This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 112 Showdown with Emperor Wu

"Emperor Wu, how about we make an equal exchange?"

Xiao Xingchen slowly stood up. He was relieved that the Martial Emperor didn't recognize him yet, but after today, he was destined to enter the Great Qian Emperor's field of vision.

He still wanted to make a living in this Great Qian Dynasty, so resolving today's matter peacefully was the best course of action. If a fight broke out, even if he won, he would have no place to stand in this Great Qian Dynasty; if he lost, he would end up in jail.

"Exchange? If we capture you and torture you, you'll tell us anything. Why make things so complicated?"

Wang Mang blocked his way, saying disdainfully.

“I can tell you who broke into the temple tonight, and I can also tell you what they were looking for. This matter is of great importance, and you can’t make us tell you by torture.”

Xiao Xingchen shielded Ruoxue behind him and gave her a reassuring look. He had many secrets in his heart, and he didn't believe that no Martial Emperor would be interested in them.

"Of course, this is on the premise that His Majesty is willing to talk to me. As for this general, could you please step aside for a moment? Not everything needs to be resolved through fighting. A win-win situation is the only way to solve problems."

"You ignorant brat, you think you can deceive the emperor with just a few words? You're courting death."

Wang Mang revealed a ruthless intent, slightly raising his broadsword, ready to strike.

Seeing this, Xiao Xingchen continued speaking.

"Your Majesty, the Northern Regions and the Wildlands have been fighting for many years, yet they have both come to the capital at the same time. Today, they have even joined forces with several people to lure us away from our stronghold, all for a map of the land and rivers,"

Emperor Wu remained unmoved.

"A thief mistakenly broke into the library, causing a great upheaval underground. The matter of the incense-suppressing demon prison involves the Nine Heavens, and an immortal has descended to earth. Does His Majesty have no interest in any of these things?"

"Your Majesty, I said I could make it a win-win situation for us. Today's events have attracted widespread attention. This is not the place to talk. Give me a chance, and give the Great Qian Dynasty a chance. Does the Great Qian Dynasty really want to support the Incense Prison for all eternity?"

"Nonsense! Surrender now!"

Wang Mang was furious and drew his sword to attack, but Xiao Xingchen remained motionless. He kept his eyes fixed on Emperor Wu, his initial indifference fading slightly after the emperor mentioned the Incense Prison. He was gambling; after his experience in the Incense Prison, he had a hunch.

Perhaps the greatest crisis facing the Great Qian Dynasty does not come from the Northern Regions, nor from the other kingdoms, but from the incense-filled prison beneath this ancestral temple.

Just as Wang Mang's broadsword was about to strike Xiao Xingchen's forehead, Emperor Wu finally made a move.

"Wang Mang, bring them in."

The broadsword came to an abrupt halt at Xiao Xingchen's face, the sharp blade energy piercing his skin. Fortunately, the Martial Emperor yielded.

Ruoxue looked at the man in front of her in surprise. That's it?

A few words were enough to change the Empress's mind, and she was also tempted by what Xiao Xingchen had just said.

"Don't worry, as long as the benefits are right, there are no eternal enemies in this world. Let's go and have a chat with Emperor Wu."

Patting Ruoxue behind him, Xiao Xingchen limped inside, completely ignoring Wang Mang's angry glare.

"General, I have a broken bone, could you help me up?"

"General, wait! Emperor Wu ordered you to bring me in. If I can't walk, you'll be disobeying an imperial decree."

"General, may I ask your honorable name?"

. . .

Along the way, Ruoxue tried to stop him from angering the expert wielding the knife, but Xiao Xingchen seemed to be doing it on purpose, constantly bothering Wang Mang.

Why are there dragon patterns on your armor?

“Many people are watching this place. I think you should send them all out and tell them that everything is alright here.”

"You must keep this a secret from me and His Majesty, understand?"

Wang Mang stared at Xiao Xingchen as if he were dead, and after a long while, he blurted out a sentence.

"Don't worry, I'll pull out your tongue first, then I'll make you wish you were dead."

"Hey, why are you so hostile? Emperor Wu and I are here for mutual benefit. Do you understand? It means it's advantageous for both of us. Emperor Wu won't kill me."

Emperor Wu did not go anywhere else, but instead went to the bell pavilion in the ancestral temple. This bell also had a name: the Soul-Suppressing Bell.

It wasn't until Wang Mang arrived with the two men that Emperor Wu gave another order.

"Leave the man here, Wang Mang. Take this young lady aside and wait."

"Yes, I obey."

After the two left, Emperor Wu stood at the railing, gazing at the entire city of Yong'an. Everything about Yong'an was laid out before him.

From here, one can see countless figures within Yong'an City watching this place, and also observe people moving about in the shadows.

"Speak, and you'd better be able to move me, or you'll still die."

Xiao Xingchen, however, showed no hesitation, as this wasn't their first meeting. He walked directly to the Martial Emperor's side, standing beside him and gazing into the distance.

This action made Emperor Wu frown. This young man truly had some death-defying courage to stand beside him.

“Your Majesty, you probably won’t believe me if I say this is a misunderstanding, but before that, I didn’t know the ancestral temple had such a great secret. It all started with the Flower Language Pavilion.”

"The Flower Language Pavilion?" Emperor Wu asked in surprise.

"Yes, I just went to a brothel today, but I encountered some strange things, and since I'm a bit of a busybody, I ended up here by accident,"

"Tell me in detail,"

"Wu Xie and Zhan Wuqing were acting very strangely today. They were so arrogant and domineering that they even challenged the royal family disciples to a duel. I was there at the time, but because of my humble origins, I could only watch from below. I noticed that many of the people with me were temple guards, and there were all sorts of people in the entire Huayu Tower. But in terms of the proportion of these people, the temple guards made up a large part of the group. That's when I wondered if there was something wrong with the temple."

"continue,"

"In fact, I did intend to play the victim, and I saw the Zhan family and Wu Xie's people enter the ancestral temple's library, and even heard them looking for a map,"

"Later, those men in black triggered some mechanism, which caused a tremor in the Demon-Suppressing Prison, and His Majesty knows everything that followed,"

"That's all? I'm afraid it's not enough,"

Emperor Wu replied coldly, clearly uninterested in the details of his story; he only wanted the result.

Xiao Xingchen was well aware of this, and after frowning slightly, he voiced the question that had always been on his mind.

"Since I have a request of Your Majesty, I must be able to help you, otherwise I cannot exchange my life for this. I understand this principle."

"First, something major has happened in the Northern Region. This matter is currently under strict secrecy. I suspect that all contact between the Great Qian and the Northern Region has been severed. Although the War Commander has returned to the capital, His Majesty likely does not believe the War Commander's intelligence sources."

Xiao Xingchen glanced at the Martial Emperor again and uttered four heavy words.

"The Northern Regions have fallen,"

Sure enough, when those four words were uttered, Emperor Wu's body visibly trembled.

"You're very bold. I doubt anyone in the world would dare say that the Northern Region has fallen, nor would anyone believe that the Northern Region of the Great Qian Dynasty could be lost."

"Your Majesty is right. If the news of the fall of the Northern Region is confirmed, it will shake the world. The Wilderness can penetrate directly into the heart of the Great Qian through the Northern Region. At that time, all the countries will covet the Great Qian and want a share of its spoils. The Great Qian is currently in a precarious state, but it is unaware of its own prosperity."

Xiao Xingchen continued his analysis, and seeing that the Martial Emperor did not deny it, he continued speaking.

“I’ve wondered before why the Great Qian hasn’t completely pacified the Northern Region by force for hundreds of years. His Majesty and the royal family have been hiding a great deal of power. If this power were to emerge, it wouldn’t have put the Great Qian in such a predicament. The only possibility is that there is an internal problem.”

"If we don't eliminate internal troubles, how can we defend against external threats? But what exactly are these internal troubles? I've thought about it for a long time, but now I finally understand. The internal trouble is the Incense Prison. Am I right, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Wu nodded slightly.

“You’re not bad. There are no more than five people in the Great Qian who have seen this step, but that’s not enough.”