Chapter 176 Resonance: Epidemic (1/2)

When everyone hastily rushed to the scene, what they witnessed was a beauty saving a hero.

Following this incident, the extremely idle commoners in Chang'an City spread this matter out in multiple versions for everyone to appreciate.

The version which spread the furthest was that after the beauty had saved the hero, the hero wanted to offer his everything to her.

Clank!

Xue Yiqi was zoning out and the teacup which was just placed on the table fell onto the ground, smas.h.i.+ng into smithereens.

“Commander?”

The soldier, who was reporting the situation, was trembling in fear as he looked at Xue Yiqi. He had a feeling that the usual gentle Xue Yiqi was different today.

Xue Yiqi's expression remained undecipherable as he waved his hand and dismissed the soldier.

When he was finally the only one left in his tent, his face contorted with vexation and he grabbed his hair while in agony.

That day, Shangguan Yan had arrived ahead of the others and eliminated more than half of the a.s.sa.s.sins on her own while sustaining minor injuries. Soon after, the other Imperial Army soldiers and the Duke of Anping's soldiers rushed to the scene. They encircled and annihilated the remaining a.s.sa.s.sins. To date, he still had no news regarding the mastermind behind this incident.

But, all these weren't the main point. Thinking up to here, the embarra.s.sment on Xue Yiqi's visage deepened. That day, after Shangguan Yan rescued him, she actually declared aggressively in front of everyone.

“Xue Yiqi is mine. I will definitely eradicate all who wants to harm him.”

She instantly gained the support and applause of countless people.

A red robe, a peerlessly beautiful visage, eyes that carried a killing intent and red silk that danced in the air became a tale that spread far and wide.

While recalling his embarra.s.sing moments, Xue Yiqi saw Gan Qingjia rush over with Qi Jianqiu tailing behind him.

The multifarious and mixed emotions in his heart made his blood upsurge, and he nearly collapsed in front of everyone.

Following this incident, Shangguan Yan continued to pay him numerous visits while he faced her with complex feelings, his countenance filled with cold rejection every time.

That person ought to have given up by now, right?

Xue Yiqi took out a topographic map of Chang'an City and gave it a few cursory glances before he put it down again.

She must've certainly given up on him. She hadn't visited him for three days already…

The First Prince, Situ and Gan Qingjia sat facing each other in the secret underground pa.s.sage with solemn expressions.

“They move really swiftly. They dug out a tunnel the size of three estates in three days.”

The First Prince was astounded. What those people were capable of was truly an eye-opener.

Gan Qingjia's complexion turned somewhat pale as he said, “Based on The Villa of Mount Baicha's ability, they would need at least ten days. What exactly is the Xiaoyao Sect, wait no, the Demonic Sect's origin?”

Situ's expression eased a bit. He reached out a hand and knocked on the table as he profoundly said, “The founder of the Sect had left the Wei Kingdom's Imperial Palace to establish the Demonic Sect.”

The Xuan's Kingdom predecessor was the Wei Kingdom, which was already a dynasty from two hundred years ago. That was to say that the Demonic Sect had been founded two hundred years ago. They could be considered the most senior sect in the Central Plains' Martial Arts Community. It was just that they remained low-key all those years and didn't garnish much fame.

“I concede defeat.” Gan Qingjia nodded his head fervently. “Anyway, let's talk about something else instead. About the recent a.s.sa.s.sination attempts, from what I know, Xue Yiqi wasn't the only one targeted. His two elder brothers, the Western Army's General-in-Chief and Young General, as well as General-in-Chief Ji, who was on his way back to Chang'an, had encountered a.s.sa.s.sins too.”

The First Prince propped his chin in one hand and narrowed his eyes slightly, his quiet voice echoing in the elegantly furnished underground pa.s.sage, “From the surface, it appears as if someone had deliberately plotted to murder those with military power in their hands, but Xue Yiqi's military power isn't that much to begin with. He's commanding an Imperial Army troop of mere 5,000 soldiers. However, the number of a.s.sa.s.sins dispatched to kill him was the highest.”

“That's because this place is the Imperial City.”

Situ's voice was like a frigid breeze that brushed past. “The mastermind behind the scenes is related to the Imperial City.”

Gan Qingjia contemplated and unhurriedly spoke, “Could it be…the Eighth Prince? Or the Eleventh Prince…?”

He didn't wait for an answer and immediately growled in frustration, “Those a.s.sa.s.sins were too tight-lipped. They were still unwilling to speak even when dealt with according to military laws. It's so infuriating!”

The First Prince shook his head faintly.

“They're all people who went into exile. They're naturally not scared of anything when they don't care about their lives. What I find strange is the fact that Imperial Father had actually remained indifferent about this matter. He merely let the Imperial Guards collaborate with the magistrate and concluded the case with just a perfunctory investigation. It really doesn't fit Imperial Father's temperament in handling matters concerning his military officials.”

The First Prince originally wanted to enlighten Gan Qingjia about the matter, but as soon as his words fell, he noticed that the latter's complexion had turned even more ghastly. As such, he cast Situ a doubtful glance.

The profound look in Situ's eyes made it hard for others to fathom his thoughts clearly. He said, “From how things look at the moment, there's only one thing we can do now. That is to make the Emperor issue a decree before the Eighth Prince returns to Chang'an.”

“What decree?”

Gan Qingjia was already unable to a.n.a.lyse the whole picture clear-headedly due to the recent happenings and the shock he'd experienced in the past few days. He inwardly admired Situ's demeanour and his ability to stay composed in the face of imminent danger. His disposition wasn't something that could be cultivated overnight.

On the other hand, the First Prince had on an indescribable expression as a glint flashed in his eyes.

A rarely-seen smile tugged at Situ's lips as he indifferently replied, “A degree to crown His Highness as the Heir.”

So speaking, the First Prince and Gan Qingjia's gazes landed on him.

As for the Xuan Kingdom, the days to come were still plagued with many misfortunes.

First, there was a drought and flood in the southern regions. Immediately after that was the break out of an epidemic. The citizens' complaints could be heard everywhere.

As for the northern regions, there were insurrections in various places, making it hard for the citizens to eke out a living.