Donghuang City Division.

Chen Yuan, with a calm expression, held an invitation in his hand and read it slowly. His eyes narrowed slightly as he realized that the "old friend" Sima Ke was referring to was actually her.

This Xiao Qingmu had really made him search high and low.

She was even entangled with the current imperial prince. How interesting. Seeing it this way, Yang Hucheng's deliberate lateness during roll call today...

...was very likely at Xiao Qingmu's instigation.

How clumsy. To resort to such a low-level tactic, so cliché, but... it was undeniably effective. This woman clearly understood his character quite well.

Knowing he couldn't stand a speck of dirt in his eye, she had directly crippled Yang Hucheng!

Her goal had been achieved.

So, what was Sima Ke's purpose in inviting him?

Was it truly to resolve their grievances?

Or was it a trap?

Pondering this, Chen Yuan took a long time to regain his senses. He looked at the servant from the Fourth Prince's mansion who was bowing before him and said calmly, "Go back and tell the Fourth Prince,

Since His Highness is so intent on hosting this banquet, Chen will naturally not refuse. I will be there on time tonight!"

"Yes, sir, I will obey."

"Go."

"I will take my leave."

The man respectfully retreated from the main hall.

Once the man's figure had gradually disappeared, Chen Yuan looked at the darkening sky outside the hall and said softly:

"Someone, summon Deputy Commander Tao!"

"Yes."

......

......

Night gradually fell.

Chen Yuan's figure cast a long shadow under the moonlight. As it was winter, it grew dark relatively early. If it were summer,

It would still be dusk.

Looking at the imposing Fourth Prince's mansion before him, Chen Yuan paused. Several servants guarding the gate yawned, but their eyes fixed and they were immediately startled.

They didn't seem to see how Chen Yuan had appeared...

This was quite normal. With Chen Yuan's speed, he could instantly cover over ten meters. If he were to wear white robes and let his hair down, he would be no different from a ghost.

One of them swallowed hard and asked apologetically, bowing:

"Are you the Donghuang City Division's Commander Chen Yuan?"

"Indeed. I'm here for the appointment."

"Please come in, Lord Chen. His Highness is currently waiting in the main hall."

"Lead the way."

Chen Yuan nodded and tossed a goose feather he had casually picked up on the road into the servant's hand.

"This... what's this?"

The servants were confused.

"Chen is a courteous man, but the Fourth Prince's invitation was sent too late. There was no time to prepare a proper gift, so consider this a substitute. As the saying goes, 'A goose feather sent from afar, a small gift with deep meaning'. I believe the Fourth Prince will be delighted."

Hearing that it was a gift, the servant holding the goose feather instinctively glanced at it and nodded quickly.

"Please, my lord."

Inside the mansion.

Upon hearing the news of Chen Yuan's arrival, the Fourth Prince Sima Ke immediately waited outside the main hall. Seeing a black-clad figure behind several servants from afar, a standard smile appeared on his face.

"Since Azure Envoy Chen is here, why bring anything at all?"

Hearing this, the servant quickly held a white goose feather above his head and said respectfully:

"Patrol Envoy Chen Yuan sends a goose feather."

Sima Ke's smile froze for a moment, but quickly disappeared. He said with a faint smile,

"As expected of Azure Envoy Chen, even the gifts are so original."

In comparison, the title of "Azure Envoy Chen" was more deeply rooted in people's minds. Thus, even after Chen Yuan ascended to the position of Commander of the Donghuang City Division, many still referred to him as Azure Envoy Chen.

This was considered a departure from the scope of "Patrol Azure Envoy."

"A goose feather sent from afar, a small gift with deep meaning. The Fourth Prince doesn't mind, does he?"

"Of course not. It's already an honor for this prince that Azure Envoy Chen could come," Sima Ke said with a smile.

Unless granted the title of prince, princes like Sima Ke would refer to themselves as "this prince" or "this palace" when outside. Chen Yuan didn't find it strange.

"But Azure Envoy... today is a banquet. Why are you still wearing your official uniform?"

"I'm used to wearing it. Besides, who knows if I'll encounter any rebellious traitors on the way? Having this official uniform on is good for handling things, wouldn't you say?"

Chen Yuan looked at Sima Ke with a faint smile.

Sima Ke's eyes flickered. He nodded and said, "Azure Envoy Chen is right. Come, please."

The banquet Sima Ke had prepared for Chen Yuan was excellent. The wine was top-grade spirit wine, and the tea was top-grade spirit tea. The dishes were prepared by the chef of Juxian Restaurant, a famous establishment in the capital.

The ingredients were rare, showing that Sima Ke had put in a lot of effort.

This meal alone was worth no less than three yuan crystals.

Listening to Sima Ke introducing Juxian Restaurant, Chen Yuan smiled without saying anything. He had naturally heard of Juxian Restaurant's reputation. It was almost renowned throughout the capital.

Most of the diners who could afford to eat there were either royal nobles or Jianghu martial artists at the Tongxuan level or above. Others were not welcomed.

However, Chen Yuan had no intention of eating. Who knew if Sima Ke would put something in it? It was better to be cautious. Today's goal was Xiao Qingmu.

Not some desire to fill his stomach.

"Why isn't Azure Envoy Chen eating?"

Seeing that Chen Yuan hadn't even picked up his chopsticks, Sima Ke frowned slightly and said with a light smile,

"Could it be that Azure Envoy Chen is afraid this prince has poisoned the food?"

"Chen has already eaten. I have no appetite. I apologize for disregarding Your Highness's intentions."

Sima Ke stared at Chen Yuan. After a moment, he suddenly smiled and put down his chopsticks, saying with a faint smile,

"It was this prince who didn't consider things thoroughly. I don't blame Azure Envoy."

Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. He continued,

"Chen is very clear about Your Highness's intentions in inviting Chen here today. If Your Highness has something to say, please be frank. There's no need to say other things to hide it."

"Since Azure Envoy Chen is so straightforward, this prince won't hide anything." Saying this, Sima Ke picked up a glass of wine and said softly, "Consider this glass of wine an apology to Azure Envoy Chen on behalf of my incompetent uncle. I hope Azure Envoy won't take him too seriously."

After saying this, Sima Ke drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.

"Regardless, Yang Hucheng is this prince's uncle. This time, he deliberately made things difficult for Azure Envoy. To be honest, it was just a moment of irrationality.

Relying on some background, he was arrogant and domineering. Azure Envoy has taught him a lesson this time, which can be considered a way for him to gain some wisdom. This prince is not only not angry, but also wants to thank Azure Envoy for letting my incompetent uncle know that there is always someone better and something beyond the sky.

Some evildoers want to see this prince and Azure Envoy at odds. How could I give them a chance to laugh at me? Therefore, I invited Azure Envoy here today."

Sima Ke had a faint smile on his face, seemingly not caring about Yang Hucheng's matter at all.

"Your Highness is indeed broad-minded."

"Being in the royal family, one must naturally have a broad mind." He said with a smile.

But this only applied to people like Chen Yuan with extraordinary backgrounds and strength. If it were another ordinary commander, he would have used some power to suppress them long ago.

He didn't have the ability to deal with a Huayang True Person right now, but he had no problem dealing with ordinary Dan Realm grandmasters.

"On this point, Chen wants to learn from Your Highness. Chen's personality has always been fierce. Anyone who provokes me will regret it for the rest of their lives."

Chen Yuan said with a smile.

Although his tone was light, it contained an extreme coldness.

Hearing Chen Yuan's words, Sima Ke's eyes narrowed. After a long silence, he said:

"Azure Envoy Chen's personality does indeed make it easy to make enemies in the officialdom. One should leave room for others. My uncle is neither good at writing nor martial arts. After decades of struggle, he is still only at the Tongxuan level. He only broke through with the accumulation of numerous resources. He has no hope of reaching the Dan Realm in this life and won't achieve anything.

However, he is, after all, a senior of my mother's family and is deeply favored by my mother. Therefore... the first thing this prince hopes for when inviting Azure Envoy Chen is that Azure Envoy can give this prince some face and let my incompetent uncle go.

Another day, I will host a banquet at Juxian Restaurant and have my uncle shake hands with Azure Envoy to make peace. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Chen Yuan's fingers tapped the table, seemingly lost in thought, not agreeing immediately.

Sima Ke frowned almost imperceptibly.

"What? Azure Envoy won't even give this prince such a small amount of face?"

Chen Yuan stared at him, chuckled, and said,

"It's not that I don't want to give Your Highness face, but I'm really powerless."

"Hmm?"

Hearing this evasive answer, Sima Ke's eyes immediately narrowed, seeming somewhat displeased, feeling that Chen Yuan was just not giving him face. He was the one who made the move, after all.

He had ordered that no one was allowed to approach Yang Hucheng without his permission.

How could it now be that he was powerless?

"To be honest, after Deputy Commander Yang angered this official and was imprisoned, people continuously sent in his crimes. When this official saw them, they were so shocking that I was filled with anger. I have already reported his crimes to Divine Envoy Zhang. The Divine Envoy said... to severely punish this person. Now,

This official is indeed powerless. But Your Highness has an extraordinary status. If you were to seek out Divine Envoy Zhang, maybe the Divine Envoy would give you some face?"

Chen Yuan stared at Sima Ke with a calm expression.

Sima Ke: "..."

The Four Divine Envoys of the Patrol Division, what kind of status did they have? How could they give a prince face? If it were before, he might be able to find some connections, but now...

It was clear that Chen Yuan had told Zhang Yantong about this matter beforehand.

With his power, this matter would be difficult to handle!

"Azure Envoy can't withdraw those charges?"

Chen Yuan said righteously, "Since entering the government, Chen has sworn an oath to never coexist with evil. This matter... is really difficult to handle."

"But..."

"But what?"

"But it's not necessarily impossible. It depends on whether the crimes Deputy Commander Yang committed are real. This official is already investigating this matter. If Deputy Commander Yang is innocent, this official won't wrong an innocent man."

Sima Ke understood that this was Chen Yuan's blatant threat. Whether Yang Hucheng's crimes were real or not depended entirely on his word. If he said they were, then they were.

If he said they weren't, then they weren't.

He was indeed as arrogant as the rumors said!

If it weren't for his fear of Jiang He and Zhang Yantong behind Chen Yuan, he would not have endured this humiliation if it had been another Dan Realm grandmaster. Of course, even with Chen Yuan,

He was only enduring it temporarily. If he had the opportunity in the future, he would definitely repay the humiliation he had suffered today!

"In that case, Ke... will leave it to Azure Envoy Chen."

This time, Sima Ke no longer referred to himself as "this prince" or "this palace," but by his given name.

Chen Yuan smiled noncommittally, not agreeing or refusing, but changing the subject and saying,

"Just now, Your Highness said that the first thing you hoped for when inviting me was to release Yang Hucheng. So... what is the second thing? Your Highness, please tell me everything."

"Ke already said it on the invitation. Has Azure Envoy forgotten?"

"I've been forgetful lately. Please be frank, Your Highness." Chen Yuan's expression turned serious. This was not just a casual remark. He really did often forget things.

If it weren't for the things recorded on his body, he might have even forgotten the Immortal Ascension Hall on the Immortal Mountain.

Taking a deep breath, Sima Ke didn't get angry but nodded and said,

"It's not a big deal. I actually want to resolve some grudges. As the saying goes, 'It's better to resolve enmity than to create it'. Wouldn't it be a win-win situation if we could turn past conflicts into friendship?"

"Who is Your Highness talking about?"

Chen Yuan looked at him with a knowing smile.

Seeing that Chen Yuan was still pretending to be confused, Sima Ke clapped his hands and said softly,

"Miss Xiao, please come out."

A graceful figure wearing a black dress slowly walked into the main hall from outside the door. It was Chen Yuan's old acquaintance, Xiao Yunheng's daughter, Xiao Qingmu!

She looked up at Sima Ke and nodded slightly. Then, she turned her gaze to Chen Yuan, curtsied slightly, and said with a faint smile,

"Azure Envoy Chen, long time no see?"

Her eyes were very calm, not revealing any hatred. But Chen Yuan understood that the more she acted like this, the greater her hatred was.

It was just suppressed in a deeper place.

"What a pity. If Miss Xiao had stayed in Changshan Prefecture, she would have been able to meet Chen. It's a pity you left too early and didn't see how those Qingyun Sword Sect disciples died."

Chen Yuan had an expression of regret.

Xiao Qingmu clenched her hands under her sleeves, smiled, and didn't say anything.

Sima Ke stepped forward to interrupt, looked at Chen Yuan, and said,

"Azure Envoy Chen, the old friend I mentioned to you in the imperial city before was Miss Xiao. This time, I'm acting as an intermediary, hoping to resolve the grievances between Azure Envoy and the Qingyun Sword Sect.

Now, Qingmu is about to become this prince's woman and has officially left the Qingyun Sword Sect. How about we let these past grudges dissipate with the wind?"

Chen Yuan smiled without saying anything.

Sima Ke patted Xiao Qingmu's hand without making a sound and said,

"Come, Qingmu, pour a cup of tea for Azure Envoy. Azure Envoy is a magnanimous person and will naturally not dwell on those small matters."

Xiao Qingmu stared at Sima Ke for a moment, forced out a sinister smile. These grievances were all committed by Chen Yuan, yet she had to be the first to bow her head.

But she still endured it.

As long as she could make Chen Yuan lower his guard, she would have her revenge in the future. If Sima Ke was unwilling, then she would still cause trouble for him. As long as she didn't let Sima Ke get that thing,

The other party wouldn't dare to do anything to her. Moreover, although the Qingyun Sword Sect was destroyed, it wasn't as if there were no other backup plans. She still had some power in her hands now.

Xiao Qingmu moved her figure step by step, slowly came to the table, and tremblingly poured a cup of tea for Chen Yuan. Then, she poured a cup of tea for herself, raised the cup in her hand, and said with a bright smile,

"Azure Envoy Chen, you and I don't have any major grudges. It's just about Junior Brother Liu and Senior Brother Gu's matters. Now that the Qingyun Sword Sect has been destroyed by demonic villains, everything has returned to dust. Qingmu only wants to put these things down and sincerely serve the Fourth Prince. I hope Azure Envoy can do the same. A great man has a generous heart. Put down these past petty grudges, and Qingmu will be extremely grateful."

Chen Yuan's expression was calm as he looked at Xiao Qingmu, who was smiling but actually wanted to kill him. He shook his head and said softly, "This is not a petty grudge. Has Miss Xiao really forgotten the hatred of killing her father and the hatred of her sect being destroyed?"

Xiao Qingmu's expression tightened. She forced a smile and said,

"These have nothing to do with Azure Envoy Chen."

"No, you know in your heart that these actually have a lot to do with me. You've just put the hatred in your heart. If it were someone else, they might have really resolved this grievance because of the Fourth Prince. But unfortunately, Chen is not someone else. Some hatred and some resentment have planted thorns in my heart.

Cutting weeds and eliminating roots is my style."

Chen Yuan stood up and transmitted his voice.

Xiao Qingmu's expression changed, and she immediately wanted to retreat. But Chen Yuan didn't give her any chance. A terrifying and fierce aura instantly enveloped Xiao Qingmu,

Imprisoning her in place.

Her eyes were now filled with fear.

The Fourth Prince Sima Ke, who was on the side, also quickly noticed that something was wrong. His expression suddenly changed as he stared at Chen Yuan and said in a deep voice,

"Azure Envoy Chen, what do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do?" Chen Yuan looked at Sima Ke and said with a smile,

"Of course, it's to capture the traitor Xiao Qingmu. Today... I have to thank the Fourth Prince for delivering this person to Chen's hands. I am extremely grateful."

"What traitor? Azure Envoy Chen, watch what you say."

Sima Ke's expression was gloomy, and he was surrounded by an aura of dignity.

"The reason why this official came to the banquet today is because the Xiao Qingmu mentioned in the Fourth Prince's invitation is very likely to be a wanted criminal captured by the imperial court. Seeing her today, it's indeed the case."

"How would this prince know that Miss Xiao is a wanted criminal?"

"Then it's probably because Your Highness has been living in the capital for too long and is ignorant."

"You..."

Chen Yuan flicked his sleeve, and an official document appeared in his hand:

"This is the wanted order issued by Fourth Rank Gold Envoy Jiang He of Qing Prefecture, wanted throughout the entire territory for the remnants of Qingyun. Xiao Qingmu is the direct daughter of Xiao Yunheng, the sect leader of Qingyun, and is the most important target. It has the official seal left by Lord Jiang He. Does Your Highness want to take a closer look?"

The wanted order was naturally fake, but Chen Yuan had the ability to turn it into reality!

In that case, it was real!

Sima Ke ignored the wanted order and stared at Chen Yuan with a gloomy expression:

"What if this prince says that Azure Envoy can't take Miss Xiao away today?"

If Chen Yuan were to take Xiao Qingmu directly from the prince's mansion, his reputation would be completely ruined!

In addition, he would have no chance to obtain the treasure he coveted.

Otherwise, how could he offend someone with talent and backing like Chen Yuan for a woman?

As the current prince, he had some breadth of mind. Even if he didn't, he had to pretend to have it!

Chen Yuan smiled faintly:

"This official is wearing a Fourth Rank official uniform and is an official appointed by the imperial court. It is only right and proper to investigate wanted criminals. Does the Fourth Prince want to rebel?"

"You dare to threaten me!"

Sima Ke's face was livid as he glared at Chen Yuan.

"So what if I threaten Your Highness? I'm determined to have Xiao Qingmu's life today. No one can stop me!" Chen Yuan faced Sima Ke directly, not backing down at all.

A prince who hadn't ascended to the position of crown prince yet didn't have much deterrent power in Chen Yuan's eyes.

"Azure Envoy Chen, do you know the consequences of what you're doing today?"

Chen Yuan's expression sank, and he said loudly and righteously:

"What if the consequences are great? With a wanted criminal in front of me, no one can stop Chen's blade. I said just now that I swear to never coexist with evil.

In this life, I have only one red heart of loyalty, seeking to serve my country!"

"Today, I also advise Your Highness not to get involved with these rebellious traitors. It's really damaging to the royal family's reputation. If it reaches His Majesty's ears, you'll inevitably suffer the consequences.

So, does Your Highness understand?"