Pursued by the Top Grade Saintess after Engagement Annulled-Chapter 288 - 286: Li Huo the Great Emperor Surrenders, Haggling Over Terms

Chapter 288: Chapter 286: Li Huo the Great Emperor Surrenders, Haggling Over Terms

Emperor Li Huo suddenly stood up from his chair, "What did you say?"

The orderly gasped for breath, looking flustered, "Your Majesty, the Great Xia soldiers somehow crossed the Endless Sea and are now appearing directly north of the Imperial Capital."

"Please, Your Majesty, mobilize the troops for a counterattack immediately!"

The orderly knelt on the ground, his body still trembling slightly.

While Emperor Li Huo hadn’t reacted yet, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat had already started giving orders.

"Quickly summon the generals to the palace, gather all Martial Sovereigns here!"

Emperor Li Huo, snapped back to reality by his words, quickly added, "Yes, summon all the Martial Sovereigns, have the soldiers begin forming ranks!"

He looked at the battle report on the table, his face full of rage.

This battle report had been sent earlier this morning from the Great Li Empire, and today it arrived here.

The spies must have been bribed!

Three months of silence, who knows if they had found a way to cross the Endless Sea three months ago!

He couldn’t figure out how the Great Xia soldiers managed to cross the Endless Sea, but it didn’t stop him from feeling worried and frightened.

The guard beside him asked quietly, "Your Majesty, should we pass this information to the Vermilion Bird Empire?"

Emperor Li Huo hesitated a bit, as quite a few of his troops had been transferred to the Vermilion Bird Empire.

And such a troop movement from Great Xia could not have escaped the notice of those great empires.

They must have deliberately concealed the information, so why should he pass the news to the Vermilion Bird Empire!

Xia Feng, unaware that the fragile three-nation alliance on the Southern Continent had already disintegrated, was still hovering in mid-air, watching the situation in the Li Huo Empire.

His gaze occasionally shifted further south, seemingly pondering something.

Gu Sha was genuinely gritting his teeth, determined to cleanse his previous disgrace in this war.

Thus, the offensive by the Great Xia Army was so fierce that the other side couldn’t respond in time.

Emperor Li Huo had just summoned the Martial Sovereigns into the palace, and the soldiers hadn’t even managed to assemble their ranks, while the surrounding soldiers hadn’t made it over yet.

The Great Xia soldiers had already begun attacking the city and tearing down the walls.

As they dismantled the walls, they shouted, "Surrender and be spared!"

Though they said surrender would spare you, generally their actions were swift, and nearby soldiers who didn’t kneel in time would be cut down with a blade.

However, they stuck to Xia Feng’s previous words and did not harm civilians, even when a few enraged civilians tried to attack them.

They mostly refrained from fighting back, merely fixing their gaze in the direction of the Li Huo Imperial Capital.

Gu Sha glanced at Chen Hongyu, puzzled, "What’s going on with them?"

"They don’t send out a Martial Sovereign to fight, nor do they come out to surrender."

Chen Hongyu rolled his eyes, "The Emperor’s Son led us all the way to their doorstep, do you think everyone can marshal their troops for battle as quickly as we can?"

"Usually, when we lead the troops, it takes one or two days to organize our ranks."

"Not to mention that the Li Huo Empire is now on the defensive, caught off guard, and I bet Emperor Li Huo hasn’t figured out what’s happening yet."

He wasn’t wrong; Emperor Li Huo was having a meltdown, lashing out in frustration.

It’s just that these ministers were too unreliable.

Most of them simply suggested surrendering and accepting fate, while a few supported going to battle. But when it came to deciding who should lead the troops, they fell silent.

After nearly half an hour of discussion, he felt like he was hallucinating the sound of the gates being breached, and yet they still hadn’t decided who would fight.

Soon he realized that the sound wasn’t a hallucination.

When Gu Sha broke through the gates of the Royal Palace, the halls were still in chaos, arguing over who should lead the troops into battle.

He and Emperor Li Huo exchanged glances from across the high platform, and it seemed as if Emperor Li Huo suddenly came to his senses.

"I surrender!"

Gu Sha’s hand was frozen mid-attack, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

He had been hoping that this overwhelming victory would erase his previous mistakes, but how could Emperor Li Huo surrender without even resisting?

Gu Sha grew more irate, his face taking on a troubled look.

Chen Hongyu was afraid he might capriciously refuse the surrender.

Thankfully, Gu Sha still prioritized the bigger picture, summoning an orderly to send a message to Xia Feng, then having the generals surround the entire hall.

A hint of anger flickered across Emperor Li Huo’s face, but he dared not truly resist.

Everyone knew they feared not these soldiers and generals in front of them, but Xia Feng, the demigod, behind them.

When Xia Feng received the message, he showed no signs of joy, instead furrowing his brow.

He truly didn’t like the first Emperor Li Huo, but since the man surrendered, it would be underhanded to kill him now.

For a moment, even Xia Feng felt caught in a dilemma.

After a brief hesitation, he flew towards the Li Huo Imperial Capital.

Inside the palace, the atmosphere was tense; Gu Sha’s face showed signs of frustration, while Emperor Li Huo’s was filled with a mix of grievance and fear.

Once inside, Xia Feng surveyed the expressions around him before standing in the center of the grand hall.

Emperor Li Huo wouldn’t dare stay seated on the high platform, and quickly hurried down to bow before Xia Feng several times.

"Greetings to the Emperor’s Son, greetings."

His expression could even be described as obsequious. Xia Feng considered for a moment, "Are you the first and current Emperor Li Huo?"

Emperor Li Huo nodded; he was the sole ruler of the Li Huo Empire, though whether that was because he cherished his position or had no heir remained unclear.

Xia Feng didn’t dwell on it, found a chair, and sat down, "Let’s talk about your decision to surrender."

Though the question seemed casual, everyone’s heart clenched with fear that one wrong word from Emperor Li Huo would doom them all.

Emperor Li Huo cautiously glanced at Xia Feng, "How about I send my wife and children to Great Xia as hostages, while I remain here as a steward?"

Xia Feng raised an eyebrow; this man sure had a knack for wishful thinking.

Li Huo Emperor probably couldn’t wait to get rid of the arrogant Princess from the Vermilion Bird Empire; if Xia Feng agreed, he would probably cheer.

With a slight smile, Xia Feng responded, "Anyone can stay, except you; you must go to the Great Xia Imperial Capital."

Emperor Li Huo’s expression turned a shade bitter, but he swiftly proposed another plan, "But the only strait currently leads to Great Xia is occupied by the Vermilion Bird Empire."

"When do you intend for me to depart?"

His intention was clear; he couldn’t leave the Li Huo Empire right now and wanted to remain in power until Xia Feng had conquered the Vermilion Bird Empire before moving.

Xia Feng cast a cold glance, showing no trust in Emperor Li Huo.

If Xia Feng dared leave him here today, he had to be prepared for a possible betrayal after taking the Vermilion Bird Empire.