Young Song: The Hidden Sword God, Han Yi and Her Child Arrive at the Door.

Tianqi City, South Gate.

This massive city gate, which was usually only fully opened when the emperor went on tour or when the army returned in triumph, slowly opened to both sides with a heavy creaking sound.

There were no crowds lining the streets to welcome them, for they had long been frightened by the tense atmosphere and dared not go out. But on Zhengyang Avenue, which was wide enough to accommodate eight horses abreast, the highest-level ceremonial procession in the history of Beili was displayed.

Civil and military officials were arranged on both sides according to their rank.

From the highest-ranking prime minister and the six ministers to the heads of powerful families and nobles who usually wielded influence in the court, everyone stood with their heads bowed and eyes lowered in the drizzle, not daring to even open an umbrella.

Their clothes were soaked by the rain, clinging to their bodies, making them look somewhat disheveled. But at this moment, no one dared to utter a single complaint, much less move. Because just moments before, the vast majority of them had, through various channels, witnessed or heard of the terrifying miracle of "flattening a mountain and annihilating a sword immortal with a single palm strike" outside the Ten Mile Pavilion!

Luo Qingyang, the world's number one swordsman, was photographed before he could even unleash a single move!

Who can withstand this?!

"They're here! They're here!"

Someone whispered something, and everyone's nerves instantly tensed up.

"Dada, deda, deda..."

The crisp sound of horses' hooves echoed on the empty road.

Four exceptionally swift Jade Lions pulled the seemingly ordinary yet extremely luxurious carriage into Tianqi City.

Lei Wujie, pulling the cart, stood ramrod straight. His red robe, washed even brighter by the rain, resembled a burning flame against the gloomy sky. Chin held high, his eyes sweeping disdainfully over the high-ranking officials on either side, a feeling of immense satisfaction washing over him!

"See that? See that! This is the kind of status my brother-in-law has! You old guys who always look down on us Jianghu people, now you have to stand here obediently in the rain!" Lei Wujie roared in his heart. If Su Changqing hadn't warned him in advance not to be too smug, he would have even wanted to burst into song.

Beside the carriage, Wushuang, clutching his sword case, couldn't help but smile, though not as exaggeratedly as Lei Wujie. He, the young master of Wushuang City, used to have to be mindful of others' feelings when visiting Tianqi City. Now? Heh, who dares to defer to him!

On the other side.

Xiao Se wore a simple blue robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

He didn't look at the trembling officials, nor at the fully armed imperial guards. His gaze went straight past the crowd and landed on the high city tower.

There stood his father, Emperor Mingde.

And then there's his second brother, Xiao Chong, the White King, who has just regained his sight but remains unfathomable.

Father and son meet again, brothers reunite.

There were no tears as I had expected, nor was there the tense atmosphere I had imagined.

Yes, but only through the silent gaze across the long curtain of rain.

"Chuhe..."

On the city wall, Emperor Mingde looked at his son, who, although dressed in coarse cloth, possessed an imperial aura that was more restrained and powerful than it had been four years ago, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

There was guilt, relief, and also a hint of... apprehension.

He knew that this son, upon his return, was no longer the easily manipulated Prince Yong'an of yesteryear. Beside him stood a god! A true god capable of overthrowing the entire Northern Li kingdom at any moment!

"parking."

Su Changqing's languid voice came from inside the carriage.

Lei Wujie immediately pulled on the reins, and the carriage came to a steady stop in the center of the square behind the city gate.

The hearts of all the civil and military officials jumped into their throats, and they held their breath, waiting for the instructions of this "living Yama".

The carriage curtain was lifted.

Su Changqing did not get out of the car.

He was simply leaning back on the soft couch, holding Little Nuomi, who was curiously looking around. Li Hanyi sat beside him, using a soft towel to wipe away the moisture that had gotten on him from striking out with her palm.

This scene is warm, natural, and even exudes a strong sense of home.

But to those powerful and influential figures of the Apocalypse, it was more terrifying than seeing a demon. They knew that this very man, holding a child and attended by a stunningly beautiful woman, had just casually annihilated a super-powerful expert at the half-step Divine Realm!

"They've made quite a show of it."

Su Changqing raised an eyebrow, his gaze casually sweeping over the officials on both sides before finally settling on Emperor Mingde on the city wall.

"You old emperor, what are you up to? With such a grand display, are you trying to rob me, or are you hosting a welcome feast for me?"

"How dare you!"

An ignorant censor, used to criticizing others in court, instinctively jumped out when he saw Su Changqing daring to be so disrespectful to the emperor, "How dare you address His Majesty by his given name! You…"

"laugh--"

He hadn't finished speaking.

A barely perceptible wisp of sword energy flashed past the carriage.

"Thump!"

The head of the Imperial Censor, along with the black gauze hat that symbolized his status, fell to the ground and rolled several meters away.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the official robes of the surrounding officials red.

Sold out instantly!

The one who attacked was Musou!

He didn't even glance at the headless corpse, but coldly retracted the flying sword called "Cloud Shuttle" and wiped the bloodstains on his clothes.

"How dare you interrupt when the master is speaking? You have no manners." Wushuang's voice was crisp, but chillingly cold.

"Whoosh—"

The officials were so frightened that they all took three steps back. Some of the more timid ones even wet their pants and collapsed in the blood.

Too embarrassing!

At the gates of Tianqi City, in front of the emperor and his officials, a high-ranking official of the third rank was killed without a word!

This isn't just a slap in the face; it's a brutal trampling of royal dignity!

The chief eunuch, Jin Xuan, trembled with rage atop the city wall, but he dared not move. He knew that if he made a single move, the red-clad youth and the youth carrying the sword case below would undoubtedly rush up and tear him to shreds without hesitation. Not to mention, there were two true "immortals" sitting in the carriage.

"It's alright."

Emperor Mingde took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the anger and humiliation in his heart. He waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards not to act rashly.

He was a wise emperor. He knew that in the face of absolute power, dignity was the least valuable thing in the world. If he were to turn against him now, not only would this city gate be destroyed, but the entire palace would likely be razed to the ground.

"Mr. Su has come from afar and must be tired from his journey. I have specially ordered all officials to be here to welcome him."

Emperor Mingde's voice, amplified by his powerful inner strength, resounded throughout the hall. Though aged, he maintained a steady tone. "The rebellious Prince Chi has offended us greatly, and I have already ordered his title to be stripped and him demoted to commoner status (though he is now dead). I hope that you, sir, will consider Chuhe's sake and not let a rebellious son ruin the harmony between us."

These words can be described as extremely humble.

The emperor of a nation is actually yielding to a江湖人 (jianghu person)!

The officials listened with hearts breaking, yet not one dared to stand up and refute them. The still-bleeding corpse on the ground served as the best warning.

"Harmony? I'm the kind of person who believes that harmony brings wealth."

Su Changqing smiled.

He peeled a grape and stuffed it into Xiao Nuomi's mouth, then said slowly, "Since you, Emperor, are so sincere, then I'll get straight to the point."

"I have three main reasons for coming to Tianqi this time."

Su Changqing held up three fingers.

"First, I brought my daughter to eat Quanjude roast duck. I heard that their roast duck is the best in Tianqi, I have to try it."

The officials: "..."

This is the first thing?! You brought such a terrifying force into Apocalypse City just to eat Peking duck?!

"second."

Su Changqing pointed to Xiao Se standing next to the car.

"Xiao Chuhe has been working at my Changqing Tower for a while now. He not only paid back the money he owed me for meals, but also helped me earn a lot of money. I think he has potential, so I took the opportunity to cure his hidden meridians."

These words caused another uproar among the officials.

Although there had been rumors before, hearing Su Changqing confirm it in person was still incredibly shocking.

The hidden meridians are cured? Doesn't that mean that the brilliant and talented Prince Yong'an from back then has really returned?!

Although Xiao Chong, the White King, could not see from the city tower, he couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.

He knew that his biggest rival had finally stood at the starting line again. And this time, behind his rival stood a mountain he could never overcome!

"This kid suffered some injustice before, his martial arts were crippled and he was driven out of the capital. As his boss, I can't just stand by and watch my employee get bullied, can I?"

Su Changqing's tone suddenly turned cold, and an invisible killing intent instantly enveloped the entire scene.

"Therefore, I don't care who did what happened back then, or what conspiracy was behind it. Today, you must give Xiao Chuhe an explanation!"

"Whoever did this, step forward. Otherwise, I'll find them myself. If I accidentally kill too many people or demolish a few palaces, don't blame me."

silence.

A deathly silence.

No one dared to speak, and they even tried to keep their breathing as low as possible.

The true culprit who destroyed Xiao Chuhe's hidden meridians back then has always been a mystery. Although many people speculate that it was done by the Crimson King or the White King's people, no one has any evidence.

Now that Su Changqing is trying to dredge up old grievances, who would dare to provoke him at this time?

At this stalemate...

"Amitabha."

A Buddhist chant came from behind the officials.

The crowd automatically parted to form a passage.

An old monk, dressed in a kasaya and with a kind face, walked slowly forward with his hands clasped together.

Great Enlightenment Zen Master!

He was the most revered monk in Tianqi City and one of the most trusted people of Emperor Mingde.

"Mr. Su."

Zen Master Dajue walked to the carriage and bowed slightly. "I know a little about what happened back then. The one who destroyed the hidden lineage of Prince Yong'an was not someone from the court, but... the former Grand Eunuch, Eunuch Zhuoqing."

"Turbid and clear?" Su Changqing raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

At this moment, the Grand Eunuch Jin Xuan also spoke up. Although he was wary of Su Changqing, he had no choice but to step forward and explain in order to shift the blame.

"Back then, due to some old grudges, Eunuch Zhuoqing attacked Prince Yong'an without authorization. Afterwards, he committed suicide out of fear of punishment. This matter has nothing to do with His Majesty or the officials in the court."

"Suicide out of fear of punishment?"

Xiao Se sneered; he knew perfectly well the trickery involved. Eunuch Zhuo Qing was a key figure in the Langya Prince case, and the reason he attacked him was because Xiao Se had pleaded for the Langya Prince years ago. Furthermore, Zhuo Qing's death was definitely not as simple as suicide out of fear of punishment.

However, it is pointless to hold a dead person responsible now.

Su Changqing glanced at Xiao Se, and seeing him shake his head slightly, he understood what he meant.

"Since the person is already dead, let's just leave this debt for now."

Su Changqing said calmly, "However, we can't just let the hardships and suffering Xiao Chuhe has endured these past few years go by like this, can we? Emperor, as his father, shouldn't you offer some compensation?"

"What kind of compensation does Mr. Su want?" Emperor Mingde took a deep breath and asked.

"It's very simple."

Su Changqing extended his third finger.

"The third thing... my Changqing Tower business is growing bigger and bigger, and Xueyue City, that small place, can no longer contain me. I think your Tianqi City has good feng shui, so I plan to open a branch here."

"However, land prices in Tianqi City are too high. My small business has low profit margins, so I can't afford to buy land. Therefore..."

Su Changqing pointed to the palace gate.

"I see your palace is quite spacious, and it's just sitting empty anyway. How about... I borrow your Taiji Hall for a while? I'm planning to open a high-end restaurant there, catering exclusively to dignitaries. What do you think?"

"What?!?!"

This incident nearly caused not only the officials to jump off the city wall, but even Emperor Mingde himself.

Lend you the Taiji Hall to open a restaurant?!

That was the symbol of the Northern Li imperial power! It was where the emperor held court and governed!

If you open a restaurant in the Taiji Hall, where will the emperor hold court? In the Imperial Garden?!

This isn't just bullying; this is blatant usurpation!

"Mr. Su! You are mistaken!"

An old minister, trembling with rage, pointed at Su Changqing and cursed, "The Taiji Hall is a sacred place of the nation! How can you defile it like this! Are you plotting a rebellion?!"

"rebellion?"

Su Changqing looked at the old minister as if he were a fool.

"Are you senile? If I wanted to rebel, that slap I just gave you wouldn't have landed on that mountain, but on your entire palace."

"I just wanted to borrow a place to do business, and incidentally, to let you officials enjoy some good food. This is a good thing that benefits the common people, so how did you turn it into treason?"

As Su Changqing spoke, his eyes turned cold.

"Besides, as I just said, I'm here for compensation. Xiao Chuhe's compensation, plus the reward I received for driving away the Southern Jue Navy and destroying the Corpse King's mechs, is it too much to ask to borrow a dilapidated palace from you?"

"Not at all! Not at all!"

Before the old minister could refute, Emperor Mingde on the city wall suddenly shouted loudly.

He gripped the railing tightly, his face ashen, but his eyes were unusually resolute.

"Since Mr. Su has taken a liking to the Taiji Hall, it is an honor for Tianqi City! I hereby issue an edict to vacate the Taiji Hall and grant Mr. Su permission to open a branch of Changqinglou!"

"Your Majesty! You mustn't!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

The officials knelt down in large numbers, wailing and lamenting, as if the Northern Li Kingdom was about to perish.

But Emperor Mingde ignored them.

He is very clear.

Face is worthless compared to life.

If he doesn't agree today, Su Changqing is absolutely capable of killing them all on the spot and then taking over the Taiji Palace for himself.

Rather than passively taking a beating, it's better to take the initiative to show goodwill.

This is the forbearance of an emperor.

"Good! You old emperor, you're much smarter than these stubborn old men."

Su Changqing clapped his hands in satisfaction.

"Since that's the case, then it's settled. Xiao Se, you lead the way, let's check out the room. Wu Shuang, Lei Wu Jie, take our ingredients, tonight we'll cook in the Taiji Hall!"

"Okay!"

Lei Wujie and Wushuang shouted excitedly.

Cooking in the Taiji Hall?

Just thinking about it is exciting!

The carriage started moving again.

Amidst the humiliated, angry, yet helpless gazes of the court officials.

The luxurious carriage swaggered into the palace of Beili amidst the clatter of hooves.

From now on.

The highest center of power in Tianqi City is no longer the lofty dragon throne.

Instead, it was a dining table covered with pots, pans, and dishes...