Chapter 124: Swearing to Protect the Princess to the Death

"Young Liu Xie! Have you also cultivated the Taotie Demonic Arts?!"

"No, that's not right!"

"Why do I not see you devouring men?"

Facing Liu Xie, who had grown to match his own colossal size, Dong Zhuo shrieked in terror. At this moment, Liu Xie was enveloped in a sphere of white light. His expression remained calm, yet he exuded the majestic aura of a ruler presiding over the world.

"I do not know what you are babbling about," Liu Xie said, swinging the Sword of the Qin Emperor. "But as the Son of Heaven, a paragon for all the people under heaven, how could I ever succumb to such demonic heresies?"

Every strike of Liu Xie’s sword was accompanied by the resonant roar of a dragon. Dong Zhuo, unable to dodge in time, was struck several times. He let out a series of agonizing wails and waved his hands, unleashing endless torrents of black energy in a desperate attempt to consume his opponent with his demonic arts.

Yet, those arts, which had never failed him before, were now completely ineffective. The foul, reeking black mist landed on Liu Xie, only dimming his white radiance slightly and causing him almost no harm. Liu Xie remained composed and unruffled, striking Dong Zhuo with several more blows.

"Impossible!"

"My demonic arts are invincible!"

"You brat, Liu Xie, what trickery have you employed?"

Dong Zhuo was filled with shock and rage. As he dodged clumsily, he observed the white light converging on Liu Xie from all directions.

"Could these be... the Mandate of Heaven!?"

Finally, Dong Zhuo realized the source of the radiance. The countless streams of light converging on Liu Xie were the very essence of the nation's destiny. The fortune of the Great Han was one with the Han Emperor!

"So that’s it? So that’s how it is!"

"I thought one only needed the destiny of an Emperor to usurp the throne."

"So this is the greatest secret of the Imperial Mandate?"

"To be the Son of Heaven is to command the nation's destiny?"

"I, too, shall be an Emperor!"

Dong Zhuo’s eyes were bloodshot; he was only one step away from the throne. According to Diaochan, if he used the demonic arts to devour a living Emperor, he could defy heaven and change his fate! But at this moment, Liu Xie was overwhelmingly powerful; it was difficult enough for Dong Zhuo to survive against him, let alone devour him.

"Cao Cao? Liu Bei? Sun Quan?"

Dong Zhuo’s gaze quickly locked onto the three men. However, he immediately realized that to reach them, he would have to break through the blockade of Liu Xie, the Twelve Metal Colossi, the veteran officials, and tens of thousands of elite Han soldiers. How could that be possible?!

"If I cannot become the Emperor, I shall die here today..." Dong Zhuo’s thoughts raced, and with a sudden grit of his teeth, he turned and charged toward the direction of the Diplomatic Guest House.

"What the hell?"

Fan Li, watching Dong Zhuo charge toward him, felt extremely depressed. He had merely been a bystander, yet now he had become the target himself.

"General Lü, prepare to engage the enemy," Fan Li commanded.

"Understood!"

Lü Bu’s expression was grave. He attempted to command the three thousand Great Chu Imperial Guards and was surprised to find that this unit possessed such high discipline that they responded to his every gesture as if they were his own limbs. Lü Bu secretly sighed in relief, tightening his grip on his Halberd of the Heavenly Heavens as he prepared to face the formidable foe.

"Duke of Jin, hand over Princess Changle! I have no quarrel with you!"

Dong Zhuo’s voice arrived before he did. Even now, he was reluctant to burn bridges with Fan Li. It just so happened that Princess Changle also possessed the Imperial Mandate; although she was breathtakingly beautiful, Dong Zhuo no longer had the heart for such sentiments.

"Hey, he's coming for you," Fan Li said, looking down at the Great Han Princess who was hiding in his arms and pretending to be frail.

"Will you save me, Duke of Jin?" Princess Changle blinked her eyes, looking incredibly adorable.

"Duke Cao once said, 'I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me.' There is also a saying: 'Better your friend dies than you yourself.' Farewell, Your Highness. Today next year shall be the anniversary of your death, and I shall certainly burn some gold ingots and candles at your grave... Ouch, ouch, that hurts!"

Fan Li’s waist was pinched hard, and tears of pain welled up in his eyes.

"You scoundrel," Princess Changle whispered resentfully, "If I die, do you think my father will let you off?"

Fan Li looked into the distance at Liu Xie, who was struggling to catch up to Dong Zhuo. *Hmph*, what a mighty Han Emperor! Indeed, he was not someone to be trifled with.

"Lü Bu, do not let Dong Zhuo come within a step of the Diplomatic Guest House."

Fan Li gritted his teeth and even drew the Sword of the Son of Heaven he had received as a system reward. "I shall defend the Princess to the death!"

Princess Changle let out a series of giggles, throwing herself into Fan Li’s arms without a shred of restraint. Outside the Guest House, the three thousand golden-core Imperial Guards, led by Lü Bu, stood firmly before Dong Zhuo.

"Fan Li, you would turn against me for the sake of a woman?" Dong Zhuo roared. "Do you really think these ants can stop me?"

"I have indeed turned against you!"

"The Princess is the Empress of Great Chu; as a minister of Chu, it is my bounden duty to protect the Mother of the Nation!"

Fan Li used all his strength to shout his response, assuming the air of a righteous and loyal official. He had no other choice. Emperor Liu Xie of the Han was at the peak of his power and had never looked upon Fan Li with favor. If he happened to strike Fan Li down while trying to kill Dong Zhuo, how could he possibly withstand it?

The crowd outside the Weiyang Palace was rushing toward the Diplomatic Guest House. Upon hearing Fan Li’s response, they were deeply moved, thinking to themselves that despite Fan Li’s reputation as a treacherous minister, who would have thought he was actually so loyal?

But when veteran officials like Lu Zhi drew closer and saw Fan Li openly holding Princess Changle, their expressions changed instantly.

"Traitor!"

"Do not dare harm my Changle!"

Seeing Dong Zhuo approaching the Diplomatic Guest House, Liu Xie finally let out a violent roar and accelerated, charging forward.

In the next second, a sudden change occurred!

Dong Zhuo suddenly turned around, a savage grin on his face, and threw himself at Liu Xie.

"Fool, you fell for it."

"My demonic arts are invincible; if I am to devour the Imperial Mandate, I must choose the strongest Emperor of all!"

Previously, Dong Zhuo’s black energy had little effect on Liu Xie. But now, he transformed his entire body into a mass of black mist, instantly enveloping Liu Xie’s massive form.

"Your Majesty!" cried Lu Zhi and the other veteran officials in grief.

Was the situation that had just been reversed about to be overturned by Dong Zhuo once again? No one knew how terrifying Dong Zhuo’s power was when he turned himself into black mist. The Han Emperor stood frozen in place. From a distance, he looked like a dark, hideous, giant humanoid sculpture.

"Wahahahaha!"

"Liu Xie is dead, and I am the Emperor!"

"From this day on, the Han Dynasty is no more. I establish the new Dong Dynasty, and I am its founding monarch! Hahahaha!"

Only Dong Zhuo’s voice echoed from the giant black pillar, terrifying and ghastly! The veteran Han officials fell to their knees in tears, unable to accept that just as victory was within reach, the Emperor had suddenly passed away.

Fan Li was also shocked.

"Hey? Princess?"

"Is your father gone?"

He needed an explanation. Could there truly be a demonic art in this world that could devour everything without restraint? He had been told the Taotie Demonic Arts were incomplete, but that certainly didn't look like the case.

As Fan Li’s mind raced, Princess Changle remained silent, her phoenix eyes locked onto the black pillar.

"Ugh!?"

"What is happening to me?"

Dong Zhuo suddenly shrieked, sounding extremely panicked.

"My power is draining away? It’s escaping?"

"Impossible! The demonic arts are invincible! How can the power I’ve devoured escape me?"

"Diaochan! Come out! Tell me what is happening?!!!!!"

Alas, Diaochan did not appear. The only response Dong Zhuo received was the Sword of the Qin Emperor, which slowly pierced through the black pillar...