Chapter 418: Besieging the Shangyang Kingdom
Those alive within the Hall of Helming were all reduced to sticks of stark white bones within fifteen minutes. There wasn’t a single complete skeleton to be found.
Jiang Chen had been thoroughly provoked this time.
Extermination!
What had happened had absolutely crossed his bottom line. Even if he no longer had feelings for the Jiang family, he wouldn’t sit idly by and allow such a thing to happen!
The Shangyang Kingdom was indeed one of the premier kingdoms in the sixteen kingdom alliance. Because their backer was the Purple Sun Sect, they’d inherited the sect’s style and typically acted about in a domineering fashion.
The king of the Shangyang Kingdom, Wu Tan, was an honorary Purple Sun Sect elder and had quite a network within the sect.
King Wu Tan had built quite an impressive kingdom, and his son Wu Hong was equally obsessed with ambition.
Wu Hong had gone for a tour in the Purple Sun Sect half a year ago. He’d paid much to befriend many sect disciples, and had learned about Jiang Chen’s matters from those who’d participated in the selection. He’d received the go ahead for some matters, and all that had caused his ambition to overflow and explode.
Jiang Chen was a secular kid who’d risen from the Eastern Kingdom, but had demonstrated a perverse progress from beginning to end, soaring to the top of the selection and then slaughter Long Juxue of the innate constitution!
Just what kind of heritage had Jiang Chen received?
There was no one in the Purple Sun Sect who wasn’t afire with curiosity.
It was because of this desire to know and the general public view that he wouldn’t be able to exit the Eternal Spirit Mountain, that those within the Purple Sun Sect had decided to annihilate the Jiang family clan. They wanted to see if they could understand what the Jiang family heritage was.
Wu Hong was just a pawn amidst all of this.
But he’d received many promises from the high ranks of the Purple Sun Sect.
The senior levels of the Jiang family clan were all wheezing on their last breaths in the dungeons of the Shangyang Kingdom. It was apparent that extended periods of interrogation had taken them to the limits of their endurance.
One white haired elder in particular was Elder Xi, the most senior person in the Jiang family. Blood continued to ooze out of the corners of his mouth as he muttered curses, “All of you dog of a robber! Just do away with me with one slice if you’ve the guts to! Don’t even think of getting anything out of me!”
A middle aged person next to Elder Xi was Jiang Zheng. He barely resembled a human from all the torture he’d gone through.
Although he was no cultivator, Jiang Zheng was a tough old bird. All sorts of torture and interrogation techniques had been used on him over these days, with everything in the handbook being used at least once on him. He’d still refused to say anything.
“Elder Xi, don’t be afraid. The young master will come save us when he knows what’s happened!” Although Jiang Zheng was a pathetic heap on the floor, he was still steadfast.
“Save you?” A man in the royal uniform laughed coldly. “You’re still holding out hope even when things have progressed thus? Jiang Chen is suppressed in the Eternal Spirit Mountain, and there’s no one on heaven or earth who can save him!”
“Bullshit!” Jiang Zheng cursed loudly. “My house’s young master is favored by the gods! He would be able to bear up beneath all the heavens collapsing, much less a mountain!”
Jiang Zheng didn’t have many advantages to speak of, but when it came to Jiang Chen, he blindly worshipped the latter and was a typical brainless fan.
The uniformed man smiled slightly and leveled his whip at Jiang Zheng’s chin. He spoke chillingly, “You’re a rather loyal servant. However, you’re dumbly loyal. As long as you cooperate and tell me about Jiang Chen, I promise you endless riches and glory in the Shangyang Kingdom. Isn’t that better off than your tiny place of the Eastern Kingdom?”
“Pah!”
Jiang Zheng cursed loudly. “Although I’m not good for much, the Eastern Kingdom is my home! I was born of the Jiang family, and I’ll die a ghost of the Jiang family! Big deal about your screwy Shangyang Kingdom! If you irritate my house’s young master, he’ll defeat your country and destroy your home with a wave of his hand!”
The uniformed man grew irate and waved the whip, viciously cracking it again and again.
“Enough. He’ll die if you keep whipping him.”
A young man who’d been sitting on the side suddenly spoke up. He wore a robe made of python skin, and was crown prince Wu Hong of the Shangyang Kingdom.
Wu Hong smiled faintly, seeming to confirm that Elder Xi and Jiang Zheng would be tough nuts to crack.
He walked over to another Jiang family elder. “Elderly one, I can see that your position in the Jiang family is middling. As opposed to dying aggrieved like this, why not work together? Tell me, what heritage did that Jiang Chen receive? Any clues at all?”
The elder was taken aback, obviously hesitating.
However, he didn’t know what to say to what heritage Jiang Chen had received either. He only knew that this useless fop had suddenly seen the light after being beaten by the king of the Eastern Kingdom. As for what reason, no one amongst the Jiang family members here knew why.
“Prince Wu Hong, it’s not that I don’t wish to cooperate, but that Jiang Chen had ordinary relations with us to begin with. He didn’t let us know anything about him. Apart from Jiang Zheng, none of the others had deep relations with Jiang Chen. Besides, Jiang Chen wasn’t close to any of us. You’ve truly captured the wrong people Your Highness! If we were close with Jiang Chen, why wouldn’t we have gone to the Skylaurel Kingdom with him? Jiang Feng and Jiang Chen ostracized us when they were still at home.”
This person had a rather glib tongue as he tried to escape this particular disaster.
Wu Hong snorted coldly upon hearing this. “So according to your words, you know nothing about Jiang Chen?”
“Indeed.””
“Since you know nothing, then you’re useless trash. What’s the point in keeping you?” Wu Hong suddenly unsheathed his sword and beheaded the old man.
Wu Hong’s gaze was cold as he stared fixedly at Jiang Zheng and Elder Xi, saying raspily, “My patience is limited. Today is the final deadline. If we still do not obtain anything of us, then all of you can accompany the Jiang family ghosts on their way to the underworld!”
Jiang Zheng started laughing in an ugly fashion. “Kill us then, why all the talk? My young master will find you sooner or later, and being an enemy of my young master is to seek death! The Wu royals should take heed of your predecessors, the Long family!”
The uniformed man was incensed upon seeing Jiang Zheng dare retort the Crown Prince. He raised his whip and was about to step forward for another lashing.
Wu Hong waved his hand and halted the man. “He won’t shed tears until he sees his coffin. Even though we can’t pry open his mouth, those within the sect will have their ways. It’s about time, those from the sect should be arriving soon.”
A long whistle suddenly sounded from the skies above the entire Shangyang Kingdom as Wu Hong was speaking.
This whistle rumbled forth like thunder, unceasing in its duration. It possessed an awe inspiring presence as it came roiling forward like a tsunami. In the span of an instant, ominous clouds covered the skies over the Shangyang Kingdom like black clouds descending on a city’s walls.
“Wu Hong, get the hell out here!”
A loud roar pressed down from the skies.
Wu Hong shook all over. What’s going on? Who is so bold as to speak my name in Shangyang Kingdom territory?
Within the palace, the king was conquering a beloved concubine in bed. The sounds of their battle filled the air within the bed coverings.
Several maids were waiting by the side of the bed. All of them were stunning beauties and standing with their hands trailing by their sides. They seemed to be long since used to all this, and judging from their looks, could fill in for the concubine at any time.
This sudden roar shook Wu Tan as it felt like lightning had suddenly struck him. He pushed aside the beauty next to him.
“What’s going on?”
All of the guards outside seemed to be facing an enormous enemy as they yelled, “Protect the king, protect the king!”
Wu Tan couldn’t continue his pillaging any further as he flipped over, put on his clothes, and walked outside.
“Your Majesty!”
“Who causes this disturbance outside?” Wu Tan was the ruler of a nation after all. He didn’t lose his composure.
A guard hurriedly ran in from outside the palace before long to make his report.
“Your Majesty, a circular moat has suddenly appeared around the outskirts of the palace and surrounded the entire structure!”
“Your Majesty, countless numbers of black dots are in the sky. We know not what they are and they’ve blotted out of the sun and the sky!”
“Your Majesty, the royal experts have bridged the moat for surveillance and have all been killed!”
Wu Tan became more and more alarmed as he listened to all the intelligence fly in. Just who was being so bold to come act in such a wild fashion in the Shangyang Kingdom?
Didn’t they know that acting so uncouthly in the Shangyang Kingdom was the equivalent of doing so at the doorstep of the Purple Sun Sect?
“Mobilize the royal experts immediately and summon the three great external branches for protection!” Wu Tan ordered.
Just as there were the Precious Tree Sect’s four great sites in the Skylaurel Kingdom, so had the Purple Sun Sect established three external branches.
These three were directly beneath the control of the royal family, a detail in contrast to the Skylaurel Kingdom.
Wu Tan didn’t panic as he orderly set plans in motion.
“Where is the Crown Prince?” Wu Tan asked after laying out his plans.
“The Crown Prince is in the dungeons, interrogating the prisoners.”
Wu Tan spread out his hands. “Have him quickly depart to prevent unexpected complications from developing.”
Wu Tan also knew that those who had come were not friendly, and those who are friendly had yet to come. In consideration of his son’s safety, he wasn’t at ease in leaving Wu Hong in the dungeons.
Wu Hong quickly ran into the palace to see Wu Tan before long.
“Royal father, what’s going on? I’ve heard that the palace has been surrounded?” Wu Hong asked.
“What are you panicking about?” Wu Tan laughed coldly. “My Shangyang Kingdom has dominated the sixteen kingdom alliance for a thousand years. What haven’t we seen before? To act like this in front of the Purple Sun Sect’s doors, whoever the opponent is, they’re courting death!”
Wu Tan had quite an impressive air about him. He was different from the king of the Skylaurel Kingdom. He was an honorary elder of the Purple Sun Sect to begin with. His position was quite high, and his control over his kingdom was far in excess of the Skylaurel king’s.
The royal experts had all gathered before long.
As the head of the sixteen kingdom alliance, the Shangyang Kingdom’s royal experts were all of the spirit realm. The leaders in particular were all of the earth spirit realm.
Although the Shangyang Kingdom didn’t have a spirit king protector like Ye Chonglou, the nation had four great warriors, Tian Shu, De Qi, Lie Feng, and Cheng Yun. They were all of the sky spirit realm!
These four great warriors usually stayed in seclusion.
When they heard that the palace had been surrounded however, they naturally couldn’t sit still anymore and revealed themselves.
“Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. We have already contacted the Purple Sun Sect and their aid will be here in a few hours.” The leader of the four, Tian Shu, stepped forward to report.
“Your Majesty, who is this madman to dare disdain the preeminence of my Shangyang Kingdom? We incapable ones are willing to shoulder Your Majesty’s burdens and see what crazies dare act wildly!” This was De Qi.
“I will go as well.” Lie Feng also stepped forward.
“Then naturally I have to be present as well.” Cheng Yun smiled leisurely.
The voice rang like thunder again in the skies at this moment.
“Hark my words, Wu royals! Every wrong has a source and every debt a lender. Hand over Wu Hong in fifteen minutes and there will be room for discussion. If you stubbornly persist in erroneous ways, the Wu clan will be eradicated without leaving even a chicken or a dog in fifteen minutes!”
Jiang Chen’s towering rage had transmuted to a thunderous bellow that crashed down on the palace of the Shangyang Kingdom!
