Chapter 68

The two of them searched for a long time in the underground palace and were at a loss when they finally heard some loud noises coming from ahead, as if someone was calling for help.

They followed the sound and found an injured man in a stone room. He is a disciple of the Chunyang Sect, and his pale gold cultivator’s clothes were covered in blood.

Hua Yu Xin lowered her body to help him, "Brother, where have you been injured?"

Seeing that this man was covered in blood, Zong Zi Heng feared that he was in grave danger. He fished out a blood-coagulation pill from his qiankun bag, leaned over and was about to check his injuries with his spiritual power.

But just as he got close, his keen sense of smell caught a faint hint of incense under the cover of the smell of blood.

Startled, he jerked his head up and was met by a pair of vicious eyes, like a hungry beast staring at its prey close at hand. He pushed Hua Yu Xin away and he also stepped backwards.

There was a sharp pain in his abdomen, and when Zong Zi Heng looked down, a silver dagger was already halfway into his body, and blood instantly stained his white clothes.

"Your Highness!" Hua Yu Xin held onto Zong Zi Heng's swaying body as he looked at his injuries in horror.

Zong Zi Heng sent the blood-coagulation pill he had just taken out directly into his mouth. He grabbed the dagger, bit his lower lip and pulled it out violently.

There was a ‘puchi’ sound, and blood splashed all over.

Hua Yu Xin's eyes filled with tears as she drew her sword, feeling grief and anger, and shouted angrily at the sneak attacker, "You seek death!"

But Zong Zi Heng pulled her back and, holding back the sharp pain, said in a hoarse voice, "Don't."

The sneak attacker jumped up from the ground with ease, seemingly unhurt at all.

Hua Yu Xin said sternly, "You dare to attack His Highness? Where did you put Xu Zhen Ren, and who ordered you to do it!?"

The sneak attacker smiled coldly, "You can ask senior brother personally, if you can see him alive."

"No need." Zong Zi Heng glared at the sneak attacker, his gaze sharp as a knife, "This matter has nothing to do with Xu Zhen Ren, does it not, Yan Shu?"

At these words, not only was Hua Yu Xin appalled, but even the sneak attacker was stunned.

The sneak attacker was young and handsome, tall and very much looked like the appearance of a disciple of the Chunyang Sect. No matter what, no one would confuse him with Yan Shu, who was over half a century old.

"Your, Your Highness, what are you talking about?" Hua Yu Xin looked at Zong Zi Heng in confusion.

The sneak attacker gave a bloodthirsty smile, "I thought you were just a young and stupid fool. It seems that I underestimated you. How did you find out?"

"You guess where you exposed yourself." Zong Zi Heng needed more time to use his blood-coagulation pills and spiritual energy to make his wounds stop bleeding quickly.

But this trick was exposed as the sneak attacker had an extra sword in his hand, "Want to stall for time? It doesn't matter, as long as you are dead, this will remain a secret."

Hua Yu Xin looked at the sword: "You, you really are Yan Shu."

The sword was unsheathed and Yan Shu pointed the blade at Zong Zi Heng, "I will give you one more chance to speak, how did you find out?"

Zong Zi Heng said in a deep voice, "Last night, I was at Bailu Pavilion."

"Hahaha." Yan Shu laughed, "Indeed overlooking something important."

"You and Consort Chu ..." Zong Zi Heng revealed a disgusted look, "Shameless to the extreme."

Hua Yu Xin glared with rounded almond eyes.

These words instantly annoyed Yan Shu, and his gaze was fierce: "We are shameless? Then wouldn't a dog thief who takes someone's beloved and occupies a woman by force be even more shameless?

Zong Zi Heng quickly brainstormed and he seemed to understand something: "Could it be that you are ..."

"That's right, I am Chu Ying Ruo's fiancé. We were childhood sweethearts and we were in love, but that dog thief Zong Ming He at one glance took a fancy to her at the Jiaolong assembly, and he not only stole my unmarried wife." His eyes bursting with intense hatred, "but also ordered that old beast Yan Shu to have my whole family killed."

Zong Zi Heng's body shook. This man, saying that his father ...

Hua Yu Xin gave Zong Zi Heng an awkward glance and tried to change the topic, "You and Yan Shu, you guys, you used Wusheng Brush to disguise yourself as Yan Shu?"

No wonder Yan Shu always had a straight face in front of people, with few expressions. The face drawn with the Wusheng Brush was certainly not like the Chunyang Sect's Bone Shrinking Technique where one could move the bones and muscles at will.

"Your generation does not know anything at all." The fake "Yan Shu" clutched his sword, his handsome features twisted with hatred, "It's been more than ten years. They have obliterated what happened back then and obliterated me. Nowadays when people talk about Chu Ying Ruo, they only vaguely remember that the world's most beautiful woman seemed to have had a marriage contract before being incorporated into the imperial harem by Zong Ming He. But there are still people who remember that I, Lu Zhao Feng, am Yan Shu's own disciple."

Zong Zi Heng's face was pale, obviously not just because of the loss of blood. He had heard rumors in the palace when he was a child that Chu Ying Ruo had once had a marriage contract and was robbed away by the emperor, but he was, after all, the most powerful Human Emperor in Jiuzhou, and who would care if he wanted a mere woman?

"For the sake of glory and wealth, Yan Shu was willing to be Zong Ming He's lackey, and desired to get rid of me. Fortunately, I survived a great disaster, and actually accidentally obtained Wusheng Brush. That beast was afraid that my family would find out the truth and exterminated my 37 Lu family members, and even falsely accused my father of being a core thief!"

Zong Zi Heng suddenly remembered a case of extermination related to the theft of cores that Huang Hong and Huang Wu had mentioned to him back in Gutuo Town: "Could you be...the descendant of Yanzhou Lu Sect?"

Lu Zhao Feng glared with his bloodshot eyes, "Yan Shu and my dad were friends for many years, and my father even helped him when he was in the worst of times. My Lu Sect was just a small sect. For the sake of my future, my father sent me to Wuyun Sect to study under him, expecting him to treat me like his own son, as he had said, but he was a beast for requiting kindness with enmity!"

Hua Yu Xin scolded, "You are also a beast, you are all beasts. Yan Shu has harmed you, so you go and harm others. What is the difference between you and him?"

"Hahahahaha." Lu Zhao Feng laughed wildly, his face sickly twisted, "Yes, yes, but so what? I got the power, I got my revenge, I made Zong Ming He raise my son for me, hahahaha-----"

"You're spouting nonsense!" Zong Zi Heng's jaw dropped, as if he had been exposed on the spot for an unspeakable secret, and dying to sew Lu Zhao Feng's mouth shut, "You're crazy. You're spouting nonsense. You dare to slander my father. You dare to slander my younger brother!" His wound hurt as if a knife was stirring his flesh, adding to his pain, but it was not comparable to Lu Zhao Feng's words piercing his heart.

"It doesn't matter to you whether I'm talking nonsense or not." Lu Zhao Feng stepped closer, "Originally, I wanted to keep this lady and frame Xu Zhi Nan for your death, but now you all, have, to, die."

Zong Zi Heng held Jun Lan across his chest and blocked Hua Yu Xin behind him, "If you want to take my core, do you dare to come in a dignified manner? Sneaking up on a junior, what a villain!"

"I don't have time to tangle with you. I just want your core. Anyone who stands in my way will only die." Lu Zhao Feng said delightfully, "Do you want to know what happened to Yan Shu? Not only did I eat his core in front of him, but I also cut him alive piece by piece. I peeled off his face and painted it over and over again until it was so exquisite that I became him. Do you know how many heartless deeds I have done for your great father by pretending to be him?"

"Shut up!" Zong Zi Heng hissed, his sharp sword struck at Lu Zhao Feng, straight to his heart.

He was afraid of hearing more heart-gouging words from this person's mouth. He didn't believe it. He didn't believe that his father was in cahoots with the core thieves. He didn't believe that his beloved brother, who had no blood ties to him, was still the son of this beast!

Hua Yu Xin also attacked with her sword, and the two of them converged their attacks, their strokes murderous.

But with Lu Zhao Feng's profound training and excellent swordsmanship, and Zong Zi Heng's injuries, their attack was completely suppressed for a while.

In order to end the fight quickly, Lu Zhao Feng did not have any glory as a swordsman, and deliberately attacked Hua Yu Xin several times, forcing Zong Zi Heng to give up his attack in order to protect Hua Yu Xin. In such a fight, he could not stop his bleeding even more.

Hua Yu Xin gnashed her teeth in hatred. A blue light flashed in her hand and a string of bracelets appeared, which had seven tiny bells hanging from them. She shook her wrist, the bells emitted a crispy sound and attacked Lu Zhao Feng under the augmentation of spiritual power.

She saw Lu Zhao Feng's expression change and he slapped his head hard, dodging the blow.

Zong Zi Heng would not let go of this moment and blocked his retreat. His spiritual pressure raging around him and he offered his sword moves ruthlessly, chasing after Lu Zhao Feng. The Zongxuan Sword Technique originally was a fierce and aggressive way of pursuing and fighting, aiming to quickly end a fight. Zong Zi Heng actually prefers the traditional, elegant swordplay of the Wuliang Sect to this rigid fighting style. But against Lu Zhao Feng, Zong Zi Heng could not wait to cut him to death by a thousand cuts.

When Hua Yu Xin saw that her magical weapon, the Shattering Wind Bells, was working, she chased after Lu Zhao Feng and shook the bell, while Zong Zi Heng's sword was like a dragon and fought Lu Zhao Feng on equal strength for the time being. Finally, the tables have turned in the battle.

Lu Zhao Feng was dizzy from the shattering wind bells, and as the two sides attacked, he finally lost his strength.

But Hua Yu Xin was also struggling. The Shattering Wind Bells were made from the teeth of a brave spirit and were most effective against evil spirits. Her father gave it to her to protect herself. In order not to harm her allies, she has to exert a great amount of spiritual energy to control the direction of the sound of the bell.

Zong Zi Heng's blood was dripping all over the ground. His speed was slowing down and Hua Yu Xin was also showing signs of fatigue.

After a hundred moves, each of them had suffered injuries. Zong Zi Heng was fighting for breath, seemingly fighting harder and harder, but in reality, he could not hold on any longer. This power is rather like the last radiance of a setting sun. The more fiercely it burns, the quicker it is extinguished.

When Lu Zhao Feng noticed this, he deliberately stalled for time, mockingly saying, "I originally wanted to give you a quick death, seeing as you've taken good care of my son."

"Shut your dog mouth!" Zong Zi Heng was extremely angry, and veins protrude on his forehead, dying to eat Lu Zhao Feng.

Lu Zhao Feng grinned hideously and said, "Do you know how many human cores your revered father has eaten?"

Zong Zi Heng's body was shaken. He lost his concentration, and was injured by Lu Zhao Feng's sword.

"Your Highness!" Hua Yu Xin said anxiously, "Don't listen to his nonsense. He's provoking you!"

"Hehe." Lu Zhao Feng looked at Hua Yu Xin cruely, "Don't you want to know whose belly your little martial uncle's core has gone into?"

Hua Yu Xin's body trembled.

"That's right, it is none other than that high and mighty Emperor Ning Hua."

"Bastard!" Zong Zi Heng lunged again, and Lu Zhao Feng came into contact with his sword sharply. The sound of blades clashing resound throughout the stone room, accompanied by words that Lu Zhao Feng refused to stop saying, dripping with venom.

"And your big brother Xu's junior brother, that was a good core." Lu Zhao Feng laughed, "Without doing anything, Emperor Ning Hua has the Yuanyang Technique and his cultivation has gone to a higher level. He is wholehearted on revitalizing the Daming Zong clan. Since he wasn't born with good roots, he can only rely on acquired supplements."

Zong Zi Heng's anger attacked him. He desperately admonished himself to be calm, not to believe these slanders, not to fall for the enemy's tricks, but as a son of that man, how could he remain indifferent? If, if that was the case, how would he handle himself?!

Hua Yu Xin almost cried out, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it!" With a stern cry, she shook the Shattering Wind Bell again and went straight after Lu Zhao Feng.

The stone room was not large, so there was not much room for Lu Zhao Feng to dodge if he wanted to. The sound of the bells were so noisy that it seemed as if his head was splitting open, and in his anger, he took out his Chasing Mountain Whip.

"Yu Xin, retreat!" Zong Zi Heng let his spiritual energy release frantically, his Jun Lan Sword pulled a silver glittering sword flower in his hand, exerting the style - the seventh Chongtian of Zongxuan Sword Technique.

Lu Zhao Feng held a long whip and said fiercely, "Not only that, Zong Zi Heng, listen carefully, the one who wants your core the most in this world is your own father!"

Zong Zi Heng only felt his blood flowing backwards, and with a sweetness in his throat, he spat out a mouthful of blood straight away. It was only through the support of the Jun Lan Sword that he did not collapse in front of his enemy.

No, he can't believe it, he can't believe it, he can't believe it!

"But how could I have given him such a good thing?" Lu Zhao Feng laughed evilly, "You have no idea how precious your core is. It will become the stepping stone for my, Lu Zhao Feng's, son to ascend to the immortal cultivation world!"

As the golden light of the Chasing Mountain Whip appeared, all the stones that were swept up flew towards them, enough to smash them into mush, and Zong Zi Heng roared out, releasing his sword arc to collide in mid-air.

Boom----

The whole chamber shook like a beast that had just awakened, and they were in the mouth of that beast, ready to be devoured at any moment.

Zong Zi Heng saw Hua Yu Xin amidst the tumbling rocks. Huaying Sect’s sword technique is coupled with strength and gentleness. When Hua Yu Xin danced with her sword, she was as graceful as a saucer. At that time, on the ring, many young boys were love drunk and enchanted by this saucer, but now this saucer was caught in a cruel storm. She dodged in disorder, and still could not stop the storm from tearing her wings apart.

Zong Zi Heng lunged forward, struggling to reach out his hand. When the broken stone struck Hua Yu Xin, time seemed to stand still for a moment, no, time ran like a river and sea, never stopping for tiny individuals with no power. It was something in his body that stood still.

Zong Zi Heng knelt on the ground, looking at Hua Yu Xin who fell in a pool of blood. He opened his mouth and wailed silently.

Lu Zhao Feng walked up to Zong Zi Heng and raised his sword: "If you don't believe me, ask your Uncle yourself when you go to the Underworld."

A sudden burst of coldness struck him, and Lu Zhao Feng jumped away keenly. With a whoosh, an ice arrow entered the stone wall. Using the arrow as the center of a target, the ice spread rapidly in all directions, freezing almost half of the wall.

If this had been shot at a human being, the consequences would have been imaginable.

Qi Meng Sheng and Xu Zhi Nan appeared in the stone room at the same time.

Lu Zhao Feng gritted his teeth reluctantly and whipped his Chasing Mountain Whip, sending stones towards the two of them and a wall of stone sliding over in an attempt to repeat the same trick and shut them out of the chamber.

Qi Meng Sheng held an ice crystal longbow, stepped on the stone wall and ran horizontally. Every time she drew her bow, an arrow made of cold ice flew out, and the stones were frozen into ice in mid-air and shattered in response.

On the contrary, Xu Zhi Nan, without slowing down, appeared in front of the stone wall with incredible speed, and placed one hand against the thousand pounds of stone wall.

Lu Zhao Feng took a step back.

Xu Zhi Nan said grimly, "Using such despicable tricks to calculate on a group of children, so shameless."

Lu Zhao Feng grimaced and stepped back. Realizing that he was going to escape, the two gave an instant chase.

Lu Zhao Feng kept waving his Chasing Mountain Whip, snapping the stone walls and sending debris flying. The stone walls moved quickly and formed a barrier. Lu Zhao Feng exited the stone room undercover and out of sight.

Worried about the injured, the two of them did not pursue any further. They ran back to Zong Zi Heng's side, and looked at the dying Hua Yu Xin in his arms. They injected their spiritual energy to probe her heart pulse, and lowered their heads at the same time.

Zong Zi Heng stiffly wiped the blood from Hua Yu Xin's face. He tried hard to see this beautiful girl clearly, but his vision was already blurred, and all that was left was a large, bright red patch.

Hua Yu Xin opened her mouth and blood once again gushed out of her mouth. She coughed blood and said with a very weak breath, "That night, Consort Shen ... asked me ... if I would ... like to ... be your ... wife ..."

"Yu Xin ..."

Hua Yu Xin struggled to curl the corners of her mouth, and her tear-filled eyes were doing their best to see Zong Zi Heng clearly: "I ... am … willing ..."

She took that glance together with her and left.

A beam of light went out in the darkness.

"Ahhhhhhhh-------" Zong Zi Heng cried out in pain.

His world crumbled before his eyes, collapsing and smashing down from overhead like a boulder manipulated by a Chasing Mountain Whip. All of it; Zong Ming He, Zong Zi Xiao, Hua Yu Xin, every stone smashed him so hard that he could no longer put it all together.

Within an instant, his father turned into a devil who ate people's cores as supplements and even tried to dig out his core. His beloved brother turned out to be not related to him and was even the son of an enemy, and in order to cover up his mother's nasty deeds, he lied, hid and used an innocent girl, getting her involved in danger and losing her life.

The immense pain and remorse almost crushed him.

Xu Zhi Nan heaved a sigh: "Zi Heng, now is not the time to grieve, we have to find Ninth Highness and catch Lu Zhao Feng." When he said "Ninth Highness", his tone was clearly a bit hesitant.

"Zi Xiao, Zi Xiao." This name woke Zong Zi Heng up like a bang in the head. He caught the difference in Xu Zhi Nan's words, "How much did you guys hear?"

Qi Meng Sheng said with a straight face, "We followed the sound of the bell to find you."

Xu Zhi Nan said, "It was a Shattering Wind Bell, right? The sound was not too loud, but it could travel a long distance. It also had the effect of carrying the surrounding sounds along with it, so after the bell rang, we heard them all, and had a rough guess as to his identity."

Zong Zi Heng gasped, panic written in his eyes, "Could it be that everyone in the underground palace heard it?"

"No, no." Xu Zhi Nan said with a straight face, "Miss Hua used her spiritual power to guide the Shattering Wind Bell, so the sound didn't spread. After we heard the bell, we used our spiritual power to pursue it all the way. We didn't encounter anyone else during that time. Only we heard it, you can rest assured."

Zong Zi Heng helplessly grabbed Xu Zhi Nan's lapel and said almost pleadingly, "Don't tell anyone, never ever ... tell anyone."

If Zong Zi Xiao’s birth was known, it would be ruined. Everything would be finished - even if what Lu Zhao Feng said was false.

Xu Zhi Nan lowered his eyes, "I won't tell anyone, but when you've recovered from your injuries, I want an explanation for what happened to my junior brother."

Zong Zi Heng nodded stiffly.

"Let's go." Qi Meng Sheng picked up Hua Yu Xin, her eyes flashing with intolerance.

Xu Zhi Nan also helped the bruised and battered Zong Zi Heng up, "We have cracked this labyrinth and have found and gathered some people together. It is not difficult to leave here, but we have to make sure no one is left down here."

"Where is Xiao Jiu? He must have been captured by Lu Zhao Feng."

"If it's true what Lu Zhao Feng says, he’s his ..." Xu Zhi Nan said, "Lu Zhao Feng wouldn't hurt him. Quite the opposite, and probably locked him up for his protection, so he must be in a very safe place ."

"How do you decipher the labyrinth?"

"It's simple, I froze the walls everywhere I walked." Qi Meng Sheng pointed to the root of a wall where ice had indeed formed, "The underground palace is not very big, because Lu Zhao Feng cannot support it if it’s too big. He just kept changing the position of the stone walls, so most people looking for a way out ended up making a detour at the same place. I expect his spiritual energy is extremely depleted, so after freezing the wall, it's hard for him to move it again, and the path comes out slowly."

"I'll send you to safety first, then Meng Sheng and I will go find Ninth Highness."

"I'm coming along."

"With your injuries like this, you'll only slow us down." Qi Meng Sheng said nonchalantly.

Zong Zi Heng was silent.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from not far away.

"Who!?" Qi Meng Sheng said sternly.

A tall, thin figure flashed out and said with relief, "It's you guys, that’s great!"

It was Li Bu Yu.

Li Bu Yu was shocked, "Your Highness, what, what happened to you?"

Zong Zi Heng shook his head.

They returned to the other stone room, where many people had indeed gathered, working together to hold up a protective barrier that would last a long time even if the underground palace collapsed.

"Your Highness!"

"His Highness is injured."

"Oh my god, is that ... Miss Hua?"

Zong Zi Heng sat in a daze beside Hua Yu Xin's corpse, his eyes grey and defeated.

Li Bu Yu carefully brought a pill with the sealing wax removed to Zong Zi Heng's mouth, "Your Highness, this is our Wuliang Sect’s True Element Jade Practitioner Pill. If you take it, your injuries will heal much faster."

Zong Zi Heng pushed away Li Bu Yu's hand and said soberly, "Many thanks, this pill is precious, it is not necessary."

"Your Highness, take it." Li Bu Yu said with red eyes, "You saved my life from evil spirits back then, can't I do something for you?"

Zong Zi Heng lowered his eyes and didn't push back any further. He actually didn't even want to say one more word.

Li Bu Yu carefully opened his mouth and sent the pill in.

About an hour later, Xu Zhi Nan and Qi Meng Sheng did bring Zong Zi Xiao back, but Lu Zhao Feng was already nowhere to be found. With the Chasing Mountain Whip in place, it is not difficult for him to escape.

"Big brother!" Zong Zi Xiao pounced to Zong Zi Heng's side, looking at him covered in wounds and going crazy with anxiety, "Big brother, are you, are you alright?"

Zong Zi Heng slowly raised his hand and stroked Zong Zi Xiao’s face, saying softly, "Xiao Jiu, are you alright?"

Zong Zi Xiao shook his head with tears in his eyes, "How did you get hurt like this? Yan Shu, that dog thief, I must cut him to pieces!"

Zong Zi Heng struggled to hug Zong Zi Xiao, he was so sad that he almost shed tears.

"... Big brother, what's wrong?" Zong Zi Xiao felt the unspeakable sadness, and this sadness also infected him deeply.

"It's nothing, it's good that you're alright."

What should he do with his Xiao Jiu? As long as Lu Zhao Feng is alive, Xiao Jiu’s birth could be revealed. If that day really came, what should he do? How could he let this ambitious, proud and fortunate boy suffer that kind of humiliation and trampling?

----

PS: This chapter is SO long omg

 

Edited on 31 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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