Chang Ming silently left Qian Exterminating City without anyone noticing.
After leaving Qian Exterminating City, he flew for some time before taking out a flying ship and heading quickly for Chaoge City.
On the flying ship, Chang Ming held the two letters and frowned heavily. He recalled the excitement, despair, and anticipation his father showed before he left.
“Give this to Shangguan Hen and this to Gu Hai? Father, maybe you are thinking too negatively. Perhaps things aren’t that bad? Why do you trust Gu Hai so much?” Chang Ming showed a faint, bitter smile.
Despite the doubts in his heart, he decided to follow his father’s instructions.
Chang Ming held a brush and wrote down various names.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, Mo Yike, Qin Zibai, Gu Hai, Father, Primogenitor, Second Uncle…and many others. Chang Ming stared at these names.
“Father, this child will not disappoint you anymore. I used to avoid thinking about many things in the past. From now on, I will properly study everyone.” Chang Ming carefully examined these people’s connections to each other.
Qian Exterminating City:
After Chang Ming left, Chang Sheng sought out his second brother and third brother to give some simple instructions. He told them that he had sent Chang Ming back to Major Metropolitan City to avoid this calamity and that his brothers should not be too earnest before the Bat Ancestor.
Had this been before the Bat Ancestor consumed Chang Sheng’s fourth brother, his other two brothers would have disagreed with him. However, after the Bat Ancestor ate their fourth brother, the two realized that their first brother was more trustworthy than the Bat Ancestor, so they nodded.
The next day, the five factions met to discuss again.
During the discussion, Chang Sheng did his best to raise objections. Topics that could be quickly agreed on ended up taking a long time. He emphasized and repeated his points several times, dragging things out.
To the Bat Ancestor, Chang Sheng was fighting for more benefits for him, so he let Chang Sheng carry on.
Just like this, the discussions dragged on for another three days. Finally, the two imperial emperors and two Dao lords agreed to the Bat Ancestor’s unfair conditions.
“Alright. Bat Ancestor, we have all agreed already. Quickly bring us there!” an imperial-robed imperial emperor said coldly.
“That’s right. Even now, you refuse to say where Long Wanyu is. What if she runs away? Hurry up!” a Dao lord said.
“Alright. Since everyone agrees, I hope that everyone will work together this time. Prepare your flying ships. We will depart in two hours!” The Bat Ancestor smiled confidently.
“Humph!” everyone snorted coldly.
After another two hours, Chang Sheng and the others boarded the Bat Ancestor’s flying ship. The other four factions also boarded flying ships and left Qian Exterminating City.
The five flying ships moved at an extreme speed, heading towards Chaoge City.
Qin Zibai remained behind to manage the soldiers. The Bat Ancestor and Chang Clan elders all headed for Chaoge City.
Chang Sheng stood alone at the bow of the Yuan Nation’s flying ship, staring into the distance. Some anticipation flashed in his eyes as he muttered, “It’s been four days. Ming`er, you have to do your best.”
The Qian Heavenly Emperor’s study, Heavenly Court City, Qian Heavenly Dynasty:
Curtains divided the study into two. In the inner section of the study, behind the curtains, the Qian Heavenly Emperor seemed to be seated at his desk, apparently writing something, his face obscured.
A group of officials led by Sima Zongheng stood deferentially on the other side of the curtains.
“Reporting to Your Holy Eminence, we have found nearly all the spies in the heavenly court,” Sima Zongheng said respectfully.
“Alright,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor answered indifferently.
“Your Holy Eminence, after we exposed those spies, all of them were willing to help us deal with their masters. Your Holy Eminence is wise, acting behind a veil of mystery. Your Holy Eminence scared them all witless. We did not even suspect some of those people. How unexpected! Killing one Duke Ling Yang killed all their hopes, causing them to reveal themselves.” Sima Zongheng smiled.
“The five factions should be rushing towards Chaoge City already, right?” The Qian Heavenly Emperor slowly put down his brush.
“They should be. We leaked Princess Wanyu’s location quite a while ago,” one of the officials said respectfully.
Behind the curtains, the Qian Heavenly Emperor gently tapped the desk as he said indifferently, “Since it is about time, let’s prepare to reap our harvest.”
“Yes!” everyone on the other side of the curtains answered.
Even from a great distance away, the Qian Heavenly Emperor held complete control over every action of the five factions.
Chang Ming had left four days before the Bat Ancestor and the others did. He pushed his speed to the limits as he traveled.
During this time, he carefully examined everything in his mind. The more he thought about them, the more he realized that the people that he looked down on in the past were actually so incredible.
Whoosh!
The flying ship flew very quickly. After half a month, he finally arrived outside Chaoge City.
Boom!
The flying ship flew straight to the city gates.
“Halt! Stop!”
“Who is it?!”
“Stop!”
Furious shouts came from outside Chaoge City, trying to stop the flying ship.
Chang Ming’s flying ship stopped outside Chaoge City. Then, he looked at the vast blessings sea before him. It looked different from before. Over the past half a month, he had studied Gu Hai’s life. Previously, he had thought that Gu Hai was just lucky. Now that he saw this blessings sea, he sensed Gu Hai’s capability.
“Was I completely wrong in the past? Hah!” Chang Ming smiled bitterly to himself.
A group of guards from nearby came over. After all, this flying ship arrived too abruptly.
When the guards approached, their expressions changed.
“It’s him, that vampire?!” one of the guards suddenly exclaimed.
Nearly everyone knew Chang Ming’s face in Chaoge City. When he first came with an army, he had intended to kill the entire city. However, Shangguan Hen nearly poisoned him to death. During his second visit, Chang Sheng slapped him twice before everyone in the city.
Hence, the guards recognized Chang Ming right away.
“Sound the alarm! Be on your guard! Close the city gates!” that guard shouted.
The expressions of the guards behind changed immediately.
Boom!
The distant city gates closed abruptly, interrupting Chang Ming’s thoughts.
Chang Ming extended his hand and waved.
Rumble…!
Suddenly, overwhelming numbers of bats appeared behind him and turned the southern sky dark.
“Vampires? Vampires again?!” A commotion broke out in the city.
In the city:
Long Wanyu looked at a white-robed monk.
“Baldy Liu Nian, you finally came out of closed-door cultivation?” Long Wanyu said happily.
The white-robed monk was Venerable Liu Nian. He pressed his palms together and smiled faintly. “Princess, I hope that you have been well.”
“Hahaha! Of course, I have been well. I even went to the Yuan Imperial Dynasty with Brother-in-Law previously,” Long Wanyu said happily.
“To the Yuan Nation? Are you alright?” Venerable Liu Nian raised his eyebrows.
Clearly, he understood how sensitive Long Wanyu’s identity was.
“Of course, I’m alright. My brother-in-law is very incredible. While in Major Metropolitan City, he wrote poems manifesting that—what was it again—crying supernatural beings? Then, he manifested some Taiji’s Zhang Sanfeng and Dongfang Bubai,” Long Wanyu said happily.
Long Wanyu could not wait to tell Venerable Liu Nian how capable her brother-in-law was, to let him know how incredible Gu Hai was.
Venerable Liu Nian felt startled upon hearing that. “The poem manifested crying supernatural beings? Mister Gu knows the calligraphy Dao too?”
“Of course! My brother-in-law knows everything!” Long Wanyu said excitedly, as though speaking about herself.
Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech!
Just as Long Wanyu was about to tell Venerable Liu Nian more, an overwhelming number of bats suddenly appeared and covered the distant sky.
“Huh?” Venerable Liu Nian’s expression changed.
“Vampires! Vampires!” An outcry arose in the city.
Bang!
Ye Shenzhen and Li Shenji arrived at Long Wanyu’s courtyard nearly simultaneously.
“The vampires are here. Protect the princess!” Ye Shenzhen said.
“Vampires?” Long Wanyu appeared slightly bewildered.
At Shangguan Hen’s residence:
Shangguan Hen usually did not interfere with the government affairs of Chaoge City. However, Gu Hai left the greatest authority to him, permitting him to make decisions for anything.
“Hurry! Report to Mister Shangguan. The vampires are here. Hurry!”
“Why is Mister Shangguan not coming out yet?”
“Quickly inform Mister Shangguan!”
A group of officials anxiously surrounded the palace hall where Shangguan Hen was.
A servant stopped everyone. “My master is in closed-door cultivation. No one is permitted to interrupt.”
“But…but my Chaoge City is in danger again. That Chang Ming returned,” the officials said anxiously.
However, the servant did not let the officials in.
In the hall:
Shangguan Hen showed a pained expression.
“What’s going on? The will of the previous black tortoise’s prime? Aren’t you dead already?” Shangguan Hen said, showing a ferocious expression that betrayed pain.
Buzz! Shangguan Hen’s body gave off a black energy.
“No, this is not the aura of the previous black tortoise prime. What an evil aura! Who are you? Why are you in my body? Furthermore, why can you drive the power of the Black Tortoise Deity in my body?” Shangguan Hen glared.
“Hehehehehe! Who am I? Brat, I will remember you for protecting the Black Tortoise Deity. Now, it is time for you to abdicate.” A strange voice came from Shangguan Hen’s body.
“You are seeking death. Deity, hear my call, eliminate this evil energy!” Shangguan Hen waved.
Buzz!
A bright, white light appeared on Shangguan Hen’s forehead and immediately spread through his entire body, purifying the black energy.
“You can’t kill me! You can’t kill me! Hehehehehe!” The strange voice gradually faded away.
The aura disappeared only after a while.
Shangguan Hen stood up once he no longer felt anything, covered in sweat.
“What happened? It has been half a year, and this happens every month. Furthermore, it seems to be getting stronger. Why is this thing in my body?” Shangguan Hen said in shock as he wiped the sweat off his body.
Showing a sullen expression, Shangguan Hen slowly opened the doors.
Creak!
The instant the doors opened, the many officials outside shouted anxiously, “Shangguan Hen, that vampire is back. It’s that Chang Ming! Chang Ming!”
“Huh?” Shangguan Hen’s face sank.
When he looked up, he saw countless bats filling the sky.
However, these bats did not attack Chaoge City. They only flew around the city as though waiting for someone.
“Where is Shangguan Hen?!” Chang Ming’s shout suddenly came from outside the city.
