The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Under the Murong Family's meticulous tutelage, Murong Fu had long since shed his childhood awkwardness. His conduct and etiquette were impeccable.

He was an exemplary eldest disciple.

For the next while, Bai Yuan stayed on Shenfu Mountain, spending his days happily exploring the scenic mountains and rivers with Xiao Qiaoniang.

This scene made it seem as if the deathmatch didn't even exist.

In fact, the deathmatch truly seemed to have been forgotten.

He had been back on Shenfu Mountain for half a month, yet in all that time, the Capital City had sent no word.

This was rather intriguing.

Yang Fangyu had mentioned before that something major seemed to have happened in the Capital City.

It now seemed that was most likely true.

What he found even stranger was that several batches of spies from the Imperial Inspection Office in Ling Province had gone to the Capital City, and not a single one had returned.

Truly bizarre.

However, Bai Yuan had no intention of going to the Capital City to investigate himself.

As long as his superiors weren't pushing him, he was happy to slack off.

His motto was 'If the Emperor isn't worried, neither am I.' Since Li Chengyuan hadn't said a word, he certainly wasn't going to go looking for trouble.

'Besides, Ling Province is currently crawling with monsters, making it a perfect grinding spot. Spending my days with Sister Qiao and grinding monsters—isn't this a beautiful life?'

As for the situation in the Capital City, someone would inform him sooner or later.

Not for any other reason, but because of his power.

Such was Bai Yuan's confidence.

As the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy, it was Bai Yuan's duty to maintain peace in the region.

Qingzhou was overseen by the King of Qingzhou, so he didn't need to intervene. As for the rampaging monsters in Ling Province and Yu State, he had suppressed the vast majority of them within half a month.

One day, as Bai Yuan was training his two disciples as usual, Li Huan arrived from Qingzhou.

"Ah Yuan, I knew you'd be fine!"

Li Huan and Yang Fangyu walked up Shenfu Mountain.

Seeing Bai Yuan so full of life, Li Huan breathed a sigh of relief.

There had been constant rumors of Bai Yuan being assassinated by a mysterious expert from the Jianghu. After all, he had just issued a life-and-death challenge. Under the watch of all the major powers of the world, how could he disappear without a trace unless he was already dead?

"Brother Li."

Bai Yuan was also very happy to see Li Huan.

In his old circle, he was actually closest to Yang Fangyu and Li Huan.

Old friends reuniting naturally called for a drink.

The three of them decided to have drinks and chat in the small courtyard on Wan Jun Peak, with a few side dishes to accompany their wine.

After hearing about Bai Yuan's trip to the Northern Plains, Li Huan remarked with a sigh, "Ah Yuan, you've missed quite a show."

Hearing this, both Bai Yuan and Yang Fangyu's interest was piqued.

Li Huan was of the Royal Race; he was bound to know more.

Yang Fangyu quickly urged him, "Quick, tell us."

He was also very curious about what exactly had happened in the Capital City.

Although it was just the three sworn brothers in the courtyard, Li Huan still couldn't help but lower his voice, a testament to the gravity of the matter.

"I heard the Emperor is ill."

Bai Yuan and Yang Fangyu exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

No wonder things in Xuan Yang had been so strange lately.

The Emperor is the foundation of the nation. Before, when Emperor Li Chengyuan was in his prime, there were naturally no problems. But once the Emperor shows signs of decline, the entire situation can change dramatically.

One had to remember, besides being the Emperor, Li Chengyuan was also a Mingxin Grandmaster.

For a Grandmaster to fall ill was clearly no small matter.

Li Huan also looked worried. "My father, the king, has already been secretly summoned to the Capital City."

Bai Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

'Even the King of Qingzhou has gone to the Capital City. It seems the situation in the Imperial Palace is dire. Otherwise, they would never allow a regional king to enter the capital.'

He finally understood why the deathmatch with the Celestial Profound Sect had fizzled out.

'With Li Chengyuan gravely ill and unable to even protect himself, how could he have the mind to complete his grand, historic enterprise?'

Yang Fangyu silently downed a cup of wine.

'The situation in Xuan Yang is even more difficult than I imagined.'

Though he was a Military General, he was also a proper scholar, and a student of Yingshan Academy, one of the four great academies.

Therefore, he knew full well that the fall of a dynasty could happen in an instant.

Perhaps because the bloodline left by the Grand Ancestor Emperor was so strong, in the two thousand years since Xuan Yang's founding, the succession of the throne had been largely stable despite some turbulence. Every Emperor was of above-average ability.

The current Emperor, Li Chengyuan, was a particularly rare and capable Emperor.

But precisely because everyone, including Li Chengyuan himself, believed so, the position of Crown Prince had remained vacant.

It didn't matter when Li Chengyuan was still powerful, but his grave illness had now turned it into a major problem.

This was a struggle for the nation's foundation.

'What is the nation's foundation?'

'It's the issue of the Emperor's heir. Several previous dynasties were overthrown because of this very problem.'

Coupled with the powerful great sects of the Jianghu and the Demon Sect in the Northern Plains, Xuan Yang was now in a precarious state, swaying in a storm.

Yang Fangyu could already smell the storm on the horizon.

He also finally understood why his official papers had been delayed for so long with no news. It was a matter of choosing sides.

There were now seven or eight Princes with a claim to the throne. Their supporters would naturally use every means to gain the backing of more officials. In Confucian doctrine, "supporting the dragon" was the surest way to gain great fortune.

The Grand Tutor and the Grand Protector were the best examples.

'Faced with such a temptation, who wouldn't be moved?'

'In the end, it's all about personal gain.'

Yang Fangyu sighed softly. "I don't know where we'll go from here."

He was beginning to feel lost about the future.

He had originally thought he would return home in glory, then, like his Yang Family ancestors, use his authority to continuously strengthen the Yang Family's position in Jiangzhou. If he made progress in the Martial Dao, perhaps he could even continue to serve as an official and become a Vice Minister in one of the Six Ministries.

As for taking another step to become a Mingxin Grandmaster and reaching the Second Rank, he didn't even dare to dream of it.

But now, with the Emperor's health failing, everything had become confusing and uncertain.

As a great clan, the Yang Family would inevitably be dragged into this conflict.

Hearing Yang Fangyu's words, Li Huan's expression also darkened.

However, compared to the Yang Family, the Qingzhou Royal Mansion was in a much better position. As a Royal Race with a hereditary title, the Qingzhou Royal Mansion was one of the few powers qualified to remain neutral, because the blood of the Li Family flowed in their veins.

At worst, he could still be a carefree Heir.

Of course, Li Huan could also take advantage of the chaos to rise up, become the King of Qingzhou... or even seize the imperial throne.

Such a situation had occurred in previous dynasties.

However, while becoming the King of Qingzhou was one thing, a Vassal King becoming the Emperor was an event that hadn't occurred in thousands of years.

The reason for this was precisely that there had been too many successful precedents in the past, leading the Li Royal Family to impose extremely strict controls on the regional royal houses.

Of the three, Bai Yuan was undoubtedly the most relaxed.

This was because his current status did not rely on any external force; it was all built on his own power.

No matter how chaotic the world became, no one could take away his personal strength.

In fact, the more chaotic the outside world, the faster he would grow, and he wouldn't be bogged down by external matters.

Bai Yuan raised his cup and also drained the wine within.

'With trouble in the Imperial Palace, the situation in Xuan Yang, to use a phrase from my past life, has become a total clusterfuck.'

'If the Demon Sect hadn't given up their southern campaign for some unknown reason, Xuan Yang might have been wiped out completely.'

'Great chaos is coming. In its wake, all people are but dust in the wind.'

A moment of silence fell.

Each of the three men was lost in his own thoughts as they drank their wine.

After an unknown amount of time, Yang Fangyu seemed to have made a decision. He looked at Bai Yuan with a resolute expression. "Ah Yuan, I'm not going to Jiangzhou. I'll follow you!"

Li Huan stared at Yang Fangyu in astonishment.

'He knew how much Yang Fangyu had paid for that position. And now he was giving it up just like that?'

Bai Yuan said, "Fang Yu, you don't have to do this."

But Yang Fangyu was even more determined. "My mind is made up."

Logically speaking, at his current level, he wasn't yet qualified to choose a side. But Yang Fangyu was not one to wait passively, so he decided to take his fate into his own hands.

Rather than be shackled by his family, unable to act on his own, he chose to side with Bai Yuan directly.

'Bai Yuan might not be the most powerful among the factions, but he was certainly the most trustworthy.'

'Because Bai Yuan had already created miracles time and time again.'