"What?!"
"Mountain Gazing reversing Lamp Lighting? Are you putting on a show for me?!"
The Demon Suppression Guards messenger was full of grievances: "General Yue! This subordinate wouldn't dare to joke about such important military matters, even with a hundred guts..."
Yue Huaiyuan snatched the document.
His rough hands were trembling slightly at this moment.
His gaze swept over the few lines of text.
He recognized every word.
But put together, they seemed absurd.
He slowly raised his head, looking at Wang Hong, who had also leaned over to read the letter.
Their eyes met in the air.
Both saw the bewilderment in the other's eyes.
"Old Wang..."
Yue Huaiyuan's voice was dry, "Are we... not awake yet?"
Wang Hong didn't speak.
He just pinched his thigh hard.
It hurt so much that he grimaced.
"Not dreaming..."
Mountain Gazing killing Lamp Lighting?
Is this even human?
Since ancient times, the difference in Realm has been like heaven and earth.
Between Mountain Gazing and Lamp Lighting, there was an insurmountable chasm.
But today.
Someone kicked this chasm down.
And.
She was a girl not yet twenty.
Xie Tinglan stared blankly at the southern sky.
He had known Your Highness's power when he was in Suzhou.
A few days ago, when he saw her level a Demon Venerable with one halberd, he was even more astonished.
But he never would have thought.
This was just the beginning.
She actually... killed a Demon Saint?
Such a person.
Could she really be kept in this mortal world?
...The wind rises from the tip of the green duckweed.
The waves form from tiny ripples.
This wind was not an ordinary draft, but a gale of victory reports carrying supreme glory.
These waves were certainly not the trivial ripples of the Jianghu.
Instead, they were monstrous waves capable of overturning the entire Great Tang empire onto the beach.
Starting from Luling.
Horse after horse, their hooves wrapped in thick cloth, carrying three crimson command flags on their backs, tore through the morning mist of Jiangnan West Circuit.
"Eight hundred li urgent dispatch—!!!"
"Bystanders retreat! Those who block will be killed without mercy—!!!"
Piercing shouts, accompanied by the crisp sound of hooves.
Rang out in every post station and every city along the way.
Postmen changed horses but not riders.
Often, as soon as the previous horse foamed at the mouth and collapsed, dead.
The messenger had already mounted the fresh horse that was prepared.
Without even time to drink a mouthful of water, he cracked his whip again and galloped away into the dust.
Leaving behind only a trail of dust and the lingering shouts.
"Great victory at Luling—!!!"
"Demon Saint fallen—!!!"
The news spread like a plague, or rather, a wildfire.
First, it swept through the entire Jiangnan West Circuit.
The common people who were still weeping for their deceased relatives, and the refugees scavenging in the ruins, were first stunned, then erupted into deafening cheers.
Immediately after, it was the neighboring Jiangnan East Circuit, Huainan Circuit, Shannan East Circuit... until several days later.
This gale finally burst open the gates of Chang'an City, which dominated Guanzhong and symbolized the highest power in the world... within the Imperial City.
"Still no news?"
The Old Eunuch lowered his eyelids, his horsetail whisk resting gently on his arm. "Reporting to Your Majesty, not yet."
"How many days has it been?"
The Emperor frowned, anxiously tapping his thigh with his fingers.
The Old Eunuch quickly said, "Your Majesty, please do not be anxious. The road to Jiangnan West Circuit is long, and with the demon calamity rampant, the post roads are inevitably obstructed. It is normal for it to be slow."
"Normal my ass!"
The Emperor was also frantic, directly cursing.
"That was a Demon Saint! I... if I had been more assertive back then and stopped that girl Guyue, it would have been fine."
"How old is she? If something were to happen to that girl, how could I face my ancestors?"
The Old Eunuch sighed inwardly, seeing his master in this state.
He was about to step forward to offer some words of comfort.
Suddenly.
A hurried footsteps sounded from outside the hall.
"Report—!!!"
"Eight hundred li urgent military intelligence from Jiangnan West Circuit—!!!"
The Emperor suddenly looked up.
He took three steps in two, rushing directly down the imperial steps.
He didn't even wait for the messenger to kneel and salute, snatching the document.
The Old Eunuch quickly stepped forward, lighting a palace lantern.
The Emperor unfolded the silk cloth.
His gaze swept over the densely packed small script.
First line.
"Great victory at Luling."
Hoo—
"Great victory..."
"A great victory is good, a great victory is good..."
As long as it was a great victory, it meant that the worst had not happened.
The Emperor calmed himself and continued to read.
"Demon Saint Huiyue, fallen."
Seeing these five words.
The Emperor's pupils constricted sharply, then he slapped his thigh fiercely.
"Good!"
Although he had long hoped for it, when he actually saw the news of the Demon Saint's demise.
Overjoyed, it still rushed straight to his head.
However.
When his gaze touched the next line.
The Emperor's ecstasy instantly froze on his face.
"Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Suppression Division, White Jade Tower, his Lamp Lighting Realm extinguished, his oil dried up..."
"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."
The Old Eunuch softly comforted him from the side.
"Commander-in-Chief Bai died for a righteous cause, sacrificing himself for the peace of Great Tang. This is a great act of righteousness."
The Emperor nodded silently.
Composing himself, his gaze continued downwards.
He wanted to see.
How many more loyal ministers and valiant generals had been buried in foreign lands in this brutal struggle.
Especially... his troublesome younger sister.
Since it was a great victory, that girl must be fine, right?
Perhaps she suffered some injuries?
As long as she was alive, it was fine.
Thinking this, the Emperor's gaze fell on the last few lines of text.
Then.
His eyes slowly widened.
And widened further.
Until they were as round as copper bells.
"..."
The Emperor rubbed his eyes.
He then brought the silk cloth closer to the lantern light and read it carefully again.
"I haven't slept well these past few days, my eyesight isn't very good."
The Emperor handed the silk cloth to the Old Eunuch, pointing to the last paragraph.
"You read it to me."
"What does it say here?"
The Old Eunuch took the silk cloth with some confusion.
Looking at it by the lantern light.
His body also stiffened suddenly.
His old face showed an extremely colorful expression.
"Read it!"
The Emperor urged him from the side.
The Old Eunuch swallowed, and read dryly:
"The one who slew the Demon Saint..."
"Is Her Highness Grand Princess Zhaoyue."
"Her Highness, with the Realm of Mountain Gazing, reversed and conquered Lamp Lighting..."
"..."
"..."
Inside the grand hall.
The master and servant stared at each other.
Eyes wide.
After a long while.
The Emperor finally spoke, his voice dry.
"Who wrote this military report?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, judging by the handwriting and seal, it should be personally written by Elder Cheng, the Ministry of War's Enshrined."
"Elder Cheng?" The Emperor's mouth twitched.
"Is he senile?"
"Your Majesty, please mind your words..."
The Old Eunuch gave a wry smile: "Elder Cheng has always been meticulous in his work. For such a monumental event, even if you gave him the courage, he wouldn't dare to speak nonsense before Your Majesty."
"Then you mean..."
The Emperor pointed at the silk cloth, his face full of disbelief.
"What's written here is true?"
"But that was a Demon Saint!"
"That was a Demon Saint of the Lamp Lighting Realm!"
The Emperor grew more agitated as he spoke, pacing back and forth in the hall.
"This is unreasonable!"
"This is very unreasonable!"
"Even if she has extraordinary talent..."
"But this is too..."
The Emperor struggled for a long time, unable to find a suitable word to describe this absurdity.
The Old Eunuch quickly interjected: "Too outrageous!"
"Yes, yes, it's too outrageous!"
How could this be merely outrageous?
Throughout history, even if one read all the historical records, there had never been anyone so young who could enter Mountain Gazing... let alone reverse and conquer Lamp Lighting.
The Emperor plopped down on the imperial steps, legs spread wide without any imperial dignity, his eyes staring blankly.
"Mountain Gazing... killing Lamp Lighting..."
"My own sister..."
"Killed a Demon Saint?"
He suddenly sighed, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
"This girl... if she's in a bad mood in the future and wants to beat me, her older brother... can my small frame withstand even one of her fingers?"