Farewell to the Seventh Prince, the Capital's Undercurrents Surge

After a long while, Lin Yuan finally recovered from his immense shock.

He looked at the high-spirited Lin Hanzhou, his heart filled with a myriad of emotions.

There was gratification, worry, and more than anything, an indescribable complexity.

He knew that his eleventh younger brother no longer needed his protection.

The other party had already become a hidden dragon, ready to stir up the winds and clouds!

"Good... good... good!"

Lin Yuan repeated the word "good" three times. He took a deep breath and patted Lin Hanzhou on the shoulder solemnly.

"Since you are no longer the person you once were and have your own resolve, this older brother will no longer stand in your way."

"However, remember in all things, caution is paramount! Third Brother, Ninth Brother, and the others are by no means ordinary foes."

Lin Hanzhou nodded heavily and spoke.

"I understand, Seventh Brother. You take care of yourself as well."

Having said that, he did not linger. He cupped his hands toward Lin Yuan and turned to leave.

As he departed, he did not forget to snatch the longsword from one of the guards.

He did not take the carriage again, but instead led the sturdiest black horse from the post station and vaulted onto its back.

Under the shocked gaze of the post station manager, Lin Hanzhou rode toward the capital.

Lin Yuan stood at the entrance of the post station, silently watching Lin Hanzhou's retreating figure as he kicked up a cloud of dust.

Only when the man and horse had shrunk into a tiny black dot, disappearing at the end of the official road leading to the capital, did he snap out of his trance.

Lin Yuan ordered his attendants in a low, stern voice.

"Someone, seal off this post station. No one is permitted to leave without authorization."

"Yes!"

After issuing the command, Lin Yuan looked up at the sky, stained the color of blood by the sunset, and muttered to himself.

"Eleventh Brother, you truly leave this older brother in awe. Just how many secrets have you been hiding?"

"Tonight in the capital, the mountain wind is rising, and the storm is about to break."

The night curtain, like a massive black cloth, slowly enveloped the entire capital.

Lin Hanzhou rode his swift horse, stepping once again into this familiar, majestic city.

Tonight, there were noticeably more guards at the city gates. Torches blazed, illuminating the cold, metallic luster of the soldiers' armor.

They held long halberds, their gazes as sharp as hawks, scrutinizing everyone attempting to enter or exit.

However, when Lin Hanzhou revealed the dragon-patterned waist medallion symbolizing his status as an imperial prince, they all displayed expressions of reverence.

The captain in charge verified the authenticity of the medallion repeatedly before immediately clearing the way for Lin Hanzhou.

Yet, while the captain was checking the medallion, one of his trusted subordinates had already quietly slipped away from the ranks.

The man sprinted toward a certain direction within the city, clearly off to spread the news.

Lin Hanzhou naturally noticed this, but he did not care in the slightest.

He knew that with the current tense situation in the capital, the news of his return could not possibly be kept hidden.

Meanwhile, inside the study of the Third Prince's mansion, the lights were burning bright.

"Report! Your Highness, the Eleventh Prince, Lin Hanzhou, has entered the city and is riding alone toward the Imperial Palace."

The scout knelt on one knee, reporting with great speed.

"Oh? He actually dares to return?"

Hearing this, the Third Prince, Lin Tai, who was wiping a long saber, paused his movements, a cruel smile appearing on his face.

"Interesting. It seems this younger brother of mine has grown tired of living. A mere martial arts waste dares to covet the throne?"

Just then, a strategist by Lin Tai's side stepped forward and whispered.

"Your Highness, this matter is slightly suspicious."

"According to the news from the city gate captain, the Seventh Prince, Lin Yuan, did not accompany him. Furthermore... it is said that when the Eleventh Prince returned, his bearing was vastly different from before."

"Bearing? He is nothing but a waste, just putting on a show."

Lin Tai scoffed in disdain, not taking it to heart at all.

"Could it be that he became a martial arts expert just by riding in a carriage? How laughable."

"Pass down the order: send the Night Owl to deal with him."

"Yes!"

The strategist bowed to accept the order, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

The Night Owl was a peak Ninth-Stage Houtian expert under the Third Prince's command, skilled in stealth and assassination.

For him to deal with a trash prince was undoubtedly using a butcher's cleaver to slaughter a chicken.

On the other side, in the residence of the Ninth Prince, Lin Hao, the atmosphere was far more tranquil.

Lin Hao sat before that unfinished game of chess, as if he had been sitting there motionless for several hours.

When he heard the news of Lin Hanzhou entering the city, he merely gave a faint "Mn," not even lifting his eyelids.

"Your Highness, the Third Prince seems to have already dispatched the Night Owl to intercept and kill the Eleventh Prince. Should we..."

A subordinate dressed in black whispered his request for instructions.

"No need. Third Brother has an impetuous temperament; it is perfect to let him pave the way for us."

Lin Hao looked up from the chessboard, his gentle eyes flickering with the light of wisdom and calculation.

"This Eleventh Brother of mine always gives me a very strange feeling."

"If he is truly as weak as they say and dies at the hands of the Night Owl, it will save us some trouble."

"But if he can survive the Night Owl, then... things will become interesting."

Speaking to this point, Lin Hao paused, a meaningful smile curling the corners of his lips.

"Have those three Xiantian retainers come to see me. We shall head to the Imperial Palace; we cannot let Third Brother get there first."

"Understood, Your Highness!"

Within the capital, the streets were now completely deserted, with every household keeping their doors and windows tightly shut.

Even the usually bustling brothels and taverns had extinguished their lamps, leaving the area in deathly silence.

Lin Hanzhou rode his horse forward, completely unaffected by the surrounding environment.

The direction he was heading was none other than the Imperial Palace, which symbolized the supreme power of the Great Sui.

However, just as he passed through a pitch-black alleyway, three flying daggers shimmering with cold light struck from the shadows, aiming directly for Lin Hanzhou's vitals.

Seeing this, Lin Hanzhou's expression remained calm, as if he had sensed it long ago.

While on horseback, he leaned slightly to the side, easily dodging one of the flying daggers.

As for the other two, he caught them one by one with his hand, gripping them firmly.

The Night Owl in the shadows was stunned into a state of shock upon seeing this.

He had originally assumed that Lin Hanzhou would surely die under his flying daggers, but he had not expected the other party to catch them with such ease.

Are you kidding me? You call this a martial arts trash?

Before the Night Owl could recover from his shock, a flying dagger was already hurtling toward him from out of nowhere.

Hearing the sound of the air being torn apart beside his ear, the Night Owl's pupils constricted, and he hurriedly dodged.

"Bang!"

The flying dagger missed its mark, ultimately smashing a hole into the bluestone pavement.

Looking at the hole in the bluestone, cold sweat broke out on the Night Owl's forehead.

Fortunately, he had relied on years of combat experience to dodge that strike; otherwise, he would have surely died on the spot.

He realized that the Lin Hanzhou before him was by no means the martial arts trash of legend, but a hidden Xiantian expert.

The power behind that flying dagger just now must have been reinforced by the True Qi of a Xiantian expert.

Realizing this, the Night Owl did not hesitate in the slightest and turned to run.

He was joking; as a Houtian Ninth Layer expert, he was well aware of the might of a Xiantian expert.

The other party could kill him in a single move; staying behind would be nothing but suicide.

Watching the direction in which the Night Owl fled, Lin Hanzhou couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

Run? That is indeed a decent choice, but can you actually escape?

Immediately, Lin Hanzhou threw the other flying dagger in his hand toward the fleeing Night Owl.