Inside the tavern.
Yang Cheng sat casually on an ordinary chair.
Yun Jinghuai and Hu Po stood respectfully behind him.
Wu Cangming was kneeling on the ground.
The contrast made Yang Cheng seem even more noble.
The difference between high and low rank often wasn't obvious at first glance—it needed comparison and contrast to show.
And right now, the scene highlighted Yang Cheng as if he were a unique, supreme god.
This made most of the kneeling people around not only feel no displeasure, but their gazes grew more and more fervent.
The Crown Prince, the Vice-Emperor.
In the eyes of ordinary people, this was the future emperor—practically no different from the current one.
And they actually had the fortune to see such a figure in person.
This was the kind of luck like smoke rising from an ancestral tomb.
When they went home, they could brag about this for eight or ten years straight.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, where do your words come from?"
Wu Cangming's face was full of resentment. "My Southern Guardian Prince's residence is loyal to Great Zhou. How could Your Highness slander us so casually?"
"If this spreads out, won't it chill the hearts of Chanzhou's 800,000 soldiers and 30,000,000 citizens?"
"Nonsense! Your Southern Guardian Prince's residence set up a killing formation in advance at River-Viewing Tower, blowing it up during His Highness the Crown Prince's meeting with Divine Medicine Valley's envoy, intending to assassinate His Highness. And you still dare deny it?"
Hu Po snapped coldly.
"It's easy to accuse someone when you want them guilty."
Wu Cangming said, "This was clearly done by rebels. It has nothing to do with my Southern Guardian Prince's residence. I ask His Highness the Crown Prince and your people not to throw dirt on us without reason."
"What a joke. Here in Spring City of Chanzhou, not even a rat moves without your Southern Guardian Prince's residence knowing. Yet now someone set up a killing formation at River-Viewing Tower, and you claim you knew nothing?"
Hu Po sneered.
"Does His Highness the Crown Prince's faction hand out punishment based only on guesses?"
Wu Cangming scoffed. "I don't know if there's any evidence to support what you say."
"Wu Cangming, I know why you act so bold."
Yang Cheng said calmly, "It's nothing more than this—you think because you're the heir of the Southern Guardian Prince, even if I deal with you here, as Crown Prince, I'd have no way to answer to your residence."
"Heh, not just no way to answer to my residence—no way to answer to all of Chanzhou's 30,000,000 citizens."
Wu Cangming laughed proudly.
"So you've tied the Southern Guardian Prince's residence and Chanzhou's 30,000,000 citizens together as one?"
Yang Cheng shook his head. "Wu Cangming, you're wrong. The 30,000,000 citizens of Chanzhou are the people of Great Zhou, not the people of your Southern Guardian Prince's residence."
Wu Cangming only laughed silently, as if too disdainful to argue.
"Uncle, the time should be about right now, shouldn't it?"
Yang Cheng asked.
"Reporting to Your Highness, it's about time."
Yun Jinghuai replied.
"Come then, Heir of Chanzhou, I'll take you to see a fine show."
Yang Cheng said.
Wu Cangming's face looked disdainful, but for some reason his heart felt uneasy.
Then, with the crowd gathered around him, Yang Cheng walked outside.
At the door, a yellow warhorse was waiting.
When it saw Yang Cheng come out, it nuzzled up affectionately.
Yang Cheng patted its head, then lightly leapt onto its back in one motion.
He had deliberately instructed Hu Po not to bring the dragon carriage this time.
That was why Hu Po left the dragon carriage back in Hecheng and only brought Lao Huang.
Yang Cheng sat on Lao Huang's back at the front.
Behind him were Yun Jinghuai and Hu Po, followed by several hundred elite soldiers under Yun Jinghuai's command.
As for the larger army, they weren't here.
"Crown Prince."
"It's the Crown Prince!"
Outside, the streets were already surging with people.
Earlier, they thought the Crown Prince had been blown up inside River-Viewing Tower, each one in shock and panic.
But when they heard he wasn't dead and was in a tavern not far away, the people rushed there in cheers.
Because of this, the area outside the tavern was already packed with crowds.
When Yang Cheng rode forward on horseback, the commoners along the street actually stayed orderly. No one blocked the army's path.
Yang Cheng and his soldiers advanced smoothly.
The farther they went, the more people flooded both sides of the street.
Crowds gathered from all around, while people in the back chased after them.
Soon, the small group of a few hundred had drawn along hundreds of thousands.
The whole scene truly emptied the streets.
Everyone only wanted one thing—to catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince's face!
All who saw it were utterly shocked.
Ouyang Xue, Jiang Hengwu, and Zhou Chong were shaken even more deeply by the Crown Prince's influence.
"Wu Cangming, do you see now?"
Yang Cheng said calmly, "The people of Chanzhou are the people of Great Zhou, not of your Southern Guardian Prince's residence."
Wu Cangming's face was extremely ugly.
When he or even his father went out, it had never caused such a commotion.
Yet Yang Cheng, the Crown Prince, held this much sway in Chanzhou.
Why?!
These lowly commoners—Yang Cheng had barely ever come to Chanzhou. Why were they so devoted and fervent toward him?
Wu Cangming couldn't understand, couldn't accept it.
Just because he was the Crown Prince?
"Does His Highness hold such influence in Chanzhou?"
Yun Jinghuai was equally surprised.
Hu Po smiled faintly. "If it were any ordinary Crown Prince, of course not. But His Highness isn't ordinary."
"At one year old he awakened the Ancestral Dragon Sword Body, grasped Sword Intent, wielded innate divine strength, stepped into Xiantian, and drew down the Dark Bird."
"At two years old he cleared the Tianyuan Tower, displayed extraordinary mastery in Zither Dao, created 'Voyage Across the Vast Sea,' defeated Wu Cangming, and slew Tuoba Xiao."
"At five years old he entered the Ancient Desolation Tower, obtained the Xiantian Sword Talisman, single-handedly suppressed countless geniuses—Nangong Yi, Baili Guan, and others all fell before him."
"At eight years old he was named Crown Prince, honored as Vice-Emperor, defeated Tian Congxuan, slew a flood dragon, and killed Mo Jialan."
"At ten years old his perfected Sword Dao was exposed by Li Lingfeng, and he turned an assassination by Zhuang Yi into a counter-kill."
She paused, then continued, "One event after another, each a legend to the world. Long ago His Highness's name spread across the land, becoming like a rising sun in the eyes of Great Zhou's countless citizens."
"So His Highness's influence isn't just because he's Crown Prince. It's because he himself is a peerless prodigy."
"When peerless prodigy and Crown Prince come together, the impact multiplies and erupts into an explosive force."
"I even suspect that His Majesty's influence in Great Zhou may not compare to His Highness's."
Yun Jinghuai was dazed for a moment, then broke into a smile.
He felt Hu Po's words made perfect sense.
Even if Yang Cheng weren't Crown Prince, just by the miracles he had created, his influence would still be immense.
And the Crown Prince's status only amplified it further.
People believed Yang Cheng was destined by Heaven.
"No wonder I find dealing with the Southern Guardian Prince's residence much easier than expected."
Yun Jinghuai said, "I doubt Wu Zhaoyan ever imagined His Highness would hold such power in the hearts of Chanzhou's people."
"His ambition is plain to see. That's what cost him the people's hearts. Because of this, our army easily won the support of countless commoners and quietly completed the setup."