Chapter 1120: Chapter 1119: The Mengshi and Shiliu Clans Encounter the Mortal World_1
Western Region.
Zrin Kingdom.
It had been several years since Prince Er Pingyong’s rebellion was suppressed. The Zrin Kingdom had returned to tranquility, and apart from lamenting the mysterious disappearance of the National Master, the citizens had grown accustomed to such peaceful days.
However, those at the bottom could never see the turmoil brewing among the upper echelons.
Within the Royal Palace.
While Er Pingzhi was reviewing documents in the Imperial Study, he suddenly looked up.
Across the desk, three meters away, two balding strange men appeared, assessing Er Pingzhi with curious and indifferent gazes.
"Such a minor king of the Zrin Kingdom, and yet you’ve wasted so much of our time,"
the balding man on the left shook his head, his eyes swirling like vortexes. The previously lively Er Pingzhi suddenly became dull and dazed.
Hidden beneath the Zrin Kingdom were exotic pills that could stimulate a person’s potential. They had to obtain them. It wasn’t just the command of the family head, but also an order from Lord Demon Blade.
Unfortunately, since their long journey across the sea to this place, they found that due to the actions of the previous Young Lord (King Jin), the major sects of the Western Region had dispatched experts to covertly investigate the area. Fearing to startle the snake by hitting the grass, and drawing more attention, the two refrained from making a move.
It was only recently, when those sect experts returned without success, that they decided to take immediate action.
With their strength, controlling Er Pingzhi was all too easy. They would stealthily start the excavation project, take control of the workforce, and with careful planning, the sects would never know.
The plan of the two was well-crafted, but just then, a burly man with a simple smile on his face strolled in from outside, saying with a laugh, "For such distinguished Void Origin Realm experts to lay hands on a weakling is truly beneath your status."
"Who are you?"
The two were taken aback.
Not having detected the man beforehand meant his movement technique was strong, even surpassing theirs. And if someone was skilled in movement, how weak could their combat strength be?
"Considering your hairstyles, figures, and accents, could you be from Japan?"
The burly man crossed his arms over his chest.
"Bastards!"
Among the two, the man who had not yet acted suddenly spun around, his hands moving in unison. Enormous and Vigorous Air concentrated at a single point, like steel pellets shattering a sand pile, ripping a thin, long black hole into the void.
Once the force within the black hole erupted, it was feared the whole Zrin Imperial City would explode.
The burly man just smiled and lazily extended his left hand.
Suddenly, time itself seemed to slow. The slender black hole was pinched out of existence with ease, the unreleased force dissipating in all directions, only to be immediately absorbed by some kind of Array System.
The burly man let out a small sound of surprise, but his actions didn’t stop. His fingers clamped like iron tongs around the man’s neck, twisting it sharply; the man breathed his last.
"Nani?!"
The man controlling Er Pingyong nearly had his hair stand on end in shock.
Zosuke Kamizuru was a top-notch Heaven Realm Martial Emperor, ranked among the top ten retainers in the Sato family. He wouldn’t have been sent here if it weren’t for that, yet he couldn’t withstand a single move from this burly man.
"You come here, too."
The burly man dropped Zosuke Kamizuru, beckoned with his hand, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi finally understood his adversary’s prowess. That hand was like a net, seemingly targeting all his weaknesses, yet it also appeared to target nothing, leaving him unable to discern the trajectory of the attack.
Bang!
Before Toyotomi Hideyoshi could unleash his power, another blow was delivered. A handsome young man had snuck up beside him at some point and touched him, knocking him out cold with a finger.
"Brother Liu, it was hard enough to catch a couple of fools to play with, why are you butting in?"
The burly man at the door wasn’t happy.
The handsome young man smiled and said, "Brother Ba, these men from Japan might not be your opponents, but they’re not the kind who can be dealt with in one move. Do you want to cause a scene?"
Hearing this, the burly man gave a sheepish smile, no longer arguing but instead kicking Zosuke Kamizuru to the doorpost as if he were a football.
A flash of light crossed Meng Xiaoliu’s eyes, while the face of Er Pingzhi before him looked dazed, as if he were a simpleton.
"Your Majesty, we mean you no harm, we wouldn’t have saved you if we wanted to hurt you. I just want to know, where did you get the bamboo ring on your hand from?"
Meng Xiaoliu lifted his chin slightly.
On Er Pingzhi’s left wrist was a bamboo ring, woven from special bamboo twigs, at the joint of the ring was a peach blossom. He said woodenly, "This is a collection item from the palace of Zrin Kingdom."
Meng Xiaoliu fell silent; Shi Xiaoba, however, started to laugh and suddenly asked, "I heard that the Array System of Zrin Kingdom was set up by the National Master, right?"
The aura of the Array System that had appeared just before was very similar to a certain type recorded by both the Meng and Shi clans. However, someone had altered some critical points of it.
It is known that every Array System of the two clans was forged through countless trials and had reached perfection through continuous modifications by the ancestors. The person who had managed the alterations not only did it successfully but also without diminishing the power of the Array System, truly deserving the title of a peerless genius.
Seeing Er Pingzhi nod, the two exchanged glances, their breathing growing heavier.
"Where has the National Master gone?"
"I don’t know."
"Before his disappearance, there were rumors that a young man with green clothes and white hair saved you from a disaster and also incidentally saved him, wasn’t there?"
"Yes, that was Young Hero Shi, Shi Xiaole. He saved our Zrin Kingdom, but the recovery of the National Master has nothing to do with him; the two never met."
"Has the National Master ever gone to the underground of the royal city?"
"He has, and at that time he brought someone with him, but I am not clear about that person’s identity."
Meng Xiaoliu and Shi Xiaoba took turns asking questions, and when there were no more questions to ask, Meng Xiaoliu finally released Er Pingzhi from his control, removed the bamboo ring from his wrist, and left the royal study carrying the unconscious Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
...
"Brother Xiaoliu, that National Master possesses the peach wood ring and can lay out our clan’s Array System. Along with the previous incident at the Ancestral Altar, he is very likely the clan member we brought in last time."
On the way out, Shi Xiaoba was brimming with excitement.
Although the Meng and Shi clans had regained their peak strength, they still hoped that the elite scattered around would return to the clan, adding more strength to both clans.
Meng Xiaoliu pondered, "Don’t forget, we brought back two people last time."
During this period, he had investigated many records and had once been certain that the Kirin, who shone like the sun and whose fame spread far and wide, was likely a descendant of the Meng and Shi clans and had been equally thrilled.
However, the words of Er Pingzhi had poured a bucket of cold water on Meng Xiaoliu’s excitement. Under the influence of "Soul Capturing Eye Entrancement," even an expert of the same level could not tell lies, let alone Er Pingzhi.
Still, the trip wasn’t without gains. Firstly, they could confirm that the missing National Master must be a clan member. As for the Kirin, although their speculation was denied, such a rare talent was worth meeting if there was a chance.
Of course, the priority was to find the National Master and the other person he took underground. That was their own brother and the main reason why their clan elders agreed to let them enter the mortal world.
Inside the royal study room.
Er Pingzhi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze peaceful and clear.
He had been controlled by someone for a moment, but at the critical time, a cool breeze flowed from the peach wood ring into his body, restoring his sanity.
"The peach wood ring has been the National Master’s beloved item for many years, alas, the National Master has saved me once again!"
"The several royal physicians from that time have been dispatched by me; I trust no one would uncover anything. Regrettably, too many people know about the National Master setting up the Array System; concealing it would instead expose weak spots. I hope they do not find the National Master."
Er Pingzhi squeezed the pen in his hand with worry.
Ever since the major sects infiltrated Zrin Kingdom and started their secret investigations, Er Pingzhi had been arranging everything, trying his best to erase any traces of the National Master and Shi Xiaole. Unexpectedly, some still managed to trace it back here.
"We need to move the capital as soon as possible, this place is not safe to stay any longer."
The constant arrival of the major Martial World forces had long made Er Pingzhi uneasy. To put it bluntly, the power of Zrin Kingdom was really not enough to withstand the machinations of these martial forces.
This time, fortunately, there were two people who intervened and did not have malicious intentions toward him, but Er Pingzhi did not dare to count on good luck forever. He would rather give up the capital and let the outside noises be as they may.
