Starting as the young master of a medicine shop, he practiced swordsmanship for twenty years.

Chapter 367 Xuan'er, the one in the palace is not your father!

Lu Xuyang writhed on the ground like a dead dog, his legs completely twisted and deformed, his magnificent dark yellow python robe soaked in blood.

Lu Xuan put away the dragon tail whip, his eyes as cold as ice.

As he turned to walk toward the prison, the once arrogant imperial guards all parted to make way for him, not daring to utter a sound.

As Lu Xuyang convulsed on the ground, his eyes held not only pain, but also... indescribable fear.

He finally realized that the person he had offended was no longer the foolish and lecherous crown prince he once knew…

"Grandmother, please rise."

Lu Xuan lightly flicked the sleeve of his crimson dragon robe, and a soft golden light rippled outwards like gentle waves.

Madam Peng felt a warm force gently lifting her up.

Along with him, all the Peng family members behind him involuntarily stood up.

Chen Denglou and his soldiers then seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly kneeling on one knee, the clanging of armor echoing as they said, "This humble general pays his respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

The sound was deafening, but Lu Xuan simply waved his hand casually.

His gaze swept across the kneeling Imperial Guards, finally settling on the dark entrance to the prison.

"lead the way."

"I'd like to see..."

Lu Xuan's voice was soft, yet it made everyone's hearts tighten: "What heinous crime did my maternal grandfather commit that warranted such a massive mobilization by my father?"

As the last word was uttered, the heavy iron gate of the prison at the front suddenly opened by itself with a loud "bang".

It was as if even this gloomy prison was submitting to the crown prince of the Wenjing Dynasty….
Upon seeing this, Chen Denglou's burly body trembled violently, and the old face beneath the golden mask instantly lost all color.

His Highness the Crown Prince's simple words seemed to contain immense pressure, causing even this veteran general to involuntarily straighten his back.

"Your humble servant... obeys!"

Chen Denglou responded in a trembling voice, his golden combat boots clanging shut with a "clang".

Chen Denglou took a deep breath and turned to lead the way, the golden armor leaves clattering together with a crisp sound.

He knew better than anyone else that his actions at this moment were tantamount to openly defying the holy command!
But faced with this crown prince who suddenly displayed extraordinary martial arts skills, he couldn't muster even the slightest thought of resistance.

"Your Highness, please follow me..."

Chen Denglou's voice was respectful to the point of being almost devout.

He carefully lagged behind by half a step, his back bent in a humble arc.

This subtle change in posture sent a jolt through everyone present.

You must understand, just half an hour ago, this iron-blooded general was strictly enforcing His Majesty's decree!

Lu Xuan strode forward with an indifferent expression. The guards and soldiers on duty were already kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

Throughout the entire land, perhaps only this unfathomable crown prince could inspire soldiers to willingly disobey imperial orders…

Madam Peng's cloudy eyes welled up with tears the moment she saw Lu Xuan.

Her wrinkled hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly. This old woman, who had experienced so much, now looked like a helpless child, tears streaming down her deeply lined cheeks.

“Xuan’er…”

She uttered the affectionate name with a trembling voice, her voice so choked with emotion that it was almost inaudible.

Behind them, the Peng family members also had tears in their eyes—they had experienced too much despair these past few days.

When the Emperor's father-in-law, Peng Lie, was suddenly imprisoned, the first person they thought of was the Crown Prince, who had Peng family blood flowing through his veins.

But who would have thought...

"Brother Xuan, we can't even get through the palace gates!"

The eldest son of the Peng family clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, his eyes bloodshot. "Those damned Imperial Guards, saying they didn't have His Majesty's edict..."

Not to mention entering the Eastern Palace!

The daughters-in-law of the Peng family were also sobbing, and the baby in their arms seemed to sense the mother's sorrow and started to cry as well.

Madam Peng recalled those humiliating days—they knelt outside the palace gates every day, yet they couldn't even catch a glimpse of the crown prince's robe.

The cold, hard swords and spears of the Imperial Guards, the towering shadows of the palace walls, and the mocking gazes of the officials... everything lingered like a nightmare.

Only now, looking at her grandson who was as reliable as a mountain, did Madam Peng finally dare to burst into tears.

All the grievances, fears, and despair poured out with the tears.

She reached out her trembling hand, wanting to touch the hem of Lu Xuan's clothes, yet afraid that it was all an illusion...

A golden glint flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes as he gently grasped his grandmother's withered hand.

The warm touch made Madam Peng tremble all over—it was real!

Her grandson, His Highness the Crown Prince, Xuan'er, has really arrived!
Just as Lu Xuan and his group were about to step into the deepest part of the prison, a series of obsequious conversations came from the end of the dark passageway.

"Your Excellency, this is a vintage Shaoxing wine that our boss specially sent for you..."

"And this braised beef is fresh out of the oven, please try it while it's hot..."

Several prison guards were seen bending over, carefully handing food boxes into a specially made cell.

Their faces were plastered with ingratiating smiles, a stark contrast to their usual fierce and menacing demeanor.

"Have a heart."

From inside the cell came Peng Lie's hoarse yet still powerful voice, "Tell your warden, if I ever manage to get out alive..."

Peng Lie gently stroked the brocade cushion that the jailer had just brought him with his calloused fingers, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

If it weren't for the still-prestigious reputation of his beloved grandson, the Crown Prince, who would remember him, the "Father-in-law of the Emperor," in this dark and hopeless prison?
"Your Excellency, this is freshly brewed Yunwu tea..."

"Why don't you try this down comforter and see if it's warm enough?"

The obsequious voices of the jailers rose and fell, a stark contrast to the screams and wails that once filled the prison.

Peng Lie knew perfectly well that these usually fierce and ruthless jailers were being so obsequious because they were afraid of his grandson, the crown prince of the Wenjing Dynasty.

"snort…."

The old general gave a soft hum, his gaze piercing through the narrow transom window of the cell, as if he could see in the direction of the imperial palace.

He knew all too well what these people were thinking: as long as the Crown Prince remained in power, they wouldn't dare to exterminate the Peng family.

After all, nobody knows who will sit on the dragon throne tomorrow...

Just then, a series of clear footsteps came from outside the prison passage, and all the prison guards suddenly froze.

They turned around in alarm, only to find a crimson figure at the end of the passageway.

The five-clawed golden dragon on the hem of the robe was coldly watching them in the torchlight.

"Your Majesty... Your Highness?"

The lead jailer's knees buckled, and the food box in his hand clattered to the ground.

The aroma of braised beef and fine wine was spilled all over the ground, steaming on the cold, damp earth.

Upon hearing this, Peng Lie, who was in the cell, suddenly looked up, the chains rattling. When he saw who it was through the bars...

This unyielding martial arts grandmaster suddenly had tears in his eyes: "Xuan... Xuan'er?"

This call softened Lu Xuan's cold gaze instantly.

He walked forward slowly, and with each step he took, the jailers trembled and took a step back, until they all collapsed to the ground.

"Grandfather..."

Lu Xuan's voice was soft, yet it sent a shiver down Peng Lie's spine. Peng Lie's bloodshot eyes were fixed on his grandson, then he suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Good! Good! Grandfather knew... you would come!"

Memories flooded back, and Peng Lie's wrinkled eyes twitched slightly.

It was an ordinary day in Japan until a secret imperial edict suddenly arrived.

Peng Lie, confident in his peak martial arts mastery and the prestige of being the emperor's father-in-law, stepped into the palace without a second thought.

That ruthless emperor, could he possibly eat his father-in-law?
But as soon as Peng Lie stepped onto the jade steps of the Purple Gold Hall, an unprecedented chill instantly shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

The Zhenwu Emperor, who sat upright in the hall, had a face that was once familiar, but now it was distorted beyond recognition.

Dark blue veins writhed beneath his pale skin, and his eyes constantly gleamed with an eerie, ghostly green.

"His Majesty?"

Peng Lie's vital energy instantly froze. His dignified cultivation as a Grandmaster of Martial Arts at its peak melted away like ice and snow in the face of this chilling aura.

He tried to raise his hand, but found his fingers stiff as iron. He tried to circulate the intensely fiery energy within his body, but all his meridians felt as if they were frozen by millennia-old ice.

“That old scoundrel Peng Lie…”

Emperor Zhenwu, seated on the dragon throne, let out a roar that sounded inhuman, and his withered, claw-like hand reached out to grab at the air.

Peng Lie felt a sharp pain in his chest, and all his supreme internal energy was frozen solid.

In the blink of an eye, he went from a high-ranking martial arts grandmaster to a piece of trash who was even worse than an ordinary person.

"boom!"

When Peng Lie crashed heavily outside the palace, the last thing he saw was the inhuman, sinister smile on the lips of Emperor Zhenwu…

Peng Lie's pupils suddenly contracted, and the words in his memory, like a poisoned ice pick, pierced his heart once again!
"Peng Lie, you'd better remember this."

Emperor Zhenwu slowly rose from his dragon throne, each step causing the temperature in the hall to plummet.

His pale fingers gripped Peng Lie's throat, his voice sounding as if it came from the deepest hell.

"As long as I live, there can only be one will in this world..."

"That is me!"

"This is the true supreme ruler, the master of the world!"

The last four words were like a thunderclap, so loud that Peng Lie's eardrums bled.

The Emperor Zhenwu's grip tightened, his nails digging into Peng Lie's flesh: "Peng Lie, you and the Peng family have crossed the line."

Those eerie green eyes were inches away; Peng Lie could even see the inhuman vertical lines in their pupils: "Confess your crimes, and I may spare the Peng family's lives..."

"otherwise.….."

The unspoken words contained a threat more terrifying than death.

Peng Lie still remembers that when Emperor Zhenwu spoke, the corners of his mouth split into an inhuman arc.

That's not a human mouth at all; it can't open to that extent!
Recalling this, Peng Lie slammed his fist against the cell wall. His eyes were filled with boundless rage.

That's not his son-in-law! Nor is he the emperor of the Wenjing Dynasty!

Peng Lie suddenly coughed violently in his cell, causing the chains to rattle.

He stared intently at his grandson who had come to visit, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock, anger, and fear: "Xuan'er... that's not your father! Absolutely not!"

"You absolutely must not go to the palace!!!"

Peng Lie's loss of composure surprised everyone present.

Chen Denglou and his soldiers were so frightened that they all knelt down, their foreheads pressed firmly against the cold ground.

Such treasonous words, if they were to reach His Majesty's ears... they simply couldn't imagine the consequences!
"Your Highness! This humble general heard nothing!"

Chen Denglou's voice trembled, and his old face beneath the golden mask was ashen.

Lu Xuan remained calm and simply raised his sleeve and waved it lightly!
With a roar, a golden dragon phantom emerged, and wherever its claws passed, the steel prison doors shattered like paper.

The shackles on Peng Lie's body instantly turned to dust, leaving not a trace.

"Grandfather..."

Lu Xuan stepped forward and supported the swaying old man, his eyes gleaming with golden light: "Do you think I... have anything to fear now?"

These words, spoken lightly, caused the temperature in the entire prison to drop suddenly.

The soldiers kneeling on the ground suddenly realized...

The Crown Prince before us seems to have transcended the realm of the mortal!
Lu Xuan's eyes gleamed with golden light; in fact, he had already seen through everything the moment he stepped into the imperial city.

The ominous black clouds hovering above the palace were invisible to ordinary people, but they could not escape his eyes.

The decaying aura emanating from that "Emperor of Zhenwu" was like a beacon in the darkness to Lu Xuan.

That was clearly a body that had been corrupted by evil spirits!
"A ghostly thing that's almost a terrestrial immortal? Heh..." Lu Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile.

If it were half a month ago, he might have been more wary, but now...

Lu Xuan gently clenched his fist, and the golden dragon pattern that appeared on his palm exuded a world-destroying power.

What ordinary people find terrifying yin energy is nothing more than nourishment to be harvested in his eyes.

"grandson………"

Peng Lie keenly sensed Lu Xuan's change, and his withered hand suddenly gripped his sleeve. "Have you really come to this?"

"How can this be!"

Lu Xuan did not answer, but instead channeled a stream of pure golden dragon energy into Peng Lie's body.

Peng Lie immediately felt a warm current flowing through his body, and his frozen internal energy was instantly restored.

Suddenly, a fiery red aura erupted from his body, and a violent heat wave swept through the entire prison, turning the cold cells into a furnace.

Unable to contain himself, Peng Lie roared to the sky in front of everyone, his voice like a tiger's roar, shaking the surrounding stone walls and causing dust to fall.

"Hahaha--!"

Peng Lie laughed heartily, his white beard and hair dancing wildly in the crimson gale.

Those cloudy old eyes were now shining brightly, and his wrinkled face was regaining its color at a visible speed.

His emaciated body seemed to spring back to life, his muscles bulging again, stretching his tattered prison uniform taut.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Peng Lie exclaimed "Good!" three times, each sound shaking the ground. He clenched his fist, and crimson energy burst forth between his fingers, transforming into blazing lotus flowers.

This veteran general, who once dominated the frontier, has finally rediscovered his unparalleled martial arts mastery at its peak!

Chen Denglou and the others were already stunned.

They witnessed firsthand how this old emperor's father-in-law transformed from a dying prisoner back into a powerful and influential martial arts master!

"Grandfather, rest assured."

Lu Xuan slowly turned around and looked towards the palace: "I have my own plans!"

“Xuan’er…”

Peng Lie suddenly stopped smiling, and the blazing energy around him transformed into a crimson tiger coiled up.

He gazed solemnly towards the palace, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit: "This time, your maternal grandfather will fight alongside you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bluestone beneath Peng Lie's feet shattered with a deafening roar, and he shot towards the exit of the prison like an arrow.

Wherever it passed, the prison gates and iron bars melted into molten iron!

(End of this chapter)