Inside the main hall of the Twelve Linked Piers of the Yangtze Three Gorges.
With grizzled hair yet a stature that was tall and burly, Zhu Xiawu squinted his eyes as he read the freshly received intelligence report, a flicker of strange light dancing in his gaze as he said with an odd tone,
"This Jiang Dali, what exactly does he want? Does he think that Ming Country’s Heavenly Prison is somewhere to come and go as he pleases?
Hmph! To think he’s using this incident to test my sincerity? To play such a risky gamble with me..."
Zhu Xiawu’s brows furrowed, but his eyes gradually revealed a smile, "However, it’s indeed interesting, very interesting.
Such a big gift... I really have no choice but to show some sincerity, do I?"
Beyond the screen painted with dragons and phoenixes, there stood another man, broad and sturdy.
This big man asked from outside the screen, "How do you plan to proceed?"
He was a puppet placed within the Twelve Linked Piers by Zhu Xiawu, named Zhu Shunshui, nicknamed "Iron Chain Across the Yangtze," whose strength was by no means inferior — on par with the second or third ranking characters of the Power Gang, utterly obedient to Zhu Xiawu’s commands.
Zhu Xiawu said indifferently, "This time, you’ll lead the charge personally, take Xin Miaochang and Yong Xiyu with you. If Li Chenzhou sends Liu Sui Feng or Zhao Shirong, all of you ambush together. I will provide support from the sidelines."
Zhu Shunshui, standing outside the screen, shook at the news and hesitated, "If Li Chenzhou himself takes action..."
"He won’t take personal action."
Zhu Xiawu’s mouth curved into a sly smile, his voice low and cunning, "Li Chenzhou is nearly perfect, but he has two fatal weaknesses. One is his undue regard for women, and the other is his overconfidence.
To speak of it, his overconfidence is actually one of his strengths.
Without that trait, how would he ever earn the title ’Conquer the World,’ and how would he manage to throw such fists?
However, unfortunately, the stiffest tree is most easily cracked. Sometimes the strongest point is also the most fragile.
Black Wind Village Chief has been captured, and within Black Wind Village, there are no experts that Li Chenzhou would rate highly. How could he possibly intervene?"
Zhu Shunshui’s eyes brightened immediately, "As long as Li Chenzhou doesn’t act, although there are many experts in the Power Gang, West One Sword is already dead.
The remaining Double Wings One Kill Five Phoenix, Eight Heavenly Kings, Nine Heavens Ten Earths, and Nineteen Demons, each one is an expert.
But inside Black Wind Village, there are now the Witch Wanwan, Shuanglong, and Xuanming Two Elders, along with other high-level experts recently aligned with us, like the Tian Nan Sect and the Green and White Killers. They’re also not to be taken lightly.
If Liu Sui Feng doesn’t want to incur significant casualties, he will have to act alongside Zhao Shirong—that’s our opportunity!"
Zhu Xiawu smiled lightly, "So you see, this Jiang Dali has indeed created an opportunity for us, given us a great gift.
To show the sincerity of cooperation, I’m letting you take the two Lords of Fire and Water into battle personally, to give him face as well.
But now I’m quite curious what this lad is relying on, thinking he could enter Ming Country’s Heavenly Prison and still come out again?"
At this point, Zhu Xiawu’s thoughts were suddenly illuminated by a spark of inspiration, recalling Qiao Feng and Dongfang Bubai mentioned in the intelligence. His brow slowly furrowed.
"Who could be detained in Ming Country’s Heavenly Prison? Which one of them would be interested? Is that why the Black Wind Village Chief took the risk to go in?
Or perhaps... He’s concealing an attempt for those two to accomplish something?"
In a moment, Zhu Xiawu pondered deeply, his gaze profound.
However, he didn’t feel this matter concerned him.
His power base was mainly within Song Country.
Even if Jiang Dali turned Ming Country upside down, it would have nothing to do with him, Zhu the Great King.
Outside the Forbidden City.
Inside a seemingly ordinary and common courtyard.
A few coughs emanated from a room within the courtyard, sounding like an old person with phlegm stuck in their throat, taking a long while to recover after an extended bout.
Lined up outside the door, a dozen or so individuals stood with bowed bodies, silent.
Between these two rows of a dozen or so individuals stood the King, Prince, General, and Minister, neither servile nor arrogant, their hands constantly maintained the gesture of clasping fists, standing steady and unwavering, just like their composed demeanor.
After the coughing inside the room had ceased, the familiar shrill voice of Cao Zhengchun, resembling that of a drake, issued forth, albeit with a tinge of frailty,
"You do make a valid point, our family has indeed considered this matter as well.
Thankfully, today and yesterday within the Forbidden City, everything has been calm, with no unusual incidents occurring.
Thus, this rash intrusion of the Black Wind Village Chief into Prefecture may not necessarily be a cover for someone doing something, or even if it is a cover, it is not necessarily within the Forbidden City.
You, go down and take a group of people to inquire among the other ministers and the Prince Mansions to see if any villain has sneaked in..."
Hearing this, the ranks of King, Prince, General, and Minister showed a flash of disappointment, but they immediately clasped their fists and bowed, "Yes, Governor!"
They were about to slowly retreat and leave.
But Cao Zhengchun’s voice came again, "You Abnormal Person are quite astute, your Martial Arts foundation is not bad, and what you’ve learned are indeed the authentic Holy Dynasty Martial Arts; it seems you have passed the Imperial Family’s testing.
Our family has been considering taking on another foster son, would you be willing?"
The King, Prince, General, and Minister were suddenly stunned, and then overjoyed upon receiving the panel prompt.
This was the biggest surprise for him since he became a Player and self-taught the remnants of the Emperor’s Divine Fist.
Once he became Cao Zhengchun’s foster son, his strength and status would surge upwards, leaving other Players far behind.
The unexpected intrusion of the Black Wind Village Chief into Prefecture, for him, turned out to be an unexpected opportunity.
"Adoptive father above, please accept your son’s kowtow!"
Without any hesitation, the King, Prince, General, and Minister knelt down under the envious gaze of the surrounding eunuchs and kowtowed swiftly.
As he kowtowed, haloes unseen by the surrounding natives continuously floated above his head.
"Qi-Blood Limit +100!"
"Qi-Blood Limit +100!"
After becoming Cao Zhengchun’s foster son, his status gained the suffix "Cao Zhengchun’s 8th Foster Son."
This status alone added 500 points to his Qi-Blood limit, almost a half a life more.
For a moment, the King, Prince, General, and Minister, composed as they were, could not help but radiate joy, temporarily putting aside any suspicions about the intrusion of the Black Wind Village Chief into Prefecture, invigorated and excited.
On the 7th floor of the Heavenly Prison.
In a dark, cold, and dry prison cell.
Jiang Dali’s hands, feet, and even his neck were shackled with heavy chains.
His bulky and robust body was bound within the cell, exuding a daunting momentum.
Suddenly, clanging noises echoed from the prison corridor.
Amidst the successive shouts and orders.
Three disheveled prisoners looking more like ghouls than humans, wearing heavy chains, emerged from three different passages.
Their bright, fierce eyes wide open, they all fixated intently on Jiang Dali who was bound inside the large prison cell...
(Requesting recommendation tickets and monthly tickets! Finally managed to update before midnight. Continuing to write! Will update into the early morning, as long as I have the energy, I will keep updating)