Clearly, the man in black's answer was correct; Mu Lao was none other than the infamous Golden Hand Butcher of the Central Plains.

However, after the man in black uttered that name, Old Mu's face remained unchanged, as if such a thing could not affect him.

"I have a question that I don't know the answer to. Could you please explain it to me?"

Zhao Zheng squinted and suddenly asked again.

The man in black remained silent for a long time before speaking in a dry voice.

"We are already fish on Your Highness's chopping board. If Your Highness wants us, just ask. I beg Your Highness to give me and my accomplices a quick death in the end."

Clearly, the leader of the men in black's words filled the men in black behind him with disbelief.

"Boss, what's wrong with you?"

"Shut up."

The leader of the men in black did not give him a chance to continue speaking.

After being reprimanded by his boss, the man in black fell silent and shut his mouth.

He had followed his boss through thick and thin for a long time, so he still chose to believe in him.

Watching the two bickering on the ground, Zhao Zheng's face remained expressionless, as if none of this could arouse his interest.

Seeing that his underlings had quieted down, the leader of the men in black continued to focus his gaze on Zhao Zheng.

"If you can answer these three questions and satisfy me, I'll let your underling go."

Zhao Zheng held up three fingers and gestured in front of the leader of the men in black.

Clearly, Zhao Zheng had seen through the relationship between the two and understood that the leader of the men in black wanted to use the information he revealed to exchange for his underling's chance to live. As for his own life, the leader of the men in black knew that he had no chance of surviving.

"Thank you, Your Highness. However, if Your Highness wishes to let him go, I would like to ask that Your Highness cripple his martial arts and allow him to live the rest of his life as a wealthy man."

The leader of the men in black said with some discomfort.

Upon hearing the leader of the men in black say this, Zhao Zheng immediately narrowed his eyes.

After thinking for a while, he gave Elder Mu a slight nod.

Finally, in the black-clad man's incredulous eyes, all of his martial arts cultivation was abolished by Elder Mu.

Zhao Zheng then turned his gaze back to the leader of the men in black and said.

"Now you can answer, right?"

The leader of the men in black opened his mouth silently, then nodded repeatedly, indicating his agreement.

In fact, the man in black knew that his underlings would have a very hard time surviving after witnessing Zhao Zheng's strength, but out of love and care for his underlings, he had no choice but to give it a try.

After all, an ordinary person without cultivation poses absolutely no danger, and this is my last protection for my little brother.

"Who sent you?"

Zhao Zheng squinted and asked.

"We were sent by a noble family. We are here to invite Your Highness over."

"That aristocratic family?"

"A group of powerful families!"

These words caused a hint of surprise to flash in Zhao Zheng's eyes.

The fact that it was a coalition of numerous powerful families was something Zhao Zheng hadn't expected. After all, he could understand if one or two powerful families were dissatisfied with the rule of the Northern You Empress, but hearing that it was a coalition of so many powerful families was hard for him to comprehend.

It is important to know that powerful families constitute a large part of the power of the Northern You Empire, so Zhao Zheng immediately perked up when he heard that it was a joint effort of many powerful families.

"Aren't they afraid that the Northern Nether Empress will crush them with a single palm strike?"

"They won't bid because they possess something that can temporarily rival the Northern Nether Empress."

These words made Zhao Zheng narrow his eyes. He didn't continue speaking, but kept his gaze fixed on the man in black.

Seeing Ye Yi's appearance, the man in black gritted his teeth and said.

"From what I know, they have decided to use their family's martial arts crystal to confront Empress Beiyou. If the Empress were not injured, they would definitely not dare to do this, but now that Empress Beiyou is seriously injured, they dare to do so."

“Very well, then I’m very curious as to why so many powerful families have joined forces this time.”

Zhao Zheng asked the question that was on his mind.

As expected, the man in black pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"The emergence of the secret realm and the constant stream of experts on the continent have made these aristocratic families feel uneasy. They need to control the entire Northern Netherworld capital in order to obtain the nourishment to strengthen their own power."

Although the man in black's words were very simple, the situation he described was truly chilling.

In an instant, a dazzling cold light flashed in Zhao Zheng's eyes.

After finding out which aristocratic families they were from.

A cruel smile crept across Zhao Zheng's lips before he spoke.

"My Northern You Empire can only be ruled by my Zhao family descendants. If these outsiders dare to meddle, I will teach them a lesson about what it means to be a son of the Zhao family."

However, Zhao Zheng quickly calmed down and casually winked at Old Mu beside him.

Then he walked out of the room without looking back.

After Zhao Zheng left the room, two sounds of bones breaking rang out from inside.

It was clear that Zhao Zheng had not shown any mercy, because he would not hesitate to kill anyone who might expose his presence.

Seeing Zhao Zheng's decisive and ruthless actions, Ye Yi couldn't help but show a hint of admiration. If Zhao Zheng had kept the man in black alive in the end, although it wouldn't have been a big deal, it would have still put Zhao Zheng in trouble by exposing himself.

But doing this now has made Ye Yi realize that Zhao Zheng truly has the heart of an emperor.

Cold-blooded and ruthless.

However, Ye Yi still spoke up.

"What, are you hesitating about whether or not to lend that bitch a hand?"

Ye Yi's words made Zhao Zheng's heart tighten, but he calmed down and said.

"After all, the Empress has devoted a thousand years of effort to the prosperity of Beiyou."

"Hahaha, good. Although I hate that bitch and wish she were dead, remember, Bei You can only be Bei You, a descendant of the Zhao family. So if anyone dares to lay a hand on me, I'll chop off their hand."

Ye Yi's sinister words further solidified Zhao Zheng's conviction.

“Ancestor, I understand.”

This time, Ye Yi didn't continue to answer, because Zhao Zheng already knew what he had to do.

After seeing Elder Mu slowly approach from behind, Zhao Zheng looked at the crescent moon in the sky and calmly said.

"Elder Mu, could you please contact Nanyaguan and have the Offering Hall sent over to me?"

"Understood, Your Highness."

Old Mu didn't ask why, and simply nodded in agreement.

…………

In a luxurious manor in the capital of the Northern Netherworld, a group of prominent figures from the capital sat in their respective seats.

"Clan Chief Yang, your men didn't perish at the Prince of Yan's residence, did they? They haven't returned yet after so long."

A middle-aged man with a face full of scars spoke up.

"Butcher He, how dare you underestimate me? The strength of my Yang family is beyond the comprehension of your little He family. My elite troops must have encountered some difficulties, so they will be back soon."

An old man sitting in the middle of the crowd said disdainfully.

Butcher He, seeing this, was not angry, but simply smiled casually.

"Haha, alright, Brother He, Brother Yang, we're partners now, how can we get so worked up?"

At this moment, a middle-aged man who looked like Maitreya Buddha smiled and offered some advice.

However, after hearing what the middle-aged man said, everyone immediately thought to themselves that he was being sarcastic.

"Old fox, if those two start fighting, you'll definitely be the one stirring things up the most."

Then everyone quieted down.

However, after a short while, a soft voice suddenly came out.

"What if Empress Beiyou had not been injured?"

At this moment, a person who was much younger than the other leaders spoke up.

However, there was a different kind of restraint and fear in his words.

It seemed as if they were afraid of the supreme power of the Northern Nether Empress.

"Impossible. If Empress Beiyou hadn't been injured, she would never have summoned the royal family. Given her proud personality, she wouldn't allow herself to do that."

He the butcher, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, bristled and spoke with bloodshot eyes, as if he had bet on all the gamblers.

Some leaders of powerful families couldn't help but shake their heads upon seeing this scene. How could someone with such a demeanor be considered the leader of a powerful family? It was a disgrace to the ranks of powerful families.

But at that moment, a servant suddenly rushed in and shouted loudly.

"My lords, something terrible has happened! The soul lamps of the two guardians have gone out."

Upon hearing this, Butcher He was like a cat with its neck caught, unable to utter a sound. Everyone in the room fell silent, a shadow falling over their hearts.

…………

The capital city was still very prosperous on the second day. Zhao Zheng, dressed in formal attire, walked towards the Northern You Imperial Palace under the guidance of an eunuch.

As soon as Zhao Zheng reached the entrance of the palace, he saw a familiar person, the Immortal Realm expert with whom he had previously made contact.

This time, when Zhao Zheng saw Eunuch Zhao, he was no longer as wary as before. Although Eunuch Zhao possessed the strength of an immortal, Zhao Zheng did indeed have quite a few immortal experts under his command.

Therefore, those immortal masters who were once out of reach are really nothing now.

"Your Highness, we meet again."

"I'll say it with a bit of flattery," said Eunuch Zhao.

"Haha, it's been a long time since I've seen Eunuch Zhao. I've been leading troops at Nanya Pass for the past two years and I'm still unaware of Her Majesty the Empress's current situation. I would be grateful if you could explain it to me."

When Eunuch Zhao heard Zhao Zheng's words, he was stunned for a moment. Originally, Eunuch Zhao only wanted to greet Zhao Zheng and become acquainted with him, but he did not expect Zhao Zheng to ask this question so directly.

"Although Her Majesty the Empress was ambushed and injured, her injuries are not serious, so Your Highness need not worry too much."

Eunuch Zhao answered casually.

Zhao Zheng smiled immediately, said nothing more, and then continued to ask.

"I don't know. Does Your Majesty know why Her Majesty the Empress suddenly summoned me to the palace? I'm a little nervous about meeting the Empress of Beiyou."

Eunuch Zhao chuckled again and then said.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, how could I possibly know Her Majesty's thoughts? If I did know, I wouldn't be here to greet you all; I would certainly be guarding Her Majesty the Empress."

Upon hearing Eunuch Zhao's words, a thoughtful look flashed across Zhao Zheng's eyes.

From the meaning of Eunuch Zhao's words, it was clear that he already knew that the Northern You Empress had recently met with the royal family members.

However, Zhao Zheng was somewhat puzzled as to what Empress Beiyou meant by giving such a grand reception to these members of the royal family.

Soon Zhao Zheng arrived outside the Phoenix Palace, awaiting the summons of the Northern You Empress.

After waiting for a while, Zhao Zheng watched as a member of the royal family emerged from the palace with a smile on his face. Suddenly, a eunuch inside the palace summoned Zhao Zheng to enter.

Upon hearing the summons, Zhao Zheng straightened his clothes and strode into the palace with his head held high. However, he was dumbfounded as soon as he entered the palace.

Because there was another man in the palace, others might not know who this man was, but Zhao Zheng knew very well that this man was the Free and Unfettered Supreme, one of the five supreme beings in the world.

Upon seeing this, even Zhao Zheng, who wasn't usually gossipy, couldn't help but secretly wonder if these two supreme beings were Daoist partners.

So intimate.

After all, when the Supreme Lord Xiaoyao was seriously injured, the first thing he did was to rush to the capital of the Northern Netherworld to find the Empress of the Northern Netherworld. Now that the Empress of the Northern Netherworld is injured and the Supreme Lord Xiaoyao is in charge of the capital of the Northern Netherworld, the two must have some kind of secret relationship.

Just as Zhao Zheng was making wild guesses in his mind...

A majestic voice suddenly spoke.

"You are considered one of the more intelligent people in the Northern You royal family. Sit quietly in the palace for a quarter of an hour, and then leave. I believe you should know what to say and what not to say."

"Kid, I understand."

Zhao Zheng lowered his head respectfully, but his eyes were still thoughtful.

Zhao Zheng was somewhat at a loss because of the Northern You Empress's move.

Just then, the Supreme Being of Freedom suddenly felt a sense of surprise and stared at Zhao Zheng's body with some astonishment.

"Kid, I sense a familiar aura about you. It's as if I've seen you somewhere before."

These words caused Zhao Zheng to break out in a cold sweat instantly, because he seemed to have responded to the call of the Supreme Being of Freedom and came to the capital of the Northern Netherworld to discuss matters concerning the secret realm.

It seems they made a little splash back then.

However, Zhao Zheng calmed down and said...

"The young man is near His Highness the Prince of Beiyouyan. Everyone around him says that the young man looks very much like his father, so perhaps this gentleman has met my father before."

Zhao Zheng pretended not to know the identity of the Supreme Being of Freedom and spoke casually.

The carefree supreme being casually stroked his chin, then nodded as if agreeing with the statement.

"No wonder, so you're the Prince of Yan's child. I remember when I first met the Prince of Yan, he was just a child. Now even the child is so grown up. Time really waits for no one."

The carefree Celestial Venerable seemed somewhat sentimental, yet also somewhat detached.

Zhao Zheng stared at the carefree demeanor of the Supreme Being for a long time, until a voice suddenly rang out.

"Kid, don't get involved."

Zhao Zheng, who had been somewhat drowsy, instantly became alert, his sleepy state replaced by a clear one.

Pretend to be drowsy, or you won't be leaving this palace today.

Ye Yi suddenly spoke again.

Instantly, Zhao Zheng followed Ye Yi's instructions and began to pretend.