Chapter 121: Forsaken by All, Betrayed by His Own

The tragic death of Zhang Wen could not break the morale of the Feathered Forest Guards and the veteran officials. However, they all understood that a single misstep leading to them being drained by Dong Zhuo would place immense pressure on their side. The loyalist ministers hesitated, wavering in their advance.

"My esteemed ministers, please step back," the gentle voice of the Han Emperor echoed. As he spoke, twelve golden statues materialized, standing before the loyalists.

"Your Majesty!" The old ministers were moved to tears, and even the indomitable soldiers of the Feathered Forest Guard found their eyes brimming with emotion. Since the founding of the Han, of the twenty-six emperors, Liu Xie could hardly be called a sagely ruler, but he was at least worthy of the title "benevolent." Benevolence is the rarest quality in a son of Heaven.

The twelve golden statues moved. Abandoning all defense, they fought with a frenzied intensity, trading blow for blow in a desperate gamble. The Han officials were stunned. In their eyes, their Emperor was a refined and mild-mannered gentleman. How did he suddenly possess the fierce, domineering style of the Overlord of Chu? Yet, they were pleasantly surprised to find that the twelve golden statues, which knew no fear of injury, were perfectly suited for this style of combat.

"You brat, Liu Xie!" Dong Zhuo roared. "I... I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!" Having just "restored" his vitality, Dong Zhuo had only enjoyed a moment of triumph before finding himself suppressed by the twelve golden statues. He was a man who cherished his own life, and in such a life-or-death struggle, the more one tries to protect oneself, the more wretched one becomes. The twelve golden statues had once fought Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan simultaneously without losing ground; now, by trading damage for damage, their combat prowess soared even higher. Soon, new wounds appeared on Dong Zhuo’s body. The "Gluttonous Demonic Art" was useless against the statues; they were not even living beings, offering no vital essence for Dong Zhuo to absorb.

"We have a chance!" The veteran Han officials watched the battle, their hearts pounding. Could His Majesty truly kill Dong Zhuo? The revival of the Han Dynasty was within reach!

As the officials were overcome with emotion, they suddenly heard a series of violent coughs. Emperor Liu Xie was coughing up blood.

*The burden... is it truly this heavy?* Liu Xie thought bitterly. Wielding the twelve golden statues with the Qin Emperor's Sword was an immense strain. When the statues took damage, the sword automatically drained the wielder's spiritual energy to repair them. To Liu Xie, this draining felt exactly like what Dong Zhuo had done to Zhang Wen.

*I must hold on! As long as Dong Zhuo lives, I cannot fall!*

Just as he thought this, he saw Dong Zhuo retreating, finally turning and fleeing out of the Weiyang Palace.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! You have repelled the Dong tyrant!" a veteran official cheered. Liu Xie froze for a few seconds, then his expression shifted drastically.

"Dong Zhuo is not dead; what is there to celebrate?" Liu Xie muttered. "Two armies are locked in fierce battle outside the palace. If Dong Zhuo escapes, could he be planning to use his demonic arts to boost his cultivation again?" The ministers were startled. The armies fighting outside consisted of tens of thousands of cultivators! "Quick, pursue the tyrant!"

At the Ministry of Protocol, Fan Li wore a peculiar expression. "Does Dong Zhuo’s 'Gluttonous Demonic Art' consume even soldiers below the Golden Core stage?"

Princess Changle shook her head. "The demonic art is incomplete; forced consumption has a success rate of less than one in ten. If Dong Zhuo wants to boost his power to defeat the Emperor's golden statues, his best targets are the generals."

Fan Li gasped. He could barely see the situation inside the Weiyang Palace, but outside, he could catch glimpses of powerful figures like Lü Bu, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. He watched from afar as a massive shadow surged toward Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. It was Dong Zhuo! The three reacted with lightning speed, narrowly escaping the moment they were about to be engulfed.

*How perilous!* the three thought in unison.

Dong Zhuo emerged from the shadows, his face turning ghastly as he looked at the approaching Han Emperor and the wary trio of Cao, Liu, and Sun. "You three have hidden your true strength well..."

He had indeed used his full strength in that sneak attack. Though they had dodged clumsily, they had survived. *Three imperial fates with profound cultivation,* Dong Zhuo thought. *If I could swallow even one, I could instantly reverse this decline.* But the opportunity was lost.

"Grand Preceptor?" Hua Xiong’s voice came from behind him. "What shall we do now?"

Dong Zhuo’s retreat from the palace was a sign of a failing war effort to the Xiliang army. What to do? A cold glint flashed in Dong Zhuo’s eyes. "Lü Bu, Hua Xiong, Li Jue, Guo Si! Come forward, I have something to say."

Hua Xiong, Li Jue, and Guo Si obeyed, but only Lü Bu stood frozen, staring at Dong Zhuo in terror, as if he had guessed the truth.

"You rebellious son, Lü Bu, I will deal with you later," Dong Zhuo sneered, knowing Lü Bu would never step within his reach.

"May I ask, Grand Preceptor, how we should proceed..." Hua Xiong began, but before he could finish, he felt the world go black as if he had fallen into an endless abyss. The same fate befell Li Jue and Guo Si. Caught completely off guard, all three were instantly devoured by the Gluttonous Demonic Art.

Dong Zhuo channeled his power violently, consuming the three generals entirely, leaving no trace of them in the world. "Fengxian, my son..." Dong Zhuo felt his power surging, and his ambition to usurp the throne swelled once more. "I command you to lead the entire Xiliang army to hold off Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, and the Feathered Forest Guards. I am going to have a final showdown with Liu Xie... and send him to his grave."

Yet, no sooner had he spoken than he heard the commotion of the Xiliang army behind him.

"They're fleeing! General Lü is fleeing!"

"The Lord killed three generals and scared off General Lü! What are we supposed to do!?"

Demonic paths have never been tolerated by the world. By devouring his own trusted generals in front of the entire army, Dong Zhuo had not anticipated that it would cause Lü Bu to desert and the army's morale to collapse.

"Let's run!" someone shouted. The Xiliang army, known for their ruthlessness, scattered like birds and beasts.

"Damn it! All who betray me shall die!" Dong Zhuo roared, unleashing his Gluttonous Demonic Art upon his own fleeing troops. The scattered soldiers felt the night sky pressing down upon them; lacking command, they were annihilated by the very master they had served.

"Hahahaha! I should have done this long ago! Rather than leading you to conquer the world, it is better to make you a part of my power! Third-grade Mahayana Realm! I have finally crossed the threshold!"

The Xiliang army was wiped out, except for one man. Technically, he was not a true member of the Xiliang army, having joined Dong Zhuo only recently. Marquis of Wen, Lü Bu, fled at full speed in a specific direction.

"What is he doing?" Fan Li’s cheek twitched as he watched Lü Bu sprinting toward the Ministry of Protocol. He had three thousand Golden Core guards and Princess Changle by his side, so he wasn't afraid of Lü Bu alone. Lü Bu charged into the Ministry, knocking aside a group of guards without harming them. Before more guards could surround him, he fell to his knees before Fan Li with a thud.

"Marquis, why do you come here instead of fleeing the city?" Fan Li asked helplessly. He regretted asking the moment the words left his mouth.

Lü Bu choked out, "I have drifted for half a lifetime..."