The Xia Dynasty’s Eagle Knights were a company of three hundred sixty-five mounted knights known for their speed. They were primarily responsible for scouting, defense, and aerial warfare. Each rider had reached the Warrior Realm at the very least, and the Eagle Knights’ first commander was among the top fifty experts in the empire, a King cultivator. He had also earned the title of marquis.
The Xia Dynasty’s court titles were organized as such: duke, marquis, count, viscount, baron, and finally, the lesser titles. Naturally, only a handful of powerful individuals could earn the grand title of marquis.
This attested to the value the Eagle Knights had to the Xia Dynasty.
Right now, eight stately Eagle Knights glided through the sky over the Smoke Signal Mountain Prison, each man and woman striking an imposing and heroic figure in their armor and helmets, atop their eagle mounts.
The man in the lead was middle-aged, and his eyes gleamed as he surveyed the prison below with obvious disapproval.
“This forsaken place is certainly suitable for felons!” he muttered.
The man was Meng Helang. Not only did he have command of this Eagle Knights squad, but he was also the third in command of the entire Eagle Knights. His status was third only to the first commander and the second commander, who were both Kings, while he only had half a foot in the King Realm.
The moment the squad received the distress signal requesting reinforcements, they had flown straight for the prison. Each was an elite member of the Eagle Knights and confident they could handle any problem the prison faced.
Wind roared as the eight eagles spread their wings!
As the eight riders swooped down, sending dust and debris flying, the enormous eagles’ wings’ flapping alerted the prisons’ captains. The deputy warden in charge, Lie Feng, was the first to arrive and greet the honorable visitors. “Welcome, Commander Meng!”
His effacing attitude toward Meng Helang and his cavalry was noticeably different from his manner with his direct supervisor, Wan Tianlong.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony, Deputy Warden Lie. You sent an urgent call for reinforcement, so the emperor sent us to assist with destroying this bloody pit and fighting off the wolf spirits. Take me to the bloody pit now!” Meng Helang got straight to the point.
An awkward look flashed across Lie Fang’s face before he replied, “To address Commander Meng’s concern, actually…the bloody pit seems to have been destroyed.”
“What do you mean?” the other man demanded, frowning.
“Please follow me, Commander Meng, and I’ll explain as we walk.” Lie Fang made a respectful gesture, indicating for the commander to follow him.
The latter nodded in faint acknowledgment and followed the deputy warden, leading his seven subordinates toward block 8.
While they walked, Lie Feng summarized the recent events in the bloody pit. When Meng Helang heard that the bloody pit had all but disappeared, his expression sank. The squad had traveled a great distance, all the way from the capital.
“Deputy Warden Lie, you sent a dire request for help, claiming that Warden Wan and Deputy Warden Zhao had met with disaster. Furthermore, the missive stated that a King-level secret might be hidden within that pit, yet now, you’re telling me that Warden Wan has been saved by the skin of his teeth, and the evil pit has been destroyed. Are you trying to play some sort of prank?!” Meng Helang glared at the deputy warden, clearly dissatisfied as they reached the collapsed pit.
The commander had traveled all the way to the mountain for this prized secret said to be buried within the bloody pit, so the report of the pit’s collapse and the missing secret infuriated him. He was just a step away from becoming a King, only to have his hopes dashed. Why wouldn’t he be angry?
The deputy warden, on the other hand, broke out in a cold sweat, nervous, at a loss before the man’s wrath.
As they approached, his eldest son, the captain of cellblock 8, greeted the cavalry commander with a bow. “Your Honor, someone walked out of the bloody pit alive when it collapsed. We suspect he might be harboring the King-level secret.”
“Who is it? Bring him to me this instant!” Meng Helang demanded, brow cocked.
Lie Ziying looked hesitant. “The man is a felon, and he ought to show himself at Your Honor’s summons, but…”
“What’s the problem? Speak!” the commander barked, impatient.
“He has a unique relationship with the warden. In fact, it is said that he was responsible for saving the warden when the man was in danger, but I do not know the truth. I sent someone to look into his background, however. He is Yang Wu, son of the former marquis, Yang Zhennan. The young man dishonored the princess, and his entire family was stripped of their titles. Meanwhile, Yang Wu was sentenced to ten years in this prison,” Lie Ziying explained.
“So, this young man is responsible for the furor in the capital then,” Meng Helang muttered before turning to Lie Ziying. “Bring him to me immediately. I’ll answer for you if Warden Wan stops you.”
This was precisely what the guard captain wanted to hear. “Understood! I’ll bring him to you immediately.”
He had long borne a grudge against Yang Wu, so learning the truth regarding the young man only encouraged his desire to see Yang Wu dead.
A mere prisoner who dared to offend him deserved no less.
Yet, when Lie Feng caught the hint of a sneer on the commander’s lips, his heart skipped a beat. Somehow, he had a premonition that something would go awry.
Under Meng Helang’s orders, Lie Feng sent men to search the bloody pit again for any trace of the King-level treasure. In the meantime, the commander left to visit Wan Tianlong. Regardless of how he felt about this place, it was the man’s territory. When it came to rank and authority, there was still a clear distinction between the title of warden and his own as commander.
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Wan Tianlong had taken a beating during the bloody aura’s attack. Had he not been saved in the nick of time, he would have lost his life. He had managed to regain some vitality with the help of the evil-warding bead and the healing pill, but he was still in critical condition and would need a long rest to recover fully.
His daughter had stayed by his side to look after him while Zhang Xiong stood guard over him around the clock, ever the dutiful follower, resolutely refusing to let his master encounter further mishap.
When Meng Helang arrived, he checked on Wan Tianlong and left shortly after saying a few words of comfort to Wan Lanxin. Then, he proceeded to the place Lie Fang had prepared for them to wait quietly for Yang Wu’s arrival.
Wan Lanxin did not know about the conversation between Lie Ziying and Meng Helang; otherwise, she would definitely have prevented the meeting from happening.
——
Inside the stone hut, there were three people in seated meditation—Yang Wu, Skinny Monkey, and Wang Jiuzhong—each of them giving off different auras.
Yang Wu was vibrant and energetic; much like an old trunk reborn, he was thriving and unstoppable.
Skinny Monkey was heavily wounded. However, after he received the gift of the earthly spirit spring, it had made up for damaged vitality, his injuries healing rapidly. In addition, his strength was returning, so, on the whole, he was well on the road to recovery.
As for Wang Jiuzhong, the man was fully concentrating on meditation. Currently, the man appeared like he had scattered his cultivation. All his energy seemed to have drained from him, like a dying man, with none of that domineering tyranny he displayed inside the bloody pit.
Each sat in their respective corner inside the stone hut while Xiaoman quietly stood guard outside.
Time and again, her gaze would fall upon the meditating Yang Wu, and obvious affection gleamed in her pretty eyes. Young Master is truly handsome!
Right about this time, Lie Ziying arrived on his horse with a group of guards in tow, led by Xu Ziyang, charging toward the stone hut.
Xu Ziyang had been severely reprimanded by Wan Lanxin, getting a few of his teeth knocked loose in the process. Furthermore, he was stripped of his post and nearly fed to the wolves. Thus, it was a great fortune to him that all these had passed. Lie Ziying had called him over, intending to make him a squad leader in block 8. His time had finally come.
The man pointed to the stone hut and said, “Captain Lie, that’s where Yang Wu is holing up!”
“How dare he occupy a hut to himself when he’s just a lowly prisoner?! Tear that house to the ground!” Lie Ziying commanded with a yell.
Under his lead, dozens of prison guards charged toward the hut, ready to destroy it.
When Xiaoman saw them storming over, an extraordinary surge of courage arose, and she quickly blocked the entrance to the house. Spreading her arms wide, she warned, “What do you think you’re doing? You’re not allowed to disturb our young master.”
The girl seemed to have forgotten that she was a prisoner herself and even her young master was the same.
“What has the world come to? How dare a mere prisoner stop us?!” Xu Ziyang roared with disapproval and raised his hand to slap her.
Just as his palm was about to hit her face, a black shadow flashed by, aimed straight for him. The man could not react in time. His face stung, and he let out a painful yelp.
It turned out to be Sooty. The dog had jumped out of nowhere to scratch Xu Ziyang, leaving raw streaks oozing fresh blood on his face.
The rest of the guards were taken aback. However, when they saw that it was just a black puppy that had attacked their leader, they started to chase it, one after another.
Woof woof!
The black pup let out a few growls. With its sharp claws and nimble moves, it pounced on the guards in succession, tearing their uniforms and leaving bloody wounds on their bodies in its wake.
One after another, the guards screamed in agony, greatly embarrassing Lie Ziying. He felt humiliated.
“What useless bums! Get out of my way!” Yelling, he drew his sword and swung it at Sooty.
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The sword flashed from more than three meters away. The black puppy might be swift and agile, but it still was not fast enough to avoid the blade. The blow landed, and the dog bounced off to a great distance away, its survival in question.
“Sooty!” Xiaoman screamed in dismay.
Over the past few days, the dog had sought out spiritual fruits and herbs and fed her with these, giving her a chance to rest and eat well. The blow the pup suffered earlier was also for her sake, so the girl was heartbroken.
“Tear this place down! Show no mercy to anyone who dares to defy the order!” Lie Ziying ordered again in a loud voice.
Just then, Yang Wu emerged from the stone hut. “Uncle, why are you making a scene here?” he asked, his face sinking.