The village chief, Fu Xi, chuckled and looked at the sky, then silently turned and left.
Di Yi alone gazed in the direction of the imperial city, lost in thought.
His eyes held anger, helplessness, and a flicker of wisdom.
Finally, he clenched his fists tightly, dispelling the thoughts in his mind.
He turned and resumed his role as a woodcutter, splitting logs quietly.
...
Meanwhile.
Zhang Yang arrived in the Western Frontier.
He went directly to the Western Frontier Beast King's camp and found the Town West Beast King.
"Zhang Yang, why are you here?" the Town West Beast King asked in surprise.
He had already heard about the events in the imperial city yesterday and admired Zhang Yang's boldness.
"Heh, what if I said I came here to escape?" Zhang Yang smiled.
"Escape? Don't joke, you escaping? But I welcome you to the Western Frontier," the Town West Beast King said with a smile.
Although they had some past grievances, they had been resolved because they shared a common enemy.
The Beast King's army that died by Zhang Yang's hand was actually caused by the Emperor.
The main culprit was the Emperor, and it had little to do with Zhang Yang.
Moreover, Zhang Yang had helped him overcome a crisis during the previous defiance of the imperial decree.
Afterward.
The Town West Beast King led Zhang Yang inside and served him tea.
He sized Zhang Yang up for a moment and suddenly had a feeling.
Zhang Yang was much stronger than when he last saw him!
"It seems you had quite a harvest in Shennong Valley. Has your strength improved again?" the Town West Beast King asked.
"By chance, I almost died in there," Zhang Yang smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
This made the Town West Beast King very curious.
"You didn't come here to escape. Tell me, what do you need me for?" the Town West Beast King asked.
"Are you interested in joining forces with me?" Zhang Yang took a sip of tea, his smile gone, and his tone serious.
"Join forces?" The Town West Beast King paused with his teacup, scrutinized Zhang Yang, and asked.
"Aren't we already working together?"
Zhang Yang shook his head. "Not this silent cooperation. I'm talking about joining forces to deal with the Emperor. Are you interested?"
Upon hearing this.
The Town West Beast King's expression also turned serious.
With a wave of his hand, his vital energy flowed out, closing the door.
He then carefully sensed everything around him, and upon confirming no one was nearby, he spoke.
"Deal with the Emperor? What are your chances? Do you know the Emperor's true strength? If we confront the Emperor rashly with our current strength, we might not gain anything, and instead, give him sufficient reason to destroy us."
Zhang Yang smiled. "I didn't expect the Town West Beast King to be so cautious. I know the Emperor is strong, but if we don't join forces, we'll be defeated one by one."
"Since that's the case, why don't we make plans in advance so the Emperor can't do anything to us?"
The Town West Beast King understood what Zhang Yang was talking about.
However, dealing with the Emperor required careful planning and was not easy.
"I can join forces, but I want to know your plan," the Town West Beast King said.
Zhang Yang cleared his throat and said.
"First, we gather our forces and consolidate them into one!"
"Currently, I've already withdrawn the forces of the Five Dragons of Huaxia to Linhai City. The descendants of the Ming King have reached a consensus with me. If you lead the Beast King's army to join us, it will be like adding wings to a tiger."
"With our three forces united, the Emperor will have to think twice before moving against us! Don't forget, the descendants of the Ming King alone have given the Emperor a headache for a long time."
What!?
The Five Dragons of Huaxia have withdrawn to Linhai City?
Upon hearing this news, the Town West Beast King was shocked.
He had originally planned to inquire with Zhang Yang about the whereabouts of the Five Dragons of Huaxia.
"I didn't expect you to have dealings with the descendants of the Ming King. I really underestimated you," the Town West Beast King said.
"Heh, if I didn't have some means to counter the Emperor, how could I have dared to challenge him in the imperial city yesterday?" Zhang Yang chuckled.
The Town West Beast King nodded.
What Zhang Yang said was true; the descendants of the Ming King were indeed a good reliance.
Zhang Yang's withdrawal of the Five Dragons of Huaxia to that location was very safe.
"It seems you had a good relationship with the descendants of the Ming King when you went to Linhai City. During the transition of the old and new Emperors, I also considered getting involved in the competition, but the power gap was too great, so I gave up.
"But I must say, the people of the Ming King are indeed worthy of respect. It's very wise of you to befriend them; at least you've left yourself a way out," the Town West Beast King said.
Zhang Yang nodded. "Indeed, the descendants of the Ming King are very upright, which is why I feel at ease. I've personally come to the Western Frontier to invite you, my ally. What do you say? Interested in joining us?"
The Town West Beast King fell silent.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to give up his current territory.
In fact, as long as the Beast King's army was with him, he could enjoy supreme authority wherever he went.
It's just...
If the Beast King's army were to leave in such a high-profile manner, it wouldn't be appropriate.
"The time is not right," the Town West Beast King said.
"The Western Frontier needs someone to guard it. Although my Beast King's army listens to me, they love this land under their feet even more, which is why we have always held our ground here."
"Without sufficient reason, even if I persuade them, if they stay in Linhai City for too long, their morale will inevitably dissipate."
Zhang Yang understood the Town West Beast King's concerns.
"So, if there's a sufficient reason, you'll agree?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile.
"Yes, if there's a valid reason, then perhaps. In fact, the Emperor has long considered me a thorn in his side, and he won't rest until I'm gone! If we go to Linhai City, with our three forces forming a pincer formation, it won't be so easy for the Emperor to deal with us," the Town West Beast King replied.
Hearing this.
Zhang Yang smiled mysteriously.
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, that reason will arrive shortly. It won't be long."
"Oh? What do you mean?" the Town West Beast King asked curiously.
"Heh, let me tell you a secret," Zhang Yang smiled mysteriously and then whispered to the Town West Beast King.
"The current Emperor is not the real Emperor; he's an imposter. The true Emperor has gone missing!"
What!?
Immediately!
The Town West Beast King shot up from his seat.
The news Zhang Yang shared was too shocking.
He couldn't accept it for a moment.
"Zhang Yang, where did you hear this?" the Town West Beast King asked.
"My father told me. My father is Zhang Yingxiong, one of the Five Dragons of Huaxia. The five ministers are secretly investigating this matter, which is why they haven't appeared," Zhang Yang said.
"So that's how it is." The Town West Beast King suddenly understood.
During this period, the Wolf King of the Northern Territory, the Dragon King of the Eastern River, and the six great imperial uncle families were all secretly investigating the matter of the five ministers of the Five Dragons of Huaxia.
Some of the spies investigating had reached the Western Frontier, and the Town West Beast King had heard about it.
At that time, the Town West Beast King was still wondering.
Since the five ministers of the Five Dragons of Huaxia were still alive, why didn't they seek out the Emperor?
It turned out they had discovered the Emperor's anomaly!
"That's not right. Even if the Emperor is fake, it doesn't seem like there's a reason for me to leave the Western Frontier," the Town West Beast King asked.
"You're still looking at things too superficially," Zhang Yang shook his head and gave him a slight glare.
"Don't think about things too simply, otherwise, how could so many of your Beast King's army have been killed by me in Jiangnan City?"