"Sorry, you're strong, but I'm stronger."
Yang Cheng said calmly.
Bang!
Zhuang Yi collapsed with a heavy crash.
The mist dispersed.
Thousands of soldiers around them saw everything clearly.
Boom!
The army erupted in uproar.
Several assassins were shocked and terrified. They tried to escape desperately.
But how could they get away? In an instant they were all slaughtered.
It wasn't that the soldiers didn't want to capture someone alive.
It was that all these assassins were deathsworn.
Even that Martial Saint, after realizing escape was impossible, decisively killed himself.
Hu Po's face was ugly. "The Zhuang clan. Only the Zhuang clan could raise so many deathsworn."
Yang Cheng remained calm. "It was never possible to wipe out the Zhuang clan in one stroke. This time we've already done well."
"Killing Zhuang Yi means the Zhuang clan lost both a key figure and their gamble. Hu Po, return immediately and tell Mother Empress the news."
"What about Your Highness?"
Hu Po asked.
"The envoy mission is bound to draw countless eyes."
Yang Cheng said, "And now that we're about to enter Chanzhou, that's the Southern Guardian Prince's territory. If I stay with the envoy group, it'll only be more dangerous and inconvenient for action."
Hu Po understood. "You want to leave the envoy group and move in disguise?"
"That's right."
Yang Cheng nodded.
"Alright."
After this event, Hu Po's confidence in Yang Cheng was absolute.
Next, Yang Cheng didn't even bring Shen Muxue along, only Lin Shu followed.
On the way, he already sent a pigeon letter to contact Cheng Junyi.
Now Cheng Junyi was in Hucheng of Chanzhou.
The strongest force in Hucheng was the "Ouyang family."
Cheng Junyi usually stayed at the Ouyang residence.
To stay low-key, Yang Cheng left the Golden Dragon Chariot with the envoy group.
He and Lin Shu only traveled by an ordinary carriage.
When they neared Hucheng, Yang Cheng noticed a convoy of carriages stopped ahead.
This convoy seemed to have just suffered an assassination, the scene was in chaos.
When Yang Cheng's carriage appeared, the people in the convoy immediately stared coldly.
"Who's there?"
Dozens of sharp eyes stabbed toward Yang Cheng's carriage like blades.
Yang Cheng frowned, thinking a clash was about to erupt.
But the next moment, the leader of the convoy, a burly man who looked like the head, saw Lin Shu and was shocked.
"Stand down!"
The man barked urgently.
Then he cupped his fists toward Lin Shu. "May I ask if this friend is Leader Lin of the Blood Shadow Tower?"
Two years ago, Lin Shu had followed Yang Cheng to Chanzhou, bringing one thousand Blood Shadow Guards under him.
For convenience, she secretly set up the Blood Shadow Tower.
After two years of development, with the Crown Prince Yang Cheng secretly backing it, the Blood Shadow Tower had already become a famed underground force in Chanzhou and all of Great Zhou.
The man was a big figure in Chanzhou's underground, so of course he recognized Lin Shu.
He didn't know the Blood Shadow Tower's exact background, but for it to grow this strong, it had to have a terrifying backer.
Lin Shu looked at him, seemed to recall something, and said knowingly, "You're Fo Ye?"
"In front of Leader Lin, how could I dare call myself 'Fo Ye'? I am Bai Lifo, paying respects to Leader Lin."
As he spoke, he looked curiously at Yang Cheng.
"This is my master," Lin Shu said directly.
Bai Lifo was stunned.
Lin Shu's status was already above his. Then what kind of existence must her master be?
"Bai Lifo greets Young Master. May I ask your honored name?"
Bai Lifo quickly bowed to Yang Cheng.
"My master's name is not for you to know," Lin Shu said.
Then she flicked her horsewhip, signaling they were leaving.
Bai Lifo could only step aside.
Lin Shu drove the carriage straight through.
Watching the carriage disappear, Bai Lifo felt deep regret at losing the chance to connect with such a noble figure.
But since the noble didn't want to bother with him, he could do nothing.
When Yang Cheng arrived outside Hucheng's gates—
"Chengcheng."
Cheng Junyi and Tang Xingyu were already waiting there.
Yang Cheng told Lin Shu to leave and handle Blood Shadow Tower matters.
He himself got into the carriage with Cheng Junyi and Tang Xingyu.
"Teacher, Tangtang," Yang Cheng smiled. "This time I'm traveling incognito, you can call me Chen Cheng."
"Heehee, that name sounds good," Tang Xingyu said with a bright smile.
"We're staying at the Ouyang family's place."
Cheng Junyi said, "The Ouyang family holds power in Hucheng. Borrowing their influence makes it easier to investigate the Patriarch's relics."
"You found the Patriarch's relics?"
Yang Cheng asked.
"We've found them," Cheng Junyi said. "The relics should have two parts. One part is here in Hucheng, the other likely in the Tomb of the Azure Emperor."
"Tangtang."
Just then, a voice called from outside the carriage.
"It's the Ouyang family's young lady."
Cheng Junyi said, "The Ouyang family has helped me a lot recently. Chengcheng, you're all young people, why not go and meet together?"
In her view, Yang Cheng carried too much burden at such a young age, he should relax a little.
Tang Xingyu looked at Yang Cheng with expectation.
Seeing this, Yang Cheng smiled. "Alright, let's experience Hucheng's local charm."
His teacher and Tangtang's kindness, he couldn't refuse.
In the carriage beside them sat a young girl with a childish face but a fierce aura.
But she wasn't what caught Yang Cheng's attention.
When the curtain lifted, another face appeared.
Yang Cheng's pupils shrank sharply.
Jiang Hengwu!
He never thought he would see Jiang Hengwu here.
He had believed that as long as he didn't seek her out, the two of them would have no dealings in this lifetime.
But fate was unpredictable, fortune loved to toy with people.
Now Jiang Hengwu was only 14 years old, yet he had encountered her years earlier than expected.
Still, Yang Cheng wasn't really a ten-year-old boy.
In a flash, he adjusted his mindset and acted as if he didn't know Jiang Hengwu at all.
Ding!
[After 400 years, the host once again meets Jiang Hengwu.]
[Seeing the face of an old acquaintance, perhaps the host already feels a sigh of lament.]
[The Late Bloomer must leave no regrets, filling all the missing pieces of the heart.]
[Special mission issued: Option 1, find a way to please Jiang Hengwu and rekindle her old feelings for the host, reward: one mouthful of low-grade Spirit Spring; Option 2, conquer Jiang Hengwu's heart anew and make her obsessed with the host, reward: one mouthful of mid-grade Spirit Spring; Option 3, trample Jiang Hengwu's heart and make her love but never obtain, reward: one mouthful of high-grade Spirit Spring.]
"What a dumbass mission."
Yang Cheng cursed inwardly. "System, I'm giving up this mission."
Even though Jiang Hengwu was already 15 now, he himself was still only 10.
Besides, he truly had no interest in having more entanglements with her.
[There is no such choice.]
Yang Cheng immediately ignored the system. He couldn't be bothered. The mission had no punishment anyway.
"Tangtang, who is this?"
The fierce young girl looked at Yang Cheng curiously.
"This is my junior brother, Chengcheng."
Tang Xingyu said, "Chengcheng, this is Ouyang Xue and Jiang Hengwu, my friends I met in Chanzhou."
"So he's the junior brother."
Ouyang Xue giggled. "That's good then. Chen Cheng, you don't know just how outstanding your senior sister is."
"Though she's still young, since arriving in Chanzhou she's been madly pursued by countless talented men. When she grows a few years older, I bet even prodigies from the great worlds will go crazy for her."
Yang Cheng looked at her calmly. "You mean to tell me my senior sister is too outstanding, that I can't compare with those great world prodigies, and that I should know I'm unworthy of her?"
This Ouyang Xue, only about 14 years old, already had such scheming thoughts.
Ouyang Xue praised him. "Seems you're very self-aware after all."
Tang Xingyu flared up. "Ouyang Xue!"
She didn't understand matters of love between men and women. She had never thought about it.
But whenever anyone spoke badly of Chengcheng, she became upset. Even if it was one of her other friends, it didn't matter.
If she had to choose between Chengcheng and any other friend—
She would choose Chengcheng without hesitation.
Seeing Tang Xingyu truly angry, Yang Cheng gave her a gentle smile.
His bond with Tang Xingyu was not something others had the right to comment on. He had no need to care about anyone's judgment.
As for Ouyang Xue's words, the best response was to ignore them.
Tang Xingyu had come to Chanzhou to relax. Yang Cheng had no reason to let something like this spoil her mood.
And since Chanzhou was the Southern Guardian Prince's domain, he still needed to keep his identity hidden.
Tang Xingyu clearly understood this as well, so she forced herself to swallow her unhappiness.
"Tangtang, I'm just helping you keep an eye out," Ouyang Xue said.
But Tang Xingyu's gaze toward her had already grown cold.
Ouyang Xue didn't notice.
Jiang Hengwu, however, was keenly aware. Her autumn-water eyes glanced at Tang Xingyu, then flickered oddly toward Yang Cheng.
But that was all.
She quickly withdrew her gaze, as if nothing interested her.
Jiang Hengwu's beauty was striking and her bearing icy, giving the impression of a snow lotus on a frozen mountain—something only to be admired from afar, not desecrated.
In his previous life, Yang Cheng had been drawn to that very quality.
Unfortunately, later events proved Jiang Hengwu was like most women—attracted to strength.
Yang Cheng didn't think that made her evil.
But the image he once had of her shattered completely, lying in pieces on the ground.
"Come on, today I'll take you to Wanlu Manor," Ouyang Xue said excitedly.
"Wanlu Manor? That doesn't sound like a good place," Jiang Hengwu frowned.
"Hehe, Wanlu Manor is Chanzhou's most famous black market," Ouyang Xue said. "Its master is the famed 'Fo Ye,' a man who makes both the underworld and high society tremble.
Your Ouyang family isn't the strongest in Hucheng?" Jiang Hengwu asked, surprised.
"So what?"
Ouyang Xue shook her head. "Fo Ye's power isn't just here. Nearly half of Chanzhou trembles at his name. He founded nine underground black markets, each in a different city, making him the hidden emperor of those nine cities.
Today, Fo Ye himself is at Hucheng's Wanlu Manor. If we're lucky, we might even see him."
"Such a dangerous place, we'd better not go," Jiang Hengwu said.
"No way," Ouyang Xue said. "Today Zhou Chong is going to perform at Wanlu Manor, trying to catch Fo Ye's eye."
Jiang Hengwu sighed helplessly. "So this is all for your lover."
Ouyang Xue's face reddened. "What lover! Say that again and I'll tear your mouth."
The two began to squabble.
A quarter-hour later—
The four of them arrived at a grand and imposing manor.
Above the gate hung a plaque with two large, flowing characters: "Wanlu."
Inside, a group of richly dressed young nobles and ladies approached.
One among them stood out, like the moon surrounded by stars, drawing every