Chapter 37: The Mantis Catches the Cicada

  Those who know No. 12 are aware that he is a very kind and generous person, so... I'm in tears.

  By the way, touch the angry banana...

  I don't dare ask for votes but still thank friends for their support

  At the third watch, the night was already deep. In the darkness, a stout figure was displaying light footwork, rapidly running in the city of Chengdu. However, after a short while, suddenly a high wall appeared in front. Behind the wall, there were layers upon layers of buildings, with golden and jade-like glazed tiles covering the rooftops. The construction was grand, occupying a vast area, it was indeed the palace of the King of Shu.

  It's already late at night, but Yang Zhao just summoned heavenly thunder, triggering a series of strange movements. The Shu King's palace is not far from the Chengdu government office on the map. Therefore, at this moment, the Shu King's palace is brightly lit everywhere, and fully armed soldiers are patrolling around.

  Tang Zhong's emotions were stirred as she slightly furrowed her eyebrows. As the concubine of the King of Shu, she held a noble position, but she couldn't let outsiders discover that she had secretly gone out and brought a man back with her. She stuck close to the high wall and hastily walked towards the west. After walking for about half an incense stick's time, the fragrance of grass, wood, and flowers wafting from within the walls on the wind gradually grew stronger, while the sounds of people grew quieter, indicating that she had already returned to the outside of her own residence in the western courtyard of the palace.

  Tang Zhongqing held a special position in the Wang Mansion and was favored by King Yang Xiu of Shu, so the western courtyard of the mansion had never been guarded by soldiers or officials. The responsibility for guarding the place fell entirely on the elite brought from Tang's door. In front of these "insiders among insiders", Tang Zhongqing also relaxed his secrecy to a considerable extent.

  She slowed down her pace, took a light breath. Immediately, she lifted her spirits and carried Yang Zhao, who was pretending to be injured and dizzy, lightly over the wall. As soon as they stepped on the mud of the courtyard, several maidservants suddenly flashed out from beside the flowerbeds and fake mountains, without saying a word, and knelt down in front of Tang Zhongqing. Although they were all only about 28 years old, judging by their movements, it was clear that their martial arts skills were already quite impressive.

  Looking at the maidservants kneeling before her, Tang Zhong's emotions were in turmoil, and she was about to speak when the hand on her wrist suddenly transmitted a surge of true energy, causing her entire body to feel numb and sore. Her heart racing, she quickly composed herself and asked in a low voice: "Will the king come over tonight?"

  The leading maid replied in a soft voice: "The king has guests tonight, so he hasn't come. At dusk, someone sent apricot flower lotus seed soup, and Yiyi sister saw them off. Chancellor...” Before she finished speaking, a figure suddenly emerged from the small building, it was Tang Yu Xue. He glanced at Yang Zhao, his face immediately filled with joy, saying: "Did you succeed?"

  "It's done. But Tang Mengshu and Tang Shao are also dead." Tang Zhongqing paused, smiling bitterly: "Little... Prince Wang is even more ruthless than I imagined before."

  "It doesn't matter as long as it's done. We have plenty of people like Tang Mengshu in the Tang family." Tang Ju didn't think much of it and went forward to take Yang Zhaoming's pulse, suddenly exclaiming: "How did it become like this?"

  Tang Zhong sighed, "Young Master Wang... has a strong and unyielding personality. Tang Mengxu tried to capture him alive by driving away the snake, but he actually took in the heavenly thunder. Rather than being whole as a tile, they would rather be shattered like jade. The Yang family's descendants are indeed true dragon bloodlines, not ordinary people."

  Tang Jie sneered coldly, "Even if he's tempered a hundred times, once he falls into the hands of the Tang family, he'll still end up as putty. Want to die? That depends on whether I agree or not." He took over Yang Zhao's body and carried him in his arms, quickly walking towards the small building. From start to finish, he didn't even glance at his niece a few more times, nor did he notice her dispirited and distracted appearance.

  Tang Zhong then instructed the maidservants a few words, arranging for people to go to the Chengdu Prefecture Government Office to clean up and eliminate any traces, only then did he follow Tang Ju to leave.

  Tang Jixue carefully carried Yang Zhao into the quiet room on the second floor of the small building, gently placing the weak and frail young master on the bed. He then sat cross-legged, his left hand pressing against Yang Zhao's heart, his right hand pressing against his dantian, focusing his energy. Immediately, thousands of strands of pale green energy emanated from his body, continuously flowing into Yang Zhao's meridians. Tang Zhongyin, who arrived later, was also taken aback by the scene. She never expected that to save Yang Zhao, Tang Jixue would expend so much of his own energy, using his "Heavenly Silkworm Technique".

  The Tian Can Gong originated from the legendary doctor Hua Tuo, and is a unique medical martial art. It is divided into seven major cycles. Practitioners must first collect and decoct thousands of herbs to create a medicinal liquid essence, then soak in it, following the heart method and mouth formula, to practice breathing exercises. After completing the fifth cycle, all acquired impurities are eliminated from the body, and the tendons, bones, and blood vessels absorb the medicinal properties of the herbs, naturally transforming into a supreme medicine that can cure all diseases and detoxify. After completing the sixth cycle, one can spit out silk-like threads to directly enter the human body, circulating through the meridians, and directly rejuvenating diseased or dead internal organs, with incredible efficacy. When reaching the pinnacle of the seventh cycle, one can even spit out silk-like threads to bind oneself, stop breathing, merge with heaven and earth, break through the mysteries of life and death, and return to youth, achieving a half-immortal body.

  The Tiancan Gong was not originally a martial art of the Tangmen, but over 200 years ago, the successor of the Tianjing, Nangong Wentian, broke into the lair of the ruthless King Yan in the Tian Di Alliance and obtained the divine artifact Shen Nong's ruler from the Medicine King Stele. After that, the Tiancan Gong became a vacant nest, and the Tangmen sent people to explore it, collecting the fragments of the Medicine King Stele and reassembling them to obtain the secret manual for cultivating the Tiancan Gong. From then on, it was passed down through generations and became one of the secret arts of the Tangmen.

  The Tang Sect has always been notorious for its use of poison, so those who are willing to spend their heart and soul on cultivating this lifesaving skill can be counted on one hand in over a hundred years. In this generation, with over 10,000 people in the sect, only Tang Ye has cultivated the Heaven Swallowing Skill.

  Yang Zhao was just pretending to be dead. He had the idea of "not entering the tiger's lair, how can you get the tiger's son" and intentionally used his infinite electricity and ruthless thunder heart method to hit himself with two punches and a palm, pretending to be seriously injured, but in fact only lightly wounded. In case things changed, even if he wanted to escape at any time, it would be easy as turning over his hand.

  Tang Jixue had cultivated the Heaven Silkworm Skill, but usually only practiced according to the method and had never used it to save anyone. Moreover, Tang Zhongqing unexpectedly teamed up with Yang Zhao to deceive him, which was truly unbelievable and beyond his expectations. He couldn't have imagined that there would be such a trick. As a result, he didn't dare hold back and went all out. That precious Heaven Silkworm energy thread entered his body, but instead greatly benefited Yang Zhao.

  After about half a time, the green silk emitted from Tang Ju Xue's body became more and more, faintly forming a semi-transparent cocoon that wrapped Yang Zhao's entire body into a "human pupa". As for Yang Zhao inside, his face also changed from the twisted pain he had deliberately pretended to be, gradually becoming relaxed and calm, with his breathing and pulse becoming relatively stable.

  In Tang Zhilong's eyes, Yang Zhao had already escaped the most dangerous situation. His original intention was only to temporarily keep Yang Zhao from dying. Since his goal had been achieved, there was no need to waste any more energy. He slowly exhaled and withdrew his hand. Tang Zhong asked anxiously: "How... how is it?"

  "Can't you see that I've made an exception for him? Is there still anything that can't be done?" Tang Jixue's face was paler than usual. The heavenly silkworm energy and his own heart pulse were connected, and releasing so much of it at once had left him feeling extremely exhausted. Nevertheless, he said with a hint of arrogance: "The little demon's life is saved, after all. Although his martial arts may not recover, it won't hinder him too much either. For the next two days, just rest well, and when it's time to depart, I'll arrange for someone to secretly escort him onto the ship. By then..."

  Just as they were talking, a series of knocks at the door sounded from outside the quiet room. Tang Yuelun immediately stopped speaking and shouted out: "What is it?"

  "Miss, it's the Third Elder!" The maid's voice outside the door sounded extremely tense, saying: "It's the Prince. The Prince suddenly set off in this direction."

  "What?" Tang Zhong's emotions surged as he stood up, involuntarily turning his head to glance at Yang Zhao twice, before hastily saying: "Third Uncle, quickly take him away to avoid suspicion." Before the words had even left his lips, a sudden gust of wind howled outside the building, followed by the soft sound of footsteps. Someone rode the wind and stepped onto the small building, laughing loudly: "Qing Mei, have you gone to sleep?" Without waiting for an answer, that person pushed aside the maid and burst in through the door, saying: "The King of Tubo..." Suddenly stopping mid-sentence, he changed his words: "Cháng Shǐ, why are you also here? Hmm, who is that person on the bed?" Under the lamplight, it was clear that the newcomer was none other than Yang Xiu, the King of Shu.

  The sudden change was so swift that it was like a thunderbolt. In an instant, both Tang Zhong and Tang Yu were caught off guard, and when faced with King Yang Xiu's inquiry, they were left speechless, unable to utter a single word. But Yang Xiu didn't seem to require their response, and instead walked over, bowed his head to examine the person, and suddenly let out an "Ah!" of surprise: "This person... isn't he Zhao Er? How did he end up in Chengdu?"

  Tang Jixue was quite quick-witted, and as soon as he saw Yang Xiu appear, he immediately knew that something major had happened, and his original plan had already gone awry. At this point, if he didn't respond properly, the plans and efforts of the Tang family over the years might be wasted in an instant. As the saying goes, "those who achieve great things do not get bogged down in trivialities." Regardless of how this unexpected event occurred, the most pressing matter at hand was to regain Yang Xiu's trust first, and only then could they discuss other matters. In a flash, he thought it through and immediately knelt down, clasped his hands together, and said: "Your Highness is overjoyed! This is indeed a auspicious sign sent by Heaven to protect Your Highness' great cause!"

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" Yang Xiu asked with a puzzled expression, "What is going on here?"

  "Your Highness, this is a long story." Tang Zhongqing exchanged a glance with his third uncle, knowing that the other was already thinking deeply. He gently took Yang Xiu's hand and said, "Just now, Third Uncle used the Heavenly Silkworm Technique to treat Young Master Wang's injury. For now, Young Master Wang needs to rest quietly and must not be disturbed. Your Highness, shall we go upstairs to talk?"

  Yang Xiuyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He left the quiet room and went up to the third floor to sit down. Yang Xi furrowed his brow and said, "Qing Mei, Zhang Shi, now there are only a few of us left. If you have anything to say, don't hesitate to speak out. I, the king, do not want any matters to be shrouded in mystery."

  "I have been working hard to plan for your great cause, Your Highness. The ancestors of the Tang family are my witness, and this heart is absolutely clear as day! "Tang Ju was so scared that he didn't dare to be presumptuous, and knelt down to swear to heaven. Then, from beginning to end, he told what happened in Jin Gong Lou. He said: "Tang Liuyuan and Jin Guanlou are both the king's property, so when something happens, the shopkeeper immediately sends someone to report to the palace. I thought this was a small matter that didn't need to disturb the king, so I took people to check it out myself, and according to the rules, they were handed over to the Chengdu government for detention."

  Afterwards, the subordinates also arrested and interrogated the group of escorts who came to Chengdu with them. It was found that Li Shentong's identity was not suspicious, but Yang Yu was of unknown origin. The king's major event is about to start, and we must be careful not to let anyone make trouble. Being cautious, I sent out a secret detective from the Tang Dynasty, disguised as a prison officer, to investigate. Unexpectedly... it turned out that Yang Yu was actually Yang Zhao.

  Yang Xiu murmured, "Tang Shuo's martial arts skills are not high, but he is skilled in disguise and is a cautious and efficient person. In the past few years, every time I returned to Daxing City to pay respects to Father Emperor and Mother Empress, I always brought him along. He can recognize that it's Zhao Er, which isn't surprising. What's surprising is... how did Zhao Er end up in Chengdu? When I set out to return to Yizhou, Father Emperor had just issued a decree, appointing him as the King of Henan."

  "There may be other reasons, but it's probably not related to the important matter of the king. No need to investigate further." Tang Yixue observed Yang Xiu's expression and knew that his doubts had already decreased. He sat up straight and said in a steady voice: "The most important thing is that under the sky, except for us, there is no one else who knows he came to Chengdu. Moreover, Yang Shao and the king are also close relatives, connected by blood."

  Yang Xiu's body shook involuntarily, and the teacup he had just picked up was also crushed into pieces with a "crack". After a moment of silence, he said slowly: "Third Uncle, do you mean... to use Zhao'er to replace Xiao'er?"

  Tang Jixue said in a low voice: "Your Highness, I have three unresolved doubts in my heart and would like to ask for your guidance. First: Between the King of Henan and the Crown Prince, who is closer to Your Highness? Second: If Your Highness wants to achieve great things, who will be the biggest obstacle in the future? Third: I heard that on New Year's Eve, the King of Henan volunteered to take on the Goguryeo envoy at the grand banquet and unexpectedly triggered a heavenly sword movement. Is this true?"

  Three questions, each one sharper than the last, all pierced Yang Xiu's heart. In an instant, this Shu king's originally handsome face became incredibly gloomy and frightening due to his change in mood. After a long time, he slowly nodded and said: "The matter of the Heavenly Sword's movement, everyone saw it that night at the Taiji Temple, not a single bit was fake. As for the obstacle to my great achievement... Hmph! Third Uncle, I'll ask you. If Yang Zhao were to replace my son Xiaohao, what would be the effect?"

  "There will only be more than enough, but not less." Tang Yuxue bowed his head and said, "Those who achieve great things do not bother with trivial matters. The King of Henan has arrived at the perfect moment, just as we are about to launch that big event, it is truly heaven's will. Heaven gives us a gift, if we don't accept it, we will suffer the consequences. I hope Your Highness makes a decision soon and doesn't miss this opportunity."

  Yang Xiu's face was expressionless, and he suddenly asked: "Tang Zhangshi, where are the escorts who came to Chengdu with Yang Zhao now?"

  Tang Jiguang respectfully replied: "In order to prevent the news from leaking out, they have all been killed."

  Yang Xiu nodded and stood up, sternly saying: "Tang Zhang Shilu, listen to the order. Immediately go and gather fifty of the Wang Fu's elite troops to heavily guard the surroundings of this small building. Unless there is a direct order from His Highness, no one is allowed to enter or exit privately." After a pause, he looked at Tang Zhongqing and Tang Yuxue separately, slowly saying: "Qingmei, San Shu. I'm temporarily putting you two to trouble."