In the Great Qin Dynasty, I, the Unruly Commander, begin by dual-cultivating with Yan Ling Ji.

"That's how things were back then. King Wei hated me to the core, so I had to fake my death to escape and hide behind the scenes. King Wei, under pressure from our prestige in the army, dared not act rashly, but he was still eyeing me covetously."

A fleeting memory of the past flashed in Wei Wuji's cloudy eyes, and he let out a barely perceptible sigh.

"Heh, that's wonderful! The story of Lord Xinling is far more sordid than anything I've read in the novels," Ying Ziqing clapped his hands and teased.

“But…” Ying Ziqing changed the subject.

"What I'd like to hear more about is how Lord Xinling stole the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions..." His tone suddenly turned icy, and the surrounding environment seemed to grow cold as well.

"You?! How did you know?" Lord Xinling's face was no longer as composed as before; he asked in great surprise.

Ying Ziqing moved a few steps closer to Wei Wuji, her voice hoarse as she said:

"There are no secrets in this world... Now that you have submitted to me..."

Then be a good dog and be this handsome man's dog!

Ying Ziqing placed her palm on Wei Wuji's crown, her fingers applying slight pressure, and a cracking sound of bones breaking echoed in the quiet secret room.

As the hand withdrew, Wei Wuji's withered body trembled slightly.

"Stop with your petty schemes. Even if your Wei family possesses the power of the Azure Dragon Treasure Box, you won't escape my control... Understand?"

"Yes... General, I know I was wrong..." Wei Wuji struggled to stand up and bowed.

"General, the Azure Dragon Treasure Box of Wei is now enshrined in the deepest part of my Wei Mansion. Please follow me."

Supported by Wei An, Wei Wuji walked unsteadily toward a corner of the secret chamber. As Wei Wuji placed his hand on a spot on the wall, the clicking sound of gears suddenly rang out.

The walls automatically open and close to reveal a secret passage that can only be passed by one person at a time.

"General, please."

Ying Ziqing nodded slightly, put his hands behind his back, and stepped into the secret passage.

After walking for about ten minutes, a beautiful, verdant hillside suddenly appeared before Ying Ziqing's eyes.

The hillside is covered in lush green grass, teeming with life. Butterflies and birds flutter among the flowers, creating a vibrant scene.

Amidst the blooming flowers, an exquisitely crafted bronze box with an antique design sits on the hillside, with a phantom image of a blue dragon floating above it.

"A riot of colors, yet all is but a fleeting illusion..." Ying Ziqing murmured.

A dazzling, magnificent crimson-gold light flashed in his eyes, and then the vibrant hillside before him vanished, leaving only the simple yet exquisite bronze box standing quietly in the center.

The illusory dragon seemed to sense some danger, turned its head to look at Ying Ziqing, and let out a series of low howls.

Ying Ziqing chuckled, and a faint golden light emanated from her body, slowly condensing into a five-clawed golden dragon behind her. The golden dragon's phantom roared at the blue dragon.

Under the majestic dragon's roar, the phantom of the dragon dimmed slightly. At this moment, the golden dragon circling behind Ying Ziqing suddenly charged towards the azure dragon, its blood-red maw swallowing the phantom of the dragon in one swift motion.

Upon witnessing this scene, Wei Wuji showed an incredulous expression. The powerful Azure Dragon Guardian Spirit had been so easily neutralized by Ying Ziqing.

Just what kind of terrifying being is this Bad Commander...?

Then, the five-clawed golden dragon contentedly returned to Ying Ziqing's body, feeling the surging true energy within constantly washing over the chains deep within her heart meridian.

Ying Ziqing turned to look at Wei Wuji and said calmly:

"Go and guard the gate. No one is allowed to enter without my order."

"As you command, Commander."

After Wei Wuji left,

Ying Ziqing arrived in front of the Azure Dragon Treasure Box and placed one hand on it. The illusory image of the dragon reappeared in the air. Unlike before, this illusory image of the dragon was formed by Ying Ziqing's true energy.

The phantom of the dragon slowly disappeared into the Azure Dragon Treasure Box. Ying Ziqing picked up the Azure Dragon Treasure Box and whispered:

"So this is the legendary power that can change the world... Very well, let this general investigate..."

Golden, supremely yang internal energy appeared in Ying Ziqing's hands. Since he was unable to activate the bloodline of the Azure Dragon Treasure Box, he would use force to overcome all obstacles.

However, to Ying Ziqing's surprise, the Azure Dragon Treasure Box was opened very easily, as if it encountered no resistance at all.

Upon opening the Azure Dragon Treasure Box, a bead the size of an egg came into view. The entire bead was enveloped in a seven-colored, shimmering light. When Ying Ziqing's fingers touched the bead, the seven-colored glass bead transformed into a stream of light and entered Ying Ziqing's body.

He focused his mind and looked inward, discovering that the bead was lying quietly in his dantian, with strands of seven-colored light flowing into his limbs and bones. Ying Ziqing could clearly sense that the seven-colored light was nourishing his body, allowing it to reach a higher level. Perhaps, when the bead was completely refined, it would be the day he broke through to the Divine Firmament and entered a higher rank.

If just one bead has such a magical effect, what would happen if he collected all seven Azure Dragon Treasure Boxes...?

at the same time,

In the palace of the King of Wei,

King Jingmin of Wei, who was half-reclining on his throne, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and clutched his heart in great pain.

He could sense that, deep down, he and the State of Wei had lost something important...

immediately,

Amidst the screams of the palace maids, King Wei fell into a coma.

East Palace,

"What! You're saying the assassination failed?!" The sound of a wine vessel crashing to the ground echoed through the palace.

The crown prince feigned anger as he glared at the kneeling assassins and said indignantly:

"What about Bai Du? Isn't he one of the palace's retainers? How come he couldn't bring back a woman?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, Lord Bai Du has perished in the Wei residence, and his head has been sent here by people from the Wei residence."

Upon hearing this, Wei Jia laughed in fury, "Fine, fine! When has my great Wei royal family ever suffered such humiliation? I will go to see my father and order the Wei family to besiege!"

Suddenly, a eunuch's urgent voice came from outside the palace gate:

"Report! Your Highness, the King is seriously ill and unconscious. Please depart immediately!"

"what?!"

——Dividing——Line——

In the Ink Shadow Pavilion,

The Earthly Yin Star Shadow stood quietly behind Ying Ziqing, silently watching Ying Ziqing, dressed in a scholar's robe, place the pieces on the board.

"Ying'er, send a message to Li Cunli, asking him to dispatch a thousand Bad People to Daliang, and at the same time, have the Bad People stationed in the Wei residence."

"Yes, Commander!" Ying'er bowed and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Ying Ziqing alone with a chess piece in his hand.

"The game is over. Now it's time for the Bad Guys... to make their grand entrance..."

P.S.: Merry Christmas, my darlings! I hope you all have someone to spend Christmas with, instead of being all alone like me~