After a thorough investigation, Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze finally discovered that the minister who colluded with Murong Jin was actually a third-rank official—Minister Wu.
As night deepened, the two men, accompanied by royal guards, quietly made their way to Minister Wu's residence. However, when they arrived, the residence was deserted, and Minister Wu had vanished without a trace.
Xu Yuehuai frowned, looked up at the dark night sky, and said, "It seems that he had already gotten wind of it and fled."
Qi Guze's eyes were cold as he decisively ordered, "Immediately seal off the entire capital city. We must capture him no matter what!"
Upon receiving the order, the royal guards immediately dispersed to search the entire city for Minister Wu. A climate of fear and unease gripped the capital, with everyone living in constant anxiety.
Less than a day later, news arrived that Minister Wu was hiding in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city. Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze immediately led their guards to arrest him.
Inside the dilapidated temple, Minister Wu, dressed in tattered monk's robes, looked haggard. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes when he saw Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze, but he quickly regained his composure. He gripped a dagger tightly in his hand, pushing several innocent civilians in front of him as shields.
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai shouted angrily, "Minister Wu, how dare you use innocent civilians as a shield? This is utterly disrespectful!"
Minister Wu sneered and said, "I am already at my wit's end, what do I have to fear? If you want to arrest me, you'll have to step over these people first!"
Qi Guze's eyes turned cold. He knew that a forced attack at this moment would inevitably harm innocent people. A thought struck him, and he shouted to Minister Wu, "Minister Wu, do you know your crime? You colluded with Murong Jin and betrayed the court; your crime is unforgivable! If you lay down your weapons now and hand over clues about Murong Jin, you might still be spared a proper burial!"
Upon hearing this, Minister Wu hesitated for a moment. He glanced at the people behind him, then at Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze in front of him, his mind in turmoil.
Just then, Qi Guze suddenly drew his sword, and with a flash of light, pointed it directly at Minister Wu.
Minister Wu was shocked and instinctively tried to dodge. However, Qi Guze's swordsmanship was incredibly fast, and with a single strike, he knocked the dagger from Minister Wu's hand.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Yuehuai stepped forward, grabbed Wu Chenda by the collar, and lifted him up. Wu Chenda was deathly pale and powerless to resist.
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze together brought Minister Wu back to the palace and handed him over to Emperor Qi Hanlin for punishment. Emperor Qi Hanlin sat upright on the dragon throne, his face ashen, his eyes flashing coldly as he stared directly at Minister Wu. He shouted sternly, "Minister Wu, do you know your crime?"
Minister Wu knelt on the ground, his body trembling, his voice shaking slightly: "Your Majesty, I know my crime. But I was forced into this situation! Murong Jin threatened the lives of my family, and I had no choice but to comply!"
Qi Hanlin sneered, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "As a high-ranking official of the court, you were actually blackmailed by Murong Jin, how laughable! Do you know that you have not only betrayed me, but also the entire nation of the Great Zhou!"
Minister Wu lowered his head, speechless, his heart filled with regret and helplessness. He knew his sins were grave, but since things had come to this, he could only accept the emperor's judgment.
Just then, Minister Wu suddenly raised his head, a hint of resentment in his eyes: "You are just a prince picked up from outside, and you may very well be a fake like the previous Bei Ye. I will not listen to your orders."
Upon hearing this, Qi Guze frowned and retorted, "How could you fake a birthmark on your body? And how could you fake the Empress Dowager's verification? You're really confused!"
Qi Hanlin snorted coldly, his eyes flashing even colder: "Your crimes are unforgivable, you deserve to die!"
Hahahaha!
Upon hearing this, Minister Wu turned pale and gave a bitter smile.
Minister Wu was then dragged off the throne by royal guards and taken to a prison to await his fate. His destiny was sealed; he would not escape death.
A few days later, the palace square was bustling with noise, as a grand execution ceremony was about to take place.
Minister Wu and Murong Jin were bound hand and foot and taken to the execution platform.
Around the square, onlookers discussed the crimes of the two serious offenders and their impending execution.
Just then, Murong Jin suddenly burst into laughter, his voice filled with arrogance and disdain: "My divine skill is complete. Today, I will have all of you sacrifice your divine skill to the heavens!"
Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. Murong Jin suddenly broke free of his restraints, his figure blurring as he attacked those around him. His martial arts were extremely unpredictable, sometimes as fast as lightning, sometimes as slow as a snail, making him impossible to defend against.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
"not good!"
Upon seeing this, Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai immediately drew their swords and met Murong Jin's attack. Both were masters of swordsmanship, and for a moment, their swords flashed and their auras surged.
However, Murong Jin's martial arts skills seemed unfathomable, and the two of them were unable to defeat him for the time being.
The battle lasted for a long time. Although Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze tried their best, they were unable to harm Murong Jin in the slightest.
"Hahaha! None of you are a match for me! Today is the day of your deaths!"
Murong Jin grew increasingly arrogant, his laughter echoing across the square as if mocking everyone's incompetence.
Just then, Murong Jin suddenly let out a long howl, and his aura surged instantly. He slammed out a palm, the wind from his palm like a blade, directly slashing towards Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze.
Startled, the two quickly dodged. However, Murong Jin's palm strikes seemed to have eyes, relentlessly pursuing them, leaving them nowhere to escape.
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze knew they couldn't continue to passively take hits like this. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously attacked Murong Jin.
However, Murong Jin was not afraid at all. His figure was elusive, sometimes appearing behind Xu Yuehuai and sometimes in front of Qi Guze. His palm techniques were unpredictable and difficult to defend against.
Just as the two were about to be trapped, Murong Jin suddenly let out a wild laugh: "You two juniors, you think you can catch me? What a fool you are! Today, I will show you my divine skills!"
"Bang—!"
With that, he suddenly struck out with his palm, a powerful force blasting towards Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze. The two were startled and quickly channeled their inner energy to defend themselves.
However, Murong Jin's palm strike was too strong. The two of them felt a tremendous force coming from him, and their bodies involuntarily retreated.
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze struggled to steady themselves, but their faces showed signs of exhaustion. They knew that Murong Jin's martial arts were unfathomable, and if this continued, they would probably not be able to hold on.
Just then, Murong Jin flashed and appeared in front of Xu Yuehuai in an instant. Xu Yuehuai was startled, but it was too late to react.
Murong Jin struck out with a palm, aiming straight for Xu Yuehuai's chest.
Xu Yuehuai felt a chill in her heart, knowing that she could no longer avoid it. However, at that moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side and stood in front of Xu Yuehuai.
It was Qi Guze!
He used his own body to shield Xu Yuehuai from Murong Jin's attack.
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