Tang Li's words were too sarcastic. Coupled with her looks and expression, they carried a subtle sense of mockery and ridicule.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Xuanyu nearly went mad with anger. As a proud son of heaven, when had he ever been so humiliated? If not for the presence of Nangong Xian and Yuwen Jin, he would have already taken action to kill.

Taking a deep breath, Xiahou Xuanyu stared at Tang Li with a complex gaze. He thought of Nangong Qin, the woman who once loved him so deeply that she was willing to die for him. He never imagined that she could forget her former deep feelings so easily.

"I'll give you one more chance, Qin'er. Do you know what you're saying?" Xiahou Xuanyu said in a heavy voice.

But Tang Li ignored him. She simply bid farewell to Yuwen Jin and pulled Xun, who was exuding a chilling aura, to leave.

"You!" Xiahou Xuanyu could not bear it and wanted to stop them, but was held back by Yuwen Jin. "Now, now, City Lord Xiahou, calm down. Let's settle in first. We can discuss matters later. There are so many people watching."

Xiahou Xuanyu glanced at his subordinates and followers who were watching the spectacle, then left with a dark face.

Tang Li tightly held Xun's hand, gently caressing the bulging veins, and softly persuaded, "Xun, I know you're angry, but don't be hasty. We won't have to see him again very soon."

Xun paused and looked down at her. "What do you mean?"

Tang Li just smiled without answering. "Let's go eat first. We can talk about such trivial matters later."

They didn't finish the meal as Nangong Xian arrived. Tang Li was not surprised at all. She signaled Xun with her eyes to reassure him, then got up and went out. "Uncle, have you made up your mind to come find me?"

Nangong Xian glanced at Xun, then walked straight out, leading Tang Li to the courtyard, ensuring no one could hear their conversation.

"Is what you said in the letter delivered by Chou Tu all true?" Nangong Xian asked probingly.

Regardless of whether he had noticed something amiss about her, Tang Li simply and directly said, "Everything I said is true. As long as you are willing to cooperate with us to eliminate Xiahou Xuanyu, I will give you the other half of that item. Uncle has already obtained the first half according to the clues, so you should believe my sincerity."

Nangong Xian still harbored suspicions. Decades ago, his elder brother obtained a secret martial arts manuscript that, combined with their Nangong family's martial techniques, could make them even more powerful and even extend their lifespan.

Nangong Xian coveted this greatly, but his brother, fearing that he would be surpassed, refused to share it with him. Overcome by years of envy, Nangong Xian eventually plotted and succeeded in killing his brother. Unfortunately, the important manuscript was given to his brother's wife, Nangong Xian's sister-in-law, before his brother died. Nangong Xian, not minding being labeled as coveting his sister-in-law, imprisoned her.

However, the woman refused to reveal the whereabouts of the manuscript. In order to threaten her, Nangong Xian took away one of the twin daughters she had given birth to, but even under the threat of her daughter's life, she revealed nothing about the secret.

Later, the child who was taken away disappeared mysteriously—she was the future female lead, Chu Li.

When her elder daughter Nangong Qin was ten, the sister-in-law died, revealing the location of the manuscript to her daughter before her death. Nangong Qin, inheriting her parents' ruthless and harsh nature, was solely focused on mastering the manuscript to become the ruler of Nancheng.

Unfortunately, her body was unsuitable, so she sought to cling to Xiahou Xuanyu, hoping to use his power to reclaim Nancheng.

The subsequent plot in the original story revolves around the romantic entanglements of these two sisters and Xiahou Xuanyu. Although Tang Li recalled these plots, she was uninterested. She just discovered the location of the manuscript and told Nangong Xian half of its location to persuade him to cooperate with her.

Nangong Xian did not fully trust her, but Tang Li didn't care. She spoke softly, repeating the agreement she had made with Yuwen Jin. After dealing with Xiahou Xuanyu, not only would he obtain the long-desired manuscript, but he would also benefit from North City.

Naturally, Nangong Xian was tempted, and at that moment, Tang Li produced a letter for him to read.

"This is a letter I received yesterday from the West City Lord."

Nangong Xian took the letter, his expression showing surprise, and his view of Tang Li gradually changed, "I didn't expect you could even persuade West City Lord."

It was merely an exchange of interests. For someone who knew the entire situation, relationships, and various secrets, tipping the balance was easy. The chaos among the four cities had already laid down various contradictions and grudges.

Tang Li curved her lips, "Has uncle agreed then?"

Nangong Xian glanced at Xun standing nearby with a blade and finally said, "Alright, I agree."

Tang Li saw him off and came to stand by Xun, leaning on his shoulder, "Xiahou Xuanyu is not easy to deal with, but fortunately, uncle has agreed to help you. The next few days are auspicious, though it's a pity it's not winter without snow. But I've chosen a good place for Xiahou Xuanyu, and you should like it too. We can go there now and wait for him."

They quietly left North City on horseback.

Xiahou Xuanyu had just arrived in North City for a day and hadn't yet troubled Tang Li and Xun when he received a message, looking very upset as he hurriedly took his leave. Nangong Xian and Yuwen Jin exchanged glances.

Nangong Xian remarked, "The trade routes under Lord Yuwen are truly extraordinary, so fast. I suspect when it comes to various news, no one is more informed than Lord Yuwen."

Yuwen Jin smiled, tapping his fan against his palm, "It was just a bit of minor work. It's Lord Nangong who should be on his way now, otherwise, he might miss a major opportunity."

The two departed separately, Yuwen Jin muttering to himself, "I hope sister-in-law's plan succeeds, and Nangong Xian is willing to cooperate. Otherwise, we'll have to resort to another method."

......

Xiahou Xuanyu sat tensely in the carriage, his mind uneasy, picking up the letter again. North City was in trouble, his main city in chaos. If it weren't for his years spent recuperating and his often unstable condition, leaving him with no desire to manage much, the city wouldn't have been so easily stirred into chaos.

The carriage was stuffy. Xiahou Xuanyu opened the window, suddenly feeling the outside scenery looked familiar. As he pondered, the carriage suddenly stopped amid screams and the neighing of horses.

"What's the matter?"

Xiahou Xuanyu pushed open the carriage door and saw a person blocking the way in front of the convoy. It was Xun. Behind him in the woods, there were many black figures.

Xiahou Xuanyu understood and stood up with a contemptuous smile. "You think you can ambush and kill me with just this? You overestimate yourself. Do you really think that just because you fought me to a draw a few years ago when I was injured, you can kill me now? Very well, you've delivered yourself to my doorstep."

Xun stood in the wild grass and glanced around, his tone cold. "Do you still remember what this place is?"

Xiahou Xuanyu was startled for a moment. He swept his eyes over the surroundings and suddenly an image appeared in his mind.

He had killed someone here, someone with the same face as Nangong Qin... No, that was Chu Li. His memory and feelings from that time were very distorted, filled with a strong sense of anger at being deceived.

"What are you trying to say?" Xiahou Xuanyu's expression turned unpleasant. He finally sensed that something was wrong and reined in his arrogance.

Xun said nothing more. He didn't want to say anything. With killing intent surging, he drew his blade.

If it was just Xun alone, Xiahou Xuanyu would not lose. But then Nangong Xian also appeared. Although he pretended to be a good person, his moves were quite vicious.

Xiahou Xuanyu didn't understand why Nangong Xian would suddenly take the risk to kill him. Carrying this confusion, he heavily fell into a pool of blood.

He could feel that he was about to die, but that was impossible. How could he die? He always had a strong confidence that this world existed for him. Someone like him, how could he possibly be killed?

The sound of rustling footsteps rang out beside his ears. Xiahou Xuanyu saw Nangong Qin's familiar face.

She said, "Lord Xiahou need not worry about how North City will fare. The West City Lord will surely help take good care of it for you."

Only then did Xiahou Xuanyu abruptly realize that the chaos in North City was the doing of West City. A series of harsh sounds emitted from his throat.

Tang Li continued, "The West City Lord clearly despises you, yet why did he tolerate his daughter repeatedly going to North City to entangle with you? Lady Gong Xiling did indeed go for your sake, but those people by her side were long arranged by Lord Gong. Your North City has long been riddled with holes... You are about to die, and your North City will also be gone." Her tone was gentle, but her words were full of malice.

Xiahou Xuanyu violently twitched as if having a momentary revival, his hateful gaze boring into her face.

Tang Li was not afraid of him. She softly inquired, "You are not of this world. You should have a system, right? I don't know if you are actually human or something else, but you can die now. Don't ever come back, or else I will definitely kill you again."

Xiahou Xuanyu's last breath failed to rise up. The light faded from his wide open eyes. It was unclear if he died from severe injuries or from sheer rage.