Yu Xiaogang's Mysterious Confidence, Wants Zhu Zhuqing Back?!

As he spoke, Oscar made to rush out the door.

"You stand right there!"

Dai Mubai hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Oscar and pulling him back.

"You are purely looking for death!"

Dai Mubai's body trembled slightly from fear.

In his mind, the scene of their encounter at the plaza surfaced once again.

The other party hadn't even released any soul power; that terrifying pressure, which felt almost tangible, had been enough to pin him down so that he couldn't even move a single finger.

"You don't understand his terror at all."

"With just a single thought from him, everyone here would be dead without a burial ground!"

Hearing this description from Dai Mubai, the group fell silent once more.

Emotions of fear and anxiety spread through the air.

"We can't do this, we can't do that, so what exactly are we supposed to do?"

Xiao Wu asked with red eyes and a sobbing tone.

Just as everyone was at their wit's end, Yu Xiaogang, who had been sitting in the corner without saying a word, stood up.

He clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, don't panic yet."

"Things might not have reached the point of despair."

Yu Xiaogang looked at the anxious crowd and slowly laid out his plan.

"Liu Erlong has a certain amount of status and connections here in Heaven Dou City."

"I can try to ask Liu Erlong for help and see if we can contact this Marquis of Wuyang through the relations of the Heaven Dou Empire royal family."

"If we can negotiate properly, we might just be able to get Zhu Zhuqing back."

Hearing these words, the previously desperate Dai Mubai felt a glimmer of hope instantly erupt in his eyes.

As if he had grabbed onto the last straw of life, he rushed directly in front of Yu Xiaogang and bowed deeply on the spot.

"Master!"

"I leave this matter to you! As long as Zhuqing can be saved, I, Dai Mubai, will be your beast of burden for the rest of my life!"

The imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire was plunged into an unprecedented carnival.

The defeat of the Star Luo Empire and the subsequent ceding of territory and payment of reparations meant that every street here was draped in vibrant, colorful silks.

This grand celebration, a nationwide festivity, was set to last for an entire month.

When night fell.

The depths of the imperial palace were brightly lit, illuminating the night sky as if it were day.

A grand banquet of the highest order was proceeding in an orderly fashion within the magnificent, golden hall.

The earlier welcoming ceremony had passed; tonight was the genuine, formal victory banquet.

The high-ranking officials and dignitaries of the imperial court were all gathered here, their exchanges over wine and cups reeking of extreme extravagance.

At the very top of the hall.

Tang Yu sat casually in a position beside Great Emperor Xue Ye.

This seating arrangement was a grave breach of protocol; he was even closer to the center of imperial power than the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, who sat to the side.

Yet, as the civil and military officials sat below, not a single one dared to voice an objection, nor did they even have the courage to look directly at that young man.

Great Emperor Xue Ye lifted a golden chalice inlaid with gemstones, stood up with a glowing face, and loudly announced to the assembled officials.

"The Marquis of Wuyang led the army to crush ten cities of Star Luo, showing unparalleled bravery and achieving illustrious war merits; he is truly the number one heroic genius of our Heaven Dou!"

Seeing this, the officials stood up from their seats one after another, raising their wine cups high.

All sorts of flattering and flowery praise surged toward the top like a tide.

Facing these overwhelming compliments, Tang Yu merely propped his chin on one hand, his attitude extremely perfunctory.

He had always loathed these hypocritical and artificial social occasions.

Compared to listening to these civil officials mince words, the battlefield, filled with blood and slaughter, was much more to his taste.

Sitting on the other side, Xue Qinghe held his wine cup and leaned in slightly.

In the eyes of this Heaven Dou Crown Prince as he looked at Tang Yu, there was an undisguised, deep sense of admiration.

"The peerless martial prowess of the Marquis on the battlefield is truly awe-inspiring. If there is a chance, I would truly like to witness with my own eyes the heroic posture of the Marquis as he tramples the enemy camp."

Tang Yu turned his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Xue Qinghe's face without any restraint.

He knew clearly in his heart that beneath the skin of this gentle and elegant Crown Prince was none other than Qian Renxue of the Martial Soul Hall.

Under the bright lights of the great hall, Tang Yu scrutinized him carefully. Even with the disguise provided by the spirit bone, the contours of those features were so exquisite that not a single flaw could be found, and the skin was as delicate as grease.

Such a top-tier beauty—since he had stumbled upon one, he had to find a way to take them into his chambers as soon as possible.

Tang Yu picked up the wine cup on the table and swirled it gently in the air.

"Compared to those dull and boring military exploits, I am actually more interested in His Highness the Crown Prince."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe was slightly stunned.

Tang Yu did not pause, continuing with a tone of unbridled recklessness.

"Your Highness possesses such an excellent bone structure; I dare say that even if all the carefully selected beauties in this vast imperial palace were added together, they would not equal one ten-thousandth of Your Highness."

"If one day, Your Highness were to put on that stunning women's attire, I fear all the women in this world would lose their luster."

These words fell into her ears.

The fingers Xue Qinghe used to grip the wine goblet tightened abruptly, the knuckles turning slightly white.

Her entire body's muscles stiffened to the extreme in that instant, and a wave of heat climbed straight up her neck to those fair cheeks, a visible, alluring crimson flush sweeping across them.

"The Marquis truly knows how to make fun of me."

She suppressed the surging emotions in her heart with all her might, attempting to maintain the composure and dignity befitting a Crown Prince.

Yet, deep within those beautiful eyes, a trace of joy that she could not hide clearly spilled out, beyond her control.

From childhood to the present, in order to complete the infiltration mission of Martial Soul Hall, she had always presented herself in the guise of a man.

Never before had any man dared to speak to her in such a teasing and aggressive tone.

This tyrant, who was so decisive in slaughter on the battlefield, was now making moves with a hint of frivolity that unexpectedly sent a strange ripple through the depths of her heart.

Tang Yu watched her forced display of calm, a flash of playfulness crossing his eyes.

The two of them chatted back and forth at the banquet just like that.

Tang Yu tossed out a few suggestive remarks every now and then.

Xue Qinghe, meanwhile, was at times embarrassed, yet at other times, she could not help but want to follow the topic and continue the conversation.

That bashful demeanor, unique to a young woman, appeared particularly vivid and interesting under the disguise of the Crown Prince.

Great Emperor Xue Ye, off to the side, took all of this in.

Watching Tang Yu almost completely ignore him, the sovereign of a nation, to chat so heatedly with the Crown Prince, the old emperor's sagging eyelids could not help but twitch violently.

This was practically slapping him, the monarch, in the face in front of everyone.

To assert his presence, Great Emperor Xue Ye forced an unnatural, withered smile and spoke up to interrupt the two.

"The Marquis of Wuyang is young, yet already possesses such terrifying cultivation that he can suppress a nation. I wonder what methods you follow in your daily practice?"

"With all the officials present today, why not share it, so that the good-for-nothing younger generation of my Heaven Dou Empire may learn more?"