Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 244 Battle on the Outskirts of the City

Outside the palace walls, however, lies a completely different scene.

Li Wudao stepped out of the heavily guarded palace gates.

The afternoon sun shone warmly on me, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere and somber scent of sandalwood in the hall.

The long street in front of me is bustling with activity, teeming with people, vendors hawking their wares, children playing, and vehicles moving about. The air is filled with a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

His lips involuntarily curled into a relieved and joyful smile.

Compared to the deep and oppressive imperial palace, he preferred the lively atmosphere of the marketplace and the feeling of being unrestrained and free.

"Boy! You just throw away the throne like that, how carefree!"

"Senior brother, this is...too sudden."

"Cousin, you run really fast!"

Green Turtle, Shen Ming, and Li Nanzhi caught up with him one after another, surrounding him with a tone full of teasing and helplessness.

Li Wudao, hands behind his head, strolled briskly into the crowd, completely unconcerned: "What's so great about that spot? Whoever wants to sit there can sit; I certainly can't."

"There are so many rules that they could crush you, the memorials to the emperor are piled up higher than a mountain, and you're forced to marry a bunch of girls you don't even know... Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

The warm sunlight filtered through the branches of the old trees lining the street, casting dappled shadows on his young and handsome profile, leaving a long and leisurely shadow on the ground.

"Candied hawthorn berries—sweet and crunchy candied hawthorn berries!"

Just then, an old man carrying a straw target hawked his wares along the street. The bright red sugar balls glistened in the sunlight, looking incredibly tempting.

The green-haired turtle's eyes lit up instantly, and it shouted, "Kid! This saint wants to eat that! Quick! Buy it!"

Li Wudao paused, glanced at it sideways, and said slowly, "No, you don't want to. A turtle eating candied hawthorn... that doesn't make sense."

"Damn it! Did you do this on purpose?!"

The green-haired turtle sensed the mocking vengeance in those words and immediately became enraged: "I'll fight you to the death! Today... we'll settle this once and for all, and with it, life and death!"

After saying that, he opened his mouth and bit Li Wudao's arm.

"Holy crap! You're serious?" Li Wudao gasped in pain, his face darkening as he said, "Buy it, buy it! Fine, I'll buy it for you."

"Hmph! You're smart to know what's good for you!" Green-haired Turtle proudly raised his head. "I want ten strings! No... twenty strings! Bring all those targets over here, Turtle Master!"

In the end, Li Wudao reluctantly paid the money and carried the straw target covered with candied hawthorns back home.

The green-haired turtle immediately pounced and hugged the target pole, almost hanging on it. It eagerly nibbled on a target, chewing it with a crunching sound as it squinted its eyes, looking completely satisfied.

Seeing this, Shen Ming and Li Nanzhi couldn't help but laugh, shaking their heads and chuckling.

This man and the tortoise are truly a pair of bickering buddies.

Li Wudao rubbed his aching arm, looking at this unbelievable scene, and silently complained to himself.

This old bastard, who knows how many years he's lived, how come he likes this like a child?

But he didn't notice.

The green-haired turtle, who was enjoying its meal, suddenly looked at the bright red candied hawthorn in its hand and its eyes glazed over for a moment, unnoticed by anyone.

In the depths of those complex eyes, there seemed to be distant memories and a trace of indescribable loneliness, but it was quickly covered up by its usual laziness and gluttony.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them, and the bustling city background seemed to become a vivid painting.

"Brother Li, you have quite the interest. You've only just ascended the throne, yet you're already making an incognito visit to observe the people's conditions?"

Suddenly, a gentle, clear voice, with a faint smile, came from not far to the side.

Li Wudao looked in the direction of the sound.

Across the street, on the upturned eaves of a three-story tavern, stood a figure dressed in pristine white, hands clasped behind his back.

The evening breeze ruffled his unbound black hair and wide sleeves, while the colorful sunset behind him accentuated his tall and elegant figure, making him appear as if he were a celestial being descended to earth.

It was Yang Qiong, the prodigy of the Tianxuan Holy Land.

A gentle smile played on his lips as he calmly gazed at Li Wudao, his eyes as deep and still as an ancient well.

Two people stood slightly behind him, one on his left and one on his right.

On the left is Shi Mao, which resembles an iron tower.

He crossed his arms, his bronze face taut, his thick eyebrows framed by wide, fierce eyes that stared undisguisedly at Li Wudao, his gaze filled with impatience and barely concealed anger, as if he were questioning him.

On the right is Qiao Yuan, who is thin and has a cold aura.

Half of his face was hidden in the shadow of the eaves, and the only part of his face that was visible was pale. His lips were pressed into a straight line, and his eyes, like those of a hawk, swept over Li Wudao with scrutiny and a hint of hostility.

The three people stood on the eaves of a street dwelling, completely out of place with the surrounding bustling atmosphere. They created an invisible aura that caused pedestrians below to instinctively detour around them, yet they couldn't help but curiously peek at them.

Li Wudao's face stiffened as he suddenly remembered the competition agreement he had made with Yang Qiong, and he secretly realized his oversight.

He shrugged and said frankly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Brother Yang. I've already given that position to my father, and now I'm just an idle person."

A hint of surprise flashed across Yang Qiong's eyes, then his smile deepened: "Oh? Brother Li's free and easy manner is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"Hmph!" Shi Mao couldn't help but speak in a deep, rumbling voice, "Now that everything's alright, you should remember your promise to Brother Yang, right? Or perhaps... you're scared?"

Qiao Yuan also responded coldly, his tone sarcastic: "Making Senior Brother Yang wait for two days, you certainly have a high opinion of yourself."

Li Wudao touched his nose and awkwardly laughed to cover it up: "I've been very busy with mundane matters lately, I'm really sorry."

Yang Qiong gently raised his hand to stop the two people behind him, his gaze still calm as he looked at Li Wudao: "It's alright. Now that Brother Li is free, why not... have a friendly spar?"

His tone was gentle, yet carried an air of undeniable authority.

Li Wudao smiled wryly: "This fight... is unavoidable?"

Yang Qiong nodded with a smile and gently closed his folding fan: "I'm itching to do it, and I hope Brother Li will grant my request."

"..."

Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Li Wudao readily agreed.

"Alright then. Let's go to the outskirts of the city. There are too many people here, and we won't be able to maneuver properly. It would be bad if we accidentally hurt some civilians or damaged the flowers and plants."

After all, this imperial city is now, to some extent, his "back garden".

Just as the group was about to set off, some sharp-eyed people nearby recognized them and began to discuss excitedly:

"Huh?! Isn't that the young demon king who wreaked havoc at the Imperial Treasure Pavilion a few days ago?!"

"Hiss! That young man in white on the opposite rooftop... he looks like a prodigy from the Tianxuan Holy Land! I heard they've agreed to a duel!"

"It really is them! Looks like they're finally going to fight... Quick, let's get to the outskirts of the city and find a good spot! This kind of duel between masters is a once-in-a-lifetime event!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

Countless martial artists, common people, and even servants and children of high-ranking officials and nobles were mobilized upon hearing the news.

They surged towards the outskirts of the city like a tidal wave, afraid of being a step too late and missing this earth-shattering battle.