Divine Emperor of Heavenly Destiny

At the command, the black-clad guards rushed forward, intending to strike down and detain the three of them.

Yu Fei couldn’t restrain the urge to lash out...

But Lu Chao stopped him, staring down the black-clad guards. ”No need to trouble yourselves. We’ll go on our own.”

At his words, the black-clad guards halted in their tracks.

The black-clad guard who recognized Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu furrowed his brow, finally waving a hand. ”This woman is Old Master Su’s illegitimate granddaughter... No need to apprehend them. Just take them to see Elder Lady Su.”

And just like that, the black-clad guards stood down, merely glaring at the three of them.

They truly didn’t dare to recklessly offend these illegitimate descendants.

Heaven knew if one of them might awaken a Saint Bone. Anyone who did would skyrocket to prominence overnight.

In the silence...

Lu Chao took Cheng Yunsu’s hand and strode forward.

Yu Fei quickly followed. Despite his advanced age, his steps were brisk and vigorous.

Escorted by several black-clad guards, the three of them soon arrived at the Su Mansion. Before them stood a vast and luxurious estate. At this moment, however, the entire Su Mansion felt solemn and intimidating...

It exuded a feeling of extreme tension and oppression.

The tension wasn’t from fear of intruders or saboteurs. Rather, everyone was worried: if no one awakened a Saint Bone during this ceremony, what would become of the Saint Bone Su Family?

The three of them were led inside...

They were ordered to wait in the front hall while a black-clad guard hurried inside to make a report.

Just a short while later, the guard ran back and said coldly, ”Elder Lady Su will see you.”

Thus, the three of them truly set foot inside the Su Mansion and were led all the way to a rear courtyard.

There was a vast square here.

At the far end of the square stood an ancient hall, weathered by the ages.

In front of the ancient hall was a stone altar, and Elder Lady Su was seated before it.

Behind her stood the old maidservant whom Yin Ye had slapped. Flanking her were several old men, each one clearly powerful in the Martial Dao.

They were clearly the Elders of the Saint Bone Su Family’s older generation.

Seated below Elder Lady Su...

...were numerous people in lavish attire—middle-aged adults, young men and women, even children. These were the mainstays and the younger generation of the Su Family. It was this group from which not a single person had awakened a Saint Bone during the first ceremony.

In the center of the square...

...stood a group of men and women, their expressions a mixture of panic, anticipation, and numbness.

These were, of course, Old Master Su’s illegitimate children, or the descendants of said children. Naturally, not all of them were his; Old Master Su wasn’t the only philanderer in the family to have illegitimate offspring.

In any case, anyone with the Saint Bone bloodline had been brought here. They were to be the protagonists of this Saint Bone Ceremony.

Just then, a middle-aged man in black approached them.

He looked at Lu Chao, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. ”Promising stock. So you actually came.”

This was Su Shangmo, the very man who had handled the Beast Taming for Elder Lady Su’s carriage back in Azure Flame Town. His eyes were filled with contempt as he looked at Lu Chao.

”You talked so tough back then. Why show up at our doorstep now?”

”Never mind. Follow me and pay your respects to Elder Lady Su.”

Su Shangmo, of course, despised Lu Chao.

Back in Azure Flame Town, Lu Chao and his companions had been so defiant. Now that they had come willingly, anyone could guess their reason.

Neither Lu Chao nor Cheng Yunsu said a word in protest. They followed Su Shangmo to the front of the altar, where all eyes landed squarely on them.

Abruptly, the old maidservant barked, ”Kneel...”

After her angry shout, the old maidservant turned back to Elder Lady Su. ”Elder Lady, what did I tell you? As soon as they learned of the great opportunity presented by the Saint Bone Ceremony, they would surely come scurrying over. It’s just as I predicted.”

Upon hearing this, a superior smile spread across Elder Lady Su’s face.

The old maidservant looked up again. Seeing that the three of them still hadn’t kneeled, she barked once more...

”Kneel and pay your respects to Elder Lady Su!”

”And where is that Cheng Chuming? Why didn’t he come with you?”

Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu remained unmoved, while Yu Fei stood beside them, his face as impassive as a bodyguard’s.

Seeing this, the gazes of the onlookers gradually turned menacing...

A few people, however, looked confused. ’These three don’t look like they’re here to beg for a spot in the Saint Bone Ceremony.’

Finally, Lu Chao looked up, cupped his fists, and said, ”Elder Lady Su, you’ve misunderstood. We aren’t here for the Saint Bone Ceremony. We’ve come looking for my father-in-law. He was kidnapped from inside the Jilong Marquis’s Mansion.”

At these words, Elder Lady Su and Su Shangmo were both stunned...

But the old maidservant, after a moment’s stun, flew into a rage. ”Not here for the Saint Bone Ceremony? That Cheng Chuming was kidnapped and is missing? Brat, you don’t actually think we’re the ones who took him, do you?”

”With his garbage Martial Arts Talent, the chances of him awakening a Saint Bone are practically zero. Why would we need to kidnap him?”

Elder Lady Su also snapped back to her senses. Her expression darkened as she fixed Lu Chao with a deathly stare.

In the next moment, Lu Chao replied, ”Of course you didn’t take him. After all, my father-in-law was at the Jilong Marquis’s Mansion. You wouldn’t dare.”

As his words fell... BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

One after another, the Su Family’s Elders, core members, and younger generation all slammed their hands on the tables and shot to their feet.

It was true they wouldn’t dare, but for a member of a Saint Bone Family to be told so in public was a tremendous slap in the face. This was especially true given their panic over the interruption in their Saint Bone lineage—his words had struck a raw nerve.

At this moment, Elder Lady Su suddenly waved her hand, motioning for everyone to sit down.

The corners of her heavily made-up lips suddenly curled...

”Little one, stop putting on this tough act for me. I’d say you’re the one who wanted to bring your wife here, isn’t that right?”

”Your father-in-law genuinely didn’t want to come, but you couldn’t accept that. You covet the riches and glory of my Su Family, hoping to ride your wife’s coattails to a higher station. So you snuck over here with your wife, and this business about your father-in-law being kidnapped is just a flimsy excuse.”

”Am I right?”

Hearing this, it dawned on the crowd, and they once again shot looks of contempt at Lu Chao.

’That must be it. His father-in-law didn’t want to rejoin the family...’

’...but the son-in-law coveted wealth and status, so he used the kidnapping as an excuse to show up for the Saint Bone Ceremony. If his wife successfully awakens a Saint Bone, he’ll have it made.’

’Who would dare enter the Jilong Marquis’s Mansion to seize someone?’

Thinking of this, the old maidservant couldn’t help but scoff. ”Wanting the benefits but pretending you’re too proud to bow your head. How utterly ridiculous.”

Lu Chao and Cheng Yunsu stared at the crowd, dumbfounded. ’Their imaginations are running a little wild, aren’t they?’

Just then, Elder Lady Su thundered, ”If you want your wife to participate in the Saint Bone Ceremony, then kneel, kowtow to me, and swear lifelong loyalty to the Saint Bone Su Family! I am giving you this one chance. I don’t have time to waste on your nonsense.”

’She thought nothing of Cheng Yunsu...’

’If not for that minuscule chance, if not for the major humiliation she’d suffered in Azure Flame Town, and if not for Marquis Jilong in the background, she would have simply sent Lu Chao flying with a palm strike and kept Cheng Yunsu here. That would have settled the matter.’