Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

”The Azure Flame Sect, destroyed by the Life-taking Bone, may also be reborn by it.”

Fan Changcun’s complex feelings toward the Life-taking Bone suddenly resolved. His aged eyes glinted as he stared intently at Lu Chao.

Watching the increasingly heroic expression on Fan Changcun’s face...

Lu Chao’s fists clenched. ’So the Azure Flame Sect is another tragedy... another victim of the Life-taking Bone.’ He felt a deep sense of kinship with their plight.

But he quickly composed himself. ”Marshal, that may be true, but the world will not tolerate the Life-taking Bone. I cannot openly become the Sect Leader of the Azure Flame Martial Dao Sect, nor can I publicly wield the Azure Flame Order.”

At his words, Fan Changcun’s expression sobered.

He gazed at Lu Chao, his eyes filled with immense heartache. In a low voice, he said, ”Child, the road ahead of you will be incredibly difficult and bitter.”

Lu Chao gave a faint smile. ”Nothing is more bitter than the betrayal of one’s own kin. I’m already prepared to crush anyone who stands in my way.”

He was, of course, referring to the ruthless hand of Lu Dingtian...

The old man and the young man stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

They shared a similar fate. One had survived the destruction of his Sect for forty years, living on borrowed time to forge a path for its descendants. The other bore the Life-taking Bone, living for survival and vengeance.

Taking a deep breath, Fan Changcun abruptly called out, ”Jinhu, come in.”

Fan Jinhua, who was in the middle of telling his sister, Fan Jinxiang, about Lu Chao’s exploits in Yangzhou City, quickly slipped into the carriage.

Fan Changcun spoke gravely, ”Jinhu, from this day forward, Lu Chao is the new Sect Leader of the Azure Flame Martial Dao Sect. He will also be the future Azure Flame Sect Leader—or the one who designates who that will be...”

Fan Jinhua’s eyes widened slightly at these words, but he quickly straightened his expression and said, ”Greetings, Sect Leader.”

’It’s only natural,’ he thought. ’No one is more qualified to be the Sect Leader of the Azure Flame Martial Dao Sect than Lu Chao.’

”But Lu Chao possesses the Life-taking Bone, as well as the Great Martial Emperor Star. These are identities that cannot be made public for the time being...”

”Therefore, you will be the public face of it all. You will be the apparent Sect Leader of the Azure Flame Martial Dao Sect, the nominal Azure Flame Sect Leader... You must act as his shield until Lu Chao recovers his former strength.”

Hearing this, Fan Jinhua’s jaw dropped. He desperately wanted to say, ’Oh, I’m very familiar with this routine!’

’I’ve been taking the fall for Lu Chao this whole time. Even when I don’t want to, damn it all, everyone from Guan Zanyi and Lu Hanyan to possibly even Lu Dingtian and the Six Great Flame Kings... they all think I’m the one behind everything.’

Then, Fan Changcun laid out the entire plan for Fan Jinhua...

When he heard that his grandfather planned to return to negotiate with the Six Great Flame Kings, Fan Jinhua froze, his eyes gradually turning red.

”Jinhu, your grandfather doesn’t have many years left.”

”It was a stroke of luck that I survived this time. Don’t be too sad. Besides, I won’t be dying just yet.”

”Until the treasure in the Forbidden Land is revealed, they won’t kill me. In fact, they’ll have to treat me very well.”

Fan Jinhua listened, gritting his teeth as he nodded forcefully...

Then, Fan Changcun added, ”We still have several days of travel ahead of us. We can discuss the rest of the arrangements on the road.”

After a moment’s daze, Fan Jinhua blinked. ”Grandfather, the Tiger Flame pursuers are probably not far behind. What should we do?”

’Grandfather still wants to get to the Sword Leader Kingdom and meet with Luo Wendeng and the others.’

’How are we supposed to manage that?’

Meanwhile, Lu Chao spoke up with a smile, ”Master Fan, the Tiger Flame Second Prince will buy us more time.”

Fan Jinhua was stunned yet again. ’Am I even my grandfather’s real grandson? Why can’t I figure any of this out?’

’Trying to keep up with this old man and this young man is just exhausting.’

Soon enough, Lu Chao cleared up Fan Jinhua’s confusion. He and Fan Jinhua disembarked from the carriage and walked over to Chang Qi.

Lu Chao said casually, ”Tiger Flame Second Prince, you’re free to go. We’re letting you off.”

Hearing this, Chang Qi looked up, overjoyed. ”Really?”

”Of course. Go on,” Lu Chao said with another smile, casually undoing his bonds.

Chang Qi scrambled to his feet, ready to bolt...

But then he remembered something, and his face went pale. ”You... you haven’t given me the antidote yet.”

Lu Chao tilted his head. ”After you run into your pursuers, you are to deliberately misdirect them. Only then will you get the antidote.”

At these words, Fan Jinhua finally understood how they were going to shake their pursuers so easily.

’They’re having Chang Qi go back and deliberately give the wrong directions.’

”If I see any pursuers within the next few days, I will kill Li Wumian immediately,” Lu Chao added as a grave warning.

If Li Wumian died, he would never get the antidote.

Chang Qi shook his head frantically. ”You can’t do this... Jinxiang, my feelings for you are true! Please, say something for me.”

But Fan Jinxiang’s face was now cold as she slowly spat out a single word: ”Liar.”

She now knew everything that had happened to her brother in places like Yangzhou City in the Great Wu Empire. Yet the Tiger Flame King, Chang Qi, and the others had lied, telling her they had only received news of her brother Fan Jinhua’s survival two days ago.

’How despicable!’

Finally, the group re-boarded the carriage and departed. The unconscious Li Wumian and his disciple were thrown aboard as well, leaving Chang Qi alone to spiral into a frantic mess in the night wind.

Even now, he had no idea who that so-called Little Doctor really was.

He didn’t know how he had saved Fan Changcun, nor did he know what their relationship was.

He didn’t understand how a complete nobody had managed to ruin everything.

In the end, he trudged back in the direction of the Tiger Flame Royal City. He soon ran into the pursuers and had no choice but to misdirect them as instructed. The Tiger Flame forces immediately took off in a furious pursuit down the path Chang Qi had indicated.

「Meanwhile...」

Li Wumian’s carriage continued its journey toward the Sword Leader Kingdom.

With the two cunning foxes, the old Fan Changcun and the young Lu Chao, orchestrating things, they naturally traveled without attracting any attention.

During the journey...

Fan Changcun tirelessly wrote down everything he knew about the Azure Flame Martial Dao Sect to pass on to Lu Chao, and his health gradually improved.

Also during this time, Fan Changcun sent messages to several disciples of the Azure Flame Sect from forty years prior.

And of course, to Dragon Flame Marquis Jilong!

「Three days later...」

Over on Chang Qi’s side, the poison of the Fierce Demon Pill flared up for the first time. The feeling was truly a fate worse than death.

The Tiger Flame King summoned Imperial Physicians to try every treatment they could, but to no avail.

In his agony, Chang Qi finally broke and told the truth, revealing the correct route Lu Chao’s group had taken. The Tiger Flame King howled in rage and immediately dispatched troops to hunt them down in the direction of the Sword Leader Kingdom...

「Six days later」

Lu Chao and his party successfully arrived at a perilous, secluded location within the Sword Leader Kingdom, where they rendezvoused with Cheng Yunsu and her people.

The moment they met...

Lu Chao helped Fan Changcun down from the carriage and introduced him to Cheng Yunsu. ”Xiao Su’er, this is Marshal Fan.”

As he spoke, Cheng Yunsu hurried forward to pay her respects.

The two thousand Descendants of Azure Flame also trembled, a collective shock running through them.

Many of them had never seen Fan Changcun before, having lived their lives in the other Five Great Flame Countries.

Fan Changcun gazed deeply at them all and spoke slowly, ”Children... it is so good to see you all alive.”