The Master of Beasts

The large screen in the sky began to display an image.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, there is terrible news!" the old eunuch, holding a feather duster, exclaimed, his face filled with horror as he scurried into the Imperial Study Room.

The Empress, who was busy dealing with memorials, looked up unhappily. "Eunuch Jun, such behavior is unbefitting! Look at yourself!"

...

"Holy crap, the Sect Master has turned into a eunuch."

"Which fellow sect member is that Empress? That appearance... it's... it's simply captivating."

In the stands, Shu Yiming, the Peak Master of White Tiger Peak, burst into uncontrollable laughter. "HAHAHA, I never thought I'd see such a scene in my lifetime! This alone makes life worthwhile!"

"To tell the truth, the Sect Master becoming a regular companion to Huang Yi might even be a stroke of good luck. Ah, Huang Yi, you truly are worthy of being one of the top ten beauties in the Heavenly Realm," Second Elder Jiang Shengyuan remarked with a hint of envy. Back in the day, I too was one of Huang Yi's suitors. Just now, when the Sect Master held her hand and wouldn't let go, I almost couldn't stop myself from intervening.

"Stop laughing! We must record this fascinating event," Seventh Elder Luo Shuitian said calmly, an Imprint Stone hovering above him.

"Good point, good point!"

...

On the screen, it was revealed that a prince of the dynasty had rebelled and was on the verge of conquering the Northern Territory. If he wasn't stopped in time, the dynasty would be in peril!

Empress Huang Yi frowned deeply. "Order Our Great General to lead two hundred thousand iron cavalry to personally suppress the rebellion."

Eunuch Jun, bearing the Empress's imperial decree, arrived at the residence of the current Great General.

The Great General, Wudao Tian, glanced disdainfully at the old eunuch before him. "Are you saying the Prince of the Northern Territory has rebelled, and Her Majesty wants me to quash it?"

"Yes, Great General," Eunuch Jun replied, his face pale with panic.

Wudao Tian snatched the imperial decree and kicked the old eunuch. "Get lost! I despise seeing your kind the most. Tell Her Majesty that I, Wudao Tian, will personally twist that prince's head off!"

...

"Pfft, Senior Brother is doomed," Bai Yao, who hadn't managed to enter, chuckled.

Jun Sandao's expression turned grim. I just hope Father can endure this when he comes out.

...

The scene shifted to the rebel side.

The Prince of the Northern Territory, Jiang Taiyuan, addressed his commanders with fiery determination, "A mere slip of a girl dares to proclaim herself Empress! Generals, drain your cups! Let us storm the Imperial City and share in the riches and glory!"

Most of the soldiers below were Immortal Elders from the Myriad Beasts Sect, with only a few disciples mixed in.

In the rebel army's mess camp:

Chen Jiuge was cheerfully serving meals to the soldiers. Each heaping bowl of plain rice earned him their praise.

Only when the last soldier had happily departed with his dinner did Chen Jiuge rub his wrists. "I'm exhausted! Little Flower, give me a massage."

Little Flower, her head wrapped in a heavy turban, obediently began to massage Chen Jiuge.

Although Little Flower's face was mostly obscured by dust, the many Elders in the stands easily recognized her. This Little Flower was none other than Fifth Elder Yue Shanghua.

...

"Now Elder Yue has become a laughingstock again. That disciple must be the Great Elder's grand-disciple, right?" Fourth Elder Gong Qingru remarked, shaking his head with an amused smile.

"I doubt Elder Yue will mind. After all, she's been the subject of many jokes before," Second Elder Jiang Shengyuan said cheerfully.

...

While the Elders chatted, the images on the screen began to flash by rapidly, jumping directly to a major battle between the two armies.

Wudao Tian, as the Great General, personally engaged in duels, slaying several rebel generals one after another. He continually taunted, "Jiang Taiyuan, you whelp! Have you run out of men? What kind of riffraff are you sending out as generals?"

In the rebel main camp:

Jiang Taiyuan, consumed by rage, smashed his wine goblet on the ground and roared, "That brute Wudao Tian insults us too greatly! Ao Tian, go and behead him for me!"

The rebel general Ao Tian, arrogant and disdainful, brandished a large saber and sneered, "Warm the wine. I shall return shortly."

A quarter of an hour later:

Jin Xiao, playing the role of a common soldier, ran in with a devastated expression, announcing, "The Great General of the Green Dragon has been captured alive!"

"What?! Preposterous! In my vast army, is there truly no one who can subdue this brute?" Jiang Taiyuan's furious voice thundered through the command tent.

...

"Old Shu, isn't that a disciple from your White Tiger Peak? I recall he's on the verge of becoming a Core Disciple," Fu Shanhe, the Peak Master of Green Dragon Peak, mocked.

Shu Yiming's face darkened. He retorted, "I remember Li Yao went in too. We'll see if his status doesn't end up being even lower than my disciple's."

Shu Yiming inwardly seethed, Damn it, why is he just a common soldier? When you get out, you're dead meat! You're making me lose face in front of Old Ghost Fu!

...

As time passed, the number of generals in the command tent dwindled. Jiang Taiyuan grew increasingly restless. If that brute Wudao Tian continued his rampage, they wouldn't just lose morale; they'd run out of generals to lead the troops.

"Your subordinate believes there is one general who is up to the task!" someone suddenly spoke from below.

A dazzling figure appeared—it was Yue Yinghua.

"A woman? That'll do!" Jiang Taiyuan, grasping at straws in his desperation, declared. "As long as you can defeat Wudao Tian, you will be my First Great General! A woman, a man, it matters not—so long as you can win!"

The battle raged fiercely. Wudao Tian, who had been overwhelmed by Yue Yinghua outside, suffered a similar fate inside. He barely escaped with his life, only because his subordinate generals sacrificed themselves to save him.

And so, the war in the Northern Territory bogged down into a stalemate.

...

「Three years flew by in a flash.」

The Empress on the screen still sat in the Imperial Study Room, but compared to three years ago, her expression was even grimmer.

"Your Majesty." Eunuch Jun, his face etched with worry, entered holding a memorial.

"What is it now?" Empress Huang Yi asked, looking at Eunuch Jun, her head aching.

"Your Majesty, they are demanding the liberalization of the salt and iron monopolies, claiming the war in the Northern Territory is too costly."