Chen Chang'an never considered himself a good man—after all, he believed in eradicating problems at their roots, leaving no survivors.
Yet Chen Chang'an was not a bloodthirsty killer. Those who deserved death would never escape his blade, but he never killed for the sake of killing.
This time, his arrival in the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty had only one purpose: to annihilate the entire dynasty.
The Prince of Zhenbei, as a royal of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty, naturally fell within his list of targets. Even if the Crown Prince hadn’t provoked him today, Chen Chang'an would have paid a visit to the prince’s residence.
However, Chen Chang'an still wanted to gauge the relationship between the Prince of Zhenbei and the Fengtian royal family.
Originally, if the Prince of Zhenbei and the imperial family had been at odds, Chen Chang'an planned to incite him to rebel.
But who could have expected that the Crown Prince of Zhenbei would interfere halfway?
No matter. The end result would be the same.
"Who exactly are you?"
"Why bother asking?"
"What do you really want?"
The Prince of Zhenbei grew increasingly suspicious—Chen Chang'an’s purpose here couldn’t be simple. Could it be that the imperial family truly suspected him of disloyalty?
But he had always been loyal. Why would they doubt him?
"Want to know who I am?"
"In one day, bring your Northern Guardian Army to the plains fifty li outside the city. I’ll give you your answer."
With that, Chen Chang'an turned and left, leaving the people of the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence in anxious confusion.
"My lord… are we just letting him go like this?"
"That’s right! This brat is utterly audacious—daring to harm the Crown Prince! We can’t just let him walk away!"
"My lord—"
"Enough!"
"This man’s origins are unclear. I want to see what game he’s playing!"
"Pass down my orders—the Northern Guardian Army is to prepare for battle. Tomorrow, we ride to meet this Chen Chang'an!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Chen Chang'an swaggered into the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence with Gu Xian'er, then swaggered right back out, leaving many onlookers utterly bewildered.
What just happened?
Who was this man? He injured the Crown Prince of Zhenbei and still walked out of the prince’s residence unscathed?
Gathering Immortals Pavilion
"You have no idea—that man, Chen Chang'an, has nerves of steel."
"In these parts, who dares provoke the Crown Prince? Let alone attack him! Yet this guy not only struck him but left him severely wounded—it looked bad."
"Still, I have to admit, the woman beside Chen Chang'an is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, and her strength is no joke. Clearly, both of them have extraordinary backgrounds."
"Too bad they offended the Prince of Zhenbei and still had the gall to march into his residence."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Probably walked in on their feet, but they’ll be carried out—"
"Hey, keep talking! What happened next?"
"Give us the details! What exactly went down?"
"Don’t just freeze up—is the wine not strong enough or the food not tasty?"
The storyteller, who had been animatedly recounting the tale, suddenly fell silent, much to the frustration of his audience.
"Ch… Chen Chang'an?"
Huh?
Chen Chang'an?
"What about him?"
"He’s… here!"
The moment the man spotted Chen Chang'an entering the pavilion, his jaw dropped.
Why was he here? Shouldn’t he be dead in the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence?
"Here? Where?"
"That… that’s Chen Chang'an."
"What? He’s still alive?"
All eyes turned toward Chen Chang'an. None of them could believe that the man they had assumed was doomed was now strolling casually into the Gathering Immortals Pavilion.
Chen Chang'an glanced at the crowd but paid them no further attention—such people were everywhere.
Only after he entered a private room did the onlookers snap out of their daze.
They exchanged bewildered looks, wondering if the storyteller had been spinning tall tales.
"You said Chen Chang'an attacked the Crown Prince of Zhenbei and stormed into the prince’s residence! How is he here now?"
"Knew you were full of nonsense! Today, you just wanted free food and drinks, didn’t you?"
"Damn it! I’m not paying for this meal!"
"You—you’re wrong! I didn’t lie! It’s not just me who saw it—go ask around if you don’t believe me!"
"How was I supposed to know he’d walk out of the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence alive?"
"Don’t go back on your word—you promised to treat me!"
Seeing that the man didn’t seem to be lying, the crowd grew uneasy. If it was true, and this man was still alive… just what kind of background did he have?
"Damn… if even the Prince of Zhenbei chose not to act, his backing must be terrifying."
"Could he be from the imperial family?"
"No way. If he were, none of this would’ve happened."
"Then who is he?"
"How the hell should I know?"
Inside the private room, Gu Xian'er was also curious about Chen Chang'an’s actions. Why hadn’t he struck directly at the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence? Why give them a day’s time?
"Master, what’s the purpose of this?"
"Nothing much. I just dislike unnecessary trouble. Letting him gather his forces for me saves me the effort of hunting them down." Chen Chang'an smiled faintly.
"You plan to annihilate the Prince of Zhenbei and his Northern Guardian Army?"
"Won’t the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty take notice?"
"Notice?" Chen Chang'an chuckled. "I came here to collect a debt. This is only the first step."
"I never intended to hide my actions from the Fengtian imperial family."
"I want them to hear, to watch, as their subordinates are wiped out one by one."
"Xian'er, remember this—do not provoke others, but if others provoke you, repay them a hundredfold!"
"Yin Tianzi should never have killed my friend."
Chen Chang'an had few taboos, but Yin Tianzi had crossed a line.
Back then, Wu Mingdao had died because of him. Though he had since found Wu Mingdao’s reincarnation, the matter had never truly left his heart.
When Chen Chang'an sought vengeance, it was always the most violent, the most merciless.
"I originally thought you would head straight for the imperial capital of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty. It seems I oversimplified things."
Gu Xian'er knew why Chen Chang'an had come to the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty—but she had assumed he would strike directly at the imperial family.
Now, it seemed his plan was more intricate than she imagined—but the retribution would be far more satisfying.
Let them drown in fury, panic, and helplessness—step by step, until their inevitable ruin.
"Now you understand why I chose the Prince of Zhenbei’s territory as my first stop."
"It’s a gift—for the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty."
"Besides… we still need to wait for Da Huang. If we went straight to the imperial capital, he might not make it in time."
"How long until Senior Da Huang arrives?"
"Wu Mingdao was easy to find, but Lin Xiangliu is more troublesome. It’ll take some time."
"Even with Da Huang's speed, it would likely take one to two months to reach the imperial capital."
"By then, we’ll meet directly in the capital!"
After leaving Alchemy Emperor City, Da Huang no longer followed Chen Chang'an. Instead, he was sent to find Lin Xiangliu and Wu Mingdao and bring them to the capital of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty.
Chen Chang'an had once promised that Lin Xiangliu would accompany them, while Wu Mingdao was only being brought along so he could witness the downfall of the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty with his own eyes.
"Young Master, why do you think the Prince of Zhenbei is so obedient?"
"And will he really appear tomorrow with the Northern Guardian Army?"
Gu Xian'er found it hard to understand. After all, the Prince of Zhenbei was a powerhouse at the Undying Realm, while Chen Chang'an, despite his strength, was only at the first level of the Divine Transformation Realm.
There was no reason for the Prince of Zhenbei to let Chen Chang'an come and go as he pleased—yet that was exactly what he had done.
"My words in the Prince of Zhenbei’s residence earlier weren’t just simple questions."
"First, I wanted to gauge the relationship between the Prince of Zhenbei and the imperial family."
"Second, I wanted to plant doubt in his mind so he wouldn’t dare act recklessly."
"And third, I piqued his curiosity. Now, he’ll do as I say because he wants to know who I am and what I intend to do."
"Human nature is often like this."
"Even if he wishes he could kill me on the spot, he has no choice but to let me live another day."
"Tonight, we’ll rest well."
"Tomorrow, we’ll deliver a grand gift to the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty!"
"As you command, Young Master!"