become significantly stronger.

Clearly, he had advanced to the fifth tier.

This was the power of the Seven-Colored Glazed Treasure Tree, advancing purely through treasure aura. As long as the treasure aura was abundant, and the owner's cultivation didn't hold him back, advancement was a matter of minutes.

With Wang Bao Cai's advancement, his sense for treasures became even sharper, and at the same time, the treasure aura accumulated within him didn't dissipate but instead grew more abundant.

The reason was simple: Wang Fugui's wealth continued to expand at an alarming rate. Gold from Yan, immortal crystals, Divine Spirit Artifacts, numerous Purple Mansion Treasures, and even exquisite magical treasures were being continuously looted. Various precious refining materials, spiritual herbs, and even finished elixirs were in abundance.

There was even a treasury containing several top-grade spiritual stones.

These top-grade spiritual stones were extremely precious, and some big shots like True Lord Yuling, who aspired to advance to the mid-to-late Lingxu Realm, were highly eager for them, with prices roughly equivalent to a hundred million Top Gold.

However, at this moment, no matter how much treasure aura Wang Bao Cai had, it was useless. Due to Fugui's cultivation, he couldn't advance to the sixth tier for the time being, and the treasure aura he could accumulate was also limited. With no other choice, he could only condense the excess treasure aura into Treasure Gathering Fruits.

With the increase in his realm, his treasure-gathering range had expanded considerably, now encompassing not only the palace but also the second and third-grade families residing nearby.

Sure enough, there were many forgotten treasures in the palace and the families with thousands of years of history. Each batch of ten to twenty Treasure Gathering Fruits always yielded some valuable items.

Batch after batch of Treasure Gathering Fruits were produced, with Wang Bao Cai constantly expending the treasure aura that had already swelled within him.

Once, a Treasure Gathering Fruit even yielded a top-grade spiritual stone and some forgotten antiques, which collectively were worth a significant amount.

"This is scraping the bottom of the barrel," Eunuch Hai was on the verge of fainting.

This was too much; it was even more ruthless than digging three feet into the ground.

It's over, it's over. His Majesty will be utterly bankrupt this time, reduced to a pauper. When His Majesty returns, won't he be so enraged...

Just imagining the possible scene made him feel suffocated.

Wang Bao Cai, on the other hand, was having a great time. This was the first time he had so much treasure aura to squander. Opening blind boxes had become one of his greatest pleasures.

"Huh? What's this?"

Just as Wang Bao Cai was about to finish scouring the palace grounds, a black token popped out of one of the Treasure Gathering Fruits.

The token seemed to have been buried for a long time, lacking some luster, but the intricate patterns and the oppressive aura it emitted made it clear that this was no ordinary item.

"Yiya yiya~"

Wang Bao Cai curiously picked up the token with a branch, spat some sap on it, and infused it with some treasure aura, trying to activate it to see what it was.

"Bao Cai, don't mess around," Wang Fugui hurriedly tried to stop him. "Don't casually..."

But he was too late.

As he spoke, an overwhelming divine sense erupted from the token, spreading like a stormy sea.

"Be careful, young master!"

The people around turned pale and rushed to protect Wang Fugui.

However, it was too late.

In the blink of an eye, a massive amount of spiritual energy gathered from all directions, coalescing into a human figure in front of Wang Fugui.

The figure was entirely composed of energy, shimmering with a hazy glow, vaguely resembling a middle-aged man in a black robe with gold trim, ethereal and unreal, like a living Dharma Aspect.

He stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an invincible aura, with an endless terrifying pressure emanating from him, striking fear into the hearts of those present.

He glanced at Wang Bao Cai, a hint of surprise flashing in his expression. "A Seven-Colored Glazed Treasure Tree? Quite rare."

But that was all.

He didn't pay much attention to Wang Bao Cai, merely giving a casual glance before the black token floated up before him.

A complex and unreadable emotion flickered in his deep, dark eyes as he muttered to himself, "Yongxi, oh Yongxi, how much did you resent me? Even in death, you refused to pass the Demon Emperor's Token to your descendants?"

Yongxi?

Wang Fugui's heart skipped a beat.

He hadn't known who "Yongxi" was before, but after coming to Liang and Yan, he had heard enough to know that Yongxi was a past emperor of Yan, one generation before the current Emperor Yuanji.

He had already had a bad feeling and suspicion, and now hearing this person refer to himself as "this emperor" and say such words, his face immediately stiffened.

Could his luck be any worse?

This was undoubtedly one of the only four True Immortal Realm powerhouses in the world — the "Red Moon Demon Emperor"!

Although the figure before him was clearly just a projection, a Demon Emperor was still a Demon Emperor, and even a projection was not to be trifled with.

"Forget it, forget it. No matter how much you resented me, we were once young friends. Today, your Yan's calamity, let me resolve it for you," the Demon Emperor, after reminiscing about his old friend, finally turned his gaze to Wang Fugui.

By this time, Wang Bao Cai had already scurried behind Wang Fugui, hiding his roots.

He understood that the man in black was not to be trifled with.

"Wang Fugui of East Qian, greets Your Majesty the Demon Emperor," Wang Fugui greeted respectfully and courteously.

The Demon Emperor, with his hands behind his back, exuded a demonic majesty, yet also carried an air of elegance and refinement, like a gentleman.

He looked at Wang Fugui with interest. "You are quite an interesting child, but you shouldn't have come here."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, for the disturbance," Wang Fugui replied, probing with his gaze. "So, shall I leave?"

...