Chapter 239 Thinking Wrong Again

Yan Chu left Cangzhou Prefecture and headed towards the Central Prefecture.

Cangzhou Prefecture was ten thousand li away from the Central Prefecture. If he were to fly through the air at full speed, he could arrive in two or three hours.

However, he did not hide his tracks and walked on the ground instead.

Along the way, many large and small powers waited on his path, hoping to host a banquet for him, but he did not stop for even a moment, merely crossing the land like a streak of rainbow light.

The New Year had arrived. Despite the current poor state of the Great Jin Dynasty, one could still feel the festive atmosphere.

When Yan Chu arrived at a small town outside the Central Prefecture, every household was decorated with lanterns and streamers, welcoming the New Year.

"Is that Great Hero Yan of the World Society ahead?"

Yan Chu had intended to bypass this small town, but a voice suddenly came from afar, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Looking over, he saw seven or eight people standing outside the small town, smiling as they looked in his direction.

In the lead was a young man who looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in brocade robes with a jade crown on his head, his Face fair and clean, exuding an air of nobility.

Yan Chu did not pay attention to his attire or temperament, but instead looked above his head.

There, a small Dragon was soaring.

This was the manifestation of Luck, indicating that this young man was a member of the royal family.

Beside the young man were several middle-aged men and women dressed in various attire.

They were all Supreme Grandmaster experts.

The one who had just called out to Yan Chu was a middle-aged man in hemp clothing to the young man's left.

"Great Hero Yan, could you please pause for a moment and grace us with your presence for a chat?"

The middle-aged man in hemp clothing cupped his hands from afar.

Yan Chu pondered for a moment, then took a step, crossing over ten li in an instant to appear before them.

This move caused the pupils of the middle-aged man in hemp clothing to constrict, his expression turning grave, while the others also had varying, uncertain expressions.

He was truly worthy of being second on the Earth Ranking.

Just this elusive movement technique alone was far beyond their reach.

"I am Duan Yunkou of the Thunder Sect, greetings to Great Hero Yan!"

Duan Yunkou? The "Thunderous Fall" who was fourth on the Earth Ranking?

Yan Chu looked at the Duan Yunkou before him and nodded.

"I have long heard of your name!"

Duan Yunkou smiled slightly and pointed to the brocade-clad youth beside him, introducing him:

"This is the Fourth Prince of the current Emperor, His Highness the Prince of Qing!"

The young man had a friendly attitude and kept smiling at Yan Chu. Seeing his gaze shift over, he cupped his hands in a salute and said:

"I have long admired the great name of Great Hero Yan. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation!"

"Great Hero Yan eliminated Sima Tao, pacified the Hidden Sword Palace, and slew the Buddhist disciple Awakening to emptiness. Each of these events has shaken the Jianghu, and I truly yearn to be like you!"

"Your Highness is too kind!"

Yan Chu's expression was faint.

The Prince of Qing, Li Che, before him was the Fourth Prince. It was said that he was currently competing with the First Prince and the Third Prince for the position of Crown Prince.

Yan Chu did not care about these matters.

However, the Third Prince was supported by the Empress Dowager, so he certainly couldn't stand on the Fourth Prince's side. How would others view him then?

Unless the Fourth Prince's mother...

No!

He was letting his mind wander again!

It made it seem as if he was always that kind of person.

It was all because the Sect Heads and Sect Masters of various Jianghu powers had corrupted him during this period.

Yan Chu felt a bit awkward, hurriedly reining in his wandering thoughts, and asked:

"May I ask why you have stopped me, gentlemen?"

Li Che sensed the distance in Yan Chu's tone and expression, but he didn't mind, still smiling as he said:

"The reason I appeared here is to remind Great Hero Yan of something!"

"Oh?"

"Great Hero Yan must be careful on this journey!"

"You have offended many people, including my elder brother, the First Prince. According to the information I received, he seems to have gathered many experts, intending to ambush Great Hero Yan halfway."

"Is that so?"

A strange smile appeared at the corner of Yan Chu's mouth, and he asked with a surprised expression:

"I have always had a clear conscience in my actions and have always held the First Prince in high regard. Why would he want to strike at me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the attendants behind the Fourth Prince looked at each other, thinking that this person was indeed shameless, just as the rumors in the Jianghu said.

It was indeed true that meeting someone is better than hearing about them.

You motherfucker, in front of so many people in the world, you snatched the First Prince's woman. I heard that when you stayed at the She family's villa for those few days, the Young Miss of the She family cried until her voice went hoarse.

And now you say you hold the First Prince in high regard?

Is that human talk?

Li Che's mouth also twitched slightly, and only after a moment did he say:

"I naturally know that Great Hero Yan acts in an open and aboveboard manner, but my elder brother has always been narrow-minded and has never been able to tolerate sand in his eyes. He will not think so."

"In any case, it is better for Great Hero Yan to be careful!"

"Alright! Then many thanks to the Fourth Prince for the reminder!"

Yan Chu nodded and was about to leave.

Narrow-minded is good!

He was afraid that this First Prince would be magnanimous; if he could even tolerate being cuckolded, Yan Chu would truly have to admire him.

"Great Hero Yan, wait a moment!"

At this time, "Thunderous Fall" Duan Yunkou called out to Yan Chu.

"Great Hero Yan, could you listen to what I have to say?"

Yan Chu raised an eyebrow. "Please speak, Sect Master Duan!"

"Alright! Then I will be blunt!"

Duan Yunkou glanced at the Fourth Prince, who seemed to find it difficult to speak, and said:

"To be honest with you, Brother Yan, the Great Jin Dynasty is currently facing internal and external troubles, and His Majesty's health is failing. The ministers in the court are all discussing the establishment of a Crown Prince to avoid the situation where there is no one in charge after His Majesty passes away."

"And my master, the Fourth Prince, is virtuous and talented, and treats people with courtesy. He is truly the only choice for the position of Crown Prince, so I would like to invite Brother Yan to join my master's command and plan for the great cause together."

"Once my master ascends to the throne, Brother Yan will be granted land and titles, standing above ten thousand people. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

After hearing Duan Yunkou finish speaking, the Fourth Prince Li Che immediately swept his large sleeves and was about to kneel, but Yan Chu lifted his hand lightly, and an invisible force supported him, preventing him from kneeling down.

Seeing this, Li Che hurriedly said:

"I have long admired Great Hero Yan. Please help me, Great Hero Yan, and I will definitely not be stingy with my rewards!"

"Fourth Prince, stop!"

Yan Chu waved his hand and said:

"I am used to being free and unfettered, and only wish to drift about in the Jianghu. I have no intention of participating in court struggles, so there is no need to say any more of these words!"

"In any case, many thanks to the Fourth Prince for thinking highly of me today. When I arrive in Cangzhou Prefecture in the future, I will definitely treat you well!"

After speaking, he did not give them a chance to continue, and simply walked away, turning into a lingering shadow that disappeared at the end of the distant street.

"Eh..."

The Fourth Prince Li Che raised his hand, only to see that Yan Chu had completely disappeared. He could only flick his sleeves resentfully and let out a cold snort with an ugly expression.

"Your Highness, no need to be angry!"

Duan Yunkou said indifferently:

"We didn't expect to be able to recruit Yan Chu with just a few words anyway."

"The Third Prince Li Zheng is narrow-minded and cannot tolerate others. Once he knows that Yan Chu has spoken with us, he will definitely be suspicious."

"Even if the Empress Dowager values Yan Chu, Li Zheng will not use him!"

Li Che's expression was somewhat angry, and he said coldly:

"This person is indeed as arrogant as the rumors say."

"My elder brother has prepared many methods ahead to wait for him. Let's see how he gets through this time!"

"Exactly!"

Duan Yunkou smiled and said:

"Yan Chu is also not easy to deal with. His strength is still above mine. It just so happens that this time we can let him consume some of the First Prince's strength for us."

In the capital, Prince Ning's Residence.

Prince Ning was the current Emperor's third son, which was the Third Prince. His mother was the Empress Dowager's niece, and he was also a strong contender for the throne.

Now, in Prince Ning's Residence, Prince Ning's chief strategist, Dong Yan, was persuading Prince Ning.

"Your Highness, now that Yan Chu has entered the capital, according to our intelligence, the First Prince will definitely take action against Yan Chu. This is a good opportunity to win over Yan Chu!"

"Although I don't know who the First Prince intends to ask to take action, Yan Chu is now the Empress Dowager's person. Reasonably and emotionally, we should help out."

"For someone to be an Earth Ranking expert at such an age, he will definitely be a Celestial Being Expert in the near future."

"With him helping you, the possibility of you ascending to the throne will definitely increase greatly."

Prince Ning Li Zheng's expression was somewhat hesitant.

"But that Yan Chu snatched the First Prince's side consort in broad daylight. He is so daring, he doesn't look like someone who is settled."

"I am very suspicious, even if we help him, will he truly defect to us?"

Dong Yan heard this and advised:

"As long as it is a person, they have weaknesses!"

"It is true that Yan Chu is daring and ruthless, but this person is obsessed with beauty. As long as we cater to his preferences, we will definitely be able to make him work for us with peace of mind."

"The Empress Dowager will definitely be happy to see this happen!"

Li Zheng was still somewhat indecisive, pacing back and forth in the room, and said:

"To be honest, I really don't like this person very much. I always feel that he is a troublemaker and might implicate me in the future."

"How about this, I will go into the palace to ask the Empress Dowager and my mother for instructions, and see what their opinions are before making a decision."

"The Empress Dowager must be paying attention to Yan Chu at all times, and she must be well aware of the actions of Prince You's Residence."

"If the Empress Dowager wants to protect Yan Chu, then Prince You's Residence cannot succeed!"

"If Prince You's Residence succeeds, then it means that Yan Chu is not worth protecting, and the Empress Dowager has already given up on him."

"This..."

Although what Prince Ning said seemed to make some sense, Dong Yan still felt that something was wrong.

But before he could react, Li Zheng had already called for the carriage, leaving behind a sentence "Mr. Dong, wait a moment," and headed towards the imperial palace.

"Sigh..."

Seeing Prince Ning's carriage leave the gates of the residence, Dong Yan let out a long sigh.

The First Prince's people might have already intercepted Yan Chu by now.

By the time you come out of the palace, I'm afraid the opportunity will have long passed!

...

At the border between the Central Prefecture and Qingzhou Prefecture, there was a continuous mountain range called the Broken Cloud Ridge.

This mountain was high, piercing the clouds, with steep terrain, separating the Central Prefecture from Qingzhou Prefecture. There was only one canyon in the middle that could be traversed, named Heavenly Sword Gorge.

It is rumored that there was no such canyon here originally.

After the Great Jin Dynasty's founding ancestor established the country, he saw that the mountain was impassable and that it was difficult for the common people to travel, so he slashed it with a sword, cutting the mountain in two, leaving behind this canyon that was hundreds of li long, and built a pass in the center of the canyon, relying on the canyons on both sides to hold it.

Even today, there are still wisps of Sword Intent remaining on the cliffs on both sides of Heavenly Sword Gorge. Many Jianghu people often come here, hoping to comprehend a move or two.

Yan Chu left the Fourth Prince Li Che and the others, and appeared outside the Heavenly Sword Gorge in a short while.

He felt no waves in his heart regarding Li Che's words.

He even wanted to laugh a little.

A mere Grandmaster playing mind games in front of a Celestial Being Expert like him was no different from children playing house.

He had opened his Spiritual Divine Treasury and observed things with the subtle realm, and he could see every person's emotional fluctuations and whether their words were sincere or not clearly.

That Fourth Prince had nothing, yet wanted to win him over with just a few words. Did he think Great Hero Yan was so easy to talk to?

If he hadn't sensed a big fish ahead and been in a hurry to leave, he might have wanted to toy with these people properly.

Withdrawing his thoughts, Yan Chu looked ahead.

The canyons on both sides were towering, and even the sun seemed unable to shine in. The accumulated snow from the past few days had frozen into solid ice in front, which had not melted for a long time.

At the entrance of the canyon, a group of four people were holding several brocade boxes, waiting.

And further away, in Yan Chu's perception, there were other figures with powerful auras watching from here, seemingly waiting for something.

Seeing Yan Chu's figure appear outside the canyon, the leading person among the few outside the canyon looked happy and hurriedly shouted:

"Is that Great Hero Yan Chu ahead?"

"Who are you?"

The aura that Yan Chu had sensed hundreds of li away was not these few people in front of him.

The person with the highest cultivation among the few in front was only at the Middle Stage of the Ninth Realm, and the rest were all Great Grandmasters.

Such cultivation, in his eyes now, was simply not worth mentioning. A single thought from him could cause their Primordial Spirit to dissipate and they would die.

"It really is Great Hero Yan!"

The leader was none other than Wan Liyuan, the Grand Elder of the First Uprising Gang.

He had seen a portrait of Yan Chu, and now that he confirmed Yan Chu's identity, he was overjoyed.

He hurriedly stepped forward, knelt directly on the ground, and bowed:

"I am Wan Liyuan, Grand Elder of the First Uprising Gang, greetings to Great Hero Yan!"

"Congratulations to Great Hero Yan for entering second on the Earth Ranking, your divine skills are peerless! Shaking the Jianghu! Commanding the world! No one dares to disobey!"

The people behind him were all his loyal subordinates, and at this moment, they also hurriedly knelt down and shouted with him:

"Congratulations to Great Hero Yan for your peerless divine skills! Shaking the Jianghu! Commanding the world! No one dares to disobey!"

Yan Chu raised an eyebrow and asked curiously:

"What do you mean by this?"

"If I remember correctly, I don't seem to have any friendship with the First Uprising Gang, right?"

"Not only is there no friendship, but there is even some conflict!"

"Your First Uprising Gang's Protector Ji Guiying attacked me for no reason, and ended up dying at my hands."

"We haven't even properly settled this account yet!"

"Great Hero Yan, please calm your anger!"

Wan Liyuan hurriedly waved his hand and said:

"Being an enemy of Great Hero Yan was entirely Baldy Ji's own decision, and it has nothing to do with my First Uprising Gang."

"I have long admired Great Hero Yan, and I am too late to curry favor with you, how could I be your enemy?"

As he spoke, he hurriedly ordered his subordinates to open the brocade boxes in their hands and introduced:

"These are all treasures that I have carefully selected from the First Uprising Gang's treasury, especially presented to Great Hero Yan, hoping that you can see the sincerity of my First Uprising Gang and let bygones be bygones!"

Yan Chu had already seen the brocade boxes in their hands.

Inside were Ninth Realm Cultivation Technique, Medicinal Pill, precious jade, and a semi-divine weapon.

These things could be considered quite good in the eyes of a Supreme Grandmaster, but for him now, they were a bit unworthy of the stage.

At the very least, it would have to be a treasure of the Divine Weapon level to make him tempted.

Wan Liyuan had been paying attention to Yan Chu, and seeing his dismissive expression, his heart skipped a beat, and suddenly, as if possessed, he said:

"Our First Uprising Gang's Sect Head has been in seclusion for many years, and the Sect Head's wife, Peng Qi, is stunningly beautiful and unparalleled in appearance. I wonder if Great Hero Yan could, for the sake of the Madam's Face, resolve the feud with my First Uprising Gang?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the subordinates behind Wan Liyuan all looked at him in surprise.

They didn't know where he got the courage to say such things.

Wasn't he afraid of the Madam's punishment afterwards?

At this moment, Yan Chu's expression shifted, and he showed an interested look, saying:

"Oh? Your Sect Head's wife is also here?"