"My lords, shouldn't you be considering your own lives right now?" Chu Chen slowly uttered the words.
A cruel smile curved his lips. "I enjoy tormenting people the most, so you'll obediently stay in the posthouse. I promise not to harm a single hair on your heads. However, if you try to escape, I'll have no choice but to use your corpses as bait to lure your masters into rescuing you."
The envoys were so terrified by Chu Chen's words that they dared not move. After all, none of them wished to lose their lives.
Seeing that they had wisely shut their mouths, Chu Chen finally sat down with peace of mind and continued to savor the delicacies.
Meanwhile, Bei Ye Mingyuan led a large army towards the Tianyan Empire. However, when he arrived near the posthouse, he was met with a scene of chaos.
The posthouse was surrounded by guards, and among them, he distinctly saw Nan Xianyue's figure.
"Imperial Uncle," Nan Xianyue cried out ecstatically, spotting Nan Lingyun at a glance.
Nan Lingyun immediately spurred his horse forward. When he saw Nan Xianyue kneeling on the ground, bound and covered in blood, his heart leaped into his throat.
"Little Jiu'er! You've suffered!" Nan Lingyun quickly removed his cloak and draped it over Nan Xianyue. Then, he grabbed Chu Chen and violently threw him to the ground.
"Cough... cough, cough, cough..." Chu Chen coughed violently, then slowly got up from the ground. His sharp eyes fixed on Nan Lingyun before him. "Nan Lingyun, how dare you collude with foreigners! You deserve to die!"
Nan Lingyun's face turned ashen. He looked at Chu Chen as if he were looking at a dead man. "What did you say!"
"I said... you traitor, you've betrayed the Tianyan Empire! I am now arresting you!" Chu Chen said, feigning composure.
Nan Lingyun, enraged, drew the sword at his waist and slashed at Chu Chen. "Chu Chen, I'll make you pay with your life for Little Jiu'er!"
Although Chu Chen possessed martial arts skills, he was still at a disadvantage against the fierce Nan Lingyun. He narrowly dodged Nan Lingyun's attack. He then sneered, "Nan Lingyun, give up on that idea. You'll never see Nan Xianyue again in this lifetime."
"What do you mean?" Nan Lingyun's pupils contracted sharply, and he stared at Chu Chen in disbelief.
"Just as I said," Chu Chen said with a cold smile, parrying with his saber.
However, at this critical moment, a powerful gust of wind swept in, forcing Nan Lingyun back several meters. Nan Lingyun looked up in shock and saw a tall, handsome young man standing beside Chu Chen. He exuded a fierce and murderous aura, his black robes fluttering in the wind.
"Brother Lingyun, what is going on?" The newcomer was Mu Chen. He and Chu Chen had agreed to meet here, but when he arrived, he witnessed this scene.
"This fellow is trying to rebel and usurp the throne!" Nan Lingyun said resentfully, looking at Chu Chen as if he were his mortal enemy.
"Oh? Usurp the throne?" Mu Chen appraised Chu Chen with interest, his gaze sweeping over Nan Xianyue's blood-stained armor. This man was quite capable of injuring Nan Xianyue.
Chu Chen did not notice Mu Chen's gaze. He sneered, "That's right. How could mere trash like you be a match for our Shadow Hall? If it weren't for the fact that you are Nan Xianyue's relative, I would have torn you to pieces long ago. Why would I bother with all this scheming and forging imperial decrees?"
Mu Chen frowned slightly, his gaze towards Nan Xianyue becoming more complex. He hadn't expected Nan Xianyue to betray him and defect to the enemy.
Meanwhile, Chu Chen's guards had already rushed into the posthouse and quickly subdued all the officials.
"Let me go! I am a high-ranking official of the imperial court! How dare you lay hands on me!" an elder official roared angrily.
"Heh heh, a high-ranking official? You maggots, the money you embezzle and accept in bribes each year exceeds that of the imperial treasury! And you old fools still have the audacity to call yourselves high-ranking officials? How laughable!" Chu Chen scoffed disdainfully.
"You... you're talking nonsense!"
"Am I talking nonsense? Do you recognize this memorial?" Chu Chen produced a memorial and tossed it to the official. Upon closer inspection, the official's face turned ashen. This memorial was indeed a secret report he had written to the royal family, and it bore his fingerprint.
"Hmph, you traitors, if you dare to do it, why hide it! Guards, take these traitors down and execute them as a public warning!" Chu Chen commanded coldly. These officials, relying on their petty power, bullied the common people. He would settle this score sooner or later!
At this moment, Mu Chen's men had also gained control of the other officials in the posthouse. Chu Chen's escape route led directly to Mu Chen. Seeing Chu Chen approaching, Mu Chen's lips curved into a faint smile. "I was wondering where to find you, and now you've come to my doorstep."
Hearing this, Chu Chen's footsteps faltered, and he cautiously took two steps back. "Mu Chen, this has nothing to do with you."
However, Mu Chen gave Chu Chen no chance to escape. "Trying to run? It's not that easy." Mu Chen let out a contemptuous roar and drew his sword, pursuing. In the blink of an eye, Chu Chen was intercepted.
"Let go!" Chu Chen roared, his face turning ashen. He had already killed all of Mu Chen's men. Mu Chen himself was someone he was supposed to protect. If he lost him again, then...
How could Mu Chen let go of this excellent opportunity for revenge? He immediately raised his hand and grabbed Chu Chen by the neck, lifting his entire body into the air. Mu Chen looked down at Chu Chen, whose face was flushed red, his gaze cold and mocking. "Heh~ Chu Chen, I underestimated you. You actually managed to survive in that situation."
With that, Mu Chen raised his left hand and struck Chu Chen fiercely. With a bang, Chu Chen felt a sharp pain in his chest, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying backward.
"Cough..." Coughing violently, Chu Chen struggled to get up from the ground. "Mu Chen, do you think you can defeat me with just this?"
Hearing Chu Chen's words, Mu Chen burst into laughter as if he had heard the most naive joke. "Haha, Chu Chen, you're too naive! I admit you're very powerful, but so what? You're already heavily injured. Any of my guards could take you down." Mu Chen's smile deepened as he spoke.
"Today, even if I die, I'll take you down with me!"
"If you have the guts, come and try," Chu Chen wiped the blood from his lips, his tone icy and provocative.