The black shadow let out a sinister laugh: "Hehehe, Ying Yuan, you killed my disciple. Today, I want you to pay with your life!"

Ying Yuan's face changed when he heard this. He recognized the identity of the black shadow, it was Taishang Laojun's senior brother, Tongtian Sect Master!

Tongtian Sect Master appeared, exuding a cold aura, like a demon crawling out of hell. His eyes were bloodshot, staring at Ying Yuan, gritting his teeth and saying, "Ying Yuan! You killed my disciple, today I will make you pay with blood!"

Ying Yuan sneered, not afraid at all: "Just you? Are you worthy?" The contempt in his eyes was not concealed at all, as if Master Tongtian was just an ant in his eyes.

"Arrogant!" Tongtian Patriarch roared and summoned the Four Swords of Zhuxian, which transformed into four sharp sword lights and pierced Ying Yuan directly.

Ying Yuan did not dodge or evade, but stretched out two fingers and lightly clamped two of the swords. The other two swords were blocked by the golden light emanating from his body and could not move forward.

"Is this all you are capable of?" Ying Yuan mocked, "How dare you come and shout in front of me?"

Tongtian Sect Master's face was extremely ugly. He did not expect Ying Yuan's strength to be so terrifying. But how could he easily admit defeat? He roared and urged the Four Swords of Zhuxian again. The sword light was more fierce and more powerful than before.

However, all this was like child's play in front of Ying Yuan. He just waved his hand lightly, and the four swords of Zhu Xian flew out and stabbed into the ground in front of Tong Tian Jiaozhu.

Tongtian was horrified, he had never seen such a powerful force. He looked at Ying Yuan in horror, his heart filled with fear.

"You... who are you?" he asked tremblingly.

Ying Yuan smiled proudly: "I am the Emperor of the Great Qin, Ying Yuan!"

"The Great Qin Emperor?" Tong Tian Sect Master muttered to himself, with a hint of doubt in his eyes. He had never heard of such a powerful emperor in the human world.

Ying Yuan ignored him and turned to look at Liu Ruyan, saying softly, "Yan'er, go back to the palace and rest first. I will come to you after I finish dealing with things here."

Liu Ruyan nodded obediently and turned to leave.

Looking at Liu Ruyan's departing back, the tenderness in Ying Yuan's eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by endless murderous intent.

"Now, it's your turn!" Ying Yuan looked at Tongtian Sect Master coldly, with murderous intent in his eyes.

Tong Tian Jiaozhu was terrified, he knew that he was doomed today. He struggled desperately, wanting to escape from this place, but how could Ying Yuan let him do so?

Ying Yuan took a step forward and instantly came in front of Tongtian Sect Master. His five fingers formed into claws and fiercely grabbed his throat.

"No...don't kill me!" Tongtian Jiaozhu begged for mercy in horror.

Ying Yuan sneered: "You killed my people, and you still want me to spare your life? You are dreaming!"

After saying that, he crushed Tongtian Jiaozhu's throat without hesitation.

A generation of saint has fallen!

After dealing with Master Tongtian, Ying Yuan returned to his bedroom, only to find that Liu Ruyan was not there. He felt nervous and immediately sent someone to look for her.

Not long after, the guards came to report that Liu Ruyan had gone to the Imperial Garden.

Ying Yuan immediately rushed to the Imperial Garden, but saw Liu Ruyan chatting and laughing with a man.

The man was dressed in white, handsome and had an extraordinary temperament.

A surge of anger suddenly rose in Ying Yuan's heart. He strode up to Liu Ruyan, pulled her behind him, and glared at the man.

"Who are you? Why are you meeting with my queen here in secret?"

The man smiled slightly, bowed and said, "I am Li Bai, honored to meet your Majesty."

"Li Bai?" Ying Yuan frowned. He had never heard of this name.

"I am a scholar who happened to pass by here. I saw the Queen admiring the flowers here, so I stepped forward to chat with her," Li Bai explained.

Ying Yuan snorted coldly: "How can you talk to my queen? Get lost!"

Li Bai's expression changed slightly, but he immediately regained his composure. He smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, why are you so angry? I have no ill intentions."

"Whether there is malicious intent or not is up to me!" Ying Yuan said angrily, "Come here, drag this man out and behead him!"

The guards immediately stepped forward and surrounded Li Bai.

Li Bai's face darkened. He didn't expect Ying Yuan to be so domineering.

"Your Majesty, I mean no offense. Why are you being so aggressive?"

"Offense? You having a secret meeting with my queen is not an offense?" Ying Yuan laughed in anger.

Li Bai shook his head helplessly: "Your Majesty has misunderstood, I just..."

"Shut up!" Ying Yuan interrupted him, "I don't want to hear your explanation! Come on, drag him out!"

The guards dragged Li Bai out.

Seeing this, Liu Ruyan felt a little reluctant. She pulled Ying Yuan's sleeve and said softly, "Your Majesty, Master Li..."

Ying Yuan turned to look at her, anger still lingering in his eyes: "Why? Are you begging for him?"

Liu Ruyan didn't dare to look him in the eye and whispered, "I just feel that Master Li doesn't seem to have any ill intentions..."

"No ill intentions?" Ying Yuan sneered, "He met with you in private, isn't that malicious?"

Liu Ruyan felt wronged. She just thought Li Bai was very eloquent and wanted to chat with him for a while. She had no other intentions. "Your Majesty, I really..."

"That's enough!" Ying Yuan interrupted her, "I don't want to hear his name again!"

Liu Ruyan didn't dare to say anything and could only stand aside silently.

Ying Yuan looked at her aggrieved expression, and his anger subsided a little. He sighed, held her in his arms, and said softly: "Yan'er, I know you have a kind heart, but people's hearts are treacherous. You should be more careful in the future and don't trust others easily."

Liu Ruyan nodded and snuggled in his arms, but she felt a little uneasy. She always felt that Li Bai was not an ordinary person, and his appearance seemed to indicate something...

In the imperial garden, flowers and trees were lush, and the wind blew through the weeping willows, casting a golden glow. However, the atmosphere at this moment seemed frozen, Li Bai stood calmly, while Ying Yuan's face was already covered with frost.

"Scholar? Ha!" Ying Yuan sneered, his eyes piercing the elegant and confident man in white before him. "I am a little curious, how could a mere scholar break into the imperial garden?"

The man did not back down, but chuckled and said, "Don't blame me, Your Majesty. It is really Miss Liu's gracefulness that made me linger and linger. In addition, the scenery of your place today is pleasant. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me if I have offended you." He raised his white hand, and his sleeves fluttered, which was really elegant.

However, his unrestrained attitude made Ying Yuan frown. This man not only spoke fearlessly, but also acted superior, completely ignoring Ying Yuan's imperial authority.

"Nonsense! Liu Ruyan is my queen, how dare you call her by her name?" Ying Yuan's anger grew, his voice cold and furious, as if a storm is about to come.

"Ah! What a slip of the tongue." Li Bai patted his forehead lightly, showing an apologetic look, but without any real fear. "It seems that my knowledge is still shallow. I haven't read the biography of the queen in advance. My words seem reckless."

The corners of Ying Yuan's mouth curled up coldly, and there was murderous intent in his eyes. He was not a saint who competed with others in etiquette. He was the ruler of the Qin Dynasty, and his rules were the right way!

"You daring lunatic, how dare you be so reckless in front of me?" When he finished speaking, he did not look at Li Bai, but turned back to stare at Liu Ruyan, his eyes filled with extreme coldness and coercion, "Yan'er, I ordered you to retreat, why didn't you listen?"

Liu Ruyan was usually docile and gentle, but at this moment, she stared at Ying Yuan intently, and her voice was unusually stubborn: "Your Majesty, he is just a scholar, why are you so aggressive?"

"You're forcing me?" Ying Yuan laughed in anger, "Yan'er, you're speaking for him?" His tall, kingly figure suddenly approached, and his imposing manner made Liu Ruyan involuntarily take a step back.

Li Bai, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly sighed and said quietly, "Your Majesty, do you know that fishing in a dried-up pond is not a way to survive for long? The love between husband and wife is based on mutual respect. Only by giving up can you gain."

Ying Yuan's heart was filled with murderous intent. He stared at Li Bai fiercely and slowly drew his sword: "What a great saying, 'You can only gain if you are willing to give up'! However, my kingdom, my queen... are not something that a scholar like you can control!"

The sword was unsheathed, gleaming with cold light, and the Imperial Garden became icy cold in an instant. Ying Yuan raised his sword high, pressing towards Li Bai with his momentum like a storm, "I want to see, is your poem better, or is my sword sharper!"

However, Li Bai remained calm and just waved his folding fan slightly, saying: "Your Majesty, anger is harmful to your health. If you don't believe it, you might as well take a look at this fan."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ying Yuan glanced at the fan unconsciously, and his pupils shrank immediately. He saw the words written on the fan: "The sword turns into rain, and the poetry is the best in the world."

At the moment when Ying Yuan was stunned, Li Bai's feet moved quickly, and he displayed his excellent Qinggong skills. In an instant, he pulled the distance between the two and landed under a peach tree. He looked up at the flowers, as if he was not afraid of Ying Yuan's fatal blow, and as he opened his fan, he said:
"Look, the game has just begun."

Ying Yuan's eyes turned cold, he gripped the hilt of the sword and stepped forward. He was about to say "arrogant and ignorant" but suddenly stopped - because Liu Ruyan suddenly stood in front of him!
Liu Ruyan stood in front of Ying Yuan, her figure was slender but firm, like an orchid standing against the wind, with an inexplicable strength in her flexibility. The tip of Ying Yuan's sword was almost touching her nose, but he didn't dare to move at all, for fear of hurting her. Anger was rolling in his chest, but he had nowhere to vent it. He could only glare at Li Bai fiercely and gritted his teeth and said, "What on earth do you want to do?"

Li Bai waved his folding fan and chuckled, "Your Majesty, why are you so angry? I just want to play a game of chess with you." He pointed to the stone table in the imperial garden, "Your Majesty, do you dare to play a game of chess with me?"

Ying Yuan laughed in anger. How dare this scholar tease him like this? He was about to refuse, but he heard Liu Ruyan say softly, "Your Majesty, why don't you play a game with him?"

Ying Yuan was startled, and turned to look at Liu Ruyan, only to see her clear eyes with a hint of pleading. Ying Yuan's heart softened, and he finally retracted his sword, snorting coldly: "Okay, I'll play with you!"

The three of them sat down, and Li Bai played first with black pieces. Ying Yuan was already proficient in chess, and at this moment he went all out, vowing to kill the arrogant scholar's arrogance. However, Li Bai's chess moves were strange and unpredictable. He seemed to place his pieces randomly, but in fact, he was hiding a mystery. Ying Yuan gradually fell into a disadvantage.

As the game progressed, Ying Yuan's face became more and more ugly, with beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead. He didn't expect that this seemingly weak scholar could play chess so well. What made him even more uneasy was that Li Bai's eyes were always as calm as water, as if everything was under his control.

"Your Majesty, the world is like this chessboard, and we are all chess pieces." Li Bai's voice was clear, but with a subtle edge. "Your Majesty thinks that you are the chess player and can control everything, but you don't know that you are just a chess piece."

Ying Yuan was shocked. Li Bai's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in his mind. He had always believed that he was the son of destiny, destined to rule the world, but now, he began to doubt whether he really controlled his own destiny.

"What do you mean?" Ying Yuan's voice trembled a little. He felt as if he had touched upon some terrible secret.

Li Bai smiled and did not answer directly, but placed the last piece. "Your Majesty, you lose."

Ying Yuan looked at the chessboard. The black pieces had surrounded the white pieces, and there was no possibility of a comeback. He leaned back in his chair dejectedly, feeling powerless.

"Your Majesty, you know that the outcome of this game of chess was determined long before it even began." Li Bai's voice sounded like a ghost in Ying Yuan's ears, "and your fate has also been arranged long ago."

Ying Yuan suddenly raised his head and stared at Li Bai, his eyes filled with fear and anger: "Who are you?"

Li Bai gently waved his folding fan, a mysterious smile on his face: "I am Li Taibai, just an idle wandering wanderer." He paused, and added, "Of course, you can also call me... a chess player."

At this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility of the imperial garden. A soldier in armor hurried over, knelt down in front of Ying Yuan, and reported loudly: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened! The Xiongnu army is approaching and has already breached Yanmen Pass!"

Ying Yuan's face suddenly changed, and he stood up. Yanmen Pass is the northern gate of the Qin Dynasty. Once it is lost, the consequences will be disastrous! He glared at Li Bai fiercely, gnashing his teeth and said, "I will come back to settle accounts with you sooner or later!" After that, he left the Imperial Garden without looking back.

Li Bai looked at Ying Yuan's departing back, and the smile on his face became even more intense. He slowly unfolded his folding fan, and on the fan were written four big characters: The world is in chaos.

The danger at Yanmen Pass was like a thunderclap in Ying Yuan's heart. He galloped on his horse, and Li Bai's words "Your fate has already been arranged" kept echoing in his mind. Was he really just a chess piece? This made him feel extremely angry and unwilling.

After returning to the palace, Ying Yuan immediately summoned all the generals to discuss countermeasures. The generals were filled with righteous indignation and asked to fight one after another to drive the Xiongnu barbarians out of the Qin territory. Ying Yuan glanced at everyone, but a sense of powerlessness surged in his heart. Yanmen Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Xiongnu came with great momentum this time, and it might not be easy to repel them.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to fight and we must retake Yanmen Pass!" General Meng Lie knelt on one knee and spoke passionately.

Ying Yuan nodded and was about to agree when he heard a feminine voice saying, "Your Majesty, although General Meng is brave, the Huns are well prepared this time. It is better to defeat them by wits." The speaker was Prime Minister Zhao Gao, a thin, pale old man.

Meng Lie snorted disdainfully: "Prime Minister Zhao, you are only trying to boost others' morale and destroy your own prestige! My Qin cavalry is invincible, why do we need to outsmart them?"

Zhao Gao was not angry, but just smiled faintly: "General Meng, the Art of War says 'know yourself and know the enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger'. The Xiongnu is led by Chanyu Maodun himself this time. He is a man of many tricks, so don't underestimate him."

Ying Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Prime Minister Zhao is right. We need to be cautious in this expedition. General Meng, you lead an army of 100,000 as the vanguard, and I will personally lead the army to support you." (End of this chapter)