This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

This sword strike was not as simple as it appeared to outsiders. The negative effects of fighting across borders were also a severe burden on him. The divine embryo in his chest, which had been full of vigor after this strike, was now listless and weak.

Even Xiao Xingchen was weak at this moment. This time, the broken sword was not retrieved, but he used it as a support to prop himself up on the ground, panting heavily.

As for his clothes, they had long since been reduced to dust. How could he so easily withstand the might of the Taotie from the Fourth Realm? In fact, at the moment the sword energy erupted, he sensed the glow of the Yu Zi Seal, and Daji's mysterious symbol flashed briefly.

This was because Daji made her move, and because of this, although she looked disheveled, she wasn't seriously injured.

His bare torso made him look even more muscular, and his youthful energy was astonishing. Many people had overlooked how young this boy was; only now were they realizing just how young his long face truly was.

"Who am I? You want to steal my woman and you're asking me who I am? How come you're so outstanding?"

The disdainful voice made Wu Xie's face even uglier. He was supposed to be the main character today, but instead, this young man stole all the spotlight.

Wu Xie sneered, then looked at Zhan Aotian and gave him a strange look.

Xiao Xingchen witnessed this entire scene, and his suspicion grew increasingly solidified. He always believed that there was no smoke without fire, and that suspicion was never unfounded.

Xiao Xingchen spoke directly, this time addressing the War Commander.

"Commander, you should have noticed, right? Do you still want to fight? The Wildlands aren't afraid of losing face, are you?"

Dragging his depleted body, Xiao Xingchen had absolutely no desire to continue fighting. Mainly, it was pointless. In a way, they were like clowns, putting on a clumsy performance, while the spectators hadn't even shown up.

"Hmph, why shouldn't I fight? You've come out to ruin things today, I'm going to beat you into submission."

Wu Xie had just lost a tooth, his pride wounded, so he wasn't about to let him leave so easily. But his words didn't earn him a single response from Xiao Xingchen.

Xiao Xingchen was intently watching Zhan Aotian. He already had a plan in mind. It takes two to tango; once Zhan Aotian entered the capital, the people of Manghuang would have no reason to stay any longer.

"You're smart. Give me a reason not to fight."

Hearing this, Xiao Xingchen felt much more at ease. Zhan Aotian was giving him a way out, and he was the one who had to do it.

Since that's the case, then it's settled. A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm. It's just giving you a way out, isn't it? You're good at that.

Xiao Xingchen sheathed his sword, bowed slightly to the war commander, and spoke in a deep voice.

"The General's Mansion has made great contributions. Even when they entered the capital, they fought to the death against the barbarians of the wilderness. They are truly role models for us. However, with Emperor Wu here, if we were to start a war under the walls of Yong'an City, it would be disrespectful to Emperor Wu. I believe that although the General's Mansion is far away in the Northern Region, their loyalty to the Great Qian Dynasty is as clear as day. They would never do anything disrespectful to Emperor Wu. Therefore, I earnestly request that the General come to the capital. As for the barbarians of the wilderness, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Xiao Xingchen's words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, and she even brought up the accusation of disrespect, providing a solid way out for Zhan Shuai to back down.

However, his words startled both prime ministers. After exchanging a glance, they seemed to see displeasure in each other's eyes.

However, Zhan Aotian showed a satisfied expression and hurriedly responded.

"Young man, you're right. Even the War Marshal's Mansion cannot disrespect His Majesty. It was my oversight that almost caused a disaster. Guards!"

"Your subordinate is here,"

"Order all the people of the War Commander's Mansion to dismount and enter the city to show their respect for His Majesty. As for the barbarians, we'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with them in the future."

"Yes,"

As the general rode away, all the generals under his command dismounted, led their horses, and lined up to wait for entry into the city.

This caused a malicious glint to appear in Wu Xie's eyes. His entire plan had been centered around this city gate, but with the appearance of this young man, it had all fallen apart. And that woman… his gaze inadvertently swept over Daji again…

Seemingly memorizing the woman's appearance, with the warlord's arrival in the capital, he naturally had no pretext to cause trouble.

"Kid, I'll remember you. You better not fall into my hands, or I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead."

After delivering a stern threat, Wu Xie signaled to the group from the wilderness to enter the city.

The events outside the city can be described as starting strong but ending weakly. Everyone was eagerly anticipating a bloody battle, but after a few words from Xiao Xingchen, the two mortal enemies surprisingly stopped and quietly entered the city.

This was unexpected by many, but those who were observant silently kept Xiao Xingchen in their hearts, not only because he was a rising young sword immortal, but also because of his clear-sighted understanding of the world.

"If Emperor Wu finds out this brat has ruined his plans again, what do you say..." The Right Chancellor looked at Xiao Xingchen, a smile appearing on his face. No one knew why he was smiling, but he seemed quite satisfied.

"All I know is that the Great Qian Dynasty has gained a young sword immortal,"

The Left Prime Minister turned and left immediately.

It's hard to imagine that just the appearance of one more boy could cause a long-planned scheme to fall apart at the gates of Yong'an City.

War General, Desolate Grand Master—any one of them would be a remarkable figure, but with the sudden emergence of the young Sword Immortal, their brilliance has been overshadowed.

A smaller group of people knew that what was most terrifying wasn't the boy's youth, but the fact that he had just fought across three realms and even knocked out a tooth of a fourth-level expert. That was truly frightening.

The eldest princess took Huangfu Lingfeng into the palace. Their foundation was weak, and if they could have a young sword immortal at their disposal, especially since she herself was a triple-layered ghost swordsman, it would greatly facilitate their future endeavors.

If she didn't take advantage of the relationship between the late empress and the young man at this juncture, she wouldn't be the eldest princess.

As for Chen Miao, she began to seriously consider whether any interesting stories would unfold between them as this young swordsman entered the city, since she was the only one who knew the young man's details.

News began to spread rapidly, with detailed information about everything happening around Yong'an City being sent to various places.

Especially in the Imperial Palace, Emperor Wu and the Second Sage were awaiting the results. When the information returned to Emperor Wu, he remained silent for a long time, even forgetting his chess game with the Second Sage.

The Second Sage didn't urge him. Although he was also curious, at his position, he wouldn't have interfered unless the events outside the city involved his adopted disciple. After all, these matters had nothing to do with the Confucian Temple.

But after a wry smile, Emperor Wu still managed to utter a single sentence to him.

"The Second Sage has taken on a fine disciple!"