Chapter 163 Battle Against the Dark Guards

Ultimately, it was the emperor who was too vicious and cold-blooded, able to use such despicable means against a pregnant woman.

Wen Zhiming didn't ask any more questions. Li Yan'er had lost both her child and her body, and Lian Yan was definitely in a worse situation than him.

"She is your woman. Give her a proper burial. In the future, find out if she has any other relatives. If they were forced to sell her into the palace, compensate them with a sum of money. If no one cares about her, then it's not necessary. If you wish, offer her incense on holidays."

That was all he could do for Li Yan'er.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'll take her with me then. I'll come back to see you after I've finished dealing with this."

After finishing his words, he drove away in the carriage carrying Li Yan'er.

Wen Zhiming did not leave immediately. He sat in another empty carriage and looked up at the sky.

It seemed as if they were waiting for someone.

Ye Jian possessed extraordinary lightness skills. From the Hall of Diligent Governance to the palace gate, a journey that would normally take more than an hour on foot and about half an hour on horseback, he only took about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Unfortunately, by the time the Emperor gave him the instructions, Wen Zhiming's carriage had already arrived at the palace gate. So even though he was fast, by the time he reached the palace gate, Wen Zhiming had already disappeared.

Ye Jian handed the token to the head guard at the palace gate, ordering them to quickly go to Wen Zhiming's residence to arrest him, while he searched the vicinity of the palace gate alone to see if there were any other clues.

And he actually found it.

He saw a carriage stopped at the intersection, and a person sitting in the carriage looked exactly like Prince Wen.

But that shouldn't be the case.

Prince Wen should be at his residence now, or he should have been rescued by the Prince of Anshun. Why would he be sitting alone in a carriage at this quiet intersection?

But the clothes and shoes were clearly the same as Wen Zhiming's attire today, and even the posture and expression were almost identical.

As Ye Jian drew closer, he became increasingly convinced that this person was Wen Zhiming. Just when he was certain that he had struck gold and could capture the person the Emperor wanted without lifting a finger.

Wen Zhiming slowly sat up, his calm gaze fixed on him with a half-smile.

"You've arrived a little later than I expected. The Emperor has a pair of extremely skilled bodyguards named Ye Jian and Ye Fan. Who are you?"

Ye Jian was startled, as if she had seen a ghost.

Seeing Wen Zhiming at this deserted intersection was already quite strange, but now Wen Zhiming was even able to guess his identity and speak to him in such a calm and unhurried tone.

This is more terrifying than seeing a ghost.

Ye Jian subconsciously took a step back, shocked, and said, "You're cured? Then why haven't you run away yet?"

Wen Zhiming's expression remained calm. "I'm waiting for you."

Ye Jian had been hiding around the Emperor and had a particularly deep impression of Prince Wen.

Prince Wen's idiocy doesn't seem to be an act at all; similarly, his current composure and confidence are not something a fool could fake.

Therefore, there is only one truth.

Prince Wen was indeed a fool before, but he's better now.

Having figured out the problem, Ye Jian felt much more at ease.

Regardless of Wen Zhiming's reasons for not leaving, now that he has discovered her, she has no choice but to be captured.

His expression instantly turned cold and grim. "I am Ye Jian. Now that the young master has recovered, he should flee immediately. I am here on orders to arrest you. Regardless of whether you are normal or not, I must bring you before the Emperor."

Wen Zhiming's smile remained unchanged. "I told you I'm waiting for you. Once I defeat you, you can tell the Emperor that I will leave."

Ye Jian didn't take his words to heart.

As the emperor's top bodyguard, he was virtually unmatched, not only in the palace but also in the entire martial arts world. For a prince who had just escaped his status as a fool to defeat him was nothing short of a fantasy.

"His Majesty has discovered that Prince Anshun has escaped and is currently conducting a thorough search of the entire palace. If they cannot find him inside the palace, they will soon search outside. You have already missed your chance and have nowhere to escape. If you know what's good for you, you should surrender."

"Is that so?" Wen Zhiming glanced in the direction of the palace and said confidently, "They won't be that fast. It will take at least another quarter of an hour, while I won't need that long to defeat you."

With Ren Yang and Deputy Commander Liu gone, the Imperial Guards were leaderless, and the Imperial Guards were busy putting out fires. The palace was in complete chaos, and the Emperor was unaware that he had recovered, so they could not search outside the palace for the time being.

He had taken these factors into consideration, which was why he dared to wait here for the emperor's secret guards.

In the Emperor's eyes, a single night's note could easily bring him down.

Not only the Emperor, but Ye Jian also thought so.

So when he heard Wen Zhiming say that he could beat him in less than a quarter of an hour, he could no longer tolerate Wen Zhiming's arrogance.

As the cold laugh rang out, Ye Jian pointed his long sword directly at Wen Zhiming's brow. The emperor wanted him alive, so he held back when he struck. He originally intended to just pierce Wen Zhiming's skin with the sword to let him know how powerful he was.

Just as the longsword was a finger's distance from Wen Zhiming's brow, Wen Zhiming's figure flickered and disappeared in front of the sword. In the blink of an eye, Wen Zhiming was in front of him, and a ring-pommel sword that gleamed silver in the night slashed straight at his right hand holding the sword.

Ye Jian stared in shock, her eyes widening.

He didn't see when the other person took out the knife, and the knife was already above his right hand.

This one action and speed made him realize that Wen Zhiming's words earlier about defeating him were not an exaggeration.

He is indeed a very skilled martial arts master.

How could that be?

Just a few hours ago, he was just a fool who could only wail after his wife died. How could a person change so much in such a short time?

Ye Jian didn't have time to think. Wen Zhiming's knife was very sharp and fast. He was slightly distracted and his arm was slashed.

He had to be extremely careful and use all his skills to barely evade Wen Zhiming's attacks.

And so it was only temporary. As time went by, Wen Zhiming's attacks became even fiercer, and he was completely powerless to fight back.

Having dodged the attack of the ring-pommel sword, Ye Jian was kicked away by Wen Zhiming. As he fell to the ground coughing up blood, he had no choice but to lower his head and say, "I lost."

He didn't know how long they had been fighting, but it certainly hadn't been more than fifteen minutes.

Wen Zhiming looked down at him and said with a slight smile, "You seem quite unconvinced."

Ye Jian spoke frankly, "How could you be so amazing? This shouldn't be... Could it be that you've been faking it for the past ten years or so?"

Wen Zhiming sheathed the knife.

"Of course not. But my master is Ye Guhong."

Meeting Ye Jian's shocked gaze, Wen Zhiming nodded and continued.

"It's that Lone Goose Shadow, the number one martial arts master, who has been wanted by five countries but has never been caught."