Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

”Ahhh...”

With his Destiny Bone destroyed, Cheng Weishan screamed madly...

Lu Chao ignored him. He turned to the surrounding household servants and generals of the Cheng Mansion and said, ”The Cheng Mansion is finished. We’re heading to Tiger Flame. We can’t take much of the Cheng Mansion’s gold and silver, so... you all know what to do.”

Then, Lu Chao pointed at Cheng Weishan...

”Only Cheng Weishan knows where many of the treasures are hidden. Once you get what you want, find your own way out.”

With that, Lu Chao looked down at Bai Xin.

Bai Xin begged frantically, crying out, ”Don’t kill me! Please, I beg you, let me see Chuming again!”

PFFT...

Lu Chao gave a cold smile and thrust his sword through her throat. ”You are not worthy of appearing before my father-in-law again.”

’How could I let Bai Xin continue to hurt my father-in-law?’

He killed her, sheathed his sword, and turned away.

Lu Chao strode after Cheng Yunsu and Cheng Chuming.

Watching Lu Chao leave, the household generals and servants of the Cheng Mansion exchanged glances.

Gradually, their gazes turned sinister and landed on the crippled Cheng Weishan. One by one, they closed in on him.

”What do you think you’re doing?”

Cheng Weishan stared in terror at the household generals and servants, shrieking.

”Patriarch, we want the gold and silver. We need to find our own way out.”

As if transformed into demons, the servants and generals of the Cheng Mansion advanced relentlessly on Cheng Weishan.

”Get away from me! You treacherous dogs, get away from me right now...!”

”AH!”

Only Cheng Weishan’s crazed screams remained in the Cheng Mansion courtyard.

His cries ended in a final, bloodcurdling scream. The great Patriarch of the Cheng Mansion was hacked to death by his own squabbling servants and generals.

...

Meanwhile, a cruel smile played on Lu Chao’s lips.

’After how he treated Xiao Su’er, how could I let Cheng Weishan have such an easy death?’

’Wasn’t he the one who was so cruel and heartless?’

’Then let him taste that same cruelty and heartlessness. Let him die at the hands of the very servants and generals he trained. After all, under Cheng Weishan’s influence, few of them were good people anyway. This is karmic retribution.’

’This way, my father-in-law won’t bear any blame. He already gave Cheng Weishan a chance. It’s not our fault his own servants and generals showed him no loyalty.’

He caught up with Cheng Yunsu and Cheng Chuming...

Lu Chao immediately comforted him, ”Father-in-law, you still have me and Xiao Su’er. Everything will be alright once we get to Tiger Flame. And you still have to wait for Xiao Su’er’s mother to come find you.”

Cheng Chuming’s entire body trembled slightly...

The deathly, grief-stricken aura around Cheng Chuming immediately began to revive.

The thought of Xue Hongying gave him hope and a reason to live.

”Now, let’s pack our things and leave for Tiger Flame with Miss Wu,” Lu Chao said with another smile.

The moment he finished speaking... SWOOSH.

Uncle Leng, who had just been in the Cheng Mansion courtyard, suddenly appeared in a flash. He spoke quickly, ”Little Brother Lu, Master Fan has returned to the Cheng Mansion. Please come with me. He wants to see you.”

Slightly stunned, Lu Chao nodded in agreement.

He noticed that Uncle Leng’s expression was unusually grim, as if something terrible had happened.

After a quick word with Cheng Yunsu, he followed Uncle Leng to Wu Caicai’s temporary courtyard within the Cheng Mansion.

Just as they reached the entrance, an intense, icy aura blasted out from the courtyard.

Lu Chao’s expression changed. ”The Water Chant Palm,” he exclaimed.

Not daring to delay, he rushed into the room in the courtyard and saw Fan Jinhua half-lying on a bed, his face covered in a layer of white frost.

Beside the bed, Wu Caicai stood pale-faced, at a complete loss.

Just then, hearing the noise, Fan Jinhua forced his eyes open. He rasped, ”Little Brother Lu, you’re here.”

Lu Chao strode to the bedside. He now understood: Fan Jinhua was indeed one of the assassins who tried to kill Lu Hanyan last night.

The Water Chant Palm was one of the techniques of the Heavenly Destiny Water Chant Saint Bone.

”I’m not going to make it...”

”I’m sorry. I won’t be able to take you to Tiger Flame, nor can I recommend your wife to the Tiger Flame Academy.”

Fan Jinhua looked at Lu Chao as he spoke, then tremblingly fumbled in his robes for a token. He said softly, ”Caicai’s position in the Hundred Flames Trading Company isn’t high, so she won’t be able to make any great arrangements for you either.”

”After you get to Tiger Flame, take this token of mine and find... find... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH.”

As he said this, Fan Jinhua began to cough violently, and the layer of frost on his face thickened.

”Master Fan, don’t talk anymore! Let me say it,” Wu Caicai said, so anxious that tears welled in her eyes.

Lu Chao was somewhat surprised to hear these instructions.

He hadn’t expected that even in this state, Fan Jinhua was still thinking about the promise he’d made to him and Xiao Su’er yesterday.

On his deathbed, he was still trying to arrange things for them in Tiger Flame.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Chao quickly grabbed Fan Jinhua’s hand and poured his True Qi into his body.

Fan Jinhua’s spirits lifted slightly, but he just shook his head...

”It’s useless. I was struck by the Water Chant Palm of Lu Hanyan, Lu Dingtian’s daughter. Not even the Tiger Flame Academy may have someone who can save me.”

”I thought this assassination attempt on Lu Hanyan was foolproof.”

”I never imagined Lu Hanyan would be so terrifying. Her mastery of the Martial Dao is so profound... that she could wield the Water Chant Palm to such a horrifying degree.”

At this moment, Fan Jinhua was admitting that he had tried to assassinate Lu Hanyan.

Lu Chao, however, remained silent, continuing to use his True Qi to inspect Fan Jinhua’s body.

But inwardly, he was thinking...

’A month ago, Fan Jinhua might have had a decent chance of assassinating Lu Hanyan. But after she fused with my Heavenly Destiny Water Chant Saint Bone, her mastery of the Martial Dao is on a completely different level.’

’That’s why the intelligence Fan Jinhua and the other assassins were working with was so fatally flawed.’

”That’s right. I came to Yangzhou City after receiving news that Lu Hanyan was on her way. I joined forces with experts from various kingdoms to assassinate her and avenge a friend who died at Lu Dingtian’s hands.”

”We wanted to create an opportunity for kingdoms like Tiger Flame to strike back... but we failed.”

”The others are either dead or have been captured by her pursuers.”

”Those who were captured won’t survive either. They’re all like me, struck by the Water Chant Palm and left to suffer a fate worse than death.”

”If I hadn’t done the opposite and fled back into Yangzhou City, I’m afraid I would have fallen into Lu Hanyan’s hands by now. And I absolutely cannot fall into her hands—my identity is far too sensitive.”

”So don’t waste your energy. When I’m finished speaking, just... destroy my body and eliminate all traces!”

Just as Lu Hanyan had said, if a Tiger Flame Tutor was confirmed to be one of the assassins, the Great Wu Empire could use it as a major pretext against Tiger Flame. Even if the Tiger Flame Kingdom itself escaped unscathed, the Tiger Flame Academy would pay a heavy price.

Fan Jinhua had to disappear forever before he was caught.

”Master Fan, isn’t there any other way?” Wu Caicai asked, tears streaming down her face.

Shaking his head heavily, Fan Jinhua continued his instructions, ”After you destroy my body, wait for Lu Hanyan to leave Yangzhou City, then escape immediately. You can’t give the City Lord’s Mansion time to react.”

Without his protection, the City Lord’s Mansion would level the Cheng Mansion. They had to get out quickly.

However, just as Fan Jinhua was about to say more...

Lu Chao suddenly said, ”Master Fan, the Water Chant Palm... I can neutralize it.”