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Even though the "order" in his hand was nothing more than a blank sheet of paper.
The White Tiger martial soul, unique to the imperial family of the Star Luo Empire, was unmistakably genuine and could not be faked .
Even if they still couldn't confirm that the person before them was truly the Fourth Prince.
Regardless, he was undoubtedly a member of the imperial elite.
Thus—
"Commander of Wu'an City Garrison, Centurion Xu Feng, greets His Highness, the Fourth Prince!"
The leading officer immediately knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully to Dai Chengfeng.
Whoosh!
Following him, the sound of unified kneeling echoed as all the soldiers knelt. "Greetings, Fourth Prince!"
"Mm, rise."
Dai Chengfeng looked at these elite soldiers. "No wonder—they've truly been baptized by blood and fire!" He nodded in satisfaction.
He then retracted his martial soul and returned to the carriage.
"Uncle, let's enter the city!"
"All right, Your Highness, hold on tight!"
Zhu Fan chuckled as he flicked the reins. "Giddy up!"
Under the escort of several soldiers, the carriage resumed its journey.
"Uncle, do you think my current reputation—a disinherited prince who's been exiled and is looked down upon—will lead to some clichéd mistreatment?"
"After all, they say the emperor is far away when you're in distant lands, let alone in a border city like Wu'an."
"The city lord here is practically a local emperor, isn't he?"
At this moment—
From inside the carriage, Dai Chengfeng suddenly lifted the curtain and turned to Zhu Fan. "What do you think I'm thinking about?"
"Chengfeng, what are you scheming now?" Zhu Fan shot him a glance. "With me, a Soul Douluo, by your side, how could such a thing happen?"
"That's true."
Dai Chengfeng smiled. "It's just… I kind of hope they'll look down on me…"
"That way, I can justify killing them and smoothly take control of all of Wu'an City's power, so I won't have to hold back in the future."
Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's words.
Even Zhu Fan, who was no stranger to life and death, couldn't help but twitch slightly at the corner of his mouth. "Our young master here excels in both strategy and martial prowess, and his cultivation talent is unmatched… Everything about him is exceptional!"
"It's just… is his bloodlust a bit too heavy?"
"He hasn't even met the other party yet, and he's already thinking about how to kill them and seize power…"
Dai Chengfeng fell silent, and for a moment, the carriage was enveloped in quiet.
Soon, the two traveled without hindrance, and the distant residence of the city lord came into clear view.
Meanwhile—
The city lord of Wu'an City, Zhu Yan, had already received advance notice from the soldiers guarding the gates.
He now stood before the entrance of the city lord's residence, his expression respectful yet tinged with nervousness.
Zhu Yan was different from the ordinary soldiers.
As a distant branch member of the Zhu family, his bloodline had thinned to the point where his martial soul was no longer the Netherworld Spirit Cat. Nevertheless, he still had a certain understanding of the empire's higher affairs.
Among them was knowledge of the Fourth Prince, Dai Chengfeng, who possessed innate full soul power.
After all, this Dai Chengfeng had once been regarded as the most likely successor to become the next emperor of the Star Luo Empire.
Zhu Yan had even studied his portrait.
Thus, when Dai Chengfeng slowly stepped out of the carriage, Zhu Yan recognized him instantly.
"So it really is the Fourth Prince…"
"I'd heard rumors that this Fourth Prince acted recklessly, choosing a soul ring that conflicted violently with his martial soul, nearly exhausting all his potential and limiting his future achievements."
"Such behavior enraged His Majesty, who then exiled him to a remote place like Wu'an City."
"I hadn't received any imperial edict about this, so I just treated it as gossip."
"I never expected the rumors to be true!"
Despite confirming the rumors, Zhu Yan dared not show even a hint of disrespect on the surface.
After all, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse.
No matter how out of favor Dai Chengfeng might be, his father was still the reigning emperor of the Star Luo Empire, and his mother was the current empress.
Moreover—
Zhu Yan also recognized at a glance the man accompanying Dai Chengfeng: Zhu Fan, a genius of the main Zhu family line, now a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse and former commander of the imperial guards!
"Zhu Fan only followed this young master's orders to hunt a mismatched spirit beast, yet he angered His Majesty and was exiled along with him…"
"Sigh, what an undeserved calamity!"
"And judging by this, this Fourth Prince must be extremely arrogant and conceited. I hope I don't get dragged into his troubles…"
Thinking this—
Zhu Yan's face grew even more deferential. Hurrying forward, he bowed deeply.
"City Lord Zhu Yan of Wu'an City greets the arrival of His Highness, the Fourth Prince, and pays respects to Commander Zhu Fan!"
Zhu Fan nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Dai Chengfeng, however, looked at the respectful Zhu Yan with a hint of disappointment. "As expected, it's not as dramatic as I hoped."
But soon, he composed himself.
"Lord Zhu, there's no need for formalities."
"This prince has just arrived in Wu'an City and is unfamiliar with the area. In the future, I'll need your assistance."
Zhu Yan quickly nodded. "Your Highness, rest assured. Zhu Yan will do everything in his power to resolve any difficulties for you!"
He then cautiously probed, "However, may I ask if Your Highness has any specific instructions for this visit?"
As he spoke, he silently prayed in his heart, "I hope this prince doesn't make any unreasonable demands!"
Dai Chengfeng clasped his hands behind his back, speaking calmly. "This prince has just arrived and is unfamiliar with Wu'an City. Lord Zhu, why don't you give me an overview of the city's situation?"
Zhu Yan plastered a smile on his face. "Your Highness, Wu'an City is located on the empire's frontier. Though it may not match the capital's prosperity, it has its own unique charm."
"Moreover, the area is rich in minerals, and the surrounding forests are home to many spirit beasts, making it an important location for soul masters to obtain soul rings."
"However…"
"In recent years, scum from the Tian Dou Empire have frequently appeared, harassing the common people and causing great suffering."
"We've sent troops to suppress them multiple times, but they always manage to escape back to their territory."
As he spoke, his face revealed a trace of helplessness and guilt.
However, fearing that Dai Chengfeng might actually believe him, he quickly added, "But overall, our Star Luo Empire has maintained a firm upper hand."
Dai Chengfeng chuckled and nodded.
He naturally understood Zhu Yan's meaning…
For instance, today the Star Luo Empire might seize a city from the Tian Dou Empire and plunder its resources, prompting the Tian Dou Empire to retaliate—but only symbolically, sending small groups to provoke at the borders.
It was reminiscent of certain countries in his previous life—weak yet eager to pick fights.
Still, such things couldn't be said outright, as major nations were expected to maintain a dignified facade.
But just as Dai Chengfeng and Zhu Yan were conversing—
Suddenly, a soldier rushed over from afar. "Report, City Lord! Soldiers from the Tian Dou Empire have suddenly advanced and now completely surround Wu'an City!"
"What? Surrounding us?"
Zhu Yan's face was filled with disbelief. "In the past, it was always our Star Luo Empire bullying them. How dare they surround us today?"
"How many men do they have?"
The soldier's expression was grave. "City Lord, approximately thirty thousand troops."
"Thirty thousand soldiers?"
Zhu Yan's brows furrowed deeply. "Our garrison in Wu'an City numbers only ten thousand. That's three times our forces! The Tian Dou Empire has made a significant move this time!"
Due to the presence of the Spirit Hall, both the Star Luo Empire and the Tian Dou Empire had tacitly avoided large-scale conflicts.
In the past, skirmishes involving a few hundred soldiers were the limit.
Zhu Yan couldn't understand why the Tian Dou Empire would suddenly send thirty thousand soldiers to besiege the city.
Suddenly—
A sense of foreboding welled up in Zhu Yan's heart, and he instinctively turned to look at Dai Chengfeng.
"Your Highness, could they be targeting you?"
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