erce through their chests or had throats slit by unknown assailants emerging from nowhere. The once empty Hongzhou City was now a living hell.Outside the city walls, Prince Southern Command's face tur...397. Blood Ties Are Hard to Sever

397. Blood Ties Are Hard to Sever

"Who are you!"

In the woods, a man in black walked out. Under the dim moonlight, his determined face could be seen clearly. His middle-aged appearance was deep-set with sharp features like chiseled lines. There were strands of gray at his temples as he looked indifferently at everyone under the moon.

“Mu Qingcang” Ling Tiehan said in a heavy voice.

"Master Ling, it's been many years," Mu Qingcang nodded coolly. The man was none other than Mu Qingcang, who had mysteriously disappeared some years ago when he was the number one warrior of Chu Kingdom. Looking at Ye Li standing by his side, Mu Qingcang said, "Your Excellency can lead your people away first."

Ye Li walked over and helped ZHUO Jing and Lin Han up, nodding and saying, "Thanks to you, Mr. Mu."

Ling Tiehan watched silently as Ye Li led her team away without going after them. He knew that he wouldn't be able to touch a hair on Ye Li's head tonight unless he got rid of Mu Qingcang first. Though he had confidence in his ability to defeat Mu Qingcang, the former one among the four best warriors in the world wasn’t someone who could be easily dealt with either. Moreover, Ling Tiehan sensed that Mu Qingcang seemed different from ten years ago. Back then, they once fought each other by chance and back then he had clearly felt Mu Qingcang’s decline. That was why he stopped taking him seriously thereafter. It was unavoidable for an older person to lose strength, but Mu Qingcang was still in his prime at that time. But this time, Ling Tiehan found out that Mu Qingcang wasn’t as bad as expected and had even made some progress.

Furthermore, there were things Ling Tiehan did not understand. Furrowing his brows, he said, "I didn't expect Mu Qingcang to actually submit to the Ding王府 (Ding Prince's Manor)." Others might be unaware of it, but how could Ling Tiehan, who had the閻王閣(Yanwang Pavilion), be oblivious to Mu Qingcang’s true identity Just recently, Mu Yang and Mu Jingmin fell into the trap set by the Ding Prince’s manor, yet Mu Qingcang came here to save the Ding Prince's Consort. This was quite unexpected for Ling Tiehan.

“I am not someone from the Ding Prince’s Manor.” Mu Qingcang said coldly.

Ling Tiehan raised his eyebrows and asked, “Then why are you here”

Mu Qingcang replied, "It's just a deal with the Ding Prince's Manor. I agreed to protect Princess Consort Ding for three days. After that period, feel free to do whatever you want with me." Ling Tiehan sighed helplessly and said, “Although I don't wish to fight Mu Brother right now, it seems inevitable.” In three days' time, Ye Li would already be back at the Mo Army headquarters. By then, there would be hundreds of thousands of Mo soldiers and over a thousand Qilins protecting her; let alone killing Ye Li, even approaching her would be difficult.

"Please." Mu Qingcang nodded nonchalantly.

Soon, two figures on the ancient road were fiercely engaging in battle. Under the moonlight, the two figures separated and came together repeatedly as sword energy flashed and intense gusts of wind pressed forward. The momentum of a contest between true masters was completely different from the earlier confrontation with Ye Li and others.

In the shadows, Leng Liu Yue and the Sick Book Scholar watched anxiously as Ye Li and company rode away. Furrowing his brows, Leng Liu Yue said, "Should we help Brother stop them" Although they didn’t agree with attacking Princess Dìng Wáng, since their brother insisted on doing it, they could only support him wholeheartedly.

The Sick Book Scholar shook his head and said, "No. Let them go. The Dìng Wáng王府 is not easy to provoke, and besides... Brother already let up." With Ling Tiehan’s martial arts skills, if he really wanted to kill Ye Li, hiding in the shadows and striking directly would be enough to defeat even Mo Xiuyao if he came unprepared. As assassins, why did they have to wait by the roadside and talk for so long

Leng Liu Yue frowned thoughtfully before nodding and saying, "Right. Brother promised to ambush Ye Li on the road. If Ye Li manages to evade and return to Mo's army unharmed, it won’t concern us." Moreover, the other side had assistance from one of the four greatest masters in the world; even if Brother failed, no one could blame him.

As assassins, whether Leng Liu Yue who was naturally cold or the Sick Book Scholar with his sinister and arrogant personality, they were fundamentally cool-headed and rational. Considering the current power spanned across most of Xi Ling and Dà Chǔ by the Dìng Wáng王府, it wasn't a good thing for the Yán Wáng閣 to confront them. Regardless of whether Mo Xiuyao was severely injured or not, as long as he hadn’t died, both Mo's army and the Dìng Wáng王府 were still formidable forces that everyone feared greatly. After all, back in the day when Mo Xiuyao’s legs were crippled and his body poisoned, he still managed to save a wobbly Dìng Wáng王府 from collapsing. Not to mention now when the power of the Dìng Wáng王府 was at its peak.

If not for this time Lei Zhenting sending people to find their brother, they wouldn't even know that their eldest brother who had been fatherless and motherless since childhood was actually a prince from Xi Ling. However, all these years, the Xi Ling Imperial Family had no connection with them, and their brother never received any benefits from it; instead, they were once oppressed by Lei Zhenting at will. Why should their brother be forced to confront the Dìng Wáng王府 for the sake of the Xi Ling Royal Family

The battle between Ling Tiehan and Mu Qingcang continued until dawn the next day. In the morning light, Ling Tiehan stood by the roadside holding his iron sword, looking down at Mu Qingcang not far away with a lowered gaze. Fresh blood quietly slid from the sleeve of his clothes along his arm to the dust at his feet as he said coolly, "Dà Chǔ’s number one martial arts expert is indeed well-deserved."

Not too far in front of him, Mu Qingcang was kneeling on one knee with a pale face. His right shoulder had almost been pierced through completely, and his abdomen was stained red with blood. This time around, the two were not like before when Ling Tiehan would spar with Mo Xiuyao; this was a life-and-death contest. In these few years, Mu Qingcang had withdrawn from the world, changing his name and focusing solely on studying martial arts. Shedding the shackles imposed upon him in the past, Mu Qingcang gradually recovered and even advanced further in martial arts. Although he fell slightly short of Ling Tiehan’s skill level, when he fought to the death, Ling Tiehan was actually held back for an entire night.

Mu Qingcang wiped blood from his lips with a hand, smiling bitterly as he said, "Director Ling overestimates me. I concede defeat."

Ling Tiehan shook his head without saying anything. Leng Liu Yue and the Sick Book Scholar appeared in front of him; seeing the dark red bloodstains on the ground beside Ling Tiehan, they stared at injured Mu Qingcang with ill intent. "Brother..."

Mu Qingcang stopped the sick scholar from killing him by reaching out a hand and said, "The outcome is clear; there's no need to start more trouble." The Sick Book Scholar nodded and asked, "Brother… are we still pursuing them

Ling Tiehan smiled and glanced at his two worried siblings. He raised his sword-hand and said, "I have sustained internal injuries. Let's go back."

Cold Luyue and the Sick Scholar were briefly surprised with delight; their older brother did not really intend to kill Princess Dingwang.

"Yes, Older Brother," Cold Luyue stepped forward to support Ling Tiehan but he waved her off. "No need. Mr. Mu, do you require my men to see you back"

"Many thanks, Pavilion Lord Ling; Prince Dingwang’s mansion will take care of me." At this time, Mo Hua appeared on the ancient path's edge, looking at the trio with a cold expression. When he saw him, Ling Tiehan frowned; the many killers sent to stop Qilin and the dark scouts of the Black Family Army were likely finished for. While Ling Tiehan did not know Mo Hua personally, it was clear that his martial arts were far beyond those of Zhuo Jing and Lin Han’s group. For such a person to have no reputation in court or among the common folk showed how Prince Dingwang’s mansion truly harbored many talents.

Well then, Hellgate Pavilion… he had grown weary from it after all this time. With a nod, Ling Tiehan said, "Farewell; if Prince Dingwang wishes for vengeance, I shall be waiting at any hour." Cold Luyue wanted to say something but was silenced by a glance from Ling Tiehan and could only close her mouth helplessly as she followed him away.

Only Mo Hua and Mu Qingcang were left on the roadside. Mo Hua said gravely, "Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Mu; how is your condition"

Mu Qingcang stood up but his body was unstable despite having sparred with Ling Tiehan for hours; he had sustained far more injuries than Ling Tiehan. When Ling Tiehan said that he had received internal injuries, however, Mu Qingcang knew clearly that they were merely surface wounds.

"It's fine. I hope Prince Dingwang’s mansion will honor its promise," Mu Qingcang stared at Mo Hua and said.

Mo Hua nodded and lightly clapped his hands together. Two black-clothed men brought an old man over, carrying him rather than leading him. The old man had snow-white hair and looked as though he was already past the age of seventy. Yet those who recognized him knew that he was still two years short of sixty; just a fortnight ago, he appeared like a middle-aged man in his forties.

"What did you do to him!" Mu Qingcang’s eyes went cold and he shouted.

Mo Hua said indifferently, "Nothing. He was already like this when we brought him back." Since seeing Mu Yang's corpse, Duke Muyang had aged twenty or thirty years overnight; his mind was also unclear and he seemed to be in a daze no matter what others did to him. Occasionally, when he would wake up, he would grab anyone and call them “Yang’er.” Even Mo Xiuyaoyao, who originally wanted to see him, lost interest.

Mu Qingcang supported his unstable body and walked forward to support Duke Muyang, whispering, "Father… Father"

It seemed that the words "father" triggered something, for Marquis Mu Yang's blank eyes turned and he stared at Mu Qingcang steadily. After a long time, he asked hesitantly, “Yang… Yang”

Mu Qingcang’s gaze dimmed slightly as he supported Marquis Mu Yang from the two black-clothed guards beside him and said, "Father, let's go home."

Marquis Mu Yang allowed Mu Qingcang to support him without a word. Behind them, Hehua spoke in a deep voice, “As an exchange for you rescuing the princess, Marquis Mu Yang is under your disposal, but… if he causes any more trouble, Mr. Mo would do well to remember what the prince said.”

Mu Qingcang paused slightly and replied sternly, "I understand. You won’t see him or me ever again." As Hehua watched Mu Qingcang and Marquis Mu Yang walk away, a guard by his side whispered, “Boss, are you really just going to let them go”

Hehua nodded and replied in a deep voice, "Mu Qingcang saved the princess. When it comes to matters concerning the princess, His Highness always keeps his word. Besides, His Highness hasn’t shown any interest in killing Mu Qingcang for all these years, so why would he suddenly want to now Let’s go back, there is still work to be done at the barracks.” Soon after, three black-clothed men disappeared down a side road.

On an official highway, there was an inconspicuous roadside inn. Le Tengfeng sat leisurely drinking tea inside. Although he had been tricked by Mo Xiuyao earlier and rushed back to Jade Bright Pass as a result, the subsequent events turned out well for Western Liang and Prince Southern Town’s household. Unexpectedly, Mo Jingli had done surprisingly well and the Western Liang army was now in much better shape on the battlefield. So Le Tengfeng was in high spirits these days.

Seeing three people walking leisurely over, a smile appeared on Le Tengfeng’s face. He even stood up to personally greet them. "Tengfeng greets Uncle."

Ling Tiehan coldly looked at the man before him and said, “I am not worthy of such respect from a prince.”

Le Tengfeng smiled as he replied, "How could that be Uncle is my grandfather’s son, and also blood-related to our Western Liang royal family. It would only be right for me to greet you." Ling Tiehan frowned at him before suddenly smiling coldly. “Did your father not tell you to stay away from me”

Le Tengfeng was startled, his father had indeed warned him about this before. But he was eager to know the outcome of events and so came personally to meet Ling Tiehan. Now it appeared that he may have overstepped bounds in doing so. Although a myriad of thoughts crossed through his mind, Le Tengfeng’s face remained calm as he respectfully replied, "Nephew has been rude, please forgive me."

Ling Tiehan let out a light huff and walked forward. Seeing the bloodstains on Ling Tiehan's sleeves, Le Tengfeng frowned slightly before rushing to catch up with him and asked, “Has Princess Ding left”

“Princess Ding has already left.” Ling Tiehan answered calmly.

“What!” Le Tengfeng couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. He truly hadn’t expected that even the Pavilion Master of Hell Gate Pavilion was unable to kill Ye Li. His father had said that it was very possible that Ling Tiehan’s martial arts were now above his own, how could he not be able to defeat a mediocre fighter like Ye Li

Ling Tiehan turned around and gave a glance to the shocked man behind him. Lei Tengfeng felt his scalp tingle but still had to face Ling Tiehan’s pressure, saying, "Master Ling, you clearly promised my father king..."

"I said I would try my best," interrupted Ling Tiehan. "And I have done just that."

“But Ye Li and the people around her…” Lei Tengfeng said in disbelief. The sick scholar gave Lei Tengfong a malevolent glance, saying, “Can’t you see that Eldest Brother has been injured If you think there’s anyone who can fight with Mu Qingcang and then still catch up to Ye Li and kill her, why do you need to seek out Eldest Brother”

“Mu Qingcang…” Lei Tengfong felt a chill in his heart. No matter how many calculations they made, they never expected there to be a Mu Qingcang. The former number one expert of the Great Chu Empire had been silent for nearly ten years and when he reappeared, it was to foil an important plan of the Prince Dinh王府！但是……”看著三人悠然漫步的模樣，即使雷騰風覺得自己脾氣再好心中也有些不舒服。淩鐵寒這個樣子，誰相信他冇有放水？

Perhaps because Lei Tengfong’s expression was too obvious, Ling Tiehan frowned and looked at Lei Tengfeng, saying, "Lei Tengfeng… do you think that just because I'm injured, I won't dare to kill you"

The color on Lei Tengfeng's face changed slightly as he lowered his head and said, “Nephew doesn’t dare. Since that’s the case, nephew will take my leave now.”

Ling Tiehan remained silent and merely said, "Go back and tell Leizhenting that I have repaid the favor I owe him. From now on… it's time to settle the grudge between me and him."

Lei Tengfeng silently replied, “Nephew will definitely convey this message to Father King and take my leave.” Although he didn’t know what kind of grievances his father king had with Ling Tiehan in the past, Lei Tengfeng was aware that Ling Tiehan hadn't truly caused trouble for Southern Command王府這些年之所以冇有真正找過鎮南王府的麻煩，就是因為當年淩鐵寒欠過父王一個人情。要不然，隻要淩鐵寒選擇支援西陵皇，再加上閻王閣的力量也很能讓鎮南王府頭疼。

But in Ling Tiehan's eyes, there was clearly no such thing as settling old scores. Once a favor is repaid, it’s time to collect debts. At this moment, Lei Tengfeng couldn’t help but doubt whether his father king and him were wrong in asking Ling Tiehan to deal with Ye Li

"Ling Tiehan deliberately spared Ye Li" Lei Zhen霆 asked with a somewhat displeased expression. Although he had considered the possibility when he went to see Ling Tiehan, Ling Tiehan was known for his word being law and there wasn't anyone more suitable than him, so he could only choose to believe in Ling Tiehan. Lei Tengfeng said uncertainly, "Ling Tiehan also got injured. It was the number one warrior of Great Chu, Mu Qingerang, who blocked Ling Tiehan's path when he disappeared. The two fought all night long, and by the time they reached a conclusion at dawn, Ye Li and others had already entered the area under Duke Ding’s control." He didn't know whether Ling Tiehan really let him off, but at least, regarding killing Ye Li, Ling Tiehan wasn’t too eager to do so.

"Mu Qingerang" Lei Zhen霆 frowned. "Preposterous. Ye Li just destroyed the Marquis Mu Yang’s Manor, why would Mu Qingerang save her"

Lei Tengfeng said, "Son sent people to investigate. The one who suddenly appeared and blocked Ling Tiehan's sword was indeed Mu Qingerang. After a fierce battle, Mu Qingerang suffered heavy injuries and took away an old man from Duke Ding’s people. According to my subordinates’ report, it might be the former Marquis Mu Yang, Mu Jingmin. Originally... Ling Tiehan almost killed Ye Li." Speaking up to this point, Lei Tengfeng was somewhat regretful too. Although he admired Ye Li's abilities and wisdom very much, they were enemies. Losing an opportunity to eliminate such a powerful enemy made it impossible for Lei Tengfeng not to sigh secretly.

Lei Zhen霆 shook his head and said, "Forget about it, this is fate. As long as Mo Xiuyao really can’t continue fighting, let Ye Li live if she’s still alive. What we should pay attention to now is the situation on the battlefield." Lei Tengfeng nodded, putting away his slight dejection, and said solemnly, "Father is right. Now that Mo Xiuyao has been seriously injured and hasn't appeared in battle, though we don’t know whether he’s alive or dead, judging from the performance of the Mo army over these few days, it seems that Mo Xiuyao might indeed be badly injured. Otherwise, Phoenix Deyao wouldn’t rush for Duke Ding to return." In recent days, the Mo army had changed their previous tactic of appearing and disappearing on the battlefield, clearly indicating a change in command personnel. Mo Xiuyao was so seriously injured that he could no longer handle military affairs, which was undoubtedly good news for Western Liang.

"Meng Jingli's hundreds of thousands of reinforcements have also arrived in the north, and it seems they are preparing to counterattack soon. As long as we quickly defeat this Mo army here, at that time, Lu Jinxian might not be able to spare troops to reinforce them." Lei Tengfeng said.

When Meng Jingli was mentioned, Lei Zhen霆 lightly frowned and said, "Let him do what he wants for now. He’s only useful in this way anyway. But... Tengfeng, Meng Jingli is narrow-minded and will seek revenge over trivial matters; he will definitely resent us for this incident. When you encounter each other on the battlefield, be careful of him. If necessary... think of a solution to eliminate him!"

"Father" Lei Tengfeng was startled, looking at Lei Zhen霆 with vague uneasiness. Although his father often taught him many things in daily life, he would never talk about such matters concerning dealing with a country's monarch. Lei Zhen霆 smiled calmly and said, "You are no longer young; you should already be able to handle things independently. After this war ends, the Southern Town Duke Manor will be handed over to you."

"Father!" Lei Tengfeng was alarmed in his heart, looking at Lei Zhen霆 with concern. Lei Zhen霆 laughed indifferently and waved his hand, saying, "Forget about it for now; don’t worry about these matters. Defend Jade Name Pass very carefully since we are still the real enemies in the eyes of the Mo army. In times of crisis, Lu Jinxian might abandon Meng Jingli and bring troops back to aid us." Even if they didn't want to admit it, the hatred of the Mo army towards the Chu army was actually far less than their enmity towards Western Liang. On the battlefield, the clashes between the Mo army and the Chu army were nowhere near as intense as those with the Western Liang troops. It wasn’t that Lu Jinxian’s troops weren't fierce enough; it was because both sides inherently recognized they used to be part of the same family. Therefore, if the situation at Duke Ding's Manor truly became critical, it would be extremely likely for Lu Jinxian to abandon places outside Jade Name Pass and switch to attacking Western Liang forces.

Lei Tengfeng nodded and said, "Son understands."

Satisfied with this answer, Lei Zhen霆 nodded and said, "Forget about it then; go do your work."

After some thought, Lei Tengfeng asked, "Father, did you know long ago that Ling Tiehan wouldn’t be able to kill Ye Li" When he reported back just now, although Father was displeased, there wasn't much surprise or anger. Lei Zhen霆 shook his head and said, "It's best if they can kill, but it's okay even if they can’t."

Lei Tengfeng looked at Lei Zhen霆 in puzzlement with a tightly furrowed brow. In recent years, Ling Tiehan had refrained from attacking the Southern Town Duke Manor because of his debt to Father. Now that he had repaid it, wouldn’t the Southern Town Duke Manor face another enemyurned around just in time to nearly jump in surprise. A man in white was sitting idly in his otherwise empty study, looking at him with a calm expression, even holding a steaming cup of tea. Just as h...