This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 113 The Real Crisis of the Great Qian

"Well, simply raising questions is certainly not enough to interest His Majesty, but what if I could help His Majesty resolve some issues?"

"Oh? Solve it? With your abilities?"

Emperor Wu chuckled.

"Among all the civil and military officials of my Great Qian Dynasty, none of them can come up with a solution. If you could, I would not only spare your life, but also bestow upon you high office and treat you as an honored guest. What a pity,"

"Your Majesty, some things are worth trying."

Xiao Xingchen lowered his head and let out a cold snort. Others might not know, but he did. This Martial Emperor was the real cunning old fox. Although he said there was no solution, he had definitely already made many arrangements in secret.

Anyone who thinks the Great Qian Dynasty is an easy target is sorely mistaken. With a Martial Emperor and a Virtuous Consort, these two are truly a perfect couple, each more adept at concealing their true intentions than the other.

"Then tell me, how do we try it?"

"If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty must have staked everything on this Poetry Festival. Am I right?"

Xiao Xingchen, connecting his past and present lives, realized that the only major event that had occurred recently was this Poetry Immortal Gathering. Although he didn't know what Emperor Wu had done, he was certain that there was something seriously wrong with this Poetry Immortal Gathering.

These words finally made Emperor Wu turn around and begin to examine him carefully.

"You must be that disciple of the Quasi-Sage, the young sword immortal, right?"

"I dare not deceive you, yes."

"As expected of a disciple of a Quasi-Sage, there are no more than two people in the Great Qian Dynasty who can see this far."

"Your Majesty flatters me. I was merely trying to save my life."

"Now you can tell me your analysis."

Emperor Wu found a comfortable spot and sat down. If Xiao Xingchen had initially been at a disadvantage, trying to persuade Emperor Wu to spare his life, now Emperor Wu was clearly treating him as an equal, someone with whom he could communicate.

This turn of events finally allowed Xiao Xingchen to breathe a sigh of relief; his life was saved. This is what is meant by "when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head." What he did today was not just to save his current life. There was still a long way to go. If he were to directly fight against Emperor Wu, there would be nowhere left for him in the Great Qian Dynasty. At that time, he would have no choice but to wander to other countries.

"Let me start with the Northern Region. The fall of the Northern Region means the Zhan family has betrayed the country; otherwise, no news would have been completely cut off. This time, Zhan Shuai and Wu Xie returned to the capital together to put on a show for His Majesty. What they're after is probably the map displayed at the ancestral temple. Although I don't know why a map would be worth risking their lives to come to the capital, it shows that this map is extremely important to them."

"As long as the map remains intact, they won't easily break off relations until they achieve their goals. Therefore, the news of the fall of the Northern Region can be kept hidden for some time, which also gives His Majesty a final bit of time."

"As for what happened beneath this temple, I really don't think it's something I can get involved in. All those men in black who broke in perished. I was only able to get out thanks to the descent of an immortal."

"What exactly is going on with the descent of immortals?"

Emperor Wu's eyes flickered. This was the first time Xiao Xingchen had noticed Emperor Wu's loss of composure. The words "an immortal descending to earth" seemed to put immense pressure on Emperor Wu.

"I don't know what that was. I saw a man holding a cold spear, and I also saw a blank stele. There was a phantom figure on the stele. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I can tell that it was an immortal. An immortal descended to earth to suppress everything below."

The truth was mixed with lies, and Xiao Xingchen dared not mention anything about demons. He had a feeling that mentioning demons would bring great disaster, so he rambled on and on. Only in this way could he deceive Emperor Wu. With an immortal descending to earth, he should be able to divert Emperor Wu's attention.

These words silenced Emperor Wu. Xiao Xingchen also stopped speaking. After observing that Emperor Wu showed no abnormalities, he turned and gave Ruoxue a reassuring look.

He had said what he needed to say; now it was up to Emperor Wu to decide. He had never underestimated Emperor Wu; no one could truly know what this man was thinking.

However, there were still some things he hadn't said. Why could the Demon Suppression Prison be considered an internal threat to the Great Qian Dynasty? Xiao Xingchen even felt that not only the Demon Suppression Prison, but also the Cangshan area seemed to have a major problem. The most likely reason for the royal family's presence there was for defense.

These anomalies made him deeply aware of the unfathomable nature of the Great Qian Kingdom. With both demons and immortals, how could such a small country hide so many things? If the Martial Emperor wasn't worried, who would?

"Now that you're in the game, do you know what you should do next?"

After pondering for a long time, Emperor Wu slowly spoke.

"Please give your orders, Your Majesty, and I will gladly die for you."

"Alright, I want you to participate in the Poetry Competition and win the championship. Can you do it?"

Emperor Wu's demand sent a shiver down Xiao Xingchen's spine. Participate in the Poetry Immortal Gathering and win the championship? He knew this so-called Poetry Immortal Gathering was also called the Houtu Festival, a place where people could die. Win the championship? Win the championship my ass! He was afraid of dying.

However, he still agreed on the surface.

"Definitely, I will definitely participate."

"Alright, I will keep today's events a secret for you. If there's anything I need you to do, I will have Wang Mang inform you."

"Understood, Your Majesty's command."

Emperor Wu nodded in satisfaction and looked out of the pavilion.

Wang Mang,

"Your subordinate is here,"

"The martial law at the ancestral temples will be lifted, and those who neglected their duties will be dealt with accordingly."

"Yes, then these two?"

"You don't need to worry about these two. Come with me to the palace; I have something I need you to do."

Wang Mang left with a look of suspicion. As he left, he stared intently at Xiao Xingchen for a long time. Was that all?

A few words were enough to change Emperor Wu's mind; it must be said that even he was curious about what was said.

Wang Mang was like this, and Ruoxue also looked solemn. Only then did she realize that everyone's attention was focused on the young sword immortal, but no one noticed that Xiao Xingchen's tongue was so smooth that the Martial Emperor let them go.

She's still in a kind of illusion; it's all too unreal.

"Don't just stand there, let's go. Although Emperor Wu has let us go, there are still many people watching outside. Whether we can avoid their eyes and ears depends on you."

Watching Emperor Wu depart and the Dragon Pattern Army withdraw, his heart was not at ease. Standing there, he looked out at the storm on the horizon, which seemed poised to return at any moment, just like his own uncertain fate.

This trip to the Demon-Suppressing Prison truly showed him what immortals were like, what unfathomable power was. In his heart, there was another name: Master Zhu San.

It's suspected that a time traveler is on the same side as the demons against the Nine Heavens. He doesn't believe there's any truth to this story.

He even considered the possibility that Yujingtian might be hunting down transmigrators, since only they possessed such strength and knowledge.

All of this made him realize that a greater crisis lay ahead, and that the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.

He now wanted to find Daji and ask her what had happened to him. The great demon, the demon fetus, the war sword, and the great knife that severed the fox's tail—all these questions weighed on his mind, making it hard for him to breathe.