Chapter 195: Deep Brotherly Love! The Death of Ye Gucheng!

By the time Chu Yang returned to the Prince's Mansion, Lu Xiaofeng had also returned, his expression very ugly.

In a few days, too many bizarre things had happened in the capital.

The spearhead of all events pointed vaguely toward tonight's duel.

"Ye Gucheng is injured. He heard it was from a hidden weapon, but he shouldn't have been injured so easily, even if the other party was from the Tang Sect."

Lu Xiaofeng sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, very rarely biting his fingernails.

This was an action he would only exhibit when very anxious.

"Many people have died, and they all died for no reason. The biggest commonality is that they had all met a certain person. Rather than murder, it's more like silencing."

"And this person..."

Speaking of this, Lu Xiaofeng looked at Chu Yang.

Chu Yang said speechlessly: "Why look at me? They didn't meet me."

Lu Xiaofeng said: "Prince, do you know a Chief Eunuch surnamed Wang?"

Chu Yang nodded and said: "I know. He was the Chief Eunuch of the Ceremonial Directorate during the late Emperor's reign. Later, he lost favor and was stepped on by Wei Zhongxian to climb up. The former subordinate became the current boss; one can imagine his days haven't been easy."

Lu Xiaofeng blurted out: "This Chief Eunuch Wang must have a lot of resentment toward the Emperor, right?"

Chu Yang said meaningfully: "Not just the Emperor; it should be said he has a lot of resentment toward the entire cold Forbidden City."

Lu Xiaofeng frowned, wanting to speak but stopping.

Chu Yang smiled: "Little Chicken Lu, if you have something to say, just say it, alright?"

Lu Xiaofeng sighed: "The situation is intricate and complex. Prince, you must be careful tonight. No one in the capital knows you killed the Demon King yet. The palace side will likely underestimate the enemy; this is your only advantage."

Chu Yang said indifferently: "So what if they know? Even if he stuffs all the grandmasters in the world into the palace, the result will be the same."

The two sat in the courtyard and chatted for a while. The sky gradually darkened, and soon a dense sound of footsteps rang out outside the Prince's Mansion.

The old steward's voice suddenly rang out.

"Prince, people from the palace have arrived."

Chu Yang and Lu Xiaofeng stood up at the same time.

Lu Xiaofeng let out a long breath and said: "Tonight's Forbidden City will be very lively."

The eunuchs carried a luxurious sedan chair and sent Chu Yang into the Imperial Palace.

Passing by the palace gate, Chu Yang looked outside through the gap and discovered that many people had gathered here.

Although no one was carrying weapons, one could still feel a thick martial arts atmosphere.

There were also many Imperial Guards patrolling around to prevent anyone from causing trouble. Each person held a repeating crossbow in their hand, looking full of murderous intent in the bleak night.

The moment he passed through the palace gate, Chu Yang unexpectedly saw the figure of Chai Hu.

Why was he here? Afterward, Chu Yang felt relieved.

With Chai Hu's personality, he certainly wouldn't watch Guo Bujing go to his death. Not expressing his stance that day in the Prince's Mansion was likely because he was afraid Guo Bujing would use forceful means to keep him there.

Looking honest and simple, his thoughts were actually quite numerous. But then again, being able to play with people like Sikong Zhaixing and being a river-crossing bandit himself, he was likely a shrewd person.

Daring to intervene at this time, he could be called a man of iron backbone.

Chai Hu stood silently in the crowd, watching Chu Yang enter the Forbidden City. Thinking that he would be risking his life in a moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"Big blockhead, what are you crouching here for?"

Lu Xiaofeng appeared beside Chai Hu without warning and slapped his shoulder fiercely.

"You surnamed Lu, you scared me to death!"

Chai Hu raised his hand and gave the person beside him an elbow.

Lu Xiaofeng blocked Chai Hu's arm and asked with a smile: "Here to watch the duel between Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng? Why not go in and watch?"

Chai Hu rolled his eyes at him: "Nonsense, if I could get in, I would have gone in long ago."

Lu Xiaofeng wondered: "Aren't you also an Imperial Guard? Don't you recognize them?"

Chai Hu said speechlessly: "I've only been here a few days; I can't even recognize all the dogs, let alone the people."

"Follow me!" Lu Xiaofeng first looked at him with disdain, then smiled mysteriously and swaggered toward the palace gate.

Unsurprisingly, the Imperial Guards stopped him.

He didn't talk nonsense either, taking a waist token out of his pocket and showing it to the guard.

A magical scene occurred: the guard actually politely moved aside and let the two in.

After passing the palace gate, Chai Hu asked in a low voice: "What thing is so useful?"

Lu Xiaofeng smiled: "A ticket."

Chai Hu asked curiously: "Who gave it?"

Hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng suddenly stopped and turned to look at Chai Hu, a trace of worry flashing between his brows: "Do you know Wei Ziyun?"

Chai Hu nodded, a hearty man with a full beard flashing through his mind, and said: "Commander Wei is very hearty, often treating brothers to drinks, and has a high reputation among the Imperial Guards. It's just that Commander Guo doesn't like him."

Lu Xiaofeng asked curiously: "How so?"

Chai Hu continued: "Commander Guo says that while this person seems easygoing, he is actually very utilitarian. His ability is good, but his mind is unfixed; sooner or later, he will cause trouble..."

Lu Xiaofeng took a deep breath and then said no more. The unease in his heart was like a wild horse off the leash.

At the same time.

A dark cloud drifted from somewhere in the sky.

Completely obscuring the moonlight.

The entire Forbidden City seemed to be covered by a curtain, pitch black and impossible to see one's fingers.

The sedan chair carrying Chu Yang landed.

The surroundings immediately became quiet.

Only the sound of the wind came through.

He lifted the curtain and walked out. This place was neither the Emperor's study nor some elegant garden, but a vast drill ground.

It was the place where the Emperor used to review the Imperial Guards!

*Thump! Thump! Thump! * The ground suddenly trembled violently.

Uniform, neat footsteps.

The intense sound of armor colliding.

Constantly and clearly echoed in Chu Yang's ears.

The dark cloud finally drifted past.

The bright Mid-Autumn moonlight spilled onto the earth, illuminating the Forbidden City once again.

A large number of soldiers wearing black mysterious armor surged from every corner of the drill ground, forming a black wave, wanting to drown Chu Yang's figure.

A formed army is a martial artist's nightmare.

Whether before the great changes of heaven and earth or now, this truth had never been overturned.

Cao Zhengchun, Yu Huatian, Cao Shaoqin, and Ma Jinliang—the directors of the Eastern and Western Factories and the chief guards—walked in front of the soldiers.

The endless stream of Imperial Guards seemed to give them a different kind of confidence. All four had murderous intent on their faces, as if Chu Yang were already in their pocket.

Besides them, more than a dozen eunuchs in red robes stared at Chu Yang from around the Imperial Guards.

These red-robed eunuchs had extremely thick blood and energy; they were almost all experts who had undergone nine blood exchanges, comparable in strength to Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang.

It was just that their aura was a bit strange, as if mixed with something, not as pure as ordinary martial artists' blood and energy.

"Just this many people?"

"Prince, rest assured, all 800,000 Imperial Guards are here, guaranteed to satisfy you."

"Isn't there no one beside the Imperial Brother?"

"At a time like this, the Prince is still worried about His Majesty. Such deep brotherly love is truly moving!"

"We are all brothers; I hope he can die at my hands."

"What a coincidence, His Majesty thinks the same."

The peak of the Forbidden City. Lu Xiaofeng and Chai Hu rushed over and discovered a crowd of people here—not just sect leaders, but many martial artists whose names they couldn't call.

With more people watching the battle, there were naturally more Imperial Guards responsible for patrolling.

"Why is it like a vegetable market?"

Chai Hu looked at the sea of people before him, dumbfounded.

"Didn't you say that Commander Wei would cause trouble sooner or later? Isn't this causing trouble!" Lu Xiaofeng said helplessly.

The unease in his heart had ultimately become reality, but he had no time to manage these things and could only lift his head to look at the highest palace.

On top of the palace, two figures confronted each other under the moonlight.

White Cloud City Lord, Ye Gucheng.

Sword God, Ximen Chuixue.

The two top swordsmen of the current age, perhaps even called Sword Immortals.

Although there were many people watching, not a single extra sound could be heard. Everyone held their breath, afraid of missing a single move between the two.

Listen carefully, and one could even hear the intermittent chirping of insects.

Lu Xiaofeng looked at Ye Gucheng, then at Ximen Chuixue, and couldn't help but clench his fists.

Long before the duel began, he had already seen Ximen Chuixue—or rather, Ximen Chuixue had saved him. Lu Xiaofeng had been poisoned while investigating.

After waking up, he saw Ximen Chuixue; it was the other party who helped him detoxify, and he had even tried to persuade Ximen Chuixue to give up tonight's duel.

There were too many confusing things, and it seemed like a pair of big hands were manipulating everything behind the scenes. Lu Xiaofeng couldn't guarantee what would happen tonight.

However, making Ximen Chuixue give up the duel was an impossible thing; he was a proud person.

"I hope it's all just me overthinking..."

Lu Xiaofeng's gaze was fixed on Ye Gucheng on the other side. He was also an old acquaintance of Ye Gucheng, and ever since seeing the other party in the capital, he felt more and more that this person had become a stranger.

Associating this with Chu Yang's evaluation of Ye Gucheng, Lu Xiaofeng's heart tightened.

"Little Chicken Lu, don't you think Ximen Chuixue is a bit strange?"

Sikong Zhaixing suddenly appeared behind Lu Xiaofeng, giving him a fright.

"Why are you here?"

"The waist token given by that bearded commander; it can be forged easily. Just selling one can make a lot of money!"

"Are you really tired of living?!"

"It's none of my business; I didn't forge it. I'm at most responsible for distributing them and getting a share of the money afterward."

Lu Xiaofeng was so angry he wanted to use his Spirit Rhinoceros Finger to poke a hole in his forehead.

"Don't be angry yet. Ximen Chuixue looks even angrier than you. What's going on?"

Hearing Sikong Zhaixing's reminder, Lu Xiaofeng carefully observed Ximen Chuixue's expression and indeed saw anger in his eyes.

It was the anger born of extreme disappointment! Facing Ye Gucheng, why would Ximen Chuixue feel angry? A flash of inspiration crossed Lu Xiaofeng's mind, and he almost grasped the key to the problem.

However, at this moment, Ximen Chuixue's voice suddenly rang out.

"Today's duel ends here!"

"You... are not worthy of making me draw my sword!"

The next moment.

A fierce uproar erupted in front of the originally quiet palace! Everyone had waited all night, and instead of the duel starting, it had ended directly!

Ximen Chuixue's behavior was even stranger. If you don't want to fight, don't fight; why insult people?

What do you mean "you are not worthy of making me draw my sword"? Not fighting, just saying some inexplicable harsh words—as a dignified Sword God, is his perspective really this small?

Seeing Ximen Chuixue about to leave, Ye Gucheng became anxious.

But he only took one step forward when a sound of breaking through the air rang out.

Lu Xiaofeng saw two white lights flash in the night, shooting toward Ye Gucheng.

Hidden weapon!

"Careful!"

As soon as the words fell, Ye Gucheng's body trembled, and he revealed an expression of disbelief.

His whole body fell from the roof, smashing fiercely onto the ground.

The sudden accident stunned everyone.

Ye Gucheng just died like this?

"No one is allowed to move!"

Wei Ziyun walked to Ye Gucheng's corpse with a dark face, ordering all Imperial Guards to seal off the scene and find out who had ambushed Ye Gucheng.

A dignified Ye Gucheng died so inexplicably in this place; where could he put his face? Lu Xiaofeng was also very shocked. He walked forward, preparing to check Ye Gucheng's corpse, but was blocked by Ximen Chuixue, who was dressed in white.

He looked at Ximen Chuixue in confusion, and the latter whispered in his ear: "He is fake."

Fake?

Ye Gucheng is fake!

Lu Xiaofeng associated this with the anger Ximen Chuixue had shown earlier and suddenly understood: Ximen Chuixue was angry because a fake Ye Gucheng had come to duel him!

To prevent Ximen Chuixue from making a scene about Ye Gucheng being fake, Lu Xiaofeng hurriedly pulled his arm, and the two walked to the edge of the crowd.

Lu Xiaofeng asked: "How did you know he was fake?"

"Sword Qi and Sword Intent." Ximen Chuixue explained: "The Sword Qi on his body looks quite impressive at first glance, but it lacks Sword Intent as support. One cannot feel even a bit of the ethereal mystery of the 'Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens.' It should have been simulated using a special technique."

Lu Xiaofeng said: "Don't tell anyone else yet."

Ximen Chuixue asked: "Is this important?"

Lu Xiaofeng nodded: "Very important!"

Ximen Chuixue nodded slightly and then closed his mouth. Since his friend said it was important, he would do so.

Lu Xiaofeng passed through the crowd again, walked to Ye Gucheng's corpse, and said to Wei Ziyun: "May I check his corpse?"

Wei Ziyun said: "Others cannot, but you, Lu Xiaofeng, can."

"Many thanks." Lu Xiaofeng squatted down and began to check the "Ye Gucheng" corpse.

However, strangely, he didn't check the wounds but kept feeling the corpse's neck.

After a long while, Lu Xiaofeng, who seemed to have felt something, stood up, his expression terrifyingly ugly. Having confirmed Ye Gucheng was fake, he naturally confirmed all the doubts in his heart.

"Commander Wei, where is the Emperor right now?"

"His Majesty is in the Imperial Study. There's no need to disturb His Majesty for such a small matter, right?"

"Hmm, since Commander Wei says so, then forget it."

Wei Ziyun breathed a sigh of relief. If the Emperor knew he had handled things poorly and caused such a big mess, his official career would likely be severely marked.

Lu Xiaofeng looked toward the location of the Imperial Study, his whole body trembling slightly. He had indeed grasped a shocking conspiracy, but he chose to say nothing.

It had nothing to do with the world's common people.

He, Lu Xiaofeng, could not bear such a heavy responsibility.

He only hoped his good friend could walk out of the palace alive...

Even if it meant poking a hole in the sky, he would not hesitate.

Imperial Study.

The Emperor was standing by the window, watching the bright Mid-Autumn full moon tonight.

Having laid out so many assassins and emptied out most of his family fortune, his heart felt increasingly uneasy.

A moment later, he whispered to himself: "It's truly the inner demon acting up."

Outside the room.

A sword light came extremely fast, like a flying immortal from beyond the heavens, blue sky and white clouds, flawless and pure.

The Emperor couldn't even react, let alone dodge.

Just as the sword was about to pierce the Emperor.

A dragon's roar erupted in the Imperial Study! "Hahaha, I have the protection of the Dragon Vein! You petty villains, why don't you kneel and accept death!"

(End of chapter)