Imperial prison, Major Metropolitan City:
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu and Qin Yun headed to Chaoge City. Due to Mo Yike’s remonstration, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu sent him into the imperial prison to await punishment after Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s return.
In the imperial prison, Mo Yike was shackled and his cultivation sealed. He wore prison clothes and leaned against a corner, looking sullenly at a group of people before him.
Wearing official robes, the leader of this group bowed respectfully to Mo Yike.
“Minister of Justice? Lord Chen, hah! You hid well. You were once part of Archduke Xi Kang’s faction. Archduke Xi Kang just died, and you immediately betrayed your nation?” Mo Yike said coldly.
Although Mo Yike was imprisoned and had no means of retaliating, he remained calm, not showing any fear.
“Mister Mo, the wise submit to circumstances. The Yuan Nation’s time is over. Why persist? The prince has already given me orders. As long as Mister Mo is willing to join the prince, he will treat you as an honored guest.” Lord Chen smiled.
“Oh? He will treat me as an honored guest? He wants me to betray the nation?” Mo Yike retorted coldly.
“It’s not truly betrayal. It is just leaving this land of sorrow. The prince promises that Mister Mo does not need to participate in the war between the Yuan Nation and Qian Nation.” Lord Chen smiled.
“And that is not betrayal? Hah! What if I am unwilling?” Mo Yike said with a cold smile.
Lord Chen’s expression suddenly turned sullen. “His Highness deeply appreciates Mister Mo’s ability. If Mister Mo is unwilling to join His Highness…well, Mister Mo should know what His Highness is like. Others can forget about obtaining what His Highness fails to get.”
“Kill me?” Mo Yike said coldly.
Lord Chen shook his head. “Not killing Mister Mo, but Mister Mo committing suicide in prison.”
Mo Yike narrowed his eyes at Lord Chen.
Lord Chen’s men had already taken control of the imperial prison. The warden and guards were all his men.
“Hah! Excellent! Lord Chen, it looks like you did not betray Archduke Xi Kang after he died. Instead, you betrayed the Yuan Nation long ago?” Mo Yike’s expression turned cold.
“Mister Mo is indeed incredible. That is right. We only dared to join Archduke Xi Kang’s faction because he was muddle-headed. Had we joined Mister Mo’s faction, we would have been discovered long ago. Mister Mo, I ask that you make your decision now,” Lord Chen said.
Mo Yike did not answer. Instead, he looked at Lord Chen and smiled. “Haha! It looks like the Yuan Nation has great danger hidden within it.”
“Mister Mo!” Lord Chen looked at Mo Yike coldly.
Mo Yike took a deep breath and shook his head. “I promised my father that I would remain loyal to the Yuan Nation forever as long as the Yuan Nation is not destroyed.”
Mo Yike definitively rejected Lord Chen. Lord Chen’s expression chilled. “Humph! Since Mister Mo refuses our invitation, then don’t blame me for this.”
As Lord Chen spoke, he stepped forward and sent a palm strike at Mo Yike’s chest.
Mo Yike sighed and closed his eyes. However, his expression never changed, even when Lord Chen’s palm strike approached his chest.
“You are seeking death! Humph!” A cold snort rang out from behind.
Shing!
A bamboo sword instantly shot over.
“What?” Everyone’s expression changed. They wanted to raise their guard.
However, that bamboo sword moved too quickly, instantly chopping off Lord Chen’s hand, which was heading for Mo Yike’s chest.
“Argh!” Lord Chen clutched his arm in pain.
“Who is it?” The surrounding guards and the warden immediately drew their swords.
“Humph! How reckless!” That cold voice rang out again.
Buzz!
Suddenly, many sword qi appeared in that prison cell, shooting at anyone who raised a weapon. The sword qi moved swiftly, instantly piercing everyone’s dantian.
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
Miserable cries immediately echoed in the prison cell.
The prisoners in the other cells, far from Mo Yike’s cell, looked over, not knowing what had happened.
They saw that all of the guards, the warden, and Lord Chen were crippled.
“What’s going on?”
“The guards are crippled?”
“That is Lord Mo’s prison cell!”
The prisoners looked into the distance in horror.
Lord Chen clutched the stump of his arm as he slumped to the ground, showing pain on his face.
Mo Yike slowly opened his eyes.
The previously ferocious people were all crippled, collapsed on the ground, showing pain and despair as they looked at the white-clad man standing outside the cell.
“Qin Zibai?” Mo Yike frowned slightly.
Qin Zibai held the bamboo cane that Qin Yun had passed on to him. He bowed slightly as he said to Mo Yike, “Mister Mo, you received a fright.”
“A fright? Not really, just somewhat surprised. Lord Qin, what are you doing in the imperial prison?” Mo Yike asked out of curiosity.
“Before my father left, he told me to protect Mister Mo at all cost. From the day Mister Mo entered the imperial prison, I have been standing guard outside. Fortunately, I did so. Unexpectedly…unexpectedly, this Lord Chen is…” Qin Zibai looked at Lord Chen with a sullen expression.
“Lord Qin, spare me. I must have been possessed!” Lord Chen exclaimed.
“Lord Qin, spare us! We were just obeying Lord Chen. It is not our fault!” the subordinates shouted in horror.
Qin Zibai looked at them coldly. Then, he turned back to Mo Yike. “Mister Mo, are you alright?”
Mo Yike looked at Qin Zibai’s bamboo cane and frowned slightly. “I recall that the bamboo cane in your hand belongs to your father. Your father never lets go of it.”
“Yes, my father handed it to me for safekeeping.” Qin Zibai nodded vacantly.
Mo Yike fell silent for a while before eventually sighing, “Qin Yun? Hah…I hope that nothing happens.”
“Huh? What do you mean? Is my father in danger?” Qin Zibai’s expression changed.
When Qin Yun and Qin Zibai last spoke a few days ago, it had sounded like Qin Yun was giving his last words. However, Qin Zibai did not dare to think too deeply into that. Now that Mo Yike said this, Qin Zibai’s expression changed dramatically.
Mo Yike looked at Qin Yun and shook his head. “Your father is loyal to His Reverence. However, he is an extraordinarily wise person. Unless His Reverence faces fatal danger, your father will not make a move. There’s no need to worry.”
“But—” Qin Zibai immediately felt anxious.
“Just wait for His Reverence’s good news. Hah…,” Mo Yike sighed bitterly.
“Mister Mo, what should we do with them?” Qin Zibai looked at the crippled people on the ground.
Mo Yike got up and looked around. Then, he took a deep breath and said, “Lock them up first. We can use them in the future.”
“Alright,” Qin Zibai answered.
“Men!” Qin Zibai shouted.
Soon, a group of Qin Zibai’s trusted subordinates entered the imperial prison.
“Lock up these people. We will wait for His Reverence to return and deal with them,” Qin Zibai instructed.
“Yes!”
Qin Zibai’s subordinates quickly brought out the crippled group.
“Mister Mo, what would the result of His Reverence going to Chaoge City be? Why did His Reverence want to go to Chaoge City?” Qin Zibai looked at Mo Yike in confusion.
Mo Yike remained silent for a while before saying, “By going to Chaoge City, His Reverence is not fighting just Gu Hai but also the Qian Heavenly Emperor.”
“Oh?”
“Gu Hai? Have you not seen what he has been doing over the past few years? How much has he contributed to the Qian Nation over the past few years? He dealt with Duke Lu Yang and protected Long Wanyu. Hah! Just protecting Long Wanyu alone was a huge contribution to the Qian Nation. How could the Qian Heavenly Emperor just watch as His Reverence goes to Chaoge City to kill Gu Hai?” Mo Yike said.
“Ah?”
“The Qian Heavenly Emperor declared that all who contributed would be rewarded. If he lets His Reverence kill Gu Hai, where are the rewards? So, if Gu Hai faces fatal danger in Chaoge City, the Qian Heavenly Emperor will protect him. Hence, His Reverence’s trip is not as simple as settling a grudge with Gu Hai—it is a clash with the Qian Heavenly Emperor,” Mo Yike sighed.
“A clash with the Qian Heavenly Emperor? Then, won’t His Reverence be…” Qin Zibai’s expression changed.
“His Reverence knows,” Mo Yike said with a bitter smile.
“His Reverence knows?”
“Yes. His Reverence understands that the Qian Heavenly Emperor will protect Gu Hai. However, His Reverence refuses to give in to the Qian Heavenly Emperor. His Reverence wants to clash head-on. This is the first clash between His Reverence and the Qian Heavenly Emperor,” Mo Yike said bitterly.
“However, the Qian Heavenly Emperor cannot possibly make a personal appearance. So, it is through an intermediary?” Qin Zibai said in shock.
“Indeed. It is through an intermediary. However, the Qian Heavenly Emperor already made a move. I advised His Reverence not to go, to stop fighting the Qian Nation. He should not casually clash head-on with them. However, His Reverence refused, wanting to use this battle to prove himself. He wants to use this battle to start the war between the Qian Nation and the Yuan Nation. If he wins this battle, it will be fine. However, if he loses, the war with the Qian Nation is completely lost,” Mo Yike said bitterly.
“Then, why did His Reverence still go?” QIn Zibai said, confused.
“To think that your father did not stop His Reverence from going. Haha! Perhaps this is the so-called heart of a sovereign that my father mentioned in the past. I do not understand the heart of a sovereign, but I know that this trip is full of grave danger. Of course, even if your father objected, he wouldn’t be able to stop His Reverence. If only my father were still around! Back then, as long as my father agreed in any government affairs, His Reverence never objected. If only my father were still around!” Mo Yike laughed bitterly.
“Grand Duke Mo was previously His Reverence’s top adviser. His Reverence did listen to him. Perhaps that was why Grand Duke Mo ended up working so hard and…,” Qin Zibai said with a bitter smile.
“I only hope that His Reverence’s trip goes smoothly. If not, my Yuan Nation is in danger,” Mo Yike sighed bitterly.
“Aside from the earlier traitors, there must be other traitors in the imperial court, right? Mister Mo, can you find them?” Qin Zibai suddenly looked at Mo Yike.
Mo Yike smiled bitterly. “Find them? I could, but is that important?”
“Ah? How is it not important? These spies are hidden in our imperial court. They are the greatest hidden danger to my Yuan Nation!” Qin Zibai glared.
Mo Yike shook his head and said, “No. The greatest danger to the Yuan Nation is not these spies but the battle that His Reverence went to fight.”
Boom!
A loud sound came from Major Metropolitan City’s sky as the two spoke.
“Roar!”
The golden blessings dragon suddenly let out a sorrowful roar.
“Oh no! Oh no! His Reverence lost!” Mo Yike’s expression suddenly changed.
