Great Li Martial God

The armored guards at the city gate confirmed Cang Yinyue's token and asked several questions.

Finally, after glancing at Li Musheng, this handsome-looking Six Doors "wanted criminal," and recording the information, they let the two enter the city.

Exiting the spacious, long city gate passage and stepping onto Shangyang City's streets paved with bluestone, the mule-horses' hooves made crisp sounds on the ground.

Soon, a tumult of human voices rushed toward them.

Li Musheng and Cang Yinyue rode side by side along the street. Looking around, pedestrians filled the streets like woven fabric, horses and carriages flowed like water, and shops lined the roadsides with banners fluttering. There was no end in sight.

"Let's eat first after entering the city. I'll take the opportunity to report your situation to the Hidden Intelligence Bureau."

Cang Yinyue brought Li Musheng to a restaurant doing excellent business. After ordering a few dishes with the server, she left Li Musheng alone and entered the restaurant's back courtyard, disappearing from view.

Li Musheng didn't mind. The Hidden Intelligence Bureau was called Great Li's premier intelligence agency, but it had no official government office location in public view.

All the secret agents and spies of the Hidden Intelligence Bureau had various identities on the surface, countless in number, but their true identities were always revealed only in the shadows.

While waiting for the food and wine, Li Musheng sat in the private room, drinking the restaurant's complimentary tea while paying attention to the wine patrons' conversations, whether loud or whispered. In places where many people gathered, one could always hear some interesting matters and explosive news of unknown authenticity.

...

"Have you heard? Another Seventh Prince has arrived at 'Aurora Pavilion.' Tsk tsk, this is already the sixty-first prince to appear in the past month!"

"Exactly! I remember when I first heard someone had found the Seventh Prince lost for many years, I was curious enough to go watch in person. I didn't expect it turned out wrong—not the real prince at all. After that, so many princes appeared that I've become numb to it."

"In these times, some people just want to reach the sky in one step. If you ask me, those claiming the prince's identity should all be tried for deceiving the emperor and beheaded for public display."

"You can't say that. What if the real Seventh Prince is accidentally beheaded?"

"If you ask me, just stop looking for any real prince. The one in the great prison has literary and martial talents that shock the world. He's Great Li's true dragon. That prince lost among the common people for twenty years is probably now an uneducated hooligan or beggar. Bringing him back would only disgrace the Great Li imperial family."

"Shh, you really dare say that. Be careful the Tianjin Guards throw you in prison and chop off your head."

"What wouldn't I dare say? My uncle used to work for His Highness the Seventh Prince. He told me many times that the Seventh Prince would surely be Great Li's enlightened... ruler... cough cough..."

A young gentleman in precious blue brocade robes was holding a wine cup, his face flushed red as he spoke, but was hurriedly covered by someone's hand, choking on the wine and coughing violently.

After this stimulation, Zhang He immediately sobered up considerably, realizing he had spoken carelessly after drinking, and quickly shut his mouth.

However, just at this moment, the door to the restaurant's private room where he sat was suddenly kicked open.

A group of three people strode in from outside, led by a young man with a sinister expression.

On one side of the youth was a woman wearing a green radish long dress. The woman had a pretty face, but her eyes were somewhat cold.

On the other side was a burly, tower-like man with a swallow jaw and tiger whiskers, standing over seven feet tall.

The one who had kicked the door was this large man. He swept his gaze over the five people in the room and said in a deep voice, "Just now I heard someone inappropriately discussing the princes and His Majesty. This is treasonous behavior. All of you, come with me to the government office."

Hearing this, Zhang He was about to stand and speak, but was stopped by a man in green clothes beside him who cupped his hands and said, "This brother has misheard. We've been drinking here the whole time, chatting about poetry and songs. We absolutely haven't discussed anything regarding the princes or His Majesty."

At these words, the other three people and Zhang He immediately caught on, nodding repeatedly, "That's right, we were just drinking and chatting, composing poetry."

Then Zhang He's eyes flashed as he instead loudly questioned, "Who are you people? Why did you suddenly barge into our private room? Are you deliberately looking for trouble?"

Hearing this, the large man snorted coldly and said sternly, "You're quite good at sophistry. We heard everything you said just now clearly from across the way."

Having said this, he reached out his hand, about to grab Zhang He, clearly having recognized Zhang He's voice as the main speaker just now.

"You dare touch me? My uncle is the Vice Minister of Revenue. Harm me and be careful your head won't stay on your shoulders."

Zhang He had some martial arts foundation. While angrily shouting, he hurriedly dodged backward.

But the large man's iron-pincers-like palm was swift as a gale. As he reached out his hand, his figure also leaped forward in the blink of an eye.

Zhang He's speed was clearly inferior. Just as he was about to be caught, the man in green clothes beside him suddenly threw a punch. The fist wind was like a blade, rushing straight at the large man's side face.

The large man sensed the threat from this punch. He immediately abandoned Zhang He, tilted his head to avoid the other's fist, and changed his claw strike to target the green-clothed man's chest.

Soon, the two had exchanged dozens of moves, fighting together.

The table full of delicious food and wine was also overturned during their fight. Tables, chairs, and stools were all shattered into pieces by the surging fist winds and claw strikes.

The youth with the gloomy expression and the woman in the green radish dress stood by the door, just standing without any action.

Zhang He and the other three leaned against the private room's wall, not daring to interfere in the battle between the large man and the green-clothed man.

Just at this time, after the large man exchanged a punch with his opponent, he suddenly lifted his foot in a side kick, fiercely kicking down the wooden wall beside them.

The private rooms in the restaurant were separated by several thick wooden panels. After the wooden wall was kicked down and collapsed with a thunderous crash, it revealed the scene in another private room.

"You said you were composing poetry. Why not listen to what the people next door have to say, and what they actually heard just now?"

The large man spoke in a muffled voice. After forcing back the green-clothed man with one move, he quickly retreated toward the doorway.

Seeing this, the green-clothed man's expression changed, but in the end, he stopped and didn't chase after him. He only came to stand beside Zhang He.

At this time, a woman was sitting in the adjacent private room. She didn't even glance at the collapsed wooden wall, just quietly drinking the tea in her cup.

"Miss, did you hear these wastrels' treasonous words just now? Please testify."

The woman in the green dress stepped forward, actively asking the woman in the adjacent room.

Seeing this, a trace of panic flashed through Zhang He's eyes as he hurriedly shouted, "My uncle is the Vice Minister of Revenue!"

The meaning of his words was very clear—intending to intimidate the woman in the adjacent room so she wouldn't speak carelessly.

The woman in the green dress glanced at Zhang He, then produced a waist token, "Miss, you needn't be afraid. We're from Six Doors."