CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123 EYE OF HEAVEN STONE_1

"He’s not dead!"

Qin Feiyang’s eyes turned cold as he said, "For the past eight years, he’s been hiding on Eagle Claw Peak, refining Bloodfiend Pills, and now he’s an Eight-star War Emperor!"

"What?"

"Eight-star War Emperor!"

Luo Xiong and the others paled in shock.

"What exactly happened? Tell us everything, quickly," the Martial Palace’s Hall Master urged.

However, Qin Feiyang frowned. If I speak out, will Luo Xiong take this opportunity to make me hand over the Netherworld Demon Flame? he wondered. This definitely can’t be hidden. I might as well tell the truth, he mused. After considerable deliberation, Qin Feiyang recounted in detail what had happened on Eagle Claw Peak.

"So that’s what happened!"

"Damn him!"

"Ling’er, you were truly reckless! How could you take them to such a dangerous place?"

"I’ll go inform the Chief Hall Master right away."

"Me too."

The three leaders were furious and hastily departed. The fact that the demon Zuo An was still alive was a major issue and could not be taken lightly.

"I need to be alone," Feng Ling’er said, then turned and walked out of the main hall. Her slender figure seemed particularly desolate.

Qin Feiyang paused for a moment, then followed her.

The two of them, one after the other, entered a pavilion.

Feng Ling’er sat on a stone bench, tears streaming down her cheeks like a torrent, her face etched with self-blame.

Qin Feiyang sighed inwardly, not knowing how to comfort her.

One could say that Feng Ling’er herself had brought about this outcome.

If she hadn’t led everyone to Eagle Claw Peak, none of this would have occurred.

Furthermore, if Lin Chen had been killed back then, Old Feng wouldn’t have been abducted.

It was already quite clear that Lin Chen must have been the one who told Zuo An that Feng Cheng was Feng Ling’er’s grandfather. That was why Zuo An had kidnapped him.

These were the consequences of being too soft-hearted!

Suddenly, Feng Ling’er turned and threw herself into Qin Feiyang’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Qin Feiyang was somewhat taken aback but eventually reached out and patted her back, saying comfortingly, "Don’t worry, everything will be alright."

Feng Ling’er cried, "Zuo An is a great demon, ruthless and cruel! How can I possibly rest easy?"

Qin Feiyang sighed. "It has already come to this. Worrying won’t help."

"I truly hate myself! Why didn’t I just kill Lin Chen?" Feng Ling’er berated herself.

"There will be other opportunities," Qin Feiyang said with a smile.

TAP! TAP!

Footsteps hurried over. Ling Yunfei and Fatty ran up, and upon seeing the two embracing, they immediately turned their heads, their expressions quite awkward.

Feng Ling’er’s cheeks flushed red. She quickly stood up straight, wiped away her tears, and said with her head lowered, "I feel much better now. Thank you."

Qin Feiyang smiled, then turned to Ling Yunfei and asked, "Is your mother alright?"

Ling Yunfei nodded, then added with concern, "But now, I don’t feel it’s safe for her to continue staying in Black Bear City."

Qin Feiyang nodded. "That’s true. If Zuo An finds out about your relationship with her, he will definitely target her. But Zuo An has vast Divine Skills; unless your mother is taken to the Martial King Palace, nowhere will be safe."

Ling Yunfei’s heart sank. "Once the Chief Hall Master arrives, I’ll go and plead with him. I hope he’ll agree."

"The Chief Hall Master of the Martial Palace is coming?" Qin Feiyang was surprised.

"Given how serious this is, he probably will come!" Ling Yunfei frowned, though he also seemed somewhat unsure.

"So here you are."

At that moment, Lu Hong ran over. "The Hall Master wants to see you," she said.

"Let’s go," Qin Feiyang said.

The group quickly returned to the main conference hall.

The Jiang Family Head had already left.

Only Luo Xiong and Elder Mo remained in the hall.

Qin Feiyang asked, "Hall Master, did you summon us for something?"

Luo Xiong said, "The Chief Hall Master wants all of you to head to Yan City immediately. Ling’er, Ling Yunfei, you too."

"Why?" Feng Ling’er asked.

Luo Xiong explained, "Because the Chief Hall Master is worried Zuo An might return. If that happens, none of you will be able to escape. As for your grandfather, the Chief Hall Master has said he will not stand by and do nothing."

Qin Feiyang frowned. "Then what about Zuo An? Are we just letting him go?"

Luo Xiong chuckled. "Of course not. However, Zuo An is an Eight-star War Emperor. Even if the Chief Hall Master and the others came to Black Bear City themselves, it’s uncertain if he could be found. So, they plan to lie in wait for him. After all, you stole his Dan Fire; he’ll come looking for you sooner or later."

Qin Feiyang said angrily, "Why haven’t they reported such a major incident to the state office?"

"State office!" Luo Xiong’s pupils contracted. He shook his head. "They have their own plans. We, as mere subordinates, have no right to interfere, nor are we qualified to. We must simply follow their orders."

Qin Feiyang raised an eyebrow but then sighed inwardly with a sense of powerlessness.

There’s a saying that goes, "The mountains are high, and the Emperor is far away." Although imperial power controlled everything, it only controlled the larger picture. Certain local matters were difficult for even imperial power to manage.

"Let’s go!" Luo Xiong stood up. "Old Mo, I’m still worried, so I want to personally escort them to Yan City. While I’m gone, you’ll be fully in charge of matters in the palace."

"Understood," Elder Mo nodded.

Ling Yunfei hurriedly asked, "What about my mother then?"

Luo Xiong smiled. "Don’t worry about that. We’ve already spread false information, saying your mother has been sent to Yan City. As long as she doesn’t appear in public from now on, even if Zuo An discovers her relationship with you, he won’t come to Black Bear City for her."

Qin Feiyang nodded. "A good method. Throwing out some bait to catch a big fish, all while keeping the enemy in the dark."

Ostensibly, Ling Yunfei’s mother had gone to Yan City, but in reality, she was still in the Martial Palace. From now on, if Zuo An wanted to abduct her, he would inevitably go to Yan City. In a way, this also served as bait.

Fatty patted Ling Yunfei’s shoulder and grinned. "Bro, as long as we don’t say anything, no third person will know about this. You can rest assured now, right?"

Ling Yunfei nodded, a smile finally gracing his features.

The five of them followed Luo Xiong out of the conference hall.

Luo Xiong stood at the entrance, put his fingers to his lips, and blew a loud, piercing whistle that carried far into the distance.

SCREECH!

Not long after, accompanied by a high, clear cry, a massive black bird with enormous wings beating the air arrived, tearing through the sky.

It was an eagle, its wingspan a dozen or so meters, yet it showed no hint of aggression. This was because such eagles were specially bred for transportation and were very dependent on humans.

The eagle landed. Luo Xiong walked over and said with a smile, "Old friend, I’ll have to trouble you again."

COO!

The eagle cooed softly, nuzzling Luo Xiong’s face with its giant beak, appearing very docile.

"Let’s go!" Luo Xiong patted the eagle’s head, then turned and called to Qin Feiyang and the others before leaping onto the eagle’s back.

"Master Fatty has never enjoyed such treatment before!" Fatty scrambled over, jumped onto the eagle’s back, and stroked its soft feathers, thrilled.

Once Qin Feiyang and the others were also on board, the eagle let out a sharp cry, spread its wings, and soared into the clouds, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Riding on the eagle’s back, they flew high above the clouds. Ling Yunfei and Lu Hong were also very excited, not to mention Fatty. Only Qin Feiyang and Feng Ling’er remained relatively calm.

Qin Feiyang looked at Lu Hong in front of him, his eyes flickering. He suddenly leaned over and whispered in her ear, "There’s something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" Lu Hong asked, puzzled.

They were standing close, and with the wind howling, Luo Xiong at the front wouldn’t hear them as long as they kept their voices low.

Qin Feiyang said, "You were also present at Eagle Claw Peak. Zuo An definitely won’t let you go either. I believe you understand this."

Lu Hong nodded.

Qin Feiyang sighed. "I’m really worried about others mistaking me for Qin Feiyang. So, as long as you don’t speak about the White Wolf incident, we’ll be friends from now on, supporting and helping each other. How about it?"

"Really?" Lu Hong’s eyes lit up. This person’s future is limitless. If I can truly become friends with him, I’ll definitely gain many benefits in the future.

Qin Feiyang smiled. "Truly."

Lu Hong said, "Alright, I will guard this secret with my life."

Actually, for days she had been pondering how to reconcile with this person. Now that the opportunity presented itself, she naturally couldn’t miss it. Besides, he had saved her on Eagle Claw Peak, allowing her to escape disaster. Even without any conditions, she should help him.

Lu Hong then asked, "If I don’t tell, what about them?"

Qin Feiyang smiled. "Apart from Fatty, I’ve already spoken to Ling Yunfei and Feng Ling’er."

Lu Hong was startled. It was understandable that Ling Yunfei, who was on good terms with him, would help keep his secret. But Feng Ling’er, the favored daughter of Heaven, was also helping this person?

At that moment, Fatty sidled over and snickered, "When did you two get so chummy? Aren’t you afraid your sister-in-law will get jealous?"

Lu Hong blushed and quickly lowered her head.

"Don’t talk nonsense," Qin Feiyang shot him a glare, then pulled Fatty aside and whispered a few words in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Fatty’s narrow eyes suddenly glinted. He looked up at Qin Feiyang and said resentfully, "Is Master Fatty the kind of person who loves to gossip?"

Qin Feiyang smiled, patted Fatty’s shoulder, and said no more. He was now certain that this Fatty knew his real identity but had merely chosen not to expose it.

Time flew by.

「At midnight.」

A vast ancient city entered their sight.

The city spanned hundreds of miles and was extremely huge! Rows upon rows of great halls rose and fell in an impressive, staggered arrangement, exuding an air of extraordinary grandeur. The city walls on all four sides were like giant pythons, exuding a cold sheen. An ancient aura assailed their senses, overwhelming their vision!

"That is Yan City!" Fatty clenched his fists, his eyes shining with excitement.

Under the hazy moonlight, the city resembled a colossal, primordial beast crouching upon the earth, its presence striking awe into their hearts!

Luo Xiong warned, "You must all remember, Yan City is the capital of Yan Province, so riding beasts for flight is strictly forbidden here."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly tapped his foot. The eagle dived, landing on the plains before the city gate.

The plains were dead silent in the dead of night.

One by one, they jumped off the eagle’s back.

Luo Xiong patted the eagle’s wings and smiled. "Old friend, go find some food in the nearby mountains for now."

SCREECH!

The eagle spread its wings and soared into the sky.

"Follow me." Luo Xiong beckoned, then turned and walked towards the city gate. "In Yan City, besides the prohibition on flying mounts, private brawls are forbidden, and causing fatalities is even more so."

Ling Yunfei asked, "What if someone repeatedly provokes us?"

Luo Xiong said, "There’s a martial arts arena in the city where you can fight as much as you like, provided you have the skill. If you’re short on money, you can also go to the martial arts arena."

"What do you mean?" Qin Feiyang and the others were taken aback.

Luo Xiong smiled. "You’ll understand once you get there."

Soon, the group arrived at the city gate.

Two bold, powerful characters were inscribed above the city gate, exuding an astonishing aura!

—Yan City!

"Hall Master Luo, please stop for inspection."

At the city gate stood two guards. Clad in black armor and iron helmets, each gripped a three-foot-long spear. They looked at the group impassively, their eyes icy.

Feng Ling’er snapped, "Inspect what? Get out of the way, now!"

One of the guards said, "Miss Ling’er, we are merely performing our duties. Please understand."

The other guard added, "When the Yan King learned that the demon Zuo An was still alive, he immediately ordered that, from this day forward, anyone entering Yan City must undergo strict inspection."

"That’s as it should be," Luo Xiong smiled.

One guard took out a strange stone, shaped like an eye, about the size of a palm. It was unadorned and rustic, looking exceedingly ordinary.

But upon seeing this stone, a flicker of panic flashed deep within Qin Feiyang’s eyes!

—The Eye of Heaven Stone!