Without hesitation, Chen Zhennan pulled the pin on the grenade, flipped his wrist, and threw it into the noisy auditorium behind him.

"boom!"

In an instant, a deafening explosion rang out, shattering the doors and windows of the auditorium. Wood chips and glass shards flew everywhere, and smoke billowed, plunging the entire Li residence into chaos.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Chen Zhennan, like a nimble cheetah, swiftly traversed the disorderly crowd and sprinted towards the exit of the mansion.

Upon seeing this, the two guards quickly drew their swords and stood in front of him, trying to stop Chen Zhennan from escaping.

Chen Zhennan's eyes narrowed, and he pulled the trigger twice in quick succession. The bullets accurately pierced the chests of the two men, blood splattered, and the two guards fell to the ground, unable to get up.

"Those who block the way shall die!"

After saying that, Chen Zhennan put away his pistol and rushed out of the Li residence without hesitation.

Behind him, the footsteps of the pursuers gradually drew closer. Chen Zhennan took out another grenade, pulled the pin, and casually tossed it on the ground.

"boom!"

Another loud bang! The five pursuers at the front were knocked to the ground by the huge impact of the grenade, and the rest of them dared not continue the chase.

...

An hour later, in the main hall of the palace, Emperor Song Xuan received news that enraged him: Li Yan had been killed in public by Chen Zhennan.

Anger and humiliation surged within Song Xuan, like the calm before a volcanic eruption, ready to burst forth.

Song Xuan was furious, his eyes blazing with anger, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Outrageous! Chen Zhennan, you've gone too far! How dare you make a move right under my nose! This is a blatant provocation!"

Song Xuan slammed the imperial seal heavily onto the dragon table, the sound so loud that it terrified the guards and ministers in the hall.

"Issue my decree: seal off the entire capital city. Chen Zhennan must be found. I will make him pay the price!"

A more intense search was launched in the capital, but the result was no different from before. No matter how bustling the city or how quiet the secluded alleys, Chen Zhennan could not be found.

...

As night fell, Chen Zhennan hid deep within Wu Yunyin's villa, his face appearing particularly cold and stern in the candlelight.

The secret letter clutched in his hand, its words flickering in the dim light, hinted at a conspiracy.

Chen Zhennan carefully read the letters from Zhou Jianjia and Wang Gan, his brows furrowed, his heart churning with turmoil.

"Zhou Jianjia is still the same as always, impatiently urging Song Xuan to speed up the process."

Chen Zhennan snorted coldly, setting Zhou Jianjia's letter aside, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

"Wang Gan's letter, however, is quite substantial."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunming moved closer and looked down at the secret letter in his hand.

"Song Xuan, abide by the agreement, withdraw the troops stationed on the western border, and return my homeland of Da Gan. Otherwise, you will face the anger and retaliation of the entire Da Gan." Song Yunming muttered, a slight smile appearing on his face.

Chen Zhennan smiled faintly, "It seems Wang Gan is desperate. He's not thinking straight; he still can't see that Song Xuan wants to take over Da Gan."

"Brother-in-law, there are more words at the end."

Song Yunming's gaze fell on the back of the letter, where Song Xuan's reply was hidden, just a few lines.

Chen Zhennan turned the letter over, and on the back were several lines of red characters, clearly imperial edicts.

"Brother, do not worry. I will keep my promise, recall the border troops, and return the land. I hope this will quell the war and bring peace."

Chen Zhennan felt something was amiss the more he looked at it. Song Xuan had seized power and ascended the throne, and was now riding high and extremely confident. How could he possibly back down to Wang Gan?

“Song Xuan’s reply is a trap. Song Xuan definitely wants to take over Da Gan. I think we should go to Da Gan and talk to Wang Gan face to face.”

Song Yunming twitched the corner of his mouth. His future brother-in-law really had a wildly imaginative mind, always coming up with something unexpected.

"Brother-in-law, are you crazy? You're the one who conquered all of Da Gan's territory. Now you're just walking into the lion's den?"

Chen Zhennan smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "Don't worry, I have my own plans. As long as the strategy is right, even in the lion's den, we can remain safe."

Although Song Yunming still had doubts, Chen Zhennan's certainty gave him confidence.

I've been following Chen Zhennan for quite a while now, and every time he manages to escape danger, it's not just a matter of luck.

"Alright, since you put it that way, let's go together. But I'm worried, didn't Song Xuan reinforce Tianyang Pass? What about my sister's side?"

Upon hearing Song Yunming's question, Chen Zhennan couldn't help but snort and sneer.

"These 50,000 people are now mine. Do you remember how Song Xuan came back?"

Upon hearing this, Song Yunming suddenly realized what was going on.

"You mean Zhou Xiang?"

Chen Zhennan nodded slightly: "Yes, around tomorrow, these 50,000 men will be able to meet Zhou Xiang. Since Tianyang Pass is temporarily out of the question, I will make sure that their forces cannot be linked together, thus trapping their 100,000-strong army and forcing them to retreat on their own initiative."

After saying that, Chen Zhennan put the two secret letters into his chest. These were important pieces of evidence, and he had to show them to Wang Gan.

"Go to sleep, we'll leave tomorrow."

"Oh, goodnight."

The following morning, Chen Zhennan led Song Yunming out of the capital through a tunnel, disguised and traveling in an inconspicuous carriage.

The scenery along the way was beautiful, but Chen Zhennan had no time to appreciate it; he wasn't there for tourism.

But Song Yunming was incredibly relaxed, lying on his side in the carriage drinking and eating meat, enjoying the scenery along the way.

The journey was not short, and it took five full days for the two to finally reach the border of Dagan.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!