"The Emperor has passed away..." The Fourth Prince's right hand trembled as he gazed up at the imperial city, where lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. He muttered to himself, his emotions complex, unsure whether he felt anger or sorrow, relief or secret joy.

  He originally thought that tonight's disturbance was the Demon Queen forcing her way into the Imperial Palace and being intercepted by the Right Prime Minister, but he didn't expect that the Old Emperor had already passed away, and it was even at the behest of the Crown Prince, with the Left Prime Minister administering the poison.

  Jian Huang breathed slowly and calmly, not angry or surprised, waiting for Meng Qi to continue speaking. If he believed just a few words from him, then he and the Fourth Prince would have been tricked into the ditch long ago.

  The surrounding swordsmen's breathing became heavy, as if brewing a volcanic eruption.

  The fourth prince looked straight at Meng Qi and said solemnly, "Is this true?"

  "The Emperor accepted the young master of the Yan tribe, intending to use the Demon Lord's relic as bait to eliminate the three great masters. However, the Crown Prince discovered this and ordered the Left Minister to harm the Emperor. The Left Minister, feeling like a discarded child, took a huge risk and poisoned the Emperor's food, accelerating his absorption of the Demon Lord's relic, causing him to die suddenly while absorbing it. Afterwards, the Left Minister did not want to be silenced by the Crown Prince and told the Evil King about this matter. The Evil King arranged for the Seventh Prince to leave the capital and start a rebellion in the southeast, but was killed by me."

  Meng Qi briefly explained the situation, covering all the key points. The rest of the details, the Fourth Prince and Jian Huang would be able to infer from other clues they had obtained themselves, as well as deduce the truth through logical reasoning.

  It all started with Meng Qi, if he hadn't taken Batu and Changsun Jing away, the young master of the Zhu tribe would have fallen into the hands of a certain prince, trapping the great masters in a trap. The magic crystal stone in the old emperor's hand would be sent out as bait, and on the second day at dawn, he wouldn't have been able to absorb it, no need to die suddenly, the course of events would have been completely different. Everything was under his control, Meng Qi only needed to find a way to sabotage the peace talks, the difficulty was beyond compare.

  "With guts... Hmph!" The Sword Emperor sneered, now thoroughly understanding the matter of the Demon Emperor's relic. If the old emperor weren't already dead, he probably would have gone to add another sword strike.

  The fourth prince's face sank like water but didn't show any surprise: "Seventh brother left the capital, and the world is in chaos... Eldest brother is cruel and ruthless, actually murdering his father and killing his lord!"

  The swordsmen on both sides drew their swords and pointed them at the sky, with a continuous clanging sound.

  "The Crown Prince has usurped the throne, the Emperor has been harmed. Please, Your Majesty, save the situation from collapse, support the great edifice that is about to topple, rescue the people from water and fire, and punish the treacherous and evil forces!"

  "Please, Your Majesty, rescue the people from the brink of disaster, prop up the great edifice that is about to collapse, save the masses from water and fire, and punish the treacherous and evil forces!"

  One voice after another shouted in unison, with an imposing momentum, it was to force the Fourth Prince to take a stand and lead them in contending for the throne.

  The fourth prince pressed down with his right hand and shouted sternly:

  "As a son, as a subject, when the king's justice is clear, one cannot refuse, and must punish the treacherous and evil!"

  "I'd die for Your Highness!" The sword-wielding guards shouted loudly.

  Meng Qi Lao Shen stepped forward after they calmed down: "Now there are three things, Your Highness must do immediately."

  Having obtained the "Sword of the Sovereign", he changed his tone and addressed him as Your Highness.

  "What three things?" The matter came suddenly, the fourth prince was a bit unprepared, and could only pretend to ask the mastermind.

  Meng Qi's face was calm as he said, "The Seventh Prince has left the capital and can be ignored for now. There are three things that must be done immediately: First, please have His Highness send someone to the courier station to invite General Lu, using the matter of the Crown Prince's usurpation to move him, and have him go with you to the military camp in the city to force Western Commander to surrender."

  "This is a top priority!" The Fourth Prince nodded and said, "With General Lu taking charge, I am at ease."

  In the past, the Iron Mountain Army was powerful, and all of Lu Guan's subordinates were elite generals and soldiers. After he was demoted, the Emperor dispersed the Iron Mountain Army, assigning three-tenths of its soldiers and officers to the Imperial Guard in the capital, under the command of General Zhengxi.

  Under normal circumstances, the imperial power is majestic, and these generals and soldiers, no matter how much they respect Lu Guan, do not dare to be presumptuous or disobey the imperial order. Even if Lu Guan comes forward to win them over, it will not have a good effect. That's why Lu Guan self-deprecatingly said that he has no troops and no power, and the several princes winning him over is of little use.

  But with the emperor's death and the chaotic situation, if Lu Guan is followed by the Fourth Prince, a symbol of imperial power, and there are rumors that the Crown Prince murdered his father and the Seventh Prince left the capital, these generals and soldiers may follow Lu Guan and ignore the orders of the General Who Conquers the West. This is why several princes want to win over Lu Guan in preparation for any eventuality.

  At that time, the Iron Mountain Army, which occupied two-tenths of the Imperial Guard in the capital, was mobilized. In the dark of night, the remaining soldiers could not distinguish between true and false, and could only be coerced. Xu Jin, the General Who Conquers the West, was unable to suppress them.

  Moreover, Lu Guan borrowed the identity of the fourth prince to win over the soldiers and generals, and would not let the fourth prince suspect anything afterwards.

  Of course, General Xī Zhēng was a master of the human world's peak. "Tian Jian" Song Ming and others had to follow him, otherwise they would be killed by him in a face-to-face battle with the Fourth Prince and Lù Guān, and the joke would be on them.

  Meng Qi slightly nodded his head: "The second thing, please have the Fourth Prince send someone to spread the news of the Crown Prince's regicide, and make sure everyone in the capital knows about it, so that our actions will be justified."

  The most important thing is to make the right side hesitant when making a choice. Once the situation has developed, he will have no choice but to follow suit.

  "Alright, the Lonely King will not raise an unnamed army." The Fourth Prince understood the urgency of this matter and didn't want to be outmaneuvered by the Crown Prince. "Meng Qi, what's the third thing?"

  He also changed his title.

  Meng Qi's left hand pressed against the hilt of his long sword - he was currently playing the role of a swordsman who wielded a sword with his right hand and a knife with his left. With an icy demeanor, he said, "Take advantage of the chaos to kill Xiao Wang and execute the Crown Prince."

  Xiao Wang is the royal title of the third prince.

  As soon as this was said, except for Jian Huang, everyone else was shocked and couldn't believe that Xing Shen Jian Xiao Meng would be so bold and ruthless!

  "Can you kill the prince if I can stop Old Lin?" Sword Emperor asked calmly.

  As for the third prince, his importance is obviously below that of the crown prince. Even if he wasn't killed, he would have lost his momentum after a brief delay.

  Meng Qi said with a smile: "If senior can stop Guo Shi, junior will take the crown prince's head."

  "Alright." Jian Huang acted as swiftly as a sword, and didn't ask any more questions.

  Meng Qi pointed at Luo Shengyi and said to the Sword Emperor, "This friend of mine is under Xiao Wang's command, but has been repeatedly suspected. Now he abandons darkness for light and is willing to take Xiao Wang's life for Your Highness."

  "Good, a true hero indeed!" After hearing the three things, the Fourth Prince's heart was greatly settled. He bowed to Meng Qi, Jian Huang and Ruan Yu Shu, "The matter of Big Brother, I'll entrust it to you. When the task is accomplished, the Sword King's chamber will be open."

  He began to issue orders in an orderly manner, such as notifying his trusted courtiers, blocking key roads, and winning over neutrals...

  Meng Qi and the three others followed Jian Huang out of the Fourth Prince's mansion and rushed towards the Crown Prince's mansion, which was also located in Wang Hou Fang.

  Arriving near the Crown Prince's residence, Luo Shengyi continued on his way, he had to hurry and kill the Third Imperial Son before Mo Hou returned.

  Due to the delay at the Fourth Prince's residence, the Crown Prince had already received news that guards were stationed at all critical points, the central gate was wide open, and messengers came in and out continuously, as if a great battle was imminent.

  The defensive layout of the Crown Prince's mansion was inferior to that of the Imperial City, but it was still clearly layered and difficult to directly break through. However, Meng Qi had long been planning ahead.

  He observed for a while, pulled open a distance, and quietly knocked out a guard who was reporting the situation, stripped off his clothes and hat, and put them on himself.

  "You don't know the password inside, how did you get in?" Jian Huang asked a rare question, he was not like Evil King, who had a deep understanding of spiritual illusions.

  Meng Qi smiled and said: "Please rest assured, senior. After half a cup of tea, I will launch a fierce attack immediately and lure the national teacher away."

  Ruan Yushu stayed nearby as a backup, just like in the imperial city, so that if anything happened, there would be troops to reinforce.

  Jian Huang nodded and grasped his long sword, brewing a battle with Guo Shi.

  Meng Qi crouched down, hiding in the shadow at the entrance of a small alley, waiting for another guard to pass by and report back. As soon as he did, Meng Qi darted out and stuck close behind him.

  The guard seemed to have noticed something and turned his head back, but his gaze passed over Meng Qi and looked behind him.

  No one... He felt himself getting too tense and a little hallucinatory, quickened his pace, and ran to the door.

  "Password!" shouted the captain of the guard standing at the gate.

  The guard hastily said: "Today is the day of fire candle."

  The captain nodded slightly, indicating he could go in.

  Meng Qi buried his head and closely followed behind the guard, also entering through the gate.

  The captain, because they stood together in front and back, thought they were together, didn't ask much, and didn't stop them - the guard who said the password had never expressed surprise at Meng Qi's followers, others naturally thought they were a group, went to investigate the news together, now reporting the situation, of course, doesn't need both to say the password.

  Watching this scene, Jian Huang was slightly moved and raised an eyebrow.

  Five consecutive different passwords, five checkpoints were broken through, under the "cover" of the true guards in front, Meng Qi smoothly approached the hall. The prince was inside giving orders, Guoshi and Zuoxiang sat quietly, protected by Ruoyi monk, surrounded by more than a dozen top-notch or quasi-top-notch masters.

  They can all see through the Phantom Technique, but Meng Qi is at ease with the real Imperial Guards, and it would only make people think he's also a real Imperial Guard - how could the big shots inside recognize all the guards?

  The prince was very strict in preventing assassinations, and ordinary guards like Meng Qi found it difficult to enter the hall. They could only pass on the information they had obtained to the inner attendants on the steps, who would then inform them.

  "The fourth prince has gone to the military camp in the city." Meng Qi said hoarsely to the eunuch in front of him.

  The guard heard the sound and looked over in surprise, when did a companion appear on the steps? Was he waiting here before or just arrived?

  Your lightness skill is really good! You walk without making a sound at all!

  He wouldn't think too much about this kind of thing, thinking it was just his own carelessness, and after laughing at himself, he reported the news back to the eunuch.

  The eunuchs went back and forth in an orderly manner, reporting the news to the crown prince, conveying the crown prince's orders to the guards, and assigning Meng Qi to go and investigate the fourth prince again.

  Meng Qi slowly walked down the stairs and prepared to hide in the shadows ahead, taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention.

  At this moment, the mournful cries were endless, even though they were far apart, Meng Qi could still feel a sharp momentum, in harmony with the law, and the sword energy was soaring through the clouds.

  This is no longer a swordsmanship realm that can be described by mortal techniques...

  Meng Qi let out a quiet sigh at the same time, Guoshi stood up and went to meet him, not allowing Xiang Yu to get close, otherwise if he got injured in the fight, it would be easy for him to kill the Crown Prince.

  "Lin Lao'er, receive your sword!" A breath later, the two met outside the courtyard, and the Sword Emperor's aged voice reached everyone's ears.

  The national teacher's voice was equally old and hoarse, but it carried a hint of decay: "The crown prince's fate is already sealed, there's no use anymore."

  The sound of the strong wind suddenly disappeared, and the originally dull sky lit up with stars one by one, shining brightly, illuminating Wang Hou Fang in a clear and dreamy light.

  "From the very beginning, the air was filled with tension, and now it's all out in the open..." Meng Qi understood that this was Gu Shang's Tian Ren Jiao Gan.

  The sword's cry shattered the air, a rainbow stretched across, red orange yellow green blue purple, bright and enchanting.

  Meng Qi took a light breath, suddenly turned around, drew out his sword, and with a burst of speed, rushed into the great hall like the wind.

  As soon as he entered the hall, he let out a loud shout:

  "Boom!"

  The thunder shook the sky, and more than a dozen top-notch masters who had just reacted couldn't help but feel dizzy for a moment. Only Yu Yi was calm, his right palm grasping the Buddhist beads, which seemed to have swollen to twice its size, bright red like blood, slapping towards Meng Qi's chest.

  Suddenly, his gaze condensed, and the expert in front of him didn't block it. He took a step back, using his right chest to collide with his own palm, as if committing suicide.

  Bang!

  Dark gold burst forth, immediately dimmed, almost bursting, but instead sent Monk Like Intention stumbling back several steps.

  Approaching perfection, the sixth pass of Golden Bell Shield is extraordinary!

  Relying on the power of Ruyi Seng's big handprint, Meng Qi's body method accelerated again, pouncing towards the prince behind Ruyi Seng. His long sword rose, and Yan Luo sent a sticker. The surrounding masters only restrained their dizziness at this time and surrounded them to attack.

  The sword flashed brightly, and the air was filled with an eerie chill, sending shivers down one's spine.

  The crown prince is also a good hand, but facing this unstoppable killing move, his momentum was suppressed, his mind shaken, and his moves became slow.

  The sword light dissipated, and the prince retreated several steps, with a dark red spot on his brow. He sat directly in the chair, his head tilted to one side, and was silent once more.

  Clap! Clap! Clap!

  Experts from all around rushed over, their swords, knives and palms striking Meng Qi's body in unison before he could even change his stance.

  Ke Mengqi has already protected his vitals.

  Dark gold shines again, inch by inch damaged, the sound of fried beans bursts, Meng Qi's wig falls off, his body unfolds, and he repels all the masters at once.

  At the same time, he spat out a mouthful of blood and directly shot the left minister into a mute.

  He Jin Zhong broke through the barrier, his injuries were not too serious, he kicked a certain person's knife with his toes, and directly broke through the roof. Before being surrounded and killed by Ru Yi Seng and others, he broke through the encirclement.

  Deceased: Da'an Taizi.

  Cause of death: Under multiple layers of protection, a single sword pierced through the brow.

  The murderer: "Jīng Shén Jiàn" Xiao Meng, also known as "Blood Diamond".

  Evaluation: Within arm's length, people are enemies of the state.