The reason Qin Hui wanted to kill Chen Muyang was because after Chen Muyang transmigrated and became the crown prince, he frequently tried to sow discord between Qin Hui and the emperor.
Although the emperor trusted Qin Hui, he only had one son, the crown prince. Over time, the emperor became more distant from Qin Hui, and Qin Hui noticed all of this.
The Crown Prince is the future emperor, and the emperor only has one biological son, the Crown Prince. If Chen Muyang becomes emperor in the future, Qin Hui will definitely not have an easy time.
With the encouragement of others, Qin Hui attempted to assassinate the crown prince in order to strike first, but unexpectedly encountered Li Ling, who thwarted his plan.
Of course, because Qin Hui's arrangements were so meticulous, he didn't leave any trace. At this time, Chen Muyang had just returned to the palace and had only heard that the emperor had sensed something was wrong yesterday and, after learning of his assassination attempt, had ordered a thorough investigation, but so far there had been no results. He himself was still unaware that the one who wanted to kill him was Qin Hui.
After returning to the palace, Chen Muyang did not reveal that Li Ling had helped him escape danger, but instead claimed that he did not know Li Ling's identity.
As for Liu Feng, he was a trusted confidant of Chen Muyang and followed Chen Muyang's orders not to reveal Li Ling's identity to the emperor.
In this way, Qin Hui also did not know Li Ling's true identity. (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the preceding text.)
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Chapter 166 The Martial Arts Alliance is Quite Whiny
Upon arriving at the town where the alliance was to be formed, Li Ling did not go to the agreed-upon inn immediately, but instead went to the front of a house near the inn.
He released his spiritual power and, sensing that no one was nearby, knocked on the door with seven loud and three soft knocks.
After a short while, the door creaked open, and Li Ling stepped inside. A man dressed in ordinary clothes immediately came forward, then bowed respectfully and said, "Young Master, you've arrived!"
Li Ling nodded, and the man went to close the gate first.
Then Li Ling asked him, "Have you gotten any results regarding the matter I asked you to investigate a while ago?"
"Reporting to the young master, based on the information I received a few days ago, I have captured the spy sent by the treacherous minister Qin Hui to monitor the alliance meeting. We are just waiting for your arrival to decide his fate."
The man recounted the events, then asked with a puzzled look, "Young Master, it's been a day since the agreed-upon meeting time, and many martial artists are complaining about it. May I ask what caused your delay?"
"We encountered some obstacles on the way, but they've all been resolved now." Li Ling brushed the matter aside lightly, then asked, "Besides capturing this spy, has anything else strange happened?"
The man nodded and replied, "A strange thing has indeed happened recently. Some time ago, the horses and livestock in this town started to disappear one after another. It wasn't until two of my brothers went out at night to investigate that we found out the reason."
It turned out that a giant snake, more than ten zhang long, had swallowed these livestock. The snake was as thick as a person could hug, and it was incredibly strong. Its body was covered with scales and it was not afraid of swords.
The two brothers who encountered this giant snake were no match for it, and only managed to escape thanks to their exceptional lightness skills. Young Master, please be careful of this monster.
Upon hearing this, Li Ling understood immediately: "This must be the giant snake raised by the Western Regions Snake Demon. On TV, this giant snake is indeed ferocious. To grow this big, it must also be a different species."
If we could kill the giant snake and consume its gall bladder, it might increase our power. The snake skin could also be used to make close-fitting soft armor, making it a rare treasure. We mustn't let it go if we encounter it again!
After thinking it over, Li Ling instructed the man, "I will go to the alliance meeting tonight to appease the many martial arts practitioners."
As for that giant serpent, it certainly didn't appear out of thin air; someone is definitely plotting to sabotage it. This alliance meeting will definitely not be peaceful.
"Go and bring the spy you captured here. I want to interrogate him personally. Then gather all our men together and wait for my signal during the alliance meeting. If I don't give the signal, don't make any moves. Understand?"
"Yes, young master!"
...
That evening, a group of martial arts practitioners gathered at the inn where the alliance was held.
Although there were many people, no one spoke, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive. After a while, a burly-looking man finally couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and shout:
"I've had enough! Yi Jifeng still hasn't shown up. How much longer are we supposed to wait? We're gathered here to discuss rescuing Marshal Yue, not to waste time here!"
A trembling man chimed in, his face filled with fear: "Yes, this place is strange and eerie. If we wait any longer, I'll be scared to death. We've already lost three people today, and all the horses are gone..."
The man was filled with dread because of the strange things that had happened recently, fearing that disaster might strike at any moment!
After the man finished speaking, it immediately stirred up everyone's anxiety, and they all started complaining:
"When will Yi Jifeng arrive? Their Mingjian Manor notified us to hold a martial arts conference here, but their people haven't shown up yet. They're completely disregarding us!"
"Yes, yes, could it be that Sword Manor is really playing a trick on us!"
"..."
A group of martial arts practitioners whispered amongst themselves, filling the hall with a cacophony of voices. Just as everyone's emotions were beginning to escalate—
"Bang! Bang!!"
Two loud bangs rang out, and two people were thrown from the window into the inn's lobby. Then, a dashing and handsome young man gracefully approached.
The young man was handsome and light-footed. With a light touch, he floated to the upper floor of the inn's lobby. He faced the crowd, clasped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "I apologize to everyone. I am a step late and have delayed your time."
Then he pointed to the two people on the ground who were unable to move and said, "These two people on the ground are spies sent by the treacherous minister Qin Hui. They wanted to stop our operation to rescue Marshal Yue. I received this news on my way here, so I captured these two people first, which delayed me for a while."
Please forgive my lack of understanding, fellow martial arts practitioners! Let's deal with these two spies first, and then discuss the matter of rescuing Marshal Yue!
"You keep saying these two people are spies, but what evidence do you have?"
Just as Li Ling finished speaking, a woman's voice rang out, filled with doubt.
Then a woman wielding a sword jumped down from the second floor and slid down the stair railing to a table not far in front of Li Ling!
This woman's lightness skill is agile and swift, clearly indicating that she has been instructed by a famous master. Her lightness skill has reached a first-class level, but it is unknown how skilled she is in actual combat.
Li Ling frowned slightly as he looked at the woman. Although it was the first time he had seen her, he knew from comparing the plot that the woman in front of him should be Qin Sirong, the female protagonist who appeared in the story of Young Zhang Sanfeng.
As Qin Hui's adopted daughter, Qin Sirong's presence here is clearly meant to cause trouble.
Li Ling asked, "What is the meaning of the young lady jumping out at this time?"