area51novel Page 370
Page 370
Ma Jinliang was the same, holding the bare hilt of his sword, refusing to offer any explanation.
"You didn't know I was here, but you certainly didn't know the Prince was inside! Cao the old dog and Yu the old dog, how dare you treat the Prince like this!"
"Two unfilial bastards!"
Old Guo was furious and sneered, a murderous intent gradually creeping into his eyes.
He had assumed that no matter how outrageous the two factories were, they would at least maintain basic courtesy to the prince. However, these two actually dared to attack the prince right in front of him.
Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang were at a loss for words, as their actions just now were not specifically aimed at the Prince Xian.
In order to compete with each other, they had already fought several times on the way, and for a moment they forgot to stop.
Anything said now would be wrong. The two exchanged a glance and, without prior arrangement, knelt down in the street, bowing deeply to Chu Yang in the inn, and cried out, "This humble servant deserves to die! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
In his anger, Lao Guo forgot that Chu Yang had told him to keep it a secret. Coupled with the loud voices of Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang, everyone on the street knew Chu Yang's true identity.
Chu Yang seemed not to hear, licked the spout of the pot, swallowed the last drop of wine, and smiled contentedly.
Guo Furong, sitting next to him, was dumbfounded. From childhood to adulthood, she had guessed that Chu Yang might be the son of some high-ranking official, but she never expected that he would be the infamous Prince Xian.
Although my senior brother is a bit eccentric and lives a rather extravagant life, he is not comparable to the legendary Prince Xian, who is a notorious scoundrel in the capital.
How am I supposed to face my senior brother now...?
Chu Yang glanced at Guo Furong's expression and could roughly guess what she was thinking. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Is my reputation really that bad? Even you want to distance yourself from me?"
"No way, don't talk nonsense, that's not what I thought at all." Guo Furong's face turned red instantly, and she immediately denied it three times.
Chu Yang said nonchalantly, "What's so hard about admitting this? I know better than anyone how outrageous I am."
Anxious and uneasy, Tong Xiangyu led the others over, knelt down without saying a word, and called out in a drawn-out voice, "This commoner pays respects to Your Highness."
Bai Zhantang's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground as well.
Seeing that everyone inside the house was kneeling, and two more were kneeling outside the door, Chu Yang felt no joy whatsoever.
"Get up, I don't like seeing people kneeling."
Upon hearing this, Tong Xiangyu pulled the others to their feet quickly, but they didn't know what to say.
Just as everyone was in a dilemma, Chu Yang suddenly looked out onto the street and said coldly, "You two, keep kneeling!"
Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang, who had already stood up, were stunned for a moment, then knelt down again with embarrassed expressions. As they lowered their heads, a murderous glint flashed in their eyes at the same time.
He's just a useless prince. Once you lose the emperor's favor, I will repay you a hundredfold for the humiliation you caused me today.
Afterwards, the two secretly exchanged glances, and decided to cooperate in order to get revenge.
Cao Shaoqin clasped his hands and said, "The Grand Supervisor has ordered us to escort the Prince back to the capital. Please do not make things difficult for us."
Ma Jinliang said in a hoarse voice, "This is also the Emperor's will. Your Highness, please come back with us."
This statement was also a reminder to Lao Guo not to interfere recklessly and not to openly defy the emperor's wishes.
Old Guo frowned and looked at Chu Yang.
Chu Yang coldly swept his gaze over the two men, flicked his finger, and an invisible sword aura slashed out. With two soft thuds, Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang each lost an arm in full view of everyone.
Before they could even cry out in pain, they glared at Chu Yang in shock and anger.
"Tell the one in the capital that I don't want to go back for the time being, and I have no interest in his throne. I'll just be a good emperor and we'll keep to ourselves."
Are Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang weak?
As the heads of the two factories and the future supervisors of the two factories, their strength is not much different from that of the leaders of the major sects in the martial arts world.
It could even be said that, apart from the leaders of a few top sects, they could overpower most of the top martial arts masters.
The same applies to the imperial court!
Among the two marquises and one family, the two factories and one guard, apart from their respective leaders who can firmly suppress them, the so-called Four Great Secret Agents, Four Great Constables, and Four Great Divine Constables under their command are at most evenly matched with them.
These two, who were virtually invincible in the world, had their arms easily severed, leaving them utterly powerless to fight back.
Old Guo was filled with horror!
If it were him, defeating Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang wouldn't be difficult, but crippling them so easily would be impossible.
Those whose strength was comparable to his were also no match.
This shows the gap between him and Chu Yang.
"The prince's strength is unfathomable!"
"If His Majesty learns of this, he will likely be unable to eat or sleep in peace from now on. Who knows what kind of bloodshed the Ming Dynasty will face next..."
As the late emperor's most favored prince, although he now lives a dissolute life, he is still different from others.
Chu Yang kept saying he didn't care about the throne, but his words were already quite disrespectful. What frightened Lao Guo even more was that despite his power, he had remained silent and patient until today...
A moment later, Chu Yang walked out the door carrying a wine jug. In the aftermath of the battle, the street outside the door was in ruins.
It's not that Lao Guo wasn't restrained enough, but rather that the destructive power of martial artists these days is terrifying. If he really went all out in a fight, he could even destroy the entire Seven Heroes Town.
Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang knelt amidst the ruins, each clutching their severed arms. Once they regained their senses, they immediately averted their gazes, no longer daring to look at Chu Yang who had already walked in front of them, their heads bowed and their expressions ferocious.
Chu Yang said leisurely, "I still prefer your previous unruly attitude."
Upon hearing this, the two began to kowtow simultaneously, their kowtows making a loud thud on the ground.
“I have offended Your Highness, and I deserve to die! I beg Your Highness to spare my life.”
"Please, Your Highness, show mercy!"
Chu Yang smiled kindly. "Both of you are renowned from the imperial court to the martial arts world. You can even stop a child from crying at night. You are quite a figure, aren't you? How about this, you take another move from me. Whoever survives, we'll let this matter rest."
"Consider this the last bit of dignity I'm giving you."
Cao Shaoqin did not answer, but kept kowtowing, his blood already soaking through the stone slab below his knees.
The same applies to Ma Jinliang.
They didn't even know how their arms were severed; they only felt a terrifying sword aura brush past them. Faced with such an enemy, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Even when facing their respective supervisors, the two had never felt such fear.
"Disappointing. How did you all get to the position of head of the gang?"
"Those roughnecks you look down on have more guts than you."
Chu Yang waved his hand dismissively and said, "Get lost!"
The two felt as if they had been granted a pardon. Holding their severed arm, they paced through the air and soon disappeared from sight.
With their robust health and vitality, if they can reattach their arms within a day, it shouldn't have a significant impact.
Watching the two leave, Lao Guo was about to speak when Chu Yang stopped him. He looked into the shadows of the alley and said indifferently, "If you keep hiding there watching the show, you won't be able to save your arm either."
Immediately, two men emerged from the dark alley. One was disheveled, resembling a beggar, and reeked of alcohol, looking somewhat颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of decadence, listlessness, and a颓废 appearance). The other wore a flying fish robe, sported a small mustache, and had a resolute face.
The two stood together, like light and shadow, creating a very strong contrast.
Chu Yang looked them over with great interest.
"Li Gexiao? Zuo Xiong?"
"Why are you here?"
Old Guo seemed to recognize the two men, and his tone became much friendlier, unlike when he was speaking to Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang.
Zuo Xiong, who had a small mustache, clasped his hands and said, "Lord Guo, Lord Zheng sent us. He was worried that the two castrated dogs would be disrespectful to the Prince."
Li Gexiao picked up the wine gourd at his waist, took a swig, and plopped down on the ground, his eyes glazed over, as if he didn't care about anything.
Seeing his dejected appearance, Lao Guo couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment. As Zheng Dongliu's personal disciple, Li Gexiao was once the most dazzling person in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and in terms of strength, he was even above Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang.
But a past event has ruined him into what he is now...
Several years ago, the emperor, traveling incognito to observe the people's conditions, happened to pass by the small winery run by Li Gexiao's wife, Jing Ruyi. During a rest stop, he took a liking to the beautiful Jing Ruyi.
After learning that Jing Ruyi had started a family, the emperor sat in the small wine shop for a long time before leaving.
The regret that the emperor felt was seen by the treacherous minister Yan Song.
In an attempt to curry favor with the emperor, Jing Ruyi was later kidnapped by Yan Song's men, while Li Gexiao was away on a mission.
Before she could even be delivered to the emperor's bed, Jing Ruyi, in order to preserve her innocence, bit her tongue and committed suicide at Yan Song's house. Afterwards, Yan Song dumped her body in the wilderness.
When Li Gexiao found Jing Ruyi's body, it had already been devoured beyond recognition by wild beasts in the mountains.
Almost driven mad, Li Gexiao ignored Zheng Dongliu's attempts to stop him and charged into the Golden Palace with a knife, intending to kill Yan Song to avenge his wife. However, he was captured on the spot by the two Divine Marquises.
The emperor was furious. Even after he learned the whole story, he still couldn't suppress his anger because Li Gexiao had offended his dignity, which was something he valued most.
Therefore, he not only did not punish Yan Song, but also imprisoned Li Gexiao in the imperial prison.
If Zheng Dongliu hadn't risked his life to protect Li Gexiao, and if the emperor hadn't shown consideration for his years of loyalty, Li Gexiao would have been beheaded long ago.
Li Gexiao, who suffered greatly in the imperial prison, was left with a host of chronic illnesses and lost one-tenth of his martial arts skills, becoming a veritable cripple. He and Chu Yang were known as the two greatest useless people in the capital amidst rumors and gossip.
The two became acquainted through this, often hanging out in the tavern, and also met another scoundrel with four eyebrows.
Thanks to Li Gexiao, the emperor's "concern" for Chu Yang decreased rapidly during that period, granting him considerable freedom.
As for Zuo Xiong, who travels with Li Gexiao, he is quite famous among the common people. He loves slaying demons and monsters most in his life, and his abilities are no less than those of the four famous constables of the Divine Constable Bureau.
"Left Commander" is both his official title and his nickname in the martial arts world. Ordinary demons would turn and run away as soon as they heard this name, just like seeing the King of Hell.