Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Chapter 286 The Assassin of the Shadow Inn

Although Zhu Ming and Zhu Qi had the wealth of the Zhu family, it was unlikely that they could own a piece of land in the city center. They occupied a large estate in the suburbs, nestled against the mountains and by the water.

High walls and deep courtyards, visible sentries and hidden checkpoints, modern surveillance cameras and ancient alchemical security formations are interspersed, making it impossible for ordinary people to sneak in, let alone approach; they would be immediately detected by the patrolling guards.

However, for truly top-tier assassins, even the most meticulous defenses will always have gaps to exploit.

Zhu Ming's villa was located in the southeast corner of the manor, situated on slightly higher ground to emphasize his status. Inside, the villa was brightly lit, and the faint sounds of his furious roars and the smashing of objects could be heard; the day's setbacks had fueled his rage. He had just finished a secret communication, mobilizing several assassins he had secretly trained, preparing to launch a surprise attack on Zhu Ling'er before dawn—even if it failed, he would make her pay the price.

He dismissed his attendants and remained alone in the spacious but messy study. The power of the incantation from the bronze throne on his body had not yet completely subsided; his muscles were bulging, and his skin faintly gleamed with a metallic bronze luster, exuding a dangerous aura.

He walked to the liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of strong liquor, and took several large gulps, using alcohol to suppress the restlessness and vague unease in his heart.

Just as he tilted his head back to gulp down the wine, his throat was completely exposed.

In the corner of the study, a full-length mirror decorated with a painting of a tiger descending a mountain rippled slightly on its surface, like waves on water. A dark shadow, as if detached from the world reflected in the mirror, silently emerged.

The shadowy figure had no physical form, resembling a cohesive, persistent wisp of light. It moved without a trace of weight or movement of air. It perfectly evaded several hidden alchemical runes on the ground, connected to an alarm system.

Zhu Ming, being a B-grade hybrid, possessed extremely sharp combat instincts. Just as the shadowy figure was about to touch the back of his neck, the hairs on his body stood on end, and a deadly sense of crisis washed over him like ice water. He instantly activated the Bronze Throne to its maximum, its bronze luster intensifying. He twisted his body sharply, attempting to block and see the attacker clearly.

However, all he saw was a blurry shadow.

The shadowy figure moved faster than his visual perception and reflexes could keep up. It didn't use any weapons; it simply extended a single finger.

This point was aimed at Zhu Ming's temple, the weakest spot, which was slightly deflected as he turned around.

"puff!"

A soft sound, like a ripe fruit falling to the ground.

The fingers easily pierced the bronze throne's proud defenses, like a red-hot wire piercing butter. A cold, deathly power surged into Zhu Ming's brain, annihilating all his consciousness with overwhelming force.

Zhu Ming's body stiffened, his action of pouring the wine froze, and the bottle slipped from his hand, shattering on the carpet with a "crack," the amber liquid gushing out. His wide eyes were filled with horror, disbelief, and frozen rage, the light in his pupils quickly extinguished like a candle in the wind.

The shadowy figure struck successfully and, without pausing, flowed back into the full-length mirror like melting wax, leaving ripples on the surface before returning to calm.

Zhu Ming remained frozen in place for several seconds before collapsing heavily to the ground with a loud thud, the floor trembling slightly. He died without uttering a sound of alarm or even seeing the assassin's face.

Unlike Zhu Ming's flamboyant lifestyle, Zhu Qi's residence was located deep in a more secluded bamboo grove in the northwest corner of the manor. The courtyard was elegant, and the study was filled with calming sandalwood incense. The bookshelves were filled with ancient books and documents. She sat calmly behind her desk, toying with a warm jade pendant in her hand, but her slightly trembling fingertips and flickering eyes betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

She thought things through more deeply than Zhu Ming. Zhu Ling'er brought back not only wealth, but also an undeniable force of influence and unimaginable support behind it. A direct confrontation would be a certain death. She was urgently contacting several external forces that had grudges against the Zhu family or coveted the Dragon Clan's treasures, hoping to leverage their strengths, create chaos, and buy herself a chance to survive.

The Word of Power "All Things in the Universe" granted her powerful spiritual perception, and she had also set up several layers of alchemical arrays that she had meticulously crafted herself, both inside and outside her study. Anyone with hostility who approached would immediately trigger an alarm and be met with a counterattack from the arrays.

Even for an A-grade hybrid, breaking through the defenses silently is by no means an easy task.

However, she overlooked one thing: what about psychological attacks?

Beside the desk, the flame of the old-fashioned oil lamp used for reading, emitting a soft glow, flickered eerily slightly.

It wasn't moved by the wind, but rather as if something had silently seeped out from the boundary between light and shadow.

Zhu Qi felt a pang of fear, as if he were being watched by a cold, venomous snake. He looked up, his mental energy surging outwards like a tidal wave, simultaneously activating the most hidden, suicidal alchemical trap beneath the desk.

His mental energy swept across the entire study, but he found nothing. Everything seemed frighteningly normal.

But just as her mental energy receded, creating a tiny gap between her consciousness and body...

A memory, or rather a thought, was like a seed that had long been buried deep in his mind. It sprouted, grew into a towering tree, and obscured all her reason.

It wasn't an external attack, but rather the most extreme fear that arose from the depths of her own consciousness.

In Zhu Qi's perception, she saw Zhu Ling'er standing right in front of her, expressionless, holding a blood-dripping dagger. Countless wailing dragon souls coiled around the blade, radiating a chilling pressure that sent shivers down one's spine. She wanted to resist, but found herself unable to move; her proud myriad forms of magic melted away like snow under the sun. She wanted to cry for help, but no sound came out.

Then, the short knife, slowly and irresistibly, pierced her brow.

The icy touch, the excruciating pain of having one's soul torn apart, the utter emptiness of having one's consciousness completely annihilated. All of it felt incredibly real, incredibly clear.

"No—!!!" Zhu Qi roared silently in his heart.

In reality, Zhu Ming's body convulsed violently, the jade pendant in his hand shattering with a "crack." His eyes rolled back, bloodshot, and his facial muscles contorted. His spiritual energy was frantically attacking and annihilating itself within his sea of ​​consciousness, as if trapped in an endless nightmare cycle.

The spasms stopped after a few seconds.

Zhu Qi slumped limply into the large armchair, her head lolling to one side, her pupils dilated, and dark red blood slowly seeping from her seven orifices. She was lifeless. There were no external injuries on her body, but her mental world had been completely destroyed in the real nightmare constructed from the deepest fears within her.

The oil lamp flame flickered normally again, and the sandalwood incense in the study remained. Only the shattered jade pendant and the frozen expression of terror on Zhu Qi's face proved that a silent yet extremely dangerous assassination had just taken place.

The next morning, the servants noticed something unusual about the two chosen successors, but everything had already been decided.

Zhu Ling'er sat in the study, listening to Uncle Zhong's low report of the sudden deaths of two blood relatives. Her face was expressionless; she simply picked up her teacup and gently blew away the foam.

Chapter 287 Sacrifice

The northbound train leaves the humid and delicate south far behind, and the scenery outside the window gradually becomes open and vast, with the desolation unique to the northern land.

Lu Mingfei sat by the window, gazing at the rapidly receding fields and distant mountains outside, his gaze somewhat unfocused. The Huiming Sword at his waist was wrapped in a special fabric, making it look like a strangely shaped musical instrument.

Frillie sat opposite him, holding a Harry Potter book in her hands, but her gaze was not on the pages; instead, she was also looking out the window.

They disembarked in a city with an ancient name. Following the directions in Li Chonghui's fragmented memories, they did not stay in the center of this modern city, but instead turned towards a county-level city under its jurisdiction, which was considered to be one of the core areas of the ancient Weibo town.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of big cities, the pace of life here is noticeably slower. The streets are lined with somewhat old buildings, and occasionally you can see some deliberately preserved or restored ancient streets, but most are filled with a commercial atmosphere catering to tourists. Lu Mingfei and Frilian walked among them, appearing somewhat out of place with their surroundings.

“We need a more specific location,” Frilian said softly, her staff hidden in a specially made travel bag, yet her senses spread out like an invisible spider web. “The changes over a thousand years are too great; almost everything on the surface has been reshaped.”

Lu Mingfei closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of distractions, and focused his attention on the connection with the Huiming Sword, as well as the emotional imprints of Li Chonghui in his mind: the towering flames, the resolute figure, and the heart-wrenching pain.

“Over there,” he said, opening his eyes and pointing to an old-looking area on the edge of the city that had not yet been extensively commercialized.

They ventured deeper into the narrow, flagstone-paved alleyways, where the surrounding buildings gradually transformed into low bungalows or old courtyards, their walls peeling away to reveal the underlying blue bricks.

At the crossroads, they saw an old man with white hair and beard, his face covered with deep wrinkles, sitting on a small stool in front of his house, squinting in the sun, with two shiny walnuts in his hands.

Lu Mingfei's heart stirred slightly. He stepped forward and tried to make his tone as calm as possible: "Old man, I have something to ask you. I heard that this area was once the territory of the Weibo Jiedushi (military governor)?"

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze sweeping over Lu Mingfei and Frilian, lingering for a moment on the long, narrow bundle around Lu Mingfei's waist, before speaking slowly in a heavy local accent: "The military governor of Weibo? That's ancient history, a thousand years ago. Young man, are you interested in that?"

“Hmm, I’ve heard some legends and I’m a little curious,” Lu Mingfei said, sitting down on a nearby stone stool.

“A legend,” the old man sighed, his gaze becoming distant as he drifted into reminiscence. “There is indeed a story circulating here, related to a military governor from the late Tang Dynasty, surnamed Li, I think his name was Li Chonghui?”

Lu Mingfei's heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained calm: "Oh? Can you tell us about it?"

The old man hadn't met a young person willing to listen to these old stories in a long time, so he became more talkative and slowly said, "This Li Chonghui, according to the older generation, was no ordinary person. Legend has it that he was born with superhuman strength and could fight tigers with his bare hands. On the battlefield, he was like a god descending to earth, killing those rebels until they cried for their fathers and mothers, and ensuring peace in our area for a long time."

He paused, slowing down his pace of cracking walnuts: "But he's stubborn and inflexible, which offended some high-ranking officials in the court. The emperor was suspicious of him, fearing he would become too powerful, so he tried to find ways to get rid of him. Alas, such a loyal and capable minister was forced into this situation."

"The most tragic one was his wife, surnamed Liu, who was said to be an exceptionally kind and good woman. Later, trouble broke out in the city. It was said that the imperial court sent people to arrest him, and some people in the city rebelled. A great fire broke out in the governor's mansion, burning for three days and three nights! That Lady Liu was unable to escape. It is said that she walked into the fire herself, still wearing her wedding dress."

Lu Mingfei listened in silence.

"And what about Li Chonghui?"

“Li Chonghui?” The old man shook his head. “There are many versions of the story. Some say he wasn’t in the city at the time. When he returned and saw his wife dead, he went mad, led his remaining troops out of the encirclement, and disappeared without a trace. Others say he was actually in the mansion, saw his wife die, and then… then he turned into a monster! They say he was the reincarnation of the Dragon King, and in his anger, he summoned floods and thunderbolts, drowning and killing all the rebels and government soldiers, and then he himself transformed into a giant dragon and flew away. Anyway, since then, no one has ever seen him again. A perfectly good military governor, a perfectly good family, just like that, gone.”

The old man sighed deeply, his wrinkled face filled with reminiscence for the prominent figures of the past.

He transformed into a dragon and flew away. Lu Mingfei understood that Li Chonghui, in extreme grief and anger, had completely lost control of his dragon blood, causing immense destruction. Perhaps in search of a way to resurrect his wife, or perhaps simply unable to bear the pain of losing her, he ultimately chose to bury himself in that deep underground ruin.

"Then, roughly where was the Jiedushi's residence located back then?" Lu Mingfei asked.

The old man pointed in a direction, to the area that Lu Mingfei had sensed earlier: "That area, the one behind the old county government office. There's nothing left there now, just old houses. There's only an old well that's supposedly left from back then, but it's been sealed off and is no longer in use."

After thanking the old man, Lu Mingfei and Frilline followed his directions and continued deeper into the alley. Passing through several narrower alleys, barely wide enough for one person to pass at a time, they arrived at the end of a dead end. It was much quieter here than outside; the hustle and bustle of the main street was almost inaudible. Several tall, old locust trees stood there, their gnarled branches casting long shadows and providing ample shade.

In the corner, there was indeed an ancient well sealed tightly with thick stone slabs, its edges covered with moss and withered vines. The open space next to the well had been turned into a small green belt by the residents, planted with some common flowers and plants.

It is here.

A powerful resonance emanated from the Obscure Sword, like returning home. (The road...)

Lu Mingfei turned and left for a moment. When he returned, he had two rough earthenware wine bowls in his hands, as well as a jar of old wine sealed with red cloth. He had bought it from a winery in the nearby old street. It was said to be brewed using the local traditional method and was strong and mellow.

Lu Mingfei walked to the sealed ancient well, placed the wine jar on the stone slab at the well's mouth, and broke the mud seal, immediately releasing a rich and mellow aroma of wine. He slowly filled the two earthenware bowls.

Then, he picked up one of the bowls and faced the ancient well and the land: "Li Jiedu, I have done what you asked me to do. Huiming has already looked after her on your behalf."

Having said that, he slowly poured half of the strong liquor in the bowl onto the ground beside the well. The liquor seeped into the soil, as if instantly absorbed by the earth that had been thirsty for thousands of years. He tilted his head back and drank the other half in one gulp. The spicy liquid rolled down his throat like flames, burning his chest. The feeling was vaguely similar to the taste of drinking and singing, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, in Li Chonghui's memory.

He picked up another bowl of wine and handed it to Frilian beside him.

Frillie looked at him, without asking questions or hesitating, and took the earthenware bowl. Unlike Lu Mingfei, she didn't pour it out; instead, she held the bowl with both hands, bowed slightly, and silently mourned and offered a tribute. Then, she also took a small sip of the strong liquor. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly; she wasn't used to the pungent taste, but she still swallowed the sip.

Lu Mingfei poured himself a bowl and drank it all again.

The wind blew, and the leaves of the old tree rustled, like countless long sighs.

Lu Mingfei placed the empty wine bowl by the well, took one last look at this land that bore witness to a thousand years of sorrow, and said softly, "Let's go."

He turned and left the quiet corner with Frilian.

Behind him, the aroma of wine wafted through the air. Perhaps, Li Chonghui's obsession, which had haunted him for a thousand years, had finally found true peace.

Chapter 288 Leaving the Old Town of Weibo

Leaving the oppressive ruins of Weibo Old Town and stepping onto the only relatively lively street in the town, selling all kinds of local specialties, even the air seemed to become lighter.

Although most of these so-called local specialties have a mass-produced feel and are designed to cater to tourists, for Lu Mingfei, who has just emerged from a thousand years of dust and gloom, this kind of vulgar liveliness actually gives him a sense of down-to-earth comfort.

“We have to bring something back,” Lu Mingfei said to Frilian beside him, scratching his head as he looked at the dazzling array of shops on both sides, whose prices were somewhat inflated. “Otherwise, those guys, especially Fingel, will definitely complain that we’re not being fair.”

Fingel will probably cry and make a scene, then write some bad things on the Kassel campus forum, and he'll be the subject of gossip when he gets back.

Frillie remained noncommittal; she had long since grown indifferent to the gifts and exchanges of material possessions throughout her long life. However, she did not object, but simply followed quietly beside Lu Mingfei, her emerald eyes occasionally sweeping over the brightly colored goods.

Choosing a gift for Caesar was the most difficult task. Lu Mingfei wandered around a shop that looked a bit upscale for a long time, his eyes sweeping over the imitation bronzes and jade ornaments, feeling that none of them matched the innate nobility of the young master of the Gattuso family.

Finally, his gaze settled on a paperweight. The dark, dense, heavy ebony was carved into the shape of an eagle with folded wings and its neck outstretched towards the sky. The lines were simple yet powerful, and two small, exceptionally sharp obsidian stones were inlaid in the eagle's eyes. It was understated, yet possessed a calm and restrained majesty.

“This,” Lu Mingfei picked it up and weighed it in his hand, feeling its solid weight, “is it suitable for Boss Caesar to use to suppress those documents he can never finish signing?”

Frillie glanced at it and nodded slightly: "Hmm, it has a domineering aura and is unconventional."

"Something feels off."

The task for President Chu Zihang was much simpler. Lu Mingfei barely hesitated before buying a sheathless, antique-style short blade from the stall next door. Despite being an antique style, the craftsmanship was surprisingly solid. The blade was made of patterned steel with a cold metallic luster, and the edge was unpolished, sold purely as an art piece. There were no fancy decorations, only pure simplicity, born for killing.

"My senior brother will probably like something practical like this, right?" Lu Mingfei imagined Chu Zihang taking the short blade expressionlessly, and then probably actually finding an opportunity to sharpen it. He was a little unsure, but he still paid for it.

When it was Susie's turn, Lu Mingfei was a little hesitant. It was still Frilian who stopped in front of a stall full of various natural minerals and handwoven items, and picked up a bracelet made of dark blue and silver threads, with a smooth labradorite in the middle that looked like a nebula flowing inside.