Chapter 2131: Playing with Fire Leads to Self-Destruction

Ao Yong climbed onto a massive coral reef. From there, he could easily slip into the courtyard of the queen's chambers.

Suddenly, he froze, spotting someone standing by the distant courtyard gate. It was Kachir, the Dragon Palace Guard Captain!

Ao Yong's eyes widened. What was he doing here? Kachir was the Dragon King's personal guard captain, responsible for the King's safety. Normally, he was almost inseparable from the King. The crucial point was that this man was incorruptible. He had once been a fierce general in the army but was not well-regarded by the nobility. Yet, for some unknown reason, he had suddenly gained the Dragon King's favor and been promoted out of turn to be the new Guard Captain. Thinking of Kachir's past exploits and every encounter he'd had with him, Ao Yong always felt a certain fear. There was something unfathomable about him.

The critical thing was that if Kachir was here, didn't that mean the Dragon King was also present? He dared not make a sound, terrified of being discovered by Kachir.

Wait, he seemed to be listening intently to something, his vigilance somewhat lower than usual. Ao Yong hesitated, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to leave. Using the coral reef as cover, he secretly peered into the courtyard.

"Who's there!"

Kachir had been focused on the movements inside the house. Only after hearing what he'd just heard did he nod in satisfaction. It was about time; he hadn't known what that fellow had been dawdling for. From now on, the Queen was also on their side; it would be almost impossible for her to betray them. At that moment, the disturbance near the coral reef alerted him. He simply flicked his hand, and the saber at his waist, still in its sheath, shot out instantly.

With a *boom*, the dark, hard saber flew straight in, instantly embedding itself entirely into the soft coral!

Ao Yong was terrified. He quickly used everything he had ever learned to flee, barely escaping thanks to a teleportation artifact he had prepared beforehand and a flaw in a magical formation only he knew about.

Kachir pursued him but eventually lost his trace, frowning. He had been so focused on the room just now that he hadn't expected someone to sneak in. Unsure of the intruder's identity, he felt uneasy and immediately summoned his subordinates to search the area. As for the Queen, now that things had progressed to that point, he no longer had to worry. That fellow was very lustful; he would surely completely conquer the proud Queen.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Shang Hongyu's pupils slowly refocused. She first looked bewildered, then utterly shy. Had she, had she fainted for a moment just now? She couldn't resist biting his shoulder fiercely. "You're too naughty! You clearly promised me, yet..."

"I didn't promise anything," Zu An said with a playful smile.

"You..." Shang Hongyu recalled the recent events. He indeed hadn't explicitly agreed. "All this time, I've been fooled by your image as a gentle gentleman. You're clearly a beast!"

"Thank you for the compliment."

"That's not a compliment!"

"Oh, right, there seemed to be some commotion outside," Shang Hongyu said. As a Grandmaster, she had heard some sounds, even if she was drowsy.

Zu An replied, "That brother-loving Ao Yong somehow came here and was discovered by Kachir, who is now chasing him." With Zu An's current divine sense, every blade of grass and tree within the entire palace grounds was within his mind. Ao Yong's arrival had naturally not escaped his notice.

***

In the human capital, the Liu family's gate, which had held strong for a long time, was completely breached by the enemy's massive battering ram. The ram, without losing momentum, crashed directly into the Liu manor. Many Liu family guards along the way tried to stop it, but how could they possibly halt that terrifying battering ram? They were either crushed to the sides or flattened into a pulp. Countless streams of blood flowed across the ground. Everyone in the Liu manor was plunged into despair, while the soldiers of the King of Wu were in high spirits, shouting as they charged in.

Inside the Liu manor, the Liu brothers were like ants on a hot pan. At that moment, someone advised, "Masters, we cannot hold out. We must risk our lives to escort you two masters to escape."

Liu Guang and Liu Yao's eyes lit up. "Yes, as long as we can escape, we'll have a chance to rise again!"

At that moment, a mocking laugh echoed. "Escape? Where else can you possibly go?" The King of Wu, clad in armor, burst in with a group of masters, his face twisted in a sneer.

Liu Guang suddenly shouted, "Everyone, follow me and apprehend this treacherous rebel, the King of Wu!" He knew clearly that at this point, only by capturing the leader first would there be a glimmer of hope. The King of Wu seemed confident of victory, daring to charge in personally, thus giving them a chance to fight back. The Liu family members also reacted, rushing forward after him. The Liu family had wielded power for so many years and had recruited many masters under their command. The momentum of their desperate charge was truly frightening. The King of Wu, however, was merely a regional vassal king; his talents and masters were unlikely to surpass those of the Liu family.

Yet, the King of Wu remained unhurried. He said coldly, "Liu Guang and Liu Yao defied imperial decree and even attempted to assassinate the imperial envoy. Their crimes are compounded; they can be killed on sight!" No sooner had he spoken than a group of warriors suddenly appeared from behind him. These individuals did not need to shout to bolster their moves; instead, they remained completely silent throughout, exuding a unique aura of deadly intent. Their moves were direct, and their coordination was seamless. With every swing of their blades, a life was taken, and soon many of the Liu family's masters lay fallen in pools of blood.

Not long after, Liu Guang and Liu Yao were also ambushed from the side, their heads directly severed. Their heads flew into the air. As they spun, their last thought was, "How could the King of Wu have so many terrifying masters under his command?" With the deaths of the two brothers, the morale of the Liu family instantly collapsed. Everyone scrambled to flee for their lives, resulting in a one-sided slaughter.

Stepping onto the main seat in the Liu family's hall, which symbolized their power, the King of Wu looked exceptionally excited. "Take the heads of Liu Guang and Liu Yao and display them throughout the capital! Whoever dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

After all, the Liu family had operated in the capital for many years, and their influence was deeply entrenched. Today's attack had merely caught them off guard, preventing their powerful forces from being deployed. If those people were to react, there might still be unforeseen complications. However, once the heads of Liu Guang and Liu Yao were displayed around the city, those people would likely have no choice but to back down. Who would be willing to die for two dead men?

***

Fires erupted throughout the capital; there was chaos and warfare everywhere. Many noble ministers didn't know what was happening and could only order their household guards and servants to lock their gates and strictly guard their homes. By dawn, the capital had gradually quieted down everywhere, indicating that the outcome was settled. The scouts sent out by the various prominent families finally understood what had happened. Learning that the Liu family had been annihilated like this, they couldn't help but sigh with regret.

In recent years, the Liu family had used their status as the imperial consort's relatives to extensively promote their own kin to crucial positions, drawing widespread resentment. Especially after the late emperor's death, with the Empress Dowager's backing, the Liu brothers became even more arrogant and unrestrained, having no more qualms. Everyone had long been privately displeased, with many secretly cursing them to perish soon. However, despite the dissatisfaction, no one had expected them to meet their end in such a manner.

The entire court of high-ranking officials, already at the pinnacle of the empire's power, instinctively detested any variables, and tonight's events introduced too many. It also seemed that a regional vassal king had been involved. If this trend continued, ambitious individuals throughout the land might be stirred into action. Furthermore, throughout the entire process, the Eight Dukes did not step forward to take charge of the situation. Had something happened to the Eight Dukes, or had they tacitly approved of all this?

The next day, after dawn, the sound of bells suddenly rang from the palace, summoning all officials. This type of bell was never rung unless there was an emergency; it seemed to be the first time in decades. Many families even suspected that someone might have set up an ambush in the palace, planning to capture everyone at once. As people waited and watched, news quickly arrived that Prince Yi and General Zhao Huang, Commander of the Eastern Region, were the first to enter the palace for the morning court. He was Zhao Hao's uncle, highly respected within the imperial family. Since he had gone, it was likely that last night's events had not affected the emperor. Following closely, Grand Secretariat Pei Ming, Minister of the Right Bi Qi, Attendant Pei Zheng, and others also entered the palace. With these prominent figures leading the way, the various families in the capital breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the situation was still under control. So, one after another, they also proceeded to the palace.

Before leaving, Sang Hong instructed Aunt Mu, "If I'm not back by noon, take Qian'er and the others to seek refuge at the academy. Now that Sang Qian and Zheng Dan are both disciples of the academy's back mountain, and Zu An is also the academy's libationer, I doubt anyone would dare force their way in there."

Aunt Mu looked worried. "Why don't I come with you?" As Sang Hong's confidante for many years, she naturally knew that Sang Qian and Zheng Dan had harbored the Empress Dowager yesterday. If that became known, the entire Sang family would likely be doomed.

Sang Hong shook his head. "If something truly bad is going to happen, your presence won't help; it would just mean one more person dying."

At this point, Sang Qian spoke. "Aunt Mu, you don't need to worry so much. Last night, the capital was so chaotic that no one knows where the Empress Dowager went. Father might not be in danger. In fact, if he *doesn't* go to the palace today, it will arouse suspicion."

"But even though your father and I cleaned up the traces near our home last night, we couldn't do anything about the traces further away. Those people can pinpoint the area where the Empress Dowager disappeared. This morning, I went out to investigate and found soldiers already searching house-to-house. Sooner or later, they'll find us, and then..."

Zheng Dan smiled. "You don't have to worry about that. For the past two years, just for fun, I've built up some connections in the capital. I have a way to secretly transport the Empress Dowager out."

Sang Hong and Aunt Mu exchanged strange looks. They were actually somewhat aware of her activities over the years; she seemed to have been secretly recruiting and subduing the capital's underworld forces. They knew about the gang she had established in Mingyue City before, and seeing her repeat the same tactics in the capital, they were actually somewhat disapproving. After all, the official power in the capital was exceptionally strong, and the underground gangs were merely minor nuisances. Moreover, if it became known that the Sang family's daughter-in-law was a gang leader, it would always be a stain on their scholarly reputation.

Unexpectedly, her identity proved to be surprisingly useful at this critical moment. No matter how powerful the official forces were, they couldn't reach certain lowest-level areas. Using these channels to cover the Empress Dowager's transfer was indeed perfectly suitable. Seeing his daughter and daughter-in-law both so capable, Sang Hong nodded with some relief and then felt assured enough to go to the palace.