IV. This Beau is Left Alone at the Emperor's Hall

"Where have you been?" The emperor asked his little eunuch with a serious tone.

Xu Zhengming and Empress Xue Chi walked for quite a long time before finally settling in the imperial garden. Also, on his way back to the Lotus Hall, he can't avoid getting lost. His memory isn't bad but when it comes to direction, he has it hard to get back into the right path.

When he reached the Lotus Hall, the discussion between the emperor and Princess Yin Xiulan was long through and so, he has to find his way again to his majesty's hall. He almost got drenched when a sudden rainfall started to wet the ground.

By the time he arrived, the emperor is already having his lunch. Xu Zhengming couldn't help but unconsciously swallow his saliva as he stares at his majesty's luxurious meal.

"Didn't court lady Han told you, your majesty?" His gaze is still at his majesty's dish.

The emperor played his chopsticks saying, "She did. She informed me that you went to a walk with the empress." He looks at Xu Znengming with a cold gaze, "Where did you two go?"

Due to this gaze, Xu Zhengming felt chills on his back. He thought, his majesty is being sour.

He grins as he asks, "Is his majesty jealous?" No one knows where this eunuch got his guts and bravery the moment he teased the emperor. 

The emperor almost rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Hmp! Why would I?"

His grin spreads even wider. "Well, she's her highness the empress herself after all."

Emperor Yin Renshu glares at him. "Do you want to get castrated?"

"..."

Where did all his fluffiness from earlier go to? Why is he being ruthless again?

The emperor put his chopsticks down and turns his upper body to face Xu Zhengming. "It's not that I want to marry her. It's the grand empress dowager's will. All for the sake of political power."

"So she's not the type his majesty fancies?"

The emperor is puzzled. "Type?"

"Well, it seems his majesty is innocent regarding this matter." Xu Zhengming sat on the opposite side of the small table where the emperor is dining. He smirked to show that he got wisdom in this field. "I tell you, your majesty, there are several types of women."

"There are?"

Xu Zhengming said with confidence, "So far, I know thirteen classifications. If your majesty will tell me the things he likes for a woman, then it would be easy for me to identify what type of woman you fancy."

"Hmm... interesting." The emperor thinks for a while. "Perhaps a woman who knows she's beautiful? I don't like giving compliments after all. But of course, she must not compliment herself. Witty but dumb in a way, that makes her fun to tease. A little short-tempered but gentle. I like a strong woman but seeks help from me. Possessive but doesn't threaten my freedom. Is there such a type?"

Xu Zhengming faked a smile. "Heh, I think his majesty is looking for a temperamental woman. This kind of woman is unpredictable as fuck. Truly, a woman of this kind is a perfect match to his majesty." He said sarcastically.

"Oh! And most importantly, she must not nag at me." The emperor said as he nods.

Xu Zhengming raised his eyebrows, "Your majesty, that kind of woman doesn't exist."

"They don't?" The emperor's hopes scattered all at once.

Eunuch Xu, "Every woman loves to nag."

His majesty, "Ah, then I do not wish to have a woman by my side."

Xu Zhengming wants to laugh at his majesty's reaction but he couldn't do so. He's too worried that the empress might not be able to do all of his requirements. These thoughts made him feel even more hungry.

He beams a smile to the emperor. "Your majesty, can I have some?"

"No." The ruthless Emperor Yin Renshu replied without thinking twice.

Xu Zhengming, "But you gave me half of your breakfast only a few hours ago. A share good for one person!"

"I did?" Xu Zhengming isn't sure if the emperor looks surprised for a moment or it's just his imagination due to hunger. "Well, that was then and this is now. It's different."

"Pssh..." Xu Zhengming thought, whenever his kind self shows up, he'll be sure to get the advantage of it.

Out of nowhere, court lady Han announced the arrival of a group from the outside of the hall. "Your majesty, the Ministry of War and Defense has come."

"Let them in."

As the doors slide open, a group of men headed by the princess general came in.

"Renshu, this is an emergency. There's a strange activity happening in the town square." Princess Yin Xiulan speaks in between her deep breaths. "A trace of demonic cultivation has been identified."

Emperor Yin Renshu's face darkens. He quickly rises on his seat and grabs his sword by the nightstand.

They didn't waste any second and headed towards the exit of the hall. The emperor noticed that his little eunuch followed him.

"Stay here. Go eat the food before it gets cold." He didn't wait for his response and immediately left the hall together with the Ministry of War and Defense.

The doors slide shut on Xu Zhengming's face. He was left alone by his master. Mingming grins, no master means no orders. Also, he's left with a luxurious meal. Not bad, not bad.

He noticed that the emperor didn't even have half of his meal, but who cares? That makes Mingming even happier. He doesn't care if it's all leftover by that unpredictable emperor, it's still edible!

On the other hand, the royal siblings, together with a number of soldiers made their preparations to leave. The princess general wears armor and is equipped with a bow and arrow. Her fan is hanged on her hip. Her long hair in a high ponytail swayed as she mounted a black horse.

The emperor on the other hand didn't have the chance to change into his battle outfit.

Though this is not a big breakout of war, the emperor himself wants to go. Dark cultivation is involved after all. The only ones in the palace who have experience in cultivation are only him and his twin sister. Their soldiers are only ordinary citizens that are trained to fight in a war.

"We already relayed a message to Wan MoliHua Palace. Let's just hope either our shizun or Wang-shifu could come in time to aid us." The princess general speaks to the emperor.

Emperor Yin Renshu responds as he rides a white horse. "Good. In the meantime, we have to minimize the damage and loss. Let's go!"

The large group of horses with soldiers riding on them started to head towards the palace gates.

"Order from the emperor! Open up the gates!" Princess Yin Xiulan yells as they approach nearer.

"I didn't. How dare you use my name to order around!" The emperor jokingly said.

Princess Yin Xiulan's eyebrows twitched. "Save your jokes for later, you foolish emperor! You're just lucky that I am born a woman. I am better than you. What can you brag to me? You still have a lot of things to learn."

"Save your nag for later. Why did you all make me the emperor? Now you have a fool as a ruler. It's your fault, not mine. Don't nag at me."

The princess is left speechless. How much more could she feel so disappointed with her brother? She suppressed her anger and could only roll her eyes.

The light rain doesn't seem to stop any time sooner. In fact, it might rain harder sooner or later. It seems a storm is about to form.

With the speed of their horses, it didn't take them too long to arrive at the town square. The scenery they met is quite gory. There are bloodstains on the ground, screaming voices, vicious walking undead. These monsters have bitten their victims and drink their blood until they are thoroughly drained. When the body was all drained with blood, it becomes a new monster as well. But these vicious corpses aren't contented with only one victim. It is as if their thirst will never be quenched.

The princess general, as usual, made the first move. She grabs three arrows on her back then stretches her bow with those. She's shooting three arrows at the same time! Her shoot was too accurate that she successfully hit three corpses on their heads without harming a civilian.

Blood rushed out, the corpses immediately fall to the ground.

"Soldiers! Protect the remaining civilians! Lead them to the safe ground!" The emperor yells as he grabs multiple talismans from his sleeves.

"Yes, your majesty!" The soldiers responded loud and clear. They didn't waste any more time and quickly spread out to save the common people.

Emperor Yin Renshu tossed the talismans high up in the air. He calls, "Xiulan!"

"Got it!" Princess Yin Xiulan grabs her fan and opened it as fast as lighting, creating a crisp sound as it unfolds. With just one sway of her wide fan, she can completely control the surrounding wind. It takes one blow to take the talismans and stick it on several walking corpses' foreheads.

In just a split second after the talismans got attached to their foreheads, it exploded. Blood scattered in the wind and pieces of brains and eyeballs went flying after the explosions.

The princess unmounted her horse then sways her fan multiple times, and each sway creates a wind blade. The wind blades are so sharp that they could instantly cut a corpse in half in just one hit. In every movement of her hand, her feet step closer to a group of moving corpses.

What she's doing is indeed ruthless, however, her moves are too graceful and her every turns elegant that it seems she's dancing.

The emperor on the other hand grabs another set of talismans and tossed it on the ground where a large number of corpses are. However, the talismans aren't just randomly thrown on the ground. Each of the yellow papers landed on its specific spots.

"Yi MoliHua!" As soon as the emperor spoke out these words, the talismans he tossed suddenly ignited and their flames run towards one another. Connected, they form a huge fire emblem resembling a jasmine flower. The hoarse screams of the pained undead echoed. The vicious monsters standing within the seal burned into the red fire until their ashes are their only remains.

However, no one is indeed perfect in this world full of flaws. The princess general's hand accidentally slip and lost her grip on her fan. Since she was swaying with too much force exerted to her holy weapon, the fan sent flying away from her. At the moment, there's no way she could get it back herself since these walking corpses surrounded her.

Princess Yin Xiulan snickered, whispering to the wind. "Do you really think you guys can get me without my fan?"

Both of her hands move fast at almost the same speed. She aggressively grabs the wrist of the nearest undead to her on both sides. She then jumps and kicked the two corpses with all her might as she pulls their wrist. This made their limb ripped out. Blood gushed out from the ripped-off wrists. There's even several splattered blood on the princess' robes, but she didn't care at all.

She sways the limbs she's holding like a pair of nunchaku. In every move she made with the severed limbs, blood splashed out. Her face isn't even safe with this. She's almost bathing in blood! But what's more disturbing is that her face is showing indifference. Her eyes are as cold as ice. No one can predict what she was thinking deep inside.

"Renshu!" She yells, "Toss my fan to me."

"Aiyah... she actually dared to order the emperor." Emperor Yin Renshu mumbled upon himself. He made his voice low. She might nag at him at this very moment.

The spot where he found her fan was not close to him yet not too far. And besides, he's much closer to her weapon compared to her. He unsheathed his sword and slashed the nearby monsters' necks. He fought his way to pick up his sister's fan.

When he finally picked it up he quickly tossed it to her, and the princess caught it mid-air then started to fight with her holy weapon again.

Though they are the only ones who are fighting head-on with these creatures, and the number of the enemies is no joke, they are just handling it single-handedly. These vicious corpses might not do any harm to them in the meantime but it might be not the case after their stamina got drained.

After an hour or two of fighting, the number of enemies starts to look lesser. Unfortunately, they are still massive in number.

Emperor Yin Renshu was about to complain when a couple of cultivators in white robes arrived, mounting their flying swords.

"Shizun! Wang-shifu!" The emperor couldn't let go of his sword and so he is unable to clasp his hands to offer his respect. Instead, he could only bow at these two elders. "It's a relief that you have come. We're so sorry for the trouble."

Princess Yin Xiulan also noticed their presence. However, she regrets that her hands are full of these blood-thirsty creatures.

"We apologize for arriving late, your majesty." Said Zhao Yangguang, the sect leader of Wan MoliHua Palace, and both the emperor and the princess general's shizun.

"Please spare me from your teasing, shizun." Emperor Yin Renshu smiled bashfully. "Just call me what you used to."

"I'm not teasing you." His shizun laughed. "Aren't you his majesty, the emperor yourself?" Zhao Yangguang suddenly tossed a talisman towards the direction of the emperor.

His majesty didn't have the time to think why his own shizun threw a talisman onto him nor the chance to dodge the upcoming attack. His eyes could only widen as his body froze.

Zhao Yangguang actually throws him a talisman... Or so he thought.

The talisman his shizun tossed made its way near the emperor's eyes and passed without touching his face. It came flying towards the center of a walking corpse's forehead behind the emperor. Right after the talisman got attached, the corpse immobilized.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You just made your Wang-shifu feel disappointed, Renshu." Zhao Yangguang teased him again.

"That was careless of me." He casually looks at his Wang-shifu. He felt relieved when he did not make any reactions, just an indifferent face as usual.

The sect leader noticed someone missing. "Where's Wenyan?"

"..." Emperor Yin Renshu doesn't know how to respond to his shizun. He could only anxiously look around them, securing no one heard him. Luckily, only the walking corpses are surrounding them. At the same time, Wang Junjie elbowed Zhao Yangguang. He looks at him with narrowed eyes, giving a meaningful look.

The sect leader remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot. Sorry, it's like a habit."

"Shizun does not need to apologize." The emperor smiled at the man before slashing his sword once more.

Zhao Yangguang inserted his hands in his wide sleeves to grab a set of talismans. He was about to toss it all when Wang Junjie stopped him all of a sudden.

"There's something strange." His always indifferent face got tinted with seriousness and disbelief.

"What is it?" Asked Zhao Yangguang.

In a low voice, Wang Junjie speaks. "Their eyes aren't dilated. They're too weak. Their complexion isn't pale. I can't feel massive yin energy in these walking monsters. Do you know what this means?"

Zhao Yangguang couldn't keep his surprise and disbelief. "You mean, they are actually...?" He can't continue his next word. He doesn't want to believe.

Wang Junjie nods, "They're all living people."