Chapter 145: Permission to Kill (1)

Chapter 6: Permission to Kill

"Boom!"

The grand gates were violently burst open, stirring up a massive cloud of dust and smoke.

"Whoa!" "Whoa!"...

A series of sharp, piercing neighs of horses soared straight into the clouds.

As the dust settled, a large group of guards in brocaded uniforms rode into the courtyard.

Yan Chuan sat in the lead on horseback, advancing slowly. His eyes flashed with sharp brilliance as he swept his gaze across the gathering. A troop of soldiers followed closely behind, each radiating vigorous vitality and an aura soaring to the heavens.

"Who are you people? Don't you know what place this is?" the Crown Prince of Chu demanded sharply.

"Emperor of Yan, what is the meaning of this? Who are they? Are you trying to tear up the pact?" the Crown Prince of Han asked in a cold voice.

The Emperor of Yan furrowed his brow as he looked upon this group.

The various powerful figures of Yan looked on with confusion in their eyes, as if they had guessed something yet dared not be certain.

Only Liu Gang from the State of Zheng narrowed his eyes at that moment.

"Hahaha, isn't this the Prince of Equal Rank of Yan? Finally willing to show your face?" Liu Gang said coldly.

"Prince of Equal Rank?"

"The son of Yan Tao?"

"Yan Chuan?"

The crown princes all wore expressions of surprise, and without exception, scrutinized Yan Chuan atop his tall steed.

The Prince of Equal Rank? A glimmer of hope flickered in the hearts of some of Yan's powerful figures, but it vanished almost instantly. After all, the Prince of Equal Rank was merely a seventeen-year-old youth. This troop of brocaded guards must be the Imperial Bodyguard Battalion, right?

What good would their arrival do at a time like this?

The Emperor of Yan looked at Yan Chuan with a slightly furrowed brow, utterly failing to grasp the purpose of Yan Chuan's appearance here.

Yan Chuan's gaze swept around the room, lingering briefly on the Tricolor Divine Ox, before casting a sidelong glance at Liu Gang's third senior martial brother, who was drinking with serene detachment. Having scanned the leaders of the five nations, his gaze finally came to rest upon the Emperor of Yan.

"Yan Qiuyu, a summit of five nations, gambling away territories—such a momentous affair, why was I not informed?" Yan Chuan asked indifferently.

"Hmm?" The crown princes of the four nations looked slightly startled.

He addressed the Emperor of Yan by his given name directly?

Not only the people of the four nations, but even the formidable figures of Yan furrowed their brows at this. Yet the irritation that had just flared up vanished just as quickly, because within the State of Yan, Yan Chuan indeed possessed the qualification to call the Emperor of Yan by his name, Yan Qiuyu.

As the Prince of Equal Rank, his status was on par with the Emperor of Yan; they sat as equals, naturally granting him the right to address the Emperor by his given name.

Three hundred years ago, Yan Tao had abdicated the throne to the ancestor of the Emperor of Yan. Were it not for the status of the "Prince of Equal Rank," Yan Chuan should technically have belonged to the generation senior to the Emperor of Yan. However, because their statuses were equal, the Emperor of Yan could certainly tolerate being addressed by his given name by Yan Chuan.

"I thought I could handle it," the Emperor of Yan replied with a trace of a bitter smile.

"No matter. What is the outcome now?" Yan Chuan chose not to dwell on the matter, turning his hostility outward.

"Outcome? Hahaha, your State of Yan has already lost eighty cities to our four nations! You've arrived too late!" the Crown Prince of Chu laughed.

"Indeed, coming early wouldn't have helped either," the Crown Prince of Han sneered dismissively.

Yan Chuan smiled faintly. "Late? Who said I'm late? As long as none of you have left yet, it's not late at all!"

"Oh? You still wish to gamble?" The Crown Prince of Han's eyes lit up.

"That's right. If you want to gamble, we can continue. As long as you have the authority to represent the State of Yan!" the Crown Prince of Chu added excitedly.

The various crown princes were on diplomatic missions to Yan today precisely to win achievements for their respective countries. The more cities they secured, the greater their merits upon returning home.

Ignoring the crown princes entirely, Yan Chuan shifted his gaze to Liu Gang.

"Grand Protector Liu, we meet again!" Yan Chuan smiled.

"Indeed, we meet again," Liu Gang replied coldly.

"Inside the grand array last time, Zheng lost forty-two cities to me. I wonder if they have been handed over yet?" Yan Chuan asked with a smile.