Late night.
All was silent.
But on the front lines of the Star Luo Empire, a storm of political upheaval was brewing.
"Haha, this land belongs to His Majesty. We are but his ministers — fulfilling our duties as subjects. Marshal Dai, you understanding that much proves you're a wise man, haha..."
"I, Dai Hao, have always been loyal to the crown. May I ask, brother, has anyone at court ever spoken ill of me?" Dai Hao smiled as he asked, while pouring more wine for a certain Vice-General surnamed Song, who by now was heavily intoxicated and flailing around.
Since he had poured several strong drinks for Vice-General Song, the man had started slurring his words and clearly wasn't all there anymore. This was the perfect opportunity for Dai Hao to probe for information.
He had been far from the imperial court for some time and did not know how the current Crown Prince viewed him.
"Pah! Marshal Dai's name for loyalty and patriotism has long been known in the capital! Which court official doesn't know of your faithfulness to His Majesty?" Song, dulled by drink, didn't detect the underlying test in Dai Hao's words. He answered based on subconscious reflexes.
The other Vice-General had already passed out, leaving no one to sound the alarm.
"Loyalty?" Dai Hao's smile didn't reach his eyes.
The word sounded so bitterly ironic.
As if saying he, Dai Hao, was nothing more than a loyal dog under Xu Jiawei's command. Now, even with ten thousand soldiers under his banner, Xu Jiawei still shamelessly took away his military authority, treating him like a dog to be summoned and dismissed at will.
"Thud!"
Vice-General Song collapsed onto the table, knocking over a full cup of wine.
"Strange... I'm known for my tolerance — they call me the Three-Ton Drunken Buddha... Why tonight..." he muttered.
Dai Hao remained seated at the head of the table, calmly watching the two men fall unconscious.
His gaze swept across the room.
Within the tent, dozens of military officers simultaneously put down their wine cups and looked toward him, eyes burning with anticipation.
They all understood — no matter how many battles you win, or how many lives you save on the battlefield, nothing compares to one merit:
Helping a new emperor ascend the throne.
Especially on the eve of a rebellion — if their commander rose to power, they too would soar like dragons and phoenixes.
Only Du Leisi's expression still held a hint of unease.
"You all know what we're about to do," Dai Hao said calmly from the head of the table.
"Xu Jiawei's a nobody — we only follow the Marshal!" a burly man shouted.
"Marshal! Just give the order — we can't wait any longer!"
"Crowning you as king — our Cordova Province will become a kingdom independent of Star Luo! You should've done this long ago!"
Dai Hao slowly stood and raised his cup.
"Brothers — if we succeed, the glory will be shared by all. If we fail... I will bear the consequences alone!"
"If we succeed, every man here will be promoted one rank and paid a full year's salary in advance!"
The entire room stood as one, faces flushed with excitement.
They had followed the Marshal for many years — and it showed.
"Loyalty!" they roared in unison, the cry tearing through the stillness of night.
Dai Hao looked at them — men he had raised and led, his brothers, his most trusted companions on the battlefield.
"Begin!" he said in a low voice.
The night sky was silent.
As if bound by an invisible net, unable to move.
"Password!"
In the army camp, a sentry gripped his weapon warily, staring at a military officer approaching under the cover of night. Judging by his uniform, the man was a high-ranking officer.
"Stars spread across the sky." the man replied coolly.
"Clack!" The sentry saluted and lowered his weapon.
"Hey, everyone else went to drink — you're not joining?" the officer casually slung an arm over the sentry's shoulder.
"Sir, I'm on watch tonight. Can't leave my post." The sentry looked nervous.
"You see that? The other guy on watch already sneaked off to drink. We're not on the frontlines — this is a rear supply base. What, you think the Sun Moon Empire's gonna sneak in?" The officer lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
"I... better not, sir," the soldier muttered. He regretted drawing night duty tonight, but orders were orders.
"Sigh... You should've just listened." The officer shook his head and exhaled a plume of smoke.
Before the sentry could react, the officer suddenly wrapped his arm around his neck and choked him.
"W-What are you doing?!" the sentry's eyes bulged as soul power surged — but after a few struggling breaths, he slumped lifelessly.
"A Soul Elder... what a waste," the officer sighed, flicked his cigarette ash, and waved at the shadows behind him.
From the dark forest, a flood of soldiers surged out like a tide.
"Jiang Ci... It's a shame you served the Emperor. We worked together for years. Don't worry — I'll take care of your wife and children," the officer muttered, a faint smirk on his lips.
Atop a peak in the Mingdou Mountain Range.
Looking down at the campfires blazing below, illuminating the night like a tear in the darkness, Dai Hao stood cloaked in a thick coat, expression grave.
There were still many officers loyal to the Emperor in the military.
In the past, he could overlook that — he had no intention of rebelling. But now...
Having chosen this path, he couldn't afford mercy.
Time was short. He didn't have the luxury of identifying every threat one by one. Anyone even remotely connected to the Emperor — even the smallest tie — would be eliminated tonight.
"Do you think we can hold?" Dai Hao asked quietly.
"Yes, Marshal!" Du Leisi bowed low.
"The royal family has strict rules. The Emperor may not leave the capital — and at least four elders of the Worship Hall must always remain in the city. That means Xu Jiawei can only send, at most, two Title Douluo — and they won't be the strongest like Hall Master or Deputy Hall Master Wang Xian'er. If I'm right... it'll be Titan Douluo Cheng Gang and Skyfiend Douluo Huang Jinxu."
Though the Star Luo Empire was a colossal force — and Dai Hao's so-called rebellion might be laughable when the full power of the Worship Hall was unleashed — it also had many constraints.
External threats loomed as well — the rising Sun Moon Empire, the ever-watchful Heaven Soul and Dou Ling Empires, and even Shrek Academy.
Sending too many Worship Hall elders might suppress the rebellion — but it would leave the capital defenseless.
And if they drew troops from other regions, they'd face another problem. Most of the Empire's forces were already under Dai Hao. The rest were private armies belonging to various dukes, and Xu Jiawei might not be able to summon even ten thousand troops — let alone ones as battle-hardened as Dai Hao's.
They had held off the Sun Moon Empire in the Mingdou Mountains for years — they weren't pushovers.
Among Dai Hao's officers were four Soul Douluo and nearly fifty Soul Sages. Their combined strength might not match the Empire's top-tier power, but their overall might would make Xu Jiawei tremble.
This — this was his winning card.
The will of the army was his. What did Xu Jiawei take him for — a dog?
The next day.
High noon.
Emperor Xu Jiawei sat on the throne, listening listlessly as the ministers below squabbled.
The main dispute: excessive funding for soul tools. A billion coins per year — nearly 40% of the national budget.
This had disrupted the old noble system. The imperial revenue, once shared by all, now favored the soul tool program — meaning others got less.
Many of the court officials were proxies for hidden clans and were fiercely opposed.
But Xu Jiawei just tapped his fingers on the throne, eyes closed. He was dead set on developing soul tools — no matter how the nobles kicked and screamed.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Suddenly, a shrill voice echoed from outside the hall.
Xu Jiawei opened his eyes to see a messenger with three feathers on his helmet — his face changed instantly.
The once rowdy hall fell into dead silence.
All eyes turned toward the messenger — bloodied, his right shoulder pierced. The gravity of the situation was obvious.
"Your Majesty... it's the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao — he... he's rebelled!"
The messenger sobbed and handed over a letter.
"What?!" Xu Jiawei was thunderstruck. "Dai Hao? Rebel? That's impossible!"
A nearby attendant hurried to receive the letter and passed it to the Emperor.
Xu Jiawei tore it open, and the bloodstains hit him like a gut punch.
Seconds passed.
He slumped into his throne, dazed.
The letter came from a trusted agent he had placed in the southwest army to monitor Dai Hao — a Soul Sage-ranked officer. The letter's tone was desperate, full of rage toward Dai Hao.
Last night, Dai Hao had launched a coup. Using the banquet for the two visiting Vice-Generals as cover, many were drunk and off guard. He executed not only old rivals in the army, but mostly Xu Jiawei's own men.
Six Soul Sages, the two Vice-Generals, over 200 soul masters, and more than 7,000 regular soldiers — all slaughtered without negotiation.
The entire camp bathed in blood.
A premeditated, ruthless rebellion — a testament to Dai Hao's resolve.
No turning back — for either side.
In that moment, Xu Jiawei suddenly felt a pang of regret.
If only he had taken a stronger stance when Dai Hao's ancestral tomb was destroyed by the Sun Moon Empire...
Even if he couldn't get them to hand over Juzi, at least he should've shown support.
That — that was when the crack in their relationship began.
"See for yourselves…" he said weakly.
Xu Jiawei slowly closed his eyes.
The envelope was handed over to the court officials, and in an instant, the noise inside the great hall surged like a crashing wave.
"This Dai Hao is truly a wolf in sheep's clothing! I always thought he seemed honest, but turns out he was scheming something big all along!"
"Exactly, Your Majesty! Even without that previous incident, this Dai Hao was definitely planning a rebellion. You mustn't show mercy just because of old ties between ruler and subject!"
"Please give the order, Your Majesty! Let the Hand of the Nation personally lead the army to crush the rebellion, or else it might be too late…"
"…"
Once an empire splits, the wolves circling it will never allow it to unify again.
Take the Heavenly Soul Empire and Dou Ling Empire, for example. Ever since their division thousands of years ago, many rulers have tried to reunite them. There were even two emperors who reached an agreement and were just one step away—but each time, they were thwarted either by Star Luo or Shrek. To this day, the revival of the once-glorious Heaven Dou Empire has never been realized.
And the current Star Luo Empire is in the same situation.
It's predictable that the White Tiger Duke will reach out to other nations immediately—especially the Sun-Moon Empire, Heavenly Soul Empire, Dou Ling Empire, and even Shrek Academy.
If just two of those powers publicly support him, the attempt to revive the empire might be as good as dead…
In fact, the Sun-Moon Empire will almost certainly offer support. The Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires also harbor long-standing resentment toward Star Luo and will definitely not miss such a golden opportunity to fracture it.
That leaves only Shrek Academy.
"Convey my command—send envoys to Shrek Academy to persuade them not to support the rebellion, no matter the cost."
"Secondly, order Duke Lanst of the Ayak Province, Duke Warwick of the Borgia Province, and Duke Lisai of the Stanton Province to each dispatch 50,000 troops, 1,000 soul masters—at least 200 of them must be Soul Emperors—and the forces should be led by a Soul Douluo."
"Third, mobilize 10,000 elite soldiers from the capital. Have the Hands of the Nation, Cheng Gang and Huang Jinxu, lead them to the border and suppress the rebellion with all possible speed!"
Xu Jiawei gritted his teeth and declared:
"Capture him alive if possible. If not—then bring me his head!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Cheng Gang stepped out from the ranks and cupped his hands respectfully.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. That Dai Hao has only recently broken through to Titled Douluo. It'll be nothing for this old man to take his head. I guarantee a victory report within half a month!"
Half a month wasn't his limit—it was simply the soonest the army could possibly reach the front lines even by horse.
"Yes." Huang Jinxu slightly bowed.
A hint of regret seemed to flash in his eyes.
"That's enough. I'm tired…"
Xu Jiawei waved his hand and turned to leave.
Leaving the ministers exchanging confused glances.
The explosive news rapidly spread through the Star Luo imperial capital, and countless citizens cursed Dai Hao. Yet, while they knew he had rebelled, none knew the reason behind his rebellion.
———
"Dai Hao… rebelled?"
Xu Cheng stared at the letter—it was personally sent to him by Dai Hao.
His expression was one of disbelief.
He remembered that in the original story, Dai Hao and Xu Jiawei were thick as thieves.
Xu Jiawei had practically never doubted him, and Dai Hao had always served him faithfully, without a hint of rebellion.
Was this the power of ancestral graves?
That explosion by Juzi had completely thrown the Star Luo Empire into chaos.
"As of early this morning, the White Tiger Duke Dai Hao officially changed banners and took full control of the provinces under his command. The heads of the provincial governors are now hanging on the city gates. Nearly half his troops have withdrawn from the Mingdou Mountains and have been redeployed to the north to counter Star Luo's suppression efforts."
Nana reported swiftly.
"So, Your Highness—should we agree?"
(End of chapter)