Heaven-Defying Rebel Sage - Chapter 167: Ksitigarbha King Turns the Tide

In order to take away her father’s shares, her husband colluded with her bestfriend to set her up. A divorce was thrown at her face and she was forced out of the house.

They called him the Shame of the Clan but before that, Vale Athrimir was born a prodigy, one of the rising stars expected to lead the next generation of the Clan. But on the day of his manifestation, he was awarded the Forbidden Mark Order, a power feared and loathed throughout the realm.In an instant, his world collapsed, his friends turned their backs, his father disowned him, and he was cast into prison. After three years of starvation and torment, he was thrown into the Borderlands, a labor camp where the forsaken dig rocks until they die.But Vale refused to break.With nothing but his rage and ambition, he clawed his way free and began to build. Starting with outcasts and exiles, he forged the foundations of something the world had never seen, an empire that would span nations, topple kingdoms, and unite the fractured lands under the Eternal Skies.The Forbidden Mark Order carried a terrible secret, and with an Ancient's Inheritance in his grasp, Vale discovered he possessed power beyond measure. Now, he would transform from prisoner to emperor, from outcast to conqueror.From the ashes of betrayal, the Universal Empire would rise.

It was in the middle of the night that the woman who would be the Duchess came to see me.

She said my father and mother died, and my kind uncle became king.

She said it’s not worth it for me, the crown prince, to be living in hiding, too.

“A while ago, Your Highness had been hiding from me. With all due respect, is that for the sake of survival? Just because your parents died doesn’t mean you have no reason to survive. Actually, that fact alone made it all the more reason why you should live. If you die now…”

If I died now?

When I asked her while looking at her eyes, the woman eventually brought out the harsh truth with empathetic eyes.

“It’s like a dog’s death.”

“That’s rude….”

It’s been a long time since I said that. In a short while, he has been treated as a madman and beaten to death just by saying similar things. She loosened her arms that held me and I suddenly stiffened up due to it. Because I thought she might have loosened her arm to hit me. But she didn’t.

She knelt down with one knee in front of me, just like a knight.

“Hastred’s Sarian raised her salutations. May you accept it gladly.”

My first knight is beautiful and kind.

“Are you on my side?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It was all a lie.

Li Yao, a retired assassin, woke up one day to find herself transmigrated to ancient times and became a famous shrew far and wide.

With hands on her hips, she wailed loudly. Villagers called her the bane of ghosts, and even dogs would circle around when they saw her.

She had four children, her husband had passed away, and it was a disastrous year, leaving them poor as church mice.

Fortunately, River Bay Village was nestled against a big mountain, with wild chickens, wild boars, wolves, tigers, herbs, spices, corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes… it seemed to have everything.

Rely on the water to eat, and rely on the mountain.

With her skills that exceeded the times, Yao Li quickly became the wealthiest person in River Bay Village.

She was determined to stick to her original aspirations – retire and live out her remaining years in peace.

But as a widow, there were many things at her doorstep.

Her maiden family coveted her wealth; local ruffians lusted after her beauty; the magistrate admired her talents; the prefect wanted to rely on her to build up his political achievements; the scholar admired her literary talent; the chancellor respected her breadth of knowledge…

Wave after wave, wearing down her doorstep.

Even a Prince was amazed by her, finding all kinds of excuses to frequently visit and neglect his palaces.

Li Yao adapted to the circumstances, sparring back and forth, just wishing her retirement life would remain undisturbed.

But unknowingly, the world was changing because of her.