The King of Urban Mercenaries

Upon hearing this, Lai Tianhu nodded. At this moment, he wouldn’t dare to play any tricks; if he did something rash, he feared that his own life would not withstand it!

"If anything happens to me, you’ll know what it’s like to witness a kingdom being annihilated!" Lin Fei said coldly, then left the Imperial Palace, flying towards the outside.

After Lin Fei left, the others looked at the emperor in front of them, surprised that a king could be threatened by such a person—it was simply outrageous!

"Your Majesty, this matter cannot be tolerated!" one minister spoke up.

"Indeed, Your Majesty, this thief must be killed; otherwise, he will never win the people’s trust!" a couple of scheming officials said, hoping to eliminate Lin Fei.

However, King Lai Tianhu was not a puppet. Upon hearing the ministers’ words, he nodded and then said, "Indeed, they cannot be spared—you two, execute them!"

After he finished speaking, the enraged Lai Tianhu smacked the two men to death, and then said, "You two seem intent on getting me killed. Do you really think I couldn’t tell? Outrageous! Have their corpses dragged out to feed the dogs, and no one is to speak of today’s events, or else I’ll wipe out their entire families!"

Upon hearing Lai Tianhu’s command, not one person dared to speak. After all, the king was right; they were practically plotting against him, so the king’s actions were understandable.

From then on, no one dared to speak carelessly, and they didn’t dare to divulge the matter, believing the king meant what he said.

Lin Fei returned to the inn, and Li Kuang asked, "Brother Lin Fei, where did you go? The chaos in the Imperial Palace—could it have been caused by you?"

"I can’t deny it. I just wanted the king to add our names; otherwise, going to Qianhuang Peak would only lead to trouble. Not being able to enter would be a joke."

That was the reason Lin Fei went to see the king late at night. It really went as expected; the king intended to prevent Lin Fei from securing a spot, so Lin Fei had to take action, or else it would have been a wasted trip.

"Did the king really..."

Lin Fei nodded, "It’s all settled. Don’t worry, just wait for the competition."

The next day, the king sent a message, saying it was time to set off for Qianhuang Peak.

Lin Fei and his group, escorted by guards, arrived at the Imperial Palace. King Lai Tianhu sat above, looking down at Lin Fei, and after calmly stating everything, he instructed everyone to escort Lin Fei’s party to the great Empire to rendezvous, and then together proceed to Qianhuang Peak as per the rules.

Given the circumstances, Yulun couldn’t go together, so he had to return first. Lin Fei, along with the Second Prince and Li Kuang, set off towards the great Empire, accompanied by numerous guards who didn’t dare to stay too close to Lin Fei, as the two men by his side were formidable.

Soon, Lin Fei and his companions arrived at the great Empire, and to Lin Fei’s surprise, it turned out to be the Ancient Ao Empire.

The king of the Ancient Ao Empire, Orleans, upon seeing Lin Fei, directly approached him in front of the elite from many countries, and saluted Lin Fei, saying, "Please, sir, follow me into the Imperial Palace."

Lin Fei nodded; accurately speaking, Orleans was his servant, so there was no problem with this. However, many were shocked in front of the crowd—who was Lin Fei, to wield such power?

The elites erupted, but Orleans coldly warned, "Do not make noise." Instantly, the clamoring ceased.

Lin Fei was then invited into the Imperial Palace and treated royally, after which he asked Orleans, "Weren’t there no slots? Why must we all come to the Ancient Ao Empire?"

Orleans heard the reproachful tone in Lin Fei’s voice and hurriedly explained, "Please don’t misunderstand, Master. Every country’s list is submitted personally; we cannot interfere, or the consequences could be unpleasant."

Upon hearing this, Lin Fei understood, much like in the Kingdom of Aolai, where the royal family meddled, resulting in this outcome. If Lin Fei weren’t strong, it would never have been his turn.

"When do we depart for Qianhuang Peak?" Lin Fei asked.

Orleans replied, "In three days, as we need to wait for delegations from other small countries."

Lin Fei understood, choosing not to speak further. Given three days, it was better to spend time with Gai Xiaolian. Thinking this, Lin Fei immediately left the Ancient Ao Empire’s Imperial Capital and headed towards Ancient Meng City.

Ever since Lin Fei left, Gai Xiaolian had thought of him daily. But today, Lin Fei suddenly appeared before her, and a delighted Gai Xiaolian unreservedly threw herself into Lin Fei’s arms.

Lin Fei patted Gai Xiaolian’s head and said, "Alright, let’s go inside before we continue; it’s inconvenient here." Lin Fei glanced at the surrounding crowd, not knowing what event was being held, but it didn’t matter now. What mattered was the lord’s embrace.

With a sweet expression, Gai Xiaolian tightly hugged Lin Fei, hoping he wouldn’t leave her. Although she was the City Lord, she was also a woman, in need of a man’s protection and pride. Gai Xiaolian truly wished Lin Fei would stay with her until they grew old together.

Yet, she knew it wasn’t realistic. Reality was cruel, and in the end, the outcome was watching Lin Fei leave, as the three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Fei spent three days with Gai Xiaolian, then returned to Ancient Meng City, ready to depart.

What Lin Fei didn’t expect was the vast gathering of national elites—it was overwhelming, surpassing Lin Fei’s expectations. If one great nation was like this, what about the others? Lin Fei couldn’t imagine, but the more it was so, the more it signaled fierce competition; Lin Fei eagerly anticipated the impending battles.

Unbeknownst to them, half of the day had already passed. The group, numbering hundreds, crossed through the forest, accompanied by additional guards for protection—these were elite figures, and countries wouldn’t want inadequate protection, especially considering the numerous Princes and Princesses.

Following the main force, Lin Fei and his companions swiftly arrived at Qianhuang Peak, though they hadn’t been sent up to Qianhuang Peak itself yet.