The slow clapping echoed down the blood-soaked marble hallway. The rhythm was highly constant, full of calculation, and didn't convey the slightest panic, even though five corpses of elite Wei soldiers lay scattered in gruesome conditions on the marble floor. From the dark end of the hallway, a figure stepped forward through the dim torchlight. Guo Jia, Cao Mengde's chief advisor, walked with a highly elegant posture. His dark blue robe fluttered softly. His pale hand held a crane feather fan, waving it with casual movements, as if he were enjoying the spring air in a flower garden. However, what made the air in the hallway terrifying again was not the pale scholar. Right behind Guo Jia walked a giant whose broad shoulders nearly covered the entire width of the palace hallway. Xu Chu. The steel-muscled man strode with heavy, roaring breaths. His iron armor clanked with every movement. In his right hand, Xu Chu dragged a

The soft click of the teak door hinges completely sealed off access to the outside world. The silver dragon knight had stood outside, locking the room from any form of physical threat. However, inside the private chambers of the highest ruler of the Chinese mainland, the silence that fell felt far more suffocating than the killing aura in the palace hallway. The scent of agarwood incense burned in the corners of the room wafted thickly, trying to mask the metallic smell of blood carried on Liu Bei's clothes. The light from dozens of beeswax candles reflected off the walls covered in gold silk with dragon motifs. This room was the peak of luxury of the Han Dynasty. An earthly paradise. But for its occupant, it was the coldest hell. Liu Bei stood silently. His eyes looked at the teenage boy standing trembling just a few steps in front of him. Emperor Xian, the Son of Heaven whose fate determined the lives of millions, look

The leftover snow from last night began to melt as the morning sun pierced through the gray clouds over the capital city of Xuchang. The cold air still bit to the bone, but the atmosphere in the courtyard of the East Orchid Pavilion felt like an iron smelting furnace ready to explode. Guo Jia stepped through the pavilion gates with light, elegant strides. His crane feather fan was neatly folded in his left hand. The faint smile that always clung to the scholar's pale face never faded. Behind him, the figure of a bald giant in heavily creaking armor followed. Xu Chu walked with a deadly, empty stare, his right hand resting casually on the hilt of the greatsword strapped to his back. The arrival of Cao Cao's two envoys was immediately greeted by a very thick aura of hostility from the pavilion's occupants. In the middle of the cobblestone courtyard, Zhang Fei stood with his chest puffed out. The pitch-black giant didn't ev

Inside the East Orchid Pavilion, Jo Fan sat frozen in his wheelchair. The heat from the system's patch stuck to his lower back seemed non-existent. The white-haired young man's eyes did not blink as he stared at the neon blue screen floating in the empty air. The green electrocardiogram graph monitoring Liu Bei's heart rate was moving in an unnatural rhythm. The numbers crept up slowly but surely. Ninety. One hundred. One hundred and ten beats per minute. "Hold your ego, Boss," Jo Fan whispered. Cold sweat the size of corn kernels dripped from his temples. His right index finger hovered just two millimeters above the virtual button labeled 'Buy Spatial Transfer Scroll'. "Pretend to be an idiot. If this graph goes up to one hundred and forty, I will instantly press this damned button and sacrifice ten years of my life." Meanwhile, deep in the inner palace area, the spring drizzle fell, wetting the wooden roof of the Plum

Cao Mengde's laughter echoed inside the Plum Pavilion, drowning out the remaining rumbling of thunder that had just split the Xuchang sky. "You read too many useless ancient texts, Xuande," Cao Cao said casually. The Tyrant lifted the bronze pot from the charcoal stove, then poured the still-boiling wine into Liu Bei's cup. The hot steam carrying the sharp aroma of fermented rice billowed into the air again. "A hero does not bow to the wrath of heaven. A hero conquers heaven itself. Drink your wine." Liu Bei hurriedly raised his cup with both hands, deliberately making them tremble violently. "Thank you for your generosity, Prime Minister. I truly do not deserve to sit before you." Seeing such a convincing cowardly reaction, the vigilance that had been gripping Cao Cao's mind slowly faded. The tyrant leaned back in his teak chair, releasing the intimidating gaze he had previously used to flay Liu Bei's soul. The air in t