Chapter 322: Making a Move, Luo Yang, Young Leader of the Luoshen Clan
In Luoshui City
Xiao Tiance and his group returned to the outskirts of the city. However, as soon as they arrived, they witnessed a tense confrontation.
An eighth grade Supreme was stepping on a sixth grade Supreme who was covered in blood. The injured man looked like he wouldn't last much longer.
Many people stood around watching the scene, but no one intervened. To these bystanders, such events seemed commonplace.
Xiao Tiance and his companions showed no intention of stepping in either. After all, they didn't know either party why get involved?
Suddenly, Xiao Tiance noticed a jade token hanging at the waist of the sixth grade Supreme. It bore the insignia of the Tianqiong Academy.
In the next moment, Xiao Tiance gestured, and Qing Hou instantly appeared beside the two combatants. Without bothering to exchange words, Qing Hou kicked the eighth grade Supreme away and stood protectively in front of the injured sixth grade Supreme.
"What? How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Shumen Sect? Do you have a death wish?"
Hearing these words, Xiao Tiance understood why no one else dared to intervene.
Shumen had considerable influence on the Western Sky Continent. While it wasn't as powerful as the Western Sky Battle Hall or the four divine clans, it was a force nurtured by the Western Sky Battle Hall. Shumen even had a formidable Earth Supreme in its ranks.
On this continent, aside from the celestial grade Heavenly Supreme, the Western Sky Battle Emperor, Earth Supremes were the second most powerful tier of experts.
"Enough noise," Xiao Tiance said coldly.
At his command, Qing Hou moved swiftly. In an instant, Qing Hou's punch sent the eighth grade Supreme flying.
"Boom!"
The man's body smashed into a large boulder, shattering it before crashing into the walls of Luoshui City.
The crowd gasped in unison. Shocked murmurs filled the air.
"Who dared to interfere in Shumen's business?"
"Don't they know Shumen is backed by the Western Sky Battle Emperor?"
"This is going to get interesting. Whoever did this must have some serious backing."
Unfazed by the discussions, Xiao Tiance maintained his calm demeanor. To him, opposing the Western Sky Battle Hall was already inevitable. After all, they still held Ling Longzi, one of the hall's Four Sons, as a captive.
Adding Shumen to his list of enemies hardly mattered.
Meanwhile, the crowd's shock turned into panic. Qing Hou dragged the eighth grade Supreme down from the city wall, leaving him in a state even worse than the injured sixth grade Supreme. Qing Hou's attack had shattered the man's Supreme Sea, crippling him unless he could obtain rare celestial treasures or miraculous pills.
"Damn it! Who are you people?" the eighth grade Supreme shouted, his voice defiant despite his injuries.
Qing Hou, being a demon puppet, didn't respond. Without a word, he carried both the eighth grade Supreme and the injured sixth grade Supreme to Xiao Tiance.
The crowd turned their focus to Xiao Tiance and his group. When they noticed one particular person among them, their reactions were immediate.
"Wait… is that… Ling Longzi, one of the Four Sons of the Western Sky Battle Hall?"
"Is this for real?"
"Those people captured Ling Longzi?"
"This is bad! We need to leave! The Western Sky Battle Hall will come for them soon, and we don't want to get caught in the crossfire!"
As the crowd dispersed in a frenzy, Xiao Tiance remained indifferent. After treating the sixth grade Supreme's injuries, he asked, "You're from Tianqiong Academy, right?"
"Yes, sir! My name is Zhang He, an inner elder of Tianqiong Academy. Thank you for saving me. If I'm not mistaken, you must be Lord Xiao Tiance?"
Xiao Tiance nodded. "Why are you here? And why were you fighting with Shumen's people?"
Zhang He looked embarrassed but quickly explained. "Lord Xiao, I was sent here by the academy head to guard the Three No Bandit. However, as soon as I arrived in Luoshui City and before I could report to the head, I had a dispute with this man. He wouldn't let me go unless I handed over all my possessions."
Zhang He sighed heavily. "I couldn't comply. While I could've surrendered my belongings to save myself, I represent Tianqiong Academy. To give in would disgrace the academy's reputation. If I did that, I wouldn't be able to return and would have to disappear forever."
Seeing the frustration on Zhang He's face, Xiao Tiance patted his shoulder and reassured him. "Don't worry. There's no shame in losing to someone two levels above you."
"Lord Xiao, my concern isn't losing a fight. I'm worried that if something happens to the Three No Bandit because of me if he escapes or is rescued I'll be held accountable and unable to face the academy head," Zhang He said with a bitter smile.
"Don't worry about it. Let's regroup with the academy head first," Xiao Tiance said with a small laugh.
However, just as he finished speaking, an eighth grade Supreme appeared in the distance, flanked by a group of elite guards.
Zhang He's face tensed with worry. The newcomer wasn't just anyone it was Luo Yang, the young leader of the Luoshen Clan, accompanied by the clan's elite guards.
"The Young Leader of the Luoshen Clan, Luo Yang"
"Luo Yang, young leader of the Luoshen Clan, greets you all."
Luo Yang, the son of Luo Tianshen and heir to the Luoshen Clan, stood before them. He was also the future father in law of Mu Chen, though in the original The Great Ruler story, his character was practically non existent. His only narrative role was fathering Luo Li, after which he faded from the plot he didn't even have a name originally (hence the choice of "Luo Yang" here).
"Greetings, Young Leader Luo Yang," Xiao Tiance responded with a polite nod and smile.
One couldn't help but notice that Luo Yang was exceptionally handsome, almost beautiful in his appearance. It wasn't hard to see how someone like Luo Li could inherit such striking features she truly took after her father.
"My apologies, but I must ask you to hand over the two captives in your possession. Would that be possible?" Luo Yang began courteously before making his request.
"Why?" Xiao Tiance asked tersely, cutting straight to the point.
Luo Yang maintained his respectful demeanor. "While our Luoshen Clan is not directly under the Western Sky Battle Hall, no one on the Western Sky Continent, including us, dares provoke them.
"This is Luoshui City, and if the Western Sky Battle Emperor is drawn here, our clan cannot bear the consequences.
"So, once again, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I must request that you hand these two individuals over to us." His tone remained calm and polite, making it difficult for Xiao Tiance to respond harshly.
"Not enough," Xiao Tiance replied after a brief pause.
Luo Yang was momentarily taken aback. His gaze shifted to Xiao Xuan and Gu Xun'er before he hesitated, then clasped his hands and said, "You all must be from the Dou Qi Continent, correct?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao Tiance's aura surged toward Luo Yang. For a moment, Luo Yang felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him, one he had no hope of resisting. Cold sweat poured down his face as he hurriedly explained, "Please don't be angry. I guessed this because my father once met Xiao Yan."
"Brother Xiao Yan?" Gu Xun'er's eyes lit up, and her voice was filled with excitement. She had always believed that her Brother Xiao Yan had made it to the Great Thousand World.
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance withdrew his aura. While he had initially doubted that Xiao Yan would have ended up in the Luoshen Clan's territory, Luo Yang's expression confirmed it.
Apparently, even with changes in the storyline, Xiao Yan's fate had intersected with the Luoshen Clan. It seemed Luo Tianshen had helped Xiao Yan assimilate his Dou Qi into spiritual energy, just as in the original plot.
Xiao Tiance didn't care much about Xiao Yan. When he chose to pass the Gu Clan's inheritance to Gu Xun'er instead, Xiao Yan's fate had ceased to matter to him. However, it was clear that Gu Xun'er thought differently.
To her, Xiao Yan's place in her heart was irreplaceable. Even though she had promised to serve Xiao Tiance for a thousand years, she would likely abandon everything and follow Xiao Yan if he asked.
Thinking this, Xiao Tiance nodded and said, "I see. However, that's still not enough. Ling Longzi has his uses and cannot be handed over.
"As for the eighth grade Supreme from Shumen, if you want him, he's yours."
With that, Xiao Tiance gestured for Qing Hou to toss the Shumen expert toward Luo Yang.
Luo Yang caught the injured man and checked his condition, his expression growing heavy. A crippled eighth grade Supreme with a shattered Supreme Sea was more of a burden than an asset. Treating him would require tremendous resources.
What Luo Yang truly wanted was Ling Longzi, who could serve as a bargaining chip with the Western Sky Battle Hall. If they could return Ling Longzi, the Luoshen Clan could use the hall's influence to suppress the Blood God Clan.
However, seizing Ling Longzi by force was out of the question. Luo Tianshen, Luo Yang's father, was only a peak upper Earth Supreme. Trying to snatch someone from a peak Earth Supreme of Xiao Tiance's caliber was simply unrealistic.
"What may I call you, sir?" Luo Yang asked after some thought, deciding to stall for time. He handed the eighth grade Supreme to a guard and bowed respectfully toward Xiao Tiance.
"I am Xiao Tiance," came the response.
"Greetings, Lord Xiao Tiance," Luo Yang said with a polite smile. "You must be a senior relative of Xiao Yan. In that case, why not accompany me to our clan's residence? My father, Luo Tianshen, would be honored to host you."
Xiao Tiance was about to decline when Gu Xun'er stepped forward quickly. Turning to Luo Yang, she asked, "Young Leader Luo, can you tell me where my Brother Xiao Yan is? Is he safe?"
Her question caught Xiao Tiance's attention, and he frowned slightly. However, he chose not to intervene.
Xiao Xuan, on the other hand, also frowned. Though he might have cared about Xiao Yan's safety in the past, his feelings had cooled after learning of Xiao Yan's actions. He would still help Xiao Yan if he were in danger, but treating him as family again was unlikely.
Luo Yang quickly answered with a smile, "Miss, there's no need to worry. Brother Xiao Yan is doing well. With my father's help, he successfully converted his Dou Qi into spiritual energy.
"After recovering his strength, he left Luoshui City. If I'm not mistaken, you must be Gu Xun'er? Brother Xiao Yan often spoke of you. He even asked my father to help locate you, though recent events in our clan left us unable to spare the resources to assist."
Relieved to hear that Xiao Yan was safe, Gu Xun'er exhaled softly. Then she realized she had overstepped and quickly turned to Xiao Tiance to apologize. "I'm sorry, Uncle Tiance. I "
Xiao Tiance raised a hand to stop her. "I understand your concern for Xiao Yan. It's fine."
He then turned to Luo Yang and said, "Young Leader Luo, lead the way."
(Chapter End)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Albino1