Chapter 265: Chapter 223: Three Days Later, a Decisive Battle Before Dingyuan Gate
"Insolent!" a senior eunuch immediately squawked.
Yan Jun waved a hand, signaling the eunuch to be quiet, then smiled at Wu Liangchen. "You recognize me?"
"I don’t," Wu Liangchen said coolly. "But in the Imperial Capital these days, you seem to be the only one who can command such a grand and imposing entourage."
Yan Jun roared with laughter. "Young Hero Wu, you truly are a character. But you’re mistaken about one thing. Besides me, there is also the current Emperor and the Empress Dowager."
As he mentioned the two, Yan Jun made a token gesture of cupping his hands, his expression looking quite deferential.
But Wu Liangchen treated it all as hot air.
After all, anyone who wasn’t blind could see his burgeoning ambition.
As for the current Emperor...
Ever since Prince Yu’s ousting, the Emperor had been reduced to a mere figurehead.
But none of this had anything to do with him, and Wu Liangchen had no desire to get entangled in the sordid affairs of courtly politics.
He knew exactly why this Prince Jing, Yan Jun, had suddenly appeared, and his expression grew colder.
"Sect Leader Gu certainly has a lot of pull, managing to get a Prince to come and mediate for him," Wu Liangchen said sarcastically.
Yan Jun smiled faintly. "Sect Leader Gu and I go way back, but I’m not here to mediate."
"Oh? Then what brings Your Highness here, busy as you are?" Wu Liangchen asked.
Yan Jun waved a hand, signaling for his retinue to withdraw.
The senior eunuch who had spoken earlier turned pale. "Your Highness..." he whispered.
But Yan Jun merely smiled faintly. "There’s no need to worry. Young Hero Wu is a generational talent. If he truly wished to harm me, having you all here would be of no use."
His words were artfully chosen, simultaneously flattering Wu Liangchen while also laying his cards on the table.
This way, even if Wu Liangchen truly intended to make a move, he would be hard-pressed to do so without looking bad.
The senior eunuch withdrew with the guards, his face etched with worry.
Yan Jun strode to Wu Liangchen’s side. He first glanced up, taking in the gate of the Broken Sword Sect, then smiled.
"You know, I’ve known Gu Yi for many years, but this is my first time visiting the Broken Sword Sect."
Wu Liangchen said nothing. He knew Yan Jun had more to say.
And sure enough.
Yan Jun chuckled. "Young Hero Wu, I’m a few years your senior, so you won’t mind if I call you Liangchen, will you?"
"Be my guest."
"You and Gu Yi have no real history of animosity. This is all just a misunderstanding stemming from a few trivial matters."
"Of course, I am by no means speaking for Gu Yi. I just feel that you and he are both pillars of our Great Yan. It would be a great shame for you to come to blows over such a petty affair."
Wu Liangchen’s gaze flickered. He suddenly cut Yan Jun off. "From what Your Highness is saying, it sounds like you already know why I’ve come."
"Heh, that wasn’t difficult to find out," Yan Jun said coolly.
’It was true.’
Many people had seen Chen Sujin waiting for Wu Liangchen in front of the Ministry of Justice Office the day before.
Combined with the events of today, it was easy for anyone to connect the dots.
And for a man of Yan Jun’s immense power, investigating the details would have been child’s play.
Wu Liangchen smiled.
"So those young women who were tortured to death... are just a ’petty affair’ in Your Highness’s eyes?"
The look on Yan Jun’s face finally changed.
But the change was subtle, and he was back to normal in an instant.
He let out a long sigh. "Believe me, I don’t want it to be this way either. But you must understand that for the greater good, some sacrifices are unavoidable..."
A strange, indescribable expression crossed Wu Liangchen’s face. He gazed up at the distant, layered, ornate eaves and spoke in a low voice.
"Then what if the one being sacrificed is you?"
Yan Jun faltered, as if he hadn’t heard Wu Liangchen clearly. "What was that?"
Wu Liangchen turned to look this man—quite possibly the most powerful in the world—directly in the eye and said, slowly and deliberately, "What if the one being sacrificed is you?"
The warm, approachable smile on Yan Jun’s face stiffened. His eyelids twitched, and he forced a laugh.
"Brother Liangchen..."
"Enough," Wu Liangchen said coolly. "Go back and tell Gu Yi that I will wait for him here. If he still hasn’t appeared after ten days, then there will be no need for his Broken Sword Sect to exist any longer."
Yan Jun’s expression shifted. He looked as if he wanted to speak several times, but always swallowed his words.
In the end, his expression became distant and detached. He gave a slight nod. "Very well. But before I leave, I have a word of advice for Young Hero Wu."
"Speak."
"Your talent may be exceptional, but until you’ve taken that next step, it would be best not to be too arrogant. The Minor Fourth Realm is formidable, yes, but it is not the same as a Grandmaster!"
Without waiting for Wu Liangchen to respond, Yan Jun flicked his sleeves and stormed away.
Soon, the sound of horses and carriages echoed in the distance. Surrounded by his large entourage, His Highness Prince Jing left Plum Blossom Alley and sped away.
The crowd of onlookers, of course, didn’t know what the two had said. But some of the more sharp-eyed among them noticed that Prince Jing’s expression was foul when he left; he seemed furious.
And so, the people understood that the negotiations had failed.
This realization sent another shockwave through the crowd.
After all, before this, nearly everyone had assumed that the matter would be resolved amicably. Especially considering how His Highness Prince Jing had shown such deference, even standing with Wu Liangchen in the ice and snow for a full fifteen minutes.
The outcome was a complete surprise—the two had actually failed to reach an agreement.
Just as a commotion rippled through the crowd, another carriage arrived at the end of the street.
It was a pale pink carriage. After the curtain was lifted, a woman of peerless beauty stepped out.
Comments