LRAB Chapter 153 A Personal Disciple of the Azure Nether Palace, Zhao Chenfeng of the Zhao Family
Chapter 153 A Personal Disciple of the Azure Nether Palace, Zhao Chenfeng of the Zhao Family
Chapter 153 A Personal Disciple of the Azure Nether Palace, Zhao Chenfeng of the Zhao Family
On the way to the Zhao residence, the servants lagged behind Mo Di by half a body length.
His left hand was exposed, but his right hand held a short knife, hidden in his sleeve, ready to prevent the Taoist priest from escaping at any time.
Modi found his wariness of him amusing.
Even if he stood there and let him stab him, he wouldn't even leave a white mark.
"Did you often treat people like this before?" Modi asked casually.
The servant remained vigilant, but his expression carried a hint of stubbornness and arrogance. "Of course, no one dares to utter a single 'no' when our master wants to see a guest."
"Otherwise, it would mean going against the Zhao family and the Qingming Palace."
He had an expression of pride on his face; anyone who didn't know better would think he was a member of the Zhao family, not just a lowly servant.
"I heard this sentence recently, but it was the Zixia Sect version."
Mo Di glanced at him. "That little girl who spoke to me like that last time, wasn't she the daughter of the leader of the Zixia Sect? Now, when she sees me, she doesn't dare to utter a single word."
The servant looked at the Taoist priest with suspicion and disdain.
That sounded as if to say, "You?"
The Taoist priest didn't react much to this, after all, the man was about to die, and he had to leave him with some good memories before he died.
"What's this about the Azure Nether Palace you mentioned? How could the Zhao family be connected to the Azure Nether Palace of Hidden Sword Peak?"
When this matter was brought up, the servant once again wore a proud expression. "You haven't heard about our young master? Heh, that's understandable, after all, he's just a nobody."
"Our young master is the personal disciple of the Lord of Qingming Palace. He has already reached the Divine Gang Realm. You'd better not have any wicked thoughts, otherwise no matter how far you escape, you will not be able to escape his grasp."
Having said that, the two finally arrived at the entrance of the Zhao residence.
The servant drew a short knife, pressed it against the Taoist's back, and threatened, "Go upstairs, knock on the door, and don't even think about running away."
Mo Di remained motionless, surveying the Zhao residence before him. His spiritual sense silently seeped into the entire Zhao residence, taking in its entirety.
With its white walls, red tiles, artificial hills, flowing water, ponds, and pavilions, the Zhao mansion occupies a vast area, clearly belonging to a wealthy family. No wonder the servants always wore a proud expression when talking about the Zhao mansion.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go up!" The servant brought the short sword closer, and Xiu found that the feel of it was a little strange.
Ordinary people, or low-level cultivators, would at least have a hole pierced in their robes if they were to be struck by his attack, if not to the point of being torn apart.
But this Taoist priest was not only unharmed by He Qing, but was also bounced back like metal.
"I'm saying, didn't you investigate the person's background before inviting them to the banquet? Or are you just a pawn, someone whose success or failure doesn't matter?"
The Taoist's eerie voice drifted over, and before the servant could react, the world spun before his eyes, and his head seemed to have collided with something hard, making a dull thud.
thump.
Red and white splattered all over the ground.
The gates of the Zhao residence were smashed open by the servants, and his head, after acting as a battering ram, exploded like a watermelon.
Mo Di strolled leisurely into the Zhao residence, leaving behind only a corpse that gradually dissolved into a blood mist.
As the blood mist surged, it sealed off the gates of the Zhao residence like a wall of fog, spreading outwards along the walls to isolate and seal off the entire Zhao residence.
The study in the Zhao family mansion.
Zhao Chenfeng stood tall and straight, flipping through an account book, his gaze sweeping over the names and numbers.
"Thirty pieces of Xuan Tie armor, Qi-breaking crossbows... three pieces of raw materials for human slaughter."
His gaze lingered on the ledger for a moment before he closed it and placed it back in a hidden compartment on the bookshelf.
His father, Master Zhao, said with a gloomy face:
"This is the same batch of goods we were planning to transport to Daze Mountain last time. But so many days have passed and no one has come back to report. Not only that, today, the people in the city saw that Sun Biao, who was supposed to die in Daze Mountain, along with some other bodyguards, and even the three human remains, all returned to the city alive."
"I suspect that the shipment was intercepted and that the matter has already been exposed."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chenfeng showed no joy or sorrow, his slender fingers gently tracing the hilt of his sword.
He said softly, "We don't need to pay attention to Sun Biao and the others. Even if they find out, they'll just think we're representing the Qingming Palace in supporting the mountain bandits' rebellion against the imperial court."
"The five sects have been at odds with the imperial court for quite some time, but they haven't completely broken ties yet. Since they are all located in Tianyong City, which is under the jurisdiction of Hidden Sword Peak, they probably won't dare to expose this matter."
"However, to be on the safe side, it's best to eliminate them completely... The most noteworthy family should be the Su family."
"Behind the Su family stands that elder of Bitter Mountain. If the Su family tells her about this and it attracts her investigation, things will get complicated."
Master Zhao leaned on his dragon-headed cane, lowered his eyes, and said, "You're right. We need to be prepared to guard against the Su family. First, we need to hide the evidence, and second, we need to eliminate those who know the truth."
"By the way, among the people who returned to the city with Sun Biao, there was also a Taoist priest and two disciples of the Zixia Sect."
"Those two disciples seem to be direct disciples of the Zixia Sect's leader, so they can't be touched for the time being. As for that Taoist priest, I've already sent someone to 'invite' him over. We can start by dealing with him and try to extract some information from him."
Whether or not that Taoist priest comes, he has a corresponding plan.
If the Taoist priest was coerced into coming to the Zhao residence by the servants, it means he is not a threat at all. Master Zhao can use the smashing of a cup as a signal to order the servants and guards to capture him.
If the Taoist priest doesn't come, the servants will take action. If he injures a servant, Master Zhao can use this as an excuse to get Zhao Chenfeng involved in the matter.
With his eldest son Zhao Chenfeng's cultivation at the Divine罡 Realm, he didn't believe that a Taoist priest could be a match for him.
In the world, every Divine Gang Realm expert is a prominent figure, and he has a good impression of them all. He is certain that the Taoist priest is not among them. You should know that a Divine Gang Realm expert can serve as an elder in the Five Sects, and they are not as common as cabbages.
If Zhao Chenfeng hadn't aspired to become the Palace Master of Qingming Palace and intended to take over the entire Qingming Palace, he would now be an elder.
"Feng'er, I'm leaving this matter to you," Master Zhao said. "We must not let outsiders discover our true plan."
"Of course, the Zhao family has been planning this for so long, how could we allow a mistake to occur at this crucial juncture?"
Zhao Chenfeng stared blankly at a painting or calligraphy scroll in the study.
The inscription reads "Loyalty to the Emperor and Service to the Country".
Boom!
The sudden banging on the door snapped him back to reality, and he turned to look at the study door.
"What happened?" Old Master Zhao frowned, his face full of wrinkles, utterly confused.
The sound was very loud; even he, who was hard of hearing, could hear it clearly.
But that's precisely why he was confused. Who was so bold as to come to the Zhao family and cause trouble?
Before causing trouble, they didn't even bother to find out the Zhao family's status in Tianyong City.
Beside him, Zhao Chenfeng's expression suddenly turned ferocious, and his right hand subconsciously pressed on the hilt of his sword.
"That damned Taoist priest, how dare he?!"
"What happened?" Master Zhao was startled and seemed to realize the seriousness of the matter.
"Father, you're wrong. That Taoist priest is no ordinary person."
He withdrew his divine sense, his face grim, and said through gritted teeth, almost word by word: "He is at the Divine罡 Realm."
As they were talking, another shout of killing came from outside, but it subsided into silence within a few breaths.
An eerie silence enveloped the entire study; Master Zhao could even hear his own breathing and heartbeat.
"Father, you stay in the study and quickly destroy the evidence. I'm going to meet that audacious Taoist priest."
The words were still lingering in the air when Zhao Chenfeng's figure vanished. Only a gentle breeze swept through the study, blowing open the books that had been closed and slamming the door shut behind him.
In the Zhao family compound, a Taoist priest in a red crane robe stood tall and straight, his hands behind his back, surrounded by two beams of light, one blue and one white, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Even though he was alone, the servants and guards around him dared not step forward. They stood trembling, holding their knives at the Taoist priest, but their feet kept retreating.
They were terrified that if they took a step forward, they would be like the guards before them, suddenly losing their heads and their bodies dissolving into the blood mist beneath the Taoist's feet.
They died without ever being seen, and didn't even have the chance to be properly buried.
"Divine罡 Realm! This Taoist is definitely a Divine罡 Realm expert!" A guard in the Condensation Yuan Realm gasped, regretting not choosing him.
I don't know what sins the Zhao family committed to offend a Divine Realm expert. If I had known this, I wouldn't have coveted the Zhao family's money and instead became a bodyguard or thug.
As they retreated, the Taoist priest in the courtyard spoke up: "Is this how you treat your guests? The Zhao family's hospitality is so barbaric and vulgar; it truly tarnishes the reputation of Tianyong City."
Everyone's faces froze. They had never seen a guest come in and smash up the host's door, and then turn around and belittle the host's hospitality.
They dared not speak out in their anger, but only one middle-aged steward stepped forward, cupped his hands to the Taoist priest, and said:
"Master Daoist, what misunderstanding do you have with my Zhao family? Why did you smash my door and kill my servants and guards?"
"Misunderstanding?" Mo Di glanced at the middle-aged butler, noticing his square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, looking like a kind person.
However, through the red lotus mark strengthened by divine will, the steward's sins were fully exposed.
Whether it was helping the Zhao family abduct people and send them to Dazeshan, or deliberately oppressing ordinary people and seizing their house and land deeds.
He handled at least eighty, if not a hundred, dirty tricks for the Zhao family.
Yet this thing, which is even more vulgar than frog piss, actually ran up to Modi and pretended to be a victim.
"Your master specifically invited me to the banquet, so I came without hesitation. But as soon as I entered, I was met with a large group of servants and guards armed with knives and clubs. You call this a misunderstanding?"
With a casual wave of his hand, Mo Di summoned the middle-aged butler in front of him. The butler was still in surprise and hadn't even reacted when a flash of sword light appeared, and his head flew off instantly.
"I had foreseen this before I came; the Zhao family was destined for bloodshed today, and it has indeed come to pass."
Looking down at the head that had rolled to his feet, its face frozen in terror, Mo Di felt no emotion. He treated the head like a ball and kicked it toward the plaque of the Zhao family mansion.
l.
The sword light caught the head, passed through the body, and cleaved it in two.
Blood mixed with brain matter continued to splatter onto the Zhao family's plaque, while the two halves of the head fell to the ground like two water ladles, upside down.
Modi watched as the azure sword light fell to the ground, flew into the hand of a handsome young man wearing a black robe with gold patterns, and manifested as a long sword with azure cloud patterns.
Three divine energies swirled around the cloud-patterned longsword, clearly indicating that it was a divine weapon of considerable quality.
If nothing unexpected happens, the young man with the sword is the eldest son of the Zhao family who, according to the servants, has become a disciple of the Qingming Palace.
"Master, you have gone a bit too far in this matter."
Zhao Chenfeng spoke coldly, his expression stubborn and arrogant, "You smashed up my Zhao family's gate, killed twenty-three of my Zhao family's servants and guards, and even killed the steward who had served my Zhao family for many years. Daoist, do you not take my Zhao family and my Cangjian Peak Qingming Hall seriously?"
As soon as he opened his mouth, he didn't give the red-robed Taoist a chance to speak at all, and immediately slammed a accusation on him, occupying the moral high ground.
They then invoked the authority of the Azure Nether Palace, using its backing to intimidate others.
If it were an ordinary person, they would probably present evidence and argue with him now, but Modi won't; he's not here to file a lawsuit.
He came to kill someone.
Since they know that the Zhao family is abducting people and colluding with the Zeshan bandits, why invite him to the banquet?
Then he wouldn't need to collect any more evidence; he might as well just bring them a bloody disaster.
He then gave Zhao Chenfeng a strange look and said directly:
"Otherwise what? The Zhao family, who abduct people and collude with the Zeshan bandits, and a sect whose disciples can't distinguish right from wrong and allow their family to run rampant in the countryside—why should I respect them?"
Upon hearing this, the entire Zhao family compound fell into a deathly silence.
The servants and guards carefully retreated, making no sound, for fear of angering the eccentric and tyrannical eldest son.
Beneath the plaque, Zhao Chenfeng's face was gloomy, and the muscles around his eyes seemed to twitch. One eye shrank slightly, while the other eye widened, making him look both comical and ferocious.
He took a deep breath, his voice laced with threat: "Daoist Master, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Everything must be based on evidence. You have no proof, so what right do you have to slander my Zhao family?"
"Evidence?" Mordy shook his head. "When you slander ordinary people and find scapegoats, did you ever mention any evidence?"
"To put it bluntly, in this so-called Great Qian Dynasty, the law is merely a tool for powerful families like yours to protect their own interests. In this chaotic world, how many ordinary people can truly enjoy the protection of the law?"
"Laws that rely on people to maintain and implement will inevitably fail to function as designed in a world where extraordinary factors exist and great power resides within oneself..."
11
"Say it, say it," Mo Di shut his mouth, and the blue sword light symbolizing Yuan Tu suddenly burst forth, heading straight for Zhao Chenfeng's head.
As the sword light rushed towards him, Zhao Chenfeng's eyes widened, and he summoned the azure cloud-patterned sword in his hand, using its light to intercept the azure radiance.
The Azure Cloud Pattern Sword was surrounded by clouds and mist, and its appearance was azure. Three divine beams, like halos, surrounded it and were about to collide with the flying Yuan Tu Sword.
"Playing swordsmanship in front of me, a disciple of Hidden Sword Peak? Ridiculous!"
A smile appeared on Zhao Chenfeng's face. He made a sword incantation with one hand, controlling the Azure Cloud Pattern Sword to slash at the azure sword light, intending to teach the arrogant Taoist a lesson and break his sword in two.