Chapter 280
280 Shadow 2
Chapter 280 280 Shadow II
Aside from those who frequently engage in battle, the lords of the Mist City are largely unknown to each other unless a real fight breaks out.
After all, with a lifespan of thousands of years and a dominant supply of resources in one region, no one can say for sure what kind of trump cards they might have.
There was a previous case of an ordinary Mistman city lord who had lived peacefully for over two thousand years, only to suddenly unleash his power when faced with danger, killing thirteen invading Mist Gods in a terrifying display. His strength was even greater than Xie Chang'an's.
"So, what do you think about this matter?" Liu Xiao asked Lin Hui.
"Don't worry, Xiaoliu has a special heirloom from her father, and I've arranged for someone to protect her at all times. It shouldn't be a problem," Lin Hui said with a smile. "The main thing is that this is also a good experience for her. She's ten years old now, and she's almost capable of handling some things on her own."
“Yes, you’re right.” Liu Xiao nodded. “This Mingxin Society seems to be hiding something very well. Before we figure out their purpose, we really shouldn’t get involved rashly.”
"Mm," Lin Hui nodded.
The two chatted for a while about the recent changes in the situation. Liu Xiao was actually more like a man than a woman, and a man with a strong sense of career. Although he had been assigned a lucrative and easy job with good pay because of Lin Hui, he still liked to think about such major events whenever he had free time.
As the two chatted, the conversation gradually drifted to the current external war situation. They didn't bother to encrypt their conversations, which attracted the attention of a couple on the nearby deck who were also heading to the geothermal hot springs.
“Brother, you are mistaken. The Federation is currently in turmoil, beset by both internal and external troubles. Purgatory alone is not a major problem. The key issue is the rise of the Northern Prince Jing and the Western Prince Hong. The two major Mist People groups have simultaneously rebelled and declared their separation from the Inner Court. This is the greatest threat to the Inner Court Royal City.” The handsome, tall, short-haired man approached with his hands behind his back and said.
"The Prince of Jing in the North? The Prince of Hong in the West? When did this news come about? I've never heard of it before." Lin Hui was taken aback, looked at the other person, and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Could you please enlighten me, brother?"
The man appeared to be in his early thirties, with a small black mustache and a neatly groomed face. His eyes were sharp and intelligent, not aggressive, but giving the impression of being spirited and energetic.
"No need to be polite, everyone can discuss freely. The slow reception of information in Black Cloud is not your fault, but rather because the three city lords are likely deliberately preventing the news from leaking out to avoid unrest within the city." He paused, then continued, "However, it probably won't be long before it's too late to keep it a secret. Two cities have already suffered heavy losses in the battles between Prince Jing and Prince Hong and the inner court, and a large number of refugees have fled in all directions following the summoned warriors. They should be arriving in Black Cloud soon."
"Looking at it this way, it's understandable that news from Black Cloud arrives slowly because it's located on the border," Lin Hui nodded.
"The current internal strife within the Federation has inexplicably come to a standstill, neither advancing nor retreating, which is rather strange. But this is for the best; if another war breaks out, it will be us ordinary people who suffer," the man sighed.
"That's true. The peace and stability we enjoy now is the greatest happiness." Lin Hui deeply agreed.
He is strong enough to protect his family, but even if he does, so what? People don't live in a vacuum. Once something happens, not only is it difficult to fight against many people, but even if they can fight, their living conditions will be greatly reduced.
“Speaking of which, my family is from the area near the royal city. Not long ago, when I was writing to my family, I heard rumors that the twelfth prince of the royal city had been kidnapped and disappeared. After an investigation, the royal city actually concluded that it was the work of the Hong King’s forces. The Hong King’s rebuttal and explanation were useless, so his sworn brothers who stayed in the royal city were killed, and then they rebelled,” the girl next to the man added.
"This rumor is quite detailed and plausible; it can't be baseless. It might even be true," Liu Xiao judged.
“I’ve heard another rumor,” the man said in a low voice. “It’s said that Prince Hong was framed, and that the twelfth prince ran away on his own. He received news that he was going to be assassinated by his brothers and sisters, so he took the initiative to find an opportunity to escape.”
"Is the royal city really in such chaos now?" Lin Hui was speechless.
He couldn't understand it. Even if the royal city was full of princes and princesses, very few were of imperial blood. Without imperial blood, one had no right to vie for the throne. And now, under the federal system, what was the point of inheriting the throne?
Even the emperor of the Fog Man was forced to study night fog every day and ignore worldly affairs.
"It's not yet His Majesty's abdication of the throne. This position itself holds a great secret, supposedly related to the secret of increasing the success rate of fusing with the Evil Weapon Insect Codex. As long as one masters this secret, one can fuse with the blood of the Supreme Emperor like His Majesty. Of course, these are all rumors, and their veracity cannot be guaranteed," the man said with a smile.
"Looking at it this way, they are indeed worth fighting for." Lin Hui could also tell that these two people were of high status.
To be precise, the vast majority of people on this ship who can board it to soak in hot springs on the island are not ordinary people.
After all, ordinary people don't have that kind of spare money or that kind of courage. This world is not like the peaceful times of the past.
The sea is teeming with monsters, and the Mist God's minions appear from time to time. Anyone who goes out to sea without some skill is just courting death.
The four exchanged information, mostly rumors, but the conversation was still quite engaging. From the two men, Lin Hui quickly gained a general understanding of the royal city and the current situation in the Federation.
In this era and in this world with its communication limitations, it's impossible for someone who hasn't traveled extensively and gained a wealth of experience to see things so clearly.
Lin Hui also had the idea of making friends with Liu Xiao. He and Liu Xiao did not reveal their identities on the ship and were no different from ordinary guests.
The other party didn't mind and exchanged contact information and names with them.
During the exchange, both sides tacitly used pseudonyms, but this did not hinder the continued communication over the next two days.
On the third day after Lin Hui temporarily left Black Cloud.
Lin Xiaoliu's side has run into trouble again.
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In the northern part of the Black Cloud, near a remote bay, lies a desolate Taoist temple bearing the name "Futian Temple".
The abbot, his face aged and withered like a dead tree, stood silently in the shadows, his long white eyebrows drooping to his knees, gazing at a silver sphere floating in mid-air before the headless statue. A clear image of something far away near the Tai Su Martial Academy appeared on the sphere's surface.
Besides him, there were two other figures standing in different directions inside the Taoist temple.
One was a dignified middle-aged man wearing a purple-gold crown.
The other was a tall woman in a blue cloak wearing a black veil.
All three of them were watching the images displayed inside the silver sphere.
The video shows Lin Xiaoliu's classmate Song Yunhui's every move and daily life.
"We can now preliminarily confirm that the twelfth prince who was in the royal city was an imposter, and this Song Yunhui is the real prince. He was secretly brought to Black Cloud a long time ago and is living as an ordinary person," the Long-Browed Abbot said calmly. "What suggestions do you have for the future?"
"Since the old emperor has announced his intention to abdicate in favor of the twelfth prince, he must have anticipated this situation. There must be a hidden force protecting him behind the scenes," the woman in the blue cloak replied in a similarly indifferent tone.
"Everyone serves their own master, and the orders from above are beyond our control. Just do what needs to be done. What's there to discuss?" the man in the purple-gold crown said casually.
"Last time we made an arrest, it was a foolproof plan, but it was still disrupted by outsiders. This time, it will be much more troublesome, and we may have to fight a tough battle," the long-browed abbot said in a deep voice.
“This kid has learned his lesson now, always hanging out with that girl from last time. Trying to catch him again might be a bit troublesome,” the woman in the blue cloak frowned.
“Indeed, that girl’s senses are very strange. We tried more than ten different methods to approach her, but she sensed us in advance every time. However, according to my subordinates, this girl’s own aptitude is not strong. She is only at the middle to lower level in the martial arts academy. Her only advantage is her extremely strong senses.” The long-browed abbot nodded.
"If there's any trouble, just send people to arrest them all at once. We'll deal with any problems quickly," the man in the purple-gold crown said impatiently.
"Who do you think you are? Arresting people? Go ahead and do it yourselves, I'm not going to play along!" Suddenly, a figure slowly appeared in the fourth corner.
The figure had silver-gray eyes, long jet-black hair, a cold and beautiful face, and a slender figure. Her upper body was covered only by a simple gray-white ribbon wrapped around her chest, and she wore loose gray trousers. A thin, jet-black sword was slung across her waist. A faint, blurry character for "wind" could be seen on the hilt of the sword.
"Xia Si, what do you mean? You've taken the benefits, and you've signed the contract. Now it's time to do the work, and you can't back out now." The long-browed abbot coldly looked at the fourth figure.
"I admit that the benefits will greatly enhance my strength, but that's not a reason for me to willingly throw my life away," Xia Si sneered.
"I have already sent people to investigate the Qingfeng Sect Master you mentioned before. When the subsequent plan is launched, even if he realizes something is wrong, the three guest elders sent by the master will intercept and kill him when necessary," the Long-browed Abbot said coldly.
"Alright, alright, since she doesn't want to go, then we'll make the arrangements ourselves," the woman in the blue cloak said in a low voice, trying to smooth things over.
"It seems Miss Xia has been traumatized by her own Dao Master. What a pity for such unparalleled talent," the man in the purple-gold crown laughed.
"Then it's settled. The three of us will stay."
"I said no, can't you understand human language?" Xia Si interrupted the abbot without waiting for him to finish speaking.
"What do you mean?" Long-browed man's eyes flashed with a cold murderous intent as he looked at Xia Si.
The other two also turned hostile, their gazes falling on Xia Si.
"If you capture Lin Xiaoliu, it will surely alert my master, and then we will all surely die." Xia Si slowly drew his sword, and a dazzling golden mist rose behind him.
"Rather than be dragged down and killed by you fools, I'd rather kill you all before you can even make a move."
"Xia Si, you!?" Long-browed man was about to speak when golden light flashed before his eyes, and a gust of wind accompanied by golden light instantly engulfed the entire Taoist temple.
"Secret Assassination - Raging Wind Annihilation Path!"
A moment later, the Taoist temple remained unchanged; from the outside, not even a single brick or tile had been moved.
The door opened gently, and Xia Si walked out slowly, looking up at the dusky sky that was about to darken.
A trickle of blood silently seeped from the corner of her mouth and flowed down. But in the next instant, it turned into gray ashes and scattered and disappeared.
"The ashes of these three lives are not enough for me to break through to the next level. I need to devour more. Master, you wait, the position of sect leader will be mine sooner or later!"
Swish.
The next instant, a gust of wind swept through, and she had vanished from the spot.
(End of this chapter)