I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

"Your Highness, I can see it now. One of them is playing the bad cop, and the other is playing the good cop!"

Night Owl, panting heavily, said, holding his knife.

His armor was covered in blood, some of which had congealed into a thick layer of scabs. He had probably gone through several swords before, and the one he was holding was already dull and worn down.

Last night, apart from the eldest brother, Judge Wu, who was not skilled in martial arts, he was directing the transport of equipment below the city.

He and Shadow Snake followed the prince to the city to defend it, and only managed to drive back the enemy army after fighting to the death.

Wang Long remained silent; how could he not see through the Empress and Qin Feng's little trick?

He realized that he just wanted to play along with the other person.

He wanted to see what the two of them were up to.

"Very well, since His Highness the Seventh Prince has extended such a generous invitation, I cannot refuse."

"I'm here to have some fun with the Seventh Prince, but let me make this clear: on the battlefield, swords have no eyes. If anything happens to the Seventh Prince, don't blame me."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng outside the city was stunned. Wang Long really wanted to come out and challenge him to a one-on-one duel.

Seeing the expression on Qin Feng's face, the Empress found it amusing and said, "What, is Your Highness the Seventh Prince afraid?"

Qin Feng spoke his mind, after all, he only had one life. He said, "It's not that I'm afraid, but Wang Long has been famous for many years, and I am no match for him. However, I have a plan."

After saying that, Qin Feng shouted, "Brother, do you dare to come out and fight Wang Long!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a lone rider emerged from under the Empress's command; it was none other than Su Chen.

He had already sworn brotherhood with Qin Feng.

Su Chen wasn't of much use at Xuanque Pass.

However, last night, he really got to perform well.

If the Empress hadn't intervened in time and ordered a retreat, he would have led his men to breach the city gates of the capital last night.

Holding a black halberd, Su Chen rode forward on horseback.

Qin Feng kindly reminded him, "Be careful, the other party is the King of Liangzhou."

Su Chen confidently patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I, Su Chen, am no pushover either."

With a creak, the gates of the capital city opened.

King Wang Long of Liangzhou, with a small number of men, rushed out wielding a strangely shaped bronze hammer.

When Wang Long saw that his opponent was not Qin Feng, but an unknown nobody, he narrowed his eyes.

"Seventh Prince, what is the reason for this?"

Before Qin Feng could speak, Su Chen said:

"I am my elder brother's sworn brother, and I will fight in his place. You can defeat me first before challenging my elder brother."

"I've never heard of Qin Feng having any sworn brothers..." Wang Long muttered to himself.

However, he dared not let his guard down, after all, Su Chen looked like a troublesome kid.

The fierce soldier who was almost invincible on the city wall last night, wielding a halberd, seems to be Su Chen.

"Alright, I'm too lazy to waste words with you. Take this!"

After saying that, Su Chen rode forward on his horse.

He swung his halberd in a wide arc, aiming it at Wang Long's head, which was not far away.

Wang Long was the King of Liangzhou, a prince on horseback, and naturally he was not willing to be outdone, so he spurred his horse and charged at him.

He swung the copper hammer in his hand in a wide arc, and they clashed together.

To deal with a mere soldier, there's no need to use any impressive hammer techniques.

He wanted to see what this lowly soldier was capable of.

"Bang!"

The halberd and the bronze hammer collided.

The warhorses beneath the two men collapsed simultaneously, both killed by the shockwave.

"what?"

A gasp of surprise rang out from the city wall.

Su Chen was able to withstand a blow from their prince without being at a disadvantage.

With this level of experience, you can do whatever you want.

Qin Feng, on the other hand, smiled and said to the Empress:

"What did I say? I already had a plan. Su Chen is exceptionally talented. In a one-on-one fight, almost no one can defeat him. Moreover, he is about to advance to the Grandmaster level."

The Empress poured cold water on Qin Feng's head: "Don't be too smug. Wang Long is already at the peak of the ninth rank."

Qin Feng fell silent, not out of worry, but because he trusted Su Chen. Even if Su Chen couldn't defeat Wang Long, he could still escape unscathed.

In other words, today's battle is the time for Su Chen to make a name for himself.

He was able to fight Wang Long, the King of Liangzhou, to a standstill, and everyone he met spoke highly of him.

In the very first exchange of blows, both of their warhorses were killed instantly, leaving both men somewhat shocked.

However, what followed was a burning fighting spirit.

For so many years, I haven't encountered such an opponent.

Su Chen was the same; he wanted to climb up by stepping on Wang Long's shoulders.

Su Chen swung his halberd again, aiming for Wang Long's head.

Wang Long dared not be careless. He gripped the iron hammer horizontally and used the handle to block Su Chen's attack.

The powerful halberd strike caused the ground beneath Wang Long's feet to sink, with half of his foot embedded in the soil, demonstrating just how strong Su Chen was.

"Good lad, I'll give you a chance. Come and serve under me, and I promise you won't be treated unfairly!"

Wang Long felt a sense of appreciation for talent.

Admittedly, the three Wu siblings were extremely loyal to him, but their abilities were still somewhat lacking. Even combined, the three siblings were no match for Su Chen alone.

If Su Chen could join his ranks, he would have no worries about achieving great things.

Su Chen grinned and said, "Alright, I'll give you a chance. Quickly kneel down and surrender, and I'll spare your life."

Wang Long asked, "Is there no room for discussion?"

"There's something to discuss, but it's if you kneel down."

Without further ado, Wang Long swung his copper hammer and smashed it down on Su Chen's head.

Since Su Chen refuses to surrender, there is only one option left: death.

Otherwise, it will surely become a major problem in the future.

Su Chen dodged to the side, and the copper hammer grazed his face before slamming down, creating a shallow crater in the ground.

If you don't dodge, your bones will be crushed.

With his right foot extended, Su Chen stepped on the hammer head and unleashed another sweeping attack. Wang Long quickly bent over to dodge, losing several strands of hair in the process.

With a powerful slam, Wang Long sent Su Chen flying and retrieved his bronze hammer.

The two created some distance between themselves and charged at each other again.

With a loud bang, dirt flew everywhere, and the battle was fierce.

They fought from dawn till dusk, and from dusk till dawn.

For a full day and night, neither of them could determine a winner.

Finally, both of them collapsed from exhaustion, and the duel finally came to an end.

Both of them were carried back by their respective people, their fate unknown.

……

late at night!

Several elderly military doctors gathered outside the tent, shaking their heads and frowning. They had all examined Su Chen's injuries and could only say four words: "Leave it to fate."

Inside the tent, Su Chen lay flat on the bed, breathing heavily.

Looking at him, the Empress said to Qin Feng:

"Now that's settled, your sworn brother is dying. If you have any last words, say them now."

Qin Feng's expression was solemn as he said, "I believe in him. Isn't this an opportunity for him to be promoted?"

"If you're going to worry, you should worry about Wang Long."

At this very moment, Wang Long was in the imperial palace.

Several white-bearded imperial physicians surrounded him, all of them at a loss.

Judge Wu and his two siblings were practically tearing them apart alive.

"What did you say? Say it again if you dare! What happened to the Prince? Both his legs are broken, and he will never be able to stand up again?"

The imperial physicians huddled together, filled with fear.

They weren't lying; it was already a miracle that Wang Long was still alive after being carried back.

According to their diagnosis, Wang Long would be a cripple from now on.

He can't even stand up and will have to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Unlike Su Chen, who was still asleep, Wang Long had already woken up.

He lay on the bed and waved away several imperial physicians.

The imperial physician, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, scrambled away.

If we stay here, we might get torn apart alive by Judge Wu and his two companions.

"Your Highness, your leg..."

The night owl knelt by the bed, its eyes bloodshot.

The one most loyal to Wang Long was neither Judge Wu nor Shadow Serpent.

Instead, it was the Night Owl who caused the most trouble, and the person he admired most in his life was Wang Long.

"Your Highness, I'll avenge you!"

After saying that, Night Owl was about to rush out of the palace to seek revenge on Su Chen outside the city.

If anyone dares to cripple the prince's legs, he will take Su Chen's life.

"stop!"

Wang Long roared, "Go avenge me? I think you're just going to your death."

The night owl returned in tears and knelt by the bedside once more.

Judge Wu and Shadow Snake exchanged a glance as they looked at the two.

Now, Wang Long is a cripple and can no longer fight.

What should we do if the enemy comes to challenge us again?

A mere Su Chen crippled Wang Long.

There are countless experts like Su Chen among the enemy forces; the capital cannot be defended.

Looking into each other's eyes, they both understood what the other meant.

Ying She stepped forward first, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, we have just received a report from an informant that the civil and military officials are gathering at Xiao Yuanlu's residence with ulterior motives. Please give us a decision!"

"The situation at the front is unfavorable, and they dare to stab us in the back again. They deserve to die!" Night Owl said viciously.

Judge Wu stepped forward again and said, "Your Highness, there was a mistake in the calculation of the city's grain reserves some time ago. It was not two years, but one year."

Night Owl clenched his fist in hatred and slammed it hard on the ground.

Why do they always seem to encounter bad things? Can't they have any good news at all?

"Night Owl, step back. You two, come forward."

Wang Long, who was lying on the bed, suddenly waved to the Night Owl and then waved to the two of them.

The night owl did as instructed, stepping back to make room for Judge Wu and Shadow Serpent to come forward.

The two exchanged a glance, bowed, and stepped forward.

Just as the two reached the bedside, Wang Long suddenly reached out and grabbed Judge Wu by the collar, pulling him roughly to the bedside.

Judge Wu dared not resist, but Shadow Snake's hand instinctively reached for the knife at his waist, only to immediately change it into a fist-and-palm gesture.

Staring fiercely at Judge Wu, Wang Long said:

"Even if I were a cripple, I could still deal with you, understand?"

Judge Wu nodded vigorously: "Understood, understood! Your Highness has truly misunderstood me. Shadow Snake and I are utterly loyal to Your Highness! We have absolutely no disloyal intentions."

Night Owl didn't know why Wang Long was acting this way, and immediately tried to speak up for Judge Wu and Shadow Snake.

The three of them swore an oath to be sworn brothers and sisters, vowing to be loyal to the prince and never betray him, promising that anyone who broke this oath would be struck by lightning.

Before the night owl could speak up for the two, Wang Long said:

"What, didn't you see Shadow Serpent's hand touching the knife?"

Upon hearing this, Shadow Serpent lowered his head even further: "Your Highness misunderstands, this subordinate did not!"

Night Owl shook his head; he really hadn't seen it.