Surging Waves! A Toast to You!

"You might not believe me, but I truly have no intention of rebelling."

Chu Yang felt he had been grievously misunderstood. He truly had no interest in the throne.

"I believe you, but His Majesty may not. Your Highness should be careful."

Lao Guo gave Chu Yang a deep look. The bond forged through years of companionship told him that Chu Yang was not lying.

However, one indisputable fact lay before them: rebellion was not something Chu Yang could settle with a few words. The one who could truly decide whether Chu Yang intended to rebel was the Emperor.

If the Emperor believed he might rebel, then he would certainly be deemed a rebel.

"He already sits at the highest position, holding the power of life and death over the realm. Surely he does not lack even that much magnanimity…"

"If that really is the case, then he is unworthy of that position. He might as well abdicate early and yield it to someone more worthy."

A cold smile curled at Chu Yang’s lips.

Though everyone was putting on an act to some extent, the Emperor had treated him fairly well over the years. At the very least, he had never lacked wealth or luxury.

This counted as giving him an opportunity. If the Emperor failed to cherish it, Chu Yang naturally would not hold back either.

Besides, the throne was truly worthless in his eyes.

Would a billionaire really fight a beggar on the street over a hundred coins?

Lao Guo had no response—or rather, he did not dare respond. The air around them seemed to grow increasingly oppressive.

He even began hoping the Eastern Depot people would arrive soon and divert the Prince’s attention. Better them than him.

Seeing that Lao Guo was sitting with him as though on pins and needles, and that it was rather strange for two grown men to remain cooped up in a room, Chu Yang took the lead in walking out.

At last, Lao Guo could let out the breath he had been holding.

At this time, a group of people sat in the main hall talking about something. Guo Furong appeared to have calmed down as well, and she had already decided to stay at Tongfu Inn for a while.

Chu Yang smiled and asked, "shopkeeper, can you make something to eat? I haven’t eaten all day, and I’m a little hungry now."

Tong Xiangyu hurriedly stood and said eagerly, "Hero Chu, please wait a moment. I’ll have Dazui make you something right away."

Chu Yang nodded. "Please make a little extra. My master will be staying for a meal before he leaves too."

Tong Xiangyu agreed with a smile and called for Li Dazui to get busy in the kitchen. She did not notice Bai Zhantang beside her breaking out in a cold sweat, sitting as though on a bed of nails.

Although he held a Reward Order, which theoretically meant his past crimes could be forgiven, Bai Zhantang still instinctively trembled when he saw Lao Guo.

The title of Six Doors Chief Constable was the nightmare of every criminal.

Guo Furong asked quietly, "Senior Brother, are you going back with my father?"

Chu Yang shook his head. "I plan to see a few friends. But before I leave, I still need to meet some people and talk with them."

Guo Furong asked curiously, "More people are coming? Could it be Senior Brother Zhui Feng and the others?"

"Your senior brothers all have important matters to attend to. They are not like you, loafing around all day and accomplishing nothing except causing trouble!"

Lao Guo descended slowly from the second floor with a grim expression.

Guo Furong was like a mouse seeing a cat. She trembled in fright and did not dare say another word.

Chu Yang could actually see Lao Guo’s intentions. If Guo Furong returned to the capital with him, someone would surely use her as a pretext. Punishment would be the least of it; the real concern was someone refusing to let the matter go.

Rather than let others seize a weakness, it was better to have Guo Furong stay outside. As long as she did not return to the capital, no one would dare do anything to her.

He just did not know whether Guo Furong, dense as she was, would ever understand Lao Guo’s painstaking intentions.

A moment later.

Li Dazui brought several hot dishes to the table. Chu Yang and Lao Guo took their seats, drinking and eating as they waited for the Eastern Depot’s people to arrive.

As the waiter, Bai Zhantang could not avoid coming into contact with Lao Guo. Perhaps because of the fear in his heart, he had already smashed seven or eight plates and teacups in no time.

Tong Xiangyu was so heartbroken she nearly fainted. In a tearful voice, she cried, "My white jade teacups! Zhantang, what’s wrong with you today? You look like your soul has left your body!"

Bai Zhantang’s face was pale, and he could not bring himself to say a word.

Seeing him like this, Tong Xiangyu immediately changed expression and asked with concern, "Zhantang, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Should we see a doctor?"

"Shopkeeper, I’m fine. I’ll be fine after resting in my room for a while!" Bai Zhantang waved his hand, eager to leave the main hall.

Lao Guo, who had long noticed something was wrong with Bai Zhantang, frowned and called out, "Wait!"

Bai Zhantang jolted violently. He turned back with extreme stiffness and asked, "Guo Juxia, what do you need?"

Lao Guo stared at Bai Zhantang without saying a word. That terrifying aura made Bai Zhantang feel as if he were suffocating, and he instinctively did not dare look at Lao Guo.

That one action was enough for Lao Guo to determine that Bai Zhantang was definitely a criminal.

Just as he was about to make a move, someone suddenly pressed down on his shoulder.

"Master, spare those you can spare." Chu Yang said with a smile. "He just received a Reward Order. Even if he had an unsavory past, it can now be wiped clean!"

"Am I right, Senior Thieving Sage?"

Thieving Saint Bai Yutang had been famous for many years, so it was not mockery for Chu Yang to call him senior.

However, that single address—Senior Thieving Sage—became the final straw that broke through Bai Zhantang’s mental defenses.

He collapsed onto the floor, his entire body going limp as he gulped down air like a drowning man.

There were no other guests in the inn. Only Tong Xiangyu and the others heard those words, but combined with Bai Zhantang’s reaction, they had no choice but to believe Chu Yang.

Everyone stared at Bai Zhantang with strange expressions.

The Thieving Sage!

A master thief who could be mentioned in the same breath as Chu Liuxiang had been living right beside them!

"Oh, so you are Thieving Saint Bai Yutang."

"You’re so young. Why did you choose such a path…?"

Lao Guo’s expression softened somewhat.

Unlike other criminals, Bai Zhantang’s background was rather special. Though his mother, Bai Cuiping, was also a famous thief in the Jianghu, she was secretly a Six Doors hook—an undercover agent responsible for relaying intelligence on the Jianghu’s criminal underworld.

She was playing the game of Infernal Affairs.

Strictly speaking, Bai Zhantang could be considered one of their own, so Lao Guo felt he needed to treat him differently.

"Guo Juxia, spare my life! I haven’t actually stolen much in all my years since entering the trade. Most of those crimes were pinned on me by others!"

Bai Zhantang broke into tears, snot and tears running together. He was terrified that the renowned Guo Juxia would throw him into the imperial prison and have his limbs severed like his mother’s.

Lao Guo looked at him with amusement. The Thieving Saint Bai Yutang before him was completely different from what he had imagined.

"I know. Get up already. What are you afraid of when you have a Reward Order? That thing is more than enough to erase your criminal record."

A perfectly good meal had been ruined by Bai Zhantang’s crying, leaving Chu Yang without any appetite. He set down his chopsticks helplessly.

BOOM!!!

The main doors of the hall suddenly exploded.

Two figures attacked Chu Yang from the left and right, as if competing over a treasure.

"Presumptuous!"

Lao Guo flew into a rage at the sight. He rose and stood before Chu Yang, striking the incoming men with two palms!

In an instant, the air shook and hummed!

Surging waves!

Why was the Surging Wave Palm called the Surging Wave Palm?

Because when a palm strike was unleashed and its force gathered to its peak, it was like towering waves crashing toward the heavens!

In terms of sheer force, if the Surging Wave Palm ranked second in the world, no one would dare claim first!

With one palm strike from Lao Guo, the terrifying force directly drove the two men back, forcing them out through the inn doors again. He then charged out after them.

Tong Xiangyu, Lu Xiucai, and the others dove beneath the counter as quickly as they could, trembling in fear.

"Oh, heavens, all this commotion every day! Are we ever going to live in peace?"

"My golden nanmu doors~~~"

Tong Xiangyu’s wail was mournful and melodic, almost carrying a tune.

"Shopkeeper, weren’t those doors picked out from the scrap market in Eighteen Li Village?"

Li Dazui looked utterly confused.

"Mind your own business! If I say they’re golden nanmu, then they’re golden nanmu! Talk back again and I’ll dock your wages!"

Tong Xiangyu panicked. Gone was her earlier frailty; she bared her teeth and claws as though she were about to devour someone.

Bai Zhantang trembled as he tried to edge toward Tong Xiangyu and the others, only for Chu Yang to stop him with a smile. "The food and wine have all been knocked over. Senior Thieving Sage, please bring me a pot of wine."

Someone had come knocking, and he still had the mood to drink?

Though he grumbled inwardly, Bai Zhantang knew he could not afford to offend the man before him. He obediently ran into the kitchen and brought out a pot of wine.

Chu Yang lifted the wine pot and drank by himself, smiling as he watched Lao Guo teach the two unruly fellows outside a lesson.

To Bai Zhantang, this only further confirmed that Chu Yang’s identity was extraordinary. There was not the slightest hint of a master-disciple relationship between him and Guo Juxia.

They looked more like an employer and his enforcer.

That thought gave Bai Zhantang a fright. There were not many people in the world who could treat the Six Doors Chief Constable as an enforcer…

"Senior Brother, who are those two outside?"

Watching Lao Guo fight the others, Guo Furong was not worried in the slightest. She had absolute confidence in Lao Guo. How could the greatest constable under heaven be harmed by a few nobodies?

"Judging by their clothes, they should be from the Eastern Depot and Western Depot. This is rather interesting. I thought only the Eastern Depot would come…"

Chu Yang smacked his lips, his eyes full of amusement as though he were enjoying the spectacle.

"So it’s those eunuchs. They’re used to throwing their weight around and bullying people, and today they’ve dared provoke us? Outrageous!"

Guo Furong was furious. Under normal circumstances, she would have charged out long ago, but she had yet to emerge from the shadow cast by the demons and could barely circulate her inner strength.

From the way they had attacked earlier, Bai Zhantang could tell that the Two Depots’ men were clearly targeting Chu Yang. It had nothing to do with throwing their weight around.

Chu Yang remained calm as ever, focused only on drinking, as though he did not care about the situation outside in the slightest. This left Bai Zhantang feeling uneasy.

Elsewhere, Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang were miserable beyond words. They never dreamed that Guo Bu Jing, the illustrious Six Doors Chief Constable, would appear here.

After several exchanges, Lao Guo’s heavy palm force had smashed their swords to pieces. Those were no ordinary swords—the worst material used to forge them was refined steel folded a hundred times.

"Lord Guo, please calm your anger. This subordinate did not know you were inside and had no intention of offending you!"

Cao Shaoqin clenched his teeth and exchanged a palm strike with Lao Guo. His internal organs immediately churned violently, and he hurriedly explained as he retreated.

Ma Jinliang was the same. Holding only a bare sword hilt, he continued to defend himself.

"You did not know I was here, but did you not know the Prince was inside? Cao, you old dog, and Yu, you old dog, how dare you have your men treat the Prince this way!"

"You two treasonous bastards!"

Lao Guo laughed coldly in extreme anger, killing intent gradually appearing in his eyes.

He had thought that no matter how outrageous the Two Bureaus became, they would at least show the Prince basic respect. Yet these two had actually dared attack the Prince right in front of him.

Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang could not defend themselves. Their actions just now had not been deliberately aimed at Prince Xian.

In order to compete against each other, they had already fought several times on the road before arriving. In the heat of the moment, they had forgotten to hold back.

Anything they said now would be wrong. The two exchanged glances, then unexpectedly knelt in the street at the same time and performed a deep kowtow toward Chu Yang inside the inn. They called out loudly, "This subordinate deserves death! We beg Prince Xian for forgiveness!"

In his anger, Lao Guo forgot that Chu Yang had previously told him to keep it secret. Coupled with Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang’s booming voices, the entire street now knew Chu Yang’s true identity.

Chu Yang acted as though he had not heard them. He licked the spout of the wine pot and swallowed the final drop of wine, revealing a satisfied smile.

Guo Furong, sitting beside him, was completely dumbfounded. Ever since childhood, she had guessed that Chu Yang might be the son of some high-ranking official, but she never expected him to be the infamous Prince Xian.

Though her senior brother was a little strange and lived somewhat extravagantly, he should not have been mentioned in the same breath as the Prince Xian of rumor. That man was a notoriously rotten scoundrel in the capital.

How was she supposed to face Senior Brother in the future…

With one glance at Guo Furong’s expression, Chu Yang could roughly guess what she was thinking. He could not help but laugh. "Is my reputation really that terrible? Even you want to distance yourself from me?"

"No, it’s not like that. Don’t spout nonsense, that’s not what I was thinking." Guo Furong’s face instantly turned red as she denied it three times in a row.

Chu Yang said indifferently, "What’s so bad about admitting it? I know better than anyone how terrible I am."

The uneasy Tong Xiangyu approached with the others. Without another word, she dropped to her knees and called out in an elongated voice, "This common woman greets Your Highness."

Bai Zhantang’s legs went weak, and he fell to his knees as well.

Seeing everyone inside kneeling in a row, while two more knelt outside, Chu Yang felt no happiness at all.

"Get up. I don’t like seeing people kneel."

At his words, Tong Xiangyu hurriedly pulled the others to their feet, but none of them knew what to say.

Just as everyone was at a loss, Chu Yang suddenly looked toward the street outside and said coldly, "You two, keep kneeling!"

Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang, who had already stood, froze briefly. Looking awkward, they knelt back down. The moment they lowered their heads, killing intent flashed in both their eyes.

A useless Prince, that’s all. Once you lose the Emperor’s favor, I will repay today’s humiliation a hundredfold.

The two secretly exchanged looks. In order to take revenge, they decided to work together.

Cao Shaoqin cupped his fists and said, "The Director has ordered us to escort Your Highness back to the capital. We ask that Your Highness not make things difficult for us."

Ma Jinliang said in a hoarse voice, "This is also His Majesty’s will. Your Highness, please return with us."

Their words were also meant to remind Lao Guo not to interfere recklessly or openly defy the Emperor’s wishes.

Lao Guo frowned and looked toward Chu Yang.

Chu Yang’s cold gaze swept over the two. With a flick of his finger, invisible sword qi slashed forth. After two soft sounds, Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang each lost an arm before everyone’s eyes.

The two did not even have time to cry out in pain. Shocked and enraged, they glared at Chu Yang.

"Tell the one in the capital that I do not wish to return for now, nor do I have any designs on his throne. Let him be a good Emperor, and we will each keep to our own side."

Were Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang weak?

As Chiefs of the Two Bureaus and the future Directors of the Two Bureaus, their strength was not much different from the Sect Leaders of the major Jianghu sects.

It could even be said that, aside from the Sect Leaders of a few top-tier sects, they could overpower most first-rate Jianghu experts.

The same was true within the Imperial Court!

Among the Two Marquises, One Gate, Two Bureaus, and One Guard, aside from their respective leaders, who could firmly suppress them, the so-called pillars beneath them—the Four Great Secret Agents, Four Famous Arresters, Four Great Divine Arresters, and the like—would at most have even odds against them.

Yet these two men, who could be considered nearly unrivaled beneath the heavens, had their arms severed with effortless ease and were utterly unable to resist.

Nothing remained in Lao Guo’s eyes but shock!

If it were him, defeating Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang would not be difficult. But crippling both of them so easily was something he simply could not do.

The few others whose strength matched his would not be able to do it either.

This showed just how vast the gap was between him and Chu Yang.

The Prince’s strength is unfathomable!

If His Majesty learns of this, he will likely lose sleep and appetite. Who knows what bloody storms the Ming Dynasty will face…

As the Late Emperor’s most favored prince, though he now lived a debauched and unrestrained life, he was ultimately different from others.

Chu Yang kept claiming he had no interest in the throne, but his words already carried much disrespect. What frightened Lao Guo even more was that, possessing such strength, he had endured in silence until this very day…

A moment later, Chu Yang walked out through the gate with a wine jug in hand. In the aftermath of the battle, the street outside had already been battered to ruins.

It was not that Old Guo had held back. Martial artists these days possessed terrifying destructive power. If he truly fought without restraint, he could even destroy all of Seven Heroes Town.

Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang each knelt amid the rubble, clutching their severed arms. After coming to their senses, they immediately lowered their gazes, not daring to look at Chu Yang as he approached. Their heads hung low, their expressions twisted.

Chu Yang said leisurely, "I still preferred the way you looked before—so arrogant and unyielding."

Upon hearing this, the two began kowtowing in unison, slamming their heads against the ground with loud bangs.

"Your Highness, this subordinate deserves death for offending you! I beg Your Highness to spare my life!"

"Please show mercy, Your Highness!"

Chu Yang revealed a kindly smile. "The two of you are renowned from the Imperial Court to the Jianghu. You can make children stop crying at night. You count as figures of some standing. How about this? Take one more move from me. Whoever survives can consider this matter settled."

"Consider it the last shred of dignity I grant you."

Cao Shaoqin did not answer. He merely kept kowtowing, blood already soaking through the stone slabs beneath his knees.

Ma Jinliang did the same.

They did not even know how their arms had been severed. They had only felt a terrifying sword aura brush past them. Against an enemy like this, there was not the slightest suspense as to victory or defeat.

Even when facing their respective Directors, they had never been this terrified.

"What a disappointment. How did you two ever rise to the position of chief?"

"Those Jianghu rabble you look down on have more backbone than you do."

Chu Yang waved his hand contemptuously. "Get lost!"

As though granted a pardon, the two clutched their severed arms and stepped through the air, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

With the vigor of their blood and qi, as long as they reattached their arms within a day, there would basically be no major consequences.

Watching the two leave, Lao Guo was about to speak when Chu Yang stopped him. He looked toward the darkness of the alley and said indifferently, "Keep hiding there and watching the show, and you won’t be able to keep your arms either."

Then, two men emerged from the dark alley. One was disheveled like a beggar, reeking of alcohol and looking rather dispirited. The other wore the uniform of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with two small mustaches and a resolute face.

Standing together, one seemed bright and the other dark, creating a stark contrast.

Chu Yang studied them with interest.

"Li Gexiao? Zuo Xiong?"

"Why are you here?"

Lao Guo seemed to know the two of them. His tone became much friendlier, no longer as harsh as it had been toward Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang.

Zuo Xiong, the man with the small mustache, cupped his fists and said, "Lord Guo, Lord Zheng sent us. He was worried those two eunuch dogs might disrespect His Highness."

Li Gexiao took a swig from the wine gourd at his waist, then plopped down on the ground. His eyes were unfocused, as if nothing in the world concerned him.

Seeing his despondent state, Lao Guo could not help shaking his head in disappointment. As Zheng Dongliu’s Direct Disciple, Li Gexiao had once been the brightest star of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In terms of strength, he had even surpassed Cao Shaoqin and Ma Jinliang.

Yet one incident from the past had ruined him into what he was now…

Several years ago, the Emperor had traveled incognito to observe the lives of the people. By chance, he passed through the small tavern run by Li Gexiao’s wife, Jing Ruyi. While resting there, he took a liking to the beautiful Jing Ruyi.

After learning that Jing Ruyi was already married, the Emperor remained seated in the tavern for quite a while before leaving.

The regret in the Emperor’s eyes, however, did not escape the treacherous Prime Minister Yan Song.

In order to curry favor with the Emperor, Yan Song sent men to abduct Jing Ruyi afterward. At the time, Li Gexiao was away on a mission.

Before she could be delivered to the Emperor’s bed, Jing Ruyi bit off her tongue and killed herself in Yan Song’s residence to preserve her chastity. Yan Song then had her corpse discarded in the wilderness.

By the time Li Gexiao found Jing Ruyi’s body, it had already been gnawed beyond recognition by wild beasts in the mountains.

Nearly driven mad, Li Gexiao ignored Zheng Dongliu’s attempts to stop him and charged into the Hall of Golden Bells with a blade, intending to kill Yan Song and avenge his wife. In the end, he was subdued on the spot by two Divine Marquises.

The Emperor flew into a rage. Even after learning the full truth, he could not suppress the fury in his heart, because Li Gexiao had offended his majesty—the thing he valued most.

Thus, not only did he refuse to punish Yan Song, he even threw Li Gexiao into the Imperial Prison.

Had Zheng Dongliu not risked his life to protect Li Gexiao, and had the Emperor not shown consideration for Zheng Dongliu’s years of loyalty, Li Gexiao would have been beheaded long ago.

After enduring every kind of torture in the Imperial Prison, Li Gexiao was left with illnesses and chronic injuries throughout his body. Less than one-tenth of his cultivation remained, making him a cripple in every sense of the word. Amid the rumors, he and Chu Yang were known as the capital’s two great good-for-nothings.

That was how the two became acquainted. They often whiled away their days together in taverns, and they had even gotten to know another bastard with four eyebrows.

Thanks to Li Gexiao, the Emperor’s "concern" for Chu Yang plummeted during that period, granting him a great deal of freedom.

As for Zuo Xiong, who had come with Li Gexiao, he was quite famous among the common folk. What he loved most in life was to slay demons and eliminate evil, and his abilities were no less than those of the Divine Constable Department’s Four Famous Arresters.

Left Commander was both his official title and his nickname in the Jianghu. Ordinary monsters would turn and flee the moment they heard that name, as though they had seen the King of Hell.

Marquis Zhuge had asked Zheng Dongliu for Left Commander more than once, intending to turn the Four Famous Arresters into the Five Famous Arresters, but Zheng Dongliu had refused every time.

With Li Gexiao gone, if the Embroidered Uniform Guard also lost Left Commander, Zheng Dongliu would truly be left struggling alone. Zhuge Zhengwo had always admired Zheng Dongliu’s character, so he was unwilling to make things difficult for him. He could only regard the matter as a lingering regret.

Wine jug in hand, Chu Yang ignored the astonished looks around him and sat down beside Li Gexiao, raising a toast to him.

Li Gexiao smiled knowingly and returned the toast.

The two simply sat on the ground, drinking heartily and laughing up at the sky.

A cripple toasting a cripple.