HCB Chapter 261 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 35
Chapter 261 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 35
Emperor Tai'an finally couldn't hold back any longer and began to suppress and test him.
Emperor Tai'an may have once intended to pass the throne to Xiao Ruofeng, but now, because of Xiao Ruojin, that thought has long since vanished.
On Xiao Ruofeng's way to pick up Baili Luochen, the two kings must have made meticulous preparations, either to eliminate Xiao Ruofeng, or to eliminate Baili Luochen, or perhaps to eliminate both of them.
Even if the two kings fail, and Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen successfully return to Tianqi City, Emperor Tai'an can still give Xiao Ruojin a good hard time.
The charge of treason against Baili Luochen was fabricated out of thin air by Qingwang and others. After he is exonerated, Emperor Tai'an will mediate, which will undoubtedly make Baili Luochen grateful to Xiao Ruofeng for helping him in his time of crisis.
Of course, this can't really be considered a favor, but it is a bridge connecting the Marquis of Zhenxi's mansion and Xiao Ruofeng, and it is an exchange of benefits.
Baili Luochen needs someone who can protect the Zhenxi Marquis's mansion after his death, and the most suitable candidate is Xiao Ruofeng.
Therefore, Baili Luochen would definitely be "grateful" to Xiao Ruofeng, which also means that Xiao Ruofeng has gained the powerful assistance of the Zhenxi Marquis's Mansion.
In addition to the meticulous arrangements Li Changsheng made for Xiao Ruofeng before leaving, and the prestige Xiao Ruofeng has accumulated, many factors combined mean that if he were still the same Xiao Ruojin as before, he would inevitably feel apprehensive and defensive in the face of his younger brother's sudden increase in power and prestige. The unbreakable relationship between the two brothers would also develop irreparable cracks, and they might even turn against each other.
Others would not associate these events with Emperor Tai'an, but would instead blame Prince Qing and his cronies.
He was just an old father who wanted to pave the way for his son, what was wrong with that?
"Hehe!" Xiao Ruojin handed the imperial edict to Xiao Ruofeng. The eunuch who was delivering the edict saw that the edict had finally reached the hands of the Prince of Langya. His lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but when his eyes swept over Xiao Ruojin, he swallowed his words.
This Prince Jingyu is not to be underestimated now. He even killed the Five Grand Eunuchs with a single sword. If I say something wrong and anger him, wouldn't I be in danger of losing my life?
Eunuch Li involuntarily swallowed. He quickly composed himself, turned his gaze to Xiao Ruofeng, and said respectfully, "Now that the imperial edict has been successfully delivered to His Highness, I shall take my leave."
Although he was speaking to Xiao Ruofeng, Eunuch Li's eyes never left Xiao Ruojin, as if he were waiting for some kind of unseen permission.
Only when he saw Xiao Ruofeng nod slightly and Xiao Ruojin did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief and leave with his entourage.
“Brother, Father has ordered me to set off immediately for Qiandong City to bring Baili Luochen to Tianqi City. The journey is urgent, and there is no time to waste. So… the reason why Prince Qing and the others went to the palace earlier was for this matter?”
As Xiao Ruofeng looked at the words on the imperial edict, a layer of worry unconsciously gathered between his brows.
He naturally saw the scheme behind the imperial edict. Having lost his mother's protection at a young age and relying on his elder brother Xiao Ruojin for survival, he never harbored any unrealistic fantasies about Emperor Tai'an, his so-called father. Naturally, he could analyze the emotions and reason behind things with the calmest attitude.
Therefore, his first reaction upon seeing the imperial edict was: his father had finally lost his temper and was about to take action against the two brothers.
However, his elder brother's cultivation was too profound to be shaken, so this undercurrent silently turned towards him, trying to tear a crack in him.
Regardless of Emperor Tai'an's intentions in writing this imperial edict, Xiao Ruofeng felt only a deep sense of helplessness and irony under the cold and ruthless imperial power.
Xiao Ruojin smiled faintly: "Little brother, now that they have made their move, it is our turn. You can go to Qiandong City with peace of mind. When you come back, I will definitely take care of the matter you have been thinking about. And the important matter we have been planning together should be almost finished."
Xiao Ruofeng now trusts Xiao Ruojin completely. After hearing Xiao Ruojin tell him to go to Qiandong City without worry, he went to Qiandong City without worry.
He did not hesitate at all, nor did he worry that his brother might be wary of him, because he knew that his brother would not be suspicious of him as Emperor Tai'an had imagined.
Xiao Ruofeng led six hundred Golden Guards on horseback to Qiandong City.
The moment he stepped out of the gates of Tianqi City, a storm brewed within the city. Countless eyes in the shadows turned to Jingyu Royal Mansion, as if waiting for something.
Xiao Ruojin leisurely walked back to his study. He did not use his cultivation or mental power, but he clearly sensed the malice in the shadows.
The Green King and his group wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of him and Xiao Ruofeng, but wasn't he also waiting for this opportunity to continue to implement his own plans?
In order to embolden the Qing King and others to attack him while he was in the Divine Realm, he deliberately concealed his strength after killing the Five Supervisors and never used force again. Instead, he dominated the court and intimidated everyone, all to obscure the outside world's perception of his strength.
Xiao Ruojin wanted to take over a clean and tidy Beili, so before that, he had to personally take charge and remove all the filth and decay from this land.
He originally intended to entrust these tasks to Xiao Ruofeng, but clearly, Xiao Ruofeng has now become more useful.
In fact, ever since he came into this world, he has been constantly strengthening his relationship with Xiao Ruofeng.
Even now, Xiao Ruofeng is willing to give up his promising future and wholeheartedly assist his elder brother for the sake of brotherhood; and Xiao Ruojin is willing to give him the Heaven-Slaying Sword, which has special meaning.
The deep brotherly bond between Prince Jingyu and Prince Langya has become a well-known and beautiful story.
In the eyes of outsiders, Xiao Ruofeng was Xiao Ruojin's Achilles' heel.
Almost everyone believed that eliminating Xiao Ruofeng would pose a fatal threat to Xiao Ruojin.
And this is exactly the result Xiao Ruojin wanted.
Now, Emperor Tai'an, Prince Qing, and others are deceived by his appearance, thinking they have found an opportunity to take advantage of him. They have issued an edict to transfer Xiao Ruofeng away, intending to make a move under the pretext of doing so.
Little did they know, all of this was part of Xiao Ruojin's meticulously planned scheme, and every step he took was steadily progressing according to the established plan.
Hidden in a corner of the study is an elegant little bedroom, with a life-size mirror inside.
Xiao Ruojin walked slowly to the mirror, gazing at her reflection, which was surrounded by a warm aura. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
However, behind that smile lies a deeper sense of self-reflection—
It turns out that even he himself could not fully see the true face of his own heart.
From the moment he came into this world and met Xiao Ruofeng, he had already decided to exchange sincerity for sincerity, but in the end he still schemed against Xiao Ruofeng.
no way!
Calculation is his instinct; he can't change it.
Of course, he didn't want to change it either.
He can fake it anyway!
He can disguise himself so well that no one will notice!
Pretending...for a lifetime!
……
Prince Qing's Mansion.
"Is there any news from the south?" The young prince, dressed in blue, blew on the steaming tea in front of him and asked the person sitting opposite him, his tone slightly anxious.
"Of course." King Luoyu smiled confidently and said slowly, "Two half-step Divine Travelers and two Great Free Spirits have arrived from the south. They have all reached the outskirts of Tianqi City and are just waiting for the right opportunity to strike. How are your preparations going?"
Upon hearing this, the King of the Azure River gently put down his teacup, his eyes instantly turning cold: "The people of the Dark River have already laid an ambush on the only road from Qian Dong City to Tian Qi City. In addition, I have secretly mobilized a local army as backup. Our operation this time is absolutely foolproof."
Upon hearing this, King Luoyu's expression grew even more solemn. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "This is our last chance. We can only succeed; failure is not an option. Otherwise, we will both die without a burial place!"
In their quest to eliminate Xiao Ruojin and Xiao Ruofeng, they not only contacted forces within the Northern Jianghu but also secretly invited experts from the Southern Jue. It was a desperate gamble; if they still failed, then it was truly their destiny to die.
"Don't worry, we will definitely succeed." The Green King's eyes were filled with ruthlessness as he looked up and drank the tea in his cup in one gulp.
……
Emperor Tai'an has been behaving very normally lately, attending court, discussing politics, and leaving court every day.
King Luoyu and King Qing also kept a very low profile, attending court, discussing politics, and leaving court every day.
Xiao Ruojin remained decisive and efficient in her work, impeaching, confiscating property, and continuing to impeach every day.
Each case was well-organized, logically sound, and supported by conclusive evidence, including witnesses and physical evidence. It even seemed to uncover more cases as they were pulled up, making it impossible to stop them.
Emperor Tai'an and the two princes watched with hearts bleeding, but they were helpless and could only watch their forces shrink continuously, while secretly hoping that the days would pass quickly so that they could hear good news soon.
Seemingly having heard their thoughts, Xiao Ruofeng on the other side had successfully led Baili Luochen on the journey back to Tianqi City.
On the winding and rugged road, a squad of Imperial Guards was speeding past, escorting a carriage as it moved swiftly forward, the wheels rolling and kicking up clouds of dust.
On a mountain not far away, two figures stood at the foot of the mountain, looking down at everything below.
One of them was a young man with a small mustache. He was playing with a small knife in his hand, his eyes flashing with cunning and amusement, seemingly full of interest in everything that was about to happen: "Do you think the old man has gone mad?" he suddenly said, his tone tinged with mockery: "He actually dares to take on a job like this."
The man beside him was tall and slender, carrying an oil-paper umbrella. His face was unusually pale, as if he had never seen the sun all year round, but his gaze was unusually sharp, as if he could see through all the illusions of the world.
He did not respond to the man with the mustache's words, but simply stared silently at the commotion below, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
Seeing this, the mustachioed young man wasn't annoyed; instead, he became even more interested. He took out two yellowed sheets of paper from his pocket, unfolded them gently, looked at them from left to right, and finally hung them side by side in front of the man with the umbrella: "Take a close look. One says 'Kill Langya King Xiao Ruofeng,' and the other says 'Kill Zhenxi Marquis Baili Luochen.' Both of these are famous figures throughout the land. Old man, you've really gone too far this time. Don't you find it a bit interesting?"
Upon hearing this, the man with the umbrella kept his gaze fixed on the ground below. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "There are a few more people in the line below than at the beginning."
“It’s Baili Dongjun and Sikong Changfeng.” The man with the mustache looked at the two young figures beside the carriage and said, “It doesn’t matter. The two of them are nothing to worry about and will not affect the overall situation.”
The man with the umbrella slowly shook his head and said, "There's another one inside the carriage."
The mustachioed young man was unconcerned and confidently began planning the operation: "No problem, we can send the Su family swordsmen to raid the horse formation first and break down the Jinwu Guard's defenses. Then I will go and kill the Prince of Langya, and you will be responsible for killing Baili Luochen. After that, we will meet up again and jointly surround and kill the one in the carriage. In less than half an hour, this mission will be completed successfully."
"You make it sound so simple," the man with the umbrella chuckled lightly, a rare occurrence for him.
"Killing people has always been a simple matter." The man with the mustache shrugged, looking relaxed.
Su Changhe and Su Muyu stood side by side on the mountainside for a long time, listening to the faint footsteps coming from the forest behind them, quietly breaking the surrounding tranquility. The relaxed look on their faces had disappeared.
For them, killing is indeed a very simple thing!
However, their mission this time was not simple.
Because they each received two orders.
One wanted them to kill Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen, and the other also wanted them to kill Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen.
Two identical orders, but from different customers.
One of the customers was named Xiao Xie, who was the Prince of Qing of Beili.
The other customer's name was Xiao Chongjing, the emperor of Beili—Emperor Tai'an.
They can disregard the former, but they must complete the tasks assigned by the latter.
Dark River is the number one assassin organization in the martial arts world, with dozens of experts at the Free and Unfettered Heaven Realm and countless members at the Free and Unfettered Earth Realm.
In order to complete the mission assigned by Emperor Tai'an, Mu Mingce, the head of the Dark River family, personally took to the field, along with the former puppet Su Zhe, codenamed "Straw Hat Ghost," the current puppet Su Muyu, and the Twelve Spider Shadow Assassins he led, as well as the heads of the Su, Xie, and Mu families and their elites.
The Dark River has come out in full force this time.
Given the scale of this operation, killing Xiao Ruofeng and Baili Luochen wouldn't be difficult; the challenge lies in killing those who stand in their way.
because--
Xiao Ruofeng has a master named Li Changsheng, who is also the best teacher in the world.
Xiao Ruofeng also has an older brother named Xiao Ruojin, who is the King of Beili Jingyu and the legendary Shenyou Xuanjing.
Although Baili Luochen did not have a master who was the best in the world, nor a brother who could travel to the mystical realm, he was the Marquis of Beili Town, and he had an invincible and all-conquering army under his command, the Breaking Wind Army.