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

Chapter 381 Guanzhong
Zhao Kuang once imagined what his future would be like if he had Li Musheng's identity and martial arts skills.

However, he only thought about it. In reality, he was tossing and turning, unable to eat or sleep, and living in constant fear because of whether his father, the emperor, was alive or dead.

However, to Zhao Kuang's delight, after he inquired about Li Musheng's whereabouts, the purple-robed Taoist priest nodded and said:

"I have already ordered the imperial spies to search with all their might. Although the Eighth Prince and his party had tried to hide their whereabouts, this place is Tai Xuan City."

"Moreover, they entered the city in a very conspicuous manner, so by following some clues, we finally found their hideout."

As he spoke, the purple-robed Taoist glanced at Zhao Kuang and said:
"Forgive my bluntness, but that person is a prince of the Great Li, with a special status and unfathomable martial arts prowess. Your Majesty should keep a distance from him as much as possible."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuang looked thoughtful, waved his hand, and said:

"Taoist Master, there is no need to worry. I am well aware of this."

However, Zhao Kuang knew in his heart that he didn't have many choices at this moment.

Now, apart from Li Musheng, he can hardly find anyone else who can deal with his father, the emperor.

Zhao Kuang put down his vermilion brush, stood up from the dragon throne, and said:

"Please accompany me, Taoist priest. I wish to personally visit the Eighth Prince."

Upon hearing this, both the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch beside him were taken aback. The old eunuch immediately knelt down and said:

"His Majesty wishes to leave the palace? This is absolutely unacceptable!"

"This servant has heard rumors that some princes and ministers in the court have heard from somewhere that Your Majesty plotted to kill the late Emperor, and they are all secretly plotting to deal with Your Majesty."

"Nowadays, countless eyes are secretly watching the palace. If His Majesty leaves the palace and loses the protection of the Great Xuan Palace, he will be in great danger."

Zhao Kuang's eyes darkened, and he gave a cold laugh, saying:
"They're just a bunch of clowns, why would I be afraid of them?"

Seeing this, the purple-robed Taoist frowned slightly and also spoke up to advise:

"His Majesty has not yet formally ascended the throne and has not fully grasped the situation in the court. At this time, no unexpected events can be tolerated."

"If Your Majesty truly intends to recruit that Eighth Prince, why not wait a while longer and clear away the obstacles in the court before seeking him out?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuang glanced at the two people in front of him but remained silent.

When he was still the crown prince, he might have been somewhat wary of his brothers.

But now that he has ascended the throne, those guys are no different from chickens and dogs in his eyes, and he doesn't take them seriously at all.

However, Zhao Kuang quickly returned to his throne.

He reached out and slowly stroked the dragon head on the armrest, but the look in his eyes grew increasingly gloomy.

Upon seeing this, both the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch showed strange expressions, clearly unable to fathom Zhao Kuang's thoughts.

Just then, Zhao Kuang looked up at the purple-robed Taoist priest and suddenly asked:

"Master, do you think it would be feasible for me to kill all my brothers?"

Upon hearing this, both the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch's expressions changed.

The two exchanged a barely perceptible glance, both able to see the shock in each other's eyes.

The purple-robed Taoist priest frowned and immediately spoke up to advise:
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable. Not to mention that killing one's own brother would inevitably bring eternal infamy, all the princes have many supporters among the ministers in the court."

"They will certainly not sit idly by in the face of His Majesty's actions. If the people turn their backs on them and the court is thrown into turmoil, and now the demonic path has gathered in Tai Xuan City, there is a risk of overthrowing the country if we are not careful."

The old eunuch also spoke up, advising Zhao Kuang not to act impulsively.

At the same time, the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch were also filled with doubt and apprehension.

Both men were Zhao Kuang's confidants, having followed him since before he became the crown prince.

Based on their understanding of Zhao Kuang, he didn't seem to be such a ruthless person, but what he just said was truly unexpected.

At this moment, Zhao Kuang's expression was uncertain, and he slowly shook his head, staring at the purple-robed Taoist priest as he said:

"Daoist, you should have heard me tell you before that your father, as the leader of the Demonic Sect, cultivates demonic techniques and has mastered the Soul Searching Technique passed down from the founder of the Demonic Sect."

“I hadn’t thought about this matter in detail before, but just now it suddenly occurred to me that if my father hadn’t died, he could have used the Soul Searching Technique to possess the body of one of my brothers.”

"Then they will secretly kill me and seize my throne. This matter truly terrifies me and I must guard against it!"

Upon hearing this, both the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch were taken aback, and then fell silent.

After only a moment's thought, they realized that Zhao Kuang's concerns were not unfounded.

However, Zhao Kuang's idea of ​​killing all his brothers was so shocking and dangerous that they couldn't agree with it for the time being.

Seeing that the two purple-robed Taoist priests remained silent, Zhao Kuang narrowed his eyes slightly and said:

"Rest assured, I will not openly confront my brothers. If we are going to take action, we will do so secretly and discreetly."

"In this way, even if someone suspects me, they will have no evidence."

Upon hearing this, the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting uncertainly.

Zhao Kuang's move to kill all his brothers was extremely ruthless, and they were very hesitant at this moment, not daring to make the decision to become his accomplices.

Zhao Kuang's gaze slowly swept over the two of them. He seemed to sense their worry and said:
"You can rest assured, I will have plenty of opportunities to kill them, and it won't take much effort on my part."

As he spoke, a ruthless glint appeared in Zhao Kuang's eyes, and he said:
“These past few days, all the princes and princesses have had to keep vigil for their father, which is also the best opportunity to make a move.”

"A single dose of poison would be enough to wipe them all out."

Zhao Kuang touched the dragon throne beneath him, then stared sternly at the two purple-robed Taoist priests, and said:

"You are the people I trust most. I will entrust this matter to you two. Once it is done, I will reward you handsomely."

Upon hearing this, the purple-robed Taoist priest and the old eunuch remained silent for a moment, but ultimately bowed and agreed.

"Since His Majesty has made up his mind, then if we are to do this, we must do it perfectly, ensuring that no information is leaked and no one is let go, otherwise the consequences will be endless."

The old eunuch and the purple-robed Taoist priest both had solemn expressions, while Zhao Kuang nodded slightly and said:
"You two are free to do as you please. Whatever you need, I will unconditionally support you."

……

"The Lord of the Bureau has been missing for several days. I'm afraid he's probably in grave danger."

In the secret room beneath the inn, the innkeeper and a group of secret agents from the Hidden Intelligence Bureau all wore grim expressions.

Since the disappearance of the head of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau that night, everyone has used almost all their resources, but unfortunately, they have still come up with nothing. The only clue they know is that the head of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau was involved in an incident at the Great Xuan Imperial Palace.

"This can't go on. Perhaps... we should ask the Eighth Prince for help?"

Someone frowned and suggested that the Dali court had used all the methods available to Da Xuan to deploy spies, but still had no results.

The only solution everyone could think of at this point was to ask Li Musheng, the eighth prince of Dali, for help.

After all, the other side could rescue Daoist Qingyu from the Great Xuan Imperial Palace, so going to find the head of the Hidden Spy Division would be a piece of cake for them.

“Asking His Highness the Eighth Prince for help is certainly not a problem, but my only concern is that even if we do so, His Highness probably won’t lend a hand.”

The innkeeper slowly shook his head. It was probably unlikely that they could ask the Eighth Prince for help using reasons like "righteousness."

After all, the other party killed even his own brothers without hesitation. Da Li is in a precarious situation, but the other party doesn't care at all and comes directly to the capital of Da Xuan.

All of this demonstrates that this eighth prince, who had fallen into exile, had absolutely no affection for the Dali royal family or the Dali court.

Naturally, he wouldn't intervene without a reason to save the head of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau, whose fate was unknown.

"So what should we do? We can't just sit here and do nothing."

Someone asked a question, and the innkeeper frowned and pondered for a moment before glancing at everyone in the underground chamber and saying:
"We must try to get the Eighth Prince to take action, but we must offer him something that will motivate him to do so."

He sighed softly and said:

"You are all the best secret agents of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau, gathering intelligence from all over the Great Xuan in this capital. Now think carefully, do you have anything of value that could interest His Highness the Eighth Prince?"

Upon hearing this, the entire secret room fell silent.

After a long while, everyone frowned, but no one spoke.

After all, what could possibly interest Li Musheng wouldn't be ordinary gold and silver jewelry, or common weapons and martial arts manuals.

Seeing this, the innkeeper sighed again. Just then, a secret agent from the Hidden Intelligence Bureau suddenly spoke up, saying:
"I do have some news that might interest His Highness the Eighth Prince, but I overheard it by chance and it's not entirely reliable. I'm not sure if I should tell you or not?"

The innkeeper's expression shifted, and he immediately waved his hand, saying:
"Speak freely. As long as there is even the slightest possibility, we must try."

Upon hearing this, the spy no longer hesitated and revealed a piece of information he knew...

After listening to what the other party said, the innkeeper pondered for a moment and then nodded:

"You can try it."

……

In the inn's room, a large black cat was dozing on the windowsill.

Li Musheng sat at the table, cracking roasted melon seeds as he pondered deeply.

The entire room was filled with lurking shadows, a truly terrifying sight, as if it had transformed into a demon's lair.

The big black cat had its pair of bright green eyes half-closed and half-open. When it first saw this scene, it was almost scared to death.

I thought Li Musheng had gone mad and become a complete demon.

It was terrified!

After all, what would happen if a terrifying expert like Li Musheng really went mad and became a wicked and evil demon?

Who in this world can stop such a demon?

As an innocent black cat closest to the other party, it was likely to be killed in the blink of an eye.

So, without hesitation, it tried to sneak away, but it was caught by Li Musheng in the blink of an eye and couldn't escape at all.

Then the big black cat realized that Li Musheng didn't want to kill it, but to pet it.

At this moment, the big black cat knew that Li Musheng was perfectly fine and had not fallen into demonic possession at all.

Of course, only occasionally, when it catches a glimpse of Li Musheng, will one reveal a terrifying aura of an unparalleled demon.

However, even so, Li Musheng acted as if nothing had happened, just sitting there eating sunflower seeds, seemingly lost in thought.
"Hiss...ha..."

The big black cat opened its mouth wide, yawned, and was about to change its lying position.

Just then, its cat ears twitched, and it immediately looked out the window.

A short while later, a figure dressed in black silently landed outside the window, and at the same time, a voice came from outside:
"This humble servant is a secret agent of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau, and requests an audience with Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, the big black cat's ears twitched, but it quickly lost interest.

If the other party isn't here to cause trouble, then there's no point in continuing!
"not see."

At the same time, Li Musheng's voice came, clearly indicating that he didn't want to pay any attention to it.

"This humble servant has some news that Your Highness might be interested in."

The figure outside the window did not leave; it remained standing outside the window, bowing and speaking.

Hearing this, Li Musheng raised his eyebrows slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he didn't immediately send the other person away, but instead asked:

"Tell me, what's the news?"

The figure outside the window visibly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately spoke respectfully:
"I have heard that Your Highness is quite interested in some ethereal things. After much investigation, I have learned that there is such a thing in this Tai Xuan City that may catch Your Highness's eye."

Receiving no reply from inside the room, the spy outside the window took a deep breath and continued:
“There is a Taoist temple in this Tai Xuan City called Qing Xuan Temple. This temple was built more than a thousand years ago and existed even before the founding of the Great Xuan Kingdom.”

"There has always been a legend in Tai Xuan City that Qing Xuan Temple is the residence of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden. There is a bottomless pool in the temple, and the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden sleeps in the depths of the pool."

At this point, the spy outside the window paused slightly, then continued:
"Originally, this was just a vague rumor, merely idle gossip among the common people. But recently, strange things have been happening at Qingxuan Temple for some unknown reason."

"A Taoist priest at Qingxuan Temple discovered that every full moon night, the deep pool in the temple would emit a seven-colored halo, and the calm water would become turbulent and boiling."

"There are even Taoist priests who have heard women's singing echoing above the deep pool at night. However, when someone approaches the pool after hearing the sound, they will inexplicably faint and lose consciousness, only to wake up the next morning."

Upon hearing this, Li Musheng, who was in the room, frowned slightly and said:
"This kind of thing is most likely just someone playing tricks."

However, the spy outside the window shook his head and said:
"Your Highness may not know this, but the abbot of Qingxuan Temple is a top expert in the Great Xuan Jianghu, yet even he fell victim to his attack."

"Moreover, afterwards they secretly asked the Great Xuan Catcher to investigate the case, but they found no signs of human intervention or poisoning."

(End of this chapter)