9: Assassination at the Prince's Mansion

Black Water Gang Headquarters.

The place was in a mess, and the treasury door, where primal stones and yuan ticket were stored, had been forcibly blasted open.

"As expected of an underground force whose influence covers an entire prefecture, their financial resources are quite impressive."

Xia Xuan's eyes lit up as he watched Wu Zhong count the submitted figures.

In the Black Water Gang's treasury, there were over three million yuan ticket. Adding what was won from the Black Gambling Den and what was robbed, the total harvest for this night exceeded five million primal stones.

"[Scavenged the people's wealth, tyrant points +30]"

"Improper wording. I'm eliminating a menace for the people," Xia Xuan said, taking advantage of the situation while acting innocent.

"Your Highness, we've already torn down the Black Water Gang's headquarters, and no one has shown up. Prince Qi probably won't come," Wu Zhong reminded him.

The commotion tonight was big enough; the Imperial Capital would certainly not be peaceful tomorrow.

"There are no clues, but letting them see the consequences of dealing with this Prince, and this Prince's retaliation, is enough. Whether Prince Qi comes or not, it's harmless. It just means one less sum to extort."

Xia Xuan had achieved his goal and felt it was meaningless to stay longer, so he was about to leave.

Just then, a sharp whistling sound pierced their eardrums.

A black Protective Aura, like ink, raged and swept through the darkness, blocking their path.

Wu Zhong's pupils constricted: "It's you!"

"Your Highness, he's the man in black from last night!"

"The Black Water Gang's leader?" Xia Xuan was suspicious. The events of last night, repeatedly involving Prince Qi, made him wonder if someone was trying to frame him.

But according to Wu Zhong, this person had infiltrated the Fengyue District last night and had already used his methods outside Xianle Tower, preparing to harm him.

Was Prince Qi truly completely unaware?

Black Owl was first stunned when he heard their conversation, then immediately withdrew his Protective Aura and turned to flee.

He also recognized Wu Zhong.

"How dare you! Assassinating an Imperial Prince is punishable by extermination of the nine generations!"

Wu Zhong reacted quickly, immediately catching up to Black Owl and engaging in a fierce battle.

Both sides had experience fighting each other, and their strength difference wasn't significant. Wu Zhong always kept an eye on Xia Xuan, so for a while, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Black Owl's Protective Aura was strangely tricky and resilient, like an unkillable cockroach; it would quickly reform after being dispersed.

"I, Hei, have noted the grudge for destroying my gang today, Prince Chu. We'll meet again!"

Black Owl laughed loudly, seeing that his opponent couldn't do anything to him.

"This Prince never delays revenge until the next day," Xia Xuan said, taking off his mask and smiling mysteriously.

"I'm afraid Prince Chu doesn't have the ability!"

Black Owl sneered. Suddenly, he coughed violently. A large hand, at some unknown moment, was tightly gripping his throat.

His body's Protective Aura disintegrated.

He struggled to turn his head, seeing a pair of blood-red eyes and a stern face, half in shadow, half in moonlight. The corners of his mouth were spread in a grin, revealing stark white teeth, looking utterly ferocious and terrifying.

The towering figure in the darkness was like a Demon God!

Black Owl instinctively tried to bite through the poison hidden in his mouth.

"Want to die? Have you asked my master?"

Lü Bu grinned, and a streak of ink-black Protective Aura, darker than the night, condensed like silk from his hand, prying open Black Owl's mouth and grinding away the poison under his tongue.

At the same time, another surge of ink-black Protective Aura forcefully broke into Black Owl's Dantian, completely sealing his Qi Sea.

Afterward, Black Owl was thrown to the ground like a dead dog.

The entire process was completed within a few breaths.

Wu Zhong stood dumbfounded, his eyes filled with surprise and shock.

Only when Lü Bu's figure disappeared did he fully recover.

At the same time, the look in his eyes when he gazed at Xia Xuan again held a few more traces of awe and admiration.

His Highness actually had a Divine Martial Realm master hidden by his side, unknown to others for so many years, including himself, his trusted guard.

This showed the depth of His Highness's cunning and the magnitude of his ambitions!

Wu Zhong didn't ask further. His life belonged to Prince Chu. No matter whether His Highness was to brave Saber Mountain or a sea of fire, he was willing to protect him with his life.

"Take him back and hand him over to you for interrogation."

Xia Xuan couldn't be bothered to talk much with Black Owl, so he directly threw him to Wu Zhong.

The two men and one captive returned to Prince Chu's Mansion.

Midnight, the hour of Zi.

Wu Zhong had just finished interrogating in the dungeon, washed off the bloodstains, and, as usual, patrolled around the mansion.

Suddenly, a faint scent of blood wafted over.

His expression changed slightly, and he became extremely vigilant, arriving outside Xia Xuan's bedroom.

Sensing no unusual Protective Aura around, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, looking up at the dark clouds overhead.

At the Divine Martial Realm, True Essence condenses into a core, and Protective Aura undergoes a qualitative change, allowing one to walk on air!

"Who would be so audacious as to infiltrate the mansion and assassinate?"

While Wu Zhong was speculating, the battle above the dark clouds had already ended.

"May I ask how to address you, sir?"

Seeing the burly figure, like a demon god, carrying an unconscious Divine Martial Realm master, Wu Zhong trembled, bowing in salute.

"Lü Bu is merely a minor general under my master, possessing considerable brute strength."

"Lord Lü is modest. Your combat prowess is unparalleled, something this Wu has never seen in his life. It is truly a great fortune for His Highness to have your assistance!" Wu Zhong complimented.

Lü Bu waved his hand and said, "Five rats came tonight. The biggest one is already here, and I took care of the other four as well.

The interrogation is still up to you; there's no need to disturb my master's rest."

With that, Lü Bu's figure vanished.

"What a profound method of concealing one's presence," Wu Zhong exclaimed.

When his gaze fell upon the Divine Martial Realm assassin at his feet, he felt quite emotional. After all, he never imagined that one day he would be able to capture a Divine Martial Realm master and interrogate him at will.

Xia Xuan slept soundly.

On the other side, Prince Qi of Prince Qi's Residence couldn't sleep.

"What? Black Owl was captured?"

"It was Prince Chu who smashed the gambling den and eliminated the Black Water Gang?"

"Does my third brother truly believe I'm the culprit in the poisoning case?"

"No, no, this is all just him putting on an act. But why does he always target me to fleece? Is it because my usual display of strength is too weak?"

"How infuriating!"

Prince Qi was already considering whether to give Xia Xuan a warning to make him rein in his behavior, and incidentally, demand the person back... to the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Prince and his strategists were analyzing Xia Xuan's abnormal behavior over the past two days.

"Prince Chu's high-profile abduction of Xianle Tower's courtesan has caused public outrage, which is not good for us. If His Majesty decides to punish him, it will be very difficult for Your Royal Highness to intercede or not," the strategist sighed.

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "It's not difficult. With the Prince Who Guards the North around, what good is the loud voice of those civil officials? Imperial Father won't truly lay hands on Third Brother.

While favoring Third Brother might lose the support of civil officials, gaining the support of the military generals is more beneficial than harmful.

Furthermore, Imperial Father announced his seclusion. Perhaps I will act as regent during the Grand Court Assembly in a few days, which will make things much easier to handle."

The Crown Prince pondered, then frowned slightly: "My only concern now is that after Third Brother was poisoned, his temperament changed drastically, and he has gradually slipped out of my control.

What if he turns into an enemy in the future, how should I deal with him?"

The strategist advised in a low voice: "In my humble opinion, Prince Chu must not be kept! And the Prince Who Guards the North must not be kept either! His power is immense, leading a million soldiers. Even if Your Highness achieves great success in the future, he will still be a major hidden danger.

We should find a suitable opportunity to dismantle and eliminate the Prince Who Guards the North's forces!"

The Crown Prince sighed and said, "How could I not know what you, sir, are saying? But knowing is easy, doing is hard. The Prince Who Guards the North is a veteran of three dynasties, deeply entrenched, and has expanded the Imperial Dynasty's territory. Once he is touched, the entire Wu Dynasty will be severely damaged. The best outcome is to let nature take its course, wait until his Lifespan runs out, and then make plans."

"Your Highness, this matter needs to be expedited!"

The strategist earnestly advised, "The longer it takes, the more variables there will be. If, in the end, we wait for the Prince Who Guards the North's cultivation to Break through, reaching the Dharma Aspect realm, and his Lifespan greatly increases, Your Highness, even if you ascend to that position, will probably be constrained by the Prince Who Guards the North.

Currently, Prince Chu and Prince Qi have deep conflicts. Perhaps we can use this opportune moment to scheme and assassinate Prince Chu, framing Prince Qi, killing three birds with one stone!"

The Crown Prince gritted his teeth, weighing the options in his mind, and finally shook his head, saying, "Let's discuss it again. Killing Third Brother must be done flawlessly, otherwise, it will only bring great disaster upon myself."