Chapter Two: Fierce Defiance Against the Eternal Emperors and Empresses!

“Who are you?”

Just as Hao Yun regained the ability to move and stretched his body, Li Shimin eagerly demanded to know.

Hao Yun pondered for a moment. Claiming to be an immortal? There were plenty of cultivators in the Sword of Legends world; that wouldn’t impress anyone! Besides, he had just received a five-star mission with a million-point reward... No, better to be straightforward and reveal his true identity as a man from the future!

“I come from a thousand years in the future, a descendant of Yan and Huang, Hao Yun!”

“What?! You’re from the future!”

Li Er stood up with delight. “A citizen of our Tang Dynasty? Our great Tang can actually traverse time to meet its emperor? I must be a legendary emperor in the history books! The Tang must have persisted for a thousand years!”

Hearing Li Shimin speak of time travel, Hao Yun felt a bit uneasy... but thinking about the plot, time travel was quite a common theme in the Sword of Legends universe. This was merely a parallel timeline, slightly different from the true history of the Tang Dynasty.

At least, the title of “Zhuangyuan” (top scholar) was officially established only during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Before that, it was called “Zhuangtou,” and the palace examination was first introduced during Wu Zetian’s reign. Even in the Song Dynasty, they referred to the top scholars simply as the “Three Dingjia.” Yet in Sword of Legends, Liu Jinyuan was directly called “Zhuangyuan Lang”!

“Emperor Taizong, won’t you first verify my identity?”

Hao Yun didn’t answer directly but teasingly urged Li Shimin to confirm who he was first. That way, there would be no objections later.

“Yuan Tiangang!”

As expected, Li Shimin had prepared for this. He calmed his impulse and turned his gaze toward Yuan Tiangang.

In truth, Yuan Tiangang had been feverishly calculating the heavenly secrets ever since Hao Yun revealed his identity. When Li Shimin asked, Yuan Tiangang had just finished his calculations.

“*Pfft!*”

He spat out a mouthful of blood. Before Li Shimin could speak, he gave the answer himself.

“Your Majesty... he... he really is a man from the future!”

“Someone, quickly help Taoist Yuan rest!”

The palace descended into chaos. Hao Yun stood quietly to the side, waiting patiently. He even took the chance to ask his system a question.

“System, can Yuan Tiangang really deduce my identity?”

“Host, please note that each world, at certain periods, has one or two representatives of the Heavenly Way. Yuan Tiangang is the representative of this era. His power is to communicate with the Heavenly Dao and protect the Tang Dynasty.”

“How did he figure out my identity then?”

“Your mission is to change the Human Emperor. The Three Paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man coexist according to the Heavenly Dao’s ordained development. However, because the Celestial Court overly exploited the human path’s fate energy, it has caused disharmony with the Heavenly Dao. You came to execute this mission and have received the Heavenly Dao’s recognition and protection.

Yuan Tiangang’s communication with the Heavenly Dao is a form of assistance provided to you. His coughing up blood was a punishment for leaking heavenly secrets.”

Hao Yun silently praised the Heavenly Dao’s power. Indeed, the world consciousness and the Heavenly Dao were truly formidable forces—not to be trifled with!

As the saying goes, heaven and earth treat all beings as expendable. As long as a world does not develop self-awareness like in the “Covering the Heavens” universe, the Heavenly Dao remains the most just entity.

After a long while, the palace finally settled. Li Shimin brought Hao Yun to Empress Zhangsun’s chamber and ordered all unrelated attendants to leave.

“So, you really are from the future?”

After Li Shimin introduced Hao Yun’s identity to the Empress and with Yuan Tiangang’s personal confirmation, both tentatively believed Hao Yun.

“What’s the point in lying? There’s no benefit,” Hao Yun shrugged. He was here on a mission. Besides, after reading the true historical evaluation of Li Shimin, he really didn’t want to bother helping him.

Right now, he was already considering abandoning Li Shimin and waiting a few decades to collaborate with Wu Zetian instead.

Anyway, this mission had no time limit. Until the Sword of Legends storyline began, his original world—the Marvel universe—was in a state of suspension! Including his body!

“So, why have you come to the Tang Dynasty?”

Li Shimin frowned slightly. Hao Yun’s disrespectful manner irritated the usually decisive emperor who had survived the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

“Originally, I was commissioned to help you become a better ruler... but after seeing how history judges you, I’m sorry, I no longer want to help at all. Forget it, I’m giving up on the mission. Farewell!”

Already unwilling to assist, and now with Li Shimin’s pompous attitude as if he were the greatest and everyone else second best, Hao Yun’s disgust only grew. What was a million points worth? This was clearly a mission from the stronger faction, and he really didn’t want to do it anymore!

Seated on the palace throne, Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun’s expressions turned grim after hearing Hao Yun’s words. What did this mean—his historical reputation was so bad that even his descendants no longer wished to save him?

How many mistakes had this emperor actually made?

“Wait!”

Just as Hao Yun stepped forward to leave the palace, Li Shimin hurriedly reached out to stop him. Throughout his life, his greatest wish had been to become a legendary emperor, leaving behind a glorious legacy to overshadow his dark deeds of imprisoning his father, killing his brothers, and seizing his brothers’ wives. Yet in the eyes of his future descendants, it seemed he was even worse?

“Wait for what? I don’t want to talk to you,” Hao Yun retorted, casting Li Shimin a disdainful glance. Compared to other infamous tyrants in history, Li Shimin was utterly pathetic—an emperor who couldn’t even be considered a tyrant, just all talk. Hao Yun truly had no desire to associate with him.

“No, you...” Li Shimin felt wronged. After all, he was the ancestor from over two thousand years ago. Couldn’t he expect a little respect?

Of course, he wouldn’t dare lay a hand on Hao Yun. Aside from the mission to save him, who knew what formidable weapons the future had invented? He might be instantly wiped out!

After all, a two-thousand-year gap was like comparing the Stone Age to the Black Iron Age in Li Shimin’s eyes.

Empress Zhangsun gently patted Li Shimin’s hand, signaling that she would take over. In court, whenever Li Shimin became irritable and impulsive, it was always Empress Zhangsun who soothed him.

“Well then, could you stay and talk with me for a while? I imagine I must be quite famous in the future?”

Hao Yun glanced sideways at Empress Zhangsun. Not bad—quite well-endowed and beautiful—a true model woman of the feudal era. Though the things she did and the ideas she propagated... well, that was another matter.

“Of course, very famous!” Hao Yun replied sarcastically. “If Li Shimin is a man who brought merit to his era but disasters to posterity, then you are a crime for the ages!”

Hao Yun’s words echoed through the entire hall. Empress Zhangsun’s mouth fell open, utterly incapable of maintaining her imperial grace. A crime for the ages... she was but a woman—what could she have done to deserve such a label?