"People from the third prince have co?" In the dark secret chamber, Su Heng gently set down the miniature ancient book he was holding, his thick eyebrows deeply furrowed.
"I have never t the third prince, a figure distant as the horizon, so why suddenly send soone to make contact with ?" Su Heng sat cross-legged on the ground, the light of the fire dancing on his face. He stroked his chin and murmured, his expression slightly puzzled.
"You don’t like this third prince?" Li Hongxiu cocked her head.
"A little bit, but he’s too far away from to say whether I like him or not," Su Heng massaged his temples and said, "Rember the attack on Baihua County? It was ordered by Yuan Hong, the Great General of the Northern Frontier."
"Later, I confronted him and read his mories."
"In his mory, a series of actions by the King of Fixed Profundity have the shadow of the third prince lurking behind."
Li Hongxiu, intelligent as she was, imdiately grasped the implication of Su Heng’s few words. Her eyes widened slightly, and she covered her mouth, surprised, "You an to say, the release of the demon god from the monastery, the real mastermind behind it, wasn’t the King of Fixed Profundity but the third prince?"
"Hmm," Su Heng nodded, his breathing a little heavier.
"But why would he do that?" Li Hongxiu lowered her hand, regaining her composure. Still, her clear, sharply defined eyes retained a persistent haze of doubt.
"How would I know that?" Su Heng shrugged his shoulders and said, "Anything abnormal is a sign of trouble. Perhaps there are secrets unknown to involved in this matter, or maybe it’s just my unwarranted worry. Nevertheless, the intuition of a martial artist is always sharp; the third prince, more or less, definitely has so issues."
"So, do we et the person sent by the third prince?" Li Hongxiu asked.
"Since he has already arrived at my estate, of course, we must et," Su Heng harrumphed and asked, "Who is this person? Did he co alone?"
"The person has very white skin, no beard on his chin, and speaks with a rather high-pitched voice." After thinking a bit, Li Hongxiu said, "Uh... sowhat like eunuchs described in storybooks."
"He seed very polite, but for so reason, he gives a dangerous feeling, like a venomous snake hidden in the grass." Although Li Hongxiu hadn’t achieved the level of Heavenly Deceit in her cultivation, her innate spiritual power was sensitive. Her judgnt was definitely worth considering.
"What else?" Su Heng asked.
"Behind him followed four heavily armored warriors with indistinct faces; only a pair of blood-red eyes were visible," Li Hongxiu recalled and added, "Those warriors were very tall, as tall as Elder Wang. And the feeling they gave off was somber and deathly silent, not like that of living beings."
"Interesting," Su Heng remarked, "It seems this person is ready to burn bridges; otherwise, there would be no need to bring so many experts if they sincerely wanted to discuss cooperation."
"Let’s go!" Su Heng suddenly stood up from the ground, "Let’s see what dicine the third prince is really selling in his gourd."
He flickered out of the wide-open doorway.
And Li Hongxiu turned and followed swiftly behind Su Heng.
...
...
...
Demon Suppression Tower, the brightly lit guest hall.
"Huff!"
Zhao Chengen picked up the teacup and gently blew on it.
The curling steam imdiately dispersed, and ripples lifted on the surface of the amber tea. His fair face bore a contented expression, as if he were not a guest elsewhere but at ease in his own ho. He took a leisurely sip from the cup and gently set it down. Ȓ𝓪𐌽ǒꞖĘş
"Your master hasn’t arrived yet," Zhao Chengen lifted his gaze to Wang Xindong, who was seated beside him.
"Soone has already been sent to notify the magistrate," Wang Xindong stated calmly, "As for when he decides to et you, or even if he wants to et you, that’s up to him. You have no right to command here; you rely need to wait patiently."
Zhao Chengen’s eyes narrowed, and a sharp glint passed swiftly through his pupils.
But it vanished quickly, his expression returning to the relaxed smile from before as if the previous mont had been an illusion, "You should know who I represent, and I hope you can convey to him how rare such an opportunity is. If missed, he might regret it for a lifeti."
"This is his domain; we act according to the rules he has set," Wang Xindong replied.
"No, you are mistaken," Zhao Chengen replied with a smile, "Under the heavens, all is the emperor’s land."
"The emperor is the emperor; the third prince is the third prince," Wang Xindong replied unchangingly, but the smile on Zhao Chengen’s face stiffened slightly.
He sighed suddenly.
Feeling sowhat muddled, he wondered why he was quibbling with such a minor character; it was rather unbecoming.
Zhao Chengen shifted his gaze to the window. Outside, buildings stood row upon row, with boat towers crowding the Guang River; this remote place was unexpectedly bustling with activity.
And in that plaza, many young people were training their bodies.
Just a cursory glance by Zhao Chengen was enough to see several youths with remarkable talent.
Could it be...
Was this place truly a feng shui treasure land?
Why had he never heard of it before?
Bang!
The door was suddenly pushed open from outside.
Zhao Chengen put away his minor doubts and turned to see two dragon guards standing at the door, and then a robust figure with disheveled hair and a resolute face entered the room, with a red-clad young girl closely following behind him.
He glanced around the room upon entry and then settled a scrutinizing look on Zhao Chengen.
His pupils were dark and deep, his face devoid of any particular expression. There was no hostility, nor was there excessive anticipation, treating Zhao Chengen as just an ordinary person.
Such an indifferent attitude displeased Zhao Chengen.
But the aura emanating from that person.
Even without knowing its depth, was, without a doubt, that of an expert.
Zhao Chengen’s smile receded, and his spine straightened slightly forward.
Swoosh!
Wang Xindong reached out to pull over a chair.
The chair, specially crafted for Su Heng’s build and made from radiant stone, could withstand his increasingly exaggerated weight.
Bang!
Su Heng crossed his legs and sat down solidly on it.
He gestured, and Zhao Chengen stood up sowhat awkwardly from the chair.
Li Hongxiu, standing on tiptoes, stepped onto a stool and poured tea from a desk nearby, respectfully presenting it to Su Heng.
Su Heng took the tea and simply opened the lid, allowing the wisps of tea fragrance to spread into the air without drinking, and calmly said, "My ti is limited, so to cut a long story short, tell your purpose here."
Zhao Chengen then realized that he had fallen into an atmosphere crafted by the other, already outweighed in terms of aura.
He hastily took a deep breath and adjusted his mindset.
"I co on behalf of the imperial edict of the third prince," Zhao Chengen scrutinized Su Heng, hoping to see a look of surprise or seriousness on his face when he ntioned this na.
However, there was none. Su Heng’s expression remained calm, with that sa indifferent disinterest.
He’s just a country bumpkin, not knowing what this title signifies... Zhao Chengen cursed silently to himself and continued, "The third prince has heard about the events that occurred on Skull Plain as well as the matters concerning the Mythical Battlefield, etc., and thus has specifically sent to co here."
"The third prince hopes to reach a cooperation with you."
"What kind of cooperation?" Su Heng asked with interest, putting down his teacup.
Seeing his interest, Zhao Chengen thought the tide was finally turning in his favor and, raising his chin slightly, confidently began, "The third prince will provide everything you need for cultivation – techniques, dicinal pills, weapons, and so on. He will also send an elite Divine Military force from Zhongzhou to station here. Those veterans, who have battled through the Mythical Battlefield, are experienced and will certainly be of great benefit."
"That sounds quite promising," Su Heng comnted lightly, sipping his tea, "but the lands of Jiang E’s seven states have been a wilderness since ancient tis. What does the third prince want from in return?"
"The Sun Crow, the Undying Tree, and all the gains from the Mythical Battlefield should be allocated by the third prince," replied Zhao Chengen.
"..."
After Zhao Chengen finished speaking, the room suddenly fell silent.
Wang Xindong’s brows furrowed slightly, his face shrouded in anger. Li Hongxiu’s eyes flickered, seemingly anticipating sothing.
Zhao Chengen lifted his chin, his face showing a look of confidence. The four black-armored guards he brought with him stood by his side, their darkness enveloping them as if tangible, even dispelling the bright sunlight coming in through the window.
Click!
Su Heng swallowed the last sip of tea from his cup and gently closed the lid.
"That’s a good joke, but I hope I don’t hear it a second ti," Su Heng said, his expression unchanged, but a storm seed to be brewing in his dark pupils.
"This is no joke," Zhao Chengen retorted, straightening his collar with a lofty manner, "Sir District Commander, I must remind you. Those things I ntioned earlier, you rely stumbled upon them by chance. Under the heavens, all land is the emperor’s. As a successor of this empire, everything under the heavens, the third prince can claim or demand as he wishes."
"He could take them directly from you, and yet he’s still willing to compensate you. You should be grateful," Zhao Chengen sighed, a smile on his face as he continued to persuade, "This opportunity won’t co easily. Show that you are worthy. When the third prince succeeds to the throne, becos the next Sovereign, you might well be one."
"And what if I don’t agree?" Su Heng asked calmly.
"I would advise you not to make a grave mistake," threatened Zhao Chengen, and then continued, "I ca prepared for two outcos this ti; if I can’t get what I want through negotiation, then I will have to resort to force."
"With those four puppets you brought?" Su Heng raised an eyebrow.
"Puppets?" Zhao Chengen laughed, "You can interpret them as you like. These Covered Iron Demons may be descendants of the Sin Clan, but their strength is considerable. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, countless mighty martial artists who violated the forbidden laws have perished at their hands and ended up joining their ranks."
"Is that so?" The light voice of Su Heng carried over, devoid of any commonality.
Zhao Chengen was startled at first.
For on the chair, Su Heng had vanished into thin air.
Before he could react and grasp what had just happened, Su Heng’s figure reappeared, calmly seated in the large chair.
His expression remained tranquil, his left index finger transford into a black dragon claw, its tip tainted with a sar of dark red blood.
Crack!
Four sharp sounds overlapped, almost simultaneous.
A chill rose in Zhao Chengen’s heart, and he felt as though he had been plunged into an ice cave.
He widened his eyes, looking around only to see the Covered Iron Demons he brought with him now bore identical and bottomless blood holes in their foreheads.
White brain matter and dark red blood gushed from their wounds.
Their hulking figures lost their balance, and in the midst of Zhao Chengen’s incredulous shock, they slowly toppled backward...
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