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Duan Ting bowed his head and responded, “Yes, we met a person named Chu Tang. He advised me to persuade you to surrender, or I would have died too.”

“Chu Tang? Who is that?” Su Liangwei was unfamiliar with the name.

Duan Ting said, “I’m not clear on his background, but, master, this man is extremely formidable, especially his lightness skills, which are beyond comparison. I have never seen such speed before.”

“Where is he? I would like to meet him.” Su Liangwei was a tough man, not easily frightened.

“He is waiting for you over there.” Duan Ting pointed in a direction behind him.

Su Liangwei looked but saw no one; however, in the next second, a figure appeared before his eyes as if by teleportation, startling him, though he maintained a calm demeanor.

“Nice to meet you!” Chu Tang smiled slightly.

Su Liangwei became alert, “So, you’re Chu Tang.”

“Yes, it’s me.” Chu Tang glanced at Duan Ting. “Your subordinate didn’t want to betray you; it took a lot of effort to open his mouth.”

Duan Ting shamefully lowered his head, though in reality, he had succumbed over a meal.

Su Liangwei’s eyes filled with coldness, “Why do you go to such lengths to meet me?”

Chu Tang was straightforward, “I want the power you hold.”

Su Liangwei immediately rejected, “Impossible!”

Chu Tang spoke slowly yet firmly, “Do you think you have another choice? Those I target either die or submit. If you refuse, then Duan Ting will take over.”

Su Liangwei quickly turned and glared fiercely at Duan Ting.

Duan Ting immediately looked down—he was just a pawn in their game; it wasn’t fair for him to take the blame.

After a while, Chu Tang asked, “Have you decided?”

Su Liangwei remained silent.

Such a big decision in just a moment? Was that possible? No, did he have any other choice?

“Speak directly. If it’s a no, then I’ll let Duan Ting take over.” Chu Tang’s tone was calm but carried an implicit threat; taking over Duan Ting’s men would be more troublesome and time-consuming, but it would achieve his goal.

Su Liangwei drew his sword and pointed it at Chu Tang, “Defeat me, and I will…”

“Bang—”

Before Su Liangwei could finish, he was kicked by Chu Tang into the wall, making intimate contact with the bricks.

Duan Ting covered his face; fighting Chu Tang in martial arts was indeed a dead end!

Tears streamed down Su Liangwei’s face as he stared at Chu Tang, still not having recovered from being kicked into the wall, although he was considered among the top ten martial artists in the eastern border.

After silently grieving for a while, Su Liangwei conceded, “Alright, I agree. What do you want me to do?”

Chu Tang said simply, “A straightforward task: find Lu Ziming and track down the whereabouts of the ancient family.” He really couldn’t spare the time himself, and these matters urgently needed someone on them.

Su Liangwei frowned, puzzled, “Why would Lu Ziming know about the ancient family?”

Chu Tang looked at Su Liangwei and countered, “You know about the ancient family? How much do you know?”

Now essentially a subordinate, Su Liangwei asked, “Can you let me down first?”

Chu Tang grabbed Su Liangwei’s collar and pulled him out of the wall, “Speak, what do you know?”

Su Liangwei slowly shook his head, “Not much. I only know that the ancient family has an imperial seal, possessing which is considered the rightful claim to rule. I’m not sure who spread the word, but now many are searching for this ancient family’s location.”

“Many are searching? Who?” Chu Tang frowned; this complication could spell trouble.

“Basically, the top five powers in the eastern border are searching, and weaker forces have been eliminated as soon as they were discovered. It’s fiercely competitive,” Su Liangwei explained, his hesitation due to these concerns.

Chu Tang pondered for a moment, “First, investigate Lu Ziming’s whereabouts and notify me immediately once you find him. Don’t do anything else for now.”

“Alright,” Su Liangwei agreed after a moment’s silence, “I’m currently under the second prince’s command; should I extricate myself?”

Chu Tang considered, “No need. It’s useful for me to get news from him. Maintain your current appearance, don’t change anything.”

“Alright,” Su Liangwei was inwardly distraught; a single kick had brought him to submission.

Chu Tang waved to Duan Ting, “Continue to stay with Su Liangwei. You’ve been partners for so long.”

Duan Ting glanced at Su Liangwei, whose expression was grim, and acknowledged, “Yes.”

With a flicker, Chu Tang disappeared from sight.

…

The mansion gradually calmed down. The house steward gathered everyone, “Besides a few servants who fled, did anything else happen?”

“One of the guards reported, ‘The Lord has been knocked out,\'” a subordinate bowed and reported.

“What?” The steward was shocked and immediately called for a doctor.

When he arrived at the room, he saw that the second prince, Li Hongtang, had already summoned the physician who was now examining the eastern border King. The queen stood nearby, and the doctor’s expression was grave.

Seeing this, the steward motioned for the others to wait outside, and after they left, he approached Li Hongtang. Despite the prince’s handsome appearance, his eyes always seemed sinister, “How is my father?”

“My father is fine. Did you catch that audacious thief?” Li Hongtang asked.

The steward bowed deeply, “They got away, but I’ve sent people after them. The guards are highly skilled; they should be able to bring the fugitives back.”

Li Hongtang sarcastically remarked, “They couldn’t even stop them, and you think they can catch them? Steward, are you trying to fool me?”

The steward bent even lower, “I will do everything possible to capture the criminals quickly.”

Suddenly, Li Hongtang patted the steward’s shoulder, “You don’t need to be so serious, steward. I’m not that scary.”

“Your Highness is too kind,” the steward replied, unsure of the prince’s intentions.

“Steward, considering the situation with my father and my elder brother’s absence, isn’t it time to think about serving a new master?” Li Hongtang said openly, not minding the presence of the old king.

The steward stiffened. Li Hongtang’s ambitions were well known, and now with the king’s attack, he didn’t even bother to hide them, “Your Highness, isn’t it too early to discuss this with the King still here?”

Li Hongtang’s voice darkened, “I’m offering you a chance by asking. Don’t force me to take drastic measures.”

The steward was frightened, “If there’s anything you wish, Your Highness, just command me. I’ll do whatever I can.”

After hearing this, Li Hongtang’s face darkened, “You keep a stiff upper lip, steward. But just so you know, your son has already sided with me.”