If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

"How dare you! Who would dare harm a royal merchant of Wei?"

Just as Zhang Heng's military knife was about to sever Li Dagang's head, at the critical moment...

A loud shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, resounded from outside the Chamber of Commerce gate.

This shout was not a simple roar; it contained powerful true energy, and the sound waves were like a tangible copper hammer, slamming hard into the eardrums of everyone in the hall.

The guards with slightly lower cultivation levels felt a buzzing in their heads, their vision went black, their blood and qi surged, and they almost lost their grip on their weapons.

Before the shout had even finished, a glint of cold light had already appeared.

"laugh--."

A sharp whistling sound tore through the air as a streak of dark light shot in through the wide-open door at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, its target Zhang Heng's throat, who was about to strike with his knife.

Before the arrow even arrived, the chilling killing intent had already locked onto Zhang Heng, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

"careful!!"

Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning screamed in terror at the same time, their faces turning ashen.

Jiang Luohan's pupils shrank suddenly. Instead of stepping forward, she subconsciously took two steps back.

A strong sense of foreboding enveloped her. Anyone who dared to directly kill the Marquis's heir while he was committing murder was definitely not a kind person, and their strength was terrifying.

Zhang Heng himself was terrified; the arrow came too fast, too cunningly, and with too much killing intent.

He was only acting violently because of his family background and guards. His own cultivation was mediocre, and he had never seen such a scene before.

The shadow of death instantly gripped his heart. He tried to dodge, but his body was frozen stiff, and he could only watch helplessly as that cold glint rapidly enlarged in his pupils.

"presumptuous!"

"Protect the Crown Prince!"

The two ninth-rank guards who had been standing guard on either side of Zhang Heng like door gods were already alert the moment the arrow pierced the air.

Seeing that the prince was in imminent danger, the two shouted angrily at the same time, their figures moving forward like ghosts, and they narrowly blocked Zhang Heng's way!

"Clang! Clang!"

Two crisp, piercing metallic clangs rang out almost simultaneously!

The two ninth-rank guards reacted extremely quickly, drawing their swords in the blink of an eye.

The blade flashed like snow, meeting the deadly arrow head-on.

however--

"Snap! Snap!"

The expected scene of the arrow being deflected did not occur; instead, two teeth-grinding snapping sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

The two treasured swords, forged from refined steel and having accompanied the two family retainers for many years, snapped in two the instant they came into contact with the black arrows, just like rotten wood.

It doesn't stop there.

The terrifying force contained in the arrow did not dissipate, but surged wildly along the broken blade.

"puff--!"

"puff--!"

The two ninth-rank retainers were struck dumb, their faces instantly turning red and then deathly pale, and they coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The sound of bones cracking came from the arms that were gripping the knives, and they were sent flying backward uncontrollably as if they had been hit head-on by a charging elephant.

And the direction they flew backwards was precisely towards the terrified Zhang Heng.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two dull thuds.

The two guards' heavy bodies crashed heavily into Zhang Heng one after the other!

"ah--!"

Zhang Heng let out a piercing scream as he was thrown into the air and crashed heavily to the ground.

The power of a single arrow is truly astounding.

Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events and the terrifying arrow.

Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning covered their mouths, looking at Zhang Heng and his two retainers who were lying on the ground, vomiting blood and in a sorry state, their eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

Jiang Luohan's heart pounded like a drum as she stared intently at the door, her fingers icy cold.

The guards of the Marquis's mansion were so frightened that they stood frozen in place, their hands trembling as they gripped their weapons.

The two strongest ninth-rank martial artists among them couldn't even withstand a single arrow from the opponent?

What level of skill does this archer possess?

At least... peak of the ninth rank, or even... innate?

Moreover, what he called out was—"The Imperial Merchant of Wei"?

Mozi and Li Dagang escaped death, their hearts filled with immense joy and horror.

Imperial Merchant?

When did we become imperial merchants?

Whose reinforcements are these now?

In the midst of this deathly silence, heavy, orderly footsteps and the clanging of armor against each other could be heard outside the guild's gates.

A steady, authoritative voice, thick with official jargon, rang out clearly:

"The Imperial City Guard is conducting an investigation. All bystanders, lay down your weapons immediately!"

"Those who disobey will be treated as treasonous and executed without exception!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of about twenty armored soldiers filed in like a black tide.

They instantly occupied all the key positions in the hall, surrounding everyone with a menacing aura.

The leader was not wearing armor, but rather a dark purple brocade robe embroidered with gold python patterns.

Although he deliberately concealed his aura, the overwhelming and unfathomable pressure he exuded still made all the martial artists present feel breathless.

A master of innate talent, without a doubt!

His cold gaze swept over the mess in the hall, past the seriously injured Li Dagang and Mo Zhai, and finally settled on Zhang Heng, who was coughing up blood.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his voice was like the sand of iron filings in the dead of winter:

"In broad daylight, under the clear sky, you committed a violent crime with weapons, harming a royal merchant... Prince Zhang Heng, do you still have any regard for the law?"

Do you even respect the laws and regulations of my Great Wei?

The visitor was none other than Xiao Jingyan, the third son of the current emperor of Wei and the King of Qi.

Inside the Imperial Clan Court, upon learning that Zhang Yu's subordinates were in trouble, Elder Xiao Xuan gave an order, and the three princes who coveted the throne naturally sprang into action, vying for the credit of bestowing favors upon Zhang Yu.

Whoever saves Zhang Yu's people first will gain an advantage in front of the patriarch and in Zhang Yu's heart, adding a significant bargaining chip to their quest for the throne.

However, strength is the only passport.

The Third Prince, Xiao Jingyan, was the only one among the three princes to be a master of the Innate Realm, so he was naturally the fastest and the first to arrive.

That's how the earth-shattering, game-changing moment of the arrow came about.

At this moment, Xiao Jingyan held the "Cloud-Splitting Bow," which had accompanied him in battle and drunk the blood of his enemies, in one hand, his figure as still and imposing as a mountain.

His dark purple robe embroidered with gold dragons accentuated his handsome face, giving him an imposing presence even without anger.

His gaze was calm yet profound, fixed on Zhang Heng's disheveled face.

Zhang Heng was utterly devastated!

How could he not recognize the person before him?

The Third Prince, Prince Qi, Xiao Jingyan, is a rising star in the struggle for the throne, enjoying increasing power in the court, strong support from some military forces, and is himself a master of innate martial arts!

Let alone Zhang Heng, even if his father, the Marquis of Yong'an, were to come in person, he would not dare to be presumptuous in the face of this prince who was at the height of his power!

Upon learning that Li Dagang and the others were members of the royal family, Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, and the others all turned pale.

This matter involves the royal family, which makes things complicated and could very well backfire.

At this moment, Zhang Wanning and Qin Xuehua glared at Zhang Heng resentfully, complaining that he had brought trouble upon himself for no reason.

Zhang Heng also felt wronged.

He wasn't stupid. Before coming, he had already found out that Li Dagang and his group were just ordinary merchants with no connections, which was why they dared to act so recklessly.

In fact, not only was he frustrated, but Li Dagang and Mo Di were also puzzled as to how they had become imperial merchants.

There's nothing we can do about it; the title of Imperial Merchant was just bestowed by the King of Qi, so it's normal that others don't know about it.

"Your Highness... I had no idea these people became imperial merchants?"

Zhang Heng felt his internal organs churning, but given the current crisis, he wanted to argue his point.

"presumptuous!"

Qi King Xiao Jingyan's eyes turned cold, and his voice suddenly rose:

"Does the imperial family need to report to your Marquis of Yong'an's residence and obtain your approval, Young Master Zhang Heng, before bestowing the title of Imperial Merchant?"

Xiao Jingyan questioned him sternly, directly accusing him of disrespecting imperial authority.