This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 234 Shadow Chase

After making proper arrangements for Chen Buxu, Yan Yi was also released. Although she was extremely unwilling, under Xiao Xingchen's insistence, she was settled along with Chen Buxu.

Afterwards, Xiao Xingchen collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon. The game of Daqian was like a chaotic battle, and he was completely lost, not knowing where any of the powerful generals were.

"Often, what we pursue is nothing more than a few things,"

Xizhu suddenly spoke, as if enlightened.

"Money and power?" Xiao Xingchen's eyes instantly brightened, shining like stars.

"Power and money are the pursuits of mortals. But when one reaches the level of Emperor Wu of the Great Qian Dynasty, his pursuits must be even higher. Just think about it, what is the greatest desire of an emperor?"

"Unify the world!" Xiao Xingchen suddenly stood up. Xi Zhu's words were like a sharp sword, piercing through the fog in his heart and making him realize the truth.

Yes, looking back over five thousand years of history, the ultimate goal of every emperor has been nothing more than the unification of the world. This is an obsession that they find difficult to overcome, and Emperor Wu was no exception. How could he transcend worldly affairs?

If his goal is also unification, then all current matters can be deduced from this result.

"This child is teachable, but there are still nine heavens above the Martial Emperor."

Xizhu continued to offer guidance.

"Therefore, the only way to achieve unification is to completely overthrow the Nine Heavens. Could Emperor Wu's laissez-faire attitude be a scheme to achieve this?"

"That is what you need to think about carefully next. Once you understand one person's desires, you can see through many people and things."

"And what about you? What is your stance?"

"Haven't I already told you? I am a traveling merchant. If I had to say what makes me different from other merchants, perhaps it would be that my business spans the entire Nine Heavens?"

"What exactly does the Nine Heavens look like?"

"Where there are people, there will be conflict. What is the difference between the Nine Heavens and the Great Qian Dynasty? It's just that the rules are different, and therefore the consequences are different."

How can I ascend to the Ninth Heaven?

Xiao Xingchen never forgot his search for Daji, nor for the missing Chen Miao. The death of Chen Haoran remains a mystery to this day.

"Come find me when you've thought things through. I'll stay in Yong'an for a while and let you know before I leave. If you still insist on going out to make your way in the world by then, you're welcome to come find me."

Xi Zhu nodded slightly. From the moment he stepped into this place until he turned and left, it seemed that he had only one purpose: to take Xiao Xingchen away from Da Qian. These words shocked Ruoxue and Huangfu Lingxue, who were listening from the side. The two people in front of them seemed to be hiding an unspeakable secret.

Watching Xizhu walk away into the distance, Xiao Xingchen finally spoke to explain to the two of them, "She's looking for someone, and coincidentally, I'm also looking for this person, so..."

Before he could finish speaking, a figure rushed in like lightning.

"Who?" Xiao Xingchen's eyes turned cold, and the three of them attacked simultaneously.

"it's me!"

"OP?"

"Your Highness, Consort Xian?"

Upon seeing who it was, the three were all startled.

"I'm in big trouble, quickly find a way to get rid of this threat!"

The Consort Xian hurriedly uttered a sentence and then sped off behind them like lightning. This startled the three of them quite a bit. How dare someone cause trouble for the Consort Xian? Did they have the guts of a bear or a leopard?

In a short while, their doubts were answered, as a figure hidden in the shadows suddenly appeared in the hall.

"What kind of monster dares to cause trouble in my Prince Kao Shan's mansion?"

Xiao Xingchen's voice was like a booming bell, deafening and seemingly shaking the entire Yong'an City. His roar was mixed with the power of Fusang in his chest, like an enraged lion, spreading outwards in all directions.

This roar, like a thunderclap, resounded throughout Yong'an, and half of the city heard the King of Kao Shan's cry.

The various forces that had been drifting apart turned around in astonishment, exchanging bewildered glances and wondering to themselves, "Who dares to cause trouble for that bastard? Just who is he?"

"No matter who it is, we should all go and join in the fun and cheer them on."

One after another, figures began to turn back like ghosts. This time, they did not use the main gate. They even hurriedly found a night-clothes and then, like ghosts, concealed their whereabouts and sped towards the Prince Kao Shan's mansion.

Xiao Xingchen's shout was not just empty talk. When he saw that the people who appeared were the shadows that Xizhu had mentioned, he knew very well that these guys were not easy for him to deal with.

So he simply used all his strength and let out this earth-shattering roar.

This roar was like a sharp sword piercing the sky, leaving even the shadows stunned and speechless.

He was ordered to arrest people, but this was, after all, the Prince Kao Shan's residence, personally appointed by Emperor Wu, so the proper etiquette could not be neglected.

However, he never expected that before he could make a move, he would be enveloped by a dense barrage of sword light, one of which was as fast as lightning and as swift as the wind. The moment he appeared, it almost pierced him through.

"Your Highness, stop!"

His words were like a stone sinking into the sea, receiving no response. None of the three were indecisive, and after witnessing the Empress Dowager being hunted down, regardless of the reason, the three of them unanimously chose to face the challenge head-on.

Huangfu Lingxue conjured her own ghost sword for the first time, which made Xiao Xingchen realize that the so-called ghost sword was actually herself!

Ruoxue was even more ruthless and decisive, her sword rain surrounding the shadows like a profusion of flowers, and a series of sharp sword energies launching a fierce frontal attack like a storm.

After a moment's thought, Xiao Xingchen's sword power, which had been accumulating in his chest, suddenly erupted like a volcano. An unparalleled sword aura shot straight into the sky. Since his breakthrough, his chest had been like a volcano ready to erupt. This power could no longer be suppressed and just wanted to be released. Unfortunately, he had not been able to find an opponent.

The appearance of the shadow today finally gave him a good opportunity. The power of the second level of the battle sword, along with the destructive aura of the heavenly blade, descended from the sky, determined to cleave the shadow in two. There were no fancy sword moves, only savage and domineering rampage.

Faced with such an attack, Shadow surprisingly showed no intention of dodging, but instead watched helplessly as three sharp swords pierced his body as if they were nothing.

With a deafening roar, the main hall was instantly blasted into pieces, and flying dust and wood chips spewed up like volcanic ash, engulfing the Prince Kao Shan's mansion in smoke and dust, drawing the attention of everyone.

"Hmm?" Amidst the smoke and dust, Xiao Xingchen frowned. This shadow seemed like an ethereal phantom, allowing their three swords to pierce its body as if striking thin air, causing no damage whatsoever. As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the three gathered together, as if facing a formidable enemy. The shadow reappeared, a mocking smile still gracing its face.

"I only address you as Prince Kao Shan out of respect for His Majesty, but if I didn't give you face, who would you be? How dare you draw your sword against me? Don't you know what death means?"

A sinister, low voice emanated from the shadow's mouth, as if it came from the deepest hell, revealing his hideous face in its entirety.

What a face it was! It looked like a clay figure that had been carelessly kneaded by a naughty child. Although it had human features, they were all out of place like a wild horse, with the features flying around as if it were engaged in an absurd and nonsensical carnival.

The eyes and nose were swapped, and the mouth seemed to have grown wings and flown onto the face.

This bizarre scene sent chills down the spines of the three, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. Even Xiao Xingchen, who had been reborn, was terrified by the inhuman face.

How could a person be born with such a face?

Fortunately, he was completely hidden in his black robe. If someone else had seen him, they would probably have been shocked and thought they had encountered a ghost.

"Who are you, daring to trespass on my residence?"

Xiao Xingchen frowned, thinking to himself, "As expected, he is a formidable enemy that even Xizhu has to treat with caution. Such a strange opponent has truly left me somewhat helpless."

"Ruoxue, go quickly and keep the others in the manor calm. Don't let them get close to this place."

His gaze sharpened as he looked at Ruoxue, signaling her to leave immediately. Taking advantage of the sealing off of the area, he quickly went to inquire with Consort Xian about what had happened.

The fact that the dignified mistress of the harem was being hunted down would likely cause a huge uproar in Yong'an if word got out.

"Okay, I'll go and keep the others calm. Be careful, I'll be back as soon as possible."

Shadows didn't hesitate, after all, their identities couldn't be revealed yet. Seeing the King of the Mountain's arrangement, he was actually quite satisfied.

"I am His Majesty's personal guard. I have come here to apprehend a wanted criminal. Have you seen him before?"

As they were speaking, a token flew towards them like a shooting star.

"Wanted criminal? What wanted criminal?" Xiao Xingchen pretended not to know, examined the token with his eyes wide with astonishment. This was actually the Martial Emperor's Dragon Token. This person was indeed the Martial Emperor's man!

"She is a woman, a rare and extraordinary woman, like a bright star in the night sky, radiating a unique light."

"I don't have much else here, but women are as numerous as fish crossing a river. Is there anything special about them?"

"Let me go in and see for myself."

“My prestigious Prince Kao Shan’s Mansion is not to be entered and exited at will. Your actions have caused me to lose face.”

"Hehe, you really think highly of yourself?"

"Then why don't you give it a try and see if I can take your life?"

Xiao Xingchen's lips curled into a slight, contemptuous smile. Xi Zhu was not far away; he didn't believe he couldn't kill this guy of unknown origin.

Ever since he first encountered this group, he had kept it in mind. The fact that people could exist in the shadows aroused his curiosity from both a scientific and theological perspective, and he had long wanted to capture one and study it carefully.

He never expected someone to come to him so readily. If Xizhu hadn't been there, he probably wouldn't have dared to be so arrogant. After all, compared to these mysterious figures, he found Xizhu to be far more frightening.