Could the secret cave of Heavenly Wolf be a trap after all?
Did Yang Li intentionally leave a clue as bait to observe the rest of the Twelve Tyrants?
The so-called secret cave of Heavenly Wolf seems to be even deeper than expected.
Although the old bloody shadow demon and the others had not succeeded in bringing back the immortal ruins fragment, Zhang Dongyun was not discouraged.
He rubbed his fingers against the wolf fur and the black jewel as a faint smile crept upon his face.
Thanks to his current authority in the fortress, he could now use these two items to try to find Yang Li’s whereabouts.
You shed your fur there, and I can find you with this.
However, Zhang Dongyun himself could not leave the fortress right now, and rushing into action might alert the other party.
Right now, there might be another way to find Yang Li.
As Zhang Dongyun pondered, he listened to the old bloody shadow demon report, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s heavenly power, I obtained this heavenly wolf demonic soul and then snatched the fur and stone slab from the abbot of the Forgotten Truth Temple.”
It was precisely because of this tough fight that the old bloody shadow demon, Chen Jiezhi, Guo Zi, and the others had all paid a considerable price, so much so that they were later chased down and ended up in a desperate situation.
“Unexpectedly, people of the Mirror Moon Tower and the Fortune Celebration Temple suddenly attacked the Forgotten Truth Temple. The Forgotten Truth Temple had no power to stop us, but those two sects each sent people to chase us down.”
The old bloody shadow demon said resentfully, “Among them, there was even someone of the Azure Cloud Temple. According to Chen Jiezhi, that Daoist was originally a disciple of the Azure Cloud Temple but was later expelled from the sect.
“Thanks to the protection of the royal family of the Eastern Tang Dynasty, the Azure Cloud Temple did not purge him, and he eventually joined the Secret Cabinet and became one of the three great officials.”
“Since Yang Li isn’t there, I don’t blame you for returning empty-handed,” Zhang Dongyun said indifferently.
The old bloody shadow demon heaved a sigh of relief and was finally relieved of its burden.
At that moment, warm sunlight suddenly fell on it.
The old bloody shadow demon was stunned.
It was because it found that the injuries it had sustained in its battles earlier with the Forgotten Truth Temple, the Fortune Celebration Temple, and other rivals instantly healed.
It certainly knew that His Majesty had this ability.
But it had not expected that happiness would come so quickly.
The old demon’s heart was actually sore for a moment.
“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I am ashamed.” The old bloody shadow demon was thrilled and prostrated.
“Do your tasks well.” Zhang Dongyun’s tone was unruffled.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The old bloody shadow demon said in a deep voice, “I will offer my entire life!”
When it had witnessed Mister Black Cloud’s attack, the old bloody shadow demon felt gloomy.
But at this moment, that feeling dissipated, and it regained its ambition.
As long as His Majesty trusts me, I have hope of turning defeat into victory!
You might be better than me now, but that’s because you have been with His Majesty much longer.
One day, I will surpass you and become His Majesty’s first trusted aide!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. I’ll start with the first step first…
The old bloody shadow demon was full of fighting spirit, and as it pondered, it said, “There is one more thing I would like to report to you, Your Majesty. I found a little girl on the grounds of the Forgotten Truth Temple. She is more talented in Daoist cultivation than the Chen clan girl.
“The Forgotten Truth Temple regards her as its future hope but had not yet accepted her as a disciple, so I purposely brought her back with me to offer her to serve Your Majesty.”
“There is no hurry.” Zhang Dongyun sounded calm.
The old bloody shadow demon did not dare to rush. “Yes, I will follow Your Majesty’s order.”
“You should show some encouragement to the people who went with you this time,” Zhang Dongyun instructed.
The old bloody shadow demon was delighted. “Yes, Your Majesty!”
The first thought that surfaced in its mind was that His Majesty was about to strike a balance.
Currently, in Chang’an Fortress, the Chen clan, the Cold Mountain Sect, the Thunderclap Sect, and so on were all used to taking orders from Mister Black Cloud.
Regarding the old bloody shadow demon, it was more fear.
It seems that His Majesty feels that Black Cloud has been too arrogant lately, so he wants to strike him?
The old bloody shadow demon came out of the Great Ming Palace, walked down the stairs, and arrived before Mister Black Cloud and the rest.
It immediately noticed that Chen Jiezhi, Guo Zi, and the others had completely recovered from their injuries like it.
It’s definitely His Majesty, the old bloody shadow demon thought.
It coughed. “His Majesty has ordered that everyone has contributed to the success of the capture of the heavenly wolf demonic soul on the grounds of the Forgotten Truth Temple.
“However, we should not be proud of ourselves. We should be more attentive and loyal to His Majesty.”
Chen Jiezhi, Guo Zi, and the others were relieved.
As they were waiting on the stairs, rain had fallen from the sky, and everyone’s injuries were healed, which was better than the best miraculous pills in their knowledge.
When they heard the old bloody shadow demon’s words, they all knew that their mission had not failed.
“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty.” Everyone bowed toward the Great Ming Palace in the air.
The old bloody shadow demon then looked at Mister Black Cloud. “His Majesty has summoned you for an audience.”
Mister Black Cloud looked as calm as before and nodded before he took the Cloud Net Canopy from Chen Chaoyan’s hand and went up the stairs step by step.
Chen Jiezhi, Guo Zi, Hui Tianyu, and the others looked at his back while feeling envious.
All of them were relieved that His Majesty did not blame them over this mission.
But it would be even better if they could get a chance to meet His Majesty in person.
The old bloody shadow demon looked at Mister Black Cloud’s calm attitude and could not help but laugh at the other party pretending to be calm.
But as it thought about it, it suddenly felt something amiss.
Given His Majesty’s supernatural power and authority, why would he play this game of balance between a ruler and his ministers?
Which minister could deceive His Majesty?
If he is truly dissatisfied with someone, he would probably slap that person to death, right?
His Majesty sent me to encourage Chen Jiezhi and the others not to strike at Mister Black Cloud. It was probably just as a casual order.
It just speculated on what His Majesty was thinking. It was guilty of lese majeste!
The old demon came to its senses and broke out in a cold sweat.
The old bloody shadow demon almost scared itself to death.
Zhang Dongyun had no time to pay attention to it at that moment.
The so-called summoning of Mister Black Cloud was just a show.
The primary purpose was to interrogate the captives as Mister Black Cloud and get the information he wanted.
The crucial point was, why had these people who were not from the Forgotten Truth Temple had gone to the secret cave of Heavenly Wolf?
That traitor of the Azure Cloud Temple and official of the Secret Cabinet, Gu Hechuan, had actually arrived outside the fortress because the Secret Cabinet commander Phantom had been lost and trapped in Chang’an Fortress.
He had hidden on the outskirts of the fortress and did not immediately approach, as he had intended to observe cautiously.
But the old bloody shadow demon and others had gone out, which aroused his interest. Thus, he secretly followed them to the secret cave of Heavenly Wolf.
The Fortune Celebration Temple and the Mirror Moon Tower had heard rumors and suspected that the Forgotten Truth Temple had found a secret treasure in the cave, so they also went there and wanted to take their share of the loot.
It was worth noting that the Fortune Celebration Temple’s news had come from the royal family of the Eastern Tang Dynasty.
Among the four great Daoist sacred grounds, they had always been close to the Eastern Tang Dynasty’s royal family, and the head of the Fortune Celebration Temple was now the preceptor of the Eastern Tang Dynasty.
Zhang Dongyun pondered over this information.
A short while later, he came back to his senses and controlled the projection of Mister Black Cloud to go out of the palace and back to the crowd.
“His Majesty has ordered that the others can disperse.”
Mister Black Cloud looked at the girl. “This little girl…”
Having become acquainted with her for a while, Chen Chaoyan took the girl’s hand and answered on her behalf, “Senior, her name is Ming Yixue.”
Mister Black Cloud nodded. “Ming Yixue, His Majesty has summoned you.”
The girl was intelligent but timid at this point, and she gripped the hand of Chen Chaoyan next to her. “J-just me?”
Mister Black Cloud nodded calmly.
The old bloody shadow demon said, “This is your good fortune and a rare blessing.”
Chen Chaoyan straightened the girl’s clothes. “Although His Majesty is majestic and grand, he isn’t a frightening person. Look at the people in this fortress. Thanks to His Majesty’s love, they can lead a good life.”
The girl hesitated for a long while before nodding.
Mister Black Cloud waved his sleeve and swept her up into the sky.
The old bloody shadow demon looked serious, its eyes hinting at expectation.
Mister Black Cloud took the girl into the Great Ming Palace and went to the main hall.
After entering the hall, Mister Black Cloud disappeared, leaving her alone.
The girl was a little nervous and did not dare to look up at the man sitting above her.
The figure above also did not speak.
The silence in the hall was oppressive and frightening.
As time went on, the girl’s face became more and more uneasy and tense.
In the end, tears kept falling from her eyes like broken strings.
She was afraid and panicked as she cried like rain, but she did not dare to make a sound.
Zhang Dongyun from above looked at her quietly and said nothing.
After a few moments, the girl’s tears suddenly stopped.
Her youthful face was serene and calm.
After wiping away her tears, her pupils were no longer childlike and were as clear and distant as lake water.
“Big Brother, we haven’t seen each other for 30 years.” The girl smiled slightly. “You are as elegant as ever.”