After fifteen years of cultivation, he finally reached the pinnacle of the first rank!

Chapter 316 Conversation
After hearing what the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master said, the black-haired old man was about to speak, but was stopped by Emperor Yuanwu.

His calm, unwavering eyes fixed on the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master before him, and he slowly said:
"Does the Pavilion Master mean that I must promise not to allow the Eighth Prince to use the Hidden Assassination Pavilion to work for the Great Li Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Killer Pavilion Master's expression shifted slightly beneath his bronze mask, then he nodded and said:

"His Majesty the Emperor is quick to understand."

"Indeed, I am certain that the Eighth Prince will become the fourth Martial God in the world in the future, barring any unforeseen circumstances. With him in charge of the Hidden Killing Pavilion, the future of the Hidden Killing Pavilion is basically secure."

"But the premise is that the Hidden Killing Pavilion is not involved in the conflicts between various forces. After all, even if he reaches the Martial God realm, he is not the only Martial God in the world."

Upon hearing this, the black-haired old man frowned slightly, then looked at Emperor Yuanwu beside him.

Emperor Yuanwu pondered for only a moment, then said:

"Why does Your Excellency think that I can order the Eighth Prince to do as Your Excellency says?"

Upon hearing this, the black-haired elder looked at the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master and reminded him:
"I'm sure the Pavilion Master has heard that the Eighth Prince murdered his own brother as soon as he returned to the capital, acting with complete impunity."

"Given the Eighth Prince's personality, does the Pavilion Master really think he will listen to what His Majesty says?"

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said:

“I am aware of this matter, and I have reviewed all the information I could gather about the Eighth Prince more than once.”

As he spoke, the Hidden Killer Pavilion Master, his gaze hidden behind the bronze mask, turned meaningfully to Emperor Yuanwu and said:
"In my opinion, it is true that the Eighth Prince acts recklessly, but all his actions are actually traceable and not without reason."

"Does Your Majesty truly believe that your Second Prince did not deserve to die? If I were in the Eighth Prince's position, I would not hesitate to kill him as well."

Upon hearing this, the black-haired old man immediately frowned.

Emperor Yuanwu remained silent, exchanging glances with the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master for a moment before suddenly speaking:

"Que'er is my son, and I never imagined that he would die before me."

After a pause, Emperor Yuanwu continued:
"As for the Pavilion Master's meaning, I already know it and will give this matter careful consideration."

"To be honest, I don't want to see the Eighth Prince using the Hidden Killing Pavilion to interfere in court affairs."

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master remained silent, seemingly not entirely satisfied with Emperor Yuanwu's answer.

Emperor Yuanwu, with his full head of white hair, seemed unconcerned and said:
"If Your Excellency has nothing else to say, I will not continue to keep you company."

After saying this, Emperor Yuanwu turned around and, with the help of the black-haired old man, boarded the carriage that had been prepared in front of him.

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master watched the two figures from behind, but showed no intention of making a move.

Soon, as the unusual power around the alley dissipated, Emperor Yuanwu and his companion boarded a carriage and drove away from the alley, disappearing from the sight of the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master.

"This emperor of Dali seems to be quite extraordinary."

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master stood still, his brows furrowed beneath the bronze mask.

As the leader of a notorious assassin organization in all five kingdoms, he was now somewhat unsure about the true nature of Emperor Yuanwu.

The leader of the Hidden Kill Pavilion naturally knew that none of the royal families of the five kingdoms were simple.

Otherwise, with so many top masters in the martial arts world coveting the royal family, it would have been impossible for it to stand for a hundred years.

As for the master of the Hidden Kill Pavilion, he never intended to force Emperor Yuanwu to do anything, because he knew that doing so would have very limited effect.

Moreover, it is highly likely that this will push Dali to the opposite side of the Hidden Kill Pavilion, which is not a situation he wants to see.

At this moment, what he truly cared about was how to limit Li Musheng's power in the Hidden Kill Pavilion, so as to prevent the Hidden Kill Pavilion from falling into the vortex of conflict between various forces in the world.

"This is a difficult matter. That prince is like a double-edged sword, with both great advantages and disadvantages."

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master shook his head slightly, withdrew his gaze from the direction where Emperor Yuanwu and the other man had left, and then prepared to turn and leave.

However, when he turned around, he suddenly discovered that a young figure was standing behind him, watching him with a leisurely air.

"you……"

The expression on the face beneath the bronze mask of the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master changed, and his gaze suddenly fixed on Li Musheng in front of him.

He, a leader of a prestigious assassin organization, failed to notice how Li Musheng appeared behind him.

"You are the leader of the Hidden Kill Pavilion?"

However, before the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master could speak, Li Musheng looked him over and asked first.

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master suppressed his inner shock, his gaze shifting slightly, and said:
“That’s right, this should be our first meeting.”

Having said that, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master immediately changed the subject and asked:

How long have you been here?

Li Musheng stroked his chin, glanced at the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master before him, and said:
"Naturally, I'll arrive whenever you arrive."

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master's expression changed immediately, and he said:
"So you heard our entire conversation just now?"

Hearing this, Li Musheng raised his eyebrows and said:

"Isn't what you're saying obvious? You weren't talking behind anyone's back, how could I not hear you?"

As he spoke, Li Musheng immediately changed the subject, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master, whose face was covered by a bronze mask, and said:
"By the way, what I heard earlier made it sound like you were reluctant to hand over the Hidden Assassins Pavilion to me?"

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master immediately showed an extremely embarrassed expression, but fortunately, he was wearing a bronze mask to cover it up, so it was not revealed.

"You've misunderstood this matter. The Hidden Kill Order is a rule that has been passed down through the Hidden Kill Pavilion. I will not violate or change it, and the Hidden Kill Pavilion will definitely be handed over to you."

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master quickly offered an explanation, then glanced at Li Musheng's expression.

The Eighth Prince of Dali before me had already proven at Luoyang Wall that his martial arts strength was even above that of the Killing Saint in the Pavilion. Even compared to the Pavilion Master, he was probably no weaker than him.

Moreover, Li Musheng's ghostly and silent lightness skill was truly astonishing to him. Even he couldn't detect it, and it was probably no less than the secret assassination techniques in the Hidden Killing Pavilion.

Therefore, even though he was the head of the Hidden Killing Pavilion and much older than Li Musheng, he dared not underestimate him at all. On the contrary, for some reason, perhaps because the other party had caught him in his secret conversation with Emperor Yuanwu, or perhaps because of the pressure from the other party's terrifying martial arts talent, he now seemed somewhat unnatural in front of him.

At this moment, Li Musheng didn't press the matter of the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master secretly plotting to betray him further. Instead, he nodded slightly and said:
"I don't ask much of you assassins, just that you keep your promises."

As he spoke, Li Musheng looked thoughtfully at the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master and said:
"Of course, you can rest assured to hand over the Hidden Kill Pavilion to me. I'm a very laid-back person. I have no interest in the throne of Da Li, nor do I have any intention of getting involved in any Jianghu conflicts."

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master's gaze immediately shifted as he sized up the Eighth Prince of Dali before him.

Although he didn't understand what the other person meant by "salted fish," he was sure he could understand the next two sentences.

"Is Your Highness truly speaking?"

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master immediately spoke up, his eyes narrowing slightly beneath the bronze mask as he observed Li Musheng's expression.

Li Musheng glanced at the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master and raised an eyebrow.

Whether it's true or not, you can't do anything about it, so it's just a pointless question.

However, he still nodded slightly and said:

"Of course, my most important purpose for wanting the Hidden Killing Pavilion is to have you help me find some things. As for other matters within the Hidden Killing Pavilion, I'm too lazy to concern myself with them."

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master stared at Li Musheng, his expression subtly shifting.

He didn't notice anything unusual about Li Musheng, except for the somewhat disdainful look in the other man's eyes...

The Hidden Assassin Pavilion Master remained silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful, before his gaze sharpened and he said:
"If what Your Highness says is true, then I can rest assured that I will hand over the Hidden Killing Pavilion to Your Highness."

As he spoke, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master suddenly sighed and said:
"I have been in charge of the Hidden Killing Pavilion for many years and have a deep affection for it. I did not expect that the Hidden Killing Pavilion would decline after I handed it over. That is why I am very cautious about who will succeed me as the Pavilion Master."

"Therefore, I hope Your Highness can understand the intentions behind my previous actions."

Upon hearing this, Li Musheng waved his hand and said:

"Don't worry, I don't care about these trivial matters."

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master gave Li Musheng a deep look, but did not find him arrogant. With Li Musheng's martial arts strength, he was indeed qualified to say such a thing.

However, looking at the other person who was so young, a look of reminiscence involuntarily appeared on his face, and he shook his head and said:
“When I took over as the head of the Hidden Assassins Pavilion, the situation was completely different from what Your Highness is like now.”

Immediately, without asking Li Musheng whether he wanted to listen, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master recounted what had happened back then.

"At that time, I was just an unknown disciple of a small sect in the martial arts world. One day, the sect leader brought back a hidden killing order that was circulating in the martial arts world from somewhere."

"At the time, I didn't know what the Hidden Killing Order was. I was so happy about the news that my master was going to marry my junior sister to me that I couldn't sleep all night."

"However, everything changed overnight. The entire sect was slaughtered, the Hidden Killing Order in the sect leader's hand was taken away, and all the sect's fellow disciples, including my beloved junior sister, were killed."

"I was preparing betrothal gifts for my junior sister overnight when I went down the mountain, which is how I managed to escape this calamity. But after my sect was destroyed and my beloved died, I vowed to avenge them."

"Later, after many twists and turns, I finally understood the reason for all of this, so I tried every means to get my hands on the Hidden Kill Order."

"Because I know very well that my enemy is too powerful, and only by obtaining the Hidden Kill Order and taking control of the Hidden Kill Pavilion can I take revenge."

"But unfortunately, before I could take my revenge, my enemy's entire family was wiped out by another martial arts master who had stolen the Hidden Killing Token."

"And coincidentally, by a twist of fate, I encountered a master who had obtained the Hidden Killing Order despite being severely injured."

"On his deathbed, the man seemed to have seen through something. He bequeathed his martial arts skills to me and, before dying, he insisted that I throw the Hidden Kill Order into the cliff."

"However, after much hesitation, I did not do it..."

……

Li Musheng braced himself and listened to the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master's heartfelt words, but the other party abruptly stopped at the very end.

Of course, Li Musheng could guess that the Hidden Killer Pavilion Master must have relied on his own abilities to withstand three assassination attempts from the Hidden Killer Pavilion and then ascended to his current position as the Hidden Killer Pavilion Master.

But in Li Musheng's view, this story was nothing more than an ordinary treasure-hunting and revenge incident in the martial arts world.

Given the current chaos in the martial arts world, countless families have been wiped out due to personal grudges, martial arts manuals, divine weapons, or some fictitious treasure.

What happened to the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master was indeed tragic, but it was impossible for Li Musheng to gain his sympathy by doing so.

After all, the other party is now the leader of a notorious assassin organization in the world, and the number of people who have died at his hands is probably many times more than the number of people he has killed.

Li Musheng would never sympathize with an executioner whose hands are covered in blood.

However, after saying his last words, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master's aura changed completely, and he no longer showed the same awkwardness he had when facing Li Musheng.

He exuded indifference, his eyes reflecting a murderous intent as vast as mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Yet, within that chilling murderous intent, there seemed to be a trace of barely perceptible pain.

"Your Highness, do you know why there are so many masters in the martial arts world, like fish crossing a river? There are countless of them who surpass me in both martial arts skills and the power they control?"

"But why is it that I, a disciple of a small sect who was slaughtered overnight, was the one who ultimately obtained the Hidden Kill Order and the position of the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master, which countless people dream of?"

The Hidden Kill Pavilion Master's gaze was incredibly calm as he looked at Li Musheng, the future Hidden Kill Pavilion Master, and suddenly asked in a cold voice.

Li Musheng frowned. The two of them didn't know each other before. Today was their first day meeting.

To be honest, the fact that he listened to the other person's story was already a great favor.

Now I have to answer this question from the Hidden Killer Pavilion Master. Is this a necessary procedure to take over the position of Hidden Killer Pavilion Master?

Thinking of this, Li Musheng crossed his arms and glanced impatiently at the Hidden Killing Pavilion Master. Seeing that the other party seemed extremely serious at the moment, he stroked his chin and said:

"You're not trying to say that it's because of your exceptional martial arts talent, or your incredible luck, that you're the chosen one, that you were able to take this position as the sect leader?"

Upon hearing this, the Hidden Kill Pavilion Master, whose face was covered by a bronze mask, stared at Li Musheng, but slowly shook his head and said:

"If I told you now that the Hidden Killing Pavilion's so-called selection of the Pavilion Master using the Hidden Killing Token was actually a complete scam from beginning to end, what would you think?"

(End of this chapter)