Chapter 3: Usurping the Throne

The four had long harbored concerns, and upon hearing the roar of the white tiger, they instantly understood what had happened. Yao Beilin and the others were the first to spur their horses forward. Ren Qianyang dropped the baked flatbread in his hand and rushed back, jumping on his horse to pursue.

The main road of the imperial city was unlike the outer official roads, crowded with pedestrians, bustling with activity. However, the warhorses, long accustomed to the battlefield, had no hesitation in charging through, crashing through the crowd without avoiding the people.

Realizing that Xia Mu was under attack, the four were frantic with worry and dared not slow down. Fearing they might hurt innocent bystanders, Yao Beilin, who was in the lead, could only shake the reins and shout, "Make way!"

The imperial city was the largest in the Nine Regions, covering an area of several miles. The imperial palace, where the incident occurred, was located in the northern part of the city, while the four had just entered through the southern gate, quite a distance away. Even with their horses at full speed, it would be impossible to reach it immediately.

Moments later, they were less than two miles from the palace, and at that moment, another roar of the white tiger came from the direction of the palace. This time, the roar sounded even more frantic than before.

Before the echoes of the tiger's roar had faded, a voice rose up, shouting, "Xia Mu has assassinated the emperor and plotted rebellion. His crimes are unforgivable. He has freed Xia Mu, and all of you must execute his entire family!"

The voice, amplified by spiritual energy, echoed loudly. Not only did the people inside the palace hear it clearly, but it also reverberated throughout the city.

On the way there, Yao Beilin and the others had already sensed danger and had anticipated various possible scenarios. This situation, however, was undoubtedly the worst they could have imagined.

Atop the city walls, soldiers were already stationed, standing at attention as if preparing for a battle. Their numbers had more than doubled, and in addition to the regular foot soldiers carrying spears and halberds, there were also many archers wearing black scarves. The palace guards didn't have archers—only the soldiers of the Imperial Guard, responsible for defending the city, did. The presence of archers in the city indicated that the palace guards had been replaced by the Imperial Guard, meaning the palace had been taken over by external forces.

The four were all military commanders, and just from observing the troops on the city walls, they could tell what had happened. Changing guards wasn't something that could happen in a short time, meaning the attack had been planned for a long time. The enemy had not only received timely information but had also made thorough preparations.

Moreover, both the palace guards and the Imperial Guard were commanded by royal family members, so the involvement of the Imperial Guard in this operation indicated that there was royal family participation in the rebellion.

Originally, the four had intended to charge directly towards the palace, risking enemy arrows, but the shout from the palace had unknowingly helped them. The soldiers on the walls, fearing Xia Mu might escape, turned their attention inward, neglecting the defense of the outer perimeter.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the four charged towards the city walls, leaping and using their momentum to scale the walls while drawing their weapons. Yao Beilin wielded a spear, Ren Qianyang and Si Qingshan held sabers, and Zi Xu had a long dragonbone bow.

The walls of the city were three yards high. From their elevated position, they couldn't see Xia Mu, but they could see the white tiger, drenched in blood, battling in the northeast corner.

After confirming Xia Mu's location, the four didn't engage with the soldiers but quickly descended from the city walls and rushed into the palace.

All four had spiritual cultivation and could use lightness skill, but flying from such a height would have made them easy targets for the archers. So, despite their urgency, they could only dodge behind the palace walls and buildings as they advanced.

Most of the soldiers in the palace had gathered around the East Palace, where Xia Mu was located, and the four faced little resistance as they quickly made their way towards it.

Arriving at the East Palace gates, they were immediately surrounded by the Imperial Guard, who fiercely attempted to block their entry.

The gate to the East Palace was shut, and the four couldn't see inside. Surrounded by a large group of Imperial Guard, they couldn't find an opportunity to scale the courtyard walls.

Zi Xu's bow was a ranged weapon and not suitable for close combat. Seeing Zi Xu in danger, Yao Beilin quickly used his spear to push back the surrounding Imperial Guard, and Zi Xu seized the chance to leap, attempting to reach the north tower.

However, they were too far from the north tower, and Zi Xu was intercepted halfway. Forced to adapt, she stepped on the head of one of the Imperial Guard to propel herself and landed on the roof of a side building.

From the roof, Zi Xu could see the situation in the East Palace. The courtyard was littered with corpses, blood flowing like a river. Among the few survivors were more than a hundred Imperial Guard soldiers, half of whom were large, powerful warriors dragging chains as thick as a child's arm. These chains were connected to the white tiger, who had been repeatedly dragged back and forth, unable to break free due to the strain from the warriors.

The white tiger had clearly been restrained for some time. After numerous struggles, the hooks on the chains had sunk deep into its flesh, and some of the wounds were over a foot long. With so many injuries, the white tiger's white fur was now stained with blood.

In addition to the fifty-odd Imperial Guard warriors, there were also four shamans and two generals. The shamans stayed at a distance, casting firewalls to block the white tiger's movements, while the two generals attacked up close, targeting the tiger's vital points. The white tiger's right eye had been stabbed out, and it fought furiously, its remaining eye locked on the warriors, desperate to escape.

Xia Mu was located not far from the white tiger, surrounded by more than forty attackers, including both warriors and shamans. The warriors were in the front, with the shamans positioned behind them.

When Zi Xu saw Xia Mu, she immediately realized that there was no hope of escape. Xia Mu, drenched in blood and stumbling, was carrying a frail figure on his back. This person was bound to Xia Mu with a piece of cloth, and from the golden collar on the clothes, it was clear that it was Emperor Xia.

In addition to these two battlefronts, under the eaves of the East Palace, stood over ten people, including several purple-robed shamans. Among them was a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothing and a golden crown, surrounded by others. Zi Xu recognized him immediately—it was Duke Xia Hong, the commander of the Imperial Guard and also a cousin of Emperor Xia and Xia Mu.

After a quick assessment, Zi Xu immediately nocked an arrow and shot at the Imperial Guard who were surrounding Yao Beilin and the others.

In truth, the situation with Xia Mu and the white tiger was far more dire than that of Yao Beilin and the others. However, to seize any chance of survival, it was necessary to help Yao Beilin and the others break into the East Palace.

Zi Xu, an expert with the bow, shot three arrows in quick succession, killing nine of the enemy. Taking advantage of the moment, Yao Beilin and the others pushed forward, leaping over the courtyard walls.

As they quickly assessed the situation, Zi Xu fired another round, targeting the Imperial Guard warriors who were dragging the chains. Now that they were trapped, the only hope of saving Xia Mu lay in rescuing the white tiger.

Just as Zi Xu reached for another arrow, Yao Beilin, Ren Qianyang, and Si Qingshan had already rushed out, with Yao Beilin and Ren Qianyang heading straight for Xia Mu, while Si Qingshan turned towards the group attacking the white tiger. Though he was quiet, he was insightful, and he knew that saving the white tiger was the only way Xia Mu could survive.

At the moment the four appeared, Xia Hong, standing under the northern eaves, grew nervous and looked around frantically. When he saw the purple-robed shamans' calm expressions, he steadied himself.

Yao Beilin and the others' appearance disrupted the attackers' formation. The two warriors advanced with sabers and spears, quickly meeting Xia Mu.

Seeing them arrive, Xia Mu took a brief breath and called out weakly, "Big brother, big brother."

Carrying the emperor on his back, Xia Mu couldn't see his condition, but Yao Beilin and Ren Qianyang could clearly see that the emperor had suffered fatal wounds to his back and neck and had already died.

Yao Beilin swept his spear to hold off the attackers, urgently saying, "Your Highness, please accept my condolences. The Emperor has passed."

Hearing this, Xia Mu was momentarily stunned. Ren Qianyang quickly blocked the spear aimed at Xia Mu with his sword, saying, "Your Highness, the Emperor was already critically ill. Even if we save him now, he wouldn't survive. Please let him go, lighten your load, and escape."

Upon hearing Ren Qianyang's words, Xia Mu snapped out of his stupor. However, he didn't immediately untie the ropes on his chest. Instead, while fending off the attackers, he surveyed his surroundings.

After a brief pause, Xia Mu, with the help of the two, untied the ropes, carefully placing the Emperor's body against the wall. He then sealed several vital points on his chest with his hand.

Although Ren Qianyang was one-eyed, his vision was sharp. When he saw that Xia Mu had sealed his death points, his heart sank, and he cried out, "Your Highness, what are you doing?!"

Xia Mu kicked one attacker aside and used the sword in his hand to exchange it for Ren Qianyang's long sword. "I'm leaving it to you."

Ren Qianyang was confused and frowned, but before he could ask, Xia Mu used the momentum of his foot to leap westward. At the same time, he shouted, "I'm going to the main hall to retrieve the imperial seal. You save the white tiger and carry out the plan."

The enemy's target was Xia Mu. Seeing him heading west, most of the enemy, including the purple-robed shamans and Xia Hong, immediately gave chase.

With the enemy's elites diverted, Yao Beilin and the others faced much less pressure. Xia Mu's sword, made of mysterious iron, easily severed the chains around the white tiger.

Freed, the white tiger didn't flee but instead followed Xia Mu's scent toward the west.

After rescuing the white tiger, the three quickly rushed to Ren Qianyang's side. Xia Mu had given Ren Qianyang instructions before leaving, but the three had no idea what Xia Mu's next steps were.

Ren Qianyang raised his hand, showing them a sealed imperial message tube, "This was handed to me by Your Highness when he swapped swords, but he sealed his death points to draw them away. He's certain to die. What use is this imperial edict now that he's gone?"

Hearing this, the three inhaled sharply, as if they had fallen into an ice pit.

Si Qingshan held back his grief and urgently asked, "What else did Your Highness say?"

Ren Qianyang recalled, "He only said, 'Please take care of it.'"

Zi Xu's eyes brightened. "I know! Let's head to the Duke's mansion. Your Highness might have a son."

The three quickly followed, and Ren Qianyang, still confused, asked, "Your Highness never mentioned his family. How did you know?"

"He once made a rattle drum by hand, a toy that only boys would like," Zi Xu said, speeding up. "Hurry! Your Highness won't last much longer. Once he runs out of strength, the first thing they'll do is eliminate all threats..."