Claiming the Throne of Gods, Starting from the Rebirth of Nezha
Chapter 171 Tai Dian

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Tai Dian

"A seduction strategy?"

Upon hearing this, Bo Yikao was shaken to the core.

This stunning young man had no time to ponder how Ao Yu and Nezha knew about his matters with Daji; he only thought of how King Zhou was fatuous, the Chengtang kingdom was in decline, and the people were suffering. If sacrificing a bit of his so-called ’looks’ could save the masses from disaster, perhaps it was not a fruitless endeavor.

Seeing Bo Yikao deep in thought, Ao Yu said, "The world may change incessantly, but perhaps this mission can indeed lead King Zhou back to the righteous path."

Bo Yikao lowered his head further.

Nezha said, "Little Dragon Girl, this time you are mistaken. King Zhou doesn’t need to be set on the right path; he needs to pay the price."

Ao Yu didn’t understand and asked, perplexed, "Isn’t there a saying among humans, ’A prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold’?"

"To correct one’s mistakes is naturally a good thing, but one must also pay for the wrongs committed."

Bo Yikao slapped his thigh and said, "Brother Li is right. The kingdom of Chengtang was prosperous and the people strong. It was at peace until King Zhou married Daji, unjustly killing two marquises from the southeast, causing 400 out of 800 vassals to rebel, plunging the world into turmoil and misery. It can practically be said that all this is due to him alone. Having done such wrong, naturally, he must face consequences."

"What do you plan to do?"

Bo Yikao replied, "Let’s first follow Brother Li’s suggestion. I’ve come this far after all, must first rescue my father. My own issues can be dealt with later."

Nezha then discussed the details with Bo Yikao. Around midnight, someone from the Imperial Palace came with a summons, leading to their separation here.

It turned out that Daji, yearning for pleasure with Bo Yikao, found it unbearable to part even for a day.

She spent her days reveling with King Zhou, getting drunk amidst the Meat Forest and wine sea, watching Palace Attendants wrestle, and then used this opportunity to rendezvous with Bo Yikao atop the Star Pick Building at night.

Meanwhile, Nezha, accompanied by the Little Dragon Girl, headed back to the inn. Halfway through the journey, they saw armored soldiers on horseback galloping ahead on the road.

"Catch the thief!"

"This vile thief dares to break through the city gate, truly courting death!"

These were the soldiers under Huang Feihu, King Wu Cheng, guarding the Zhaoge South Gate. Judging from the hour, this thief likely seized the opportunity to break in when the city gates were locked, during a lapse in the guards’ vigilance.

As it is said, beyond the emperor’s palatial doors, the Emperor disregards governance, external officials are unaware of internal matters, King Wu Cheng, holding the marshal’s power, commands the 480,000 troops in Zhaoge, loyal to the state, but unable to speak directly to the emperor, can only manage trivial city matters.

This ’thief’ was also tall and imposing, eight feet in height, with the build of a tiger and the waist of a bear. His attire didn’t resemble that of a person from Zhaoge.

Unable to outpace the warhorses beneath the officials, he ceased running altogether.

Seeing the criminal turn back, two pitch-black steeds charged even fiercer; a rider chuckled coldly, gripping a lasso, intending to drag this troublemaking thief around the streets several times.

The two steeds galloped past the man, panting heavily, and the lassos tossed lightly but accurately caught the man’s robust arms, clearly marking the horseman as skilled at capturing people.

Yet, contrary to expectations, the man let out a low shout, exerting strength in his arms, and the lasso immediately went taut.

One end of the lasso was tied to the horse, and the forward force of the warhorse was several thousand pounds, yet the man managed to yank it down to the ground, causing the two armored soldiers to be thrown forward uncontrollably.

Seeing more hooves approaching from afar and the neighbors peeking from around, the man didn’t linger and darted into a narrow alley on the side of the road.

"This person is quite interesting."

Hearing this from Nezha, the Little Dragon Girl thought this man displayed remarkable martial arts among humans but didn’t see what was interesting, thus asked, "What is interesting about him?"

"If you think carefully, though not luxuriously dressed, the fabric is of high-quality silk, of Xiqi style. If not stolen, likely from a wealthy family in Xiqi."

"You notice quite keenly." Ao Yu nodded, "You’re suggesting this person came to Zhaoge for Bo Yikao?"

"That’s just a guess. If someone from Xiqi sought Bo Yikao, they could openly enter the city to find him. The Emperor hasn’t prohibited Bo Yikao from contact with fellow townsmen."

"That’s true." Nezha said, "Which is why this matter seems peculiar. Let’s go check it out."

The officials couldn’t catch him, but for Nezha and the Little Dragon Girl finding him was unexpectedly easy. As someone walked across the hard stone pavement, tiny dust particles shook, naturally leaving footprints. Such footprints were invisible to ordinary people, but Nezha and the Little Dragon Girl could clearly discern them.

Though a man, called a thief by others, he carried a scent masking sweat, similar to the nobles of Zhaoge.

Nezha looked at the medicine shop’s storeroom and said, "There’s a strong medicinal scent here."

Saying so, he reached to push open the door.

The door creaked open slowly with a long sound, but from the darkness reached out a large, hairy hand that seemed capable of enveloping a normal-sized person’s head, easily twisting it.

His timing was impeccable. Nezha had already extended his hand to open the door, and if he retracted and re-shot, it would certainly be slower by a beat.

Even a cultivator in the God Absorption Realm, if caught off guard, might fall into his trap.

Unfortunately for him, he faced Nezha.

Nezha extended his hand, which the man seized at once.

The man then tried pulling Nezha into the darkness.

Outside, the Little Dragon Girl stood with arms folded, watching unconcerned, since Nezha found time to wave at her while being pulled in.

Having sparred with Nezha, she knew that if he didn’t want to be dragged in, he wouldn’t be.

A rough roar came from inside the room, but it quickly turned into a sharp scream. Shortly after, Nezha came out holding a bruised and swollen man.

"You fool, don’t you even ask who someone is before attacking? If it were the pharmacy owner Hu, or his shop assistant you grabbed, you’d have beaten them to death."

The man on the ground hadn’t fainted yet, seeing Nezha’s delicate young appearance, he felt both amazed and furious, but his resentful eyes quickly turned puzzled. He tentatively asked, "Li Nezha?"

"You recognize me?"

Nezha thought, what a blunder, beating him without checking first; hopefully, it wasn’t an acquaintance.

"I had the fortune of seeing you at the Xiqi Palace. At that time, I did not introduce myself, so naturally, you would not know me."

"You are a military general from Xiqi? Who are you, and have you come to find Bo Yikao?"

Upon hearing this, the man became serious despite the soreness, gritting his teeth as he forcefully rose, first cupping his fists in greeting, then saying, "I am the Divine Martial General of Xiqi, Tai Dian, sent on a mission by Great General Nangong Shi to specifically seek out Young Master Bo Yikao here in Zhaoge."

"Since you came to find someone, why not take the proper route and instead act suspiciously?"

Turns out he was the legendary Great General Tai Dian, one of the Four Friends of King Wen; no wonder he had such skills.

Upon Nezha’s questioning, Tai Dian, with a face already dark, turned black-red, and he said, "I dare not reveal my presence; I fear some people may act out of desperation to kill the young master!"

These words made Nezha and Ao Yu exchange knowing glances, realizing that even in Xiqi, there were those who didn’t wish for Bo Yikao to return.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l