This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 150 The Martial Emperor's Schemes

"Isn't this what you expected, you old drunkard?"

A sharp light flashed in Emperor Wu's eyes. These words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the heart of the Quasi-Sage, leaving him only with a sigh.

"There are countless paths to unification, but this sacrificial ceremony is like a ghost in the mist, mysterious and eerie, giving me a sense of dread as if I were standing on the edge of an abyss."

"No, you're mistaken. Every gain comes at a price. We ask for very little, just to steal two or even one stream of sacrificial power. With this mysterious power, we can help you break through to the realm of a sage. In an era where sages of the Confucian Temple have vanished, a single sage is enough to turn the tide of the world. Only when the world is unified will our grand undertaking begin."

"This game of chess is far more complex than we can imagine. We have been preparing for it for a century, and we must not give up halfway. You should understand better than anyone the principle that once a move is made, there is no going back, right?"

Emperor Wu's words flowed slowly, as if he were telling a secret unknown to others. These unintentional words revealed that he and the Drunken Old Man had a world-shaking plan, and that they seemed to have known each other for a long time. This was also the reason why the Second Saint had always accompanied Emperor Wu after entering the imperial palace. Their friendship was far more complex than outsiders could see.

"What about Xiao Xingchen? Do you really intend to kill him?"

This is the first time the Old Drunkard has mentioned the person he regarded as his disciple.

"I thought you wouldn't ask, but I couldn't hold back in the end,"

"I cherish his talent,"

The drunkard explained,

"His life or death is not up to my will. He dared to trespass into the Demon Suppression Prison. With my methods, he would surely die. However, for some reason, I gave him a glimmer of hope. If he can seize it, he can live. If he cannot, he will only face death. Only those who survive deserve the name of genius. Otherwise, wouldn't there be countless geniuses in this world?"

"Yet at this moment he is as still as a dead object. You seem to have given him a glimmer of hope, but in reality you have driven him into a dead end."

The drunkard responded with dissatisfaction.

"It seems you really care about him; you would never have asked such a question in the past."

"Perhaps it's because I'm getting old; I finally discovered a promising talent, so I couldn't help but ask a few more questions."

“My hints are already quite clear. If I hadn’t intentionally let him go, he should be under the strict guard of the Dragon-Patterned Imperial Guard right now. But now, not only have I not restricted his contact with the outside world, I’ve even specially prepared a cell for him. If he still can’t escape after all this, then his existence is meaningless.”

Emperor Wu sat down again before the Drunken Old Man, picking up a black chess piece in his hand.

“Old Drunkard, you must remember that not everyone can be a pawn. A pawn is not just an ornament. Every pawn must play its due role. The eldest son of the Xiao family should have been the key pawn for me to eliminate the Xiao family, but he mysteriously disappeared. My men only found out that he disappeared in Cangshan. This caused me to waste a good move. Now I must make up for this loss, and I have decided to let Xiao Xingchen fill this gap. Since he is surnamed Xiao, perhaps this is the arrangement of fate. He is fully qualified to take the place of the eldest son of the Xiao family. If he can escape from the Heavenly Prison, I will give him my edict. From then on, he will be Xiao Jianren.”

The moment the black piece was placed, the chessboard on the table came alive again, with tensions rising and danger lurking everywhere.

"Look, it's just like this chessboard. It seems like a dead end, but if you can find the key point, it's not an exaggeration to say that you can turn the tide."

Emperor Wu gazed at his chessboard with satisfaction, particularly pleased with the current positions of the black pieces. The Second Sage's expression, however, was indescribable. After staring at the board for a long time, he asked another question.

"Where are Chen Haoran's family members? Have you captured them?" Emperor Wu shook his head and answered with a solemn expression.

"No, this matter is also a focus of my attention recently. My subordinates have been unable to find any trace of Chen Haoran's family. Even the mute girl seems to have vanished into thin air. This matter makes me very uneasy, as if something beyond my control is happening quietly in the shadows."

"Could it be that those people from the Sacrifice Organization are behind this?"

The Saint continued with suspicion,

"It is still unknown. If it was done by the Sacrifice Organization, I really can't understand why. Killing Chen Haoran was a spur-of-the-moment decision of mine. They could not possibly know such details. Therefore, I conclude that there must have been some sudden event that we do not know about, which caused them to disappear without a trace."

"That's strange. First, the Immortal Pavilion collapsed inexplicably, and then Chen Haoran's family mysteriously disappeared. Both of these things happened right under your nose. You must not be careless and lest someone take advantage of the situation."

"That's natural. I've already sent people to secretly monitor everything in Yong'an. Recently, I've made two new discoveries. The courtesan who closely follows your disciple is quite extraordinary. I was somewhat negligent in the past and never noticed that this brothel was hiding dragons and crouching tigers. You know, when I learned that the courtesan was actually at the fifth level of the Heavenly Realm, I was truly shocked."

Emperor Wu's smile had a hint of evil. Ruoxue first appeared before him at the ancestral temple. At that time, he was only concerned with Xiao Xingchen and did not pay attention to this woman. Later, he found out that this woman was the one who used the "Rain of Flowers" sword technique. A woman at the fifth level of the Heavenly Realm, no matter where she was, would be a prodigy and an outstanding person, a figure surrounded by stars. Yet she was working as a courtesan in a brothel.

Without him needing to think twice, Huayulou was immediately placed under close surveillance.

Emperor Wu wanted to see who was making such a big fuss under his nose. Could it be that they were planning a rebellion?

That's why he's been focusing on these few unsolved cases these past few days. He has big ambitions, and he wants to nip any potential problems in the bud.

Seeing the Martial Emperor deep in thought, the Second Sage spoke up at just the right moment: "That day at the ancestral temple, I arrived a little late. The woman's technique seemed familiar, as if it were faintly visible deep in my memory. I racked my brains, but it was like being lost in a fog, and I couldn't remember it. It must have happened a long time ago, like a distant star, elusive and hard to grasp. One thing you said is absolutely right: this Flower Language Pavilion does indeed hold hidden secrets, and we must investigate it thoroughly."

"As for those people from other countries, what are your thoughts? Do you wish to meet them?"

"There's no need for now. The Poetry Festival is still some time away, and I don't have time to deal with them. Let them make a ruckus. My daughters and princes are all extraordinary individuals, and I'm sure they'll be eager to compete. However, there are a few who still need a slight warning,"

The Second Saint was startled and exclaimed, "Could it be the Left and Right Prime Ministers?"

Emperor Wu nodded and placed a piece on the chessboard. Seeing that Emperor Wu seemed to have no interest in talking, the Second Sage also remained silent.

However, the thought of those two prime ministerial residences stirred a pang of pity in his heart. In his eyes, killing was merely a last resort, but from Emperor Wu's perspective, killing was the quickest way to resolve the problem—this was the point of contention between them.

Although they shared a common goal, they went their separate ways on the path to achieving it.

Therefore, he was the emperor, while he himself was merely a near-saint. He even had the thought of reminding the two prime ministers, but this thought was extinguished as soon as it arose.

Those two must have noticed something, right?

This is what the Second Saint guessed: how could someone who could reach the level of the Prime Minister's residence be simple?

As he expected, the two prime ministers had met privately several times in the past few days, and they both considered the same possibility.

As they challenged the Emperor's authority, they might be the first to be punished as a warning to others.

Left Prime Minister Ye Zhichen and Right Prime Minister Mu Tianhe racked their brains for every possible way to escape, but this time their opponent was none other than Emperor Wu. Before Emperor Wu, all their tricks were rendered useless.

"This is a bit difficult. If there's really no way, we'll have to prepare a backup plan."

Mu Tianhe and Ye Zhichen were still lying on the rocking chairs in the Ye family compound, gazing at the sky and rocking their bodies. Their faces showed no panic at the impending disaster, only a calm indifference that came from seeing through the ways of the world.