Chapter 232 - 172: Cruel Official

Chapter 232: Chapter 172: Cruel Official

The Long Family Siblings boarded the carriage, and their Bone Refining Realm servant personally acted as the coachman.

A full moon hung high in the sky. It was midnight, and the bustling Sword City had finally fallen quiet.

’Dragon Country’s Prince Long Xing and Princess Long Yun. It’s them, no doubt.’ At a street corner, a figure coldly watched the carriage depart, confirming the identity of the Long Family Siblings.

The figure turned and left. He entered a gambling den, presented a special identity Token, and went through a hidden door at the back.

The hidden door led down into an underground passage.

The passage was incredibly long. The figure sprinted through it at full speed, emerging only after nearly half an hour.

The passage exited into a burial ground, and the man only emerged after pushing open a tomb.

He now found himself outside Sword City.

"General, the identities and location of the Dragon Country Prince and Princess have been confirmed."

"They are accompanied by a guardian at the Bone Refining Fifth Layer."

"Also, it seems the Blue-clothed Guard have their eyes on the targets as well."

The man knelt on one knee before a courtyard at the edge of the burial ground, saluted, and spoke.

The way he saluted was clearly the customary greeting of the Daliang Alien Race.

"This Sword Discussion Conference has really hooked some big fish."

A soft, effeminate male voice drifted out from the courtyard.

"The Blue-clothed Guard are irrelevant to the operations of our Daliang Secret Domain. Pay them no mind."

"Secret Realm Cruel Officials, hear my order! Skinning, Bone Carving, Tendon Pulling, Corpse Transformation—the four of you are to bring the Dragon Country Prince and Princess into the Secret Domain. And remember, bring them back alive."

"The Desert North may be a harsh and frozen land, but it must be brought into the territory of our Daliang."

"..."

"As... you... command..."

Around the courtyard, faint, ghost-like voices echoed in response to the General’s command.

Pulling the view back...

...one could see that besides this one courtyard, a number of other solitary courtyards were scattered about the vicinity of the burial ground.

Pulling back even further revealed that the entire area was enclosed by a massive, thick, and impenetrable surrounding wall.

It resembled a prison, but was more like a secret base. The only way out was the passage from the burial ground, through the entrance in the tomb.

Four phantom-like figures appeared one after another at the tomb.

A voice that was neither human nor ghost spoke, "Hmph. A mere Bone Refining Fifth Layer. Is it really necessary to send all four of us?"

"Heh heh, I heard the Long Family’s son and daughter have gotten themselves mixed up with that genius Swordsman from the Saint Demon Sect," a hoarse male voice said.

"The genius Swordsman from the Saint Demon Sect? You mean Lu Changfeng, the one who killed Baili Xiong?" the inhuman, ghostly voice asked. "Now this is getting interesting. Don’t fight me over this one. I’ll take care of it."

The man with the inhuman voice opened the tomb’s entrance and vanished down the passage in a flash.

"Boss, what about us?"

"Since he’s so eager, we’ll just wait for word from Corpse Transformation," replied a steady, unremarkable male voice.

At his words, the three figures before the tomb instantly vanished.

...

「The next day.」

After nurturing his Death Sword Intent all night, Lu Changfeng rose early and took a carriage to the Sword Discussion Conference venue.

At the venue, someone led Lu Changfeng to the Scholars Spectator Area.

The Scholars Spectator Area was located at the highest point of the venue.

It offered a panoramic view of all thirty-six competition rings.

An enormous number of Martial Artists were participating in the Sword Discussion Conference, and even with thirty-six rings operating simultaneously, it would take several days to determine the final outcome.

As Lu Changfeng stepped into the Scholars Spectator Area, he saw that Zhao Xingtian had already beaten him there.

Lu Changfeng casually sat down beside Zhao Xingtian.

’The Xuanyuan Sword Sect moved to the Desert North Dragon Country and is lacking talent. This guy is dead set on recruiting a few people for his Sect.’

"So, how did it go? Did you and your son make up?" Lu Changfeng asked, indulging in a rare bit of gossip.

A faint smile touched Zhao Xingtian’s lips. "The boy is willing to come with me to the Desert North Dragon Country."

’Looks like the reunion went well.’

"What about Hong Xiangxiang?"

"She’s staying in Sword City." The smile vanished from Zhao Xingtian’s face, replaced by a slight frown.

Lu Changfeng sighed inwardly but didn’t try to persuade him. ’It’s hard for an outsider to solve family problems.’

"Hm? That person on Ring Six... isn’t he a young noble from your Desert North Dragon Country?" Lu Changfeng had noticed Long Xing step onto Ring Six to face another Martial Artist, also at the Blood Forging Realm.

Zhao Xingtian followed Lu Changfeng’s gaze and nodded slightly. "A young noble? He’s a direct descendant of the Dragon Country’s Royal Family. He is a Prince, one who has a chance to take the throne one day."

Lu Changfeng had a flash of understanding. ’No wonder he could command a Bone Refining Realm expert to be his coachman.’

’So he’s a Prince, which must mean the other one, Long Yun, is the Princess.’

"Morning, Brother Lu, Brother Zhao."

At some point, Bai Yimeng had appeared in the Scholars Spectator Area, dressed in his customary white robes. He plopped down in the seat next to Lu Changfeng.

The trio drew the gazes of the other Swordsmen in the Scholars Spectator Area.

This was because the three of them basically represented the most outstanding geniuses of their generation on the path of the Sword Dao. Zhao Xingtian was more than a decade older, but he was still considered to be in the same league.

Sooner or later, these three were destined to hold a place of significance in the future of the Martial Arts Realm.

The fact that Lu Changfeng shared a bond of friendship with both of them was a rare and valuable thing indeed.

The three conversed leisurely.

Before long, it was the Clone, Lu Jun’s, turn to enter the ring.

The Clone Lu Jun’s cultivation Realm was still at the Fifth Level of Blood Forging Realm.

But in terms of Sword Dao Cultivation, she *was* Lu Changfeng, capable of directly using the second stage of Death Sword Intent.

’Of course, she can’t afford to be so outrageous during the Sword Discussion Conference matches.’ Lu Changfeng pondered what ranking would be appropriate for her to achieve.