This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

"Your Majesty, what are you talking about? How did you come to target my disciple again? He's just a child, Your Majesty, please don't take it to heart."

The Second Saint offered an explanation, because he genuinely couldn't understand it. Although that cheap disciple was mischievous, it shouldn't warrant such constant scrutiny from the top leader of the Great Qian Dynasty. Such magnanimity was truly petty.

“Second Saint, you really underestimate your disciple. This is the news that just came back. Take a look.”

Emperor Wu handed over the intelligence report. The Second Saint was reluctant to accept it, as he found court infighting extremely annoying. However, considering that the person on the other end was the ruler of a nation, he glanced at it afterward.

This glance had a significant impact; his previously calm and composed eyes instantly narrowed, and he even gasped, uttering a sound.

"Isn't it?"

No wonder the Quasi-Saint was surprised; the disciple he casually picked up turned out to be a young sword immortal? This was a ridiculously absurd coincidence.

Emperor Wu was speechless, rubbed his forehead in exasperation, and replied helplessly.

"Old drunkard, don't act innocent after getting a good deal, okay?"

"No, no, Your Majesty misunderstands. How could he be a sword immortal? I have seen him; he has no cultivation power whatsoever. He is just a promising scholar with decent literary talent. How could he become a sword immortal?"

The demure sage looked completely bewildered; all his years of cultivation had vanished. The information in his hand was incredibly detailed: a young sword immortal, and not just any ordinary one. This left him stunned and bewildered.

He knew all too well what such a young swordsman represented. He had no intention of getting mired in the quagmire of worldly struggles, but now that this swordsman was his disciple, from this day forward, his name would be heard in every storm.

Who told him to be that boy's teacher? Even if he was only a teacher for a day, he was still a teacher. Whatever that boy did in the future would be linked to him.

"Oh, Your Majesty, I must go and see for myself."

In the end, all the sorrow turned into a sigh. If Xiao Xingchen was merely a young man of exceptional literary talent, that would be his good fortune; the Confucian Temple needed such a person.

But he's a sword immortal, which is more of a curse than a blessing. After all, the things sword immortals do can truly offend many people. For example, just now, by merely exchanging a glance at the city gate, his disciple has already offended the Wilderness, the War General's Mansion, the entire court of civil and military officials, and even the Martial Emperor.

"Go on, we'll play this game of chess again when you return. Guards, escort the Second Saint out of the palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The near-sage rose, eager to use his saintly power to teleport outside the city, but since this was the imperial palace, he chose to stroll out.

Until the departure of the Second Saint, a person slowly emerged from the corner behind the Martial Emperor. If Xiao Xingchen were here, he would definitely recognize that this was Chu He.

The Martial Emperor's secret guard who had been by his side for over ten years in his previous life, monitoring his every move, was the most familiar stranger to him.

"Chu He, find a way to get close to this boy. I need to know everything about him, including who's around him, what he's been through, and every little detail. Go."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After making these arrangements, Emperor Wu's thoughts returned to the piece of paper, pondering that it was time to meet the young man in person.

With the sudden emergence of the young swordsman, many realized that an opportunity for rise had arrived; a young swordsman could bring enormous benefits to many organizations.

Just like the Blue City Academy, the appearance of the Scholar's Sword brought enormous benefits to Blue City. Countless people rushed to become disciples of the academy, which not only brought talent and wealth to Blue City, but also propelled the academy's reputation to its peak.

The appearance of the Five Sword Masters further fueled the curiosity surrounding the Southern Region, which had been dormant for many years. What kind of place could produce five young sword immortals all at once?

The Peerless Sword of the War Marshal's Mansion has astonished many. It was created by a young swordsman who achieved greatness on the desolate battlefield. The appearance of the Peerless Sword has further enhanced the prestige of the War Marshal's Mansion.

Furthermore, the phenomenon of young sword immortals is not unique to the Great Qian Dynasty; it is prevalent in all other kingdoms. The emergence of a young sword immortal inevitably sparks a fierce competition to recruit them.

And it was precisely because of this that, after the initial shock, countless people began to plot how to approach this unfamiliar young swordsman.

Xiao Xingchen became highly sought after, especially since someone recognized that the Scholar Swordsman was also by his side. This further confirmed his value, leading to many people preparing lavish gifts to visit him even before he entered the city.

"Tsk tsk, Brother Xingchen, you've been hiding it well. I never expected you to be a swordsman as well. You really gave me a shock."

Zhan Aotian and Manghuang entered the city, naturally accompanied by officials. With these important figures gone, Yong'an City regained its prosperity. Lan Beitang was the first to rush forward, then found a cloth robe and draped it over him.

"It's nothing to mention, it's just that we were forced by circumstances. Now look what's happened, this is going to be a headache."

Xiao Xingchen wasn't exaggerating; the people around him looked at him with an intense, almost fervent gaze, as if they wanted to tear him apart and devour him whole.

"Haha, this kind of gaze is something all young people who achieve fame should experience. You'll get used to it. But have you thought about what to do next? The brutes won't let this go easily."

“I understand. Let’s find a place first and talk slowly. I don’t like being treated like a monkey.”

Xiao Xingchen gestured for him to follow, and pulled Daji up. Although he had many questions for Daji, this was not the time to speak. The three of them quickly disappeared into Yong'an City.

He had finally entered Yong'an City. As he entered, Xiao Jianren's memories began to take effect; no one understood Yong'an better than Xiao Jianren.

In this place, there's no petty theft or smuggling that Xiao Jianren doesn't know. With these conveniences, their immediate priority is to get rid of the people harassing them.

But before they could run, Zheng Youqian suddenly stopped them.

"Gentlemen, the Fourth Prince has invited you. Shall we go?"

Even with real money, she still exuded wealth; her large belly swayed as she walked, and she alone blocked the way of three people.

“Fourth Prince? We don’t know him,” Lan Beitang volunteered to stand at the front.

"So you've met now, haven't you? We didn't invite you, Scholar Swordsman, we invited the young man behind you,"

Zhen Youqian remained neither arrogant nor humble, showing no fear despite the scholar-sword being a sword immortal. Instead, he peered at Xiao Xingchen, occasionally glancing at Daji.

"These people can't be trusted," Lan Beitang whispered to Xiao Xingchen.

"No rush, let's go take a look. Now that we're in Yong'an City, we must follow the rules, even princes."

Xiao Xingchen knew this place very well; the rules were the norm here, so he wasn't afraid that the Fourth Prince would continue to trick him.

After giving Daji a reassuring look, he finally had time to examine the fat man, and memories of him began to surface.

Zheng Youqian, true to his name, was indeed extremely wealthy. To say he was richer than a nation wouldn't be an exaggeration, as the Zheng family not only did business in the Great Qian Dynasty but also in other countries. It's said that gambling, prostitution, and drugs are the fastest ways to make money, but that's because there's another way to make money quickly that most people can't do.

That's arms dealing, or in this world, the arms trade, such as weapons, protective gear, and even siege equipment. The Zheng family is in this business, though very few people know they're involved in arms dealing; publicly, they're a traveling merchant guild.

Although Zheng Youqian dressed like a nouveau riche, he was far from simple and had a very deep mind. In his previous life, Xiao Jianren had dealt with him and suffered quite a bit as a result.

As for the fourth prince, after careful recollection, I don't have a deep impression of him. It seems that he died within a year of arriving in Yong'an. In other words, the fourth prince I am about to meet is a short-lived man.