Chapter 19: Can't Hold Back Anymore, Time to Capture the King!

"Zhao An, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

"Why don't you hurry up and apologize to Master Zhao?"

Seeing that the speaker was none other than Zhao An, Song Changhe, anxious to protect his disciple, spoke up immediately to warn him.

However, Zhao An had shed his former submissive demeanor. With a look of arrogance, he retorted, "I have also become a candidate. What fault is there in that?"

Boom!

With those words, the entire hall was stunned. Song Changhe’s voice even trembled as he asked, "You... you have become a candidate?"

Zhao An glanced at his biological father, who sat high above, remaining silent. Feeling quite resentful, he produced the Sword of Slaughter and declared, "This is a divine artifact bestowed upon me by Her Majesty! It is the token of a candidate!"

*Hiss...*

Seeing the familiar divine artifact appear in Zhao An’s hands, the pupils of everyone present constricted. He Xiufei, who knew Zhao An's true identity, stepped forward quickly, his expression grave. "May I have a look at this artifact, young man?"

Zhao An understood what He Xiufei was thinking. With a nonchalant air, he handed it over. "Old He, feel free to inspect it!"

He Xiufei did not hesitate and immediately took the Sword of Slaughter from Zhao An's hand.

Little did they know, a system notification suddenly rang out in Shen Lang’s mind.

[Ding! The mysterious sword has fallen into the hands of He Xiufei. Does the host wish to retract it?]

*Oh?*

So, this Zhao An has ties with He Xiufei, too. It seems this little fool, Zhao An, is a bigger catch than I thought.

"No need to retract it. Furthermore, activate the hidden attributes of the Sword of Slaughter!"

As soon as Shen Lang gave the command, the aura emanating from He Xiufei, who had just taken the sword, surged violently.

Xing Wenlong, witnessing this, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is the bonus effect of a divine artifact! Old He, is this divine artifact real?"

Feeling the gaze of everyone focused on him, He Xiufei felt a wave of regret! When he had asked Zhao An for the weapon, he had merely thought that Zhao An might have been used. But upon holding the weapon, he realized it was identical to the one he had seen before. It really could enhance one's strength—and by as much as five times!

If he had met with Zhao An in private, wouldn't this weapon have become his?

Alas, there are no "ifs" in this world. Looking at the many powerhouses present, He Xiufei, despite his reluctance, could only nod with feigned seriousness. "Indeed, this is the very same divine artifact we saw earlier today!"

"But wasn't this artifact in the hands of Shen Lang?" Xing Wenlong swallowed hard. It was clear that he, too, had long coveted this weapon.

He Xiufei thought for a moment and said with great gravity, "This artifact has a unique design; it is very likely just one piece of a set! Of course, it is also possible that it is a conspiracy by the Empress Shenxiao and Shen Lang to deliberately hand this artifact over to Zhao An!"

Hearing this, Zhao An immediately bristled. "Old He, if you were the Empress Shenxiao, would you be willing to give me a divine artifact?"

"This..." He Xiufei was left somewhat embarrassed by the retort.

If she were the Empress Shenxiao, she would never entrust such an artifact to Zhao An, not even if he were her own son. She would definitely keep it for herself, clutching it to her chest even while sleeping. However, as the strategist for Zhao Tianba, he was highly intelligent. In an instant, he diverted the topic.

"That wretch Shen Lang is full of tricks. The more impossible we think something is, the more likely he is to do it! Therefore, you must recount every single word the Empress Shenxiao said to you when you went to pay your respects. Otherwise, we might truly be falling into a trap!"

Hearing He Xiufei’s righteous words, Zhao An’s expression became exceptionally solemn. He felt that He Xiufei was right. That guy, Shen Lang, never played by the rules. If this were truly a conspiracy, it would be a devastating blow to him.

And so, Zhao An immediately recounted every detail of his meeting with the Empress Shenxiao, leaving nothing out. When he mentioned the Empress asking him how he would lead the Great Qin to prosperity if he were to become its sovereign one day, He Xiufei was struck with shock.

"Wait, you said the Empress asked you how you would lead the Great Qin to prosperity if you became its sovereign?"

"Yes, what about it?" Zhao An looked at He Xiufei with confusion.

He Xiufei, on the other hand, couldn't help but gasp. He muttered, "The Empress Shenxiao... what a magnanimous heart she has!"

His nonsensical remark left many people present looking blank. Xing Wenlong asked anxiously, "Old He, what have you realized?"

"The Empress Shenxiao is likely searching for her successor!"

"What?"

He Xiufei’s statement was like a meteorite crashing into a calm lake. In an instant, it shocked everyone so thoroughly that their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Zhao Tianba’s voice trembled as he asked, "Didn't she just ascend the throne? Why would she be picking a successor?"

Facing the inquiry, He Xiufei waved his feathered fan and said softly, "Although this woman, Shenxiao, ascended the throne of Great Qin without proper legitimacy, it cannot be denied that she still has feelings for the nation! Otherwise, she would have had the power to use an iron fist to force everyone to submit, rather than constantly compromising with us! Therefore, I would not be the least bit surprised if she were to leave the Great Qin and find a better ruler for it."

*Hiss...*

Hearing He Xiufei's explanation, everyone suddenly felt that the possibility of Shenxiao looking for a successor might truly be real. After all, both Shen Lang and Zhao An possessed the ability to govern. If they were to inherit the throne of the Great Qin, the future of the nation would surely be much better than it was now.

However, as the old saying goes: one doesn't fear a brother living in poverty, one fears a brother driving a Land Rover. In the eyes of these powerful figures, both Zhao An and Shen Lang were far inferior to them. Why should such a good thing fall to those two instead of themselves?

Zhao Tianba, in particular, said with a gloomy face, "This is all your own analysis. There is no actual evidence. How can you prove that the wench Shenxiao is choosing a crown prince?"

He Xiufei naturally knew that Zhao Tianba was jealous of Zhao An. He immediately held up the Sword of Slaughter and said, "This divine artifact is the evidence! Master Zhao, you can test the wonders of this artifact yourself!"

As he spoke, He Xiufei handed the sword to Zhao Tianba with a pained expression.

Zhao Tianba took it, and the aura on his body instantly surged. He couldn't help but exclaim, "What an incredible divine artifact! Xiufei, assemble the troops immediately! Follow me into the palace to kill that wench Shenxiao!"