Master of Strange Dao

Lou Huai carried Gu Tianxin on his shoulder and quickly disappeared from sight.

The person fighting with Lin Fu chuckled lightly, the sound like tinkling silver bells.

"Your swordsmanship is not bad, it's just that your blade is lacking. Let's call it a draw for today. Come find me once you get a better sword."

The newcomer took a step forward, turned a corner, and vanished without a trace.

Lin Fu's face darkened, and he immediately rushed to Gu Tianxin's residence, only to discover that Gu Tianxin was already gone.

He carefully sensed, immediately feeling a shiver down his spine; Lou Huai really dared.

Underground, Lou Huai, with the unconscious Gu Tianxin and the masked Eighth Tier Body Cultivator, darted along the path.

They skilfully avoided the traps set in the capital city's underground, making their way to the vicinity of the Bell Tower. The person leading them rushed out with Gu Tianxin, standing atop a tall building.

That person raised their head and bellowed, their voice resounding for miles.

"Crown Prince, today I shall unveil your true face, revealing to the world the evidence of your cultivation of forbidden arts."

As these words rang out, a power surged within the city, a sky-thunder, like a mighty river, descended from the heavens, striking directly onto the Bell Tower.

Amidst the rumbling thunder, the towering Bell Tower suddenly shattered into dust.

The masked figure, carrying Gu Tianxin, floated mid-air, continuing to shout loudly.

"What a fine Crown Prince of Dali, even trying to kill us to silence the witness, even wanting to kill your own incarnation for a dead-end cover-up, right? But I won't let you have your way!"

In the palace city, the Crown Prince walked out of the sleeping chamber, expressionlessly gazing beyond the palace city.

On the other side, Emperor Li sat in his study, one hand holding the Dali Jade Seal, his expression cold.

Someone in the capital city of Dali had used Ninth Tier power; no matter who it was, it was impossible to completely wash their hands of it.

Not to mention, from the moment the battle spread from the Gu Family, Emperor Li had already taken the Dali Jade Seal in hand.

"For a long, long time, I haven't gone for the kill. Does someone think I really dare not go for the kill?"

Near the Bell Tower, a large group of people and horses converged, consisting of City Defense Department forces and those hunting down the person, every move aiming to kill without a care for Gu Tianxin's safety.

For a moment, different factions collided chaotically.

As time passed, those who dared not show their faces were all captured by the Shadow Department and City Defense Department.

However, for the others who arrived, seeing the capture of the Eighth Tier Body Cultivator holding Gu Tianxin, reactions varied greatly.

Some kept pressing inward, while others remained calm.

Faced with such a sudden and chaotic situation, each faction's actions revealed much about their intentions.

The masked figure, one hand holding Gu Tianxin, the other holding a Compass, hung in mid-air.

From the palace city, a Fire Bird flew out, with the Crown Prince, unadorned, stepping on its back.

"Release Tianxin, and I'll let you go."

In a dark corner of the city, a person hidden in darkness gazed at the figure in mid-air, furrowing their brow, their aura sinister.

"Where did this person come from to disrupt things?"

Their fingers constantly rubbed together, thoughts swirling around.

They deliberated whether to kill Gu Tianxin on the spot.

But since someone else had already made a move and failed, any action now would surely expose them.

Killing Gu Tianxin would leave no proof; claiming it was or wasn't true would both be plausible.

As they hesitated, they saw the figure in mid-air proceeding regardless, the Compass already beginning to glow.

"Not until I've finished my business."

The glow on the Compass intensified, the needle spinning incessantly.

"Come, take a look, see once and for all what the Crown Prince of Dali is."

The light projected upward, and those familiar with the Compass's aura knew it was the genuine article.

However, when the needle projected, it pointed to a "not cultivated" outcome.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The person in mid-air was utterly shocked.

They immediately aimed the Compass at the Crown Prince once more.

The Crown Prince's face remained indifferent.

"I'll say it again: release Tianxin, and I'll let you go."

And once again, the light projected from the Compass indicated "not cultivated."

At this, not only was the one in mid-air astounded, repeatedly exclaiming impossibility,

but even the person silently observing from the dark courtyard in the capital city shook their hand, their eyes suddenly flashing with a terrifying light.

"Impossible! I saw it with my own eyes at the time!"

The person in mid-air put away the Compass, looked at the Crown Prince, and used Gu Tianxin as a shield before him.

"Crown Prince, we've agreed: I'll release Gu Tianxin, and you don't pursue me."

"I said, if Tianxin is unharmed, I guarantee no one will pursue you."

The person took Gu Tianxin out of the capital city, only then tossing Gu Tianxin to the Crown Prince, disappearing instantly.

The Crown Prince held Gu Tianxin, remaining calm, turning and leaving as promised.

The Crown Prince personally took Gu Tianxin to the Gu Family, placing Gu Tianxin back onto the bed.

Then, she reached out and made a grabbing motion, drawing in a mass of black mist, which coalesced before her.

"Crown Prince, you can't burn bridges. I'm here purely on my elder brother's orders to help."

The Crown Prince looked at Lou Huai, even for the second time, she still found it intriguing.

A devil walking the righteous path, timid to death, yet daring to appear before her.

"Tell Young Master Qing I owe him a favor."

"Alright, my elder brother wants to know who stirred up all this. With the Crown Prince's skills, finding out shouldn't be difficult now.

There's no more for me here. I'm sure you can handle it. I'm off."

"Alright."

Lou Huai's figure transformed into black mist, vanishing without a trace.

The Crown Prince sat by the bedside, looking at the sleeping Gu Tianxin before turning to leave.

She truly didn't understand why Qing Ziyu from Jinlan Mountain was helping her, but now she knew the instigator must have a grudge against Qing Ziyu.

Qing Ziyu merely came to disrupt things, but after making everything chaotic, it indeed benefited her greatly.

Indeed, she owed him a favor.

The Crown Prince returned to the palace city, meeting with Emperor Li.

That night, Emperor Li was furious, his anger felt even beyond the palace city.

Emperor Li personally ordered an investigation to find out whose hands the Compass was in.

There were only a few Compasses, and whoever's Compass couldn't be produced was involved.

Then, that very day, the great sects with Compasses publicly displayed them, stating they were uninvolved with this matter.

No one wanted anything to do with this sort of affair, not even Daqian, unwilling to overtly connect with it.

However, an awkward situation arose.

Only one sect in Daqian couldn't produce their Compass, but they had an explanation that their Compass had been previously sold to Langya Institute.

Thus, it turned into a scenario where only Langya Institute couldn't account for their Compass.

Langya Institute also claimed their Compass had been dismantled and destroyed.

Unfortunately, at such a time, only your Compass vanishing, who would believe such nonsense?

Dali certainly didn't believe it. Within three days, Emperor Li sternly drafted a State Letter, angrily condemning Langya Institute and Daqian for fabricating rumors and stirring chaos in Dali's capital city.

This shift drew all the onlookers' attention away.

Amidst this debate, it seemed obvious that Langya Institute and Daqian, dissatisfied with Dali naming the Langya Incarnation Technique as theirs, were retaliating.

Making up rumors, maliciously defaming the Crown Prince of Dali, trying to shake the foundation of Dali to exact revenge.

After all, even the Shadow Department couldn't trace who was spreading these rumors.

If not Daqian, then who else could it be?

The matter escalated into a dispute between Dali and Daqian, with some individuals having previously forced the Crown Prince to public verification.

Now, who would care about those rumors?

Only fools would believe it. When mentioned, it was something deeply complex, incomprehensible to those who didn't understand. The insiders knew, the outsiders didn't understand, and so on...