Chapter 52

"That mystery man was able to hide from the explosives, yet he used his own subordinates as bait to deceive all of you. How malicious ah." Zong Zi Heng's heart palpitated, "Brother Xu, you and Cheng Zhen Ren are lucky to have survived."

"That villain's ways are too bizarre. If he is from a decent sect, he would not usually think of such underhanded methods." Xu Zhi Nan said with a hoarse voice, "It's a pity that he got away. Even though Chen Xing Yong was caught, the immortal world will still not be peaceful."

Qi Meng Sheng said, "My sect has some dealings with Yongliang, I will order someone to go to Yongliang. Perhaps we can find out which sects and people they have sold their Thunderfire Stones to."

Zong Zi Xiao snorted coldly, "Nothing is better than getting Chen Xing Yong to talk."

"Yes, we still have Chen Xing Yong. The mysterious man does not know that Chen Xing Yong is not dead, and if Chen Xing Yong knows that the man wants to kill him, he might give up and open up." Zong Zi Heng said.

Xu Zhi Nan's eyes boiled with murderous intent, "I will make him talk, no matter what method I use."

"The mystery man thinks Chen Xing Yong is dead. Then the buyers behind the Lion Alliance, all think Chen Xing Yong is dead. We can use this to our advantage." Qi Meng Sheng pondered, "Use ... Gong Shu Ju to lure the buyer of human cores who is in cahoots with Chen Xing Yong."

"Does Flying Plume Ambassador have a plan?" Xu Zhi Nan looked at Qi Meng Sheng. The Chunyang Sect’s sect leader’s senior brother, who was originally a eucalyptus facing the wind with dignified appearance, currently looked very pale and weak, which made people especially moved.

The cold and frosty Qi Meng Sheng's tone softened a bit: "When you are better, we will discuss it together."

Xu Zhi Nan struggled to get up, "I want to go and see Yan Zhi."

"Brother Xu." Zong Zi Heng gently pressed his shoulder, "You are not yet healed, don't move around, Cheng Zhen Ren has a doctor looking after him."

"How is his ... condition?" Xu Zhi Nan's eyes were red: "I grew up with Yan Zhi. He was proud and never slacked in his pursuit of immortality. How could this happen ..."

Cheng Yan Zhi's injuries were extremely serious. All of his internal organs were damaged, and now he only had one breath left. Even if he managed to survive, losing his golden core would mean losing the self-healing ability of a Chunyang Sect cultivator, and he would be an invalid for the rest of his life.

At this time, who dared to tell the truth to Xu Zhi Nan? A room full of people all averted his eyes in unison.

Seeing such a reaction, what else did Xu Zhi Nan not understand, and he insisted to go even more.

"Senior Brother." Xu Zhi Nan's junior brother said with tears in his eyes, "Senior Brother Cheng ... is not well. The doctor said, he’s afraid, he’s afraid he won't make it through the night."

Xu Zhi Nan's body shook as he gritted his teeth and said, "Take me to see him."

---

Zong Zi Heng and Zong Zi Xiao sat side by side on the stone steps of the courtyard, staring silently at a field of decaying and withered leaves, without speaking for a long time.

"Big brother ..."

"Xiao Jiu ..."

The two of them looked at each other in unison.

"Big brother, you speak first."

"I was thinking, if it were me, in Brother Xu's situation, would I still be able to keep you and me alive?"

"Why are you thinking about that? Worrying about nothing."

"It's not worrying about nothing. Three years ago, we almost lost our lives at the hands of Chen Xing Yong. If we were fighting openly, I wouldn't be afraid of him, but these people are so tricky that I can't anticipate what they will do. Brother Xu's cultivation level can already be ranked as an elder in the Chunyang Sect, there are not many people under this universal sky who can put him at a disadvantage. In the end ..."

"Still not strong enough." Zong Zi Xiao said seriously, "We must be so strong that we are not afraid of these underhanded dirty tricks."

Zong Zi Heng laughed, "Always talking so big."

"It's not big talk. I can do everything I say, just wait."

"Fine, fine, fine."

A female cultivator from the Cangyu Sect walked in quickly and respectfully said, "Your Highness, Ninth Highness, a pair of cultivators called Huang Hong and Huang Wu have arrived outside the door. They claim to be the guards of the two Highnesses."

"Huang Hong and Huang Wu?" Zong Zi Heng stood up, his scalp tingling. These two brothers only took orders from Zong Ming He and had come all the way here from Daming, no doubt for Zong Zi Xiao. If he hadn't been in a hurry to capture Chen Xing Yong, he would have sent Zong Zi Xiao back himself, and now he feared that his father was already angry.

Zong Zi Xiao immediately said, "Don't worry big brother, it was me who wanted to come out. I won't let Father blame you."

Zong Zi Heng frowned and said, "It is not for you to decide. Girl, let them in."

The two brothers, Huang Hong and Huang Wu, walked in and arched their hands in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness, Ninth Highness."

"Did Father send both of you here?"

"Yes." Huang Wu said, "Ninth Highness left a letter and ran away from the Wuji Palace. The emperor and Consort Chu were very worried, so we brothers snooped all the way to find this place."

Zong Zi Xiao gave him a blank look, "What are you worried about? I am twelve years old and can go out and travel alone."

"Your Ninth Highness, you were in danger in Gutuo Town three years ago, and it is human nature for the emperor to worry about you."

"Then as you can see now, I am with my big brother and I am safe. I am not going back with you."

Huang Hong said, "In fact, the emperor did not urge us to bring you back to Daming immediately, as long as you return home before the New Year."

"Oh?" Zong Zi Xiao smiled with satisfaction, "That's good, this is the first time I've been out of the palace in winter. I've heard that in the south, it still rains in winter. I'd like to see it."

Zong Zi Heng was also relieved. He thought he had made his father angry. After all, at that time he had missed the Jiaolong assembly was also because of his temporary trip out of the palace, plus an incident happened unexpectedly. Now it was only a few months before Zong Zi Xiao’s Jiaolong assembly, it was inevitable that it would cause people to make an associative connection.

"Your Highnesses, the emperor has a secret order, may I come inside and speak?" Huang Hong swept around warily.

"Come in."

When the four entered the room, Huang Wu opened the door and said, "I heard that Your Highnesses helped the Chunyang Sect and the Cangyu Sect to wipe out the Lion Alliance and capture Chen Xing Yong in one fell swoop."

"The word has spread in Jianghu?"

"Well, it has spread to Daming. Your Highnesses are really brave and have avenged what happened back then. Have you found out if Chen Xing Yong was instructed by anyone back then?"

"Not yet, the matter is somewhat complicated and Chen Xing Yong will not open up easily." Zong Zi Heng did not intend to tell them what had happened last night, not because he suspected anything, but because the two brothers were his father's men, and that alone made him hold back from saying it.

"That man had been caught, so this matter will surely come to light, and whoever dares to harm the two Highnesses will surely be severely punished by the emperor."

"What exactly are Father’s secret orders?" Zong Zi Heng asked.

The two brothers looked at Zong Zi Heng at the same time, "The emperor wants Your Highness to bring back Gong Shu Ju."

Zong Zi Heng froze.

Zong Zi Xiao raised an eyebrow, "Father is so well informed."

Huang Wu smiled, "There is nothing under the sky that is not the king's land, so naturally the emperor can see and hear from all directions."

"Gong Shu Ju ..." said Zong Zi Heng hesitantly, "It is a magical weapon of the Cangyu Sect."

"The Gong Shu Ju is the magical weapon of Lu Ban. Since this magical weapon was handed down by the earth deities, according to the rules of the immortal cultivation world, it does not have a master. It was obtained by the Cangyu Sect by chance, so it cannot be considered as something belonging to the Cangyu Sect." Huang Hong said, "Besides, even if it is a magical weapon of the Cangyu Sect, so what?"

Zong Zi Heng was silent.

Huang Hong was right. Earthly treasures were for those who could get them, but once it belonged to a certain sect, other sects would never fight for it as long as they did not want to cause strife. Just like the Shanhe Sheji Map, which was an ancient divine treasure passed down from generation to generation by the Daming Zong Clan, the Thunder Ancestor's Treasure Grant was a sect suppressing object of the Wuliang Sect, the Seven Star Life-Sustaining Lamp was one of the most precious treasures of the Chunyang Sect, and although Gong Shu Ju was not as good as a top-level magical weapon, it was worth any sect fighting over it.

The Wuji Palace has countless hidden treasures, but Zong Ming He still wanted it.

Zong Zi Xiao said proudly, "Yes, you can, but this magical weapon is ours once we have it."

"Xiao Jiu!" Zong Zi Xiao gently shouted, "What are you babbling about?"

"Father has asked us to bring back such a powerful magical weapon, isn't it a prize?" Zong Zi Xiao looked as if he was ready to do so.

"I'm not talking about that, this Gong Shu Ju originally belonged to the Cangyu Sect and was taken away by Chen Xing Yong. This magical weapon doesn't belong to us. How can we just stretch out our arms and take it?!"

Huang Hong lowered his eyes and said respectfully, "The emperor has said that he hopes that Your Highness will not disappoint him again this time."

Zong Zi Heng's body trembled slightly and he secretly clenched his fists, but when the words came to his lips, he could not spit them out. He thought of his father's rebuke when he missed the Jiaolong assembly three years ago, his mother's tears, and of the badly injured Xu Zhi Nan's senior and junior brothers, and was caught in a deep dilemma.

The Chunyang Sect, with one dead and two injured, still hadn't caught the mastermind behind it, and they were trying to find a way to lure people out with Gong Shu Ju, so how could he take Gong Shu Ju at this time?

"Your Highness?"

Zong Zi Heng's gaze flickered, and a fine sweat seeped out from his bare white forehead.

Ever since he was a child, he had craved Zong Ming He's praise and appreciation, and three years ago he had messed up. Now he had another chance to make his father look at him again, and he ... what should he do?

Huang Hong whispered, "Your Highness, you have a gentle and generous character, which is a virtue that both of us brothers admire greatly, but there are times when one cannot help but think of oneself ah."

"Big brother." Zong Zi Xiao also advised, "After we get Gong Shu Ju, I will go back and beg father to give it to you, so that you have a good sword and a powerful magical weapon. Wouldn't it be beautiful?!"

Zong Zi Heng lowered his head soberly.

 

 ----

PS: sigh, each one of them trying to stain his red heart into black heart ☹☹

 

Edited on 25 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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