The instant he unwrapped the bundle, Long Zhaofeng’s entire being was thrown into disarray, frozen like stone.
With a large hole in his forehead, Long Yinye’s lifeless eyes stared wide open, fixing their gaze directly on Long Zhaofeng the moment the bundle was opened.
“Ah!” Long Zhaofeng spat out a mouthful of old blood on the spot.
“My Lord, what’s wrong?” The personal guards from all around rushed over.
“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!” Long Zhaofeng was like a maddened demon, pointing wildly into the air and issuing orders.
Fatty Xuan burst into loud laughter. “Long Zhaofeng, when you let your own son and daughter kill other lords’ heirs in the endless abyss, did you ever think this day would come? This is karmic retribution, and it arrives fast. Hold your son’s head and cry over it at your leisure!”
“Kill him!” Long Zhaofeng shrieked hoarsely in agony!
But a coward like Fatty Xuan would never put himself in danger. He slapped the Golden-Winged Sword Bird’s head, and it immediately soared towards the clouds.
“Hahaha, Long Zhaofeng! When you killed others, you should have known that one day, someone would kill you! Long Yinye is merely the first step in the downfall of your Long family!”
Having vented his frustrations with his sharp tongue, Fatty Xuan happily turned his mount and returned in triumph.
Meanwhile, Long Juxue, who had been cultivating in seclusion within the Long residence’s secret chamber, was also startled. She flew up onto the roof, only to see Long Yinye’s severed head staring back at her with wide, unblinking eyes.
“Brother!” Long Juxue was also stunned.
So what if she possessed the Innate Azure Luan Physique? So what if she was favored by a hidden sect?
It still couldn’t change the fact that her brother, Long Yinye, had been beheaded!
No matter how great her talent or how deep her background, could it bring Long Yinye back to life?
No!
Long Juxue’s face paled slightly. Her voice icy, she demanded, “Who did this?”
The personal guards, each looking deathly pale, shook their heads. “We’re not sure. Just now, a person on a Golden-Winged Sword Bird flew overhead and delivered… delivered the Young Lord’s head.”
“I recognize that voice.” Although Long Juxue was grieving, her mind was not muddled.
“Could it be Jiang Chen?” one guard blurted out.
“It’s not Jiang Chen’s voice!” How could Long Juxue fail to recognize Jiang Chen’s voice? Mentioning Jiang Chen, she suddenly remembered someone. “Yes, that voice, I recall. It’s Fatty Xuan, the heir of Lord Gold Mountain! One of Jiang Chen’s lackeys.”
“Lord Gold Mountain?” A flash of murderous intent crossed Long Zhaofeng’s fierce gaze once more.
He had been immersed in the pain of losing his son, unable to extricate himself. After a brief moment of clarity, he gradually recovered. Hearing the words “Lord Gold Mountain,” the Dragon Ascension Lord’s killing intent surged.
“Yinye, Long Yi, your spirits are not far off! Watch me! I will definitely avenge you! The Jiang family, the Xuan family—I will exterminate your nine clans! I’ll make your corpses pile into mountains, and your blood flow into rivers!”
Long Zhaofeng swore with tears of blood.
“Long Er, relay my command: Any lord who has allied with my Long family must arrive at the Dragon Ascension Manor within one hour!”
Long Er’s heart skipped a beat, knowing his lord intended to launch the decisive battle ahead of schedule!
On the streets below the manor, the armored guards of the manor were trickling back, a few here and there.
“My Lord, terrible news! The Young Lord, he…”
A layer of frost settled over Long Zhaofeng’s face. He said to Long Er, “These incompetent cowards fled the battlefield. Go deal with them!”
…
“What? Long Yinye’s campaign against Marquis Jianghan was intercepted by Jiang Chen, who shot him dead on the spot from the sky? Long Yi was also killed? And the heir of Marquis Yanmen, Yan Yiming, was killed as well?”
“Jiang Chen is back? He’s not dead? He shot Long Yinye dead?”
In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the news of Long Yinye’s death, Long Yi’s fall, and Jiang Chen’s powerful return spread throughout the entire Royal Capital.
Those lords who had already pledged allegiance to the Dragon Ascension Lord were especially shocked and left with bitter, sour tastes in their mouths.
They could scarcely believe their ears. With the Dragon Ascension Lord’s elite forces and the eleven-meridian True Qi master Long Yi overseeing the operation, how could they have been shot dead by Jiang Chen?
They couldn’t figure it out!
Yet the ironclad truth forced them to believe it.
“My Lord, the Dragon Ascension Lord has urgently relayed a command, summoning you to the Dragon Ascension Manor to discuss critical matters.”
Almost simultaneously after this message, the lords who had allied with the Dragon Ascension Lord received similar notifications.
To go, or not to go?
These lords hesitated. Long Yinye was dead, and Jiang Chen had returned with overwhelming force. The seemingly suspenseless plot in the Royal Capital had suddenly become turbulent again.
This turn of events was utterly unexpected.
They had to admit, they were hesitating. They began to doubt: could the Dragon Ascension Lord’s usurpation really proceed so smoothly? Would he truly be invincible?