Chapter 221
Chapter 221: City Lord
Seizing this brief moment, Hemp Robed Elder and Pink Clad Girl finally shook off their pursuers’ Qi currents. In less than the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, they escaped Hundred Refinement City just before the gates were completely sealed.
However, once they were safely out, the two realized they no longer had the cover provided by the Tin Mountain Saber Sect. Moreover, they had yet to devise a plan for infiltrating Fallen God Peak. So, they decided to stay on a small hill near Hundred Refinement City for the moment. Their purpose was twofold: first, to reconsider their revenge strategy; second, to secretly observe the situation of Li Mu Sheng, who remained inside the city.
Pink Clad Girl gazed down from the hilltop, her eyes glinting with uncertainty as the lights of Hundred Refinement City continued to glitter brightly in the night: “If he took advantage of our distraction and fled right away, he should’ve had a good chance of escaping Hundred Fragrance Pavilion.”
Hemp Robed Elder stood quietly pondering, then shook his head slowly, saying: “He comes from the Great Li court, and his position is not low. It’s certain he has allies supporting him secretly. Moreover, I didn’t see him showing any intention to run. What exactly is he—or rather, what is the Great Li court—planning?”
Pink Clad Girl’s delicate eyebrows drew together, a worried look crossing her small, puzzled face as she turned toward the elder: “Could the Great Li court be plotting to take Hundred Refinement City tonight and then use it as a stronghold to attack Hundred Refinement Peak?”
“Unlikely,” Hemp Robed Elder replied thoughtfully. “Throughout our journey, aside from their group, we haven’t seen any other Great Li forces around. Clearly, Hundred Refinement Peak isn’t currently a priority for them.”
He paused, his gaze falling back upon Hundred Refinement City. The city was beginning to react to the turmoil, as torch-bearing city guards hurried through the previously quiet, darkened streets, creating a scene of chaos. The city gates were now fully sealed, transforming Hundred Refinement City into a tightly closed fortress.
At this moment, Hemp Robed Elder furrowed his brows, slowly speaking again: “Honestly, I can’t grasp his intentions. It doesn’t seem like he’s here to die, yet provoking Fallen God Peak like this isn’t any different from courting death.”
Pink Clad Girl’s eyes flashed angrily, her voice tense with irritation: “I find that man unbearably suspicious. I bet he’s scheming something wicked in secret. Still, I doubt he’ll lose his life so easily.”
Then, in the shadowy night, the young girl turned her attention back to Hemp Robed Elder: “What we really need to worry about is how to infiltrate Hundred Refinement Peak. If we miss this chance, the opportunity to avenge elder sister might slip away entirely.”
Hemp Robed Elder remained silent for a long moment before gently nodding: “There’s still time before Zheng Yun Feng’s birthday. Hundred Refinement City is the necessary path to Hundred Refinement Peak. Martial World sects will soon pass through here to pay respects. As long as we stay vigilant here, another chance will come.”
…
Back in Hundred Refinement City, panic and chaos consumed Hundred Fragrance Pavilion after the murder of the city’s young lord and the son of the Nine Peaks’ Peak Lord. Many guests, sensing imminent trouble, quickly rose from their beds and fled secretly into the night. Even those serving in the pavilion began to consider escape, knowing that the deaths of such important figures meant no one there would remain unaffected. They feared for their very lives.
News of Zheng Zi’s death quickly reached the City Lord’s mansion. The City Lord of Hundred Refinement City was Zheng Zi’s own brother.
Zheng Yun Feng, lord of Hundred Refinement Peak, had married numerous wives throughout his life and fathered twenty-four children. Yet only a few of them truly held his favor and gained important roles within Fallen God Peak. Among these favored children, Zheng Shang Zong, the City Lord of Hundred Refinement City, stood foremost. Now forty-seven years old, Zheng Shang Zong had entered the Heavenly Union stage four years prior, breaking through the Great Martial Grandmaster realm.
He possessed tremendous martial strength and controlled nearly half of Hundred Refinement Peak’s influence. His status within Fallen God Peak was extremely high, matched only by his arrogance and stubbornness.
Upon receiving word of Zheng Zi’s fate, Zheng Shang Zong rushed to Hundred Fragrance Pavilion immediately, not even waiting for his personal guards to follow. Shortly after he arrived, the two Fallen God Peak elders who had lost track of Hemp Robed Elder returned as well.
The two elders instantly sensed something was terribly wrong but were unclear about the situation. Seeing his brother’s lifeless body, Zheng Shang Zong, overwhelmed with fury, attacked the two elders immediately: “You failed in your duties—unforgivable!”
The supreme martial technique of Hundred Refinement Peak was called “Hundred Peaks Divine Fist.” Having cultivated this fist art from childhood, Zheng Shang Zong had reached Great Completion in it upon attaining the Heavenly Union stage, merely half a step away from complete mastery. When his fist struck out, it surged like a towering mountain crashing down, its force threatening to collapse the entire Hundred Fragrance Pavilion.
The two Fallen God Peak elders had martial cultivations similar to Zheng Shang Zong’s but were inferior in fist techniques. Moreover, considering Zheng Shang Zong’s position as the son of the Peak Lord, they did not dare to truly engage him. Thus, they swiftly channeled martial Qi for defense, retreating hastily outside the pavilion.
“City Lord Zheng, what has happened? Why attack us?” Elder Shen asked anxiously, his face pale.
The other elder hurriedly explained as they retreated: “Earlier, Young City Lord Zheng ordered us to pursue a Heavenly Union Expert. We were absent only briefly and have no idea what transpired here!”
Just then, Zheng Shang Zong threw another punch, warping the night sky with a dazzling golden fist aura. The surrounding Qi surged violently, roaring with a thunderous explosion as if threatening to rip the heavens apart. Both elders immediately ascended into the air, stepping upon condensed Qi to rise swiftly away from danger.
After unleashing his fury, Zheng Shang Zong began to calm down. Raising his gaze to the two elders hovering above, he spoke coldly, filled with chilling anger: “My brother and Yu Wen Feng have been murdered!”
At these words, the elders’ expressions changed drastically as they exclaimed together:
“What?”
“Impossible!”
Elder Shen, shaken deeply, instinctively demanded in a low, tense voice: “What about that man surnamed Miao? Didn’t he protect Young City Lord?”
Hearing this, Zheng Shang Zong vanished abruptly from sight, reappearing instantly before the two elders with murderous eyes: “He is dead as well, his skull pierced cleanly through by a single finger—exactly like my brother!”
“You’ve failed in your duty, causing my brother’s death. Such sin cannot be forgiven! Yet now, I only wish to know who exactly committed this murder!”
“I swear, I’ll tear them to pieces!”
Zheng Shang Zong’s killing intent filled the air, causing the two elders’ faces to grow even paler. Elder Shen opened his mouth, about to speak, when suddenly, a voice echoed clearly in everyone’s ears:
“No need to ask—it was me.”