This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 227 Entering the Mansion, Part 1

Xizhu's appearance was like a dazzling star streaking across the sky, causing a huge uproar.

Xiao Xingchen stared at the beautiful and refined woman with a look of suspicion on his face. He looked at Ruoxue and Huangfu Lingxue with doubt, hoping to get an answer from them.

However, the same look of confusion also crept onto their faces. Everyone was completely bewildered by this unexpected woman, except for Wu Xie, whose heart jolted, and then he looked over with a solemn expression.

However, he had no intention of revealing Shan Liang's identity; he simply gazed at Xi Zhu quietly.

For Shan Zhu to treat her with such respect, this woman must be extraordinary.

"May I ask, young lady, which king do you serve?"

Xiao Xingchen spoke first. Since there were guests visiting, he naturally welcomed them, since the visitors were nothing more than his rivals anyway.

After all, he was surrounded by people he knew well.

"I am Xizhu, a merchant passing through Yong'an. I have long admired the young prince who came from Yong'an in the Great Qian Dynasty. Today I have the honor of meeting him. He is indeed a dragon among men. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of coming here, hoping to have a chat with the prince."

"peddler?"

Xiao Xingchen questioned,

"Indeed, a traveling merchant."

Xi Zhu's answer made Xiao Xingchen turn around and glance at the people from various countries. Seeing that they all looked confused, he suddenly realized that it wasn't that he had missed any news, but that he didn't know anyone.

"Very well, guests are always welcome, but I have one more question: what kind of merchant are you, and do you know who the people here are?"

“Of course I know, the important figures from all the countries who participated in the Poetry Immortal Gathering, in addition…” Xizhu leaned close to Xiaoxingchen’s ear and whispered something.

As Xizhu finished speaking, she smiled sweetly, like a blooming flower.

"So, I guess I'm qualified now?"

Everyone was like curious cats, full of curiosity about the content of the conversation between the two. What words could have made Xiao Xingchen change color instantly, and even reveal a hint of fear in his eyes?

It's utterly inconceivable that such emotions would arise from someone so arrogant that they didn't even respect the Martial Emperor.

"Please come in, young lady. The gates of the Prince of Kao Shan's mansion are always open for you."

Xiao Xingchen spoke solemnly, which only intensified people's curiosity, making them feel as if they were being scratched by a cat's claws.

"Then I'll go in first, you guys take your time."

Xizhu was completely unceremonious, swaggering inside as if the important figures outside the mansion were nothing but air, showing no reaction whatsoever.

"Who exactly is this woman? Why do I feel this inexplicable unease?"

The Prince Chun of Great Yan murmured softly, his face showing worry as he looked at Yan Yi. Yan Yi's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, was fixed on Xi Zhu, but she was more concerned about Xiao Xing Chen's attitude.

With the Princess still here, he actually allowed a strange woman to enter the manor first. You know, as she got to know Xiao Xingchen, he was extremely caring towards his own people. There's no reason why he would abandon the Princess and say those words to a strange woman. What exactly did he say?

Yan Yi made a decisive move and stepped forward.

"Gentlemen, I've gone in too. If you're still here watching the show, then please enjoy it yourselves."

After saying that, she chased after Xizhu like a whirlwind. Prince Chun hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed, as if afraid of missing any exciting scene. He felt that there was something familiar about Xizhu, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't remember where he had seen her before.

"That's interesting, let's go join in the fun."

Da Li, Mang Huang, and Zhan Shuai also went inside. After seeing that one of the Nanling King's subordinates had also gone in, Xiao Xingchen withdrew his gaze. There were still matters to be resolved in front of the mansion.

"Little eunuch, you can go back and report now. I will accept all the rewards. Also, tell Emperor Wu that if you want the horse to run, don't put shackles on it. Now, you can go back."

After saying this, she ignored the messenger father, who had been beaten black and blue, and instead shouted again to the people around her.

"Remember this, everyone. I am the King of the Great Qian Dynasty. Anyone who dares to cause trouble here will regret it. As for these two who were stripped naked..."

With a "whoosh," before Xiao Xingchen could finish speaking, two cold lights flashed from the shadows, shooting directly at the two people hanging on the flagpole.

As the blood of the two men splattered on the flagpole, the war was officially declared.

"Okay, okay, you're all very good."

Xiao Xingchen glanced at it and then silently looked up. It was as if someone was making their stance clear to him: they were after him.

"Let's go, we have plenty of time, let's take our time and enjoy ourselves."

He addressed Ruoxue and the Princess, then turned and entered the mansion. He didn't bother to investigate who had shot the two arrows; he had made his stance clear today, and when they met again, it would be a fight to the death.

Only after Xiao Xingchen's figure disappeared did the person hidden in the shadows slowly reveal themselves.

"Master, why don't you go with us? There should be an answer to the young master's death."

The group of people looked at the Prince Kao Shan's mansion with fierce eyes. They were none other than the Chen family from Han Hai City. The leader was naturally Chen Haoran's father, the current head of the Chen family.

"No need for now. I'm waiting for Emperor Wu to give me an explanation. Heh, since they listed Xiao Xingchen as the murderer of my son, not only did they not pursue the matter, but they also made him a king. I really want to see what reason Emperor Wu will give me this time. My son cannot have died in vain."

"It seems Emperor Wu has forgotten about us,"

"He looks down on our Chen family of Hanhai, or he thinks the Chen family is no longer important. Fine, tell the caravan outside the city not to rush into the city. Just pretend we haven't arrived yet. I want to test what Emperor Wu is up to."

Mr. Chen snorted coldly. He had been in the city for some time, and during that time he had investigated everything that Yong'an had done involving Chen Haoran. However, as the details of Chen Haoran's activities were investigated, his doubts began to resurface.

An intuition told him that Chen Haoran's death was not simple; it wasn't just a simple warning from the Martial Emperor, but seemed to have a deeper meaning. This was something he only realized after Xiao Xingchen was granted the title of king.

Therefore, he decided to continue observing from the shadows. His actions today were impulsive; he wanted to incite conflict between Xiao Xingchen and the other kings. Killing those two was meant to force the other kings to completely break with Xiao Xingchen. Now, it seems the result has been quite good.

"Then what do we do next?"

“Killing people, my son cannot have died in vain. We didn’t come to the capital just to do nothing. I will use their blood to pay tribute to my son. Hunting down the Immortal Tower is the only thing you will do next.”

"But we still haven't figured out where the Immortal Pavilion is,"

"They belong to Emperor Wu. If they're not outside, they must be in the Imperial Palace. News has already spread that all the leaders of the Divine Immortal Pavilion are in a palace deep within the Imperial Palace. Tonight, we'll storm into the Imperial Palace and catch them off guard. We'll also let Emperor Wu know that our Hanhai City is not to be trifled with."

Father Chen's face was cold, and his eyes were filled with hatred. Xiao Xingchen was just the person put forward on the surface. The real one who made the move was Shenxianlou. This situation was almost certain. Therefore, the next target for the hunt became very clear. Before the Chen family's banner entered Yong'an, he wanted to give Emperor Wu a big gift.

Meanwhile, within the imperial palace, a turbulent situation was brewing. Ever since Consort Xian's last encounter with Xiao Xingchen, she had intentionally or unintentionally sent people to investigate a palace deep within the inner palace. But strange things were about to happen.

Regardless of their reasons for approaching the palace, all the maids and eunuchs who tried to get close to it mysteriously disappeared. This caused Consort Xian to question her control over the inner palace for the first time. Of all the women in the harem, only Murong Fenghua was beyond her control. She had always believed that nothing in the imperial palace could escape her notice.

But the palace was chilling; for the first time, she sensed that it held secrets even he couldn't fathom.

This made her even more curious about the palace, so she went to see it herself. However, this time she was stopped by the people from the Immortal Pavilion.

"His Majesty has decreed that no one is allowed to enter or leave this palace."

When Consort Xian saw the Immortal Pavilion blocking her way, she immediately flew into a rage.

"Do you know who I am? Are there places in this harem that I would avoid? How come I don't know?"

"No matter who it is, entry into this palace is strictly prohibited; violators will be executed without mercy."

"Heh, what a fine 'no mercy' approach! Men, seize all of them!"

Consort Xian came here looking for trouble, but she ran into these tough guys. Who is she? Even Emperor Wu doesn't dare to speak to her like that, and now she's being threatened by a group of people of unknown origin. It's been so many years since something like this has happened. Will she tolerate this?

She was slightly angered, and as soon as she opened her mouth, several figures rushed out from behind her, drawing their swords and slashing down.

"How dare you! You're courting death!" The master of the Immortal Pavilion was also furious. They were used to acting arrogantly and were trusted confidants of the Martial Emperor. They only stepped in to drive the visitors away because of the large number of attendants and entourage.

If it were just a lone eunuch or maidservant daring to approach, they would have killed them long ago. Who knew that the person they encountered this time would actually draw his sword against them? How could they tolerate this?

Everyone here is a lawless individual, and no one can afford to lose face like this. In an instant, even the Immortal Lord was enraged, and three figures immediately rushed forward to meet him.

The deafening sound of clashing swords echoed through the void, like thunder from the heavens, resounding through the clouds.

The guards behind Consort Xian fell straight down from the sky like kites with broken strings in the blink of an eye. Their blood splattered in mid-air, like specks of red plum blossoms, a shocking sight.

This caused Consort Xian's brows to furrow instantly, like a volcano about to erupt.

"A master of the fourth level? I never expected such a terrifying existence to be hidden deep within this palace! Men! Quickly summon the Imperial Guards and surround this place completely! The Imperial Guards were crippled in a single encounter. I want to see how they will face anyone after that!"

The virtuous concubine's eyes seemed to transform into two sharp sword beams, piercing through layers of walls and rushing towards the palace.

As her senses deepened, a profound, inky aura, like a ferocious beast, suddenly made her tremble. It was as if there was a bottomless abyss ahead, its gaping maw ready to devour everything.

Moreover, the thick smell of blood emanating from the palace was like a putrid, eerie wind, making people nauseous. It was the stench of blood that would form from countless murders.

As she sensed all this, she hesitated. Clearly, this place concealed a great secret of the Martial Emperor, unknown to anyone. If she forced her way in, the consequences would be unpredictable. She began to weigh whether it was necessary to force her way in.

"Quickly find Wang Mang and tell him that an assassin has been discovered in the palace. Order the Dragon-Patterned Imperial Guards to come immediately." After pondering for a long time, a sly smile appeared on her lips. Since they were all Emperor Wu's men, she wanted to see who among the Dragon-Patterned Imperial Guards and the people before her was truly Emperor Wu's confidant.

If these people are more valued than the Dragon-Patterned Imperial Guards, then she will have to re-evaluate the people in this palace.