Dominating Martial King
Chapter 146 - 146 143

146: 143 146: 143 Coastal County, as the Zhou family began their night banquet, Lu Luanti arrived at an abandoned manor twenty-nine li outside the city.

This manor covered a vast area, grand in scale, but now only remnants of broken walls and twenty-some dilapidated houses remained.

Bathed in the setting sun, the entire manor appeared exceptionally desolate and eerie, with sharp winds howling around, as if ghosts were wailing.

Lu Luanti walked into one of the relatively intact stone houses with ease.

Inside, there was a hunched, single-eyed old man with disheveled hair, cooking over a fire.

“Uncle Dong!”

Upon entering, Lu Luanti’s eyes were drawn to some medicine arrayed on the table beside her.

These were the secret medicines for her promotion to the Sixth Grade—including the primary medicine, the Seven-holed Stone Heart, everything was complete.

“Thank you, Uncle Dong.” Lu Luanti first felt joyous, but then she sniffed the air and frowned deeply: “Uncle Dong, you are injured?

Did my father command you to do something again?”

She smelled a faint scent of blood mixed with a strong herbal aroma in the house.

It wasn’t from those secret medicines but from the single-eyed old man himself.

“Just a minor injury, nothing serious.

It’s my good fortune that the Manor Master is still willing to summon me.”

The single-eyed old man, limping slightly, placed a plate of braised pig trotters on the table: “Miss, you haven’t eaten yet, right?

I made some dishes, all your childhood favorites.”

Yet Lu Luanti was filled with anger as she sat down on the southern side of the square table: “How can Father do this?

Uncle Dong, you’ve barely had any peaceful days, and he drags you back in?

When will Father understand?

It has been fifteen years since the Crown Prince died!

Emperor Jianyuan’s reign is as solid as rock, and the people of the world are at peace.

They have long forgotten the Crown Prince.

Why does he still insist on tossing you all into the fire?”

The old man’s expression turned complex at her words.

He sighed: “Miss, your father is a heroic figure.

How could he not be aware of the slim hopes by now?

But your father is also a gentleman, who acts where righteousness lies, not swayed by power, unconcerned with profit, he faces the entire nation without changing his view, holding firm to his principles even unto death, this is the courage of a gentleman!

We are willingly following him because the Crown Prince once bestowed great kindness upon us, and a scholar dies for his confidant.

Precisely because the world has forgotten the Crown Prince, we, his loyal leftovers, must use our full strength to seek justice for him, even if there is only a slim possibility.”

At this moment, the old man’s single eye slightly opened, and his aura became as imposing as a mountain, commanding respect without anger.

Lu Luanti couldn’t bear to see him this way and turned her head, her expression cold and displeased: “So, where have you been risking your lives?

And who wounded you, Uncle Dong?”

The old man did not hide it: “We went to the Capital City.

Your father set a trap and killed Peng Jin, the Deputy Chief of the Imperial Court under Emperor Jianyuan, and also took several relics left by the Crown Prince.”

Seeing Lu Luanti’s stunned, pale face, the old man chuckled: “It’s not as dangerous as you think.

After Emperor Jianyuan removed Dominating Martial King Qin Muge, he destroyed his strong pillar.

The throne he sits on is not as stable as you imagine.

Besides, what sort of person is your father?

He is the Sword and Dream!

The legendary Lu Chen famous for fifteen years!

Peng Jin, who strangled the Crown Princess Consort with his own hands, met his end under our Manor Master’s blade.

This slightly soothes the Crown Prince’s spirit in heaven and allows us to feel a bit of satisfaction.

And this is only the beginning—”

Lu Luanti was momentarily dazed seeing the old man’s spirited appearance.

It had been a long time since she had seen Uncle Dong like this.

In her childhood memories, Uncle Dong seemed lifeless most of the time.

Her expression turned complex: “Killing Peng Jin makes you so happy?

I just hope you all stay safe.”

“Don’t worry, your father is wise and far-sighted and will never let us old brothers die in vain.”

The old man looked at Lu Luanti with indulgence: “I also wish to live a long life, to see you get married and have children with my own eyes.”

He then changed the topic: “By the way, Miss, have you gained anything from infiltrating Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall?

The Rebellious God Flag is a supreme treasure capable of defying gods and slaughtering immortals.

Lie King’s Treasure also contains countless divine weapons and top-grade secret medicines.

If we can obtain them, our great endeavor would be achieved.”

Lu Luanti felt a little embarrassed: “I have been stealthily staying in Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall for months, and I have copied down all of Qin Muge’s annotations, notes, and True Intent, but I haven’t found any useful clues.

Recently, Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall has been in chaos, with many rumors and intrigues.

However, since Jian Cangfeng’s arrival, the atmosphere has changed.

This person is extraordinary; three fifth-Grade masters have fallen at his hands without any evident cause.

Hence, various factions dare not act rashly.

I currently do not know where to start.”

The old man smiled slightly, intently listening.

He didn’t actually expect Lu Luanti to gain anything significant regarding the Rebellious God Flag.

The matter itself was too strange, like someone wanted to use the Rebellious God Flag to create confusion.

Until Lu Luanti mentioned ‘but I made a very interesting friend at Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall,’ he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening.

※※※※

The banquet the Zhou couple prepared for Chu Xisheng was of the highest standard, not only featuring all kinds of delicacies but also inviting many core members of the Zhou Family to accompany them.

Everyone warmly welcomed Chu Xisheng and his companion with hospitality.

Chu Xisheng truly felt the sense of being an honored guest, like bathing in a spring breeze.

Zhou Xiongba himself was also straightforward and generous, winning people’s hearts.

When Chu Xisheng proposed to exchange the Secret Realm Token for the ‘Divine Intent’ map and a top-tier Hidden Pattern Medicine from the Heavenly Inquiry Pavilion, Zhou Xiongba agreed without hesitation.

“If the ‘Divine Intent’ map you mentioned is truly just a worthless map, then it won’t be difficult.

But Heavenly Inquiry Pavilion is far in the Northwest Forbidden Land, and I might need several months to handle this matter.

Additionally, I should warn you in advance, though I can get the map for you, you must be extremely cautious after obtaining it.

Since this war map, created with Heavenly Inquiry Pavilion’s heavy investment, has become a discarded map and has been ignored for over a thousand years, there must be a reason.”

Chu Xisheng smiled upon hearing this, showing gratitude: “Nephew understands, I will not gamble my life.”

A few months later, he would likely have the qualifications to engrave this war map.

Zhou Xiongba was quite curious about where Chu Xisheng got information that Heavenly Inquiry Pavilion possessed such a war map.

However, everyone had their secrets, and although he was curious, he had no intention of delving into it.

He fell into thought: “A discarded war map is still too little; I estimate that this matter can be handled with fifty or sixty thousand pieces of Demon Silver.

I feel guilty taking your Secret Realm Token.

So, later, Xiangshan and Liang Chen will take you to our family’s treasure vault, and you can choose two Seventh Rank items to make up the difference.”

Chu Xisheng knew that getting the war map for him wasn’t just about spending silver but also incurring a favor.

However, Zhou Xiongba gave no room for refusal.

After the banquet, he ordered Zhou Xiangshan and Zhou Liangchen to forcefully take Chu Xisheng to a secret vault in the Zhou family’s backyard.

Chu Xisheng felt quite embarrassed, but in this treasure vault, two items caught his eye and made him unable to move.

One was a Seventh Rank upper-tier Yan Ling Saber—called ‘Thunderbolt,’ known for its soundless strikes.

The other was a palm-sized miniature altar specifically used for performing the Divine Descent Technique.