This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 223 A lot of doubts

However, if this is not the Ninth Heaven, then who exactly is this mysterious and unpredictable force of pursuers? Like a ghost, it relentlessly chases after the transmigrators.

How did they know who the time traveler was? This was undoubtedly the biggest mystery in Xiao Xingchen's mind.

Time travel—such an incredible thing cannot be explained by ordinary theories. Perhaps only mythology can match it.

Or perhaps there is another possibility, he secretly speculated, that the pursuers' purpose was not to hunt down the transmigrators, but to obtain the method to enter the Dao in one step.

They came for this very reason, using it as leverage to mobilize numerous powerful figures, including the Martial Emperor, and even the village chief was involved.

However, Emperor Wu and the village chief were cautious and did not reveal Old Man Chen's whereabouts to that force. Instead, they secretly monitored him, hoping to seize the benefits for themselves. In his view, this was the most reasonable guess.

"Based on your statement, is it still necessary for us to stay here?"

Ruoxue was worried. Although Xiaoxingchen's words lacked concrete evidence, his various speculations were not unfounded, which made her quite hesitant.

Back then, she came here full of joy, intending to win over many people.

Are we just going to leave in such a sorry state?

“We have now determined that there are indeed problems with the people here. If their reliability cannot be guaranteed, I suggest we hold off on recruiting them for now. At least, we haven't come away empty-handed; I've already gained quite a bit.”

He clenched his fists tightly, feeling the power of Fusang entering his heart; the power of this second heaven filled him with satisfaction.

Furthermore, we also received news from Master Zhu Wu, making this trip truly worthwhile. "Alright, in that case, we'll take our leave now."

"Okay, let's go. Don't worry, the village chief won't let this go. We don't need to go looking for him. I believe that with our arrival, some people will start to get restless."

Xiao Xingchen asserted that regardless of the village chief's motives, by revealing everything, he knew the matter would ultimately come back to him. After all, Old Man Chen hadn't left his house for over ten years and hadn't found any clues; they certainly wouldn't let him off the hook.

He also took advantage of this time to observe the village chief and Emperor Wu's movements. If they were indeed in contact, Emperor Wu would not remain indifferent after he left and would definitely take action.

As he left, Xiao Xingchen could clearly feel many eyes on him. A smile played on his lips. It seemed his arrival had attracted a lot of attention. His goal was no longer to subdue them here, but to get them to step out into the sunlight. Only then would their true nature be revealed.

Only by shining the sunlight on it can you tell whether it's a ghost or a human.

Within Yong'an City, even after the conclusion of the investiture ceremony, undercurrents had already been brewing.

Firstly, regarding Xiao Xingchen, when the news spread that the new king of the Great Qian Dynasty was actually a mere child, the shock it caused among the kings and lords was unimaginable. Countless memorials arrived in quick succession, including those from several former kings.

To be ranked alongside a mere youth is a disgrace to the king. The intensity of the words, even though Emperor Wu had anticipated this backlash, still caused him to frown.

The two prime ministers who had challenged his authority last time had already retired to their hometowns. Now it was the military generals' turn to provoke him. After glancing at the memorials, he tossed them aside and instead took out a black booklet.

The booklet contained no markings, except for what appeared to be an ant symbol in one corner. This was a message from an anthill, and it clearly recorded Xiao Xingchen's actions.

When Emperor Wu saw him interact with Old Man Chen, a glint flashed in his eyes.

"After waiting for so many years, it seems that the time for us to finally blossom and bear fruit is finally here. Xiao Xingchen, you really are a lucky star."

Emperor Wu muttered to himself, the anger he had felt earlier from the dissenting memorials completely dispelled.

"Guards, have the gifts for the Prince of Kao Shan prepared? Send them over in a grand and ostentatious manner, so that the whole world may know that my favor towards him surpasses all others."

Emperor Wu's words drifted out leisurely, and then he put down the black folding document with satisfaction.

Before Xiao Xingchen even appeared, Emperor Wu had once again thrust him into the spotlight.

As for the second matter of public interest, it is naturally the Poetry Immortal Gathering. The Second Sage, representing the Confucian Temple, has personally drafted the various procedures, and various countries have received the rules and arrangements for the Poetry Immortal Gathering. Preparations are proceeding at a rapid pace.

The alliances of various countries have now moved together, spending all their time arranging various matters. Emperor Wu turns a blind eye to this, ignoring it completely and not even sending anyone to monitor them. His attitude is very clear: do as you please, as if he doesn't care at all.

As for the third matter, it concerns the Heavenly Sword of Great Yan. Although the Heavenly Sword is broken, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse, and countless people are secretly eyeing it.

These three things are the mainstream gossip among the people of Yong'an. As for those hidden in the shadows, they are not for them to know. For example, when Xiao Xingchen left, a caravan of merchants quietly entered Yong'an. The caravan was very simple, but the woman who got out of the caravan amazed many people in a small circle.

This woman's name was Xizhu. It was said that she came from Nanling and was there to exchange goods for her family. However, observant people noticed that there were many skilled people around her, among whom a one-armed man was particularly conspicuous.

Wu Xie had passed by and seen this group of people, then stood there for a long time. He then revealed the name of the man with the missing arm.

Shan Liang, the number one swordsman in the secluded world, comes from the mysterious otherworld and is known as the Lone Sword Immortal. The most prominent feature of the rumors about him is that he has only one arm and always goes his own way. But unexpectedly, he has become a woman's bodyguard here.

This greatly alarmed Wu Xie. He only dared to reveal it to others after confirming it several times: the one-armed man was indeed Shan Liang. Wu Xie had seen this swordsman, Shan Liang, once at the border when he was a child. Shan Liang, who traveled alone, had added another layer of eeriness to Yong'an.

The world's number one swordsman came to Yong'an just to buy goods? Even a fool wouldn't believe it, which only fueled everyone's curiosity about the woman's identity.

However, the woman's face was veiled by a white veil and a bamboo hat, so no one could see her true appearance.

This group eventually checked into the Yuelai Inn, becoming a variable in Yong'an.

Now that Xiao Xingchen has his own powerful royal residence, he no longer needs to go to Huayu Tower every day. Moreover, the girls from Huayu Tower have begun moving into his royal residence, which has led to the rise of a unique royal residence in Yong'an.

Even when he and Ruoxue returned to the Prince's mansion, they couldn't help but be taken aback.

The Prince's mansion was naturally imposing, but this one was now somewhat ostentatious and flamboyant. Where guards should have been standing watch at the main gate, several young women with fans were soliciting customers. Those who knew this was the Prince's mansion, but those who didn't might have mistaken it for a brothel.

The girls at Huayulou have completely transformed the Prince Kaoshan's mansion; they're practically ready to just move the Huayulou signboard over and put it on, then it'll become a branch of Huayulou.

This made Ruoxue chuckle. As expected of the girl under her command, the huge royal palace had turned into a brothel in just two days.

"Go, get all your girls together, I'm going to announce the rules."

He strode angrily to the gate, where the imposing guardian lions on either side were adorned with red and green decorations, which made him roar even more fiercely.

"What are you doing? This is my royal residence! What kind of guests are you trying to attract here?"

Right in front of him, girls were skillfully soliciting customers, a sight that made his lips twitch uncontrollably.

"Oh my, our prince is back! Come in, come in! We've missed you terribly while you were gone. Don't worry, we've taken good care of the manor and haven't let you down at all."

Chunmei came out waving a fan, her hips swaying with captivating charm, making Ruoxue shake her head and smile wryly.

"Ahem... Shall we go inside first?"

Ruoxue saw that Xiaoxingchen was trembling all over, as if he wanted to vent, but seemed to be holding back in front of so many girls.

"I'll wipe it,"

Finally, he let out a roar of resentment and rushed in. He was going to find Ling Feiyuan. Before he left, he had instructed Ling Feiyuan that the old generals of the Ling family would be directly arranged to enter the Prince's Mansion. That was the arrangement.

"Hehe, Your Highness is really... fair and delicate." Chunmei pursed her lips, her smile quite amusing.

"Put away your lust. He's not someone you can control. Tell me, why did you change the Prince's mansion like this? This isn't your style."

Ruoxue didn't leave; she asked directly.

"Oh dear, we've run into trouble. Someone's eyeing our Flower Language Pavilion, so I had no choice but to move everyone here, leaving only a few normal girls behind," Chunmei's words made Ruoxue's heart skip a beat.

Who is watching us?

"I don't know. I met the people in the shadows. They are highly skilled and I couldn't defeat them in time. So I divided the girls in the building into two groups. The girls in the open are not moving, while the people in the shadows have been transferred to the Prince's Mansion. In order to avoid suspicion, I simply turned this place into a branch building. Anyway, we are going to be monitored. The Prince is very popular now. There are no less than ten groups of people monitoring outside the Prince's Mansion. One more or one less will not make a difference. They are just right to come together."

Chunmei smiled knowingly, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.