Chapter 962: Full-Scale Counterattack

The next day, numerous officials loyal to Xiao Nanfeng were informed of the purge in advance. They leapt into action.

At the morning session of court, the officials filed into the hall in an orderly procession. The four major gates of the imperial capital were swiftly sealed, and unfamiliar generals bearing formal tokens of authority took control of key strongholds.

Xiao Nanfeng's confidantes were composed and brimming with excitement as the court session began. After paying their respects to the emperor, one official stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, our general has achieved consecutive victories on the frontlines and deserves to be greatly rewarded to demonstrate imperial favor."

"Your Majesty, the general's accomplishments should be proclaimed across the land so the entire realm may celebrate!"

"Your Majesty, the general should be granted a noble title. I recommend that he be elevated to the rank of prince."

Many senior officials chimed in with their support.

Under normal circumstances, Xiao Nanfeng would have had no voice in the matter. He would merely reply, "Approved."

But today was different. Xiao Nanfeng smiled faintly. "Dashun only confers royal titles to members of the royal family. Are you not aware of this custom?"

The senior officials collectively frowned.

"Your Majesty, these are exceptional circumstances in exceptional times. The general's merits warrant such a title," a senior official argued.

"And should custom be overturned so easily? Is it I who am the emperor of Dashun, or is it you?" Xiao Nanfeng retorted coldly.

The officials' eyes twitched as they suddenly felt a sense of unease.

At that moment, another official stepped forward and proclaimed, "Your Majesty, the prime minister is disregarding the nature of the imperial court and seeks to issue decrees in your stead. His treason should be punished by death!"

"Outrageous! Who dares to slander me?" the prime minister was furious.

"Approved!" Xiao Nanfeng declared coldly.

"What?!" the prime minister cried out.

Suddenly, a group of guards stormed into the hall to arrest the prime minister.

The senior officials' faces turned pale. Someone cried out, "Your Majesty, the prime minister is innocent! He only—"

Midway through his plea, he noticed Xiao Nanfeng's icy gaze on him.

"Your Majesty, the prime minister has accomplices who undermine imperial authority and have caused chaos in Dashun for years. They deserve death!" another official said loudly.

"We second this motion!" A group of officials voiced their agreement.

"Approved!" Xiao Nanfeng declared coldly.

The senior officials' faces turned ashen.

"This is wrong! What's going on?!" the prime minister cried out.

Chaos erupted as numerous guards stormed in. The prime minister and his allies resisted capture and came to blows with the guards.

With a thunderous boom, a shockwave swept through the hall, sending many officials flying. However, the reinforced hall remained intact.

The prime minister was struck by a powerful blow and sent flying. He coughed up blood.

"This was premeditated! Seize the emperor!" the prime minister shouted in panic.

Several injured officials immediately rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng, who was seated on the draconic throne.

Xiao Nanfeng smirked coldly. He didn't bother to move; his guards stepped forward to intercept the attackers.

"Die!"

A wave of sword energy swept through the traitorous officials.

"Wingform-realm cultivators? Impossible!" the prime minister cried out.

With a deafening crash, all the traitors were sent flying.

It didn't take long for the hall to fall silent. Corpses littered the floor, and all the traitors had been eradicated.

Some neutral officials looked on in horror as they trembled with fear.

Meanwhile, those who were loyal to Xiao Nanfeng were exultant. Had they succeeded that easily?

"Make the proclamation!" Xiao Nanfeng declared.

"Understood!" a eunuch replied.

The eunuch retrieved the imperial edict and began to read aloud: "By the mandate of heaven, the emperor decrees: Cao Zhang shall temporarily assume the position of Prime Minister..."

One by one, new appointments were announced, signaling a complete overhaul of Dashun's court.

"Long live the emperor!" the officials chanted in unison.

"We have no time to waste. Get to work," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

"Understood!" the officials responded.

They quickly dispersed and set a grand purge into motion.

The senior officials resisted, crying out against the "tyrant."

The forces loyal to Xiao Nanfeng acted decisively and mercilessly, understanding that victory today would bring them immense spoils.

Xiao Nanfeng stood at the entrance to the court chamber and listened to the clamor of shouting and slaughter that echoed across the city. He declared loudly, "Dashun has treated you well, granting you power, fortune, and prestige as an investment—not to fund treason. From the moment you betrayed this empire, you should have expected today's outcome. Kill the traitors!"

"Kill them!" Cries of battle echoed throughout the capital.

A massive purge was under way.

Far away by the border, a general clad in golden armor was commanding a one-sided battle.

"A bunch of invading demons? Ha! But this works in my favor—it will boost my reputation. Those old geezers must be preparing to crown me now. Once I return, I'll take control of the empire!" The general laughed contentedly.

Just then, a junior officer hurried over, panic-stricken. "Holy Child, something's gone wrong in the capital! The prime minister and all the officials loyal to you have been slaughtered. The emperor has launched a counterattack!"

"Counterattack? How can a mere mortal launch a counterattack?" The golden-armored general, the so-called holy child, looked skeptical.

"It's true! Our allies in the capital are being systematically targeted. The entire city is in chaos," the junior officer stammered.

"Impossible!"

As more reports trickled in, however, he was forced to come to terms with the fact that something had indeed happened.

"Someone else must be trying to seize power!" he muttered darkly.

He still couldn't fathom that all this was Xiao Nanfeng's doing.

"What do we do now?"

"Return to the capital immediately. We'll play the role of loyalists restoring order. If we happen to eliminate the emperor in the process, we'll be hailed as saviors. With him gone, the empire will be mine."

"Understood!"

At that moment, in every city and major town of Dashun, missives were swiftly being distributed to various prominent clans.

In the main hall of a certain clan, a housekeeper bowed as he handed a letter to the clan patriarch. "Master, this letter suddenly appeared at our doorstep this morning. It seems to suggest that there's more to the young miss's death than we were aware of."

The patriarch took the letter and scanned it briefly. His expression abruptly changed. "Impossible! The demon that killed my granddaughter—this letter claims that it was raised by the holy child! After it killed her, the holy child slaughtered a fake demon and tricked us into believing he had avenged us—impossible!"

"Master, I find the claims equally hard to believe, but there seems to be detailed evidence. Allegedly, the demon who killed the young miss is still within the local branch of the Great Zen Monastery. The letter claims that the wounds on the young miss's body will demonstrate conclusively that that demon is the killer."

The patriarch glowered. "Let us uncover the truth."

Similar letters reached the hands of other clans across the city, as did the common people. The entire city was in an uproar.

For years, Xiao Nanfeng had stationed many agents across the empire to gather evidence. These agents were weak and didn't have the strength to prevent disasters, but collecting evidence was easy for them.

Now, the overwhelming flood of evidence exposed the truth to the public. Soon, piece by piece, the truth was confirmed. Alarmed officials in the city attempted to suppress the situation, but Xiao Nanfeng's allies from various sects stepped forward to assist the people in resisting these treacherous officials. With the tide of public sentiment on their side, they achieved great victories.

Not all of the holy child's subordinates were able to remain silent under interrogation. Under pressure, the truth emerged: all the atrocities had indeed been orchestrated by the holy child.

That day, upheavals swept across Dashun.

Overnight, the holy child, who had once been revered and venerated, became universally reviled. How many innocent lives had he taken in his quest to manipulate hearts and minds?

"Holy child? More like demon child!"

Cries of grief echoed throughout the empire. The holy child's carefully crafted reputation was utterly ruined in a single day. Only endless condemnation awaited him.

At that moment, the holy child and a large group of his followers were rushing back to Dashun's capital.

Along the way, as reports from his subordinates' avatars were relayed to him, his expression grew increasingly grim.

"Who's behind this? What a vicious scheme!" the holy child thundered.

"Holy Child, what do we do now?" someone fretted.

"Seize control of the capital's administration. We'll issue a proclamation to the empire, declaring that those disciples of the Great Zen Monastery who betrayed me were actually infiltrators from rival sects. They fabricated these accusations to slander me."

"Understood!"

The group rushed toward Dashun's capital as quickly as they could.

In the plaza right outside the imperial court, Xiao Nanfeng waited patiently, knowing that the holy child would soon arrive. Beside him stood Liu Miaoyin. Suddenly, with a gust of wind, another Liu Miaoyin descended from the sky.

Liu Miaoyin's main body and her avatar stood protectively to Xiao Nanfeng's left and right.

"Your main body's here, too?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed in surprise.

"If I'm going to help you, I intend to do so with my full strength," Liu Miaoyin replied.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes flashed with gratitude.

"The holy child is the chief culprit tarnishing the reputation of the Great Zen Monastery. He must be eliminated—let me handle him," Liu Miaoyin said resolutely.

Xiao Nanfeng, understanding that Liu Miaoyin was intentionally taking on the strongest opponent to assist him, smiled in gratitude. "Very well. Today, let's defend our home together."

Liu Miaoyin blushed. She cast a sidelong glance at him. "This is your home, not mine."

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes brightened. Liu Miaoyin looked especially beautiful at that moment.

Just then, a furious voice rang out from the distance. "Liu Miaoyin! How dare you betray your sect? You're helping an outsider attack disciples of the Great Zen Monastery! Do you intend to become a traitor?!"