Starting as a cowherd, he sought a way to cultivate immortality.

Inside Luoyun Pass, everything was in a mess.

When Zhou Meiniang, Pang Wen, and the others arrived at the Marshal's study, they found Zhao Tianlin lying on the ground, already lifeless.

Zhou Meiniang turned around to look at Pang Wen and the others, a solemn expression appearing on her pretty face.

"To be able to kill a Qi Sensing Realm martial artist in a very short time, the opponent must be at least at the Innate Realm."

Pang Wen glanced at the martial artists around him and suddenly asked in surprise:

Where did Chen Chi go?

Zhou Meiniang's beautiful eyes darted past the crowd as she looked toward the gate of the Marshal's Mansion.

Chen Chi walked over slowly, his face expressionless.

"Chen Chi, where did you go just now?" Zhou Meiniang asked, staring intently at him.

Chen Chi clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhou Meiniang and replied:

"I chased away a few petty thieves who tried to sneak into the granary."

Upon hearing Chen Chi's answer, the expressions of the people present varied.

Since Yang Jin raised his army, this group of warriors followed the army all the way from Youzhou to Luoyun Pass. During this time, after each city was captured, they would enter the city to search for rare treasures.

Therefore, many people would secretly drop out of the group, and when Zhou Meiniang asked, the reason given was always to drive away the fleeing bandits.

But this time, Zhou Meiniang clearly wasn't going to let it go.

She smiled gently and asked:

"Oh? Where did you catch this petty thief? Did anyone see him?"

Faced with Zhou Meiniang's questioning, Chen Chi remained calm and said:

"I really can't answer Miss Zhou's question. The people of Luoyun Pass are in a state of flux, and even if someone passes by me, they may not notice what I'm doing."

As he spoke, Chen Chi's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Haven't any of you encountered something like this before?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a martial artist at the Qi Sensing Realm immediately stepped forward and laughed:

"Chen Chi is right, and I deeply agree with that."

"Yes, Miss Zhou, Chen Chi would never lie to us."

Others quickly stepped forward to speak up for Chen Chi.

Seeing this situation, Zhou Meiniang had no choice but to suppress her doubts and put on a gentle smile again.

"Since you all say so, then it is indeed my fault."

"I will inform Steward Yang about Zhao Tianlin's body and ask him to send it back to Youzhou for burial."

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed.

Chen Chi stood in the crowd and glanced at Pang Wen, who was a little further away, without leaving a trace.

……

After Yang Jin entered Luoyun Pass, Zhou Meiniang informed him that Zhao Tianlin had been murdered in the study of the Marshal's mansion.

"The murderer might be a celestial master sent from Lin'an City." A hint of unease appeared between Zhou Meiniang's brows.

Yang Jin pulled Zhou Meiniang into his arms and laughed heartily:

"Now that Luoyun Pass is in my hands, even if Zhao Che can get the immortal master to intervene, it won't change the overall situation."

Zhou Meiniang placed her jade-like hand on Yang Jin's chest, tilted her head back, and said softly:

"I fear that Zhao Che might resort to desperate measures and send a celestial master to assassinate my husband."

Yang Jin lifted Zhou Meiniang's snow-white chin, a slight smile curving his lips.

"Didn't your Zhou family send people to protect me secretly? Don't worry."

Zhou Meiniang nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then gently parted her lips to say:

"When I led those martial artists into the Marshal's Mansion, Chen Chi was not present. He arrived shortly afterward."

"Chen Chi?" Yang Jin frowned slightly, then shook his head.

"These people have all taken Qi Sensing Pills, and will never be able to enter the Innate Realm in this lifetime."

You've examined their aura; that can't be faked.

"My husband is so clever," Zhou Meiniang said with a smile.

A smile curved Yang Jin's lips. The beauty in his arms had already made his mouth dry, and his large hands began to roam restlessly over Zhou Meiniang's body.

Soon after, the guards outside the door heard faint groans coming from inside the room.

……

After news of the Yan army's crushing defeat outside Luoyun Pass and the annihilation of 100,000 elite troops reached the capital Lin'an, Emperor Jinglong became unusually silent.

In the imperial court, An Bangguo, who had fled back to Lin'an, tearfully begged Emperor Jinglong for his life, repeatedly banging his head on the ground until his forehead was covered in blood.

Prime Minister An Degui stood to the side, not even glancing at his nephew, as if afraid that An Bangguo would call out his name.

"One hundred thousand elite troops, all... wiped out in one night." Emperor Jinglong's voice was hoarse, and he choked up at one point.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life..." An Bangguo wept uncontrollably, his arrogant and confident demeanor from before leaving the pass completely gone.

"Drag him out." Emperor Jinglong weakly rubbed his forehead.

In the imperial court, civil and military officials watched as An Bangguo was dragged out by guards to be executed, and they began to think about their own future.

They needed to carefully consider whether to continue following Emperor Jinglong or to pledge allegiance to Yang Jin.

At this moment, Prime Minister An Degui stepped forward and spoke:

"Your Majesty, Di Chengwu is stationed at Luoyun Pass, and the outcome of the battle is still uncertain."

"Your Majesty, I request that you dispatch the Imperial Guards to Luoyun Pass to support Di Chengwu!"

Unlike others, Ander has no way out.

He and Yang Jin were sworn enemies; if Yang Jin caught him, he would only face death.

Emperor Jinglong slowly raised his head and saw An Degui below with a determined look on his face and the civil and military officials behind him with different expressions. He regained the aura of the emperor of the Great Yan.

He raised his arm slightly and said in a higher voice:

"A decree was drafted ordering Shi Xuan, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, to lead three thousand Imperial Guards to Luoyun Pass to assist Di Chengwu in resisting the rebels."

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than the supervising eunuch rushed into the main hall in a panic, knelt down, and shouted:

"Your Majesty, Luoyun Pass has fallen, and Marshal Di has died in the chaos of battle!"

For a moment, a terrifying silence fell over the hall.

Emperor Jinglong's cloudy eyes completely lost their focus.

After a long while, he glanced at his personal eunuch beside him and ordered him to end the day's court session.

……

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

When Emperor Jinglong learned from his guards that the Zhao family immortal master, who was stationed in Lin'an, had disappeared, he finally had to admit that he could no longer stay in Lin'an.

"Immortal Master Zhao, are you going to abandon my Zhao Yan royal family?"

Emperor Jinglong sighed and ordered his guards to fetch An Degui.

"I intend to leave Lin'an. I entrust this matter to you, my dear minister," Emperor Jinglong said to An Degui as he entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

An Degui's face lit up with joy, and he immediately bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty has already made arrangements for this. I request that Your Majesty move the capital to Anzhou and wait until the rebels have weakened before proceeding with the suppression of the rebellion and the recapture of Lin'an."

A hint of worry flashed across Emperor Jinglong's eyes:

"Anzhou is located in the southeast, far from Lin'an. How can we launch a northern expedition then?"

An Degui raised an eyebrow.

It seems that Emperor Jinglong has not yet grasped the current situation.

"If Your Majesty continues to hesitate, I fear that Yang Jin's rebel army will catch up with Your Majesty's carriage."

Emperor Jinglong looked at An Degui and understood the meaning behind his words.

"Then please make the arrangements as soon as possible, my dear minister. I will be leaving tomorrow."

On the other hand, Yang Jin, wary of the cultivators from the Zhao family in Lin'an, did not immediately send troops to Lin'an.

When the scouts reported that Emperor Jinglong had abandoned the city and fled with the royal family and civil and military officials, Yang Jin was slightly taken aback. He then sent Meng Chang to occupy Lin'an.

Chen Chi followed the army into the capital and saw that the once prosperous place was now engulfed in flames and littered with corpses. He was filled with emotion.

The fleeing Emperor Jinglong was truly like a stray dog.