I became a prince in a martial arts world.

Chapter 89 The Empty City Stratagem?

Shi Mo!

The number one master of the Black Qiang, who integrated the martial arts of the border regions, the Central Plains and the snowy region, created the "White Bone Burial Heaven Technique" and stepped into the Innate Grandmaster realm!

Although he may not be the most powerful among the grandmasters, unable to defeat Zhao Zheng, and only daring to launch sneak attacks against the old and frail Yan Xiangxue, even the weakest grandmaster is still a grandmaster. He has created his own path and is a great master whose martial arts realm has been perfected!

Shi Moben was stationed in the Black Qiang tribe, so he shouldn't be here.

But what could he do when Wang Yu had killed so many people?

He had learned of the deaths of Naratuo and Yang Chengwu not long ago. One of them had gone to the front line of Jinfeng Pass to kill people, and the other had been an undercover agent in the heart of the Central Plains. Although it was indeed a pity that they died, Shi Mo was not surprised.

After all, neither of them was particularly skilled in martial arts, and they were going to a dangerous place. It wouldn't be surprising if they were surrounded by the Zhenxi Army at the front line, or if they were discovered and killed while doing bad things undercover in the Central Plains.

However, Shi Mo could not accept the deaths of Yao Changgeng and Mu Yachi.

Yao Changgeng was his eldest disciple, who had followed him the longest and into whom he had invested the most emotion. Although Mu Yachi had a volatile temper, he was the most caring and filial to him.

These two men, leading a thousand cavalry, went to the Western Regions to invite the Zhenxi King, who had only three hundred cavalry and was at most accompanied by Ma Bojun. Yet, most of them were killed or wounded, and in the end, less than a hundred cavalrymen crossed the desert and returned to Heiqiang.

Shi Mo could hardly believe his ears!

Despite his anger, Shi Mo rationally refused his two remaining disciples' request to go to Longshan Prefecture to avenge their senior brother, because it was not yet time for the Black Qiang and Zhenxi Prince's Mansion to go to war, and they could not possibly invite Wang Yu from Longshan Prefecture to the northern desert.

But soon, Yuan Nahe sent a message by fast horse. He had followed Yan Xiangxue and Alde to Tianshan to propose marriage and celebrate their birthdays, and there he encountered the King of Zhenxi, who was also on his way to Tianshan!

Yuan Nahe's original intention was to send a message and ask for help, but Shi Mo saw an opportunity.

Wang Yu did not stay in the heavily guarded Longshan Prefecture, but instead went alone with his two princesses to the Tianshan Sect to celebrate their birthday.

Shi Mo was amazed by Wang Yu's confidence, but he was not prepared to let go of this opportunity, a chance to invite Wang Yu to Hei Qiang as a guest and obtain a lot of benefits from the three prefectures in the Northwest.

So he came and lurked on the only way back to the Central Plains from the Tianshan Sect. He finally met Wang Yu and his group, and was very fortunate to find that Yan Xiangxue and Alde were also with them.

This is truly a double celebration!

Shi Mo looked at everyone with a smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with coldness, ready to make a move at any moment.

Yan Xiangxue rode on the camel, her gaze fixed on Shi Mo, and whispered, "Take Alde and hurry back to Tianshan!"

In Yan Xiangxue's view, Qianqian was the only Xiantian among the team at this time. Even if she came from a prestigious family and was exceptionally talented, she was too young and would never be a match for Shi Mo.

However, after taking Sun Wenzhu's medicine, she had temporarily suppressed her injuries.

If she were to circulate her internal energy, although she would no longer be able to suppress her injuries and would surely die within three days, she would be able to exert her strength for a short period of time, enough to stop Shi Mo and buy time for everyone to escape back to Tianshan.

As for the certain death within three days—she didn't even think she could survive today!

In Yan Xiangxue's view, this was the only way.

Shi Mo chuckled coldly. Although Yan Xiangxue's voice was low, it wasn't transmitted telepathically, so how could he not hear it? "Qubi Amu is waiting at the town gate behind you. You can't escape."

Qubi Amu, Shi Mo's second disciple, is also a Xiantian (innate) master. He is exceptionally talented and his martial arts skills surpass those of his eldest disciple, Yao Changgeng. He is the disciple that Shi Mo intends to cultivate to inherit his mantle.

Yan Xiangxue's eyes flashed; though startled, her expression remained unchanged. After all, Shi Mo was unaware that Qianqian was also in his team.

Then she saw Shi Mo turn to Wang Yu, and say in a sinister tone, "The Prince of Zhenxi?"

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Shi Mo?"

Seeing Wang Yu's relaxed expression, Shi Mo was slightly surprised, but still nodded, "Not bad, as expected of Zhao Zheng's son, you have some of your father's carefree spirit."

Wang Yu laughed and said, "But you are quite different from what I imagined. Didn't you say you were in your prime? How come you look like a little old man?"

Shi Mo was older than Zhao Zheng, nearly sixty years old at the time, which was far from being in his prime.

Shi Mo didn't answer. Of course, he wouldn't follow Wang Yu's lead. He just twitched his lips into a forced smile and said, "You killed four of my disciples. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

Wang Yu raised his head and eyebrows, laughing wildly, "Do you dare kill me?"

As soon as he uttered those words, both the White Qiang warriors behind him and the Black Qiang warriors in front of him were intimidated by his imposing aura, and their expressions changed.

Shi Mo certainly wouldn't dare kill Wang Yu, because no one knew what would happen after Wang Yu was killed. No one could bear the consequences of the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion going out of control. Shi Mo couldn't do it, and neither could the entire Black Qiang.

If the Zhenxi King's Mansion falls into chaos, separatizes the Northwest, or starts a civil war, the Black Qiang tribe would certainly be happy to see it happen, but only if the murderer of the Zhenxi King is not a Black Qiang.

If Shi Mo killed Wang Yu, causing the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion to go mad and seek revenge, launching a full-scale attack on the Black Qiang, then even if the Black Qiang ultimately wins, they will likely suffer heavy losses.

The Black Qiang tribe was self-aware; they only wanted to raid the Central Plains or seize a border region, and never thought of permanently occupying the Central Plains. This was an ambition that only the Xiongnu, the orthodox rulers of the grasslands, and the Xianbei of the Northeast were qualified to have.

How much wine did that Black Qiang King, who couldn't even unify the Black and White Qiang, drink?

Wang Yu, sword in hand, reined in his horse and laughed wildly, instantly stunning the entire audience.

Yan Xiangxue's eyes showed admiration, Alde's eyes were full of stars, Li Yunxiu's heart pounded a few times, and even Qianqian's gaze towards Wang Yu had a hint of brilliance.

But Shi Mo was not intimidated by him.

"I really don't dare to kill you," Shi Mo said truthfully.

As a grandmaster, regardless of whether one's character is good or bad, or whether one's temperament is gentle or cunning, one will ultimately possess the demeanor of a grandmaster and adhere to one's own principles. One will not act like a lowly江湖人 (jianghu person) who throws tantrums, acts shamelessly, or spouts lies.

So Shi Mo said, "But I dare to invite you to stay on the grassland for a while. The grassland is beautiful and boundless. Your Highness going to the grassland as a guest is just right for the friendship between the Central Plains and the Western Qiang."

Wang Yu clicked his tongue. "It's winter now, where would you find beautiful scenery?"

Shi Mo smiled slightly, ignoring Wang Yu's words, and said to himself, "It's also a good opportunity to attend the wedding of my little apprentice Yuan Nahe and Alde, and witness the marriage alliance between the Black and White Qiang."

Alde glanced at Wang Yu instinctively and said urgently, "I would never marry Yuan Nahe!"

Shi Mo remained silent, only smiling as he looked at Wang Yu.

Although Wang Yu looked very imposing, his strength was ultimately his weakness. Shi Mo was confident of victory and had no worries about not being able to defeat Wang Yu.

As for Wang Yuning's unyielding spirit until death—

To be honest, Shi Mo had never really considered this possibility, after all, based on his behavior in the capital, he really didn't seem like that kind of person.

"Your Highness, why don't you dismount? When will you?" Shi Mo looked at Wang Yu with a smile. "Do I really need to ask Your Highness to dismount?"

Wang Yu said calmly, "If you can make me dismount, what's wrong with me going to Heiqiang with you?"

A glint flashed in Shi Mo's eyes as he stared intently at Wang Yu, a hint of doubt creeping into his heart.

Logically, Wang Yu's best option would have been to dismount obediently, refrain from making a move, and follow him back to Hei Qiang. Given his status as the King of Zhenxi, he wouldn't have lost face for him.

The worst option is violent resistance. Although the final outcome will remain the same, not only will you lose your dignity, but you will also suffer a lot.

In Shi Mo's view, Wang Yu was able to secure his position as the Prince of Zhenxi after returning to Longshan Prefecture, and he also managed to kill Yao Changgeng and Mu Yachi by some unknown means. He couldn't be an unwise person.

Or rather—

Shi Mo shifted his gaze to Li Yun. He was actually a boastful good-for-nothing, and everything before was thanks to the female champion.

Then he noticed that Li Yunxiu also looked calm, but beneath that calm exterior, there was a hint of tension in her eyes.

Shi Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at Qianqian, only to find that Qianqian was even more wretched. Her hands, which were holding the reins, trembled uncontrollably, unable to conceal the fear in her heart.

He looked at Yan Xiangxue and Alde again and saw that Alde was anxious and angry, while Yan Xiangxue seemed calm, but her eyes revealed her anxiety.

Shi Mo turned his gaze back to Wang Yu and finally discovered the flaw: Wang Yu's knuckles were white as he gripped the reins, clearly indicating that he was squeezing them very hard.

Shi Mo smiled.

Are you going to play the Empty City Stratagem with me?

These three young actors are quite good. If I were twenty years younger, I might actually have been fooled by them!

Shi Mo's hands finally emerged from his sleeves. His hands were withered and thin; if it weren't for the layer of skin covering them, one could easily mistake them for a pair of skeletons.

"Since the Prince of Zhenxi has extended such a sincere invitation, then this old man will not stand on ceremony!"

Shi Mo chuckled, and in a flash, he was in front of Wang Yu's horse, reaching out to grab Wang Yu's hand and pull him off the horse.

Shi Mo stared into Wang Yu's eyes, as if he could already see his panicked expression.

But he only saw a hint of schadenfreude in Wang Yu's eyes.

The next moment, right behind Wang Yu, a white Qiang warrior with a hooded head and a mask suddenly sprang up, a dazzling light burst forth, and then a sliver of ice crystal reached Shi Mo's brow in an instant.

Shi Mo felt a chill run through his body, as if he were about to be frozen into an ice sculpture. The sword light carried a deathly stillness that seemed to freeze everything, as if it were about to take him into a frozen hell.

At the critical moment, Shi Mo let out a strange cry and flew backward at an even faster speed than when he came.

Even so, a wisp of blood was scattered in the air, and it froze into ice crystals before hitting the ground.

"Ling Feiyun!"

Shi Mo let out a long howl, his figure moving without stopping, sweeping over the heads of the Black Qiang warriors in the town, and flying out from the other end of the town without looking back, heading straight for the northeast.

"A sneak attack disguised as a grandmaster, you dare to call yourself the head of the Tianshan Sect!"

Shi Moren had vanished, but his voice still drifted from the east, the anger and resentment within it clearly audible.

Everyone turned around abruptly, only to see the White Qiang warrior remove his mask and headband, revealing himself to be Ling Feiyun, the acting leader of the Tianshan Sect and a grandmaster!

A smile appeared on Ling Feiyun's serious face. "Prince Zhao's prediction was spot on; Shi Mo did indeed appear to block our way."

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