Lu Yuandi's path to becoming an emperor was divided into three steps.

The first step was to descend the mountain.

The second step was to kill Li Li.

The third step was to ascend the throne.

This seemingly joking plan was Lu Yuandi's true intention, though the second step was somewhat complicated.

But it wasn't a problem.

Lu Yuandi disguised herself as a man and infiltrated the military camp.

Her first task was to gain Li Li's trust.

Li Li was a suspicious person. He was cautious and didn't easily trust anyone, with his most trusted being his strategist.

Lu Yuandi first approached the strategist's nephew, a simple-minded young man.

She set a trap for him to fall into the enemy's hands, then personally rescued him, pretending to be injured in the process. Her actions were seamless.

The simple-minded nephew was completely taken in by her, praising Lu Yuandi to his uncle.

The strategist, cunning as he was, knew his nephew's simplicity and wouldn't easily trust Lu Yuandi.

But he couldn't help but notice this selfless "young man."

Soon, Lu Yuandi's opportunity came again.

A small team was trapped in a valley, surrounded by enemies. Just as they were about to be annihilated, an unremarkable soldier miraculously led them to break through the encirclement.

That soldier was Lu Yuandi.

With courage and wit, Lu Yuandi made herself known twice over. The subsequent events followed naturally. She first gained the strategist's trust, and before long, Li Li also took notice of this young man.

However, earning Li Li's trust was much more difficult. Lu Yuandi blocked blades for him, tested poisons, and offered good strategies multiple times, but Li Li remained indifferent.

Lu Yuandi rested on her side in the camp, biting her thumb nail in frustration.

She was only a tent away from her enemy, yet she could do nothing.

As the battle neared victory, once Li Li returned to the royal city, getting close to him would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Lu Yuandi was at a loss, even losing weight, her cheeks becoming noticeably thinner.

Wu Yueren, the strategist's nephew, unilaterally became good friends with her, often hanging around her for no reason.

Lu Yuandi initially played along with the fool, but now she was growing impatient.

Though Wu Yueren appeared simple, he could be surprisingly perceptive at times. He noticed Lu Yuandi's worry and offered his concern.

"Waiter," Lu Yuandi was known as Wang Er in the camp, "if you have any troubles, come to me."

"What can you solve?"

"I can help you see things more clearly!"

"…"

Perhaps due to being spoiled at home, Wu Yueren was indifferent to everything. Things that could be solved would be solved eventually, and worrying about unsolvable things was useless.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

He couldn't help Waiter with her troubles, but he could help her find some joy.

"In a few days, the general will celebrate, and local officials will present a batch of beauties, their dancing is particularly beautiful," Wu Yueren said innocently, his imagination of beauties limited to their dancing skills, "I'll talk to my uncle, let you join in. My uncle appreciates you, he'll agree."

"Beauties?"

Wu Yueren's words made Lu Yuandi fall into thought.

Li Li was an extremely disciplined person, not one to indulge in beauty, otherwise, he wouldn't have seized power so swiftly. But after months of hard fighting, the soldiers had complaints, and allowing outsiders in this time was likely to ease the camp's morale.

Outsiders…

Lu Yuandi's eyes shifted, a plan forming in her mind.

Wu Yueren continued to chatter about the beauties' allure. Lu Yuandi interrupted him.

"Which camp are they staying in?"

"Huh?"

Wu Yueren instinctively glanced west, then quickly looked away.

"I say, Waiter, you can't have any wicked thoughts! Those beauties are surely for the general first…"

"The west?"

Lu Yuandi laughed at Wu Yueren's naivety, stood up, and dusted off her knees.

"Don't worry, I'll let the general have his pick."

The celebration in the camp was simple, with the beauties dancing before being chosen by the officers and taken away.

These dancers were offerings from the locals, naturally less beautiful than the singers from the royal city.

But tonight, there was one exceptionally beautiful.

The beauty wore a light veil, her willow waist and lotus-like face moving gracefully. Her dance wasn't as practiced as the others, but her delicate figure had a unique charm.

Her eyes sparkled like falling stars. As her long sleeves swayed, she captivated everyone present.

Including Li Li.

After one dance, there was supposed to be another. But Li Li couldn't wait, directly choosing the beauty at the center. She shyly lowered her head, following the general with small steps.

This "shy" woman was Lu Yuandi.

Lu Yuandi's plan for the night was this: she knocked out one of the dancers, donned her attire, and successfully infiltrated. She mimicked the dance by watching those beside her, and though the lead dancer noticed her oddity, she said nothing.

If Li Li hadn't chosen her, she would have found another opportunity to switch places. If he did choose her, the rest would be easier.

Fortunately, she was chosen.

Li Li took her back to his tent, but instead of proceeding further, he had her stand in the center while he sat behind a table, slowly drinking.

Lu Yuandi kept her eyes down, not daring to act rashly.

Something was off.

The seemingly drunk general at the banquet was now very sober. He scrutinized the "beauty" for a long time, then said calmly, "Disrobe."

Lu Yuandi's hand clenched tightly in her sleeve, her nails digging into her flesh.

Li Li was humiliating her!

To him, she wasn't even a person, just an object to be shattered at will. Lu Yuandi didn't know what a real dancer would do, but she would never comply with Li Li's demand!

A dagger was hidden against her arm, one of the parting gifts from Tao Mian.

She planned to use it tonight to kill her enemy.

She just needed the right moment.

The situation was at a stalemate, neither moving. Li Li's attitude was strange too, not forcing her, nor sending her away.

He simply smiled leisurely, as if uncovering a long-standing lie.

"You're from the Lu Clan."

Lu Yuandi's lowered lashes trembled slightly.

Li Li stood up, hands behind his back, and stopped a few steps away.

"The royal Lu Clan, your family's eye color is lighter than most. Others might not notice, but I know your clan too well."

Li Li seemed to recall something, chuckling softly, with undisguised pride in his laughter.

"Back then, to exterminate your clan, I gathered all with unusual eye colors, pried open their eyes, and confirmed each one before killing them.

Were there mistakes? Perhaps, but what of it.

It's a pity, even with such caution, one slipped through. Your Highness, the Eldest Princess, I never expected to meet you again in such circumstances.

If the late emperor knew, he would surely sigh. The daughter he protected through torture turned out to be so foolish, walking right into the trap."

Li Li clicked his tongue, saying it was a pity.

Lu Yuandi lifted her face.

Her expression was icy, her gaze like frost.

"Old man, are you done talking? If so, it's time for you to go."

The dagger slipped from her sleeve, perfectly grasped in her hand, extending three feet. Lu Yuandi aimed straight for Li Li's vital point, without hesitation.

Li Li wasn't easy prey. He deflected the oncoming sword wind with a palm, his right hand forming a fist to strike at the woman. Lu Yuandi dodged, but the cumbersome clothes caused her to stumble as the force grazed her right side.

"Cough…"

Lu Yuandi coughed lightly, easing the dull ache in her body.

Now came the real clash of experts.

The Feilian Sword Technique excelled in speed, its complex moves dazzling, each strike deadly. Caught in the sword wind, one would be shredded by countless sword intents.

But Li Li's martial arts were equally masterful. His advantage lay in his rich experience, which was Lu Yuandi's true weakness. In terms of talent and cultivation technique, Lu Yuandi far surpassed Li Li, but the gap in experience was fatal. The inexperienced Lu Yuandi facing the battle-hardened Li Li seemed to have a predetermined outcome.

Li Li's straight punch aimed for her face. Already suffering internal injuries, Lu Yuandi couldn't dodge, her body involuntarily retreating.

She stabbed her sword into the ground for support, clutching her chest, breathing heavily, yet laughing mockingly.

"What a pity."

Li Li thought she was conceding, stepping forward to stand over her, looking down from above.

"Pity for what? Pity for being outmatched, pity for failing to avenge the Lu Clan, pity for the last royal bloodline about to perish here? You all, it's not pity, but pathetic."

Lu Yuandi shook her head, still smiling.

"You? My pity has nothing to do with you."

Li Li's face twitched momentarily.

"Facing death, still stubborn."

Lu Yuandi stopped responding, her hand hidden in her sleeve secretly grasping a Heaven Thunder Talisman.

The Heaven Thunder Talisman used the caster as the fuse. Those caught in it might die if unlucky, or be severely injured if lucky. But the caster, once activated, would face severe backlash, their soul shattered, with no afterlife.

Once this talisman was used, there was no turning back. She and Li Li would both descend to the Underworld.

"I just regret not seeing the flowers bloom this year."

Lu Yuandi murmured, prompting Li Li to lean closer, not having heard clearly.

The talisman paper slipped from her fingers, revealing a yellow corner.

Li Li's eyes widened.

"You—"

Lu Yuandi's lips were stained with blood, curling into a ghostly smile. Her eyes brimmed with tears, yet her gaze was wildly determined.

She intended to become a blaze, consuming her enemy entirely.

Even if it meant becoming a lonely ghost, she was willing.

"You're insane! That's a Heaven Thunder Talisman!!"

Li Li tried to escape, but Lu Yuandi clung tightly to his right leg. Ignoring the pounding pain in her chest, her fingers brushed the sword's edge, leaving a trail of blood.

The Heaven Thunder Talisman fell during their struggle, and as Lu Yuandi reached for it, her vision dimmed, tears fell, but her smile remained.

A hand, not belonging to either of them, appeared in her sight, gently picking up the talisman.

"Yuan Di…"

At the sound of this sigh, Lu Yuandi's eyes widened in disbelief, her dry tears flowing anew. Like a bullied child, she buried her face in her arms, lying on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Shi Fu.