This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 208 Underground World

Since Ling Feiyuan had made such a solemn promise, Xiao Xingchen's anxious heart was somewhat at ease. After agreeing on a time, he continued his journey without stopping. The ant cave, as a source of soldiers, naturally became his next stop. Firstly, it was to recruit soldiers, and secondly, it was to bide his time. He had been in the limelight for too long, and the best way to cool down this craze was undoubtedly to disappear from the public eye.

"Could you tell me more about our target?"

Xiao Xingchen put aside the many trivial matters of Yong'an and set off lightly with Ruoxue. With the girls of Huayulou looking after the Prince's Mansion, he was naturally at ease. After all, the girls of Huayulou were no pushovers; each of them was adept at social interaction and had their own network of connections in Yong'an. This meant that they could handle many matters perfectly without needing to ask for permission. In this way, Xiao Xingchen could head to the Ant Nest without any distractions.

“You’ve already met the fortune teller from last time. This time, I’ll take you to the village chief’s house in the anthill first. If you want to take someone away from there, you must first get the village chief’s permission.”

Ruoxue responded calmly, leading the way by turning left and right, following the route from last time.

"Village chief? Isn't he just the leader of the anthill? I'm now the powerful King of the Mountain, do you think they dare to challenge me?"

“That’s quite different. You’re talking about the ant chief appointed by the government, but in the anthill, the real rules aren’t up to him. He’s merely a link between the anthill and the Great Qian government. The one who truly has the final say there is the village chief. In other words, the village chief is the local tyrant in that dark world.”

"There's actually such a saying? Doesn't that mean that matters above ground are under the jurisdiction of Emperor Wu, while matters below ground are under the control of this village chief?"

"You guessed right, it's true. Those on the ground are like cranes in the clouds, never venturing into the underground; those underground are like fish in the deep sea, never daring to surface. This is ordained by some unseen rule, and the position of village chief is just like another Martial Emperor,"

Xiao Xingchen's body trembled violently. He understood Ruoxue's words, but how could this be possible? How could the Martial Emperor tolerate anyone sharing Yong'an with him?

Even though one is underground and the other sits high above, for an emperor, how can he allow another to sleep soundly beside his bed? Perhaps sensing his confusion, Ruoxue quickly explained,

"The village chief is rumored to have an extremely powerful background, so much so that even the Martial Emperor would show him deference. Of course, this has not been confirmed, and I certainly haven't witnessed it myself,"

"What kind of background could make this village chief even more powerful than the royal family? This is the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty. To have such abilities, I even suspect that this village chief is a member of the royal family. Only a member of the royal family could put Emperor Wu at ease."

"You mean, Emperor Wu is using the royal family as a front to control these underground affairs?"

"This is merely my speculation. According to you, this anthill is teeming with talented people. Is Emperor Wu truly at ease letting these people live peacefully underground in Yong'an?"

Xiao Xingchen couldn't help but speculate, his curiosity about this underground world growing even stronger. Last time he came in a hurry, he hadn't had time to examine it closely. Such a vast underground world couldn't have been built easily. It involved a great deal of architectural knowledge; even the most basic ventilation and drainage would have been a massive undertaking in his previous life.

But in this era, an underground world has actually appeared. How could this not arouse his curiosity? He was eager to know who created this underground world, as this person's knowledge was quite advanced.

"What you said makes sense. If what you guessed is true, then wouldn't our actions have fallen into Emperor Wu's trap again?"

Ruoxue said worriedly,

"Let's first investigate this village chief's background and find out who he really is before deciding on our next move. If he is indeed connected to the royal family, then you and Consort Xian would probably have already been exposed, and the recruitment of soldiers would have to come to an abrupt halt. We might even have to eliminate him completely to prevent future troubles."

The two men's faces were as heavy as lead. As Xiao Xingchen delved deeper into the analysis, the dangers of the anthill were suddenly revealed, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

When he first stepped into this place, he was filled with doubt. How could such a natural and vast source of soldiers be able to thrive and multiply safely in Yong'an? This matter itself was permeated with a strange atmosphere.

As the two continued forward, they finally emerged from the passage and returned to the round, domed ceiling.

Looking at the bustling, crowded streets, I had the illusion that I was in another world, as if this was no longer the Nine Heavens Continent.

"The world below is divided into five regions. The place we are in now is called 'Shang,' which means a place for the exchange of goods. What you see before you is the market. Although resources are scarce here, there is a rare treasure called Blue Crystal, which is the common currency here."

"Furthermore, what you see now is only the tip of the iceberg of this layout. The five districts are arranged in a fan shape, like stars surrounding the moon, guarding the law enforcement agency located in the very center. We call it the Nest Mansion, meaning the core of the ant nest. All rules and decrees are issued from this mansion."

"And what about the village chief? Does he also reside within the Nest Palace?"

"No, come with me, we'll go straight to the village chief's residence."

Xiao Xingchen noticed that Ruoxue seemed to want to say something but hesitated, but before she could finish speaking, she grabbed him and rushed towards the outer perimeter.

After traversing several streets, a dilapidated alley came into view.

On both sides of the passage, the crooked walls have collapsed beyond recognition, like an old man in his twilight years, teetering on the verge of collapse.

The ground was covered with green moss, making it extremely slippery underfoot, as if it were a forgotten swamp.

The foul-smelling sewage flowing from the house was nauseating. Even in such appalling living conditions, Xiao Xingchen could see that there were still people moving around inside, like tenacious weeds struggling to survive on this barren land.

"I hope we've come to the wrong place. Could the village chief you mentioned be here?"

Xiao Xingchen was surprised.

"It's right here,"

"What? The underground overlord you're talking about lives in this stinking place?"

"Okay, let's go. The village chief has a strange personality, so you should keep quiet for a while."

Ruoxue nodded and took the lead into the alley. Their figures naturally attracted the attention of those inside the wall.

"Hey, isn't that the young lady from the Chen family? The outside world is definitely different from ours. Look how well she's dressed, how beautiful she is!"

Xiao Xingchen glanced at Ruoxue. So her surname was Chen. He had always known her as Ruoxue, so Ruoxue was probably an alias.

"My dear wife, you've missed your chance. An old woman like you shouldn't try to compete with young people. Just enjoy your remaining years and stop thinking about all that nonsense."

"You old geezer, I was stunningly beautiful when I was young, no less so than Chen Xiaoni, you know!"

"Pfft, you're hilarious! That huge scar on your face is nothing compared to Xiao Ni's. You'll only ever be my neighbor for life."

"You old rascal, you're so wicked, Chen Xiaoni. What brings you to this filthy place? No one who leaves here ever wants to come back."

Xiao Xingchen noticed that the woman speaking was an old woman who was nearly seventy or eighty years old. The wrinkles on her face told them that she was a grandmother. Most obviously, there was a huge scar on her face that looked like she had almost been split in two. It ran from her forehead to her jaw, which was quite terrifying.

The old man who answered was even more interesting; he had a third eye on his forehead, which was extremely peculiar.

Ruoxue, standing in front, bowed slightly towards the inside of the walls on both sides.

"Uncle Ma, you're still so harsh on the embroiderer. No wonder you've been a bachelor your whole life. What woman could stand your mouth?"

"Haha, I love what Xiaoni says. He's destined to be a bachelor his whole life. All he does is complain about this and that. He never even bothers to look at himself in the mirror."

The old woman, known as the embroiderer, laughed loudly.

"Chen Xiaoni, you've really grown some guts since you went out. You actually dared to flirt with me, Lord Ma. Do you even know that Lord Ma has three eyes? Humph, I was planning to pass on my third eye to you. Now it seems you have no chance, no chance at all."

"Lord Horse?" Xiao Xingchen's eyes flashed. This unassuming old man did indeed fit the name. He had never seen a three-eyed person before.

"I know, I know. Grandpa Ma, you've been repeating this for decades. I'm tired of hearing it even if you're not. I certainly wouldn't dare to hinder your third eye. I suggest you hurry up and find someone to pass it on."

Ruoxue chuckled lightly, showing no signs of formality, which revealed her familiarity with the place. This made Xiaoxingchen realize that Ruoxue herself was someone with a story; since they met, he had known far too little about her.

This made him take Ruoxue seriously. Whether as a friend or otherwise, he felt he had been neglecting Ruoxue.

"Hmph, you're so glib. Now, tell me, what are you coming back for this time? Let me make this clear beforehand, I, Lord Ma, am not going out with you."

"You shameless bastard, acting like nobody wants you. Don't listen to his nonsense, Xiao Ni. Were you bullied outside? Tell me, and I'll get revenge for you."

The elderly embroiderer held the needle with the care of a rare treasure, concentrating intently as she threaded the needle and mended the garment.

As he spoke, Xiao Xingchen suddenly noticed that the embroidery needle was gleaming with a chilling light, which made his eyes instantly turn serious.

Recalling Ruoxue's previous instructions, he seemed to realize that the two elderly people in front of him were no ordinary people.

Ruoxue smiled and shook her head. "Who dares to bully me? If I am bullied, I will come and cry to you. Who can stand by and do nothing? I came back this time to see the village chief. I brought a friend with me and wanted the village chief to take a look at him."

As they spoke, Ruoxue appeared like a light butterfly, revealing Xiaoxingchen to everyone, and they introduced themselves to each other.

"This is Lord Ma, and this is the embroiderer; they are both highly respected neighbors in our area."

"This is my friend, Xiao Xingchen."

Lord Ma's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, had already locked onto Xiao Xingchen. After all, how could they easily let go of someone who had come with Ruoxue?

Xiao Xingchen also keenly sensed several piercing gazes sweeping over him, though they were extremely subtle. With his current strength, he could still detect some clues.

"Greetings to both of you grandpa and grandma. I am Xiaoxingchen. It is an honor to meet you for the first time."

"Hehe, girl, who did you bring along? Why do I feel like you're inviting a wolf into our house?"

On Lord Ma's forehead, the third eye, like a sleeping dragon, began to slowly wriggle, as if trying to open. This horrified Xiao Xingchen. At first, he mistook it for a fake eye, but the surging blood-red flesh made him realize that this person's eyes seemed to be real. But how could someone in the world have three eyes? He was filled with doubt.