The heavy iron gate was slowly pulled open. The well-oiled mechanism did not creak, but the silent pressure made the guards of the Imperial Censorate outside the gate feel tense.

Fan Xian lowered his head slightly, his left eyelid twitching twice. He felt a faint, chilling aura emanating from behind the iron gate. It seemed that the great figure, who should have been in his seventies or eighties and who should only have existed on yellowed historical records, still exuded the aura of a master spy, even after being imprisoned for twenty years.

The sound of iron chains dragging on the stone pavement was somewhat grating, growing louder and louder, indicating that the person inside was getting closer to the iron gate.

Fan Xian raised his head, looking calmly at the iron gate, thinking about how Chen Pingping had led the Black Knights on a thousand-mile raid during the Second Northern Expedition, capturing Xiao En, who had secretly returned home for his wedding. What a display of prowess! However, Chen Pingping had also lost his legs because of this, proving that this Xiao En was truly a formidable figure.

After Xiao En was captured by the Qing Kingdom, Qing launched another Northern Expedition, and after three Northern Expeditions, the once powerful Northern Wei was left in a state of near collapse, eventually splitting into numerous small countries. The one who directly inherited the power and most of the territory of Northern Wei was the then-Northern Wei military commissioner, the Zhan family, who established the state of Qi.

This was the origin of the current Northern Qi Kingdom. Back then, Marshal Zhan Qingfeng was unjustly demoted, which led to the disintegration of Northern Wei, but in the end, it was still the Zhan family that emerged from the mess. The ways of the world are truly wondrous.

……

……

The spring sunshine gently filtered through the tall trees outside the prison, casting mottled light on the iron gate, and also lightly imprinted on the aged face. The sound of iron chains dragging on the ground came to an abrupt halt, and an old sigh echoed.

The four swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Imperial Censorate outside the iron gate gripped their lassos as if facing a formidable enemy, keeping the shackles in the middle at a distance. There was a person in the shackles, with disheveled hair covering his face. The hair was already completely white, looking unkempt and forlorn. His wrists and ankles were all bound by shackles made of fine steel, but the clothes on his body were extremely clean.

The old sigh came from the parched lips beneath the disheveled hair of this man. After the sigh, the old man murmured, "The taste of sunlight... it's been a long time."

This was naturally Xiao En, who had been imprisoned by the Qing Kingdom for twenty years. Seeing him walk out of the prison, the guards of the Imperial Censorate around him felt inexplicably tense, as if they smelled the slightly sweet scent of blood beginning to permeate the air. Fan Xian frowned slightly, feeling that this person's aura was truly maddening. Everyone gripped the hilts of their sabers, or tightened their fingers on the triggers of their crossbows, aiming at the tall but hunched old man.

A dull thud sounded!

The former director of the Seventh Bureau, the now-dazed jailer, stepped forward and, without any reason, struck Xiao En on the back with a club!

Xiao En, however, seemed to feel nothing. He slowly turned his head to look at the former director of the Seventh Bureau, gently exhaled, blowing away the disheveled hair in front of his face, revealing his cold and deep eyes, and his parched lips. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Old neighbor, we've lived together for twenty years. I'm about to leave, and this is how you send me off?"

The former director of the Seventh Bureau slowly closed his eyes, letting his hand holding the wooden club fall down, as if he was afraid of Xiao En's eyes. He took two deep breaths and said, "These are all youngsters. Why provoke them? If the children accidentally kill you at this time, I don't think you would be willing."

Xiao En slowly blinked his eyes, glancing at the handsome young man among the crowd surrounding him.

Fan Xian noticed that he was being watched, and forcibly used his Genuine Qi to steady his mind, responding with a slight smile.

Xiao En was somewhat surprised that such a young junior could be so calm and composed. He shook his head slightly and said to the jailer, "Now that I'm leaving the Qing Kingdom, I suppose you don't need to stay in this prison anymore. But I think you must be hoping I die, otherwise, after these twenty years together, I'll always find a way to make you pay me back."

The jailer was expressionless. "I wish you a pleasant journey, and may you never return."

Xiao En hissed and laughed. "I will definitely be back." He looked at the jailer's face, and said softly, word by word, "All the tortures you inflicted on me, I will inflict on your children, one by one."

The jailer closed his eyes tightly, knowing that if Xiao En could regain control of the dark forces of Northern Qi, then he would definitely seek revenge on him, and he would have very little ability to protect his family.

Xiao En laughed loudly, and the heavy iron chains on his body began to clang, as if they too were afraid that this terrifying figure was about to gain freedom.

The members of the Imperial Censorate were extremely nervous, but besides feeling slightly nervous at the venomousness in the other party's laughter, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes, still very puzzled as to what Princess Li Yunrui was playing at.

……

……

The air outside the Imperial Censorate's prison was extremely tense, as if it could be felt that the faint scent of blood was spreading out from the person in the shackles.

Just then, the creaking sound started, and an ordinary, black wheelchair slowly approached the large shackles.

The one pushing the wheelchair was Fei Jie, and the one sitting in the wheelchair was Chen Pingping.

The sound of the wheelchair rolling was not loud, but it was like a Brahma bell, pulling everyone out of their tense emotions. When everyone saw that Director Chen had arrived, they simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief for no reason.

They were nervous facing Xiao En because they didn't know what this legendary figure would do once he was freed from the prison.

They were at ease because Chen Pingping had arrived, because all the officials of the Imperial Censorate firmly believed that as long as Director Chen was around, Xiao En would not be able to cause any trouble.

Chen Pingping slowly raised his head, looking at the old acquaintance in the shackles, and said softly, "What are you laughing at?" His words carried a hint of disdain, a hint of amusement.

Xiao En, with his disheveled hair, looked at Chen Pingping in the wheelchair, and suddenly said, "I'm laughing at your legs, destroyed by my hands."

Chen Pingping smiled and shook his head. "I thought you were laughing at your own miserable life, being imprisoned by me for twenty years. What else is there to say? I am the victor, you are the loser, this is a fact that history has long determined, and you will never be able to change it."

Xiao En roared angrily, his white hair spreading back like a sword. In his rage, he took two steps forward, the iron chains vibrated violently, and the four swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau who were pulling the heavy shackles used all their strength to hold him back. The force of the clash kicked up a cloud of dust in front of the prison.

Chen Pingping, however, was not nervous at all, looking at him with pity and saying, "You're already so old, why are you still so hot-tempered?"

Xiao En suddenly closed his eyes and stood facing the sky. After a long time, he opened his eyes, his cold light greatly enhanced, and said sternly, "Chen Pingping, do you really dare to let me go back to the North?"

Chen Pingping smiled and said, "Go back and enjoy your retirement. Behave yourself. I'm getting old and feeble now, and I'm too lazy to run so far to catch you back."

Xiao En's voice was as sharp as a knife, and the aged tone was like the rust on the knife, scraping at everyone's ears. "My son died at the wedding at your hands. I think you will never have any chance to catch me back again."

Chen Pingping beckoned, and Fan Xian walked over with a smile on his face. The closer he got to Xiao En, the more he felt the other party's innate coldness, but he remained unperturbed.

"We're already old. What can you still do? In case we need to catch you in the future..." Chen Pingping said with a smile, "Xiao En, this is Fan Xian, my successor. He will accompany you all the way to the North. I think you won't be lonely."

Xiao En turned slightly to the side, and the heavy shackles and iron chains on his hands and feet collided again. The old man peered through the hair in front of his eyes, watching the young, handsome official of the Imperial Censorate, and did not speak for a long time. At this time, Fan Xian finally saw the lingering resentment and venom in Xiao En's eyes.

Fei Jie, who was pushing the wheelchair, said slowly, "Lord Xiao En, I was the one who poisoned the wedding. Coincidentally, Fan Xian is my student."

Chen Pingping and Fei Jie smiled slightly at the same time, and Fan Xian smiled appropriately and said, "Senior Xiao En, so naturally I will be the one to accompany you in the future."

Xiao En chuckled twice, but there was no joy in his laughter, only cold bloodlust. The greatest defeat of his life was thanks to Chen Pingping and Fei Jie, but he did not expect that the young man who was escorting him back to the North had such a deep relationship with them. He tilted his head slightly to look at Fan Xian, and said word by word, "You are too young. You need to be more careful on the road."

Fan Xian bowed politely. "I will learn from you all the way, Senior."

————————————————————————

Fine grass like jade silk lined the roadside. Low spring branches hung in the sky on the side of the convoy. The silent convoy left the Imperial Censorate's prison and headed north along Tianhe Avenue. The Patrol Division had already set up defenses along the way. The long street was empty, with only soldiers and officials guarding various places. In the distance, some crossbowmen from the Sixth Bureau could be vaguely seen occupying some of the rooftops.

The side gate of the Imperial City was closed. Commander of the Imperial Guards, Gong Dian, looked indifferently at the convoy on the long street in the distance, and suddenly said, "I admire Fan Xian very much."

The general beside him frowned. "Your Excellency?"

Gong Dian curled his lips slightly and said, "You haven't dealt with Xiao En, so you don't know how dangerous this trip is. Fan Xian's reputation is now known throughout the world, a relative of the imperial family and a powerful noble, he has absolutely no need to make this trip to Northern Qi, but this kid actually has the guts to take on this mission... I really admire him."

……

……

Fan Xian sat in the first carriage, closing his eyes to rest. The real envoy had already left Kyoto yesterday. He and his group, including himself, the chief envoy, were delayed until the end because of the secret agreement to exchange Xiao En for Yan Bingyun. He had prevented his family from the ridiculous idea of seeing him off last night, and focused all his attention on the mission.

Fan Xian seemed to be falling asleep with the swaying of the carriage, but he was thinking about many things in his heart. Besides Xiao En, the Hongxiuzhao plan concerning Si Lili was also very tricky. He only now realized that the charming woman he had spent a night with was in the carriage behind him, and couldn't help but pause slightly.

Just then, the carriage jolted, and he knew that the carriage had rolled over the stone threshold of the North City Gate of Kyoto.