C654 The Blackrobed Man

Yuwen Qianyuan, the former lord of Bright Sun City, had shown up. This was the guy Woo Zhengyang had once unseated with a single move.

"Yuwen Qianyuan, who gave you permission to barge into the lord's manor?" Lee Minglang was clearly caught off guard by Yuwen Qianyuan's appearance and spoke angrily.

"Lord, what do you mean by barging in? The last time that elder instructed us that if Woo Zhengyang showed up, our two families should put aside past grievances and work together to capture this renegade. When I heard your laughter, I knew you must have succeeded, so I came when you called..." Yuwen Qianyuan said, looking excitedly at Woo Zhengyang, who was still holding his teacup.

"Hmph!" Lee Minglang snorted coldly, saying nothing more. He couldn't afford to fall out with Yuwen Qianyuan at this moment.

"Elder? What elder?" Woo Zhengyang asked, having listened to Yuwen Qianyuan's words.

"Haha... It seems old man Lee didn't tell you the truth! Did you think Lau Qinghan was sent by the emperor to capture you? That was the higher-ups' decision, and there was a martial king elder who came along. This elder gave us some good stuff."

"Good stuff?"

"That's right, it should be in the tea you're drinking. I know you're young and talented, Woo Zhengyang, adept in both body and energy cultivation. But the good stuff this elder gave us is called a soul poison. It doesn't harm your true energy or blood energy; it just messes with your soul's power. How does it feel? You must be feeling dazed now, unable to mobilize either your true energy or blood energy, right?"

"That's some good stuff!" Woo Zhengyang exclaimed, downing the tea in one gulp and standing up.

Seeing Woo Zhengyang drink all the tea in one go, Yuwen Qianyuan and Lee Minglang both looked surprised.

"Hmph... You think you can fool us, kid? Yuwen Qianyuan, this is my place. Just watch, and you'll get credit for it," Lee Minglang said, stepping forward to take action.

"No need for you to get your hands dirty, Mayor. I can handle this!" Yuwen Qianyuan was startled when he saw Woo Zhengyang drink all the tea. He didn't quite believe Lee Minglang's words, suspecting that Woo Zhengyang was up to something clever.

They had tested the concoction given by the elder, and just a drop could scramble a warrior's mind, turning them into an idiot. Woo Zhengyang must be bluffing.

Seeing Lee Minglang ready to make a move, Yuwen Qianyuan felt compelled to act. Ever since Woo Zhengyang had ousted him from his position as mayor, his family had been in decline. This was a chance to rise again, and he couldn't let it slip away. He had to act first.

"This is my house. Are you trying to take over?" Lee Minglang shouted sternly.

"Just trying to ease your burden, Mayor!" Yuwen Qianyuan laughed wildly, brandishing his sword and charging at Woo Zhengyang, fearing Lee Minglang would beat him to it.

However, he failed to notice that while Lee Minglang talked about making a move, his body barely shifted at all. In the blink of an eye, Yuwen Qianyuan charged right up to Woo Zhengyang, placing his long blade against Zhengyang's neck.

"Haha... You really are a crafty one, but this works out just fine. No need to resist—come with me to Hibernation Dragon City to meet your uncle!" Yuwen Qianyuan laughed triumphantly, even more pleased than Lee Minglang had been moments before.

Not far away, Lee Minglang, who was ready to make a quick escape, was both surprised and frustrated to see Yuwen Qianyuan so easily subdue Woo Zhengyang. It turned out this kid was all bluff, yet he had fallen for it. The rumors outside had exaggerated this kid's prowess, making him overly cautious.

In his annoyance, a cold glint flashed in Lee Minglang's eyes. He couldn't let Yuwen Qianyuan take all the credit. Otherwise, he might not last a year as the city's leader. The only solution now was to... deal with Yuwen Qianyuan!

Though cautious, Lee Minglang was decisive. Once he made up his mind, he signaled to those around him. The people from the city leader's mansion sprang into action.

Yuwen Qianyuan had only brought a dozen or so people with him, and caught off guard, they were no match for the city's forces. In just a few moments, they were reduced to lifeless bodies on the ground.

"Lee Minglang! What do you think you're doing?"

"What am I doing? Naturally, I'm here to punish you for trespassing in the mayor's mansion!"

"You... you want to take all the credit for yourself..."

"What do you mean, take all the credit? I was the one who caught this kid in the first place. You think you can just swoop in and claim it?" Lee Minglang said with a dark expression.

"Lee Minglang, aren't you afraid I'll kill this kid? Don't forget, he's more valuable alive!"

"I'm not that greedy. His body alone is enough for the Lee family to rise. Besides, if you don't kill him, you're the one who's going to die. If you do, your whole family will pay the price!"

"Fine... you're ruthless... but do you really think you can control me? If I want to leave, you might not be able to stop me!"

"Oh, really? What if I have some help?" As he spoke, a man in a black robe stepped out from behind a screen.

"A Shape Gathering Master!" Seeing the newcomer's level, Yuwen Qianyuan's face changed dramatically.

He was only at the peak of the Martial Master Stage, on par with Lee Minglang. If it were just Lee Minglang and his people, he might have had a chance to fight his way out. But now, with a Shape Gathering Master here, a whole level above him, there was no chance of escape.

"Master Blood Lotus!" Lee Minglang bowed to the newcomer, then smugly said, "Yuwen Qianyuan, haven't you always wondered why that esteemed person let the Lee family into the mayor's mansion? Now you understand, don't you?"

"You've hidden your true self well, Lee Minglang," Yuwen Qianyuan said, his face ashen. "I don't want any credit for this. How about I just leave?"

"Leave? If you were in my shoes, would you let me go? Ha!"

"Enough! Both of you, be quiet!" The man in the black robe suddenly interrupted, glancing at Woo Zhengyang before addressing Lee Minglang. "Is this the young man who sparked my brother's interest in taking on a disciple?"

When the black-robed man appeared, Woo Zhengyang felt a familiar presence, though he couldn't immediately place it. But now, hearing the man's words, everything clicked. He remembered where he had felt this presence before.

It was during his first return to the Profound Heaven Sect, after a sparring match with Huang Ruoshan from the Iron Cloud Sect. At the end of that match, a black-robed man at the Shape Gathering Stage suddenly appeared, insisting on taking Woo Zhengyang as his disciple.

That incident revealed to the people of Bright Sun City that Uncle Fu, who had long been bullied, was actually a powerful figure at the Shape Gathering Stage. It was during that confrontation that Uncle Fu killed the black-robed man, though it triggered an old ailment...

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