Wang Gang looked at Chu Xuanao, forcing an ugly smile onto his face. Rubbing his hands together, he said cautiously,
"Your Highness, what happened tonight was entirely because that madman Gens acted on his own. I tried to stop him.
But I lacked the strength and couldn't hold him back. By the time the Chief Director appeared, neither of us could make another move.
As for tonight's matter, well..."
Wang Gang's words abruptly trailed off. He did not know how to continue. Saying it outright seemed inappropriate, but if he said nothing, he would truly be in trouble.
As long as this prince spoke up and the Imperial Clan's Chief Director did not pursue the matter, he could still weather it. At the very least, keeping the position he had fought for over decades should not be a problem.
One of the Twelve Martial Positions—how many years had he struggled to rise to this post? If no one spoke for him over tonight's incident, he was afraid he would be removed.
Within the Town Martial Division, beneath the Chief Director were the Chief Directors of the Four Directions, the heads of the various local Town Martial Division branches across the provinces, and the Twelve Martial Positions. Had it been easy for him to climb this far?
Moreover, the Twelve Martial Positions existed only in the capital. Countless people had their eyes on these posts. One careless misstep, and it would all be gone.
And this time, it had been the Imperial Clan's Chief Director himself who had ordered them to watch over the people from the Divine Kingdom. Yet this happened under Wang Gang's watch, and at Prince of Qin's Manor no less!
The Imperial Clan's Chief Director had told them to keep the Divine Kingdom's people from causing trouble, but under Wang Gang's watch, they had directly attacked a prince's manor.
Was that not treating the Chief Director's face like a shoe insole?
Seeing Wang Gang at a loss, Chu Xuanao understood exactly what he was thinking. As if recalling something, a faint smile appeared on his face, and he beckoned Wang Gang over.
After whispering a few words into his ear, Wang Gang's face showed reluctance as he said quietly,
"Your Highness, will this work? This..."
Chu Xuanao turned and left, speaking only one sentence over his shoulder.
"This is Dagan, not the Divine Kingdom."
Hearing that, Wang Gang's expression struggled for a while. He stood there for a long time before his gaze gradually hardened.
His Highness was right. This was Dagan, not the Divine Kingdom. He was, after all, one of the Twelve Martial Positions of Dagan's Town Martial Division. Was he really going to let a bunch of foreigners bully him?
Besides, if not for those bastards from the Divine Kingdom, how could he have ended up in this situation?
Just for this grudge alone, he would have to settle the score if he ever got the chance.
He would do it.
After returning to the manor, Chu Xuanao summoned Haitang and Guihai Yidao. He told them exactly what he had told Wang Gang, gave them a few instructions, and then went back to sleep.
Morning came with a heavy fog. Tiandu City was already blanketed in snow, and people hurried through the streets, each occupied with their own livelihood. Yet no one mentioned what had happened last night, as if it had never occurred.
When they saw several collapsed buildings, most people merely looked away. Those nearby remained as silent as cicadas in winter.
At Prince of Qin's Manor, Chu Xuanao sat in the courtyard with Qiuyue in his arms to keep warm. Beside him, Xiao Dezi slowly recounted the news he had gathered about last night.
"Your Highness, after Prince An's Mansion was attacked last night, Fourth Prince Chu Xuan'an entered the Imperial Palace under the escort of Divine Kingdom experts.
Word from Her Highness's side is that Fourth Prince Chu Xuan'an met His Majesty late at night. He then stayed in the palace residence within the Imperial Palace and has not emerged since. Meanwhile, His Majesty remained in the Imperial Study throughout the latter half of the night.
Early this morning, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were summoned into the palace."
Looks like Fourth Brother was truly frightened this time.
Chu Xuanao sighed inwardly.
Fourth Prince Chu Xuan'an: Why don't you try it yourself?
Chu Xuan'an really had been terrified last night. The strongest foundation beneath his command had been this Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert from the Divine Kingdom, yet that expert had simply vanished before his eyes.
He had disappeared amid screams and wails. There had been no dazzling battle, and they did not even know who had done it. In the end, Gens had judged from the resentful aura that it was the Blood Lotus Sect's handiwork.
That frightened Chu Xuan'an into immediately running to the Imperial Palace to find his Imperial Father.
Though Chu Xuan'an was not favored, he was still a prince of Dagan. He also served as a link between Dagan and the Divine Kingdom. More importantly, a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert had been erased without even the chance to resist.
Forget Chu Xuan'an—even Chu Tianxiong had been badly shaken.
At that moment, Chu Tianxiong sat in the Imperial Study, staring at the two corpses before him. He had been looking at them for half the night, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He turned his gaze toward a short, hunchbacked old man examining the bodies and asked in a deep voice,
"Great Ancestor, have you found anything?"
The hunchbacked old man rose to his feet. His expression was complicated, yet his eyes brimmed with curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Even he had found nothing. Shaking his head, he said,
"No. Judging from this aura, it truly was the Blood Lotus Sect's handiwork."
Chu Yinghao, standing nearby, spoke in surprise.
"Great Ancestor, even you could not determine what method was used?"
Chu Yinghao could hardly help being shocked. Before him stood the Great Ancestor of the Chu Imperial Clan, a Heavenly Being Realm cultivator.
Although his cultivation was not the strongest within the Chu Imperial Clan, he was its oldest living relic, practically a living fossil.
His lifelong hobby was all manner of strange things. No, that was not quite right. What he liked were things he had never seen before.
How should one put it? As long as it was something he had never encountered, whether evil arts, secret techniques, strange objects, or anything else, he had to study it.
It could be said that he knew everything and could do anything. But that could not be said aloud, or someone would get beaten up.
He had studied every school of thought throughout his life and was known as Chu Undefeated, mainly because his methods were simply impossible to guard against.
No matter what cultivation method one used or what one excelled at, this old ancestor would have a way to counter it. All sorts of obscure secret techniques came readily to hand, making him impossible to deal with. He was exceedingly bizarre.
In terms of knowledge and survival skills, if this old ancestor claimed second place, no one in the world would dare claim first.
There was little under heaven that he did not know. Moreover, this Great Ancestor had created a peculiar ocular divine ability of his own. If even he could not discover the truth, then no one could.
Hearing the Great Ancestor's words, everyone present wore unpleasant expressions.
This matched the results of their investigation. Judging from the resentful aura, it truly was the Blood Lotus Sect's handiwork.
But was that possible?
If it was the Blood Lotus Sect's doing, then where were the Blood Lotus Sect experts? They knew that all too well.
Some of them had only just returned after meeting with people from the Blood Lotus Sect.
Those people had recently been planning for that matter. Why would they come to Dagan's capital?
Besides, those people were like rats in a gutter. How would they dare come to Tiandu City?
Even if someone had used the Blood Lotus Sect's methods, they had attacked a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert without leaving behind the slightest trace.
At that moment, Crown Prince Chu Xuanhao spoke.
"Imperial Father, what should be done with these two? As for the Divine Kingdom..."
In this room, the people with the lowest status should have been Crown Prince Chu Xuanhao, Prince Chen, and Second Prince Chu Xuantian.
No, the lowest-ranking person was probably the eunuch Li Yi standing beside Emperor Gan Chu Tianxiong.
Hearing Crown Prince Chu Xuanhao's words, Chu Tianxiong smiled indifferently.
"What should be done? Send the corpses back. It will be a good opportunity to see what the Divine Kingdom thinks, and to give the Blood Lotus Sect some trouble.
Besides, what does this matter have to do with Dagan?"
Chu Tianxiong then made his decision and said loudly,
"Enough, Great Ancestor. No matter who created this resentful aura, or for what purpose.
Since they have acted, they have entered the game. There is no need to rush. They will reveal themselves eventually.
Send the corpses back to the Divine Kingdom. Tell Fourth Brother that they can worry about this themselves.
For now, we should first handle the matter at hand!"
Chu Tianxiong then looked at Li Yi and ordered,
"The plan has changed. Tell Shadow to prepare. It is time for them to move. Transfer Iron Slave over as well. There can be no mistakes in this matter."
"By Your Majesty's decree. This old servant will send word shortly."
Li Yi nodded from the side.
Hearing Chu Tianxiong's words, Crown Prince Chu Xuanhao and Second Prince Chu Xuantian exchanged a glance. They wanted to speak, yet neither opened his mouth.
They knew that even if they spoke, it would be empty talk. Their words carried no weight, and there was nothing they could do.
Apart from a few people, everyone in the hall nodded. The Imperial Clan's affairs were still the most important.
Chu Yinghao looked at Chu Tianxiong, his expression somewhat complicated. He seemed to have a different thought in his heart, but in the end, he merely nodded.
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