109: Chapter 109 Three Thousand Armored Soldiers Ambush the Eastern Palace at Night; The Imperial Daughter Calls Out to Welcome Her Husband Back

The Crown Prince's forbearance and shrewdness made even the aristocratic clans present, who had been steeped in officialdom for years, secretly tremble in fear.

Having his toast spilled in public and called horse urine, as the heir to the kingdom, he did not flare up on the spot.

Instead, he could still laugh and order someone to fetch the century-old collection of "Drunken Immortal Brew" from the inner treasury to apologize.

This composure, or rather, this serpent-like forbearance, was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

Several trusted eunuchs hurriedly stepped back with short, quick steps, preparing to fetch the wine.

"No need to waste your effort."

Just then, Ye Xiu's voice, carrying three parts laziness and seven parts disdain, drifted lightly through the great hall.

It abruptly interrupted the "courteous treatment of subordinates" act that the Crown Prince had painstakingly created.

Ye Xiu casually tossed the empty wine cup back onto the tray held by Chun Shu, emitting a crisp "ding" sound.

He raised his eyelids, his heterochromatic gold and silver eyes staring coldly at the Crown Prince sitting on the nine-tiered white jade steps.

"I stepped into the gate of your Eastern Palace today, not to drink your stale, old rot of a wine, and certainly not to play house with you in some act of harmonious ruler and subject."

Ye Xiu slowly stood up; he couldn't even be bothered to release the Aura of his Nine Transformations of Dragonization.

Just by the sheer arrogance emanating from his bones, the atmosphere of the entire great hall instantly dropped to freezing point.

"The woman you sent, I accepted as a foot-washing maid; that was to leave you a shred of dignity."

"But if you are naive enough to think that sending a few bed-warming maids and setting up a Hongmen Banquet where you can't even hide your Killing Intent can buy this sword of mine, Ye Xiu, and have me serve you like a dog?"

Ye Xiu picked up his purple-red wine gourd, tilted his head back to take a wild gulp of strong liquor, and then slammed the gourd heavily onto the table, sneering arrogantly:

"Want to talk about plotting hegemony with me? Fine. When you actually have the ability to sit on that Dragon chair in the Golden Throne Hall one day, then come and pour wine for this Sect Leader. As for now, you are not worthy."

Dead silence.

One could hear a pin drop in the great hall; all the powerful nobles were stunned to the point of numbness by Ye Xiu's treasonous, face-ripping, arrogant words.

The Old Emperor wasn't even dead yet, and he dared to discuss the Crown Prince sitting on the Dragon chair in public; this was pushing the Eastern Palace into the pit of treason!

This time, the Crown Prince could no longer maintain his gentle, spring-breeze expression.

His handsome face twisted and turned ashen at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally transforming into a dark, dripping, and chilling Killing Intent.

"Good, a very arrogant Wine Sword Immortal indeed."

The Crown Prince slowly stood up and looked down at Ye Xiu, his voice seeming to drift out from the Nine Nether Hell, carrying a suffocating chill:

"I originally wanted to grant you boundless wealth, but you insisted on choosing a path to death. Since you are so ungrateful, then today, you will not be leaving the gates of this Eastern Palace."

"Clap!"

The Crown Prince violently smashed the gold goblet in his hand against the white jade steps.

The crisp sound of the shattering gold goblet seemed like a death warrant.

"Rumble—!"

The Eastern Palace great hall, originally filled with singing, dancing, and brilliant lights, suddenly underwent a drastic change!

Countless hidden doors suddenly flipped open from behind the thick walls and massive golden nanmu pillars surrounding the great hall.

Immediately after, the uniform, teeth-grinding sound of heavy armor rubbing against each other surged in like a tide.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The chilling gleam of blades and swords instantly illuminated the night sky.

A full three thousand Eastern Palace dead soldiers, clad in black heavy armor with their faces hidden behind demon masks, surged into the great hall like a bursting black flood, surrounding the entire banquet scene completely!

Not only that, above the dome of the great hall, dozens of top-tier assassins of the Heavenly Human Realm hung like inverted bats.

The powerful crossbows in their hands, coated with deadly poison, had long since locked onto Ye Xiu's vital points.

A thick, inseparable smell of blood and a Killing Intent like a net covering the sky and earth instantly enveloped the entire scene.

Those powerful court officials who were just talking loudly were now shivering with fear, scrambling and crawling under the tables.

Only at this moment did they realize that the Crown Prince's banquet tonight was not a simple recruitment, but a must-kill trap where one either submits or is destroyed!

"The Eastern Palace Dark Armored soldiers, three thousand in number, are all dead soldiers that I have fed with countless Heaven And Earth Treasure over these years. Coupled with the 'Dragon-Locking Formation' set up in this hall..."

The Crown Prince spread his arms, the gentleness on his face completely replaced by the ferocity of an ambitious hero. He laughed wildly:

"Ye Xiu, even if you are a true Dragon, today in this killing Formation, I will peel your Dragon skin and extract your Dragon tendons!"

Facing this terrifying, must-kill trap that would make a Peak Divine Bridge Realm expert drink the cup of hatred, Ye Xiu didn't even blink.

Not only did he not draw his sword, but he leisurely sat back down on the grandmaster chair, even crossing his legs.

The four twin maids, Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong, standing behind him, were already pale with fear from the sky-high Killing Intent, swaying unsteadily.

"What are you shaking for?"

Ye Xiu frowned slightly, reaching back to grip Chun Shu's trembling wrist. "The wine hasn't been filled yet. Keep pouring."

Chun Shu was so scared that tears welled up in her eyes, but she could only bite her lip, using her constantly trembling jade hands to lift the wine pot with extreme difficulty and pour wine for Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu picked up the wine cup, took a light sip, and only then did he nonchalantly raise his head to look at the Crown Prince on the high platform.

"Three thousand dead soldiers, Heavenly Human assassins, Dragon-Locking Formation... the lineup is barely worth looking at. However, Your Highness, have you forgotten one thing?"

A playful arc curled at the corners of Ye Xiu's mouth.

"In this capital, there are many people who want me, Ye Xiu, dead, but there are... even more people who want me to live."

Upon hearing this, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in the Crown Prince's heart.

Just at the critical moment when he was about to order the archers to fire and turn Ye Xiu into a hedgehog—

"Boom—!!!"

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering loud noise suddenly came from the three-foot-thick steel gate of the Eastern Palace's outer courtyard.

It was actually blasted into fragments filling the sky by an incomparably domineering force!

Immediately after, the sound of heavy iron hooves, even more uniform and a hundred times more murderous than the Eastern Palace Dark Armored soldiers, rolled in from outside the hall like muffled thunder.

"I would like to see who in this Eastern Palace tonight dares to touch my husband!"

A clear, willful, yet undeniably regal female voice rang out.

It was like a Phoenix crying out to the nine heavens, tearing through the heavy Killing Intent in the great hall and echoing majestically inside.

Hearing this voice, the Crown Prince, who was sitting in the main seat, changed his expression drastically, and for the first time ever, an uncontrollable panic flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"Stop them!"

The Crown Prince shouted sharply.

However, those Eastern Palace dead soldiers responsible for blocking the hall entrance didn't even have time to swing their swords before they were directly sent flying by a brilliant flash of golden spear light.

Outside the door, two rows of Imperial Guards clad in golden beast-swallowing armor and holding Golden Dragon long halberds stood.

Like an invincible golden sword, they forcefully split open the Eastern Palace's encirclement.

These were the absolute personal guards who only took orders from the current Old Emperor and represented the highest imperial power of the Yankang Kingdom—the Golden Dragon Guards!

Surrounded by the Golden Dragon Guards, the most favored apple of the Yankang Kingdom's eye, the Seventh Princess Ling Yuxiu, was dressed in a provocative crimson phoenix palace gown, draped in a bright red gold-threaded cloak.

Like a burning sun, she stepped over the threshold of the Eastern Palace with pride, wearing a pair of extremely exquisite gilded small boots.

The officials hiding under the tables in the great hall saw who had arrived and immediately knelt on the ground in unison, not even caring about the spilled wine and debris on the floor:

"We pay our respects to Your Highness, Seventh Princess!"

A layer of frost condensed on Ling Yuxiu's bright and imposing pretty face.

Her Phoenix eyes swept coldly across the surrounding Eastern Palace dead soldiers who were standing in battle Formation, finally landing on the Crown Prince on the high platform.

"Royal Brother, you have mobilized three thousand armored soldiers and set up a net covering the sky and earth; could it be that you intend to rebel within this Eastern Palace?!"

With the label of "rebellion" pressed down on him, the Crown Prince's face instantly turned pale and green.

"Seventh Sister! Do not falsely accuse me!"

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and apprehension in his heart.

"I am merely apprehending a madman who has shown disrespect to the imperial court! As for you, barging into the Eastern Palace in the middle of the night and bringing the Old Emperor's Golden Dragon Guards—what kind of conduct is this!"

"Disrespect?"

Ling Yuxiu sneered, completely ignoring the Crown Prince's words.

Her originally cold gaze shifted and landed on Ye Xiu, who was sitting leisurely on the grandmaster chair, drinking wine.

The next second, a scene occurred that made everyone in the hall, including the Crown Prince, drop their jaws.

The proud daughter of Great Yankang, who was imposing and awe-inspiring just a moment ago, saw Ye Xiu, and the frost on her face instantly melted, turning directly into a pool of spring water that was about to overflow.

Without any hesitation, in front of all the civil and military officials and the three thousand dead soldiers, she ran over and threw herself into Ye Xiu's arms like a cat seeking affection.

"Husband~"

Ling Yuxiu extremely naturally squeezed aside the trembling Chun Shu, taking the spot beside Ye Xiu for herself.

Her fair, tender arms tightly wrapped around Ye Xiu's neck, her voice soft and sweet enough to draw out silk:

"Why did you come to the Eastern Palace to check in? You made me wait so long at the Princess Mansion."

Looking at the Crown Prince on the high platform, who was trapped in a dilemma and so frustrated he was about to vomit blood, Ye Xiu finally put down his wine cup with satisfaction.

He reached out and affectionately pinched Ling Yuxiu's pert, dainty nose, then, embracing this most noble woman of Great Yankang, slowly stood up.

"Your Highness, it seems tonight's banquet can only end here."

Ye Xiu hung the wine gourd back on his waist, looking at the Crown Prince's ashen face with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"As for the foundations of the Eastern Palace, this Sect Leader has certainly seen them."