This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Xiao Xingchen smiled helplessly at the two elder brothers from the wilderness and hurriedly explained.

"Brother, this has nothing to do with me. I'm just here to watch the show. Can you let me leave first?"

Xiao Xingchen was utterly helpless. She never expected that her loose tongue would drag her into this mess; it was truly an undeserved disaster.

But with his appearance, those who had turned away, unable to bear looking at the Fourth Prince, all turned back to look at him.

"It's him? He actually came back safe and sound?"

The eldest princess was the first to react. After seeing the fourth prince's unreasonable behavior, she knew the situation outside the city gates was settled. She then took Huangfu Lingfeng to a quiet place and waited patiently for that person to arrive.

Unexpectedly, this wait led to Xiao Xingchen appearing.

"Sister, there's something strange about this person," Ling Feng said solemnly.

This prompted the eldest princess to nod in agreement, and she pondered deeply.

"The Empress Dowager personally went to see the Emperor on his behalf. Although I don't know what they discussed, they must have reached some kind of agreement. This agreement is related to him, something neither you nor I could do."

"The fact that he can be here shows that the Crown Prince's plan has failed. No, not only the Crown Prince, but many forces are very interested in him. There is no reason to let him return safely."

As she pondered, the princess frowned, then rose and went to the railing to gaze at the distant stars, sighing.

"It seems we've missed something. Just now, something must have happened that we don't know about. We need to establish our intelligence system as soon as possible, otherwise we'll be deaf, and that won't do."

"Yes, I also think something must have happened that we don't know about. The Empress Dowager has been sent to the Cold Palace again, and the Crown Prince has also disappeared. Do you think it could be related to that cold snort?"

Ling Feng was deeply suspicious. Just a short while ago, a cold snort rang out throughout Yong'an City, and the sound came from the direction Xiao Xingchen had fled.

"Actually, I'm more concerned about what connection this boy has with the Empress Dowager, and why she doesn't suspect anything at all. Ling Feng, have our people investigate this person's background. Perhaps we can understand all this once we know his origins."

Not only the eldest princess, but even the officials who had been lost in thought turned their gazes over, seemingly showing far more interest in the young man than in the fourth prince.

Clearly, many people here recognized Xiao Xingchen; he was the young man who solved the puzzle left by Xiao Jianxian at the city gate.

Sensing the commotion in the crowd, the barbarian wasn't stupid; he seemed to realize the young man's unusual nature. Even the prince hadn't attracted the attention of those important figures, but this young man...

The man on horseback gave the order directly.

"Chao Luri, take him down first. I feel this young man is not simple; be careful."

"it is good,"

The barbarian, already furious, unleashed his full power upon receiving the order. He dared not do anything to the prince, but surely this person couldn't be another prince?

He vented all his anger on Xiao Xingchen, which really annoyed Xiao Xingchen. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, he quickly devised a plan.

When he saw the two fat men trying to run away, he couldn't hold back any longer and started cursing.

"Those two fat guys, yes, don't run away, you two shameless bastards, you actually tricked me!"

The Fourth Prince, who was preparing to flee, and Zhen Youqian glanced back. Upon seeing Chao Luri wielding a spiked club, they didn't hesitate; they immediately dashed into the crowd, ignoring even Daji, and charged headlong into the crowd.

Many people coughed as they watched this scene, then covered their faces, too embarrassed to look. No wonder he didn't admit he was a prince; this was something a prince would do.

Xiao Xingchen, who was pointing at them, suddenly felt embarrassed. He wanted to run too, but at that moment, the spiked club was already upon him. He knew he was in trouble; he wasn't good at fighting, and if things went wrong, he might end up here.

Chen Miao also noticed his presence. Others might not know Xiao Xingchen's special nature, but she did. He was the only one who could unravel the secret of Xiao Jianxian, and she was the one who least wanted anything to happen to Xiao Xingchen.

"Go, protect him."

At Chen Miao's command, everyone was surprised once again. Those who had been stopping Huangfu Lingfeng and the Golden Gloves turned their guns on Chao Lu Ri and charged directly at him.

"Weren't those enemy spies on the side of the Wilderness? How come it seems like they're fighting again now?"

"Did they have a change of heart?"

"Get lost! These guys are obviously from an enemy country. Don't they understand that the enemy of my enemy is my friend? They have no reason to help our Great Qian, do they?"

"Yeah, I don't quite understand it."

. . .

Under Chen Miao's orders, the people of Dali, who had been causing trouble for Daqian just moments before, were now helping the people of Daqian. Both prime ministers frowned, somewhat puzzled as to what these people were up to.

Xiao Xingchen was about to ask the scholar sword for help, but the sudden appearance of these black-clad figures made him swallow back the distress signal he was about to shout. He even kept giving Lan Beitang meaningful glances, telling him not to come out and that he didn't need Lan Beitang's help.

Lan Beitang's attack was interrupted once again. He now understood that this charade was far from over. The officials hadn't moved, the ceremonial guards hadn't been withdrawn—this meant the main character hadn't yet appeared. Therefore, he was no longer in a hurry.

As for Xiao Xingchen, isn't he still alive?

Most importantly, if even his wife isn't worried, why should he be? Didn't he see Daji leisurely peeking out, looking completely unsatisfied, not caring at all about her man's life or death?

This made Lan Beitang think that the couple either had a grudge against each other, or that Daji had absolute confidence in Xiao Xingchen.

There probably wasn't some deep-seated hatred, but where did Xiao Xingchen's confidence in an ordinary person come from? Lan Beitang also chose to observe from the sidelines, wanting to see where Xiao Xingchen's confidence truly lay.

Three men in black surrounded Chao Lu Ri, and for a time, the battle was evenly matched. Xiao Xing Chen stood awkwardly in the center of the arena, trying to retreat several times, but each time he took a step, the fighting circle would block him. Clearly, Chao Lu Ri also felt that Xiao Xing Chen must be an important person.

Otherwise, why would these people be protecting him so desperately? Even that sword immortal didn't cause such a commotion.

As for that Fire Sword Immortal, he was already sent flying by a single blow from Chao Lu Ri. His absence since then must mean he's been severely injured. Chao Lu Ri has absolute confidence in his own strength.

Just as the stalemate reached its climax, Xiao Xingchen's eyes suddenly turned to the distance. The sound of horses' hooves echoed in the distance, followed by tremors in the ground, indicating that a large army was approaching.

"Here he comes, the main character has finally appeared."

Xiao Xingchen gazed into the distance, wondering who it could be that had such a grand entrance. Moreover, with the tremor, the large army of the Wilderness began to move, seemingly waiting for the arrival of this very person.

From a distance, the two torrents collided mercilessly on the same road leading to Beijing.