Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

"Everything here, whatever you see, you may take. Armor, weapons, alchemical artifacts, to me, are as dust."

This means that the complete ruins belonging to a third-generation dragon race, and all its treasures, are completely open to Lu Mingfei and his group. This is a fortune that would drive any hybrid family mad.

Lu Mingfei stepped forward and grasped the hilt of the Huiming Sword. He slowly picked up the sword; its weight was just right, as if it were meant to be his.

He sheathed the Obscure Sword at his waist. The light emanating from the bronze coffin gradually faded, and the dark red dragon eye dimmed, finally returning to its initial deathly silence. Only the voice that had resonated directly in Lu Mingfei's mind, carrying the last ripple of emotion, rang out again, this time addressed to both Lu Mingfei and Frilian beside him:

"Young people, cherish the people in front of you. Don't follow in my footsteps."

The meaning behind those words was self-evident. Lu Mingfei paused slightly, glancing sideways at Frillie beside him. Frillie was also looking at him, and naturally understood the meaning behind Li Chonghui's dying words. She pursed her lips, her long eyelashes drooping, concealing the emotions in her eyes. She neither admitted nor refuted, but simply stood there quietly, like a snow lotus under the moonlight.

Li Chonghui vanished completely, and the intense spiritual remnants that lingered around the coffin also weakened and subsided rapidly, like the receding tide. This bronze coffin, which had buried a thousand years of joys and sorrows, now truly resembled a quiet burial vessel, left only with the dust of history.

Lu Mingfei stroked the Huiming Sword at his waist, feeling the weighty promise and legacy it carried.

He turned to Zhu Ling'er: "Your Zhu family can handle the things here."

Zhu Ling'er recovered from the immense shock and overwhelming amount of information. The legacy of a third-generation descendant! This was nothing short of a windfall! She suppressed her excitement and looked at Lu Mingfei with a complex expression.

"Mr. Lu, we are deeply grateful! The Zhu family will forever remember your kindness!" Zhu Ling'er bowed solemnly, then immediately took out a uniquely shaped jade talisman from her bosom and infused it with a faint trace of power. The jade talisman lit up; this was the Zhu family's secret method for urgently contacting trusted confidants.

Not long after, hurried but orderly footsteps echoed from the entrance of the ruins. A team of about ten core members of the Zhu family, dressed in uniform and exuding a sharp and capable aura, quickly arrived. When they saw the scene inside the hall, especially the bronze coffin in the center and the remains of the corpse guards on the ground, they all showed surprise, but remained disciplined and did not make a sound.

"Miss!" The middle-aged man at the head of the group bowed to Zhu Ling'er.

"Uncle Zhong, immediately inventory all valuable items here! Armor, weapons, alchemical materials, inscriptions on documents. Everything! Handle with care, do not damage anything!" Zhu Ling'er quickly gave the order, regaining her capable demeanor as a young lady from a noble family.

"Yes!" The middle-aged man, known as Uncle Zhong, immediately directed his men to begin their work. They were professional cleaners, moving swiftly and efficiently. Various specially made containers and tools were taken out, and they began to carefully collect the scattered weapons, peel valuable parts from the corpse guards' armor, and make rubbings of the dragon patterns on the walls and stone pillars.

Lu Mingfei and Frilian stepped aside, watching the Zhu family members bustle about like worker ants. Lu Mingfei stroked the cold hilt of the Huiming Sword, his gaze piercing through the deep hall, looking towards a distant time and space, to a city flowing with the Yellow River, and a mansion ablaze with raging flames.

Frillie stood quietly beside him, breaking the silence with a soft voice: "Do you know where that place is?"

Lu Mingfei withdrew his gaze and nodded. The fragments of Li Chonghui's memories in his mind clearly pointed to a location: "Weibo, the former site of the Jiedushi's residence."

It was a place of sorrow, long buried beneath the dust of history and the modern city.

"I'll go with you."

"it is good."

Chapter 284 Lu Mingfei's business is my business, Zhu Ling'er's business.

Deep underground, only the Zhu family's trusted men were methodically moving and cleaning, bringing a touch of life to this desolate space.

Precious dragon alchemical artifacts, rubbings of lost dragon script tomes, and fragments of armor imbued with special power, peeled from the bodies of two corpse guardians, were carefully categorized, sealed, and placed in specially made insulated boxes. Each item was priceless, enough to cause a stir in the hybrid world outside.

Lu Mingfei and Frilian stood in the shadows a little further away, out of place amidst the bustling scene.

Lu Mingfei's fingers never left the Huiming Sword at his waist; the coolness of the blade slightly cooled the burning, painful fragments of memories belonging to Li Chonghui in his mind. Frilian, like a silent guardian, dimmed the light from her staff, leaving only a faint glow around her, dispelling the damp chill of the earth.

Zhu Ling'er commanded with composure, her brows furrowed with exhaustion but also with excitement and the joy of soon seizing power. After carefully sealing away the most important items, including the crystals containing pure dragon energy collected from around the bronze coffin, she strode to Lu Mingfei and Frilian.

"Mr. Lu Mingfei, Miss Frilian," she said solemnly, clasping her hands in a gesture of respect, her tone sincere, "I, Zhu Ling'er, was able to escape unscathed from this exploration of the ruins, and even obtain this incredible opportunity, all thanks to your great assistance. Especially Mr. Lu."

She looked at the ancient sword at Lu Mingfei's waist, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "If Brother Lu hadn't made a pact with the senior in the coffin, we probably wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed, let alone gain these rewards. Zhu Ling'er will remember this kindness forever!"

Lu Mingfei waved his hand, "It's just a matter of each getting what they need."

He did indeed only take the Obscure Sword; to him, what this sword carried was far more important than those cold treasures.

Zhu Ling'er shook her head, her expression extremely serious: "It may be a small favor for Mr. Lu, but for me, Zhu Ling'er, and for the Zhu family, it is a life-saving grace!"

She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and said in a resolute voice: "From this day forward, Mr. Lu's affairs are my affairs, Zhu Ling'er's affairs! The Zhu family will do whatever it takes to serve us without hesitation!"

This is a weighty promise, a promise from the heir to a vast mixed-race family.

Lu Mingfei glanced at her and nodded, accepting the kindness. "What are your plans next?"

"Return to the family immediately! This place is not safe to stay any longer, and news must be strictly controlled. These gains need to be transformed into a solid force as soon as possible."

Zhu Ling'er didn't say it explicitly, but Lu Mingfei and Frilian both understood that this treasure was enough to give Zhu Ling'er an overwhelming advantage in the power struggle within the family.

“We’re on different paths now,” Lu Mingfei said. “I also have some personal matters to attend to.”

Zhu Ling'er understood. She guessed it might be related to the agreement with the owner of the coffin, and wisely refrained from asking further questions. She bowed solemnly again: "In that case, Ling'er will take her leave first. Mr. Lu, Miss Frilline, take care! If you have time in the future, please be sure to visit the Zhu family so that Ling'er can show you hospitality."

After saying goodbye, Zhu Ling'er didn't linger any longer. Leading her trusted team, laden with supplies, she quickly and orderly retreated along the original route. Soon, only Lu Mingfei, Frilian, and the bronze coffin, now returned to deathly silence, remained in the vast underground.

“Let’s go too.” Lu Mingfei took one last look at the coffin, as if bidding farewell to a thousand-year-old past, then turned around and disappeared with Frilian into the dark passage they had come from.

On the surface, the sunlight was blinding, and the air was fresh. Far from the oppressive atmosphere and bloodshed underground, it felt like two different worlds.

Without a moment's rest, Zhu Ling'er and her group used a pre-prepared secret channel to return to the Zhu family ancestral home as quickly as possible.

The Zhu family, a mixed-race family with a history spanning hundreds of years, is deeply entrenched and riddled with internal factions.

The patriarch is advanced in years, and his health has been declining in recent years, making the struggle for the family succession increasingly fierce. Although Zhu Ling'er is the legitimate daughter and possesses outstanding talent and abilities, she is still young and inexperienced, and many within the clan are dissatisfied with her, especially her cousins, Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi. Having cultivated their power for many years, they have gathered numerous elders and influential figures under their command, all of whom have long coveted the position of patriarch.

Zhu Ling'er's unauthorized exploration of the unknown dragon ruins was seen by many in the clan as a reckless act of seeking quick success and courting death. Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi even secretly conspired to take advantage of her failed return and eliminate her from the line of succession.

However, when Zhu Ling'er led a convoy laden with dragon clan treasures, arriving dusty but exuding an imposing aura, into the Zhu family's council hall, everyone who had been waiting to see her make a fool of herself was stunned.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy. The patriarch, Zhu Ganglie, sat in the main seat. Although his face was sallow and his breathing unsteady, occasional glints of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, indicating that he still maintained control. Below him, on either side, sat the powerful elders and core members of the clan. At the head of the left was Zhu Ming, with an arrogant expression and a domineering personality. At the head of the right was Zhu Qi, with a effeminate face and shifty eyes; she was shrewd and adept at manipulation from behind the scenes.

“Cousin Ling’er, I heard that you ventured into dangerous territory and returned safely. It’s truly fortunate.” Zhu Ming spoke first, his tone feigning concern, but anyone could hear the sarcasm in it. “I wonder what you gained from this trip? Don’t return empty-handed again, wasting the family’s resources.”

He emphasized the word "harvest".

Zhu Qi replied with a forced smile, "Yes, Ling'er. The family is in a delicate situation right now, and we must be careful with every step. If we return empty-handed, I'm afraid we won't be able to explain ourselves to our uncles and elders."

Many elders who were affiliated with them echoed their sentiments, their words filled with doubt and pressure.

Zhu Ling'er stood in the center of the hall, facing numerous ill-intentioned gazes. Her expression remained calm, though she inwardly wanted to laugh; they were all opportunists. Instead of answering directly, she gently clapped her hands.

Uncle Zhong and the others, who had been waiting outside the hall, immediately carried in sealed metal boxes one after another. The boxes were heavy and made a dull thud when they landed on the floor.

"Open it," Zhu Ling'er said calmly.

The box opened with a click.

In an instant, everyone in the council hall was dazzled by the various treasures! Pure dragon energy crystals emitted a starlight-like glow. Ancient dragon weapons, though silent, naturally exuded a chilling killing intent. Fragments of armor and rubbings of documents engraved with profound dragon runes radiated an ancient aura.

These items, when brought together, exuded a heart-pounding aura, causing all the mixed-race individuals present to feel their blood subtly boiling.

Chapter 285 Family Standoff

"This, this is?!" A neutral elder stood up, his face filled with disbelief and shock.

"Dragon crystal! Such purity, and these weapons and armor. The dragon runes on them, I've never seen anything like them before!" Another elder, who specialized in dragon runes, rushed to a box, his hands trembling with excitement.

The smiles on Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi's faces froze instantly. They never dreamed that Zhu Ling'er had not only succeeded, but had brought back such a vast and high-quality treasure! This was far beyond what was expected; it was a staggering fortune capable of completely altering the power dynamics of their families!

Zhu Ling'er looked around, taking in everyone's reactions, before slowly speaking: "This mission brought back several complete treasures from the three generations of the Dragon Clan's relics for the family. The detailed list is here."

She handed a jade slip to her grandfather, Zhu Ganglie, who sat at the head of the table.

"Preliminary identification reveals that the collection includes 137 high-purity dragon energy crystals, eight complete dragon alchemical weapons, 45 damaged but highly valuable weapons and armor, and over 200 pages of rubbings of unknown dragon script texts. The total value is enough to increase the strength of our Zhu family by more than 30%, and ensure that we remain among the top mixed-blood families for the next century!"

A murmur rippled through the hall. A 30% increase in strength? A solid position among the top? What an achievement!

Zhu Ganglie's hand holding the jade slip trembled slightly, and his cloudy eyes shone with an unprecedented brilliance. His gaze toward Zhu Ling'er was filled with relief and determination.

"Impossible!" Zhu Ming slammed his hand on the table, stood up, his face ashen. "How could you possibly do that? With the people you brought? You must have colluded with outsiders to harm the Zhu family's interests. Was it Lu Mingfei and Frilian?"

"Insolence!" Zhu Ling'er interrupted him. "The evidence is conclusive, the treasure is right here, are you still going to make trouble? Are you jealous of the family's success? Or are you afraid that I will gain this credit and threaten your position?"

She directly abandoned all pretense of civility, her tone becoming aggressive.

Seeing this, Zhu Qi quickly tried to smooth things over, saying in a sinister tone, "Sister Ling'er, you've misunderstood. Brother Ming is only thinking of the family. However, this matter is of great importance, and we need to carefully verify the source to avoid getting burned."

"The source is clean; it was discovered through joint exploration by me and my friend. The contract is in place, and there are no future problems," Zhu Ling'er retorted, not backing down an inch. "But what were you two doing while I was out adventuring and fighting for the future of the family? Colluding with elders and suppressing dissidents—is this your consideration for the family?"

Her words were like whips, striking Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi's faces, and also causing some of the elders who had been wavering to lower their heads.

Zhu Ganglie coughed at the opportune moment, "Ling'er's trip has been a great achievement! All the gains should be put into storage immediately, and Ling'er will be fully responsible for the inventory, allocation, and research of them! The clan's resources should be given priority to her!"

This statement effectively established Zhu Ling'er's status as heir and granted her immense power.

Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi were deathly pale. They knew that all was lost. With this tremendous achievement, Zhu Ling'er's position was now unshakeable. Their years of maneuvering seemed utterly laughable in the face of absolute power and merit.

Zhu Ling'er's private study.

The heavy rosewood door shut out all outside noise, with only an antique palace lantern on the table casting a warm, dim glow that shimmered in the light on half of Zhu Ling'er's face. She had just temporarily suppressed Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi's arrogance in the family council hall with the intimidating power of the dragon clan's relic, but there was no trace of joy in her eyes.

She knew very well that temporary suppression was pointless. Zhu Ming was violent and vindictive. Zhu Qi was cunning and treacherous, adept at concealing his true intentions. Having suffered such a great loss today, they would never let it go easily. Once they recovered, they would undoubtedly launch a relentless counterattack.

The power struggles within a family are always a matter of life and death, allowing no mercy whatsoever.

Waiting? Consolidating power? That's too slow, and there are too many variables. What she needs is to act swiftly and decisively, eliminating these two biggest threats before anyone can react.

Zhu Ling'er gently tapped the table, making a crisp sound.

A hidden door on the inside of the study slid open silently, and the maid Yun'er quietly entered.

“Miss,” Yun’er said, standing with her head bowed.

Zhu Ling'er didn't look at her, her gaze fixed on the flickering lamplight on the table. "Go to Shadow Inn and place two express orders. Targets: Zhu Ming, Zhu Qi. Requirements: absolutely professional, absolutely quiet, within twelve hours."

"Yes, miss. Specifications?"

"The highest standard." Zhu Ling'er finally raised her eyes, a cold glint in them. "Tell them to pay any price, but to keep it clean, leaving no trace of us. Once it's done, the usual three times the reward."

Shadow Inn is not a real location, but rather the code name for an extremely secretive assassin communication platform in the hybrid world. It exists in the cracks between the online and real worlds, and is only open to a very small number of people with specific channels and permissions.

Rush orders mean the highest priority and the highest commission. The highest level of service requires the use of the platform's top and most reliable agents to ensure everything goes smoothly.

"Understood," Yun'er bowed, not uttering a single word more. She knew all too well that this matter concerned her mistress's life or death, and also her own future.

"Go, do it right away," Zhu Ling'er waved her hand, then turned her gaze back to the lamplight.

Yun'er bowed again and silently retreated into the hidden door. The door closed, and the study returned to silence.

A moment later, outside the Zhu family ancestral home, at an inconspicuous public network node, Yun'er used a device with multiple layers of encryption and disguise to access an extremely simple, even rudimentary, gray-area website. She entered a long and complex dynamic key, the screen flickered, and a dialog box with only an input field appeared.

She skillfully inputs instructions and task information, including basic information about the target, requirements, and the amount of compensation she is willing to pay.

After the message was successfully sent, the screen went black, and all traces of the operation were automatically erased, as if nothing had happened.

Less than ten minutes later, Yun'er's encrypted receiver vibrated slightly, and a message without any source identifier appeared: "Order accepted. Faceless and Dream Weaver are in position. Awaiting good news."

Seeing the codenames "Faceless" and "Dreamweaver," Yun'er's tense nerves relaxed slightly. These were the Shadow Inn's renowned assassins, legendary figures who had never failed. One excelled in silent assassination on the physical level, the other in invisible annihilation in the mental realm.

The mission has been assigned, and the most professional Grim Reaper has wielded his scythe. Zhu Ling'er sits in her study, awaiting the dawn to witness the complete reshuffling of the power structure within the family.