The Sima Gate, the main entrance to Weiyang Palace, had become the gateway to hell. With the outer defences depleted, the Huo family's last trump card — a 5,000-strong, heavily armoured elite force led by Huo Shan — was frantically ramming the final palace gate with massive battering rams. The gate hinges groaned under the immense force, as if this final line of defence, symbolising the imperial power of the Han dynasty, would collapse at any moment.
"Break! If we break through, Liu Bingyi's head will be our pledge of allegiance to the emperor!' Huo Shan roared, his face contorted with rage and his sword pointed at the palace wall.
Just as a crack appeared in the palace gate, the cacophony of shouts and battle cries fell eerily silent, as if cut off by a knife. Instead of being forced open, the heavy, vermilion gate slowly swung open from the inside.
Amidst swirling crimson ashes, a figure with snow-white hair and a three-foot-long dark red sword slowly stepped out of the threshold. He carried no soldiers or shields, standing alone with his sword before a vast army.
[System 4.0: Pressure Module — Emperor's Sword Intent Ultimate Release.
Current Aura: Overlord Form (Full Activation).
Enemy Status: [Heart Shattered] (morale decreases by 10% per second).
Warning: The host's meridians are under 85% pressure. After this battle, the host will enter a period of weakness. Please finish quickly!
"Liu Bingyi? Are you alone?" Huo Shan was taken aback at first, then burst into maniacal laughter. 'For three years, you've feigned madness, and it turns out you've just been pretending to be mentally unstable! Fire arrows! Turn him into a hedgehog!' In an instant, a thousand arrowheads transformed into dense black rain, completely engulfing Liu Bingyi within a ten-zhang radius. He looked up, his blood-red double pupils devoid of emotion, and simply took a step forward.
[Skill: Sword Qi – Absolute Defence] – a semi-transparent purple wave of energy exploded outwards from him. The powerful crossbow bolts, which were capable of piercing iron armour, seemed to have struck an invisible wall of steel when they reached within three feet of him. They clattered to the ground without even lifting a corner of his clothing. 'This... how is this possible?' Huo Shan was so shocked that he nearly fell off his horse. This was beyond the comprehension of a Han Dynasty general. This was not the martial arts of the mortal realm, but a destructive force akin to a miracle.
Liu Bingyi moved. He didn't run; he left a trail of dark purple afterimages on everyone's retinas as he charged into the enemy ranks. This was not war, but an elegant and cruel harvest. He wielded the 'Old Sword', drawing perfect arcs in the air. With each swing, dozens of heads flew off in unison. The heavily armoured assassins' prized steel armour was as fragile as paper against the aura of Liu Bingyi's sword. They didn't parry because no one could match his instincts, and they didn't retreat because behind them lay the memorial tablet of Xu Pingjun. 'You're the first.' Liu Bingyi's voice rang out suddenly in Huo Shan's ears, as cold as an icy wind from the depths of hell. Huo Shan didn't even see how Liu Bingyi had passed through the layers of guards. By the time he had reacted, the blood-red longsword was already poised diagonally against his throat.'Your Majesty, spare me...' 'Pfft!' Without further ado, the sword tip flicked and Huo Shan was torn apart by violent true energy. His warhorse and half of his body were cleaved in two. The once-invincible minister of the Han court became the most humble nourishment in the soil in that instant. Liu Bingyi turned and walked step by step to the top of the stone lions before the palace gate, carrying Huo Shan's mangled head. The officials, wealthy merchants and commoners trapped within the city could now clearly see everything unfolding on the distant streets. They knelt in terror, witnessing a one-sided massacre worthy of being recorded in history through cracks in doors and windows. They saw the formerly weak, deposed great-grandson of the emperor, who had been supported by the Huo family, standing atop the corpses of traitors. His white hair danced in the wind like that of an ancient god of death, controlling life and death.
"The Great Han is mine!" Liu Bingyi's voice, amplified by the Great Han System 4.0, thundered across Chang'an. 'The Huo family has rebelled! From this day forward, all who submit to the rebellion will suffer the same fate!' He hurled his longsword.
[Skill: Ten Thousand Swords – Thunderous Strike] The blood-red blade split into countless streaks of light, piercing the foreheads of five thousand rebel generals with precision. They had been resisting stubbornly, but now their will had completely collapsed. They abandoned their armour and knelt in pools of blood, frantically kowtowing. Liu Bingyi leapt down from the stone lion. His black armour was unrecognisable, with thick blood dripping from his fingertips. He looked up at the General's Mansion, where a lamp was still burning — Huo Xian's last hiding place.
[System 4.0 Settlement: [Dominating the World] Achieved! Host Reputation: [Tyrant/Wise Ruler] Balance Reached Critical Point.
Loot: One ton of 'extraterrestrial meteorite iron' acquired from the Huo family's private collection (can be used to repair the system core).
Status reminder: There are 36 hours remaining until Xu Pingjun's remnant soul dissipates. Please complete the final blood sacrifice as soon as possible.
'Jin, hang Huo Shan's head at the South Gate. Take Huo Yu with you; we're going to the Huo Mansion to see the 'Source of Mother Poison'. Liu Bingyi picked up his 'old sword' again, his eyes as cold as knives.
He walked barefoot on the blood-stained white marble steps. With each step, he left a blood-stained footprint on the ground. These footprints marked the beginning of a new era for the Han Empire and the end of the powerful ministers of the old era.
As the crimson firework display in front of Weiyang Palace came to an end, a dark torrent that had been suppressed for three years finally broke through the earth beneath the seemingly peaceful surface of Chang'an. 'Close the net.' Liu Bingyi's voice was transmitted instantly to every dark corner of Chang'an via the "Divine Sense Resonance" function of System 4.0. Instantly, men selling pancakes on street corners, accountants in taverns and servants trimming flowers and trees in the Huo family's official residence all dropped their belongings and drew their short, gleaming blades from their waists, stoves and roof beams.
[System 4.0: Dark Guard System – Citywide Purge Mode Activated]
Deployment scale: Five Dark Guard divisions (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth), totalling 3,000 personnel.
Tactical objective: Eliminate all Huo family sentries, residences and cavalry attempting to send messages in Chang'an. Absolute suppression; leave no survivors. The once tranquil streets of Chang'an instantly transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Huo family members who had initially thought the situation favourable hadn't even stepped outside when a shadowy figure fell from the roof and slit their throats. Several squads of Huo family elite cavalry attempting to rush out of the city to mobilise troops were cut to pieces, along with their horses, by specially made titanium alloy horse-splitting ropes that were secretly pulled up as they passed through narrow alleys.
'What's going on? Where did all these assassins come from?' A Huo family lieutenant brandished his long spear in terror as he watched his personal guards fall silently one after another. Each of them had a black dragon-patterned dart engraved with the character 'Xuan' protruding from their forehead. This was not only a crushing military defeat, but also a devastating loss of information. On the real-time map of System 4.0, there was nowhere for the red dots representing the Huo family members to hide. The hidden guards appeared precisely behind each red dot, as if guided. Liu Bingyi walked barefoot, leaving dark red marks on the dry stone pavement with each step. Following behind him were the death-like silent Imperial Guards, carrying the nearly maddened Huo Yu. When Liu Bingyi arrived at the two vermilion gates of the General's Mansion, the once magnificent residence was completely surrounded by the 'Fire' Division of the Shadow Guards. The joyful laughter from within had been replaced by desperate wails. 'Open the gates,' Liu Bingyi said calmly. The "Gold" Shadow Guard suddenly swung his fist, blasting the two heavy ironwood gates to dust with his violent inner energy. Liu Bingyi stepped into the front hall and immediately saw Huo Xian sitting in a wheelchair. Her face was withered, but her eyes were filled with venom. She was clutching a box of gold and silver jewellery, surrounded by several trembling servants. 'Liu... Liu Bingyi! You madman! How dare you slaughter the descendants of the founding heroes in broad daylight!" Huo Xian screamed, her voice filled with desperate madness. Liu Bingyi walked up to her, not drawing his sword, but slowly crouching down and looking directly into her eyes. 'A meritorious official? If Huo Guang knew you were tarnishing his reputation like this, he'd probably crawl out of his coffin and strangle you himself.
Liu Bingyi's double pupils flashed red as the 'Tyrant System's' ultimate interrogation skill, 'Nine Netherworld Mantra: Karma and Reincarnation".
'When Pingjun died, was she cold?' Was she in pain? Since you want to play with poison, experience the pain she suffered thirty thousand times over in this very moment.' Huo Xian's eyes instantly became vacant and she let out a non-human scream. She felt every cell in her body being pierced by thousands of poisonous needles and her internal organs melting away bit by bit. Because the system kept her consciousness intact, even fainting was out of the question. "Your Majesty, please kill me! Kill me!" "Kill you? That would be too easy for you." Liu Bingyi stood up and looked at her coldly, as if she were a piece of rotten flesh. 'I want you to live, to watch the Huo family crumble, to see your proud descendants walk to the executioner's block one by one.' By the time the first rays of dawn pierced the darkness of Chang'an, the entire city had undergone a thorough cleansing. The special air fresheners sprayed by the guards masked the lingering stench of blood, and the corpses on the streets had been cleared away overnight. When the survivors of the purge emerged from their homes, they were astonished to find that the tyrannical servants of the Huo family had disappeared and the doors of the corrupt officials had been sealed with black tape. Liu Bingyi stood on top of the highest point of the Huo mansion, the Star Gazing Tower, watching the sun rise.
[System 4.0 Settlement: [The Demise of the Huo Clan] Mission Progress: 100%.
Chang'an, Meridian Gate. The sun was shining fiercely that day, casting a dark red glow over the mottled city walls. Around the execution ground, a hundred thousand people stood in complete silence, except for the cold metallic clang of armour scraping against armour. One hundred and twenty-two male members of the Huo family, dressed in prison uniforms, knelt on the cold brick floor. The once-pampered Grand Marshal Huo Yu and the formerly arrogant Huo Shan now looked dishevelled and like lambs to the slaughter. At the front of the row of execution instruments sat Empress Huo Chengjun of the Han Dynasty, her face haggard yet breathtakingly beautiful.
'The Emperor has arrived!' With the distorted shout of the official in charge of ceremonies, Liu Bingyi stepped onto the execution platform. Instead of the dragon robe he had used to conceal his identity, he wore the black iron dragon-scale armour stained with blood from the Weiyang Palace. His white hair cascaded down and his double pupils were cold and sharp. The absurd, mediocre and debauched façade he had maintained for the past three years had completely vanished. The moment he sat on the dragon throne, the surrounding air seemed to drop ten degrees.
[System 4.0: Emotional Judgement – Absolute Judgement Domain Activated]
Detection Target: The entire Huo clan
Status: Destiny Severed. The host possesses the final right to dispose of this cause and effect.
'Bingyi... why?' Huo Chengjun raised her head, her heavy phoenix crown already askew. She stared intently at the man she had loved for three years, her eyes filled with despair. 'These past three years, your doting affection for me, the Golden Sparrow Terrace you built for me, your vows of eternal love... were they all lies?'
She gave a bitter, shrill laugh and pointed at her trembling relatives kneeling behind her. 'Did you make me Empress just to wait for this day, to let our Huo family fall to our deaths at the height of our power? Liu Bingyi, have you no heart? Did you ever consider me your wife, even for a quarter of an hour?"
Silence fell. The officials bowed their heads and the people held their breath. Liu Bingyi looked down at the woman. He had indeed been extremely gentle with her over the past three years, but whenever he kissed her forehead, he saw Xu Pingjun, weak after childbirth and bleeding from all seven orifices. Liu Bingyi slowly stood up and drew his bloodied old sword from behind his back. The tip pointed diagonally at the ground, scraping against the granite tiles with a harsh, grinding sound. He walked towards Huo Chengjun, his eyes devoid of hatred and filled only with utter despair and calm.
'Chengjun, you asked me if I had a heart. The moment Pingjun died three years ago, my heart was buried with her in Duling.'
He knelt down and used his calloused hand to tidy Huo Chengjun's dishevelled temples for the last time — a gesture that had once brought her immense happiness but which now plunged her into an icy abyss.
'These three years of tenderness are the funeral I prepared for you.' Liu Bingyi looked down at the longsword in his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing a crack in the blade. 'You ask me why I did this? The reason is simple..." Leaning close to Huo Chengjun's ear, he whispered in a voice only they could hear: 'Because my sword misses Xu Pingjun. It says it wants to use the heads of the entire Huo family to pay tribute to her.' 'No! Liu Bingyi! You madman! You demon!" Huo Chengjun broke down completely. She screamed and tried to rush forward, but the shadow guards on either side held her down firmly.
Liu Bingyi stood up straight, walked over to the dragon throne and swung his right hand down sharply. 'Slay.' With one word, life or death was decided. [Tyrant System Notification: [Blood Sacrifice – Nine Clans Grief] Final Stage Triggered!
[Essence blood of a core Huo clan member collected, National Fortune Value +100,000.]
Reversal of Life and Death Module activation progress: 99%.
On the execution ground, 122 executioners' blades fell in unison, instantly staining Meridian Gate Square crimson with blood. This was the sound of the biggest tumour in the Han Empire's history being brutally removed in twenty years. Huo Xian let out a shrill curse before his death, but under the system's 'soul extraction', even his scream vanished into nothingness.
As the last head fell, the entire city of Chang'an seemed to be baptised. Liu Bingyi closed his eyes. In the golden void within his sea of consciousness, Xu Pingjun's silhouette was clearer than ever. She stood by a starlit river, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
[Ding! The internal strife of the Han dynasty has been quelled and the remnants of the Huo clan eliminated. [System 4.0 Evolution: Unlocking the 'Prosperous Infrastructure' and 'Mythical Revival' dual versions. Ultimate mission issued.
Ultimate Mission Issued: Head to Duling and activate the 'Return of the Soul' magic array.
Liu Bingyi stood up, his white hair looking especially forlorn in the sunset's afterglow. He didn't look at the corpses scattered on the ground or at Huo Chengjun, who was lying on the ground having suffered a fate worse than death: being deposed, demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the cold palace. Instead, he descended the execution platform in the deathly silence, sword in hand, and mounted a pure black warhorse. "Pingjun," he said, "I've come to take you home."
In the cold wind, the bloodstains at the Meridian Gate congealed to a dark purple, but the purge ordered by Liu Bingyi did not end with the executioner's sheath. For three years, the Huo family had infiltrated every county government and military camp in the Han Empire. The beheading at the Meridian Gate was merely 'severing their head', while the following three days and nights were an operation to thoroughly 'dig up their roots'.
'Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth — the five divisions of the Dark Guard have all been mobilised.' Liu Bingyi sat in the Xuan Shi Hall, tracing patterns on the table with his fingertips. On the table lay a massive map of the Han Dynasty. At that moment, thousands of red dots on the map gradually extinguished.
[System 3.0: Mission Progress: Purge the Remnants — Real-time monitoring…
Mission Progress: 92%
Purge Report: Last night, the Dark Guard physically stripped away 42 Huo faction captains in the Imperial Guard of the Capital Region in a dream.
Fifteen of the local, powerful families responded, but they were surrounded and killed by the Imperial Guards and local troops. The Huo family's illicit gains of 380 million coins and 1.2 million mu of hidden farmland have been confiscated by the national treasury.
In the most remote corner of Weiyang Palace, deep in Yongxiang Alley, Huo Chengjun slumped onto the cold blue bricks. Her magnificent imperial robes had been stripped away and replaced with a plain linen dress. She stared blankly at the snow swirling outside the window in the wind. Her former glory had vanished like smoke. Only the heavy thud of something falling to the ground at the Meridian Gate echoed in her ears. 'Your Majesty...' she murmured.
Liu Bingyi entered the room with his hands behind his back and without any guards. His white hair gleamed eerily under the dim palace lamps. 'You're still alive.' He looked at Huo Chengjun, his tone devoid of hatred and instead conveying the indifference of a superior looking down on something insignificant. 'Are you keeping me alive to torment me?' Huo Chengjun raised her head desolately.
'No, I'm keeping you alive so you can watch.' Liu Bingyi walked up to her. His voice was low and deep. 'Watch me,' he said. 'Watch me plant an unshakeable foundation on this land that the Huo family has ravaged for twenty years. You must live until the day when all the Han Dynasty's nations pay tribute and repent to Heaven for the Huo family's greed.'
[System notification: Deposed Empress Huo Chengjun has completely lost her 'Heavenly Mandate'.'
[Wise Ruler System: Collected causal correction energy; National Fortune Value has significantly increased.' Winter of the fifth year of Emperor Xuan's reign — this was an extremely significant day in the history of the Han dynasty. In the court, the Grand General's chair had been removed and all officials, from veteran ministers to newly recruited scholars from humble backgrounds, knelt on the steps.
Liu Bingyi slowly ascended the dragon throne. He wore no heavy armour or disguise; bathed in the morning light, his full head of white hair exuded a sacred and inviolable majesty.
"I have concealed my abilities for three years; now I will unveil them." Liu Bingyi's voice echoed through the hall, carrying an aura that stirred the soul. 'From this day forward, within the Great Han Dynasty, the term "Regent" will no longer exist. Decrees will originate from Weiyang Palace and laws will be enforced throughout the land. Those who violate them will suffer the same fate as the Huo family!'
'Long live the Emperor!' Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!' The shouts were unified and filled with an unprecedented sense of reverence. The moment Liu Bingyi sat back on the dragon throne, a violent explosion occurred deep within his consciousness.
[Ding! Epic Quest: The Fall of the Powerful Minister Completed.
System 4.0 completed integration. Mythical Han Dynasty expansion pack unlocked.
Host Permissions: Gain 100% Imperial Control
Special Unlock: Spiritual Vein Revival — The host can use luck to bury a 'Spirit Gathering Array' within the Han Dynasty to increase crop yields and soldier combat power.
[Tracing the Ancient Sword]: Xu Pingjun's remnant soul has materialised to 60% and will be resurrected in the extremely yin land of Duling. Liu Bingyi felt the surging power within him; his heart, withered by the tragedy of three years ago, pounded wildly at the prospect of resurrection. The purge was over, but this was merely the beginning of another insane plan. 'Chang Hui, prepare the horses.' Liu Bingyi rose, the red glint in his eyes fading slightly to be replaced by an intense, resolute devotion and desperate resolve. 'I'm going to Duling to tell those old ministers that my first act after assuming power won't be to offer sacrifices to Heaven, but to bring my empress back from the cold earth.' He walked out of the hall, sunlight streaming down his face. After three years of acting and lying low, he had ruthlessly slaughtered the powerful ministers; his purpose had never been this cold dragon throne. 'Pingjun, I've brought the entire fortune of the world to redeem you.'
Before heading to Mount Tai, Liu Bingyi returned to Duling on his own. The autumn rain in Chang'an fell incessantly, pattering against his dark umbrella with a dull thud. He had brought no shadow guards or attendants with him, only a jug of the cheapest, strongest liquor. He sat before Xu Pingjun's tomb.
'Pingjun, I've torn down the Golden Sparrow Terrace.'
His white hair reached his waist, and his once sharp double pupils were now somewhat cloudy.
Three years of acting, three years of slaughter — he had wiped out the Huo family and crushed the powerful ministers.
Yet the empty Weiyang Palace chilled him to the bone.
[System 4.0 monitoring: Host's emotions are fluctuating drastically; it is recommended to activate 'Heartless' mode.'
'Get out,' Liu Bingyi coldly uttered, spilling the liquor onto the ground. For three years, he had never been more acutely aware that, while he had reclaimed the throne, he had lost the girl who would mend his clothes and cook him a bowl of coarse rice porridge. Every ounce of authority he now possessed had been bought with Xu Pingjun's life. In the early spring of the sixth year of Emperor Xuan's reign, the morning sun pierced the sea of clouds at Mount Tai, its golden rays striking the peaks like sharp swords. Liu Bingyi abandoned his palanquin and ascended the 9,999 steps to the summit, wearing a black robe with gold patterns. Following behind him were the youngest generation of Han Dynasty generals — the Imperial Guards who had crawled out of pools of blood with him. The old ministers, once obsequious and harbouring their own schemes, now felt an overwhelming pressure beneath the white-haired emperor's gaze. At the summit of Mount Tai, the altar was complete. Liu Bingyi stood in the wind, his robes fluttering in the gale as he looked down upon the vast land below. This land, once ravaged by the powerful Huo clan ministers, had been revitalised with savage and tenacious vigour following the purge.
He threw the jade tablet inscribed with his achievements onto the altar's furnace and announced, "I, Liu Xun, have fulfilled Emperor Wu's wishes, quelled the chaos caused by powerful ministers and silenced the clamour of the barbarians." Though his voice was not loud, it resonated like thunder under the power of System 4.0, echoing throughout the entire Han Dynasty. People in all counties, soldiers guarding the borders and allied vassal states all heard this imperial voice transcending time and space.
[Ding! [Detected: the host has completed the 'Mount Tai Sacrifice to Heaven'. The Han Dynasty's territorial fortune has come full circle.] In his mind's eye, the usually cold system voice suddenly became grand and solemn. It was no longer a mechanical prompt, but rather a coronation of law.
[Main Quest: Reclaim Imperial Power, officially completed.]
[Task Evaluation: Perfect (Level: Destined by Heaven), Judgement Basis:
1. Completely eradicating the Huo Clan and reclaiming military, financial and personnel power.
2. Establish absolute imperial authority and reshape the bureaucratic system.
3. The host's fate is deeply bound to that of the Han Dynasty.
As the system's voice ended, auspicious seven-coloured clouds suddenly appeared in the previously clear sky.
[Reward Distribution: Blessing of the Strong Han Dynasty's Fate]
At that moment, the soldiers guarding the foot of the mountain noticed that their long spears were faintly glowing purple and their fatigue had disappeared instantly. In the border desert, the previously dry riverbeds were suddenly filled with water, and in the granaries of Chang'an, the previously shriveled grains emitted a rich aroma of new rice.
This was not a miracle, but rather the result of the system transforming all the ministerial destinies and aristocratic foundations accumulated over the past three years into a means of giving back to this land, once Liu Bingyi had seized power completely. 'Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Han Dynasty!'
A deafening roar of cheers echoed through the sky at the foot of Mount Tai. This was no longer forced flattery born of fear of the Huo family's tyranny; it was a heartfelt and complete submission to the white-haired emperor.
Liu Bingyi slowly turned around and gazed at the boundless sea of clouds. The murderous intent in his eyes had dissipated, replaced by an intense depth.
[System 4.0 notification: Main quest rewards settled. The system has detected that the host's mental state has reached the 'Sage Ruler' threshold. System functions will now be relegated to auxiliary tools. From this day forward, you will truly rule the empire alone.'
'Alone...' Liu Bingyi looked down at his calloused palms. He had become Emperor Xuan of Han in all but name, with power, fame and destiny beyond compare, yet the one person he wanted to share it with was forever left in the cold rain of Duling.
He stroked a strand of white hair at his temple and revealed a smile that was both ironic and authoritative.