I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 145 Just one look, just one look!

What will happen next?

Xu Longxiang dared not think about it, yet he couldn't help but think about it.

He thought of his sister's eyes, which were always wise and resolute; were they now filled with tears of humiliation?

He thought of Qingxue's always aloof and distant face, wondering if it was now filled with the pale despair of despair.

He thought of Qin Mu's eyes, which were always lazy and playful, and wondered if they were now gleaming with a light of conquest and possession.

"boom--!!!"

An overwhelming anger and pain, almost tearing him apart, erupted from the depths of his heart like a volcanic eruption!

Xu Longxiang suddenly turned around and slammed his fist hard into the sandalwood pillar next to him!

"Bang--!!!"

The pillar, as thick as a person's embrace, trembled violently, and the dragon patterns carved on its surface instantly cracked with spiderweb-like fissures, with splinters of wood falling down.

He used his true energy in that punch.

A full-force attack from a Celestial Realm expert is enough to shatter stone tablets and split rocks!

The cracks on the pillar became denser and deeper, and the entire pillar groaned under the weight of the burden.

But Xu Longxiang was completely unaware.

He punched the pillar again and again!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A dull, resounding crash echoed through the silent main hall, like the heavy beating of war drums or the howl of a trapped beast.

Every punch was filled with all his anger, all his pain, and all his resentment!

Why?!

Why couldn't he protect his sister?!

Why couldn't he protect Qingxue?!

Why did even Mo Shen die because of him?!

Who does he think he is, the prince of the North?!

What kind of little king of the North is he?!

He's nothing but a piece of trash! A piece of trash who can't even protect the people around him!

"ah--!!!"

Xu Longxiang finally lost control completely, letting out a roar like a dying beast!

Instead of smashing the pillar, he suddenly turned around and kicked over the heavy rosewood table!

"BOOM—!!!"

The table rolled over and crashed to the ground, scattering the tea set, candlesticks, and documents that had been on it all over the floor.

The teacup shattered, spilling tea that cast a menacing dark stain on the blue brick floor.

The candlestick tipped over, and the candle flame ignited the scattered documents. The flames instantly leaped up, engulfing the papers that recorded the secrets of the North and his years of planning.

The flickering firelight reflected off Xu Longxiang's face.

That usually resolute and cold face was now twisted like a demon from hell.

His eyes were bloodshot, and deep within his pupils burned a flame powerful enough to incinerate everything.

He stood amidst the chaos, amidst the leaping flames, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

His black python robe was covered in sawdust, dust, and ink stains, making him look disheveled, but the murderous intent emanating from his very bones made the temperature in the entire hall drop to freezing point.

After a long while, the fire gradually died down.

The documents turned to ashes, leaving only a few wisps of smoke rising.

Xu Longxiang slowly raised his head and looked out the window towards the direction of the imperial palace.

There was no anger, no pain, no resentment in his eyes.

There was only a cold, almost cruel resolve.

"Qin Mu..."

He murmured the name, his voice hoarse, yet each word was like a knife:

Everything you've taken away, I will take back.

"Sister, Qingxue, Mo Shen's life, and..."

He paused, a cold and cruel smile curving his lips:

"Your life."

The night wind howled, passing through the broken window frame, dispersing the smoke in the hall, and ruffling the stray hairs at Xu Longxiang's temples.

He slowly turned around, walked to the pillar that was almost broken, and reached out to touch the cracks on the pillar.

He felt the stinging pain from the splinter at his fingertips, but he seemed oblivious to it.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

A thought began to surface wildly and uncontrollably in my mind—

They infiltrated the palace.

just now.

immediately.

Go and confirm it.

Just one look, just one look.

Go and see for yourself if Qin Mu is really with his sister and Qingxue...

This idea grew wildly like weeds, instantly taking over all his thoughts.

He knew it was crazy, dangerous, and almost suicidal.

What kind of place is the Imperial Palace? A den of dragons and tigers! Ten thousand Imperial Guards, countless masters, and that unfathomable "Land Immortal" by Qin Mu's side!

Going there now would be tantamount to suicide.

but……

He couldn't control himself.

He has to go.

It must be confirmed with one's own eyes.

We must...do something.

Otherwise, he would be driven completely insane by this agonizing pain.

Xu Longxiang slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were now clear and resolute.

He walked to the wall and took down the "Broken Army Sword" hanging there.

The sword was jet black, its blade gleaming coldly, and it shone with a dark red luster in the candlelight, as if it had drunk countless drops of blood.

This is the sword that Elder Li Wuhen, the third elder, gave him when he was twelve years old and went to Qinglan Mountain.

He fought alongside him for thirteen years, drinking countless amounts of blood.

Tonight, perhaps we should drink even more.

Xu Longxiang slowly drew his longsword.

The moment the sword was drawn, it emitted a clear, melodious dragon's roar that echoed through the silent hall.

He looked down at the sword, at his own cold eyes reflected in it.

Then, he sheathed his sword.

He turned around and walked out of the hall.

His steps were steady, and his back was straight.

Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.

But without hesitation.

The hall door was pushed open.

A night breeze swept over me.

Sikong Xuan, Fan Li, and Mo Ya remained in the courtyard, standing under the eaves, clearly having heard the commotion inside the hall.

Upon seeing Xu Longxiang emerge with his sword, the three men's expressions changed simultaneously!

"Your Highness!" Sikong Xuan exclaimed urgently, "Where are you going?"

Xu Longxiang did not answer, but simply walked towards the courtyard gate.

"Your Highness, you mustn't!"

Fan Li stepped forward, blocking their path. "Entering the palace now is far too dangerous! Qin Mu has surely laid a trap, waiting for us to walk right into it!"

Mo Ya also said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, calm down. Mo Shen is dead, and the intelligence network has been exposed. What we need most now is to reassess the situation, not to act impulsively."

Xu Longxiang stopped and slowly scanned the three of them.

His gaze was so cold it was devoid of any warmth, sending a chill down the spines of all three of them.

"Get out of the way," he said.

Two words, brief and calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"Your Highness!"

With tears streaming down his face, Sikong Xuan cried out, "This old minister knows your pain, but it is precisely at times like these that you must remain calm! If something happens to you, what will happen to the 300,000 soldiers in the Northern Frontier? What will happen to the Xu family's century-old legacy? Miss and Miss Jiang are still waiting for you to save them!"

When Xu Longxiang mentioned his sister and Qingxue, his body trembled almost imperceptibly.

But he quickly regained his composure.

"That's precisely why," his voice was hoarse but unusually firm, "I must go."

He paused, then slowly said:

"I want to see with my own eyes what Qin Mu is doing. I want to confirm with my own eyes how my sister and Qingxue are doing."

"Then," a cold glint flashed in his eyes, "I will remember all of this. I will remember every humiliation, every bit of pain I suffered tonight. And then..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear.

Sikong Xuan and the other two exchanged glances, all seeing the helplessness and worry in each other's eyes.

They knew they couldn't persuade them otherwise.

Once the crown prince makes up his mind, no one can change it.

"In that case," Fan Li took a deep breath, "please allow me to accompany you. My lightness skill is quite good; perhaps I can be of assistance."

Mo Ya stepped forward as well: "This subordinate is skilled in concealment and can scout ahead."

Sikong Xuan looked at Xu Longxiang, his old eyes filled with regret, but in the end he could only sigh deeply: "This old minister... will wait here. Your Highness, please... be careful."

Xu Longxiang looked at the three of them, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

He knew they were worried about him and protecting him.

But some roads must be walked alone.

Some pain must be borne alone.

"You all stay here," he said slowly. "I'll go alone."

"Your Highness!" the three exclaimed in unison.

"This is an order." Xu Longxiang's voice suddenly turned cold.

Then, without saying another word, he stepped out of the courtyard gate, his figure quickly disappearing into the deep night.

The black python robe fluttered in the night wind, like a black eagle about to take flight.

Lonely, resolute, and unwavering.

Sikong Xuan and the other two stood in the courtyard, gazing in the direction he had disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

The night wind howled, causing the lanterns under the eaves to sway violently.

Amidst the flickering light and shadow, worry was etched on the faces of the three people.

"Mr. Fan," Sikong Xuan said slowly, his voice old and weary, "go and mobilize all our undercover agents in the capital, ready to support the Crown Prince at any time."

"Yes." Fan Li bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left.

"Mr. Mo," Sikong Xuan said to Mo Ya, "go and monitor the movements at all the gates of the palace. Report back immediately if anything unusual happens."

"Understood." Mo Ya nodded, his figure disappearing like a ghost.

Sikong Xuan stood alone in the courtyard, gazing in the direction of the palace, his old eyes flashing with a complex light.

Crown Prince...

You must come back alive.

night, deeper.

The lights of the imperial city gradually went out, with only a few scattered lights still shining deep within the palace.

Beneath those lights, an unseen undercurrent is quietly brewing.

Xu Longxiang's figure flashed across the rooftops of the imperial city like a ghost in the night.

His lightness skill was superb; his footsteps landed on the tiles almost without making a sound.

The dark python robe fluttered in the night wind, like a black flag.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction of the palace.

Getting closer.

Getting closer.

He could see the imperial guards patrolling the palace walls, the strict guards at the palace gates, and the lights still shining in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Then, he saw Huaqing Palace.

The palace, which had just welcomed its new master today, was brightly lit.

The flickering candlelight reflected on the window paper, and the shadowy figures could be vaguely seen moving about.

Xu Longxiang's heart sank suddenly.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Then, he landed silently on an ancient cypress tree outside Huaqing Palace, hiding among the dense foliage.

From this angle, the windows of the sleeping quarters can be clearly seen.

The window paper was bright yellow, embroidered with exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns.

At this moment, the windows were brightly lit with candlelight.

Xu Longxiang stared intently at the window, his eyes unblinking.

He is waiting.

Waiting for confirmation.

Or rather, waiting for... evidence that will make me completely give up.

Time passed second by second.

The night wind was cold, chilling him to the bone.

But he was completely unaware.

All attention was focused on that window.

Then--

He saw it.

Two figures were reflected on the window paper.

A tall and imposing figure, dressed in a dragon robe, was Qin Mu.

The other one, slender and graceful, dressed in a deep purple palace gown, was... her older sister.

Two figures slowly approached each other.

Then, they overlapped.

The candlelight flickered, casting shimmering shadows.

The shadows on the window paper intertwined and merged, like two entwined vines.

Xu Longxiang's breathing suddenly stopped!

His pupils contracted sharply, and his eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins!

The fingers gripped the branch so tightly that the nails dug deep into the bark, drawing blood and staining the rough bark red.

But he couldn't feel any pain.

The pain in my heart is a thousand times, ten thousand times, more intense than this!

elder sister……

The older sister who protected him, doted on him, and planned everything for him since he was little...

That sister who gallops across the snowy plains of the North, her face beaming with smiles…

That cunning and resourceful older sister who secretly wields power in Tingyu Villa in Jiangnan...

At this moment, she was pinned down by that tyrannical emperor, enduring humiliation that should not have been hers!

"boom--!!!"

Xu Longxiang felt his mind go completely blank for a moment!

My vision went black, the whole world was spinning and collapsing!

But what he found even more unacceptable was yet to come!

Then, a graceful figure slowly appeared behind Qin Mu, gently pressing against his back...