Chapter 318

The Azure Dragon City Lord felt a sense of unease the moment he heard the fifth member of the Qi family shouting his name. He wanted to avoid the situation, but it was already too late.

All the experts at the Precelestial Realm around him had already turned their attention towards him. Even Lu Qing lifted his head and fixed his gaze on him.

“Azure Dragon City Lord?”

Lu Qing looked at the City Lord. He hadn't ignored this middle-aged man who was the first to arrive and seemed to be the strongest among the many Precelestial Realm experts present. However, seeing that he was merely an observer and took no action, Lu Qing had chosen not to pay him any attention. What he didn’t expect was that this man was actually the City Lord of the world’s most formidable pass.

Feeling Lu Qing’s gaze, the Azure Dragon City Lord hesitated. Knowing there was no way to avoid the situation anymore, he could only force himself to step down from the rooftop.

He cupped his hands in a respectful salute and said, “I am Zhang Yizhi, the guardian of this city, and I greet you, Young Master Lu.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s expressions changed dramatically.

The City Lord’s words revealed a lot of information. Firstly, it indicated his attitude. As the Lord of Azure Dragon City, his status within the city was naturally unquestionable. His strength was unmatched, making him the undisputed number one within the city. Even the four great families had to show him utmost respect. Yet, this high-ranking, powerful figure displayed such a lowly posture in front of Lu Qing. Moreover, from his manner of address, it was clear that he knew who this terrifying young man was and held him in great fear and respect. This caused the minds of the surrounding experts to race with thoughts, making numerous connections.

No wonder the City Lord had merely observed the situation from the sidelines without saying a word. There was obviously more to the situation than met the eye.

As for the fifth member of the Qi family, he was completely stunned. He had revealed the City Lord's identity to force him into action. After all, as the Lord of the city, allowing outsiders to slaughter the city's residents without intervention would surely deal a massive blow to his authority. But what he didn’t expect was for the City Lord to be so courteous towards Lu Qing, with a tone not only humble but even tinged with a trace of fear.

Sensing that something was terribly wrong, the fifth member of the Qi family quickly shouted, “City Lord, this man is ruthless! He killed my second and eldest brothers and now he slanders our family! You must stand up for the Qi family!”

However, the Azure Dragon City Lord didn’t even spare the fifth Qi brother a glance. He only looked at Lu Qing with respect and said, “I was unaware that Young Master Lu was visiting our small city. Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly.”

“Oh? The City Lord knows me?” Lu Qing pretended to be surprised.

“Young Master Lu’s battle in Sacred City shocked all the heroes, and your fame has spread far and wide. I was fortunate enough to hear some news and learned of your illustrious name. However, I did not expect you to arrive so quickly, hence my failure to greet you properly. I hope Young Master Lu can forgive me,” the Azure Dragon City Lord said sincerely, bowing again.

“So, it was news from Sacred City.” Lu Qing chuckled. “In that case, there’s no need for more words. I’ll ask you just one thing, City Lord: do you intend to stand up for the Qi family?”

The City Lord was immediately startled, quickly waving his hand and saying, “How dare I! Young Master Lu, please don’t misunderstand! I only sensed the aura of a Precelestial Realm battle in this area and came to check it out. If I had known it was you handling matters here, I wouldn’t have interfered at all. Since the Qi family dared to offend you, it is only their own fault. I have no intention of intervening!”

Seeing the City Lord decisively distance himself from the Qi family, the surrounding experts were once again taken aback.

Who exactly was this Young Master Lu, to make the usually uncompromising City Lord so fearful?

A battle in Sacred City? Could it be that something earth-shattering had recently happened in Sacred City?

Each of the experts had different thoughts, all resolving to send someone to investigate what had happened in Sacred City as soon as they returned.

“I think you misunderstand, City Lord. I didn’t kill the Qi family members simply because they offended me. The Qi family has committed too many heinous crimes, and their deaths are well-deserved.”

Lu Qing shook his head.

The City Lord’s mind raced. “Is this related to the incident in Fengzhou that you mentioned earlier?”

“Indeed, the plague in Fengzhou—this Qi family is the main culprit, causing the deaths of more than ten thousand people. City Lord, do you think they deserve to die?”

Before the City Lord could respond, the fifth member of the Qi family shouted angrily, “Slander! You keep accusing our Qi family of causing the Fengzhou plague. Where’s your proof?!”

“I know where the evidence is!”

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out, attracting everyone’s attention.

When they looked over, they were surprised to find that the one who spoke was none other than Hu Laosan.

This left everyone in shock.

No one expected that someone at the Postnatal Tendons and Bones Realm would dare to stand up at a time like this.

The fifth member of the Qi family trembled, staring at Hu Laosan. Despite his mind racing, he couldn’t figure out when his family had crossed paths with such a lowly figure.

“Father!”

Even Hu Zezhi was surprised, staring at her father, speechless for a moment.

However, Hu Laosan had no time to explain to his daughter. He took a few steps forward, clasped his fists, and respectfully said, “Gatekeeper Hu Laosan greets the City Lord!”

The Azure Dragon City Lord hadn’t expected that the one daring to stand up and testify against the Qi family would be one of his own subordinates. Although he didn’t recognize someone as low-ranking as a gatekeeper, upon seeing Hu Laosan emerge from behind Lu Qing, his expression softened.

“There’s no need for such formalities. You said you know where the Qi family’s evidence for causing the Fengzhou plague is. Is that true?” the City Lord asked gently.

“Yes, I wouldn’t dare lie!” Hu Laosan replied.

“Where is this evidence?”

“The evidence is with the third young master of the Ji family,” Hu Laosan stated.

The crowd was shocked once again.

How did this matter get linked to the Ji family’s youngest son?

“Fei’er?” A voice suddenly cried out as a figure descended from the rooftop. “Brave warrior, do you know where my son is?”

The crowd looked and saw that it was the head of the Ji family, who had landed in the courtyard.

Seeing the anxious expression on the Ji family head’s face, everyone understood.

There had been rumors that the youngest son of the Ji family had been missing for some time. Hearing news of him so suddenly, it was no wonder the head of the Ji family was so distressed.

“Master Ji, rest assured, the third young master should currently be safe,” Hu Laosan reassured him.

Hearing that his son was still alive, the Ji family head relaxed but continued to ask, “Where is my son now?”

“Forgive me, Master Ji, but I can’t tell you that right now. Although the third young master is alive, he’s gravely injured. I cannot reveal his location lightly.”

“Yes, yes,” Master Ji immediately responded, realizing that Hu Laosan had just mentioned his son possessed evidence related to the Fengzhou plague. Clearly, his recent disappearance was related to this matter. If his location were revealed, the consequences could be unimaginable. Cold sweat broke out on Master Ji’s forehead; had Hu Laosan not been cautious, he might have endangered his own son.

Master Ji felt a surge of gratitude towards Hu Laosan as he looked at him.

“Hu Laosan, you said the third young master of the Ji family has evidence of the Fengzhou plague. Are you certain?” the Azure Dragon City Lord asked, waiting until Master Ji had calmed down before speaking.

“This was written in a letter left to me by the third young master himself. It’s absolutely true,” Hu Laosan confirmed.

“Where is this letter now?”

“The letter was destroyed. When I received it, I had just finished reading it when the fourth young master of the Qi family led people into my home. I had no choice but to destroy the letter to avoid exposing the third young master’s location.”

Hearing this, the fifth member of the Qi family, who had been anxious, felt somewhat relieved. He glanced at Qi Wenzheng’s corpse, cursing him inwardly for not reporting such a major matter to the family in advance. He then cried out, “City Lord, you heard them! This is all just hearsay. These people are merely trying to frame our Qi family! You must stand up for us!”

Seeing the Qi family member’s pitiful expression, Lu Qing looked at him with some curiosity, causing the fifth member of the Qi family to feel even more uneasy. Despite his fear, he knew he couldn’t back down now. If he allowed the accusation of causing the plague to stick, the Qi family would be doomed.

So, despite his trepidation, he shouted loudly, “You rogue! What are you looking at? Don’t think that just because you’re strong, you can do whatever you want

. If you truly intend to slander my Qi family, I will take this to Sacred Mountain and demand justice from the Three Holy Lords! You dare to start a Precelestial-level battle in this city, slaughtering my family members and breaking the Sacred Mountain’s prohibition. I refuse to believe that Sacred Mountain won’t uphold justice for us!”

Hearing the fifth Qi brother bring up Sacred Mountain, the surrounding experts felt a chill in their hearts.

Although Sacred Mountain rarely intervened, the prohibition against starting Precelestial-level battles within the city was a Sacred Mountain decree. Anyone who violated it would be hunted down by Sacred Mountain, no matter where they fled.

However, after hearing these words, Lu Qing remained calm, while the Azure Dragon City Lord’s expression turned strange. Unfortunately, the fifth Qi brother didn’t notice the change in the City Lord’s demeanor, as all his hatred was focused on Lu Qing.

“Indeed, the wicked are the first to complain.”

Lu Qing shook his head, no longer interested in arguing with the man. With a slight shift of his thoughts, a blade of energy condensed and slashed towards the fifth member of the Qi family.

The Qi family member’s eyes widened in shock. He never expected Lu Qing to strike at this moment. Though he wanted to dodge, his serious injuries made it impossible for him to escape Lu Qing’s deadly blade energy. He was immediately sliced in half, dead on the spot.

“What made you think I needed to care about Sacred Mountain’s opinion when I decided to kill you?”

Lu Qing’s voice rang out calmly after casually slaying the fifth member of the Qi family.

“What?!”

Lu Qing’s sudden action shocked everyone present. The experts all stared at him in disbelief. They never expected that even after the fifth Qi brother invoked Sacred Mountain, Lu Qing would still dare to kill him on the spot. This clearly showed that he didn’t care about Sacred Mountain at all!

Only the Azure Dragon City Lord, though his heart skipped a beat, remained calm, as if this outcome hadn’t surprised him.

“City Lord, since the Ji family’s third young master holds the evidence, I won’t waste any more time. If you still have doubts, you can investigate on your own. I won’t stay any longer.”

After killing the fifth Qi brother, Lu Qing’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, as if he had merely squashed an insect. He had no intention of staying here any longer.

“Young Master Lu, you must be joking. The fifth Qi brother’s earlier attempt to intimidate us was clearly an act of desperation. Even if the Qi family isn’t the direct cause of the Fengzhou plague, they are undoubtedly involved. I will thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure that the Qi family does not escape justice.”

Hearing these words, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat. My goodness, from what the City Lord said, it seems he’s already determined that the Qi family is guilty.

Who exactly is this young man to make even the usually impartial City Lord completely abandon his principles and only seek to curry favor with him?

“In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

Lu Qing turned around and said to Hu Zezhi, “Miss Hu, Uncle Hu, it seems you can no longer stay in Azure Dragon City. Why don’t you leave the city with us for now?”

“Alright.”

Hu Zezhi agreed without hesitation.

As for Hu Laosan, he hesitated for a moment but didn’t object. They had completely offended the Qi family this time. He didn’t know if the Qi family would fall after this, but he and his daughter definitely couldn’t stay in the city any longer. Otherwise, they might be killed in their own home one day.

“Father, let’s go pack our things!”

After the trip to Zhongzhou, Hu Zezhi had grown more experienced. Without paying any attention to the experts still present, she helped her father inside to pack.

Soon, the two of them came out with a couple of bundles after gathering their valuables.

“Young Master Lu, we’re ready.”

“Alright.” Lu Qing nodded and turned to leave. “Let’s go.”

“Master Ji, the location of the third young master is written on this slip of paper. He’s gravely injured, so you must hurry. If you delay, I’m afraid he won’t survive,” Hu Laosan said, handing a slip of paper to Master Ji.

After Master Ji took the slip, Hu Laosan looked at his courtyard, where he had lived for decades, before being supported by his daughter and following Lu Qing out.

As Lu Qing and the others left as if there were no one else around, the Precelestial Realm experts could only look at each other in silence. None of them dared to stop him.

After sensing that Lu Qing’s aura had left, someone finally approached the Azure Dragon City Lord.

“City Lord, are we really going to let them leave like this?”

“Do you intend to stop him?”

The City Lord, who had just sighed in relief, glared at the person who didn’t know any better.

“City Lord, who is that person to make you so wary? He started a Precelestial battle in the city and slaughtered the Qi family members, yet we did nothing. If Sacred Mountain holds us accountable, we won’t escape punishment.”

Another person added.

“Don’t worry, Sacred Mountain won’t blame us.” The Azure Dragon City Lord’s tone was inscrutable.

“Because that man is someone even Sacred Mountain doesn’t want to provoke.”

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