"We really can't retreat!"
"That's right, Your Majesty, if we retreat, the Northern Barren Domain will inevitably fall into chaos, and the forces of those small countries will quickly find a loophole!"
As Minister Zhang's words fell, another official stepped forward to support him: "Your Majesty, Minister Zhang's proposal is reasonable.
Although the Zhao family has suffered heavy losses, we can still hold on!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Xuanfeng's expression turned grim, and he remained silent.
Chu Chen's gaze swept over everyone, and a mocking smile played on his lips: "Heh heh, the worries of you lords.
are indeed not wrong, but you all seem to have forgotten that I am no longer the useless young master I once was."
"What?" Qin Xuanfeng and the assembled ministers all showed surprise.
Chu Chen grabbed the head of the Zhao family patriarch and smashed it into his cheek with a "bang": "Zhao Tianhu, weren't you very arrogant? Why aren't you arrogant anymore?"
"Chu... Chu Chen, don't be ridiculous, release the family head quickly, otherwise the Zhao family will not let you go!"
A direct descendant of the Zhao family said with a trembling voice, not knowing that he was so vulnerable in front of Chu Chen.
"Hmph, it's as easy as pie for me to kill him, does anyone have an opinion?" Chu Chen glanced coldly at the Zhao family direct descendant and said indifferently.
"Your Zhao family has committed many evils, what a pity to destroy the entire Zhao family?"
As he spoke, Chu Chen shifted his gaze to Qin Xuanfeng: "As for you people, there's nothing more to say, all of you will accompany me to the grave!"
"Chu Chen, are you crazy? What do you want to do?"
"Stop him quickly!"
"You dare to rebel?" Everyone's expressions changed drastically, their faces pale with fear, and they trembled all over.
Rebellion was no minor offense, especially during such a sensitive period. If discovered, it would surely be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of relatives.
"Hahaha..." Chu Chen threw his head back and laughed, his eyes scarlet: "Rebel? I, Chu Chen, have never thought of rebelling, because what I want, no one can take away!
I want revenge, I want to make all members of the Zhao family pay the price! I want to destroy the Zhao family!"
"You... you lunatic!"
"Where did my Zhao family offend you that you want to exterminate my entire family!" The people of the Zhao family all felt Chu Chen was like a madman, completely disregarding the consequences.
They even suspected that Chu Chen had a problem with his head or was being controlled by someone.
"Shut up!" Chu Chen roared, then raised his foot and stomped down fiercely. With a crisp crack, the neck of Zhao Tianhu.
was snapped on the spot, blood gushed out, dyeing Chu Chen's robes red.
"Ah~~~~" Zhao Tianhu struggled in pain, his eyes wide open, his eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets, his pupils dilated, and his life force rapidly drained.
He slowly released his foot, and Zhao Tianhu collapsed limply on the ground, dead.
Looking down at everyone, he sneered, "From this day forward, the Zhao family will forever disappear from the Northern Barren Domain, and I will keep my word!"
"Chu Chen, you are simply audacious!" a general roared.
"You killed the family head, and do you still want to pocket the spoils?" another general shouted, "Surrender quickly!"
"What do you think you are? You are worthy of negotiating terms with me?" Chu Chen smiled coldly.
"After tonight, the Zhao family will be no more. Whoever is not convinced, step forward, and I will send them on their way one by one!"
At these words, everyone was shocked, their faces filled with fear, their bodies chilled, and they dared not make a sound.
"Presumptuous! You dare to threaten me?!" Qin Xuanfeng was furious, "Guards, apprehend this villain for me!"
"Who dares to step forward?" Chu Chen scanned everyone with a stern expression, finally landing on Qin Xuanfeng, and sneered.
"Qin Xuanfeng, do you think a few hundred imperial guards can stop me?"
"Chu Chen, what do you want to do? Are you rebelling?" Qin Xuanfeng glared at Chu Chen, his eyes red, "Believe it or not, I will kill you immediately!"
"Heh heh, since you want to kill me, why don't you do it yourself?" Chu Chen sneered.
"Aren't you just wary of my strength? Don't worry, I won't hurt you. As long as you hand over the Tiger Tally, I will leave immediately and will not set foot in the imperial capital again."
Chu Chen's words made Qin Xuanfeng pause.
He had indeed sent people to search for Chu Chen's whereabouts during this period, but to no avail.
The reason was simple: Chu Chen had long left the Northern Barren Domain and gone to a vaster and more magnificent world.
"You are really willing to give up the spoils?" Qin Xuanfeng took a deep breath. He knew Chu Chen was a dangerous person.
If he could be won over, he would be a considerable asset.
Chu Chen's eyes flickered with a chilling glint as he said, "I, Chu Chen, keep my word!"
Before his voice fell, Chu Chen's figure rushed into the depths of the imperial palace, hurtling towards the encampment of the imperial guards.
In the depths of the imperial palace courtyard, thousands of imperial guards were on patrol, with teams of soldiers standing ready, swords drawn, vigilantly watching their surroundings, not daring to be careless in the slightest.
Chu Chen's speed was astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, he had passed through layers of guards and arrived near the imperial guard camp. He hid in the shadows, observing the movements of these imperial guards.
"Hmm?" Chu Chen's brows suddenly twitched, and his gaze instantly locked onto the imperial guard camp.
In the center of the camp, a huge coffin was placed. Inside lay an old man, dressed in a dragon robe.
His chest had completely caved in, and he was barely breathing, clearly on the verge of death.
"This old fellow must be Zhao Tianhu, right? He died so miserably, it seems Zhao Tianyun didn't lie to me," Chu Chen muttered.
"Father Emperor!" a mournful cry came. A young man rushed over, knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, utterly grief-stricken.
The young man was named Zhao Qiankun, Zhao Tianhu's only son.
"You're late!" Zhao Qiankun cried. His father Emperor had just been ambushed by an assassin, who had pierced his chest with a sword. Even with Chu Chen's powerful and domineering physique,
he couldn't withstand the sharpness of that short blade, and his heart was instantly pierced, extinguishing his life.
"Alas, everyone has their fate. Please accept my condolences. No matter what, I will do what I promised you!" Chu Chen sighed.
"Thank you!" Zhao Qiankun wiped away his tears.
His heart was filled with hatred and resentment, and he gritted his teeth: "Chu Chen, my Zhao family will never forgive you!"
"You two brothers chat first, I'll go out for a stroll," Chu Chen said, then turned into an afterimage and left silently.
"You..." Zhao Qiankun was stunned for a moment, then reacted, quickly chasing after him, shouting at the same time, "Guards! Protect the Emperor!"
"Whoosh!" At this moment, a sharp sword light suddenly shot through the air, moving with incredible speed, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air.