Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

Lu Chao remained seated, calmly watching the shocked Fan Jinhua...

”So the Flame Spirit Bird’s Bone belonged to Master Fan. No wonder Miss Wu was able to get it within two days.”

After a brief pause, Lu Chao seemed to remember something. He pulled a small notebook from his robes and handed it to Wu Caicai. ”Oh, right. These are the last three swords of the Nine Primordial Yang Swords I promised you. It was a pleasure doing business.”

Wu Caicai took the small notebook in a daze, barely reacting. Her mind was still reeling. ’How did Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu manage the Beast Bone replacement?’

’There’s no way a supreme expert helped them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be in this predicament.’

’They managed the replacement themselves...’

’No...’

’According to the rumors in Yangzhou City, Cheng Yunsu was still a cripple before Lu Chao showed up. That can only mean Lu Chao was the one who solved all her problems—the burns, her impending blindness, everything.’

GULP.

Wu Caicai swallowed nervously. The Lu Chao in her eyes grew ever more mysterious and unfathomable.

Meanwhile, Fan Jinhua repeated his question, ”How did you do it?”

Lu Chao looked up and took a deep breath.

”Master Fan, you should know a bit about people who possess a Life-taking Bone. Anyone with one is considered a great scourge, but no one can deny that some Life-taking Bones grant miraculous abilities.”

At these words, Fan Jinhua’s entire body trembled slightly, and Wu Caicai also nodded in acknowledgment.

Given their status and experience, they certainly knew... some people with Life-taking Bones were indeed bizarre, possessing an endless variety of strange abilities. Furthermore, almost every Life-taking Bone was unique.

”Replacing a shattered Heavenly Destiny Bone with a Beast Bone... you could call that one of my abilities.”

”I’m still weak at the moment, but in Xiao Su’er’s case, I succeeded.”

Of course, Lu Chao wouldn’t reveal that his miraculous ability was actually his Star Heavenly Destiny Bone’s power of devouring, so he came up with this excuse instead.

Fan Jinhua’s mouth hung open for a moment before he closed it, seeming to understand. He sat back down.

But he didn’t speak. His expression shifted uncertainly, and it was quite some time before he finally spoke...

”A Beast Bone replacement offers almost no future.”

”Her cultivation will stagnate once she reaches the limits of the Beast Bone itself. It will be very difficult for me to admit your wife into Tiger Flame Academy now.”

A Beast Bone could replace a shattered Heavenly Destiny Bone, but one’s Martial Arts Talent would be permanently capped.

Thus, Cheng Yunsu’s path to Tiger Flame Academy was all but severed.

Cheng Yunsu tensed at Fan Jinhua’s words, but it was something she had anticipated.

Lu Chao’s expression, however, remained unchanged.

He replied softly, ”I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Master Fan. Xiao Su’er still has a future, because I can continue to replace her bone with even stronger Beast Bones—as long as I can obtain more power.”

He also didn’t say...

...that he possessed a Heavenly Fire Sparrow Bone in his Bone Inner World. As long as he could successfully perform the replacement when the time came, Cheng Yunsu would make a perfect recovery.

Fan Jinhua replied in a low voice, ”I believe you, but the higher-ups at Tiger Flame Academy certainly won’t. And if I were to tell them you possess a Life-taking Bone, I fear you’d both be thrown out immediately.”

Even if he could get Cheng Yunsu into Tiger Flame Academy, the fact that Lu Chao possessed a Life-taking Bone could never be reported.

Lu Chao fell silent for a moment...

”You have a point, Master Fan. If it’s too much trouble, then Xiao Su’er doesn’t need to enter Tiger Flame Academy.”

”You’ve already done so much for us, and we are deeply grateful.”

This might be the end of the matter. If Fan Jinhua decided to give up on recruiting Cheng Yunsu, there was nothing Lu Chao could do.

In the eyes of the world, the Life-taking Bone was simply evil.

At that moment, Fan Jinhua stood up again. ”Let me think about it,” he said. ”But rest assured, you can handle your family affairs in peace for the next few days. I will continue to guarantee your safety in Yangzhou City.”

With that, Fan Jinhua glanced at Wu Caicai and said, ”Let’s go get some rest.”

Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu rose to see Fan Jinhua and his two companions out.

At the door, Lu Chao suddenly asked, ”Master Fan, is there anything I can do to help you?”

As Lu Chao had figured, Fan Jinhua’s grand gestures and willingness to take charge couldn’t be as simple as just bailing out Wu Caicai.

Lu Chao wanted to know Fan Jinhua’s real objective.

His question was sincere. Regardless of what Fan Jinhua ultimately decided, he had at least given them the time to resolve the Cheng Mansion’s entanglements for his father-in-law, Cheng Chuming. That was a favor in itself.

Fan Jinhua stopped in his tracks and sighed. ”I had thought you were a great talent, so I hoped you could... for the Tiger Flame... Sigh. A Life-taking Bone... a Life-taking Bone. This is also something I’ll have to consider before we speak again.”

In that instant, Lu Chao completely understood.

Fan Jinhua and Wu Caicai departed. For now, they would be staying within the Cheng Mansion.

In front of their dilapidated doorway...

The young couple stood there, watching until Fan Jinhua’s party was completely out of sight. Only then did Cheng Yunsu bite her lip and ask, ”Why must the Life-taking Bone be so detested by the world?”

Her face was a mask of indignation and defiance...

If Lu Chao didn’t have a Life-taking Bone, Fan Jinhua would have recruited him into Tiger Flame Academy without a moment’s hesitation, based on the abilities he had shown.

”This Master Fan is actually quite decent. At least he didn’t immediately shun me after learning about my Life-taking Bone.”

Lu Chao smiled and looked at Cheng Yunsu...

”Didn’t your mother say it? A Life-taking Bone is no different from a Heavenly Destiny Bone. It is only because it’s so miraculous that it’s feared by the world. That’s why they came up with the name ’Life-taking’ to suppress it.”

This was something Cheng Yunsu had heard from her mother as a child.

”That being the case, we should be all the more convinced that it doesn’t represent destiny, only the hearts of men.”

”The more they fear it, the more I’ll have to crush everything in my path. When I’m standing at the Peak, who will dare to call me a scourge?”

At that moment, Lu Chao was giving voice to his deepest convictions...

An intense, domineering aura emanated from him—a will to crush the injustice directed at those with a Life-taking Bone.

Cheng Yunsu’s expression also grew resolute. She leaned gently into Lu Chao’s embrace, her eyes filled with the determination to face life and death together with him.

...

Elsewhere, Fan Jinhua and his two companions walked along a small path within the Cheng Mansion.

Whether Cheng Weishan was willing or not, he had been forced to arrange lodging for them.

Just then, Wu Caicai asked softly, ”Master Fan, what’s the plan now?”

”Lu Chao having a Life-taking Bone is one thing, but on top of that, Cheng Yunsu’s Destiny Bone was replaced by a Beast Bone. Doesn’t it seem like your efforts were all for nothing?”

She was also a student at Tiger Flame Academy and knew full well that the academy would never accept someone like Cheng Yunsu.

”Sigh...”

Fan Jinhua let out another long sigh. ”When the time comes, I’ll take them with me to the Tiger Flame Kingdom. That’s the most I can do to help.”

All he could manage was to help Lu Chao escape the pursuit of the Yangzhou City Lord’s Mansion. Nothing more.

Wu Caicai fell silent, not knowing what to say.

She suddenly remembered the small notebook with the last three Primordial Yang swords, so she opened it and took a look.

She was surprised to find that it didn’t just contain the stances and mantras for the final three Primordial Yang swords, but also Lu Chao’s written annotations on all Nine Swords.

After carefully reading the annotations on the Nine Swords, Wu Caicai’s entire body trembled violently as she was struck by a new wave of enlightenment.

She then quickly handed the notebook to Fan Jinhua, who was beside her.

’This is what Lu Chao used to pay for the Flame Spirit Bird’s Bone. Since the bone was technically Master Fan’s, he should of course get to see it.’

Puzzled by the change in Wu Caicai’s expression, Fan Jinhua also took a careful look at the annotations on the Nine Swords. In an instant, a brilliant light erupted in his eyes.

”Such terrifying... Martial Arts Talent!”