The number one rebel of the Great Wu

Hearing the voice behind him, Zheng Jing was slightly taken aback, and his mind went blank for a moment, forgetting to make a move.

In that very instant, Xiao Jingtian arrived with his guards from afar.

For Zheng Jing, this is the only window of opportunity he has if he really wants to take action.

Xiao Jingtian was only a few hundred meters away to begin with, and if he were to make another move now, Xiao Jingtian would definitely notice.

This left Zheng Jing speechless.

But Chen Changgeng didn't stop. He rushed over and snatched Shen Tianying from Zheng Jing's hands, and saw the wound on his ribs.

"Oh, Patriarch Shen, you absolutely cannot die!"

This loud wail startled Xiao Jingtian, making him tremble and quicken his pace.

Shen Tianying's face darkened immediately, and he glared at Chen Changgeng with a displeased expression.

"Stop howling! I'm not dead yet!"

Xiao Jingtian hurried over, and upon seeing the wound, immediately ordered someone to bring the medicine for treating the injury, which he then gave to Shen Tianying.

Seeing this, Zheng Jing knew he had lost his last chance and immediately glared coldly at Chen Changgeng.

It's all this guy's fault! He suddenly showed up and ruined my plans!

What a coincidence!

But he didn't know that such coincidences are rare in the world.

Chen Changgeng had been keeping an eye on this area since the battle between the two and the snowstorm on the mountain was nearing its end.

Chen Changgeng also noticed Zheng Jing's seemingly sneaky little actions.

In almost a moment, Chen Changgeng figured out Zheng Jing's plan.

Of course, given his strength, he was basically unable to stop Zheng Jing from killing Shen Tianying from such a distance.

However, in just a moment, a flash of inspiration struck Chen Changgeng, and he remembered the Miaoyin Sect secret technique he had just obtained from the Jade Guanyin.

After quickly going through the options in his mind, he found a usable method of using demonic sound.

Although I haven't practiced diligently and can't achieve the awe-inspiring effect of the method, it can still temporarily stop him.

"Thank you, Mr. Zheng, Master Shen."

"We were able to weather this national crisis thanks to the righteous help of the two of you."

"After this matter is resolved, our Great Wu Kingdom will certainly reward you two handsomely!"

Seeing that Shen Tianying had taken the medicine, Xiao Jingtian's worry finally subsided a bit.

He then turned around, cupped his hands in greeting to the two of them, and said...

"It's nothing. My Shen family has served the Great Wu Kingdom for generations."

"It should be this way, without expecting anything in return."

Shen Tianying was helped up, and although his face was pale, he still quickly answered.

Zheng Jing, standing to the side, looked extremely unpleasant and could only manage a few forced smiles to deal with the situation for the time being.

He had just told Shen Tianying everything he was thinking and planning.

Even if he considers the bigger picture and doesn't tell the emperor his intentions, he will find it difficult to continue living in the Great Wu Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, this is the only battle we can win."

"I deeply feel that my cultivation is insufficient. I did not exert much effort in this battle against the old thief on the mountain."

"We are entirely relying on Patriarch Shen to go through fire and water for us."

"Your Majesty, I dare not take credit for this. Please forgive me."

"Hey, Mr. Zheng, what are you saying?"

"You didn't do anything; I saw it all clearly from the side."

"Without your restraint, Patriarch Shen alone would certainly not be a match for this villain."

Xiao Jingtian thought Zheng Jing was just being modest, so he quickly tried to smooth things over.

Little did Zheng Jing know that if he did not back down now, it would be difficult to salvage the situation later.

He currently has only two choices.

First, kill Shen Tianying here, and also kill Xiao Jingtian. Then, use Xiao Ce to install a new emperor.

This path is incredibly risky; a single misstep could lead to utter ruin.

Zheng Jing has been cautious for so many years, he wouldn't have dared to take this path.

Secondly, he should quickly show weakness to Shen Tianying in order to temporarily lull the two of them into a false sense of security, and then escape from the capital.

The world is vast, and there is more than one Wu Dynasty.

At worst, he could condescend to go to one of those small countries like the Great Yue and comfortably become a national advisor; that would be acceptable.

"Your Majesty, my mind is made up."

"Now that the national crisis has been averted, there is no other reason for me to remain in the capital."

"I have decided to resign and return to my hometown to devote myself to cultivation and enjoy my remaining years."

Seeing that Xiao Jingtian refused, Zheng Jing could only solemnly resign.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingtian's expression naturally changed drastically.

Our own Great Wu Dynasty's pillar of strength, our ancestor, has just passed away, and now we're going to lose another second-stage master.

This is undoubtedly a huge blow.

Even if you try your best to hide the news, you can't hide it for long.

"Your Majesty, Old Zheng is, after all, a martial artist."

"Perhaps it was this battle with that villain that allowed me to glimpse a secret of heaven."

"Taking advantage of this period of seclusion, one might have a chance to achieve a major breakthrough in strength and become a master."

Shen Tianying looked around and quickly understood Zheng Jing's meaning.

So she smiled and spoke up for him.

After all, the ancestor had died, and Zheng Jingyi had left.

The Shen family was the only powerful family in the Great Wu Dynasty.

This is fantastic news for the Shen family!

Although he had just narrowly escaped death, he was instantly wary of Zheng Jing and even harbored some resentment towards him.

But for the sake of the Shen family's interests, he had no choice but to stand up and speak for him.

Xiao Jingtian's face was grim.

"Alright, Mr. Zheng, you should go and rest for a few days."

"You can consider it after I have rewarded the meritorious officials this time."

Zheng Jing nodded and left without lingering any longer.

Just then, several guards rushed over in a hurry.

"Your Majesty, no, no, something terrible has happened!"

"The warehouse has been robbed!"

Xiao Jingtian's heart skipped a beat.

With such a major incident occurring in the capital, and now the treasury being robbed, it's clear the perpetrators came prepared.

They deliberately took advantage of the chaos to strike.

"When did this happen? How much stuff was lost?"

The Great Warehouse was, after all, the treasure storage room of the Xiao family's ancestors.

Even if he lost something, he would have no face to face his ancestors!

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Well... nothing was lost."

"After checking the accounts, I found that only one jade Bodhisattva statue of unknown purpose was missing."

The one who came to report was the captain of the large warehouse guard.

If a few of his men died but nothing important was lost, then he could keep his head.

"Jade... Bodhisattva."

Xiao Jingtian instantly realized who was behind this.

"Your Majesty, should we immediately close the palace gates and conduct a thorough investigation...?"

"No need."

Xiao Jingtian waved his hand.

"I will investigate this matter further."

"The capital is currently in chaos, so to prevent further trouble, it is crucial to strengthen defenses."

Xiao Jingtian gave a brief explanation.

He then glanced around.

This includes Chen Changgeng.

However, his gaze quickly drifted away from Chen Changgeng.

Qin Lan was imprisoned in the Crown Prince's residence by him using a secret method. The only person who could come out to do this was someone connected to the Crown Prince's residence.

The Crown Prince is currently still in the palace, and Shen Qingci is at the Shen family home.

The Crown Prince's residence is now leaderless.

Of course, Xiao Jingtian also briefly suspected Chen Changgeng.

After all, he was from the Crown Prince's residence, happened to be in the palace, and had a waist token that allowed him to freely enter and exit the palace.

They are highly suspicious.

However, as the guard said, it would be the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The timing of the incident doesn't match up at all.

During this period, Chen Changgeng was right under his nose.

Surely he can't be in two places at once, right?