The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Veins bulged on Gu Cheng's forehead as he suddenly drew his sword! The sword light cascaded like a silver river, aiming straight for Ye Qiu's throat!
"The Heavenly Sword of the Pulse Source? Interesting."

Ye Qiu remained calm and unhurried as he drew his black longsword. The blade was completely devoid of luster, as if it could absorb all light.

"clang!"

The two swords clashed, creating a surge of energy. Zhu Lu and Lu Jianxiong both took several steps back, a look of surprise flashing in their eyes.

Wu Shuang stood protectively in front of Lu Jianxiong, watching the battle war intently.

"Fight! Fight them to death!"

Zhu Lu was secretly delighted, hoping that the two would both suffer heavy losses.

Mad Saber He Liang scratched his head, puzzled.

"What's wrong with Gu Cheng? Why is he attacking someone at a time like this?"

In the midst of the battle, Gu Cheng's swordplay was like a rainbow, each strike carrying a sharp killing intent.

Ye Qiu, however, seemed to be strolling leisurely, his black longsword blocking the attacks at the last second, and he even had the energy to make sarcastic remarks.

"Brother Gucheng, is it worth risking your life for two women?"

"Shut up!"

Gu Cheng roared angrily, his sword stance changed again, and he split into seven sword shadows, which stabbed at Ye Qiu from different angles.

Ye Qiu finally abandoned his frivolous demeanor, and his black longsword suddenly burst forth with dazzling black light. With a single sweep, all seven sword shadows were shattered!

"puff!"

Gu Cheng coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered back seven steps.

"stop!"

Just as Ye Qiu was preparing to press his advantage, a majestic voice rang out.

Everyone turned around and saw an elderly man in fine clothes striding towards them, surrounded by guards.

"King Liang!"

Zhu Lu's expression changed, and he quickly bowed.

King Liang didn't even glance at Zhu Lu, and walked straight toward Ye Qiu and Gu Cheng.

"If you two want to fight, do so outside my Liang Prince's residence. It's not appropriate to draw blood here, is it?"

Ye Qiu shrugged and sheathed his sword.

"Your Highness is right, I was rude."

Gu Cheng snorted coldly and sheathed his longsword, but still stared intently at Ye Qiu.

On the other side, Su Wen had already been carried into the inner room.

The chief physician of the Prince's Palace, Elder Hua, is doing everything he can to save him.

Jiang Chuan and the other two waited anxiously outside the door. Chen Qing paced back and forth, his eyes red and swollen.

"Senior brother, what about Junior Brother Su?"

Wang Han hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Shut up!"

Jiang Chuan unusually lost his composure.

"Su Wen will be fine!"

An hour later, Old Hua finally pushed open the door and came out, his forehead covered in sweat.

"His life has been saved, and his left arm has been reattached, but he needs to rest for three months."

The three breathed a sigh of relief, and Chen Qing even knelt down and wept bitterly. Old Hua shook his head and sighed.

"Young people these days don't take their health seriously at all."

The room was filled with the strong smell of herbs. Su Wen lay on the bed, his upper body wrapped in bandages soaked in medicinal juice.

Each weak breath he took aggravated his wound, bringing a sharp pain.

"cough cough"

Su Wen suddenly coughed violently, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Su Wen!"

Jiang Chuan rushed to the bedside in one stride, gripping the edge of the bed tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.

His eyes were filled with self-blame and heartache.

"It's all my fault. If it weren't for saving me..."

Su Wen struggled to open his eyes, which were usually bright and lively but were now dull and lifeless.

His lips were pale and cracked, but he forced a smile.

"Don't worry, you won't die."

The smile had barely appeared when it twisted and distorted due to the movement of his wound. Su Wen gasped, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Don't be stubborn!"

Jiang Chuan's voice trembled as he pulled a piece of emerald green jade from his pocket.

"I'll use this to heal your wounds. Although it's not as effective as elixirs, it's still better than nothing."

"keep it."

Su Wen weakly but firmly interrupted him.

"I am a Xuan-level alchemist after all. I have already taken the Qi and Blood Pill and will recover soon."

Chen Qing stood to the side, her eyes red-rimmed, with glistening tears welling up in them.

"Senior Brother Su, you are so badly injured."

"Junior Sister, don't cry."

Su Wen wanted to raise his hand to comfort her, but found that he couldn't even do this simple action, so he could only smile bitterly.

"I'm incredibly resilient; I'll be bouncing around again in a couple of days."

Jiang Chuan looked serious.

"Su Wen, you saved me this time, and I'll remember that kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, even just a little..."

"Would you even warm my bed for me?"

Su Wen suddenly raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"roll!"

Jiang Chuan's face darkened, and he took a half step back in disgust.

"How can you be so unserious even when you're injured!"

The atmosphere in the room lightened slightly because of the joke. But soon, Jiang Chuan's face fell again.

"Seriously, what exactly happened? Who hurt you like this?"

Su Wen's expression instantly darkened, his eyes filled with coldness.

"I was tricked."

"who is it?"

Jiang Chuan pressed on, his fist clenching unconsciously.

"Don't worry about this."

Su Wen looked away.

"I handle my own affairs."

"What do you mean, 'your business'?"

Jiang Chuan suddenly raised his voice.

"They clearly want to kill me too! This isn't just about you anymore!"

Wang Han and Chen Qing looked at each other, completely unable to understand what they were saying.

Wang Han couldn't help but interject.

"Senior Brother Su, do you already know who's behind this? Why don't you tell us?"

Su Wen gave a wry smile.

"The matter is too complicated to be explained in a few words."

"Then let's make a long story short!"

Wang Han stood stubbornly by the bed.

"We have the right to know the truth!"

A brief silence fell over the room, broken only by Su Wen's heavy breathing. Finally, he sighed.

"Okay. This has to do with our background."

He adjusted his posture with some difficulty and continued speaking.

“I, Jiang Wei, Tang Zhizhi, Zhang Baoyi, and Liu Qing are all from Gaojing.”

"Ho Kyung?"

Chen Qing covered her mouth in surprise.

"Isn't that the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty? You..."

“That’s right, we are all sons of noble families from Gaojing.”

Su Wen's eyes held a complex expression.

"Between us, there is a tangled web of grievances that cannot be untangled."

Jiang Chuan frowned.

"Jiang Wei is..."

"The Third Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Su Wen directly revealed the answer to the mystery.

"Jiang Wei came from the best, but also the worst background."

He was the king's third son, and was not favored from a young age.

"Tang Zhizhi is the eldest granddaughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Her grandfather is Tang Shiqi, the current Prime Minister."

Zhang Baoyi comes from the Zhang family, and Liu Qing comes from the Liu family. As for me…

Su paused for a moment.

"The Su family is a family of weapon refiners."

Wang Han gasped.

"You...are all of this kind of person?"

"Are you surprised?"

Su Wen twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Our feud began with a broken engagement."

"break off an engagement?"

Jiang Chuan keenly grasped the key point.

Su Wen nodded.

"At the grand banquet five years ago, the emperor recommended Tang Zhizhi to Jiang Wei."

This should have been a wonderful thing, but it made the crown prince extremely uneasy.

"The Crown Prince believed that the Emperor was dissatisfied with him, which is why he betrothed the Prime Minister's granddaughter to a useless prince."

Su Wen sneered.

"From then on, the Crown Prince regarded Jiang Wei as a thorn in his side."

"and after?"

Chen Qing asked softly, completely absorbed in the story.

"Later," Su Wen said, his eyes filled with anger.

"The Crown Prince plotted against Jiang Wei, forcing him to break off his engagement with Tang Zhizhi. Jiang Wei was banished from Haojing and exiled to the western border to become a leisurely prince."

Jiangchuan frowned.

"That Tang Zhizhi."

"In the second year after the engagement was dissolved, the emperor recommended Tang Zhizhi to the crown prince."

Su Wen's tone was calm, but he couldn't hide the sarcasm in it.

"What a perfect arrangement, isn't it?"

Wang Han couldn't help but interject.

"What does this have to do with the attack you're currently facing?"

"Don't rush, let me finish."

Su Wen felt another wave of pain as he touched his wound.

"The Su family has always disapproved of the Crown Prince's arrogance and believed that he would not be a wise ruler in the future, so they disregarded his attempts to win them over."

"The Zhang family is a clean faction, never participating in factional struggles. But the Liu family..."

Su Wen's eyes were cold.

"He has always been a staunch supporter of the princeling faction. Liu Qing, in particular, has a very close relationship with the prince."

Jiang Chuan suddenly understood something.

"Therefore, at the mountain gate assembly..."

"Yes."

Su Wen nodded.

"Liu Qing instigated Zhao Weiyuan to target you at the mountain gate assembly, and recalled Tang Zhizhi on the eve of the battle of Qianku City, all in order to curry favor with the Crown Prince."

"Tang Zhizhi has been recalled to Haojing?"

Jiang Chuan exclaimed in shock.

"When did this happen?"

"It was the day before we set off for the City of a Thousand Caves."

Su Wen smiled bitterly.

"Jiang Wei was furious when he found out, but he was powerless to do anything about it. He didn't even have the qualifications to enter Haojing, and could only watch helplessly as Tang Zhizhi was recalled to marry the Crown Prince."

"Liu Qing must be behind Zhao Weiyuan's assassination attempt on the Prince of Liang."

Wang Han frowned.

"That fool may be reckless, but he wouldn't attack the Prince of Liang without a reason."

Jiang Chuan sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“Liu Qing is definitely involved. No matter how stupid Zhao Weiyuan is, he wouldn’t make such a suicidal decision unless someone has bewitched him.”

"The problem is..."

Wang Han leaned forward.

"Why can Liu Qing command Zhao Weiyuan? That guy may not be very bright, but he's still the commander of the Imperial Guards."

Jiang Chuan interrupted.

There's someone behind it all.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the pitch-black night.

"Liu Qing is merely a spy planted by the Crown Prince next to Jiang Wei. It's understandable that he would take action against me, after all, I once threatened the Crown Prince's position. But this operation involves the Prince of Yan and concerns the diplomatic relations between the two countries. It's impossible for Liu Qing to do it perfectly on his own."

Su Wen leaned back in his chair, his face pale.

"Our current strength is insufficient to confront the person behind the scenes. But one thing is certain—"

He coughed twice.

"Someone wants Jiang Chuan dead, and since they don't dare to act directly, they can only use someone else to do it."

"Capture Liu Qing."

Su Wen continued, his voice weak but firm.

"Perhaps we can follow the clues to find the source."

Jiang Chuan turned around, the candlelight casting shadows on his angular face.

"Now we can only react to each move as it comes and wait for an opportunity to break the deadlock."

The room fell into a brief silence.

Su Wen suddenly coughed violently, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He wiped his face with a handkerchief and smiled wryly.

"Jiang Chuan, there's something I must tell you. That message delivered by flying sword is fake."

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"what?"

"I did not receive a message from Senior Brother Xue Xing at all."

Su Wen's voice grew softer and softer.

"That was fabricated by me to buy time. I originally intended to leave the city to seek help from Kong Chan, but my injuries were too severe, and I couldn't succeed. The Heavenly Sword Token I released also failed to attract Senior Brother He Jie."

His fingers gripped the hem of his clothes tightly.

"I suspect that Senior Brother He Jie may have already..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Wen suddenly leaned forward, and Jiang Chuan rushed forward to support him.

Su Wen had already fainted, his forehead burning hot.

"Let him rest."

Jiang Chuan settled Su Wen on the couch and gently covered him with a quilt.

"Leave the rest to me."

Wang Han walked to Jiang Chuan's side.

"What's next?"

Jiang Chuan straightened his robes.

"I'm going to meet that old eunuch Zhu Lu."

"no!"

Chen Qing suddenly stood up.

"Zhu Lu is the Crown Prince's confidant, and his cultivation is unfathomable. It's too dangerous for you to go like this!"

Wang Han reached out to stop Chen Qing.

"Let him go."

He watched Jiang Chuan's retreating figure, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Do you remember the Mountain Gate Tournament? Everyone thought he was bound to lose, but he defeated seven elders' personal disciples by himself and his sword."

Chen Qing bit her lip.

"During the great beast tide in the Qilian Mountains, he was trapped on a cliff for three days and three nights, and everyone thought he was dead."

Wang Han continued, his voice low.

"As a result, he not only returned alive, but also brought back the Beast King's inner core."

"The Chaos of the Thousand Caves City Sinkhole"

Wang Han shook his head.

"Forget it, there's no point in talking about this."

Jiang Chuan possesses a power that can change the seemingly impossible.

Jiang Chuan had already reached the door when he heard this, so he turned back and smiled.

"Don't make me sound like some kind of god."

He pushed open the door.

"I'm just less afraid of death than them."

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow at the sight in the front hall.

The entire hall was almost razed to the ground. Liang Maoye stood in a corner, his face ashen, but he dared not utter a sound.

In the center of the hall, Gu Cheng and Ye Qiu faced each other ten feet apart, their imposing presence as deep as the ocean.

Zhu Lu stood to the side, and when he saw Jiang Chuan appear, he forced a smile on his old face.

"Young Master Jiang, have you come to your senses? Come with this old servant to Haojing, and His Highness the Crown Prince will surely treat you well."

Jiang Chuan didn't even glance at him, and walked straight towards the lonely city.

"Our previous conversation wasn't over yet."

Gu Cheng glanced at Jiang Chuan casually, but his gaze fell on Zeng Xianming, who was kneeling on the ground.

"What did you want to say?"

Zeng Xianming was trembling all over, his forehead touching the ground.

"Subordinate. Subordinate"

"explain."

Gu Cheng's voice was soft, yet it caused the temperature in the entire hall to plummet.

"Your subordinate has nothing to say!"

Zeng Xianming suddenly broke down and shouted.

Gu Cheng let out a cold laugh.

"He Liang".

A man in black appeared silently.

"Take him to the dungeon."

"I am alone," Gu Cheng said calmly.

"Treat them well."

He Liang picked up the limp Zeng Xianming and dragged him out like a dead dog.

As Gu Cheng passed by Jiang Chuan, Jiang Chuan clearly saw that Gu Cheng's lips moved slightly, obviously communicating telepathically.

Zhu Lu's face turned ugly.

"Lord Gucheng, Zeng Xianming is an official appointed by the imperial court. You should..."

Gu Cheng shut Zhu Lu up with just one look.

"Jiangchuan."

Only then did Gucheng turn towards Jiangchuan.

"What else do you want to say?"

Jiang Chuan scanned everyone present—Gu Cheng's cold and aloof face, Zhu Lu's ambiguous smile, and Ye Qiu's indifferent attitude.

"Perhaps I can find someone who can clear my name."

Jiang Chuan's voice echoed in the hall, filled with suppressed anger.

Zhu Lu raised an eyebrow and tapped the armrest of the seat lightly with his fingers.

"Oh? What insightful opinion does Young Master Jiang have?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer immediately, the scene of the city streets last night flashing through his mind.

The fortune teller's long, gray beard fluttered in the wind, but his cloudy eyes seemed to see right through people's hearts. (End of Chapter)