"Who was the leader? He was so ruthless!"
Although Xia Chen acted swiftly to end the battle, he left a deep impression on everyone.
He didn't say a word the entire time, just went straight to business!
He was too overbearing and too cold!
"That captain is so handsome! I didn't know there was such a beautiful man in the capital!"
In the pavilion, some beautiful women's eyes glowed. Although the scene was bloody just now, it was over now.
Xia Chen's appearance once again captivated them!
"Inquire about which family's son he is and if he is betrothed!"
Some young ladies gazed Stupid ly, a blush spreading across their cheeks.
White Moon Tower, third floor!
In the most central private room with the best view, a young man with an extraordinary temperament and a beautiful woman exuding captivating charm were currently drinking tea.
Even during the most chaotic moments just now, these two showed no signs of panic. They looked down from above, as if watching a grand play.
And everyone below the stage was merely an actor.
"Xu Buliu, how was that captain's skill just now!"
The young man with an extraordinary temperament chuckled, asking a sword-wielding swordsman who had been silently standing in a dark corner behind him, without turning his head.
"This person's aura and his use of his own vital energy are perfect. With one strike, all his power is concentrated at the tip of his blade, and he has already comprehended blade intent. His blade intent is utterly firm and positive. Few in the Seven-Rank Realm are likely his match!
Beyond that, I haven't seen much else. I don't know if he's hiding his strength."
Xu Buliu, who stood in the dark corner, appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, his eyes flickering as he commented on Xia Chen.
"If you were in the same Realm, could you defeat him!"
The young man with an extraordinary temperament asked with interest upon hearing Xu Buliu's words.
"I'd have to fight him to know!"
"Oh, you are a famous Genius swordsman in the capital, and you don't even have absolute confidence in victory."
The young man was somewhat surprised.
"I am currently at the Peak of the Fifth-Rank and am about to enter the Fourth-Rank. If I were suppressed to the Seven-Rank Realm, defeating him would naturally not be difficult. But if it were me from back when I was in the Seven-Rank Realm, I would still need to fight a match to know!"
Xu Buliu spoke little, but he patiently explained when asked by the young man.
Upon hearing Xu Buliu's words, the young man's eyes showed even more curiosity about Xia Chen.
"Interesting. Find out who that person is and bring him to me. I want to meet him. I didn't expect there to be such a promising talent in the Imperial Army!"
The young man smiled and said to some servants behind him. Xu Buliu was a renowned sword Genius in the capital, even hailed as someone who had the chance to enter the Three-Rank Realm in ten or twenty years.
But now, someone who was no less talented than him back then had appeared.
Wouldn't it be quite interesting to take such a Genius as a subordinate?
"No need to inquire. If I'm not mistaken, this person should have some connection to us!"
At this moment, the beautiful woman who had remained silent turned her head, a captivating curve forming at the corner of her lips. She simply sat there, yet exuded a charming allure.
She appeared to be around 30 years old, dressed very simply, yet gave off a sense of extreme nobility.
"Oh, Aunt knows this person's identity!"
The young man was surprised, but then he thought of his aunt, who was not content with idleness and had great ambition. As a woman, she interfered in court politics and had gathered many subordinates, so it was not surprising that she was well-informed.
"He should be the legitimate eldest son of Lord Antong, Xia Chen, who got engaged to Yaoguang some time ago. My people reported that he is extremely handsome, no less than the so-called Four Great Handsome Men of the capital. Seeing him today, he is even more handsome than those Four Great Handsome Men!"
The beautiful woman's eyes curved with a smile, recalling Xia Chen's appearance, and deep within her eyes, a hint of spring fluttered.
Princess Pingyang was mature and beautiful, charming and attractive, passionate about power, never married throughout her life, felt lonely but unwilling to settle, and longed for love...
"My niece is quite fortunate!"
Princess Pingyang sighed. She was Emperor Wen's youngest sister. Although not his full sibling, she was raised by Emperor Wen's mother.
Emperor Wen had been on the throne for over 50 years and raised this sister like a daughter. After growing up, Princess Pingyang showed great interest in politics, and more importantly, Emperor Wen did not hinder her, but rather implicitly allowed her to interfere in politics.
Therefore, Princess Pingyang was extremely special within the imperial family.
The Third Prince was even more surprised now. He hadn't expected that a mere Imperial Army captain he had intended to take as a subordinate would have such a connection to him.
"Is Aunt's information correct? But if I remember correctly, wasn't that Xia Chen a notorious good-for-nothing? Lord Antong has ignored him all these years, but why is he so formidable now?"
"A few days ago, the Xia family arranged a position for him, a Yulin Guard captain. His identity and appearance match, so it must be him. As for his cultivation, it is indeed somewhat astonishing!"
Princess Pingyang was deep in thought, resting her delicate chin in her hand, wondering what she was thinking.
...
...
Xia Chen was unaware that Princess Pingyang and the Third Prince had watched his arrest unfold from the White Moon Tower.
He was currently rushing non-stop to another location, a guesthouse.
This guesthouse was an intelligence transfer station for the Surveillance Institute in the capital. The military defense map was likely transmitted from here.
Although there was still resistance during this arrest, the guesthouse owner was quickly apprehended under the crossbow fire of the fully armed Imperial Army.
"Search carefully. Not a single piece of information can be missed. Take it all!"
Xia Chen said in a deep voice.
Then he immediately led his men to the next location, a Shan Yang Tang on North Street.
It was equivalent to a modern orphanage or nursing home.
But as soon as Xia Chen arrived, he found the place deserted, with only a few young children and some elderly people who could no longer move.
"Sir, there's no one inside, and no information was found!"
Xia Chen fell silent. He carefully looked at the somewhat dilapidated plaque with the three large characters "Shan Yang Tang" (Benevolent Nurturing Hall) written on it.
From the Yulin Guard Barracks to the White Moon Tower, then to the guesthouse, and then here, the entire process definitely didn't exceed an hour.
But the place was already empty, so it was likely that the personnel at the subsequent locations had also already evacuated.
"The news certainly travels fast!"
Xia Chen's eyes flickered.
"Sir, where are we going next?"
Someone whispered. Throughout the entire process, Xia Chen hadn't told them much.
To this point, they still didn't know which faction of people they were arresting.
"Back to the barracks!"
Xia Chen waved his hand. The alarm had already been sounded, and further searching would be meaningless.
Xia Chen led his men back to the Yulin Guard Barracks. As soon as he entered, he saw Qin Mu standing at the entrance.
Qin Mu saw Xia Chen enter and quickly stepped forward.
"I heard this morning as soon as I arrived at the barracks that you took two hundred people out. What's going on? So many people were arrested by you?"
Qin Mu was still bewildered. Although the Imperial Army did have the power to make arrests, arresting so many people at once without his knowledge meant that the news had surely spread throughout the capital by now.
"They are all from the Surveillance Institute. The situation was urgent this morning, and there wasn't time to consult you first, Sir. I will personally explain to the General later!"
Xia Chen knew that he had committed a taboo this time. Taking so many people out for an arrest without permission, if he were an ordinary person, Qin Mu would probably have called for him to be apprehended the moment he entered the door.
...