Madam, please listen to my explanation.

Chapter 136 contains hidden content; additional payment is required to unlock it.
"Meow-"

As soon as the two entered the inn, they heard a sharp meow from a cat.

Following closely behind was Chen Xinghe, whose figure appeared somewhat anxious.

He looked at Xiao Han, whose lips were slightly purple and whose body was still stained with blood, and quickly stepped forward, placing his hands on the other's arms:
"Brother Xiao! You're injured!"

"Brother Chen, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Li Junruo looked puzzled and asked.

Chen Xinghe put his hand on Xiao Han's wrist and frowned, saying, "I was worried that the roads outside the city were not safe, so I couldn't sleep and came out for a walk."

Just then, I saw my two benefactors return. But let's not talk about that. Who could have injured Brother Xiao so badly, letting the cold seep into his body?

It's a long story.

Xiao Han was just about to casually dismiss the other party when he felt streams of warmth flowing into his body along the other party's fingers.

In an instant, the chill that clung to my bones melted away like spring snow, dissipating inch by inch.

"Brother Chen, you have some impressive skills!"

Xiao Han was deeply shocked.

Chen Xinghe's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and as he stood in the snow and ice, wisps of heat were visibly rising from his body.

Li Junruo's mouth was also wide open, as if a whole egg had been stuffed into it.

Neither of them ever expected that they had stumbled upon a treasure.

At this moment, Xiao Han's feelings were far more profound than those of his companions.

Streams of heat, filled with the aura of ultimate yang and strength, continuously dispelled the chill within the body.
He knew that some powerful sixth-rank peak martial artists could indeed use their cultivation techniques or special phenomena in their sea of ​​consciousness to imbue their true energy with a trace of the five elements' power in advance.
But isn't the other party only at the fourth rank?

Is there really such a powerful fourth-grade cultivator in the world?
Chen Xinghe's face was pale, and large beads of sweat began to drip down his temples.

"I come from a blacksmithing background and have been with fire since childhood. Over time, my true energy has acquired a bit of intense heat, but it's nothing special!"
Otherwise, how could I dare to venture into Youzhou alone at such a time?

Upon hearing this, the two, though still somewhat skeptical, were already seven or eight parts convinced.

Is this Great Yan Kingdom truly a place where hidden talents abound?

A moment later, the chill in his body was completely dispelled.

Xiao Han's face flushed, and he was about to thank Chen Xinghe when Chen Xinghe lost his footing and almost fell to the ground.

"Brother Chen!"

Xiao Han reacted quickly, afraid of being a step behind his companion, and swiftly helped him up.

Chen Xinghe's face was pale, and he waved his hand, saying:
"It's nothing. It's just that I've been overexerted. If you two benefactors have any unspeakable difficulties, I won't pry. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know!"
We have a long journey ahead tomorrow, so let's get some rest!

The two watched Chen Xinghe stagger back into the room, exchanging a complicated glance.

"Only a fourth-rank official, yet possessing such abilities... Ah Yu, only now do I realize how laughable I was before, like a frog at the bottom of a well."

"Yes, it seems that the Great Yan is indeed full of talented people. Even the passersby we see on the roadside are not people we can easily underestimate. Don't think too much about it, go and get some rest!"

It was already a pleasant surprise that Xiao Han's injuries had improved, but Li Junruo was extremely anxious and had no time to talk to him. She returned to her room first.

She lit a candle, sat down at the table, took out the paper whose ink was still wet, and began to study it carefully.

Xu Jinhuan was born into the Hehuan Sect of Qingzhou (now the Xuandan Sect of Kyoto).

Cultivation level: Fifth-grade Void Realm, having overcome one level of inner demon tribulation.

He was a disciple of Ning Caixie, the leader of the Hehuan Sect, and received the "Ruoshui" sword technique personally taught by the sword immortal Shen Ye.

During the battle of Kyoto, he commanded thousands of flying swords to kill the enemy in public, suggesting that he possessed a divine talent that had been lost for a thousand years—the Sword Heart Clarity.

When the swordsman from Kyoto slew the domineering swordsman Song Yu, the technique he used was suspected to be XXX (hidden content, requires payment to unlock).
Officials in Kyoto with close ties to him: Grand Secretary Xu Xinnian, Minister of War Chang Wei, XXX, XXX (Hidden content, requires additional payment to unlock)
Known confidantes: Empress of Great Yan, Grand Preceptor of Great Yan, XXX (hidden).

Li Junruo was so angry that she crumpled the note in her hand into tiny pieces.

Even though the intelligence she had acquired at great expense was already terrifying, the thought of the brothel owner with the raven-head mask still made her grit her teeth in hatred.
Li Junruo took a deep breath, looked up at the roof, and stared blankly into space.

It turns out that what Fatty Chu said at the altar was actually true.
Although only a few words were mentioned, it's not hard to see that Xu Jinhuan truly has a close relationship with the Empress of Great Yan. In fact, it's probably more than just a simple "confidante." Just look at how her own sect, the Hehuan Sect, has risen so high, becoming a major sect backed by the Yan-Zhao royal family!

Moreover, not only the Empress, but also the Grand Preceptor of the Great Yan Kingdom!

Therefore, his premeditated "marriage alliance" was indeed a dirty act designed to incite internal conflict within the Great Yan Dynasty, even at the cost of starting a war!
The sword immortal Shen Ye personally taught him swordsmanship, and he also possessed a unique skill that was enough to kill the senior Song Yu, who was of a higher level!
She knew this kind of person even though she had never met him.

Now, they probably despise themselves and regard them as worthless.
No.
In that instant, Li Junruo was filled with countless thoughts.

If everything is really as I think...
Will I really be able to see the other person alive?
I'm afraid that before the wedding ceremony even begins, a series of 'accidents' will follow.
"Mother, it seems I will have to walk the same path you did back then."
-
At the same time, Xu Jinhuan was also lying on the couch, staring at a note in his hand, frowning and silent.

Zhou Congjia, the ninth younger sister of Zhou Chongyin.

In the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, the Great Zhou suffered a major defeat at Longping Pass, surrendering a large amount of gold and silver, and marrying its younger sister, Zhou Congjia, to Zhao Jingyu, the fourth prince of Yan, as a sign of submission.

Prince Jingyu, under the guise of traveling, intended to personally visit the border between Yan and Zhou to catch a glimpse of her beauty beforehand.

He boasted that if anyone failed to meet his standards, he would kill them even if a million soldiers stood in his way.

The Yan emperor tacitly approved it.

The two met at the border and fell in love at first sight.

We returned to Kyoto together, enjoying sightseeing along the way.

While passing through Zhuozhou, Prince Jingyu met with friends at night.

He was poisoned and died a brutal death from being hacked to pieces.

Zhou Congjia searched for the Fourth Prince late at night but could not find him. She was then brutally raped in the street by bandits from Zhuozhou, which drove her insane.

The Zhou Kingdom considered the return of the princess a great disgrace. General Li Yanzhou stepped forward, married her, and took good care of her.

The following year, the couple had a daughter named Junruo.

After Li Yanzhou's death, his deputy general Zhou Lushan succeeded him as the supreme general. Unable to bear seeing the princess and the general's widow alone and helpless, he took care of them.

(Zhou Lushan was a habitual killer and a licentious man. He was suspected of abusing Zhou Congjia for many years. The General's Mansion remained silent on this matter, and the specific details are unknown.)
—Anecdotes of the Zhou Dynasty, Part 8: Wu Jiuchi, recorded in the first year of Jinghe.

After reading the last line, he lit a small flame in his palm and burned the secret letter that had just been transferred from Yuzhou overnight.

Xu Jinhuan lay on his back on the couch, muttering to himself.

"My brother-in-law is a dignified sword immortal, invincible below the eighth rank, and a ruthless character who can take on anyone above the eighth rank."

"A person cannot, or at least should not, live such a pathetic life."

"Yanzhou? I wonder where you, my 'friend,' are now?"

Xu Jinhuan shook his head and sighed.

Putting aside that friend, another name also makes me feel like I have a fishbone stuck in my throat.

Zhou Lushan.

It has nothing to do with Li Junruo or anyone else.

This disgusting bastard really made me sick.

The sky outside the window was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn. Xu Jinhuan shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those filthy thoughts and take a nap before daybreak.

Suddenly, a series of tremors came from within his sea of ​​consciousness.

Meanwhile, the sound of rustling footsteps could be heard around the inn.

Xu Jinhuan suddenly stood up, but his steps became unsteady, and a strong sense of dizziness instantly filled his mind.
This familiar feeling.
It's a tribulation of inner demons!

thump.
Xu Jinhuan fell heavily to the ground.

In the pitch-black room, two emerald green lights suddenly flashed.

"Meow!"

Sang Biao nimbly jumped off the couch, lay down next to Xu Jinhuan, and bristled.

(End of this chapter)