Chapter 1120

"Oh."

Gai Nie smiled faintly, responding with indifference.

He then ignored Wei Zhuang and Master Ban, strolling toward this Lanchi Hall.

Master Ban, seeing Gai Nie's disrespect, grew furious and wanted to scold him again.

But Wei Zhuang merely said calmly,

"The lord currently favors him—why bother seeking humiliation yourself?"

One sentence left Master Ban speechless.

Gai Nie climbed the steps on his own, step by step, heading toward Lanchi Hall.

On the steps, those disguised as imperial guards and Eunuchs made no move to stop him.

Only when Gai Nie reached the Dadian entrance did the Eunuch loudly announce,

"Gai Nie requests an audience!"

Gai Nie couldn't help but smile—it was a perfect imitation.

Stepping into Lanchi Hall, he found its decorations and layout identical to the real one.

Beneath the Danbi, scores of civil and military officials in black robes stood in formation.

Where the representatives of the Hundred Schools should have stood, numerous experts now filled the space.

For instance, Jiumo Zhi and Gusu Murong Fu, who had arrived earlier at Shanzhuang.

The others, Gai Nie did not recognize.

"Bow!"

As Gai Nie surveyed this fake Lanchi Hall, his gaze about to reach the Danbi,

The Golden Mace Guards at the entrance suddenly roared, slamming their heavy golden maces hard against the ground.

The impact was deafening—and a hidden force surged from the floor toward Gai Nie's knees.

At this moment, Gai Nie's strength had only recovered one or two tenths.

Caught off guard by this force, his knees nearly buckled.

"Petty and spiteful, yet you want me to kneel? Not a chance!"

Gai Nie was not one to yield to pressure—he would never kneel to this impostor.

Instantly, he gathered his remaining true qi to resist the force surging from the ground.

As his true qi stirred, his stance stabilized at once.

"Impudent!"

Seeing the first strike fail, the Axe-and-Yue Guard opposite the Golden Mace Guard roared, raising his weapon and striking down hard.

Another cruel force shot up from the ground at high speed.

It merged with the Golden Mace Guard's force.

Even with his one or two tenths of true qi restored, Gai Nie was caught completely unprepared.

His knees bent, about to collapse to the ground.

"Hmph!"

Just as Gai Nie prepared to unleash his sword Dao to resist,

A cold snort rang out, instantly scattering both forces.

"Wei Zhuang, how dare you be disrespectful before His Majesty?"

The Golden Mace Guard turned to see the one who had intervened—Wei Zhuang, Gai Nie's junior and a top expert of Shanzhuang.

He could not help but voice his outrage on the spot.

"A scholar may be killed, but not humiliated."

Wei Zhuang glanced at Gai Nie, then addressed the Golden Mace Guard,

"Besides, Gai Nie is a sage the lord seeks to recruit—why subject him to such humiliation?"

As he spoke, he casually glanced at Jiumo Zhi, Gusu Murong Fu, and the others.

The two of them immediately flushed red.

Clearly, when they had entered this fake Lanchi Hall, they too had been given a harsh welcome by the Golden Mace and Axe-and-Yue Guards.

But they had no one like Wei Zhuang to defend them.

"You—"

The Axe-and-Yue Guard, enraged, raised his weapon and prepared to strike Wei Zhuang.

"Enough. Stand down. Gai Nie is indeed my honored guest—do not be disrespectful."

Unnoticed until now, the figure of the lord had suddenly appeared upon the Long Yi.

Yet now the lord no longer wore the pig-nose mask—he wore a refined mask of unknown material.

Seeing this mask, Gai Nie was momentarily stunned.

So similar!

The lord's mannerisms were astonishingly like those of Hearing Ying Zheng.

"Master Gai is the chief swordsman of the Qin court. When I one day ascend the throne and become Emperor Qin Huang,

He shall be my chief swordsman!

Such a talent must not be treated with disrespect.

Bring a seat for Master Gai."

The lord treated Gai Nie with exceptional favor—granting him a seat on the spot.

Remember, Lanchi Hall held only one Long Yi.

Everyone else was standing, including Jiumo Zhi and Gusu Murong Fu.

As soon as the lord gave the order, a eunuch brought forward a round stool.

Hearing Gai Nie did not refuse; he sat down firmly and steadily.

Normally, when someone of higher rank is present, even if granted a seat, one may only sit on the edge.

How could anyone sit fully upon it, as Hearing Gai Nie did?

Seeing Hearing Gai Nie's manner, all in the hall were filled with anger.

Someone else was about to step forward to denounce him.

But the lord merely waved his hand, signaling no need to pursue it.

Then he spoke to Hearing Gai Nie:

"Mr. Gai, did you see the Mud Bodhisattva?"

This question was clearly asking what he already knew.

Hearing Gai Nie nodded and said:

"The Mud Bodhisattva, a master who foretells the patterns of heaven and earth—even within the Qinglong Society, he would be a honored guest.

Yet I never expected your Despair Shanzhuang to be so powerful as to imprison such a master in a dark chamber—hehe…"

The final "hehe" dripped with mockery.

As if to say: if you cannot even tolerate a master like the Mud Bodhisattva, how dare you dream of seizing the throne of Great Qin?

"Hearing Gai Nie, do not push too far."

Gusu Murong Fu could no longer hold back and spoke directly:

"Do you truly believe your Flying Sword Art can defeat anyone here?

I doubt even I could be bested by you?"

Earlier in Feihuangzhen, Gusu Murong Fu had used the Flying Sword Art to knock Zhu Jia flying.

Though he had not unleashed its ultimate technique, the Hundred Paces Flying Sword.

Yet from that display, Gusu Murong Fu was clearly a master of the Flying Sword Art.

If matched against Hearing Gai Nie, Gai Nie was by no means certain to win.

Yet Hearing Gai Nie cared nothing for victory or defeat; he looked at Gusu Murong Fu coolly and said:

"What? Is this hall now to decide seating by sword duel?"

These words enraged nearly everyone in the hall.

After all, besides Hearing Gai Nie and the lord, no one else was seated.

Though it seemed Gai Nie mocked Gusu Murong Fu, he was in truth mocking every expert in the hall as the lord's servants.

Yet no matter how furious these men became, none dared speak out as directly as Gusu Murong Fu did.