FRGNM -Chapter 224 Tens of Thousands of Magical Beasts

Tens of thousands of magical beasts—what kind of concept was that?!

And when facing these frenzied magical beasts, the only option was to resist them head-on with flesh and blood. Magical beasts already possessed defensive abilities far superior to humans, and their offensive power was even more ferocious. A single magical beast could easily slaughter ten qi cultivators.

“Even though we have General Qian, General Hu, and the command authority of fifteen generals, when all our forces are added together, we only have about eight hundred thousand troops. There’s still hope of victory against an army of a million. But…” Nangong Mo frowned deeply. “Their troops are stationed along the borders. Bringing them back would be impossible to do openly, let alone garrison them inside the imperial city. With only a hundred thousand soldiers within the city, how can we crush Lieyun’s army and then coordinate with the external forces to encircle them?”

He racked his brains over the deployment of troops. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t see a way to deal with those forces. Besides, the imperial city was heavily guarded—bringing in over a hundred thousand soldiers would definitely attract attention.

“Oh?” A faint glimmer flashed in Ling Ruoxi’s eyes. Propping her chin with one hand, she smiled coolly. “Nangong Mo, have you forgotten? In half a month, it will be the Supreme Emperor’s birthday.”

“I know, but so what? Time is even tighter now. We—” Nangong Mo shook his head helplessly and sighed.

But Qian Yi’s eyes lit up. She pressed a hand on Nangong Mo’s shoulder and said in a deep voice, “Don’t rush. Listen to Ruoxi first. Ruoxi, I know you’ve got plenty of ideas. Go on.”

“It’s simple,” Ling Ruoxi said, curling her lips upward. “For the Supreme Emperor’s birthday, many people will be coming from outside. If troops can’t enter the city openly as an army, why not change the method?”

She continued, “Since soldiers won’t work, we disguise them as merchant caravans, common civilians, or travelers. The imperial city has four gates—east, west, south, and north. The south gate is sealed off due to the southern unrest, so we split the forces and bring them in through the east, west, and north gates. Let ten thousand enter per day—shouldn’t that be feasible?”

“That could work!” Nangong Mo’s eyes brightened as he nodded repeatedly. This plan was viable, at least allowing them to slip in unnoticed. But calculating it now, there were only about twenty days left. Twenty days—even including the troops already inside the city, that would only amount to three hundred thousand. How could that withstand the enemy?

“I told you—you’re too anxious,” Qian Yi said, gripping Nangong Mo’s hand firmly. “Those infiltrated troops won’t be eating for free. I’ll tell my father about this plan and have him help shelter them. The Qian residence has secret chambers—those troops can build traps and hidden weapons underground. This war can’t be fought openly.”

“Exactly,” Ling Ruoxi agreed with a faint smile. “We’re the passive side. They’re strong in numbers and troops, so we have to rely on strategy, not brute force. Tomorrow, Mingyu and I will survey the imperial city’s terrain. In a few days, I’ll draw up trap schematics for you. Set everything up according to the plans—and remember, don’t let that old fox find out.”

She hadn’t forgotten her modern knowledge. Competing with her in traps, escape tactics, or clever tricks? People here would suffer badly. Back when she was internationally wanted, even with countless modern surveillance methods hunting her down, she had still slipped away from the international alliance without a trace and returned to her country. Naturally, she had ways to turn the imperial city itself into a battlefield.

“No time to waste. I need to go home and explain everything to my father,” Qian Yi said solemnly as she stood up. Looking at Nangong Mo, she raised an eyebrow. “Surely the dignified Crown Prince won’t be brought down by this little storm, hm?”

“You—you—you! Would it kill you to keep quiet for once?!” Still deep in thought, Nangong Mo was shoved by Qian Yi and nearly fell to the ground. Watching the woman strut out arrogantly, his face turned ashen.

What a pair of enemies.

Rubbing her temples helplessly, Ling Ruoxi laughed lightly and clapped her hands. “Alright, Xiao Bai, everything’s settled. Here—take this.”

With a flick of her wrist, a red pill appeared in her palm. Pinching her nose, Ling Ruoxi smiled. “I just developed this recently. It’ll help your injuries. Eat it and go rest.”

“I love you to death, Ruoxi—thank you!” Silver Wolf’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill, then happily planted a kiss on Ling Ruoxi. Before Luo Mingyu could explode in rage, he transformed into a streak of white light and entered Ling Ruoxi’s beast space.

“Don’t let that brat take advantage of you again next time,” Luo Mingyu said irritably, wiping Ling Ruoxi’s cheek. “Otherwise, I’ll slaughter him the moment I see him.”

Ling Ruoxi chuckled and looked up at him. “I just don’t know what will happen in half a month. Mingyu, you’ll stay by my side, right?”

“Yes.” Luo Mingyu smiled indulgently, gently stroking her head and pulling her into his arms.

The sky was gloomy, heavy clouds pressing down as if they might fall at any moment. People hurried through the streets, while cart after cart of gifts rolled toward the imperial city under the envious gazes of the citizens.

Even the gate guards were astonished—this year, the number of people attending the Supreme Emperor’s birthday celebration was five times greater than usual. The gifts alone were enough to cover several years of Duanyun Kingdom’s expenses.

The hidden crisis had yet to erupt, but the imperial city was already draped in festive splendor. Red silk decorations hung everywhere, welcoming the Supreme Emperor’s birthday.

People donned new clothes and shoes, wearing fine ornaments. Even if they couldn’t see the Supreme Emperor in person, they still wanted to present their most beautiful selves.

Drums beat endlessly as dragon and lion dance troupes advanced. From the palace gates to the grand hall, red carpets had already been laid to welcome guests from all directions.

Security inside the imperial city had doubled as well. Guards remained on constant alert, ensuring the safety of foreign princes and nobles—no mishaps were allowed.

Outside, crowds drank, cheered, and danced in celebration.

Inside the palace, civil and military officials were already seated, exchanging polite greetings with clasped hands. At the seat of honor sat Murong Hua. His complexion was no longer as healthy as before, a lifeless pallor covering his face as he sat silently. The highest throne above him, carved with nine dragons, radiated ostentatious authority—the symbol of supreme power.

“Hey, who are those two sitting beside the Crown Prince? I’ve never seen them before.”

“Exactly. Are those youngsters even qualified to sit there?”

“Quick, make them step down—uh… but since His Highness hasn’t objected, maybe we shouldn’t meddle.”

Whispers rippled through the hall as countless gazes turned toward the two seated figures. The man was extraordinarily handsome, while the woman was fresh and refined, dressed simply in red without lavish adornments—yet together they exuded a captivating charm.

“The Supreme Emperor has arrived!” The eunuch’s shrill cry rang out as he flicked his whisk aside, clearing the way.

Maidservants carrying lanterns moved aside. At the center, a man in green robes emerged, white hair tied back, walking with light steps.

Everyone stood at once and bowed. “Long live the Supreme Emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”

“Rise. Within the palace, there’s no need for such formality,” the Supreme Emperor said calmly as he took his seat. Glancing at the two beside him, he smiled faintly.

“You’re probably wondering who those two are,” Murong Ming said with a grin. “They are the Saintess of Qiongyu Immortal Island and her prospective son-in-law.”

He deliberately emphasized the word “prospective.”

Luo Mingyu rolled his eyes. Did this old man have to needle him like that? He already had children—how was he still just a prospective son-in-law?

“Hahaha, let the banquet begin,” Murong Ming waved his sleeve, clearly in high spirits. His gaze fell on Murong Hua as he raised an eyebrow slightly. “Hua’er, is something troubling you?”

“Nothing, Father,” Murong Hua replied with clasped hands—though his expression betrayed him.

Murong Ming raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly as he addressed the officials. “I no longer involve myself in state affairs. You handle court matters, and I trust you to assist Hua’er properly. If anything seems amiss, speak freely—I’ll decide for you.”

Silence fell over the hall. No one dared to speak. Murong Hua’s actions were plain to see, but… the Supreme Emperor before them was celebrating his centennial birthday—by calculation, he was already over a thousand years old. After this appearance, he would enter seclusion for another hundred years.

Would it still be the Murong family’s world after that century? No one could say. For now, they had to help Murong Hua conceal his crimes, gain his trust, and hasten the Supreme Emperor’s retreat into seclusion. After all, more than half of these officials were already aligned with Lieyun.

Instead, Murong Ming lifted his hand and said calmly, “Hua’er, I have no other concerns. But as for the ministers below—if anyone is dissatisfied with me, feel free to speak.”

“Supreme Emperor,” Nangong Mo stood and clasped his hands, “His Majesty has been in poor health these past years and overworked himself. He’s already entrusted all memorials to his great-grandson.”

Murong Ming stroked his snowy beard, laughing softly. “As Emperor, not handling state affairs and dumping them on your grandson—Hua’er, you’ve grown quite capable. Poor health? From what I see, you’re indulging too much in the harem.”

“Supreme Emperor, that is not the case,” Lieyun quickly stood and bowed. “His Majesty governs benevolently, prioritizing the people and the realm. He merely sees the Crown Prince’s potential and thus entrusted him with state affairs to temper him. Please don’t wrong His Majesty.”

“Oh? I see,” Murong Ming smiled lightly. “Hua’er is indeed thoughtful. But matters of the realm—can they be decided so casually? Mo’er is virtuous, but his foundation in court is unstable. Surely some may refuse to obey him. In that case, Hua’er, how would you handle it?”

He spoke casually, as if joking. Yet those who listened felt a chill. The surrounding officials lowered their heads in silence—the words were clearly aimed at those harboring rebellious intentions.

Murong Hua smiled faintly. “Father, you’re overthinking it.”

“I’m just saying—if it were so, how would you deal with it?” Murong Ming asked with a gentle smile, as though deliberately testing him.

Murong Hua fell silent. Slowly raising his head, he looked at Murong Ming. “I would offer no explanation.”

“Very well! And this year—no song and dance?” Murong Ming laughed heartily and clapped his hands.

Only then did the eunuchs usher in the dancers. But the people seated there had long since lost the mood to enjoy the performance. Even the hands holding wine cups trembled.