210: We will win!

The next day.

"Distinguished guests, let us once again praise the great Emperor Taizong, Your Majesty..."

Zhou Yan rested his head on his hand, leaning back on the chair.

Although the posture was somewhat undignified, the people below the stage could not see it. All they could see was the figure seated high upon the Dragon throne, radiating majesty tempered with slight benevolence.

Looking at the noisy crowd below the stage, Zhou Yan still felt a bit bored.

In the past two days, he and Loyal and Virtuous cooperated seamlessly, hitting their stride by specifically targeting minor areas. the three big shots and their followers have now all lost at least several months' worth of salary.

Although this loss was negligible for a Cultivator, it still caused widespread dissatisfaction, which, in turn, slightly reduced Zhou Yan's national destiny.

However, Zhou Yan felt that the Little Emperor wouldn't mind.

That's right, all the national destiny generated during this period had already been transferred by Zhou Yan onto himself. The fate only generates it, it doesn't collect it. Therefore, the debt would ultimately be paid by the Little Emperor.

Having nothing else to do, Zhou Yan opened his panel to examine himself.

After changing into his new equipment, a "Heart Demon Value" suddenly appeared.

In the original game, this value accumulated when a player idled for too long while leveling, and was judged to be using a script.

Once maxed out, their combat power would skyrocket, and they would indiscriminately attack nearby NPCs and players until the Heart Demon Value returned to zero or the player died prematurely.

In the game, this was purely a negative status, but now, it was hard to say. If used properly, it might yield miraculous results.

Wasn't this the necessary Power-up for a protagonist?

Zhou Yan thought. Although the progress bar for the Heart Demon Value was open, it was currently only at 10% and hadn't increased since. He also didn't know if the Heart Demon bonus attached to the Sword Heart was taking effect.

Unable to figure it out, Zhou Yan turned his attention back to the competition below the stage.

Watching the battles all day yesterday was not without gain; at the very least, he learned how to compress his vision and enhance his analytical capabilities, allowing him to watch with greater enjoyment.

Just then, he glimpsed a somewhat familiar figure.

"This person looks familiar," Zhou Yan said casually.

Zhang Feng quickly responded.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this is the young man you previously selected in the betting game. His name is Zhao Gushaozi."

"Pfft—"

Zhou Yan had just taken a sip of tea before Zhang Feng spoke, and upon hearing the name, he immediately spat it out, splashing Loyal and Virtuous, who was standing nearby, turning him instantly into a drowned black chicken.

"What the heck kind of name is that?"

Zhou Yan ignored Loyal and Virtuous and turned to ask Zhang Feng.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Zhao Gushaozi is from the Eastern Domain. Names from the Eastern Domain are always strange.

"Although this person is an outsider, his strength is quite extraordinary, and his talent is good. He has cleared every obstacle and won battle after battle, which perfectly demonstrates Your Majesty's keen judgment in recognizing talent."

As if to confirm Zhang Feng's words, the announcement of that person's victory soon came from below the stage.

The referee did not call out his full name, but his registered name, Zhao Da.

But upon closer inspection, the unremarkable name Zhao Da was indeed much more pleasant to the ear than Zhao Gushaozi.

"You seem to know quite a lot about him," Zhou Yan replied casually, then stopped paying attention to Zhang Feng.

Zhang Feng still replied respectfully.

"This is what I, your subject, ought to do for Your Majesty."

This was precisely what gave Zhou Yan a headache. He had suppressed the three of them so much, yet they not only remained calm but also maintained their usual respect, and it was certainly not a pretense. This kind of Heart-Nature was truly terrifying; otherwise, he wouldn't have had to start weakening them from the edges.

Below the stage, after the referee announced the winner, the loser and the winner should have retired, and the next match should have immediately begun.

However, at this moment, something unexpected occurred on the field.

"I report, this match was fixed!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent.

Immediately afterward, murmurs and discussions erupted.

"Fixed? Is that true?"

"Emperor Wen has already been revived, and someone still dares to rig matches right under his nose?"

"Hmph, who knows? What difference is there between these big shots from ancient times until now? A high historical evaluation doesn't necessarily mean they were good people."

"Say that again, I dare you!"

"Oh, getting defensive already? Starting to protect your master?"

"What benefits did Great Yu give you? Think about why the neighboring Great Qian sometimes fares better—isn't that obvious?"

"Taste it, savor it."

"Stop savoring it. Come with us. I suspect you are a spy."

While everyone was discussing, a hand suddenly clamped down on the wrist of the person talking the loudest, and a set of portable handcuffs immediately bound him securely.

The person next to him looked amused, casually pulled out a set of Spirit Talismans, and seemed to be communicating with someone.

"Captain, let me tell you something interesting. I'm on vacation watching the match today, and I just earned a Third-class Merit for free. Isn't that crazy?"

Crowds are always blindly obedient. Once someone takes the lead, the discussions become endless. Seeing the situation escalate, the Official of the Ministry of Rites finally took action.

A powerful oppressive aura descended. Cultivators at Foundation Establishment and below were suppressed, and only those at Core Formation and above could barely withstand it.

"Regardless of your intentions, this action is slander against Great Yu. If you have an issue, you should report it privately. By causing such a disturbance on stage, what crime are you guilty of!"

Zhao Da let out a cold laugh.

"Heh heh, what crime am I guilty of? All I want is fairness."

"As for the slander you mentioned, I have evidence right here. Do you want to see it? I have plenty of backups."

An incident of this nature was beyond the authority of an Official of the Ministry of Rites to decide. After quickly reviewing the content, his expression turned grave, and he immediately presented it to Zhou Yan.

Zhao Da stood upon the fighting platform. Although he was physically in a lower position, he seemed to look down upon everyone, utterly defiant.

Fortunately, there were many venues. While the match here was paused, the other venues could continue, not affecting the schedule.

Soon, the so-called "evidence" was passed to Zhou Yan. After reading the content, Zhou Yan's expression was strange, and he turned his gaze toward Zhang Feng.

"Beloved Minister, do you have anything you want to explain?"

Seeing Zhou Yan's half-smile, Zhang Feng took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

"All guilt rests solely upon me, your subject! It has nothing to do with Duke Zhenguo or Prince Kang!"

"Oh? This involves the two of you as well?" Zhou Yan looked at the two bewildered "collateral damage" bystanders next to him, thinking to himself.

He truly hadn't expected such an unexpected gain. What he hadn't been able to achieve before now had a chance to be realized.

However, Duke Zhenguo and Prince Kang were not feeling so cheerful.

Brother Zhang, why go this far!

We don't know what evidence the opponent holds, and while it's fine that you surrendered immediately, you actually dragged the two of us down with you! Although we did have similar intentions, is it really appropriate for you to surrender so cleanly!

Zhou Yan did not immediately pursue their guilt. To maintain the stability of the grand competition, he summoned the Official of the Ministry of Rites, ordering him to go down and mediate, find out what compensation the opponent sought, and arrange for refutation of the rumors and subsequent handling.

Although Zhou Yan spoke clearly and logically, to the Official of the Ministry of Rites, it sounded like the demands of the evil Client A: vague and ambiguous.

But as a Working Stiff, he had no choice but to send someone down to negotiate with Zhao Da.

Zhao Da, who had now stepped off the fighting platform, had achieved his goal and was returning to the backstage area, filled with joy.

The Short Cultivator hurriedly followed him.

"Brother Zhao, was the plan successful?"

"What did you ask for?"

Zhao Da was clearly in a good mood, and he deliberately slowed his steps to accommodate the short man.

"I didn't ask for anything else, just a decisive battle with Zhou Yan this afternoon."

Although the short man had guessed the answer, he still couldn't help but ask:

"Brother Zhao, who is stronger, you or Zhou Yan?"

"I am invincible within the same Realm, but he is one major Realm higher than me, so it will be a bit tricky."

Zhao Da's tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Will you lose?" The Short Cultivator sounded anxious upon hearing this.

Zhao Da suddenly stopped. This time, his stride wasn't large, so the short man didn't bump into him again.

Looking up, he saw Zhao Da turn around. Although a mask obscured his face, his confidence practically overflowed.

He said lightly.

"We will win."