PFC Chapter 158 Qin Mu has been bluffing all along; he doesn't actually have a Land Immortal Realm
Chapter 158 Qin Mu has been bluffing all along; he doesn't actually have a Land Immortal Realm
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Your Highness, please reconsider!"
The three spoke almost simultaneously, their voices filled with terror and determination!
Sikong Xuan hurried forward, his old face filled with anxiety and worry:
"Your Highness! Going to the palace now would be tantamount to walking into a trap! Qin Mu has surely laid a net, just waiting for you to infiltrate again! You were lucky to return safely last night; you absolutely cannot risk it again tonight!"
Fan Li also stepped forward quickly, gripping the chess piece tightly in his hand:
"Your Highness, Master Sikong is absolutely right! This journey is extremely dangerous; please consider the greater good!"
The black raven emerged from the shadows, its voice hoarse as if grinding sand:
"I have already investigated. The palace is three times more heavily guarded tonight than last night. The number of guards at each gate has doubled, and the patrol frequency on the palace walls has doubled. If the Crown Prince sneaks in now, the chance of being discovered is... more than 70%."
Xu Longxiang listened quietly to the three men's advice, his face expressionless.
But his fingers clenched tighter and tighter, until his knuckles turned white.
He knew they were right.
He knew this journey would be dangerous.
He knew he should prioritize the overall situation.
but……
"I just wanted to see her one more time."
Xu Longxiang spoke slowly, his voice carrying a humble plea.
"Just one glance. I didn't speak to her, I didn't let her know, I just watched from afar to make sure she was... alright."
His gaze was fixed on the direction of the palace, and deep within his usually sharp, piercing eyes, an unspeakable pain was now churning.
"And my sister... I also want to know, after she met Empress Li Yang today, is she... is she alright?"
Looking at the deep pain in Xu Longxiang's eyes, Sikong Xuan felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, and his old eyes reddened.
How could he not understand the Crown Prince's feelings?
The fact that his elder sister was forcibly taken as a concubine and his childhood sweetheart was forced to submit to his desires was an unbearable humiliation for any man.
The fact that the Crown Prince has been able to endure until now is beyond the reach of ordinary people.
but……
"Your Highness,"
Sikong Xuan's voice choked with emotion.
"I know you are in pain, but it is precisely at times like these that you must remain calm! If something happens to you, what will happen to the 300,000 soldiers in the Northern Frontier? What will happen to the Xu family's century-old legacy? Miss and Miss Jiang are still waiting for you to come and rescue them!"
When he mentioned the word "future," Sikong Xuan deliberately emphasized it.
He was reminding Xu Longxiang.
Only by living, by enduring, and by accumulating strength, is there any possibility of rescuing them in the future.
If I act impulsively now, everything will be over.
Xu Longxiang closed his eyes.
The candlelight cast a deep shadow on his face, making his resolute and cold face appear exceptionally pale.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, the pain in them forcibly suppressed, turning back into cold ice.
"That's enough."
His voice was hoarse, as if he had used all his strength to utter those two words:
"You're right, I...acted impulsively."
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
But at this very moment—
Xu Longxiang suddenly frowned.
His gaze drifted out the window, toward the direction of the palace, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
"etc……"
He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a strange hesitation:
"I suddenly thought of something."
The three of them looked at him at the same time.
"Last night," Xu Longxiang said slowly, "how did I get into the palace?"
Sikong Xuan was taken aback: "The young master sneaked in using his lightness skill, scaling the palace wall near Donghua Gate..."
"No, I'm asking," Xu Longxiang interrupted him, his gaze sharpening, "Was my infiltration successful?"
A brief silence fell over the hall.
Fan Li was the first to react, a glint of light flashing in his eyes:
"You mean... that you infiltrated the palace last night without encountering much resistance?"
Xu Longxiang nodded slowly:
"Yes. I was emotionally charged last night, driven solely by hatred, and went straight into the palace. Looking back now, the whole process... went too smoothly."
He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the brightly lit imperial city in the night:
"The palace walls are high, but with my lightness skill, it's not difficult to climb over them. The difficulty lies in avoiding the patrolling imperial guards, avoiding the scouts in the shadows, avoiding... those Dragon Shadow Guards."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the three of them:
"But last night, I sneaked into Huaqing Palace. Although I encountered several patrolling imperial guards, I easily avoided them. As for the Dragon Shadow Guards... I didn't see a single one of them."
Fan Li frowned, and the chess pieces in his hand spun even faster:
"This is indeed strange. According to the intelligence we have, the Dragon Shadow Guard is the most mysterious force around Qin Mu. Their numbers are unknown, but each one is incredibly powerful, with even the weakest having the Vajra Realm cultivation level. They are responsible for secretly protecting the palace, especially the residences of His Majesty and his important concubines."
He paused, his voice lowering:
"Huaqing Palace is the residence of Consort Hua, who was just conferred her title today. Logically, the Dragon Shadow Guard should have the most stringent security. Yet, the young master sneaked in last night without encountering any resistance..."
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became heavy.
The candlelight flickered in the night wind, casting long, long shadows of the four people on the wall, much like the turmoil of doubt churning in their hearts.
Xu Longxiang slowly sat down in the round chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests, his eyes flashing with a thoughtful light.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice filled with an incredulous conjecture:
"Do you think... there really is a terrestrial immortal by Qin Mu's side?"
The three of them were simultaneously shocked!
"Why do you say such a thing, Your Highness?" Sikong Xuan asked urgently.
Xu Longxiang's gaze swept over the three of them, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:
"On Mount Qinglan, Qin Mu remotely controlled the disciples of the Sword Sect to defeat Li Wuhen. Such methods were truly astonishing, exceeding the scope of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. At the time, everyone believed that he must have had a terrestrial immortal assisting him."
He paused, his tone becoming even lower:
"But what if... that terrestrial deity doesn't exist at all?"
The chess piece in Fan Li's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," rolled a few times, and came to rest next to the candlestick.
He stared wide-eyed at Xu Longxiang in disbelief:
"Your Highness is saying... Qin Mu is bluffing?!"
"bluff?
Sikong Xuan gasped in shock. "This...how is this possible? So many eyes were watching from Qinglan Mountain; that ability to manipulate objects from afar can't be faked!"
"Can't be faked?" Xu Longxiang sneered. "What if it wasn't some kind of telekinesis at all, but rather... a secret technique or mechanism we don't know about?"
He stood up and paced slowly around the hall, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear:
"Think about it, if Qin Mu really had a terrestrial immortal by his side, would that terrestrial immortal have been completely unaware when I sneaked into the palace last night? Would he have allowed me to spy on him right under his nose? Would he have let me leave safely?"
He stopped at the window, gazing towards the palace, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
"A terrestrial immortal is someone capable of single-handedly challenging an entire nation. With such a powerful figure by his side, would Qin Mu still need to feign incompetence? Would he still need to be patient? Would he still need to resort to those schemes and tricks?"
He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife:
"He could have swept everything away, suppressed all dissent, and secured his throne! But why didn't he?"
The hall was deathly silent.
The only sounds were the occasional crackling of the burning candle and the heavy, suppressed breathing of the four people.
Fan Li was the first to react, her brain racing:
"Your Highness is right. If there truly were immortal beings on earth, Qin Mu wouldn't need to go to such great lengths. Forcibly taking Consort Hua as a concubine would certainly humiliate the Xu family, but it also carries enormous risks."
He paused, his eyes gleaming even brighter:
"But if all of this is just a bluff... if Qin Mu doesn't actually have any terrestrial immortals by his side, then all his actions have another explanation!"
Sikong Xuan suddenly realized, and an excited light flashed in his old eyes:
"He's afraid! He's afraid of the 300,000 iron cavalry of the Northern Border, afraid of the million-strong army of Li Yang, and afraid of the forces in the court who are dissatisfied with him! So he pretends to be incompetent, making everyone lower their guard. He forcibly takes the young lady as a concubine in order to hold her hostage and control the Northern Border!"
He spoke faster and faster, his thoughts becoming increasingly clear:
"As for the telekinesis on Mount Qinglan... it's very likely some kind of illusion! It's a show Qin Mu deliberately put on for the world to see! He wants everyone to believe that he has a terrestrial immortal by his side, so that no one dares to act rashly!"
As Xu Longxiang listened to the three men's analysis, the icy look in his eyes grew colder and brighter.
Yes.
Everything makes sense now.
Qin Mu is not some kind of terrestrial immortal.
He's just bluffing.
He used a meticulously planned scheme to deceive the world, the Empress of Liyang, and even Xu Longxiang.
Xu Longxiang was genuinely frightened.
Terrified by that tyrannical emperor, he dared not make a move, forced to endure in silence, and even too afraid to see Qingxue one last time...
"Oh……"
Xu Longxiang suddenly laughed.
The laughter was soft, yet it carried a chilling coldness and a mad, resolute intensity.
He slowly raised his head and looked towards the palace. The ice in his eyes shattered completely, replaced by a flame powerful enough to incinerate everything.
"Qin Mu..."
He murmured the name, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a deep-seated hatred:
"You lied to me so badly."
As Sikong Xuan and the other two looked at the crazed glint in Xu Longxiang's eyes, an ominous premonition welled up in their hearts.
"Your Highness," Fan Li said urgently, "even if Qin Mu is bluffing, the palace is heavily guarded, and the Dragon Shadow Guards are real. Going there now is still dangerous..."
"Danger?"
Xu Longxiang interrupted him, a cold smile curving his lips:
"No matter how dangerous it is, could it be more dangerous than me watching my sister and Qingxue being... by him last night?"
He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold, carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"My mind is made up. Tonight, I must go."
"Your Highness!" the three exclaimed in unison.
But this time, Xu Longxiang did not give them another chance to dissuade him.
He slowly stood up, his dark python robe gleaming with a somber luster in the candlelight, his entire being resembling a sharp sword about to be drawn, exuding a chilling killing intent.
"Mr. Sikong," he said, looking at Sikong Xuan, "go and make preparations. If I am not back by dawn, you shall leave the city as originally planned and return to the Northern Territory."
"Mr. Fan," he said, looking at Fan Li, "go and contact all our undercover agents in the capital. Activate them all tonight to create chaos and draw the attention of the Dragon Shadow Guards."
"Mr. Mo," he looked at Mo Ya, "you will come with me to infiltrate and be responsible for scouting and guarding the area."
A series of orders, crisp and decisive, leaving no room for doubt.
The three of them exchanged a glance, and each saw the helplessness and determination in the other's eyes.
They knew they couldn't persuade them otherwise.
The Crown Prince has made his decision, and all they can do is cooperate fully.
"Yes!" the three answered in unison, their eyes filled with determination.
Xu Longxiang nodded in satisfaction, then turned and walked into the inner room.
A moment later, he changed into a set of night clothes.
He wore a tight-fitting, all-black outfit, covered by a matching cloak, and his face was veiled with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of icy eyes.
Mo Ya had also changed his attire, dressed in black as well, just like a true night raven, ready to blend into the darkness at any moment.
"Let's go."
Xu Longxiang pushed open the hall door, and the night wind rushed in, blowing the stray hairs at his temples.
Moonlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating his face and outlining his cold, hard features and those eyes that burned with fire.
Tonight, he will go to the palace again.
This time, it's not about spying, it's not about confirming.
Rather, it was the first step in... revenge.
He wanted to see for himself what tricks that tyrannical ruler who had deceived the world was playing.
We must also let that foolish emperor know that Xu Longxiang is not so easily defeated.
The night wind howled, rustling the leaves of the trees in the courtyard.
Two black figures leaped onto the roof like ghosts and quickly disappeared into the deep night.
Heading towards the palace.
Towards that brightly lit, yet turbulent, prison.
Sikong Xuan and Fan Li stood in the courtyard, gazing in the direction where the two had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.
"Mr. Fan," Sikong Xuan spoke slowly, his voice aged and weary, "you say... the young master, will the young master return safely from this journey?"
Fan Li remained silent for a moment before whispering:
"I don't know. But I do know that if we don't go tonight, the Crown Prince... might go mad."
He paused, then added:
"Some pain must be witnessed firsthand to transform into strength. Some hatred must be confronted directly with the enemy to solidify into murderous intent."
Sikong Xuan sighed deeply:
"I hope so."
night, deeper.
The lights of the imperial city flickered in the distance, like the eyes of a lurking beast.
The night was as dark as ink, and two dark figures darted across the rooftops of the imperial city.