The Tang family mansion.
“The Fan family has been wiped out? All of them killed by flying demons?”
The patriarch of the tycoon Tang family Tang Liunian was frightened out of his wits once he heard the news from Tianxiu City.
He knew that the youth would surely provoke the Fan family and hence offend the Chu royal family… but he never imagined that the youth would wipe out the Fan family in one trip to Tianxiu City!
They were a superior-level tycoon family comparable in strength to the Tang family!
“Patriarch, do you think it is the work of that Young Master Donghuang?” the second elder of the Tang family Tang Yong, who was standing to the side, asked.
“Other than him, do you think it could have been anyone else?”
Tang Liunian smiled bitterly. “Moreover, according to the news we received, all of the Tang family was killed by flying creatures… it is definitely the two golden-crowned eagles acting on his orders.”
“Two Petty Consummation flying demons wiping out the Fan family would be too simple.”
Tang Liunian stopped here, shaking his head.
“Isn’t he afraid of offending the Chu royal family?”
Tang Yong smiled bitterly.
“The Chu royal family?”
Tan Liunian shook his head. “Even if the Chu royal family knows he was responsible for this incident, they might not dare to confront him directly, even if he is staying in Chuxiu inn that is owned by the Chu royal family.”
“The Chu royal family might have a Great Consummation adept, but doesn’t he have two golden-crowned eagles?”
“It will only take a command from that Young Master Donghuang, and that Great Consummation adept of the Chu royal family will only be able to stand and stare as the two golden-crowned eagles massacre the entire Chu royal family.”
“Unless they are confident in killing Young Master Donghuang first… but who can predict whether the two golden-crowned eagles will continue to attack the Chu royal family after Young Master Donghuang is killed?”
“That year, the imperial court of Yunyang country sent a Great Consummation adept specifically to deal with those two golden-crowned eagles, and he was even stronger than the current Great Consummation adept of the Chu royal family who was only recently promoted. Wasn’t he still unable to do anything about the two golden-crowned eagles?”
“Not only was he helpless against the two golden-crowned eagles, but many of the Petty Consummation and level-nine adepts accompanying him were killed.”
“In the end, that Great Consummation adept of the imperial court could only stare in impotent rage.”
“Apparently, he was so vexed that he vomited blood.”
Evidently, Tang Liunian knew all about the expedition sent by the imperial court of Yunyang to deal with the two golden-crowned eagles.
“So, the Chu royal family can only accept the situation?”
Tang Yong appeared to be in shock.
“The Chu royal family will definitely not dare make an overt move… but the Chu royal family will definitely not take this lying down. If I were the king of the Chu royal family, I would report this to the imperial court of Yunyang and let the imperial court deal with the matter.”
Tang Liunian stopped here with a gleam in his eye. “After all, wiping out a tycoon family is already in violation of the decree of the imperial court.”
“If the imperial court of Yunyang country does not take action to resolve this, they will lose credibility once the news spreads.”
“Therefore, I’m guessing… the imperial court of Yunyang will take action against Young Master Donghuang and those two golden-crowned eagles,” Tang Liunian said with certainty.
…
When the tycoon Tang family received the news that the Fan family of Tianxiu City had been wiped out, the other tycoon families and even grand families of the Chu royal city had also received the news.
At that point in time, all these families were both baffled and shocked.
Of course, they could easily guess who was responsible for wiping out the Fan family.
The image of the two golden-crowned eagles from the Lost Forest arriving at the Tang family’s banquet that day came flooding back.
“The entire Fan family was killed by flying demons… it must have been the handiwork of those two golden-crowned eagles!”
However, although they could be certain that the youth was connected to the Fan family’s demise, the various prominent families were certain that even so, the Chu royal family might not dare to move against that youth carelessly.
Not only because of some unfathomable background that the youth might have, but just the two golden-crowned eagles were enough to make the Chu royal family wary enough to think twice before acting.
If they were just two Petty Consummation demons, the recently-promoted Great Consummation adept of the Chu royal family would be able to kill them.
However, those two Petty Consummation flying demons were not something that the Great Consummation adept could easily kill.
Unless that Great Consummation adept was accomplished in ranged attacks, for example in the use of ranged weapons such as bows, and even then, he would require a special bow.
This was because ordinary bows could not bear the strength of a Great Consummation adept, and they would not be sufficient to express the full strength of a Great Consummation adept!
…
The Chu royal mansion.
As the mansion of the Chu royal family that controlled the entire Western Ridge of the Chu King, it occupied a vast plot of land, almost ten times larger than the land occupied by the tycoon Tang family’s mansion. It was like a royal palace.
And now, the atmosphere in the great hall of the Chu royal mansion was extremely somber.
A middle-aged man wearing a dark gold long robe embroidered with many with four-clawed dragons sat at the place of honor in the great hall with a gloomy expression.
This middle-aged man was tall and well-built, with fierce brows and a stern gaze, and exuded an intimidating aura. The middle-aged man was the king of the current generation of the Chu royal family, Xiang Xiong.
Now, beside Xiang Xiong stood a beautiful lady in a dark gold phoenix gown, graceful and luxuriously dressed. She seemed to be not very young, but one could not make out any wrinkles on her face, and age seemed to not have left any mark on her face.
However, the beautiful lady’s face was now tear-streaked, and her lovely eyes were red. She had obviously been crying her heart out.
She was the first wife of the Chu king Xiang Xiong, the royal consort, Fan Ji.
“Commander Xue, how is the investigation going?”
Xiang Xiong asked in a low voice as he looked at the middle-aged man standing closest to him with an electrifying gaze.
The middle-aged man was about fifty years old, with a square face and a naturally imposing expression. He wore silver-colored light armor, and a longsword hung in a scabbard at his waist.
He was the commander of the city guard, Xue Meng, and also one of the Petty Consummation adepts of the Chu royal family.
“Your Majesty, the situation is basically thoroughly investigated.”
Xue Meng hurriedly answered Xiang Xiong’s question. “That youth named ‘Zhou Donghuang’ saved the lives of patriarch Tang Liunian, the head elder, and second elder of the tycoon Tang family in the Lost Forest.”
“As such, the Tang family hosted a banquet to thank him for this several days ago.”
“During the banquet, that youth received news that his mother and younger sister had been kidnapped by the Fan family of Tianxiu City, and summoned the two golden-crowned eagles from the Lost Forest. He used the golden-crowned eagle with slightly stronger ability as his mount and left the Tang family mansion.”
Xue Meng stopped and hesitated, and after a careful glance at the consort of the Chu king Fan Ji, he continued after a pause, “On the afternoon of the second day, other than those Fan family members who were not at the Fan family mansion, the Fan family was almost wiped out.”
“Calculating the time taken… at the speed of the golden-crowned eagles, he would have arrived at the Fan family around this time. In addition to the fatal wounds on the Fan family members being inflicted by flying demons… we can deduce from this that that youth is inextricably linked to the wiping out of the Fan family. At least, if it was not done at the youth’s command, those two golden-crowned eagles would not have wiped out the Fan family for no reason.”
Xue Meng finished in a single breath.
“The Great Consummation adept that the imperial court of Yunyang sent that that year was helpless against those two golden-crowned eagles from the Lost Forest… how could a youth have subdued them?”
Xiang Xiong’s expression was extremely foul. “Did you manage to find out the youth’s origins?”
“Your Majesty.”
At that moment, an old man dressed in a long grey robe stepped forward, addressing Xiang Xiong respectfully. “Regarding the origins of that youth, there is someone who is extremely familiar with it.”
“Who?”
Xiang Xiong gave the old man a piercing gaze.
“The first young master of the inferior-level tycoon Shi family, Shi Yu.”
The old man continued, “This morning, Shi Yu came looking for me, asking to be summoned to the Chu royal mansion if Your Majesty wanted to know more about that Zhou Donghuang.”
“First Young Master Shi Yu of the Shi family?”
Xiang Xiong raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the case, Sixth Elder, please go and bring him here.”
“At once.”
The old man acknowledged and left.
After the old man left, Xiang Xiong swept a piercing gaze across the people gathered in the great hall, including Xue Meng, and said in a low voice, “From what we know, that youth has outstanding abilities and is at least a Petty Consummation adept. Otherwise, he could not possibly have killed that grizzly bear in the Lost Forest in one exchange, as claimed by the Tang family members.”
“However, even if he is a Petty Consummation adept or even a Great Consummation adept, he could not possibly have subdued those two golden-crowned eagles by pure brute strength.”
“Therefore, he could have subdued those two golden-crowned eagles using some unorthodox methods.”
“Even in the history of the Valley of the Medicine Masters, much less the country of Yunyang, there has never been an adept with such ability at such a young age. He either has some fantastic background or has had some unnaturally fortunate encounter.”
As he finished, there was a feverish look in Xiang Xiong’s eyes. “Now, we’ll wait for First Young Master Shi Yu of the Shi family to arrive and see if we can learn anything valuable.”
After about an hour, the sixth elder of the Chu royal family returned with a youth in brocaded clothes.
This youth in brocaded clothes was none other than the first young master of the tycoon Shi family, Shi Yu.
“I acknowledge the king and the royal consort.”
After Shi Yu entered, he bowed respectfully to Xiang Xiong, who was seated on the throne, as well as Fan Ji.
“Shi Yu, you are familiar with that Zhou Donghuang’s origins?” Xiang Xiong went straight to the point.
Without waiting for Shi Yu’s reply, he immediately continued, “If you are able to provide any valuable leads, the Chu royal family will not be stingy with you.”
“Your Majesty, my father, Shi Hao was killed by this Zhou Donghuang.”
Shi Yu’s expression darkened slightly, and he continued angrily, “Since then, I sent men to the prefecture capital of the inferior-level Yunfeng prefecture to find out everything they could about that Zhou Donghuang. Just several days ago, the men I sent out returned and reported the results of their investigation to me.”
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