With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

Nangong Wu frowned slightly.

Sending her out of the city was clearly a setup.

If she and Xiao Lin both leave the city, and the assassins take the opportunity to break into the palace again, the three children will be in danger.

"Don't worry, I've already arranged for people to secretly protect the Prince's Mansion. If anyone dares to approach the mansion, they will take action," Xiao Lin said.

"Alright, Xiao Lin, come with me. Li Shuang and Li Cheng, you two stay here to protect the palace," Nangong Wu decided.

Fifteen minutes later, Nangong Wu changed into a tight-fitting outfit and left with Xiao Lin. Before leaving, she left Li Shuang and the others with a lot of ammunition.

The two rode away and headed straight for Black Chicken Mountain in the east of the city after leaving the city gate.

Black Chicken Mountain was about thirty miles from the imperial city. The mountain only had an abandoned temple with no one to worship there, and a rugged, difficult path to traverse. It took the two of them more than half an hour to find the mountain.

Black Chicken Mountain wasn't very high, but it was very steep, so the two of them had to leave their horses at the foot of the mountain and hike up.

When they reached the top of the mountain, it was getting dark. They found a dilapidated temple surrounded by weeds and trees, with the evening wind rustling through it.

"Nobody's here." Xiao Lin shook his head at her.

Nangong Wu checked the time in her spatial dimension; there were still two quarters of an hour until Xu Shi (7-9 PM).

Xiao Lin's expression suddenly changed. "Oh no, there's poisonous smoke." He picked up Nangong Wu and leaped onto a large tree.

He quickly pressed two acupoints on the two of them with his fingers.

"What a potent poison." Nangong Wu also smelled the poisonous fumes, and after just one breath, her throat felt uncomfortable.

She took out two antidote pills, put one into Xiao Lin's mouth, and swallowed one herself.

"Since you're here, come out," Xiao Lin called out.

"Hahaha..." Accompanied by a sinister laugh, three figures appeared and flew down to the spot where they had just been standing.

"Nangong Wu, you really came."

Xiao Lin carried Nangong Wu and leaped down from the tree.

"Xu Zhiyuan, it's actually you?" Nangong Wu looked at the masked man standing at the front.

Xu Zhiyuan, the second son of Duke Qin, originally commanded 50,000 troops in the eastern suburbs camp.

Xu Zhiwan used to frequently visit the Prince's Mansion to see his father, so the original owner recognized the voice.

But weren't the entire Xu family arrested? How come they're here?

"It seems there are members of the Xu family in the Ministry of Justice."

When Xu Zhiyuan realized that she had recognized him, he simply pulled off the black cloth covering his face.

"Nangong Wu, you lowly slut who can be used as a concubine, don't even think about destroying my Xu family."

Nangong Wu instantly produced a pistol in her hand. "Where is my father?"

Since she occupies the original owner's body and inherits everything from the original owner, she has a karmic connection with the original owner, and she will not let go of those who have harmed the original owner's family.

"Bring him up!" Xu Zhiyuan shouted.

Two men in black dragged up a man covered in blood and with disheveled hair, and the two men held two knives to his neck.

That person was forced to stand in front of Xu Zhiyuan.

Nangong Wu's heart tightened. "Father!"

Upon hearing her words, the man slowly raised his head, revealing a dirty face.

Nangong Wu immediately recognized him; it was her father, Huo Jing, who was actually still alive.

She still retained the original owner's emotions, and seeing her biological father being tortured like this, an uncontrollable anger welled up in her heart.

"Damn it, what did you do to him?...

Huo Jing's lips moved slightly, "Wu'er, go quickly, don't worry about me..."

"Xu Zhiyuan, release my father, or none of you will leave here." Nangong Wu's voice was icy.

Xu Zhiyuan grabbed Huo Jing by the collar and lifted him up. "Nangong Wu, if you want to save your father, stab the man next to you first."

"Xu Zhiyuan, how do you think I would do such a thing? Injure your own people, then stretch out your neck and wait for you to come and chop them down, do you think that's possible?" Nangong Wu's eyes were full of sarcasm.

Even if she stabs Xiao Lin, Xu Zhiyuan will not let his father go.

"Then just watch him die." Xu Zhiyuan's face twisted into a ferocious grin.

"If you wanted to kill him, you wouldn't have waited until now," Nangong Wu said sarcastically.

"Wu'er, run..." Huo Jing was about to speak when he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Nangong Wu gritted her teeth, "Xu Zhiyuan, if anything happens to my father, I will make your entire Xu family pay with their lives."

"Your Highness, let's go back first." Xiao Lin felt that Huo Jing was in their hands, and forcibly rescuing him would likely result in mutual destruction.

"Tell me why you've come to see me!" Nangong Wu asked.

These people are using her father to blackmail her; there must be some conditions involved.

"Stop everything you're doing immediately and guarantee the safety of His Highness Prince Rui and my Xu family," Xu Zhiyuan stated his purpose.

"Nangong Xun committed heinous crimes, and your Xu family colluded with him, bearing the responsibility for many deaths. Your crimes are unforgivable!"

"His Majesty, all the officials and civil servants, and even the people of the entire Western Yan Kingdom know about this matter. How do you think I have the ability to bypass His Majesty and protect you all?" Nangong Wu found it laughable.

"That's your own business." Xu Zhiyuan was getting a little exasperated when he saw that she wasn't threatened. "A month ago, everything was fine. It was all because of you, you bitch, stirring up trouble that the balance was disrupted."

"Balance?" Nangong Wu sneered. "The balance you're talking about is squandering the Huo family's money? Sucking the blood of my family and enjoying wealth and luxury while stepping on the corpses of my parents?"

"So what?" Xu Zhiyuan jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"His Highness Prince Rui is the future ruler, and the entire Western Yan Kingdom will belong to him in the future. What's wrong with using a little bit of your family's silver?"

"Let me give you a piece of advice: be sensible and properly support His Highness Prince Rui in ascending the throne. The Western Yan Kingdom will have a place for your Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion."

Nangong Wu looked at him as if he were a madman, and didn't want to say another word.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Xu Zhiyuan thought that his words had worked.

"As long as you help His Highness Prince Rui and the Xu family overcome this crisis and ascend to the position of Crown Prince, I can guarantee that your father will return to the Prince's Palace safely."

"Okay, I promise you." Nangong Wu's gaze fell on Huo Jing's face, and her lips curled up slightly.

Xu Zhiyuan was taken aback. "You're willing?" Seeing that she agreed too quickly, he became wary.

A hint of surprise flashed in Huo Jing's eyes. "Wu'er, Prince Rui is His Majesty's most valued prince, and he will ascend to that position in the future."

Since you insist on supporting Prince Rui, I respect your choice. The money lost will truly be earned back.

"Alright, I'll do whatever Father says." Nangong Wu looked at Xu Zhiyuan, her eyes cold and distant.

"Xu Zhiyuan, the 26th of next month is my father's birthday. I will persuade His Majesty to appoint Prince Rui as the Crown Prince and offer him one million taels of silver. I hope you will release my father and let him return to the palace to celebrate his birthday."

"Good, it should have been done a long time ago." Xu Zhiyuan said with delight. "As long as you are sincere, once His Highness Prince Rui sits on the throne of the Crown Prince and receives the silver you offer, this general will personally escort the Prince back to the Prince's residence."