Because Ye Qingyu did not walk fast, the King of Zhenyuan's residence received news far in advance and was fully prepared for his arrival.

They had decided to prepare for his arrival by shutting the main gate tight.

It was highly obvious that there were some people in the mansion who did not wish to see him at all.

Perhaps, the present Ye Qingyu was a headache even to such a powerful mansion.

Strong, ill.u.s.triously authoritative, unafraid of death, and crazy… In any case, such a person was like a hedgehog which would p.r.i.c.k anyone who messed with it. If they were not feeling absolutely a.s.sured, it was probably best to deny him entrance.

Therefore, to the King of Zhenyuan's residence, the best plan was to wait for the return of their top expert, that being the King of Zhenyuan, before getting started.

And that was why Ye Qingyu was greeted by a tightly shut main gate when he arrived in front of the mansion.

Even the guards who were usually deployed at the entrance had been withdrawn.

There was not a single person in sight.

Seeing this, Ye Qingyu could not help breaking into laughter.

He then went up and knocked on the gate.

Bam bam bam!

Each knock was heavier than the last, ringing out thunderously.

They could be clearly heard within several hundred meters.

Many pa.s.sersby who did not know what was going on were so startled when they saw this scene that their jaws dropped as they looked on in disbelief. It had been many years since anyone had so aggressively knocked on the main gate of the King of Zhenyuan's residence.

…

Inside the mansion.

Hearing the thunderous knocks on the door, the Crown Prince of Zhenyuan's face turned so gloomy that water nearly dripped from it, his expression becoming even more hideous.

This was a form of humiliation to the King of Zhenyuan's residence.

A great humiliation.

This imposing mansion had actually not dared to open their gate to a visitor – even if standing outside was an ill-intentioned visitor.

The Crown Prince paced back and forth in the main hall.

“Go, send someone to open the door and ask him what exactly he wants.” He finally lost his cool.

His subordinates hurriedly did as he said.

The knocking sounds soon stopped.

A moment later, a guard rapidly came forth.

Kneeling on one knee, he reported, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, the [Military Judge of the Nine Swords] says that he's here to arrest the imperial attendant, Yu Wanlou, and that as long as we hand Yu Wanlou over, he'll leave at once and won't disturb the peace in here.”

“What?” The young Crown Prince became shocked and enraged. “Arrest Attendant Yu Wanlou? On what grounds? What right does he have to arrest someone in my mansion?”

Yu Wanlou was one of the attendants in the mansion, and was fairly high in status.

However, this was not a matter of status. Even if he was just a domestic slave, handing him over would be a huge blow to the dignity of the mansion.

“I did ask him about this, but he said that he's just doing his job and enforcing military law. He claims that Attendant Yu Wanlou was once a member of the army and had violated several important military regulations, and so has to be brought back to be punished. He has given you thirty minutes to hand Attendant Yu Wanlou over, otherwise...”

The guard lowered his head and dared not continue talking.

“Otherwise what?” Still angry, the Crown Prince asked.

The guard hesitated for a moment before saying, “Otherwise, he'll force his way in and take the man away, and may have to disturb the people in the mansion...”

Crack!

No longer able to restrain his fury, the young Crown Prince smashed a jade thumb ring on to the floor and howled.

“Jesus, who does Zhang Longcheng think he is? How dare a country b.u.mpkin and insignificant Military Judge like him meddle in the affairs of my mansion! I haven't even settled accounts with him for the matter of Wei Heng and Marquis Bloodbone… Shut the main gate tight and don't bother about him. If he really barges in recklessly, I shall kill him here today.”

His murderous spirit had been roused.

When have we ever been so insulted?

Does this country b.u.mpkin really think that n.o.body here can take him on?

The guard hurriedly turned and went to pa.s.s orders.

Soon, the thunderous knocking noises rang out again.

And even louder than before.

Subsequently, Zhang Longcheng's voice could be heard surging throughout the entire mansion like rolling thunder...

“I came here today to arrest Yu Wanlou for treason, intending to use civil means rather than resorting to violence. Please hand him over. I have been very restrained, but if you continue to hide Yu Wanlou, don't blame me for being discourteous.”

Everyone in the mansion heard this voice.

Many revealed disbelieving, shocked expressions on their faces.

Are we actually being threatened?

It had been a long, long time since they heard such words. In the past, their status in Royal City was such that n.o.body would dare to cause trouble for even a dog that walked out from the mansion. Who would've thought that someone would block their main gate at this time?

“d.a.m.n this country b.u.mpkin...”

The Crown Prince stamped his feet, completely enraged.

He knew that this kind of provocation did not amount to much per se, but what was truly frightening was that the dignity acc.u.mulated by the mansion over countless years was slowly being chipped away by Zhang Longcheng's continual actions against them.

However, not long later, something happened...

Boom!

A deafening tremor rang out.

It was as if the entire world was shaking.

The Crown Prince was stunned.

Subsequently, a guard panickedly ran in, shouting from afar, “Your Highness, Your Highness… That country b.u.mpkin has actually… smashed the gate and entered murderously.”

“What?”

The young Crown Prince dared not believe his ears.

Smashed the gate and entered?

How dare this country b.u.mpkin smash our gate and enter!

Has he gone mad?

After deciding to shut the gate and refuse a meeting, he had thought about the possible countermeasures by Ye Qingyu, but despite conceiving myriad possibilities, he never expected that the latter would choose the rudest and lowliest way of entering.

This is the gate of the King of Zhenyuan's residence, for crying out loud.

How dare he!

“Kill him, kill him at all costs...”

Feeling immense anger and shame, the young Crown Prince practically lost all sense of reason. As someone for whom things had always been plain-sailing, he had never met with such crazy provocation.

…

Outside the mansion gate.

Countless people who were watching this scene – be it those who knew the inside story and hurried over, or those who happened to pa.s.s by – seemed to be petrified.

How dare he!

Many could not refrain from inwardly asking the same question as the Crown Prince.

This is the King of Zhenyuan's residence, for crying out loud.

At present, the vermilion riveted iron-and-wood main gate, which normally evoked awe and fear at first glance, had already been smashed into pieces. Its frame was left full of iron and wood fragments, resembling a city gate which had been smashed by a siege hammer.

Ye Qingyu had already entered through this smashed gate and was now walking unhurriedly along the path which was wide enough for ten carriages to move abreast. He still had the mood to observe the layout of buildings in the mansion as if he was leisurely looking at flowers.

His manner indicated that he certainly did not have the intention of catching the mansion off guard, but more so that he was waiting for the mansion's response before he counterattacked.

Even those pa.s.sersby who were transfixed outside the mansion felt a kind of “arrogance” silently drifting in the void as they watched Ye Qingyu slowly entering the mansion in such an unhurried manner.

“Who is this person?”

A Demon Race elder who had been running a restaurant in the mansion for two hundred years had completely no idea who the approaching figure was or when such a character had appeared in Royal City.

As news spread out, the entire Guardian Royal City was astonished.

In less than ten minutes, screaming voices of murder were heard from the mansion, as if a large army had invaded the place, accompanied by the beating of battle drums. Moreover, layer upon layer of formation beams shot into the sky like giant inverted lapis bowls, shrouding and completely sealing the entire mansion.

“The King of Zhenyuan's residence has activated its formations.”

“They want to seal the intruder in completely and kill him.”

“The glory of a top-level n.o.ble family cannot tolerate being sullied.”

“That intruder is dead meat.”

This was the prediction of many curious onlookers outside the mansion. n.o.body knew exactly how many killing formations and traps there were in a top-level n.o.ble mansion, but it was certainly no less dangerous than a dragon's chasm or a tiger's den.

“Zhang Longcheng has been quiet for a month, but now wants to create a scene and has actually barged into the King of Zhenyuan's residence… Who exactly is backing him?”

“He can't be instigated by Nie Tiankong, who wouldn't dare to do something like that. I wonder, who gave him such nerve?”

“Perhaps our earlier a.s.sessment was wrong, and Zhang Longcheng isn't led by Nie Tiankong?”

“There's no point discussing these things now. The question is, what should we do?”

“What can we do? Let's wait and see whether Zhang Longcheng can get out alive first.”

“Hoho, how is that possible? He's dead meat for sure. The killing formations in the mansion would entrap even a Martial Emperor, let alone a country b.u.mpkin like him.”

These were the dialogues among many personages from the Royal City military headquarters and various n.o.ble mansions.

For a time, countless pairs of eyes fell upon the King of Zhenyuan's residence from varying distances with varying expectations. However, no matter how intense the debate became, n.o.body took action or actively got involved in this war-like battle.

Time went by.

An hour pa.s.sed quickly.

Anxiety grew in Royal City.

Gradually, some people began to lose their cool.

A few figures in gorgeous clothing began to appear outside the mansion, to be closely followed by the arrival of troops who chased away the onlooking civilians. In little time, the entire mansion was densely surrounded by troops, and all onlookers were chased away.

These troops were clearly not from just one faction.

At the forefront of every contingent stood an army chief in divine armor. Among them were Commander Nie Tiankong and Linghu Buxiu, leading nearly two thousand of their most trusted elites.

The atmosphere was bizarre like no other.

n.o.body said a word.

Everyone was looking at the main gate which had been closed back up and waiting quietly. The deathly silent atmosphere caused everyone's heart to feel as though it was weighed down by a heavy rock.

Suddenly…

A strange change occurred.

Swis.h.!.+

A dazzling sword light shot into the sky.

All of the formations and prohibitive light s.h.i.+elds in the mansion were broken.

“Hahaha, it turns out that the King of Zhenyuan's residence doesn't deserve its nickname as a dragon's chasm and tiger's den, and is nothing special. I shall bring Yu Wanlou away, and will be back soon to prosecute the mansion for harboring a treasonous criminal!”

Like a divine dragon of the Ninth Heaven, a figure soared into the sky, carrying along another figure as if carrying a small chicken.