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"Master, what should we do next?"
"Since we know their hiding place, we must investigate the situation inside."
"Master, when will we take action?"
"I can handle that myself; you just need to keep an eye on this place."
"Understood, Master."
"It's still early. Let's head back for now. I'll come back to check in the evening."
Liu Guanfeng and Chonghong arrived at a deserted area and mounted their respective mounts, soaring back to Azure Dragon City.
At that moment, beside Poppy Field, the young man asked, "Ancestor, why did you treat that boy with such courtesy earlier?"
The elder looked fondly at the young man before him. "Hong'er, do you know why I brought you to Azure Dragon City this time?"
"Hong'er does not know. Please enlighten me, Ancestor."
"Hong'er, you just turned twenty this year and are your father's youngest son. However, you have five older brothers above you, and your father will likely abdicate in two or three years. All six of you brothers are watching this position closely. But because of your young age, your connections in court are minimal compared to your brothers, especially your eldest brother. He is currently in a strong alliance with the officials and has significantly increased our country's trade volume over the past few years with the support of the Trade Department. Your Second Brother commands a large army and has performed excellently during several border skirmishes. Your other three brothers may not be in court, but each has managed their respective cities very well. As for you? You spend every day in the palace; whether it’s achievements or trusted confidants, you cannot compare to your five brothers. Consequently, when your father abdicates, it will be very difficult for you to ascend to the throne."
"Ancestor, is the throne really that appealing? If my brothers want it, let them have it. Isn't it good enough for me to accompany you in gardening and practicing?"
The elder smiled bitterly. "My foolish child, you are truly naive. Do you think that if you don't want to be emperor, everything will be fine? You are currently your father's most beloved son; your brothers have already begun to harbor suspicions about you. If one day they gain power, I dare say each of them will see you as a target to eliminate."
The young man was taken aback. "Ancestor, then why did you bring me out this time...?"
"You may have heard some things about General Qin Hongguan?" The young man nodded.
"The first reason I brought you here is because of him. If we can find some evidence of his wrongdoing, I believe your prestige among the officials will greatly increase. If you can work together to eliminate him, your achievements will surpass those of your brothers, significantly increasing your chances of rising to power. Additionally, I want to help you look for suitable subordinates. That's why I was polite to that young man earlier."
The young man pouted, "Does that person really have any skills? He spoke so eloquently; could he be a gardener by trade?"
The elder shook his head and sighed, "You child, I can assure you that the young man you just saw is definitely not simple. First, you've heard about the missing persons in the city; his willingness to take risks and come here shows he has great skill and courage. Second, his calm demeanor when he saw us indicates that he has experienced many things, which has shaped his composed character. If I'm not mistaken, if you can bring this person under your command, it will greatly aid your future ascension."
"Ancestor, that young man is about my age; how could he be as remarkable as you say?"
"Haha! You are still young and don't see things clearly. I've lived for one hundred fifty years; I know much more than you do. Remember my words: given time, this boy will achieve great things, and you might regret it later."
"Then should we go look for that young man?" the youth asked.
The elder shook his head, "If you two are fated to meet again, I believe we will cross paths once more. Let's go; we will head to Azure Dragon City first."
As soon as the elder finished speaking, a bird-shaped ornament on his shoulder suddenly moved, transforming into a twenty-meter-long creature with a large beak resembling an eagle and a comb-like crest on its head. This magical beast stood on the ground with its arms spread wide like wings; its wings were bat-like and had front limbs growing from them. Its lower limbs were strong and powerful, ending in claws like those of an eagle. This magical beast is called the Eagle Dragon, a type of Earth Dragon, and one of the few flying Earth Dragons.
The elder helped the young man climb onto the back of the Eagle Dragon and gently patted its head while saying, "Old friend, I need your help again; let's return to the city."
The Eagle Dragon turned its head towards the elder and said, "Hold on tight." After confirming they were secure, it leaped powerfully after running a few meters and began flapping its wings vigorously to soar into the sky.
Liu Guanfeng stayed at the Branch in Azure Dragon City until after ten o'clock at night when it was already pitch black outside. After washing his face, Liu Guanfeng changed into a set of night gear before leaving the Branch with Little Black.
As Liu Guanfeng and Little Black approached the mountain, they heard sounds of fighting ahead. Liu Guanfeng paused: Hmm? Why would there be fighting at this hour?
He found a very concealed spot to land and cautiously moved forward. The sounds of battle grew closer, and he could faintly hear someone directing others: "Quickly surround him from the left; don't let him escape; he can't hold out much longer."
Liu Guanfeng found a large tree to hide behind and slowly peeked out. In front of him was brightly lit by torches and lanterns. Four people were fighting in the center—three against one—while eight others stood nearby with weapons watching them closely. Surrounding them were fifty or sixty more people holding torches to encircle everyone inside tightly.
On the nearest Stone to Liu Guanfeng, a man was standing and continuously directing the people inside.
Among the four people fighting in the center, three were using sticks, while the surrounded individual wielded a pair of dual daggers. Despite being outnumbered, the dagger-wielder remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic.
The three individuals entangled with him clearly lacked the skills of this man in black, yet they still utilized their numerical advantage to keep him firmly restrained.
The man in black attempted to break free several times, but whenever he prepared to make a move, the man standing on the large Stone always managed to make arrangements ahead of time. As a result, four out of the eight outside members from Headquarters came over to block his path.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the man in black had no choice but to continue fighting against the three inside. However, those three were aware that their abilities were inferior to his, so they merely focused on restraining him rather than engaging in direct confrontation.
For a time, the man in black could do nothing against his three opponents, and they were equally unable to subdue him. Liu Guanfeng found it inconvenient to leave, so he continued watching.
After more than an hour of fighting, the man standing on the large stone laughed heartily: "Bold Rascal, do you dare to sneak into my Demon King's Ridge? If I don't capture you today, you won't know the power of me, Shape-shifting Demon King. Three Great Kings, hurry up and take him down; when you return, our great king will surely reward you handsomely."
Among those surrounding the man in black, one responded: "Rest assured, Second Brother, with me, Diamond Demon King, he won't escape."
Liu Guanfeng nearly burst out laughing upon hearing their titles: What kind of titles are these? Have I arrived at Lion Camel Ridge? Why are there references to a great king and Second King?
As time passed, the surrounded man in black began to show signs of fatigue; the movements of his weapon had significantly decreased, though he was still able to hold on.
Liu Guanfeng felt it was about time. Regardless of whether the man in black was good or bad, from references to great kings and Second King, he understood that this group was not composed of good people. He had to save the man in black; if he made a mistake, he would just have to put in more effort later.
The person standing on the giant stone also noticed that the stamina of the man in black was waning. Thus, what appeared to be Second King began issuing commands: "Brothers, hold on for a bit longer; this Thief is running out of strength. It won't be long before he is captured. Let's see how arrogant he can be then!"
As soon as the person on the giant stone finished speaking, there was an immediate change among the four fighters. The one called Diamond Demon King suddenly unleashed his full power; his iron rod whirled through the air with a whooshing sound. At this point, it was clear that the man in black was struggling due to fatigue and could only defend himself.
With two nearby Advanced Knights causing further disruption, it became increasingly difficult for the man in black. In addition, due to poor visibility at night, he accidentally struck his left-hand dagger against Diamond Demon King's iron rod with a loud clang. The dagger flew out of his hand, and he thought to himself: My life is about to end here.
Seeing that the man in black had lost one dagger, the three outside prepared for their final assault. Just as they charged forward with their iron rods around him, four two-meter-high Stones rose from the ground around him, covered with sharp metal spikes on their outer sides.
At this moment, not only were the attackers outside startled, but even the black-clad individuals inside were taken aback. Just as everyone was puzzled, a shadow rushed in from outside. The person standing on the boulder shouted, "Not good, his magical beast has come to rescue him."
What was referred to as a magical beast was actually Liu Guanfeng and Little Black together. At that moment, Liu Guanfeng recalled an ancient horse-riding maneuver called "Hiding in the Stirrup." Liu Guanfeng was positioned sideways against Little Black's body. Due to the similarity in their clothing colors and the darkness of night, the people on top of the boulder only saw Little Black and did not notice Liu Guanfeng on the side. Liu Guanfeng and Little Black dashed to the side of the black-clad person, and Liu Guanfeng grabbed the black-clad person's clothing and tossed him up, allowing him to sit securely on Little Black's back.
At this time, Liu Guanfeng used his power to force four steel needles out from the Rock Spike, instantly hitting those surrounding them, including the Diamond Demon King without exception.
As chaos ensued among those surrounded, Liu Guanfeng commanded Little Black to charge forward. Little Black simply rushed out in one direction.
The man standing on the boulder was so angry he stomped his feet, but he had no way to intervene. The three strongest individuals had been injured by the flying needles, and even several outer soldiers had fallen. He himself had little combat ability, so he could only watch helplessly as Little Black carried the black-clad person away into the forest shrouded in darkness.
Little Black continued to run desperately forward. When Liu Guanfeng felt that they were no longer being seen by their pursuers, he exerted strength with both hands and flipped over to sit on Little Black's back.
Little Black carried Liu Guanfeng and the black-clad person for over ten minutes, having covered a distance of five or six kilometers from where they had fought.
Liu Guanfeng found a quiet place for Little Black to stop. He then jumped down from Little Black's back.
The black-clad person also leaped down from Little Black's back a moment earlier than Liu Guanfeng.
Liu Guanfeng looked at the black-clad person; they were now quite close. Under the moonlight, Liu Guanfeng felt that he had seen this person somewhere before, but he did not express any intention to inquire: "It’s safe here; you can leave now."
However, he did not expect that the black-clad person had no intention of leaving. He threw his single knife onto the ground and removed the black cloth covering his face while saying, "Brother, I didn't expect we would meet again so soon."
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