The Emperor then stepped out from behind the curtain and stood before the crowd, raising his hand and saying, "Rise, you big frog! As for the rest of you, since you are willing to shout for battle, I will certainly arrange a good place for you, so that you can redeem yourselves by making meritorious contributions at the border! Liu Xun, this matter is entrusted to you! There is always a shortage of manpower for border guards, so you must make a special arrangement."
Everyone thought they would lose their lives today, but unexpectedly, they were cleared of their identities and put on military uniforms. They all admired the emperor's magnanimity! They secretly vowed to turn over a new leaf and start anew.
Seeing that all was lost, the frog gave up the idea of making money and said, "Your Majesty! The frog is willing to give this treasure to the court!"
The Emperor was also curious about what was inside the box, so he smiled and said, "Since the Frog Hero is so chivalrous and loyal, how could I refuse? I just don't know what's in this box. Let's open it and take a look!"
Humans are always curious, and not only the Emperor, but everyone in the audience also wanted to feast their eyes. Rumor has it that it's a martial arts manual! Practicing this manual can greatly increase one's power.
Facing the Emperor and the thousands of bright eyes below the stage, the frog spoke up, "Legend has it that three jade pendants are needed to open this treasure box, otherwise it will never be able to be opened. However, I only have one treasure box and not three jade pendants."
The words had barely left his lips when a demonic voice exploded in the air, "I have it! Hahahahahaha..."
This demonic sound contained profound internal energy; those who understood internal energy were shaken so badly that they coughed up blood from their mouths and noses and lost their balance. Those who did not understand internal energy only found the sound grating and nothing more.
As the demonic sound entered, a person wearing a black cloak and a devil mask flew over the heads of the crowd and landed steadily on the stage.
With a swift extension of its talons, the box in the frog's hand flew into the other's.
He picked up the box and examined it for a moment, then said, "Something's wrong with this box, it's so light!"
Everyone was confused. Wasn't the rumor that three jade pendants were needed? Why weren't they jade pendants anymore?
The frog vehemently denied it, saying, "Who are you? How dare you spout such nonsense! You talk as if you've seen this treasure box before! Don't be delusional."
The masked man just smiled easily, "Who I am is not important! This box is mine!" After saying that, he was about to leave the scene.
They were immediately surrounded and attacked by three thousand guards, and after a fierce battle, the guards gradually lost ground. Qiu Zeyu leaped into the melee and managed to stabilize the situation.
Just as the battle raged on, Nanfang Nan led a large number of troops to surround Hua Manlou, unaware that the situation outside had changed drastically.
Taking advantage of a moment, Qi Qiuping secretly slipped away with Qiu Yuxian. The frog saw this and, thinking it best to be lenient, let them go.
The two had barely slipped out the door, and before they could even laugh, they were mistaken for assassins by archers lying in ambush by Nanfang Nan, and riddled with arrows. Neither of them could have imagined that a small auction would lead to their deaths.
Before the two could even breathe their last, Nanfang Nan gave the order, and the crowd surged in, completely surrounding everyone inside. Nanfang Nan, with his archers and superior numbers, quickly regained control of the situation and addressed the crowd, "Today! The treasure is mine! The empire is mine too! Those who understand the times are wise; I advise you to think carefully before choosing sides."
Qiu Zeyu and the masked man hadn't anticipated that they would be the ones stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Nanfang Nan had wiped them all out.
The masked man, no longer interested in fighting for the treasure, only wanted to disappear as quickly as possible. He scattered a puff of sleeping powder and was about to flee when he was suddenly met with a barrage of fire from Nanfang Nan's crossbowmen, and slammed heavily off the roof beam!
Nanfang Nan ripped off his mask, and after seeing the man's face clearly, she paused for a moment and then burst into laughter, "Who do we have here? It's Murong Yunhai!"
Upon hearing this, Murong Xingchen immediately rushed over to confirm! It really was her uncle.
The eldest uncle, with blood flowing from his mouth and nose, still had sharp eyes and was cursing, "You, Nanfang Nan, we've always kept to ourselves! We've always lived in peace, but today you've attacked me, so don't blame me for being ruthless!" After saying that, he whistled, and in an instant, a swarm of black bats rushed into the house, biting everyone and sending them running for their lives.
The three thousand secret guards and a group of scheming traitors were quickly routed.
Qiu Zeyu and Liu Xun protected the Emperor, while Nan Fangnan retreated to a corner while slashing away, and the crowd was in complete chaos.
Some people screamed in agony as they were bitten, while others fought back fiercely.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Lan Yamei had no choice but to take out a bunch of firecrackers and launch them at the swarm of bats. Startled, the bats scattered in droves within two minutes, leaving behind only a mess!
At this moment, Murong Yunhai had already been killed by Nanfang Nan in the chaos! Unfortunately, Nanfang Nan was also bitten by bats in two places, and his soldiers were also injured to varying degrees.
Murong Xingchen, realizing his guilt, immediately knelt down. "Your Majesty, my uncle... I don't know when he became like this. He has truly disgraced our family! He deserves to die! Please forgive him, Your Majesty!"
What happened today far exceeded His Majesty's expectations; he himself escaped death by a hair's breadth, and was therefore extremely furious.
Qiu Zeyu was unwilling to get too involved, fearing that pursuing the matter would damage the national image, so he pleaded, "Your Majesty, it seems that Murong Qingyun has definitely gone mad!" At this moment, he had to clear his family and his uncle of any involvement.
Liu Xun also advised from the side, "Your Majesty, let's take this matter seriously and try to minimize the damage or resolve the issue altogether, so as to ensure the safety of our defenses."
The Emperor could only sigh and scold, "Frog Hero, this place is yours! There's not a shred of safety! Killing and robbing! Tell me, how are you going to clean this up!"
The frog, trembling with fear, hurriedly knelt down, pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
Nanfang Nan laughed heartily, "Your own subjects are writhing in agony, yet you blame a frog. Is this your way of governing?"
"Nanfang Nan! You should never have been born! Because of you, the Bai family was wiped out! You are a jinx, bringing misery to the world. If I cannot kill you today, I will never return to court!" As soon as these words were spoken, the guards immediately started fighting with the people brought by Nanfang Nan. The two sides were evenly matched and it was difficult to determine a winner for a time.
"Nonsense!" With that, Nanfang Nan flew forward in a fit of rage and attempted to assassinate the emperor.
Qiu Zeyu, Liu Xun, and Murong Xingchen naturally refused and together they attacked Nan Fangnan.
Amidst the flashing blades and the clash of swords, Nanfang Nan was unable to fight against three opponents and was captured by the group!
Seeing that the kingpin had been captured, all the accomplices surrendered.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor sighed and said, "We are all of the same origin, why are you so eager to harm each other! Guards, take Nanfang Nan back to Chang'an, and send the rest of them to the army."
Nanfang Nan refused to submit and tried to resist, but was shot in the chest by an archer and immediately collapsed to the ground. The Emperor ordered an examination to confirm that there was no chance of survival before he breathed a sigh of relief, "Since he is already dead..."
At this moment, Murong Yunhai also coughed up a mouthful of blood and finally collapsed to the ground, his face stubborn. No one knew that the arrow that shot Murong Yunhai was coated with deadly poison.
The frog suddenly exclaimed, "Look! The wooden box has gotten bigger!"
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the original wooden box had become twice its original size.
"What's going on?" the Emperor asked Frog Hero.
"It must have been an accidental triggering of the mechanism!" the frog said nonsensically.
The Emperor rolled his eyes at Murong Xingchen and sat down with a displeased expression.
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