CHAPTER 674: CHAPTER 556

The eunuch was conflicted: "This..."

The Miao King said, "I’m just sparring with Your Majesty, it’s not the first time we’ve done this, now step aside, don’t spoil our fun!"

Emperor Liang threw a punch at Duke Jiang.

Duke Jiang leaped away, holding his head in escape: "Why hit me? It was just a bit of croton seeds, is it worth it?"

The Miao King encircled Emperor Liang’s shoulders from behind.

Duke Jiang fell onto the desk, breaking out in cold sweat as he stared at the fist inches away.

The eunuch paused in confusion: "Your Majesty..."

The Miao King tried to cover up: "We agreed to spar! Are you looking down on me as your father-in-law?"

Duke Jiang, who had spent years matching wits with Emperor Liang, gradually noticed something unusual about him.

He leaned next to the Miao King and whispered, "Hey, what did you give him? Isn’t it a bit too strong? It won’t actually kill him, will it?"

"I told you, I didn’t use any drugs!"

The Miao King had no time for detailed explanations.

Just as he finished speaking, Emperor Liang delivered another swift and forceful punch that almost broke someone’s nose.

After exchanging a few moves with Emperor Liang, the Miao King’s palms were already in pain.

Normally, when exchanging blows, people don’t use their full strength; they keep some in reserve to protect themselves.

But Emperor Liang, having lost his mind, was attacking recklessly.

If the Miao King met him head-on, he would have to use equal force, which would result in mutual destruction.

The Miao King shot a glance at the frowning eunuch: "Take that eunuch..."

Duke Jiang knocked the eunuch unconscious with a stick.

The Miao King continued, "...out."

Duke Jiang, rubbing his hands in embarrassment, said, "Do we have to take him out now?"

With him unconscious, would the passing eunuch notice?

The Miao King suddenly realized that being a ruler like Emperor Liang wasn’t easy, given the kind of people he was surrounded by.

"Close the door."

He commanded.

Emperor Liang had already been controlled by the Gu poison, they must not let him leave the Imperial Study Room or everyone would suffer.

Duke Jiang swiftly closed the door and bolted it in one go.

Then, he was punched by Emperor Liang and went flying.

Seizing the opportunity, the Miao King leaped up, clamped his legs around Emperor Liang’s neck, and brought him down with a chokehold.

He swiftly pinned Emperor Liang down and twisted his arms behind his back.

Then he pressed on Emperor Liang’s acupoints.

However, due to the effect of the Gu worm, the acupoint pressing was ineffective on Emperor Liang.

They could only tie him up.

"Rope."

He panted out.

"There’s no rope in the Imperial Study Room."

Duke Jiang took off his belt, "Here."

The Miao King: "...It’ll do."

The two of them struggled mightily but eventually managed to tie Emperor Liang to a chair in the Imperial Study Room.

Duke Jiang collapsed in exhaustion, gasping for breath: "I say... what on earth is wrong with him?"

The Miao King said, "He’s been poisoned with Gu."

"Gu?" Duke Jiang’s expression turned serious, "Is it from Miaojiang?"

The Miao King sat on the ground and nodded.

He needed to recover his energy quickly to remove the Gu from Emperor Liang.

Duke Jiang glanced around, then whispered, "Did the Miao King sneak into the Imperial City?"

The Miao King looked at him, "Why do you say that?"

Duke Jiang said, "Think about it, who else but the Miao King, the best in the world, could poison His Majesty?"

The Miao King raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms: "You make a point."

Duke Jiang patted his chest and said, "You’ve never seen the Miao King, have you? I have! I’m telling you, the Miao King is really formidable..."

The Miao King gave a light cough: "Between the Miao King and Your Majesty, who’s more formidable?"

Duke Jiang slapped his thigh, "It’s definitely the Miao King!"

The Miao King, flattered, was oblivious to the impending danger.

Suddenly, with a loud boom, Emperor Liang broke free from his bonds and used Inner Strength to shatter the chair beneath him.

Duke Jiang’s face changed drastically: "Is this for real... he’s still got strength?"

The Miao King’s expression turned more grave.

Under the influence of the Gu, Emperor Liang didn’t feel pain or fatigue, he would exhaust his last bit of energy before collapsing.

Meanwhile, Meng Qianqian, who was accompanying Consort Jiang watching the little ones play, heard the Gu Bell on her waist ring.

Her eyes sharpened, it was happening!

She whispered to Consort Jiang, "Princess Consort Hui, I dropped my earring, let me go find it."

Consort Jiang instructed the little eunuchs nearby, "You all go help as well."

"Yes."

They responded.

Meng Qianqian said, "Thank you, Princess Consort Hui, and you young eunuchs, could I trouble you to look in the orchard, while I check over here?"

The palace attendants went to the orchard.

Meng Qianqian placed the Gu Bell from her waist onto her wrist and whistled to the sky.

A Hunting Eagle flew across the sky.

Whiz!

An arrow shot fiercely towards it!

At that critical moment, Meng Qianqian snapped a branch, spun, and kicked the branch into the air, breaking the arrow aimed at the Hunting Eagle!

From the top of a parasol tree a hundred steps away, Yu Zichuan leaped down: "Southeast direction."

Lu Yuan said, "Go pursue it."

Yu Zichuan, carrying the Houyi Bow, went on the hunt.

Lu Yuan sneered coldly.

Gongsun Yanming, how many hidden resources do you have in the Imperial Palace? Today, let them all be exposed!

Meng Qianqian followed the Hunting Eagle all the way to the Taiye Pond.

The expert playing the Bone Flute must be disguised as a Palace Attendant, hiding in the Imperial Palace.

Whether it was a palace maid or an eunuch, she did not know.

Meng Qianqian walked along the gently swaying willow-shaded path, the gentle spring breeze brushing her veiled face.

At that moment, the Gu Bell had quieted, the person must have hidden the Gu Flute.

She scrutinized the nearby palace maids and eunuchs carefully.

Some were sweeping fallen leaves, others pruning flower branches, and some were hurrying about.

Meng Qianqian passed them by.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a young eunuch carrying a basket, passing right in front of her.

"Stop."

She said.

The eunuch stopped.

Meng Qianqian said, "Raise your head."

The eunuch slowly raised his head.

Meng Qianqian grabbed his basket, untied the silk cloth, and found a Bone Flute still warm.

The eunuch’s face changed color.

With a flick of her fingers, Meng Qianqian aimed a silver needle at him.

The eunuch closed his eyes in fear.

The expected pain never came, the silver needle whizzed past his ear and struck the old eunuch who had been sweeping dead leaves behind him.

The old eunuch’s knees gave way, causing him to kneel to the ground.

His eyes flashed fiercely, he pulled out the silver needle and fled quickly.

Nearby was the Laundry Bureau.

He entered as an old eunuch, but when he turned the corridor and exited from the back door, he had transformed into a graceful palace maid.

Even the Hunting Eagle couldn’t tell.

Fortunately, Meng Qianqian pursued closely and caught him near the Laundry Bureau.

He exchanged a few moves with Meng Qianqian but didn’t linger and took the opportunity to escape.

"To be so familiar with the palace layout, he must have been hiding for a long time."

Meng Qianqian continued relentlessly and chased him all the way to Kunning Palace.

Lu Yuan approached: "What’s going on?"

Meng Qianqian pointed to Kunning Palace: "He hid in the state chambers, what about your side?"

Lu Yuan said, "The archery man poisoned himself, and there’s an insider, Yu Zichuan went after him."

Meng Qianqian looked down at the Gu Bell, which was ringing again: "That person is controlling the Gu again, we must stop him immediately, but this is Kunning Palace—"

Lu Yuan stared intently at the palace in front of them, his aura commanding:

"By the Emperor’s decree, capture the assassin! Those who disobey, be executed on the spot!"