Fate-Defying Demon Emperor-Chapter 60: Citywide Manhunt

BANG!

A dull sound echoed from within Changchun Palace. Inside, candlesticks lay toppled over, leaving the room in disarray.

At that moment, the Empress was leaning against a soft cushion, her phoenix eyes filled with rage.

"Sister, you must avenge our Qin Family!" Qin Xiong pleaded, tears streaming down his face as he recounted Su Han’s atrocities.

Su Han’s assault on his family was a disaster. The death of a hundred servants was a small matter, but the loss of three elders was catastrophic. Now, only a handful of people remained in the Qin Family. Although Qin Xiong was strong, he was just one man and could not be everywhere at once. Moreover, Su Han had escaped right under his nose. He had no confidence he could capture him, so his only choice was to seek reinforcements from the palace.

"Su Han! How audacious! I haven’t even come for you, yet you dare to provoke me first? Do you really think I cannot kill you?"

The Empress’s pale face twisted with ferocity. Intense anger and a cold, murderous intent filled the entire Changchun Palace, causing the surrounding maids and eunuchs to tremble in fear.

"Issue my edict!" the Empress ordered, turning to her personal maidservant. "Deploy the Guard Army to conduct a city-wide search! We must find that little wretch and kill him on the spot!"

The Guard Army was tasked with protecting the Imperial Capital. They numbered in the tens of thousands, and each soldier was well-trained and powerful. With their involvement, Su Han would have no chance of escape.

Hearing the Empress’s words, a surge of joy washed over Qin Xiong, but then he recalled the message Su Han had left behind.

"Sister, that little beast left a message, saying he would return in ten days. I’m not sure if it’s true or a diversion, but it’s a clue."

Qin Xiong’s desire to kill Su Han had reached its peak; he refused to miss any opportunity.

"I will speak to the King and have him dispatch a few Shadow Guards to accompany you. The moment he dares to appear will be the day he dies!"

The Shadow Guard were elite warriors specially trained by the Imperial Family, experts in stealth, assassination, and protection. All of them were experts of the Heavenly Human Realm or higher. With their help, the likelihood of killing Su Han would be even greater.

"With the Shadow Guard, I won’t have to fear him escaping again. If he truly dares to come for me, I will show him a fate worse than death!"

Qin Xiong was overjoyed and brimming with confidence, wishing he could find Su Han immediately and tear him to shreds.

"But what about the Myriad Treasures Pavilion?" Qin Xiong suddenly thought of something else. During the Autumn Examinations, Tongyan from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion had gone so far as to threaten Wang Tianqing just to protect Su Han. A city-wide search of this scale would surely attract their attention. If Tongyan were to intervene again, their plan to kill Su Han would be ruined.

"You needn’t worry about that. I’ve already received news that Tongyan and Xing Kui from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion left two days ago. After all, they aren’t from our Tianqing Dynasty; they wouldn’t stay here for long."

The Empress had always wanted Su Han dead. How could she not keep an eye on the Myriad Treasures Pavilion’s activities? She had received the news almost as soon as Tongyan and the others had left, though she did not know the specifics.

"Since they’ve left, why didn’t they take that little beast with them?"

Qin Xiong frowned, puzzled, but the Empress had already guessed the truth.

"I believe that little wretch was unwilling to let things go and wanted to stay behind for revenge. The massacre at the Qin Family is proof enough!"

The Empress had not understood at first, but she put the pieces together as soon as she heard about the slaughter at the Qin Family. Such a crazed act certainly fit Su Han’s character. The more he acted this way, the more reason she had to ensure he did not live.

Now that the threat from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was gone, the Empress believed nothing could hinder her determination to avenge her son. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Brother, we must eliminate him completely this time. Otherwise, he will become an endless source of trouble!" the Empress said, looking up at Qin Xiong with her teeth clenched in hatred.

Su Han was growing too quickly, instilling a sense of fear in her heart. He had to be killed swiftly. If he was allowed to become any stronger, all of their lives would be in jeopardy.

"Rest assured, Sister. This time, I won’t give him another chance!"

Brimming with animosity, Qin Xiong departed from Changchun Palace to begin his preparations for the hunt.

In the vast, empty Changchun Palace, the Empress stared at the flickering candlelight, a tinge of regret creeping into her heart.

If I hadn’t taken his Dragon Soul back then, he would still see me as his mother, and none of this would have happened.

No! Tian’er is my flesh and blood! He is merely the spawn of that wretched servant. Raising him for ten years was already an act of great kindness. He should have offered his Dragon Soul to Tian’er. The Empress shook her head violently, a fierce killing intent once again flaring in her phoenix eyes.

My only regret is not killing him from the start, which led to today’s disaster. If I had another chance, I would never let him survive!

The Guard Army was impressively efficient. Upon receiving the Empress’s edict, they acted swiftly, plastering wanted posters throughout the Imperial Capital and conducting house-to-house searches.

Meanwhile, Wang Tianqing granted the Empress’s request and dispatched five Shadow Guards to assist Qin Xiong.

In an instant, the city-wide manhunt turned Su Han from the Ninth Prince into a wanted fugitive. His reputation plummeted, and the people of the Imperial Capital cursed his name.

The Guard Army conducted an extensive search, and Qin Xiong scoured the city with the Shadow Guards. Yet, Su Han seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace despite their relentless efforts.

The Lu Family estate, being Su Han’s old home, was naturally a focal point. It had already been searched multiple times from top to bottom. However, Su Han never returned, and the Lu Family’s servants had no idea where he was. The search operation had hit a major snag.

Could he have escaped the city? Qin Xiong’s brow furrowed. The soldiers guarding the city gates reported they had not seen any sign of Su Han, nor had anything unusual occurred recently. Still uneasy, Qin Xiong dispatched all of his household servants to gather information outside the city. He refused to believe Su Han could simply disappear when such an inescapable dragnet had been cast over the city.

The all-out search raged on, but Su Han had not left the Imperial Capital. The most dangerous place is often the safest.

Not only had Su Han not left the Imperial Capital, but he had not even left the Qin estate. He was hiding right inside their inner compound. With Qin Xiong gone, no one was left in the Qin Family who could restrain him. When Qin Xiong later sent the servants out of the city to investigate, Su Han could move about as freely as a fish in water.

The Guard Army, scouring the entire city, never thought to search the Qin estate. After all, who would believe Su Han was still there?

This gambit bought Su Han enough time and gave him an unprecedented opportunity.

At this moment, Su Han had reached the entrance to the Qin Family’s treasure vault. While it was protected by multiple layers of Spiritual Formations, their power was limited. With Qin Xiong absent and all the elders dead, there was no one left to control them.

With his Black Blade in hand, he struck with all his might, shattering the layers of Spiritual Formations one by one. Finally, Su Han stepped into the Qin Family’s treasure vault.

He planned to use the same trick as before, leveraging the vast array of treasures in the vault to break through to the Heavenly Human Realm.

The day I reach the Heavenly Human Realm will be the day I claim my vengeance!