This matter traces back over three hundred years, to when present-day Luoyang City was first established.
Luoyang City has a long history, but over three hundred years ago, it was almost completely destroyed by war. Yingzhao, wielding the secret treasure of Luoyang City, repelled the demonic demon race and spirit race and rebuilt the city.
Since then, Yingzhao has been recognized as the lord of Luoyang City. The entire city is united in loyalty to him, and every deputy general would not hesitate to give their life for their lord.
However, the demon race is different from humanity—their ways of thinking and acting are vastly different.
All the demons know that Yingzhao possesses Luoyang City’s secret treasure, and that the treasure’s power is immensely strong. That is the primary reason they submit to Yingzhao. They value strength above all.
Yingzhao’s child is not actually his biological offspring. He merely discovered the cub and found it exceptionally suitable for use as a vessel to hide the treasure.
The secret treasure is kept by Yingzhao within a peculiar spatial dimension, and the only way to enter that space is through the key hidden inside the cub’s body.
No one else knows this—not even the cub itself. So initially, Yingzhao was not overly panicked. In fact, if Liu Chen hadn’t been so cunning, he wouldn’t have come personally at all.
But after inspecting the cub multiple times, Yingzhao found no trace of the key whatsoever!
This was not something he could tell anyone… Losing control of Luoyang City’s secret treasure meant losing a tremendously powerful asset, and it also meant his position was no longer secure.
If anyone sensed an opportunity, those ambitious deputy generals would surely challenge him, hoping to take his place.
Not only that—if other demon realm city lords learned that the treasure had gone missing, they would inevitably become greedy and seek to annex the wealthiest city of all, Luoyang City.
Hurrying to the cell, Yingzhao dismissed everyone and conducted the interrogation alone.
He had no patience for games with Liu Chen and got straight to the point: “Where is the key?”
“Your accomplices are all dead, their souls scattered. There’s absolutely no way you can escape. If you don’t want to suffer, you’d better confess!”
Liu Chen had already been interrogated several times. He was a pathetic mess, barely recognizable as human. Mana-locked chains bound his hands, feet, and neck, pinning him to the ground. Yet there was no fear in his eyes—only contempt and an undying, ever-present madness.
“Confess to what? What I’d like to know is how one of the four great guardian deities, now in the demon realm, has stooped to doing such dirty work.”
Although Yingzhao had already set up a barrier to ensure no sound escaped from this place, he couldn’t help but feel a jolt of alarm.
Using that foundling cub as a vessel came at the cost of sacrificing the cub’s natural talent and lifespan. Such a deed—let alone Yingzhao himself—even ordinary demons would be ashamed to do.
Liu Chen wasn’t finished. He continued, “If you ask me, my lord, why not join us? We can work together toward a great cause.”
A flicker of interest crossed Yingzhao’s eyes: “What great cause? And who exactly are ‘you people’?”
“I can’t tell you who my master is yet. Don’t rush—hear me out first.” Even in such a wretched state, Liu Chen remained utterly at ease, completely undaunted by Yingzhao’s fury. “My lord, with your abilities, isn’t staying in this little Luoyang City a waste of your talent?”
Yingzhao sneered: “Quite the bold claim. There is no place more prosperous in this world than my Luoyang City, nor any place stronger.”
The madness in Liu Chen’s eyes burst forth: “Exactly! Since Luoyang City is so strong, why be content with a corner of the world? You, my lord, were once one of the four great guardian deities—now you take orders from those humans?”
Yingzhao’s gaze turned several degrees colder. He was no fool—of course he could hear the provocation in Liu Chen’s words. “Spare me your sweet talk. Let me tell you plainly: even if you have the key, without me, no one can use it. I see nothing in you worth allying with. Return the key immediately, and I might let you live.”
Liu Chen shook his head and smiled contemptuously: “My lord, what difference does it make even if you have the treasure? You know it yourself—that treasure will soon become useless. How will you continue to rule over this vast Luoyang City then?”
“Besides, what you’ve done, my lord, isn’t much better than us rogue cultivators. Before that cub, how many nameless demons died as test subjects? Dozens, at the very least—probably close to a hundred.”
“Cooperating with us brings only benefits, no drawbacks.”
With every word Liu Chen spoke, Yingzhao’s gaze grew darker. This rogue cultivator knew far more than Yingzhao had anticipated!
A tremendous sense of crisis surged up. Yingzhao’s eyes turned fierce. The person behind this rogue cultivator was a threat—and this rogue cultivator could not be allowed to live. After extracting the identity of the mastermind and the whereabouts of the key, Yingzhao would kill Liu Chen. News of the secret treasure must not leak out, not the slightest bit.
To prevent Liu Chen from committing suicide, prohibitions had been placed on him during transport. But with those prohibitions in place, killing Liu Chen was not so easy either.
Yingzhao moved behind Liu Chen, where the man couldn’t see him, and quietly began removing the prohibitions. But the moment he released even a sliver of killing intent, Liu Chen suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahahahaha—cough, cough…” The laughter aggravated his wounds. “As I said long ago, the Lord of Luoyang City is also a shortsighted fool. Yet my master still wanted to recruit you… As long as my master wins, nothing else matters.”
Yingzhao spun around sharply, but it was already too late. He only had time to wave his sleeve to activate the barrier and protect himself—but not enough time to stop Liu Chen from self-destructing.
The explosion was tremendous. The entire dungeon shook as a host of demon generals rushed in.
“My lord!”
“My lord, are you alright?”
“How did this rogue cultivator self-destruct?!”
“He committed suicide to escape punishment.” Yingzhao had failed to extract any information and now faced the risk of his secret being exposed. His expression contorted with rage, unable to maintain his composure.
The deputy general with ox horns tilted his head, somewhat puzzled: “…Committed suicide to escape punishment?”
Yingzhao glared at him: “What, you don’t believe it?”
The deputy general immediately lowered his head: “This subordinate would never dare. It’s just that we clearly placed prohibitions on the rogue cultivator…”
“That rogue cultivator had strange and devious methods—who knows what tricks he used.” Yingzhao flicked his sleeve impatiently and strode off, leaving the assembly of demon generals exchanging bewildered glances.
Liu Chen’s death should have been cause for celebration. Yet now, it hung like a dark cloud over Luoyang City.
Yingzhao sat alone in his meditation chamber. He closed his eyes, but could not suppress the agitation in his heart.
He could not turn to YCG. He could not turn to anyone else in the demon realm. He could not even let his own subordinates investigate. After much deliberation, only one path remained.
Clutching a messaging talisman in his hand, Yingzhao finally made up his mind.
·
After two classes ended on Tuesday afternoon, Ye Yang was immediately picked up by Bai Jun’s assistant. A whirlwind of fussing ensued, accompanied by exclamations like “With such a handsome face, little brother, have you ever thought about joining the entertainment industry?” “Your skin is so delicate—I can’t even see your pores!” “Your hair texture is amazing—I really want to dye it pink.” It wasn’t until nightfall that Bai Jun finally appeared.
The moment he saw Ye Yang, Bai Jun’s eyes widened in shock: “Wow…”
He said half-jokingly, “I’m starting to regret this. You’re going to steal all my thunder.”
Ye Yang had been fussed over for several hours. Though he had just sat there, he felt more exhausted than after a class or a mission. His mind was now entirely focused on eating and drinking. If there wasn’t good food at this banquet, he would be genuinely upset.
The banquet was high-status, with invited guests from the political and business worlds. Ye Yang understood none of that and didn’t care. As soon as he entered with Bai Jun and learned they could move freely, he immediately ditched Bai Jun and headed straight for the buffet area.
This place was full of foods he had never seen before! And no one was touching them—he could have it all to himself!
Apart from a giant five-tiered cake, every item of food had been thoughtfully cut into bite-sized pieces. Even the Peking duck was individually wrapped in thin pancakes, coated in sauce, and shaped into adorable little rabbits.
He first tried a sip of some drink—sweet and tangy, delicious! Then he picked up a plate and grabbed the nearest few dishes. The steak was served on a heat-retaining ceramic plate, still slightly hot, giving off an enticing aroma. The prawns—of some variety he didn’t recognize—were sweet, crisp, and tender, paired with a grapefruit-flavored sour cream sauce. Even the tiny herb leaves used as garnish tasted good, perfectly suiting a little sea hare’s palate!
Within one minute and three dishes, Ye Yang had completely forgiven Bai Jun for making him suffer all afternoon. He was even grateful to Bai Jun for bringing him—otherwise, he would never have gotten to eat such delicious food.
Suddenly, a somewhat hesitant voice came from behind Ye Yang: “…Is that Ye Yang?”
“Hmm?” Ye Yang chewed quickly, swallowed the crab meat in his mouth, and turned around. “Kong Jiamu? What are you doing here?”
Meeting an old classmate from preschool here was a pleasant surprise for Ye Yang.
Kong Jiamu: “I should be asking you that! I’m here with my parents. What about you? How did you get in?”
It wasn’t that he looked down on Ye Yang, but Ye Yang had no family background or connections. Last he heard, Ye Yang was just attending university. How could he possibly be here?
Ye Yang looked around, spotted Bai Jun being approached by people offering toasts, and pointed: “I came with Elder Bai.”
Kong Jiamu’s first reaction was disbelief: “Don’t bluff. That’s impossible!” He had come specifically for Bai Jun, having painstakingly convinced his parents to bring him.
Ye Yang blinked, confused: “I’m not bluffing.”
Bai Jun had been keeping an eye on this side. Seeing someone talking to Ye Yang, he came over after a moment.
“Ye Yang, is this a friend of yours?”
“Yes, he’s my classmate, Kong Jiamu.”
“Kong? You look a bit like Kong Ye.”
He really did know Bai Jun… Kong Jiamu’s pupils shook. Facing his idol in person, he became flustered and couldn’t even speak properly.
Suddenly, a hand—elegant in bearing, adorned with two delicate gemstone rings—landed on Kong Jiamu’s shoulder. Ye Yang followed the hand upward and saw a tall woman. Her features were ordinary, but her bearing was extraordinary.
“Mr. Bai Jun.”
Bai Jun greeted her with a warm smile: “Ms. Kong, a pleasure. So this is your son. I thought he looked a bit like Kong Ye. Very nice—he seems quite talented.”
The newcomer was Kong Jiamu’s mother, Kong Ruilan. She was a formidable figure in the fashion world, and her husband Kong Ye was an international supermodel.
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