Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 313 The Real Situation of the Destruction of the Gambling House

However, shortly after 992, 993, and 994 set off, Imperial Secret Agent 999 arrived in a hurry. His expression tense, beads of sweat on his forehead, he trotted into the hall, plopped down before the Emperor, clasped his fists in salute, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Your Majesty, we've discovered a violent earthquake in the capital last night."

The Emperor frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes: "Why are you so panicked? Tell me quickly!"

Jiujiujiu swallowed, calmed himself down, and said, "Your Majesty, someone attacked the gambling house in the capital. The whole place was in shambles."

The Emperor's face darkened, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Humph! Who is so bold? How dare you act so wildly in the capital?"

His voice was deep and majestic, filled with endless anger. Jiujiujiu hesitated for a moment and answered cautiously, "It's... it's General Lin Fenglin."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor frowned tightly, his eyes full of confusion: "Lin Feng? Why did he attack the gambling house?" He had a good impression of Lin Feng and knew that he was a brave, resourceful, and loyal general. There must be a reason for his sudden action this time.

Jiujiujiu took a breath and began to narrate in detail: "Your Majesty, this is what happened. Yesterday afternoon, General Lin's beloved, Chen Xin'er, was abducted by people from the gambling house. Upon learning of this, General Lin rushed to rescue her. After a fierce battle, General Lin successfully rescued Miss Chen. But who could have imagined that just last night, Miss Chen mysteriously disappeared again. General Lin suspected that this was related to the gambling house, and was furious, so he went to the gambling house to question her."

Jiujiujiu paused, glanced at the Emperor's expression, and continued, "But strangely, when General Lin arrived at the gambling house, he discovered that everyone inside seemed to have received advance notice and had already evacuated, leaving only an empty gambling house. Unable to find anyone, General Lin was filled with grief and anger. In a rage, he razed the gambling house to the ground to vent his anger and worry."

After hearing this, the Emperor fell into deep thought. He paced back and forth in the hall, a complex expression in his eyes. He understood Lin Feng's concern for his friend, but he was also somewhat dissatisfied with him for causing such a big commotion in the capital. He stopped and looked at Jiujiujiu: "Where is Lin Feng now?"

Jiujiujiu replied, "As far as I know, General Lin was supposed to meet with Your Majesty last night, but because it was too late, he did not appear. He then left the capital and his whereabouts are unknown."

At that moment, in Xixuan City, the Cao family was in chaos. Patriarch Cao Hong paced back and forth in the family hall, his face livid, his eyes filled with fear and anger. He roared at the family members, "Who on earth leaked the news that the Star Blade was in our family? This is simply pushing our Cao family into irreparable ruin!" The family members lowered their heads, trembling in silence. They had no idea how the news had leaked, but they knew that the Cao family had become a target of various forces.

Inside Xixuan City's mansion, the City Lord was also restless. He paced back and forth in his study, his brow furrowed. He knew full well the devastation the news of the Star Blade would bring to Xixuan City. A chaotic battle was likely to ensue within the city as various factions scrambled for the Star Blade. He summoned his generals and ordered them to strengthen the city's defenses: "Secure the city gates and prohibit any suspicious individuals from entering or leaving. Also, keep a close eye on the Cao family and report any unusual activity immediately." The generals took their orders and departed, while the City Lord gazed out the window, silently praying that this crisis would be resolved swiftly.

At the former gambling den in the capital, a dismal scene unfolded. Once bustling and ablaze with lights, it was now reduced to ruins. Broken tables and chairs, scattered chips, and treasures lay scattered among the shattered walls. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and dust. Many civilians gathered around, gazing at the ruins and discussing the situation.

"Lin Feng is too cruel, destroying the gambling house like this." An old man shook his head, his face full of regret. "But this gambling house is not a good place either. They cheat and deceive people every day, and I don't know how many people they have harmed."

A young man said indignantly. "I heard that this was all because of a woman. It seems that Lin Feng has deep feelings for that woman." A woman sighed.

Amidst the crowd, a few furtive figures emerged. They were spies sent by other factions in the capital to investigate the situation. Gazing at the ruins of the gambling house, they secretly plotted how to exploit this incident for their own benefit. It turned out the forces behind the gambling house were complex and intricate, with numerous connections to various parties. Their early evacuation last night was only possible thanks to a tip-off from a mysterious individual. This mysterious individual represented another ambitious faction in the capital, intent on exploiting the conflict between Lin Feng and the gambling house to stir up strife within the martial arts world and profit from it.

The Emperor, clad in a black brocade robe embroidered with golden dragons and crowned with a tiara, sat upright on the Dragon Throne. The beaded curtains atop the tiara swayed gently, each bead emanating an aura of dignity and majesty. The Emperor frowned slightly, a look of deep contemplation in his deep eyes. His fingers rhythmically tapped the armrests of the throne, producing a dull sound, as if beating the rhythm of the undercurrents surging beneath the surface of calm.

The emperor muttered to himself softly. Although his voice was low, it was clearly audible in the empty and silent hall: "Oh, so Lin Feng wanted to talk to me about this last night? Then why did Lin Feng leave suddenly?" A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, and his mind kept thinking about various possibilities, as if he was solving a complex and difficult puzzle.

Jiujiujiu, who was kneeling below, leaned forward slightly and answered respectfully: "Your Majesty, Lin Feng came to see you for a reason. Your Majesty, you know that Lin Feng has a peerless sword, which is the Star Sword that ranks third on the weapons list. But just yesterday afternoon, the people from the Cao family in Xixuan City resorted to despicable means to snatch Lin Feng's Star Sword away, and even had the audacity to present a fake Star Sword to Your Majesty." Jiujiujiu's eyes flashed with anger, expressing indignation at the Cao family's behavior. He paused and continued: "Fortunately, Commander Jin received Lin Feng in time and told him the ins and outs of the matter in detail, letting him know that the Star Sword was not in Your Majesty's hands, so Lin Feng left." After Jiujiujiu finished speaking, he lowered his head slightly, waiting for the emperor's reaction.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor's eyes flickered with realization, and he nodded slightly, "So that's how it is." His gaze grew deep, as if gazing into the endless distance, or examining the hidden conspiracy behind it. After a moment, he spoke again, "Could it be that Commander Jin got the news about the Star Blade?" The Emperor's voice was deep and commanding, each word like a hammer, hammering against the eardrums of the Nine Nine Nine.