son, don't mess around

Chapter 834 Chen Zhao and the Cult Leader

late at night.

Inside the quiet Hall of Mental Cultivation.

As Chen Zhao approached step by step, the wind that had been dormant for a long time outside the palace window howled again.

"Swish!"

The trees swayed violently in the strong wind, their leaves rustling and casting shadows on the floor of the main hall.

Inside the hall, flames flickered wildly all around!
Although there wasn't a breath of wind inside the hall, the light from the oil lamps seemed to come alive, swaying with each step Chen Zhao took closer.

The light flickered, illuminating the two people in the hall, and at that moment, the atmosphere became extremely tense.

Dressed in a gray robe, Chen Zhao, with his hunched figure, exuded an undeniable murderous aura.

This old eunuch, who should have been dead long ago but suddenly came back to life, finally revealed his sharpest fangs.

A murderous aura emanated from them!
After lying low for a year, this is the opportunity I've been waiting for!

He wanted to kill the new emperor who had been on the throne for less than a year!

The plan that failed a year ago should come to a successful conclusion today.

Li Cining remained seated on the dragon throne, calmly meeting Chen Zhao's gaze, her face showing no sign of tension or fear.

The young emperor's composure and calmness in the face of danger and death made him no less imposing than Chen Zhao.

Even if he is completely weak and knows no martial arts.

Yet, despite its imposing presence, it was by no means weak.

He sat quietly on the dragon throne, watching Chen Zhao approach step by step.

They did not back down, nor did they flee for their lives!

Take it easy.

As Chen Zhao approached the palace, he suddenly stopped.

His deep gaze fell on Li Cining, staring at him for a moment. Then he slowly raised his head and looked down at the spot behind him.

Under the flickering lights of the main hall, Chen Zhao's weathered old face showed no emotion.

"Come out."

A lukewarm tone rang out.

It was low and deep, carrying a profound sense of authority.

Behind Li Cining was a screen carved with exquisite embroidery patterns, and beyond the screen was darkness.

The light from the oil lamps inside the hall seemed unable to penetrate. Not long after Chen Zhao finished speaking, a figure in white emerged from the darkness.

"It's you?"

Chen Zhao's gaze fell on the person in white, and he quickly recognized their identity. His cloudy eyes narrowed sharply.

A young woman in white appeared in his line of sight. Her pure white attire accentuated her aloof and elegant demeanor. Holding an exquisite longsword, she slowly emerged from the darkness behind the screen behind Li Cining, her gaze fixed directly on Chen Zhao.

The girl was beautiful, with delicate features, a true beauty in the making. But her bright, beautiful eyes seemed to hold a deep coldness, staring at him without any emotion.

From the moment she appeared, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop slightly. The hall, which was shrouded in Chen Zhao's aura, seemed to be filled with a refreshing spring.

The oppressive atmosphere that had been there before dissipated at that moment.

Chen Zhao stared at the familiar girl's figure that appeared before him, a hint of disbelief flashing in his eyes.

"It's really you!"

Chen Zhao muttered to himself, seemingly unsurprised by the appearance of the girl before him.

"Chen Zhao, you really are not dead."

The girl's cold voice sounded.

When she saw Chen Zhao alive again, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Chen Zhao is clearly dead!
He has even died twice.

She was present on both occasions. She witnessed his death with her own eyes, and even personally carried out the act.

But now, he has reappeared before me. Judging from the familiar aura emanating from him, this person is indeed Chen Zhao.

He's not dead!
But how do you explain the two previous deaths?
substitute?

Are they all stand-ins?!
The girl's eyes concealed her astonishment, which was then followed by a deep sense of apprehension.

Such a skill of escaping unscathed is enough to make anyone wary.

Even more so, she felt an unprecedentedly powerful pressure emanating from Chen Zhao in front of her... A year later, he seemed even stronger!

This forced her to become increasingly cautious.

"It seems this old servant underestimated your young master."

Chen Zhao's gaze was deep, and when he saw the girl appear before him, he understood everything.

"I never expected that he could actually trace it back to this old servant?"

Chen Zhao asked, "He sent you here tonight to save His Majesty, didn't he?"

Paper Kite did not answer, but gripped the sword in her hand tightly, her cold expression fixed on the familiar figure in her line of sight with extreme vigilance.

"However, you alone are not enough to stop this old servant."

Chen Zhao spoke calmly, his gaze deep, looking at the stunningly beautiful young woman before him: "A year ago, you were no match for this old servant. A year later, you are even less able to stop this old servant!"

This once powerful eunuch exuded a strong and confident aura.

Tonight, no one can stop him.

Zhiyuan remained silent, her cold eyes filled with solemn vigilance as she slowly drew her sword.

The longsword was sheathed, its cold light gleaming fiercely.

The kite's figure blocked the entrance to the hall, standing in front of Chen Zhao.

"Paper Kite Girl, be careful."

Behind him came Li Cining's worried voice, accompanied by a violent cough. The chill that filled the hall had a significant impact on his health.

Zhiyuan ignored him, her cold gaze still fixed on Chen Zhao.

She held a long sword with a sharp, cold glint in her hand, the blade radiating a chilling aura, and her overall demeanor rose accordingly.

Her black hair danced in the wind, and beneath her exquisitely shaped face lay a captivating yet aloof expression.

"Was my father's death related to you?"

Paper Kite questioned coldly, her tone devoid of any emotion.

"your dad?"

Hearing the girl's cool tone, Chen Zhao lowered his cloudy eyes slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

After a long while, a name that was both distant and familiar emerged.

"Jiang Cheng?"

Chen Zhao looked at the girl in front of him and said with emotion, "This old servant almost forgot that your father is Jiang Cheng, the former governor of Xunyang."

"You are his daughter!"

Paper Kite's identity was no longer a secret.

Back then, Zhiyuan's father was the prefect of Xunyang County in Yanzhou, but he was falsely accused of treason and colluding with the enemy, and sentenced to have his entire family executed. Zhiyuan, who was still an infant, was rescued by her mother at great risk, and was fortunately rescued by the Princess Consort of Lin, who then adopted Zhiyuan and raised her in the Jiang family of Chujiang City.

Zhiyuan was the only survivor in the Jiang family of Xunyang.

Until a little over a year ago, Zhiyuan left the Prince Lin's mansion and went alone to Xunyang County in Yanzhou to avenge her father.

In the end, she uncovered the murderer who framed her father years ago, who turned out to be the newly appointed governor of Xunyang County.

Subsequently, in an attempt to cover up the truth, the Wang family tried to silence Zhiyuan and the Crown Prince of Lin, but with the combined efforts of the Crown Prince of Lin and the Governor of Yanzhou, the Wang family ultimately suffered the consequences of their actions and were imprisoned.

Immediately afterwards, the entire Wang family was murdered in prison, with no one surviving. Later, Wang's second uncle, who had escaped, and Wang Qin both died at the hands of Zhiyuan.

In a sense, the kite has already avenged its parents.

However, things didn't end that simply!

The Wang family was indeed one of the murderers who framed the Jiang family back then, but they were not the masterminds behind it.

Furthermore, the Wang family had just been released from prison when they were brutally massacred... Clearly, someone behind this was silencing them and concealing some truth.

But the massacre of the Wang family meant the trail had gone cold. Further investigation was now virtually impossible.

Coincidentally, it was the Heavenly God Sect that wiped out the entire Wang family, numbering several hundred. Even more coincidentally, Liu Su was involved in it.

In Yanzhou, she encountered the Grand Elder of the Heavenly God Sect, who, on the orders of the sect leader, exterminated the entire Wang family.

As a holy maiden of the Heavenly God Sect, Liu Su was clearly aware of some of the hidden secrets behind it all.

This was also the clue she later revealed to Paper Kite.

Why did the Heavenly God Cult exterminate the entire Wang family?
There is a deeper reason behind this, or rather... there is an even deeper force behind the Heavenly God Cult.

For over a year, Zhiyuan still couldn't figure it out.

Until tonight, until she saw Chen Zhao, who had 'come back to life,' with her own eyes, her suspicions were finally confirmed.

"Back then, did you frame my father and falsely accuse him of treason?"

The kite's clear, cold voice rang out again.

This time, he emphasized his words, as if he were certain of something.

"Since you already have the answer in your heart, why ask again?"

Chen Zhao's eyes regained their cloudiness, making him look old and frail.

The absence of denial implies acceptance.

The truth is about to be revealed!
In an instant, a sharp, cold light flashed within the hall.

Chen Zhao stood still, and the sharp, cold light vanished as it approached him.

It was as if an invisible wall of energy was blocking his way, making it difficult for anything to get close.

He hadn't done anything, but his oppressive aura was overwhelming.

Upon seeing this, Zhiyuan's eyes narrowed sharply, and she became even more vigilant.

"You are no match for me!"

A glint of light flashed in Chen Zhao's murky eyes: "Tonight, no one can stop me."

As soon as the words fell, the gust of wind suddenly rose.

Inside the main hall, oil lamps flickered and swayed wildly.

The next second, the lights went out!

The moment the flames died down, the hall was plunged into complete darkness, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

At that very moment, a terrifying aura spread rapidly.

At the same time, Chen Zhao's aura suddenly disappeared from sight, replaced by a terrifying and chilling aura.

In the darkness, the kite advanced instead of retreating. Facing the surrounding terrifying aura, she took a step forward, her sword flashing with a blinding cold light in the darkness, and suddenly thrust it into the shadows.

"boom!"

"Crash!"

The sound of clashing internal forces echoed within the hall, and the furnishings inside were swept away by a powerful gust of wind. Simultaneously, unable to withstand the sudden and terrifying pressure, they instantly turned to dust.

A terrifying aura boomed and echoed in the silent night, reverberating throughout the empty hall.

In the darkness, the kite was pushed back several steps by the terrifying aura before it could barely regain its footing.

A pallor crept across her delicate face, her eyes filled with shock and wariness. She casually twirled her sword, the blade flashing with fire, rekindling the lights around the hall.

In the firelight, Chen Zhao appeared before the hall, staring at him with emotionless eyes.

At this moment, Chen Zhao no longer had the hunched and aged appearance he had before. He straightened his spine, revealing a burly figure that he had long concealed.

The powerful aura emanating from him was even stronger than it had been a year ago!

That year, he remained hidden in the shadows, and his strength improved even further.

"First-grade Grandmaster Realm!"

Zhiyuan stared intently at Chen Zhao.

After a brief exchange, she realized that Chen Zhao's unfathomable aura was something she alone could not stop.

He has indeed taken that step!
At this moment, Zhiyuan's gaze was more solemn than ever before. Beyond that, there was an even deeper chill.

"You've made rapid progress."

Chen Zhao's voice rang out: "Give me a few more years, and I'm sure you'll surpass me."

"But unfortunately, the chance is gone!"

As Chen Zhao spoke, his cold gaze fell on Li Cining, who sat on the dragon throne, her face pale and weak.

His target has always been Li Cining.

Tonight, it's him I'm going to kill.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zhao vanished from his spot once more. His speed was so fast that he was almost invisible. In the blink of an eye, he had passed by the kite and appeared in front of Li Cining.

This is the terrifying aspect of a first-grade grandmaster: appearing and disappearing unpredictably, their martial arts and internal strength having reached the pinnacle.

Even the kite was caught off guard and had no time to stop it.

But just as Chen Zhao made his move, another aura suddenly approached.

"Snapped!"

A faint crackling sound seemed to be heard.

Immediately afterwards, an explosion rang out in front of Chen Zhao.

Chen Zhao's gaze sharpened, and before the explosion could occur, he abruptly flicked his sleeve, took a step back, and dodged the threat of the explosion.

"Who says there's no chance?"

At the same time as the explosion rang out, another meaningful voice suddenly sounded.

Chen Zhao stopped and looked up.

A figure in red appeared in his line of sight. The long red dress was faintly visible in the dim light, and her dashing figure added a touch of elegance to the surrounding atmosphere.

That red dress was always eye-catching and extremely bright, making it hard not to draw people's attention to her.

A peerless elegance and unparalleled cold beauty. Also wielding a long sword, she appeared in the hall at some unknown time and was slowly descending.

"It's you?"

Chen Zhao's gaze deepened as he recognized the woman before him.

Liu Su!

Holy Maiden of the Celestial God Cult!
Those who came tonight were all familiar faces!
"So, the Crown Prince of Lin has also arrived?"

Chen Zhao spoke in a deep voice.

Are you looking for me, the young master?

A man's voice sounded from behind.

As Chen Zhao turned around, the familiar figure in white robes appeared without hesitation. He stepped to Zhiyuan's side and asked with concern, "Zhiyuan, are you alright?"

Zhiyuan's face was a little pale, but she still shook her head slightly; she was fine.

After confirming that the kite was unharmed, Lin Jiangnian turned around and focused his gaze on the very familiar 'old friend' in front of him.

At that moment, their eyes met.

Looking at the person in front of him who kept 'dying and coming back to life', Lin Jiangnian's tone was full of emotion.

With such a familiar appearance and identical temperament, it was difficult to tell them apart at first glance.

"I never expected you to actually be alive... I must say, you're incredibly lucky."

"I, the young master, have been utterly deceived by you!"

Chen Zhao stared intently at Lin Jiangnian before him, his gaze deep, and said in a deep voice, "Isn't Your Highness the same?"

"I am not as good at hiding as you are, nor do I have the ability to endure as you are."

Lin Jiang chuckled softly, sizing up the old eunuch before him: "Should I, the young master, address you now?"

"Should I call you Chen Zhao? Or should I address you as the leader?"

"Was it you who died six months ago? Or was it your brother who was hiding his identity?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)