Volume One, Chapter One: At the Beginning, Poisoned Wine Was Bestowed—Lu Yunduan Rises in Rebellion

The Great Li Dynasty

Within a grand residence, beside a pavilion at the heart of a lake.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—"

"It has now been determined that the Marquis of Western Province, Lu Yunduan, is guilty of monstrous crimes."

"First, he is accused of plotting rebellion."

"Second, he is charged with attempting regicide."

"Third, he stands accused of defiling the princess and corrupting the harem."

"For these heinous offenses, he is granted a cup of poisoned wine; all males in his household are to be sold, the women sent to the Bureau of Entertainment, and the livestock and poultry to the market..."

"Lu Yunduan, receive the decree and express your gratitude."

A sharp, shrill voice rang out.

Behind the eunuch who read the imperial edict stood imperial guards, brimming with murderous intent.

"Ludicrous. I entered the capital this time with barely a hundred men. How could I possibly plot rebellion, attempt regicide, or violate a princess?"

Lu Yunduan, dressed in black, his hair disheveled and a fine scar etched between his brows, knelt before them.

Ridiculous. Utterly laughable.

Plotting rebellion?

Violating a princess?

What a farce.

He had once been a modern man on Earth, who, obsessed with his experiments, collapsed and died, only to awaken in the Great Li Dynasty as the son of the Marquis of Western Province. Though he had no magical system, he had lived comfortably and was content.

His entire Lu clan had devoted themselves to the dynasty, every member falling on the battlefield in service. Were it not for his father, Lu Zhantian, the Marquis of Western Province, there would be no peace and prosperity in the Great Li Dynasty.

In the sixth year of Great Li, the Northern Di invaded on a grand scale, threatening the borders. Had Lu Zhantian not led three hundred thousand Western troops in a desperate stand, inflicting a crushing defeat on the enemy, the Northern Di would not have retreated hundreds of miles.

Yet Lu Yunduan's father, ever at the vanguard, fought fiercely, but was beset by the ten greatest warriors of the Northern Di. His old wounds untended, new injuries mounting, he died soon after the battle’s end.

By the laws of Great Li, the marquisate was hereditary. As the eldest son, Lu Yunduan naturally journeyed to the capital to receive his title.

He never expected that upon arrival, he would be imprisoned, and now, accused of fabricated crimes and sentenced to death.

"Lu Yunduan, do you intend to defy the imperial edict?" sneered the eunuch, his gaze filled with scorn.

"May I ask, Lord Eunuch, for such grave charges as plotting rebellion and violating a princess, where is the evidence? No witnesses, no proof—how can you claim I am guilty?"

Lu Yunduan’s eyes were bloodshot, the whites nearly turned to red.

The eunuch dismissed him with a cold reply, "Lu Yunduan, you must understand: all under heaven belong to the emperor, all subjects are his servants. If the sovereign decrees your death, you must die—what need is there for so many questions?"

At those words, Lu Yunduan understood—completely.

That mongrel emperor, fearful of his father's towering achievements, now seized the opportunity to eradicate the entire Lu clan.

Indeed, every dynasty was the same.

It mattered not if he had committed these crimes; what mattered was whether he would live or die!

Lu Yunduan laughed, a harsh, cold sound.

The heartlessness of emperors—their resolve to eradicate even the roots—was on full display.

"Lu Yunduan, the decree has been read. Further words are useless. Out of respect for your father’s military merit, His Majesty grants you a cup of poisoned wine, that your body may remain whole. Why do you not give thanks?"

The old eunuch’s voice was shrill and disdainful.

"Ha… To kill me and demand my gratitude—what a supreme jest."

Lu Yunduan scoffed, eyes full of contempt. No longer kneeling, he rose to face the eunuch directly.

"Lu Yunduan, how dare you! Do you intend to defy the decree?"

"Indeed—I do. Come, kill me if you dare!"

Lu Yunduan glared fiercely, anger ablaze in his gaze, without a trace of fear.

"You all heard it—Lu Yunduan is openly rebelling! Seize him!"

The imperial guards surged forward, blades and swords flashing, metal clashing.

Lu Yunduan was unarmed, powerless to resist. In moments, the guards had subdued him, blades pressed against his neck.

The old eunuch approached and viciously kicked him.

"Lu Yunduan, you are but a dead man now, and yet you dare bark at me?"

Lu Yunduan spat in his face and cursed loudly.

"Ha! You’re nothing but the emperor’s dog, a mere eunuch. In my eyes, you’re not even fit to be called a dog."

The old eunuch, enraged, grabbed a guard’s sword and pointed it at Lu Yunduan.

"If you so wish to die, I will grant your wish—I shall kill you myself!"

Lu Yunduan was consumed by disappointment with this treacherous world.

He closed his eyes, awaiting death in silence.

He seethed at the thought that his father’s lifetime of honor, all his blood and glory, would be reduced to ashes by these baseless charges.

Worse, in times to come, the people would remember not Lu Zhantian the loyal general who repelled the Northern Di and saved the dynasty, but a traitor and a villain who plotted rebellion and defiled the princess.

Since time immemorial, slander and rumor have always spread further than tales of valor—the victors write the chronicles.

That wretched emperor—truly inhuman—would not only destroy the body, but also the reputation of the Lu clan for generations to come.

He was unwilling, helpless, furious; all these emotions surged within Lu Yunduan, and he roared in defiance.

"You treacherous, despicable scoundrels! When I die, even if I descend into the deepest hell, I will see to it you all perish miserably, your corpses left unburied!"

"Laughable—!"

At the moment the old eunuch was about to strike him down, a voice resounded in Lu Yunduan’s mind.

"Host’s emotional state detected: complex and intense, all values at peak. Emotion Augmentation System activated."

[Emotion Augmentation System: As the host influences the emotions of others, emotional points are gained. These can be spent on any desired item.]

[Emotions include joy, anger, sorrow, delight...]

"System, my cheat—I’ve waited a long time for you."

[Would the host like to claim the novice gift pack?]

"Claim… it."

[Host may randomly obtain a martial general as a guardian spirit, and may summon his troops.]

[Randomly selecting general…]

[Selection complete: Gan Ning, one of the Twelve Tiger Generals of Eastern Wu.]

[Bonus: host receives the Heaven-Piercer Halberd as the general’s spirit weapon.]

[Note: Guardian spirits may exist in the real world, up to five at once; as more spirit weapons are acquired, so too will the number of guardian spirits increase.]

Hearing that long-awaited chime, Lu Yunduan almost leapt with excitement.

A guardian spirit…

Was this not like those in the Street of Spirits, where only certain people could wield such power?

Did this not make him a martial god, even more formidable than Cao Yanbing?

Heaven itself would not let him die. Now that he had a system, he would not perish in humiliation—he was the son of the Marquis of Western Province and would not die for crimes he did not commit.

Since the emperor was so heartless and ungrateful, he would go all out and rebel.

Let the emperor forever live in suspicion, fearing betrayal at every turn.

If rebellion was what he feared, then he would show him true rebellion.

"Cursed emperor! Today, I—Lu Yunduan—rebel!"

"Lu Yunduan, so you really are rebelling!"

[+10 Rage Points]

"Gan Ning, where are you? Where is the Hundred Rider Battalion? Come forth—now!"