“Someone, break both of Ling Ao’s legs and throw him out!” Suo Lun gave the order.
“Suo Lun, how dare you?” Ling Ao flew into a rage and abruptly drew his sword.
Suo Lun’s current status was something he could only look up to, but when it came to martial arts, he did not take Suo Lun seriously at all. After all, he, Ling Ao, was the youngest Dragon Warrior in the entire Raging Wave Kingdom.
Kill Suo Lun!
The moment this thought arose, infinite ** surged forth.
There were only Suo Lun and Gui Xingfu in the room right now. Killing Suo Lun was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Moreover, once he killed Suo Lun, Prince Zhili’s greatest problem would be solved effortlessly, and he would have accomplished a monumental feat.
At that time, his foster father Gui Xingfu would have no choice but to return to Zhili’s banner once more. And he, Ling Ao, would again have boundless prospects within the Zhili faction.
Killing Suo Lun at this moment truly had a thousand benefits!
Of course, escaping after killing Suo Lun would likely be very difficult, but great fortune favoured the bold. He had no other choice.
“Suo Lun, die!” With a thunderous roar, Ling Ao’s sword shot forth like a meteor, thrusting fiercely towards Suo Lun.
Gui Xingfu’s eyes nearly split open. He rushed forward frantically to block Ling Ao’s sword.
He did this not out of concern for Suo Lun’s life, but because the Gui clan’s prospects on Zhili’s side were already finished. The moment he exposed the truth of Zhili’s assassination scandal, he had become a mortal enemy in Zhili’s heart.
He knew Zhili very well. Even if Zhili hypocritically forgave him now, once Suo Lun was destroyed, he, Gui Xingfu, would still be a dead man.
Therefore, Suo Lun and Zhiyan were his only hope. He could only follow Suo Lun down this path to the end.
Since this was the case, how could he possibly allow Suo Lun to be killed?
However, Gui Xingfu was somewhat too slow and completely unable to stop Ling Ao’s sword.
Suo Lun let out a cold laugh, standing there motionless, allowing Ling Ao’s sword to come at him.
“Clang…”
When it was still nine inches from Suo Lun’s face, Ling Ao’s sword struck the blade of Zhuang Zhixuan’s sword directly and could advance no further.
And the Grand Eunuch Gao Yin had already appeared behind him, not even needing to act.
Zhuang Zhixuan alone could effortlessly block Ling Ao!
Then, her jade finger lightly tapped the back of Ling Ao’s neck.
Instantly, Ling Ao seemed to be electrocuted, completely unable to move.
Although Ling Ao was the youngest Dragon Warrior, his martial arts were far inferior compared to Zhuang Zhixuan’s.
Zhuang Zhixuan looked towards Suo Lun, her gaze inquiring whether to kill Ling Ao or not.
At this moment, Gui Xingfu was prostrate on the ground, motionless, his forehead pressed tightly against the floor, not even daring to open his mouth to plead for Ling Ao.
Killing Ling Ao was truly as easy as crushing an ant for Suo Lun.
But should he kill him or not? Suo Lun entered into deliberation.
Of course, whether to kill Ling Ao or not at this moment, Suo Lun would not consider Gui Xingfu’s face, nor would he consider Gui Qinshao’s face.
The sole reason determining whether to kill Ling Ao was benefit!
Was the benefit of keeping him alive greater, or the benefit of killing him greater?
Killing Ling Ao would vent his anger and eliminate one enemy.
Keeping him alive meant having one more enemy. Of course, this enemy was completely insignificant to Suo Lun at this point.
Letting him return to Zhili’s side, because of Ling Ao’s special identity, perhaps this chess piece would have a miraculous effect in the future.
After weighing the options for a few seconds, Suo Lun still decided to spare Ling Ao’s life.
Although the likelihood of Ling Ao playing a major role in the future was not great, if he proved useful by any chance, the returns would be enormous.
However, even if he let Ling Ao live, he would leave him with an impression that could never be erased for the rest of his life!
“Hammer!” Suo Lun extended his hand.
Very quickly, a Shadow Pavilion warrior entered and placed a hammer weighing several dozen jin into his hand.
“Press him to the ground.” Suo Lun said.
Instantly, Zhuang Zhixuan slapped the back of Ling Ao’s neck and pressed him to the ground.
“Hold his legs down.” Suo Lun said.
A Shadow Pavilion warrior stepped forward, pressed Ling Ao’s legs straight together, and held them to the ground.
“Suo Lun, what are you doing? What are you doing?” Ling Ao asked in a trembling voice.
“Merely settling a score.” Suo Lun smiled.
Then, he raised the several-dozen-jin hammer, aimed at Ling Ao’s thigh bone, and smashed down fiercely!
“Bang!”
“Crack…”
Ling Ao’s left thigh bone was completely shattered.
“Ahh…” Ling Ao let out an incomparably miserable scream.
And Gui Xingfu, who was kneeling prostrate on the ground, also shuddered violently, continuing to kneel and press against the floor, motionless.
Then, Suo Lun aimed at Ling Ao’s right thigh bone and smashed down fiercely once more!
“Ahh… ahh… ahh…” Ling Ao’s screams were enough to tear through the roof, making anyone who heard them shudder with horror.
The incomparable agony and terror twisted Ling Ao’s face. Sweat poured down like rain, and his screams were hoarse and exhausted.
“That day, you destroyed the meridians in my right arm and dislocated my arm bone. Now I have broken both your legs. We are even.” Suo Lun squatted down, patting Ling Ao’s face. “Go back to Zhili’s side. I have beaten you so badly that out of shared hatred for a common enemy, he might re-employ you.”
At this moment, Ling Ao could barely feel the existence of his legs anymore. That searing pain accompanied by burning heat and numbness drenched his entire body in cold sweat. The immense agony rendered him unable to utter a single word.
“Throw him out…” Suo Lun waved his hand.
Then a Shadow Pavilion warrior stepped forward, directly grabbed Ling Ao’s broken legs, dragged him out, and threw him outside the gates of the Governor’s residence.
Very quickly, two warriors appeared and lifted Ling Ao, who was on the verge of fainting from pain, onto a carriage, fleeing towards the west and vanishing without a trace.
And at this moment, Gui Xingfu, who was still kneeling prostrate on the ground, was completely drenched in sweat on his back, still not daring to raise his head.
Suo Lun glanced at him, let out a light laugh, then turned and left.
……
In Fire Worship City, Count Fu’e received a letter from his daughter Fu Lingxi.
After reading it, he was first startled, then let out a cold laugh.
Fu Xian, son of Fu’e, said, “Father, what does sister say in her letter? What is Suo Lun’s attitude?”
Count Fu’e said, “Suo Lun wants me to go to Tianshui City personally to apologise!”
“Bullshit, what kind of dog thing is he, Suo Lun?” Beside him, Fu Qi, grandson of Fu’e, said harshly, “He merely won a small battle. His power is still less than one tenth of Prince Zhili’s. He remains in a precarious situation. For us to send aunt to pay our respects already gave him more than enough face. He actually dares to put on such airs and make grandfather go apologise. He doesn’t even know his own weight. Truly laughable!”
Hearing his son speak so cuttingly, Fu Xian beside him glared at him.
Fu Qi did not seem particularly afraid of this father. He continued to sneer coldly, “Suo Lun has been blinded by a small victory. So shallow and childish, he cannot accomplish anything major. He is doomed to die.”
Count Fu’e shook his head and said, “What do you understand? Suo Lun asking me to go to Tianshui City personally to apologise is not for the sake of venting anger, but to make me publicly declare my allegiance. Once I appear in Tianshui City, it is no different from telling the whole world that Fire Worship City already stands on the side of Suo Lun and Princess Zhiyan.”
Fu Qi felt a burst of shame. It turned out his understanding had been shallow.
Count Fu’e said, “However, there is one thing you said that is correct. Suo Lun truly does not know his own weight anymore. Leaving aside whether he can defeat Zhili, even if he defeats Zhili and helps Princess Zhiyan ascend to the throne, he still cannot do anything to Fire Worship City. I originally wanted to ease the relationship between both sides for the sake of our marriage alliance. Who knew he would push his luck so far, completely unaware of the immensity of heaven and earth, utterly lacking self-awareness.”
Then, Fu’e casually tossed the secret letter from Tianshui City into the fire.
Fu Qi said, “Isn’t that right? Even if Suo Lun becomes Regent, what can he do to us? The roots of our Fire Worship City lie in the Dragon God Temple. Successive kings could only court us obediently. Suo Lun truly knows no fear!”
Fu’e said, “Send a falcon message to Lingxi. Tell her to return to Zhidu. Don’t waste time in Tianshui City. That son of hers cannot be given a good face.”
Fu Xian’s expression darkened as he said, “Yes!”
Fu Qi said with great interest, “I’ll write it. Aunt is one of the sixteen giants of the Inquisition. Why should she go to Tianshui City to suffer others’ displeasure?”
……
In the Royal Capital Zhidu, within the Young Lord’s residence!
Zhili sat there in a daze. He had anticipated the consequences of his failed campaign to destroy Suo Lun, but when it truly happened, he was still chilled to the bone, his heart pierced with pain.
After King Zhibian fell gravely ill, he had always been this Young Lord supervising the state, with the cabinet presiding over national affairs.
These past few days, although the attitudes of these noble officials remained fawning, Zhili had already clearly sensed that the winds were shifting.
Firstly, fewer people came to his Young Lord’s residence for private visits. Fewer nobles voluntarily sent their wives to his door.
What chilled his heart the most was within the cabinet. Originally, under Yan Wuqi’s direction, they had done their utmost to suppress the Suo clan’s Tianshui City, slandering and smearing Suo Lun in public opinion to the extreme.
But now, these public opinion attacks had all ceased.
Suo Lun’s magic mirror was also being openly sold in the royal capital, rather than first being auctioned through Pirate Harbour before being transferred to Zhidu.
The battle for succession was like the flow of water, where one side’s ebb meant the other’s rise.
The water on his side had receded. The water on Suo Lun and Zhiyan’s side had naturally risen!
Zhili could close his eyes and imagine how many pairs of eyes were watching Suo Lun right now, searching for opportunities to secretly send people to Tianshui City to make covert contact, placing bets on both sides!
Of course, although his power was still many times greater than Suo Lun’s, he already felt crises lurking on all sides.
And what made him unable to sleep at night the most was still his **.
Suo Lun’s restraint on this matter was like a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
Once Suo Lun publicly exposed that he, Zhili, had been castrated and could no longer produce offspring, the consequences would be completely unimaginable.
Therefore, his most urgent task was to immediately restore his **, and then get a woman pregnant in the shortest possible time.
However, nearly two months had passed since the wound healed, and his ** still showed no signs of movement. No matter what stimulation it received, it completely could not stand up.
Now, the only hope was demon blood!
This substance could make any injured part of the body instantly and completely heal.
Over a month ago, he had already asked his father-in-law’s clan to help find a sample of demon blood. But up until now, there had been no news whatsoever.
So at this moment, Zhili was completely despondent to the extreme!
“Husband, Qingshu is here.” Suddenly, his wife Fang Qingzhuo’s gentle voice sounded beside his ear.
Zhili was startled, then overjoyed. He hurriedly went out to greet him.
After seeing Fang Qingshu, Zhili said urgently, “Is there news of that thing?”
Fang Qingshu nodded.
Zhili was wild with joy. He said in a trembling voice, “Where was it found?”
“The Dragon God Temple.” Fang Qingshu said, “My father went personally and paid an enormous price to obtain a sample of demon blood from the Temple’s demon research laboratory.”
“Does anyone know?” Zhili asked in a trembling voice.
“Apart from you, me, father, and eldest sister, only two people within the Dragon God Temple know.” Fang Qingshu said, “They have received heaven-defying benefits. They will not speak.”
Zhili’s face trembled as he said, “Can… can they be silenced?”
Fang Qingshu thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Very difficult, but if it leaks out, they will certainly die as well.”
Zhili said, “Did you bring the thing?”
Fang Qingshu nodded.
“To the secret chamber!” Zhili said.
Then, the three of them entered the underground secret chamber of the Young Lord’s residence. The entrance was personally guarded by Grand Eunuch Li Chenglian.
After entering the secret chamber, Fang Qingshu took out a pure white jade box from his bosom, approximately the size of a palm. Once taken out, the air felt completely icy cold.
It was cold jade excavated from the seabed, naturally frigid.
Fang Qingshu opened the icy jade box. Inside lay a transparent jade needle, containing a tube of green blood. Very, very little. By Earth’s measurements, it would be less than one millilitre.
To the naked eye, this green blood seemed to possess vitality, continuously flowing with light.
“Is this demon blood the same kind as in Ashiluo’s body?” Zhili asked.
Fang Qingshu shook his head and said, “No. The demon clan also divides into high and low, pure and mixed bloodlines. The demon blood in Ashiluo’s body is very pure and high-grade, containing incomparably powerful power. It is exclusive to Hell Knights. Once one takes demon tears and transforms into a Hell Knight, this energy will be completely released. Ashiluo’s cultivation will multiply several times over.”
Zhili asked, “Then what about the demon blood in Yan Nai’er’s body?”
Fang Qingshu said, “It should be of the same grade as the demon blood in your tube. It can make any wound on the body instantly heal, and can make one invulnerable to all poisons. But it comes at the cost of overdrafting one’s life. However, this is already the only demon blood that can be found in this world. The demon blood exclusive to Hell Knights can only be possessed by the Hell Knights’ guide.”
Zhili took the jade tube, his gaze burning as he stared at the demon blood within. His breathing instantly became extremely rapid. He said, “I only need to pierce it into the heart?”
“Yes.” Fang Qingshu said, “However, you must think carefully. Once demon blood is implanted, it violates anti-Dragon God faith and anti-Dragon God energy. Once exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable!”
Zhili said, “** is useless. I cannot sleep with women. Would that not be worse than death? Moreover, once the news of my ** being cut off breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable. I have no other choice!”
He took a deep breath.
Zhili picked up that demon blood jade needle, tore open his clothes to reveal his bare chest, aimed at his heart, and pierced down fiercely!
Instantly, green light flashed. The demon blood within the jade needle drilled fiercely into Zhili’s heart.
“Ahh…” Zhili’s body trembled, and he let out a heaven-shaking roar!