Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Their faces showed horror, and they clenched their fists in anger.

Compared to the three people's unusually agitated emotions, He Jingchuan remained remarkably calm and composed.

He turned his head and glanced lightly at the empty space below his left shoulder.

Then he looked up at the three of them and chuckled nonchalantly, "I knew you would react strongly to this, but I didn't expect it to be this intense."

There was no trace of pain on his face, only a detached calm.

At this moment, a storm was raging in Lingyan's heart.

She couldn't believe that He Jingchuan, who was once so spirited and fearless, had now lost an arm.

Her eyes gradually reddened, tears streamed down her face, and her body trembled slightly involuntarily.

Finally, after the intense emotional shock subsided, she took a step and ran quickly towards He Jingchuan.

When she ran up to He Jingchuan, she stared intently at him.

His eyes were filled with concern, anger, and confusion as he asked, "You...how did your arm...What happened? Who did this?"

Ling Yan's voice trembled, each word seemingly requiring all her strength.

Looking at the emotionally charged Ling Yan, He Jingchuan slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said with a nonchalant smile, "It's just an arm. At least I'm still alive."

His tone was very calm and indifferent, and he certainly didn't care.

But Lingyan insisted on knowing the answer.

He Jingchuan knew that if he didn't answer her, she would definitely not give up.

He lowered his eyes slightly, remained silent for a moment, then looked up calmly at Ling Yan and said slowly, "I cut it myself."

This statement was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples all around.

Ling Yan's face showed shock and confusion: "You cut it yourself? Why?"

He Jingchuan's eyes suddenly deepened, then he sighed softly and said gently, "I'll tell you about this later. Time is of the essence right now, let's talk about business first."

Lingyan naturally understood the priorities, so she nodded slightly.

Upon seeing this, He Jingchuan gently and carefully wiped away her tears.

Seeing that she had returned to normal, he smiled and continued, "I figured you should have arrived in the next few days, so I've been coming here every day to wait for you. I need to get back before dawn, so let's discuss our next steps as soon as possible."

When it came to serious matters, Lingyan and the other two temporarily forgot everything else and began to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the important matter at hand.

And so, by dawn, the four had finished their discussion.

He Jingchuan also said goodbye to them and left.

...............

Speaking of He Jingchuan, ever since he lost his left arm that day, he has been hiding in the Southern Border Imperial Palace.

If I were to enter the palaces of other countries in my current physically disabled state, I would certainly find it difficult to infiltrate them.

However, the situation is different in southern Xinjiang.

The King of Southern Xinjiang has always enjoyed collecting all sorts of extraordinary people and talents.

In his view, anyone with ability who catches his eye will be recruited into his ranks.

As a result, the Southern Frontier Palace became a melting pot of all sorts of people.

Some lost an eye, some lost a leg, and some couldn't speak.

Therefore, he didn't seem so out of place in this situation.

He was able to sneak into the palace back then thanks to the antidote pill that A-Ling gave him.

The antidote was extremely precious and had extraordinary effects. As soon as it was taken out, it aroused great interest from the King of Southern Xinjiang.

Furthermore, seeing He Jingchuan's extraordinary demeanor and the treasure he possessed, the King of Southern Xinjiang began to regard him differently, thus gaining his favor.

Therefore, He Jingchuan was able to frequently be close to the King of Southern Xinjiang.

Finally, at the opportune moment, He Jingchuan decisively took action and assassinated the King of Southern Xinjiang.

In order to avoid exposing himself, he cleverly led the murderer to the second prince of the Southern Frontier King.

When the news of the death of the King of Southern Xinjiang broke out in the palace like a thunderclap, the entire Southern Xinjiang palace was thrown into chaos.

Although the sons of the King of Southern Xinjiang were vying for the throne, none of them could bear to give up so many talented people from all walks of life.

In their view, these extraordinary individuals might be useful to them in future struggles.

Therefore, they did not allow these people to leave the palace.

He Jingchuan was thus able to live in the Southern Frontier Palace, waiting for the opportunity to join forces with the Great Zhao to destroy the Southern Frontier.

The time is finally ripe, and we will soon see the result.

So five days later, they took action.

That day happened to be the birthday banquet of the Empress Dowager of Southern Xinjiang.

It was evening, around 7 PM.

At this time, all members of the royal family, civil and military officials, and their families were attending the birthday banquet of the Empress Dowager of Southern Xinjiang in the main hall of the palace.

Inside the hall, singing and dancing filled the air, creating a peaceful and lively atmosphere.

Amidst this lively atmosphere, large swathes of fireworks were set off throughout the city.

The sound was deafening, resounding through the sky.

It instantly drowned out many sounds.

For example: the sound of a large army being mobilized.

For example: the sounds of the army entering the city and fighting with the defending soldiers.

For example: the sound of the army arriving at the palace with great momentum.

Finally, there were sounds of the army fighting desperately against the palace guards and the imperial guards.

After all the fighting was over, Lingyan's side was the victor.

Lingyan then ordered the army to quietly surround the Southern Frontier Palace and guard all the key exits of the palace and the capital.

She then went with Chu Xiyao, Shen Qingchen, and a line of soldiers to the main hall where the birthday banquet was being held.

At this moment, the night outside the main hall was as dark as ink, and the cold moonlight shone on the glazed tiles of the palace, giving off a faint, chilly glow.

Inside the main hall, there was originally singing and dancing, and a lively atmosphere.

The place fell into a deathly silence at that moment because of the arrival of these uninvited guests.

The people in the hall stared in horror at the intruders; many were still unable to react for a moment.

The Empress Dowager of Southern Xinjiang shuddered violently, nearly dropping the exquisite wine cup in her hand. Her lips trembled, and she was speechless for a long time.

The princes of the Southern Frontier royal family glared angrily, some of them suddenly rising to their feet, seemingly wanting to rebel.

But when they saw the menacing soldiers behind Ling Yan, they hesitated and dared not make any rash moves.

The civil and military officials looked at each other, their eyes filled with panic and bewilderment.

Some family members were terrified, their faces pale, and they huddled together like trembling autumn leaves.

Just then, someone noticed that something was wrong.

A military officer tried to draw his sword to fight back, but found himself powerless and unable to muster any strength.

He stared in astonishment, and then the others noticed the same thing.

Everyone's faces turned deathly pale instantly; they then realized they had been drugged.

Fear spread rapidly through the hall like a dark cloud, and people began to discuss it in a panic.

"What happened? How could we..."

"They must have used some kind of trickery!"

"It's over, it's all over..."