Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

Behind the old woman followed another, a woman whose posture was ramrod straight despite her advanced age.

This was the Elder Lady Su whom Su Shangmo had mentioned. The woman behind her was, of course, her attendant. Both were top-tier experts.

After stepping out of the carriage, Elder Lady Su stared coldly at Lu Chao...

”Azure Flame Sect. So, you want to play hardball with me, is that it?”

”I will annihilate you all right now, no matter the cost. You finally found a place to survive, yet you will face extermination for defying me. This is your fate.”

”I will annihilate you, and it will be useless even if Marquis Jilong himself shows up.”

Elder Lady Su’s voice was utterly ferocious, as if she wouldn’t rest until every last member of the Azure Flame Sect was dead.

However... CLANG!

A Giant Halberd suddenly descended from the sky, accompanied by a cold voice. ”Elder Lady Su, did you say my arrival would be useless?”

As the voice faded, Yin Ye floated down to land atop the Giant Halberd, his cold gaze meeting the old woman’s.

Instantly...

Elder Lady Su was dumbfounded. Her attendant was dumbfounded. And Su Shangmo, on the back of his Demon Beast, was also dumbfounded.

Each of them stood with their mouths slightly agape. Marquis Jilong, Yin Ye, had actually arrived.

His arrival was timed so perfectly it was like a heavy slap across Elder Lady Su’s face. Su Shangmo, in particular, knew that the Elder Lady was just running her mouth out of sheer anger; it wasn’t that Marquis Jilong’s arrival was truly useless.

In their minds, there was no way Yin Ye could have appeared here.

Fan Jinhua and the others, who had been preparing to fight to the death, were also stunned for a moment. ”Marquis, what are you doing here?” they asked.

They were also bewildered. Yin Ye had seen them off from the Marquis’s Mansion in Jizhou City, yet he had somehow arrived at the same time.

What Fan Jinhua and his men didn’t know was that the reason was simply because they were utter novices in the Soldier Dao.

Yin Ye ignored Fan Jinhua, his gaze still fixed on the old woman from his perch atop the Giant Halberd. He shot back, ”Elder Lady Su, I am here. I intend to protect the descendants of the Azure Flame Sect—the very people I settled here myself. Now, I ask you, is *that* useful?”

His sharp retort caused Elder Lady Su’s wrinkled face to gradually flush bright red.

For a moment, she was trapped—to answer was wrong, but to not answer was also wrong.

From his warhorse, Lu Chao also looked toward Yin Ye. It was clear from the latter’s words that he knew who this old woman was.

’The reason they want to capture Xiao Su’er and Father-in-law will soon be revealed.’

Sure enough, the elderly attendant behind Elder Lady Su spoke up. ”Marquis Jilong, this is a private matter of our Saint Bone Su Family. Even you have no reason to interfere in our family affairs.”

’The Saint Bone Su Family?’

At the old attendant’s words, a sharp glint flashed in the eyes of several veteran Azure Flame disciples.

Obviously, they had heard the name before.

Lu Chao was also surprised. As the former Great Martial Emperor Star, it was impossible for him not to know what the Saint Bone Su Family was.

The very same Saint Bone Family located in the Dragon Flame Kingdom...

And these so-called Saint Bone Families were clans that possessed the Heavenly Destiny Saint Bone Bloodline.

Across the Hundred Countries, the Great Wu Empire, and the Nanye Dynasty beyond the southern border of the Dragon Flame Kingdom, there were a total of six Saint Bone Families.

Two of them were in the Great Wu Empire, one being the Great Wu Royal Family itself.

The Hundred Countries also had two, both of which were located within the territory of the Dragon Flame Kingdom. One of them was none other than the Saint Bone Su Family.

As for the remaining two...

One was in the Southern Dynasty Imperial Court, and the last was reclusively independent, outside the sphere of influence of any nation.

For as long as he could remember, Lu Chao had possessed three Saint Bones within his body.

He had once suspected that he might be a long-lost scion of one of the six Saint Bone Families, cast out among the common people. He had even investigated this possibility in secret, but the result was that his three Saint Bones were completely different from those of the six great families.

Thus, he was all but certain he did not hail from any of the Saint Bone Families.

’The Saint Bone Su Family... why would they want to capture Father-in-law and Xiao Su’er?’

Lu Chao grew even more puzzled. Logically, his father-in-law shouldn’t have the slightest connection to a Saint Bone Family, a connection that wouldn’t form in eight lifetimes. But then something occurred to Lu Chao, and he thought, ’A family matter? Could it be about Xiao Su’er’s mother?’

’No...’

’Xiao Su’er’s mother had more than just a Saint Bone. The Fire Phoenix Divine Emperor even said that Xiao Su’er’s Fire Sparrow Bone is an existence that surpasses a Divine Bone.’

’Then it can only be my father-in-law’s biological father.’

Thinking of this, Lu Chao couldn’t help but marvel internally. Cheng Weishan really had his methods.

Years ago, Cheng Weishan had sent Xiao Su’er’s biological grandmother to a ”great personage,” and she had subsequently become pregnant with his father-in-law, Cheng Chuming.

And that ”great personage,” he suspected, was someone from the Saint Bone Su Family.

Just as Lu Chao was piecing things together, Yin Ye gave his cold reply. ”I may have no reason to interfere in your family matters, but when your family matters involve killing the descendants of the Azure Flame Sect, then I *must* get involved.”

His response was just as domineering, but Yin Ye was also puzzled. ’A family matter?’

He couldn’t help but glance back at Lu Chao. ’What kind of family matter could this family possibly have with the Saint Bone Su Family?’

Yin Ye had asked Fan Jinhua before, so he was well aware that Cheng Yunsu’s background was tantamount to having no background at all.

Just then, Su Shangmo added, ”We never intended to attack the descendants of the Azure Flame Sect. They were the ones who attacked us first. All we want is Cheng Chuming and his family.”

Elder Lady Su, catching on, added coldly, ”That’s right. Cheng Chuming is not a descendant of the Azure Flame Sect.”

As soon as she said this, Luo Wendeng stepped forward without hesitation. ”Uncle Cheng is one of the Azure Flame Sect.”

In his heart, Lu Chao’s family of three were all members of their Azure Flame Sect.

The two thousand members of Azure Flame also took a step forward in unison. Though silent, their meaning was clear: Cheng Chuming was no different from any of them.

In an instant, Cheng Chuming was deeply moved.

But he still squeezed out of the crowd and asked, ”I have no connection to you people. I’ve never even heard of you.”

Given his origins, it was understandable that he knew little about the Saint Bone Families.

But Elder Lady Su immediately retorted, ”Cheng Chuming, do you even know who your biological father is?”

At these words, Cheng Chuming’s expression froze.

Cheng Yunsu, who had also stepped out from the crowd, was stunned, while Lu Chao’s face showed that he had expected this all along.

”That worthless Cheng Weishan brought you here as a newborn, traveling a thousand leagues to my Saint Bone Su Family. He claimed you were my husband’s own flesh and blood, but I drove him away.”

Elder Lady Su added emphatically.

Cheng Chuming’s mouth hung wide open. So *this* was the ”great personage” Cheng Weishan had spoken of.

His own birth mother had been sent by Cheng Weishan to attend to Elder Lady Su’s husband.

Cheng Chuming had only learned the truth just before Cheng Weishan died, but he had never wanted to know who the ”great personage” was. In fact, he had all but forgotten the matter. And now, they had inexplicably shown up on his doorstep.

The next moment, Elder Lady Su turned back to face Yin Ye...

”Marquis Jilong, I intend to bring my husband’s bloodline back to the Su Family.”

”It was these descendants of the Azure Flame Sect who didn’t know what was good for them and insisted on defying me. Is there any problem with me wanting to annihilate them for that?”

Hearing this, Marquis Jilong’s brows knitted together tightly. This was, indeed, a difficult situation to obstruct.