Devouring Soul Emperor

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yongzhi’s expression grew alarmed. He asked urgently, "Are you sure they all left? Including those three Guard Generals and that Grand Commander Chu Yu?"

"I’m certain!" the man replied with a firm nod. "We’ve gotten familiar with those three Guard Generals from the Great Xia Dragon Guard over the past few days. Today, they were extremely respectful to the middle-aged man leading them. He has to be that Grand Commander!"

"And what about that brat, Chu Qingyun? Is he still at the Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall?" Zhao Yongzhi pressed on.

The man nodded again. "He is! We have our people watching inside the Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall. The Great Xia Dragon Guard must have left in a rush. They probably didn’t have time to notify him."

"Good! You’re dismissed. Continue keeping an eye on things for me!"

Zhao Yongzhi paused for a moment, then immediately rushed to relay this important news to the Zhao Family Ancestor.

Meanwhile, inside the Flame City Lord’s Mansion, Grand Commander Chu Yu and two special envoys sat facing each other, quietly sipping tea as they awaited Chu Qingyun’s move the next day.

The next day was the funeral for Zhao’s Three Heroes, held by the Zhao Family.

Under the circumstances, neither the Zhao Family Ancestor nor the Patriarch wanted to draw any attention to themselves.

However, Zhao Hanfeng and the other two were, after all, the most outstanding talents of the Zhao Family’s younger generation. For all three to die at once and not be given a grand, somber funeral would be more than just strange—it would invite suspicion.

Therefore, as far as the Zhao Family was concerned, the funeral not only had to happen, but it had to be a grand, spectacular affair.

On this day, nearly all the powers and families in Flame City, large and small, had received invitations from the Zhao Family to attend the funeral of Zhao’s Three Heroes.

As for Chu Qingyun, all his preparations were complete.

Before leaving the Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall, Chu Qingyun opened the metal box that You Yun had given him two days prior.

The moment the box was forced open, the Primordial Power that sealed the engravings on its surface immediately dissipated.

A great cloud of crimson flames erupted from the box, instantly enveloping Chu Qingyun’s entire upper body.

Within the flames, Chu Qingyun felt an incredibly oppressive aura.

Although its raw power wasn’t immense, the suffocating sensation it produced was far more intense than what he’d felt facing Xia He’s Tier Four Martial Soul!

Faced with the sudden burst of fire, Chu Qingyun’s Primordial Power instinctively surged to form a defense.

But he soon discovered that while the crimson flames seemed terrifying and unnerving, they hadn’t caused him any harm. He couldn’t even feel any heat!

The flames vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

They dissipated completely in just five or six seconds.

Then, Chu Qingyun calmed his heart and focused his spirit. Upon careful inspection, he indeed sensed a distinct new aura clinging to him, one that was not his own.

’This must be it,’ he thought, ’the Vermilion Bird’s aura that the people from the Martial Soul Hall kept detecting!’

From his frequent contact with You Yun, a small amount of it had likely rubbed off on him before. But the traces were so faint, and he was unaware of it, so he had never paid it any mind.

It was like how ordinary people carry scents other than their own. Even if they could distinguish between them, no one would be bored enough to spend all day sniffing themselves to identify every single scent they carried.

But the people from the Martial Soul Hall were different. Their sole target was the Vermilion Bird. Discovering even the faintest trace of its aura would undoubtedly make them as frenzied as sharks smelling blood.

With all his preparations complete, Chu Qingyun drew his Thundercloud Sword, left the Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall, and headed for the Zhao Mansion.

Due to the commotion caused by the Great Xia Dragon Guard a couple of days ago, there were far fewer people out on the city streets than usual.

Furthermore, with the Zhao Family holding a grand funeral today, many had gone to the Zhao Mansion to gawk at the spectacle, leaving the roads even more deserted.

The Zhao Mansion was draped everywhere in white funeral flowers and black mourning cloth, projecting an image of heavy sorrow.

The plaque above the main entrance was also adorned with white flowers, and near the gate were piles of wreaths and mourning scrolls sent by others.

At the main gate, two young members of the Zhao Family, dressed in white mourning attire, greeted the arriving guests. Five or six guards stood by, helping to maintain order.

Outside the gate, a large crowd had gathered to watch.

They were mostly low-level Martial Artists from Flame City’s lower-to-middle class, along with small-time merchants and street vendors—people the Zhao Family would naturally never allow inside.

Ordinarily, given the Zhao Family’s usual arrogance, they would have forcefully dispersed such a crowd long ago.

But with the Great Xia Dragon Guard having only recently departed, their authority still lingered in the air. The Zhao Family was trying to keep a low profile and didn’t dare cause trouble, so they had no choice but to let the crowd spectate.

A portly man in a black robe, shoes, and hat squeezed his way out of the crowd and arrived at the main gate, his path cleared by two escorts.

"Young masters, my condolences, my condolences..."

The portly man in black forced an expression of utter grief as he pulled an invitation from inside his robes and handed it to one of the young men.

The young man glanced at it. "Ah, it’s Boss Huang. Please, come in, come in..."

Not long after Boss Huang went inside, the crowd of onlookers was parted once again.

This time, a voice was heard before its owner could be seen.

"Zhao! My dear brother! How could you die so tragically..."

A pockmarked young man with the air of a young master squeezed through with the help of several guards, wailing at the top of his lungs. He even managed to force out a few tears.

Not only was the surrounding crowd left speechless, but even the corners of the two Zhao Family members’ mouths twitched with exasperation.

This was Young Master Liu, the scion of a second-rate family in Flame City.

He had shared a few meals with Zhao Hanfeng and the others in the past, making them fair-weather friends at best. In truth, they were barely more than nodding acquaintances.

No one expected him to put on such a theatrical display today.

But while his act left them speechless, they weren’t particularly surprised.

As Flame City’s number one power, it was only natural for the weaker factions to try and curry favor with the Zhao Family.

It had looked like the Zhao Family was in deep trouble over the recent assessment.

But now the Great Xia Dragon Guard was gone, and they hadn’t actually done anything to the family.

In their eyes, nothing in Flame City would change. It would go back to being the same old city, with the Zhao Family’s power blotting out the sky.

"Ahem, Young Master Liu, please, go on inside..."

They recognized him, so there was no need to check for an invitation.

"Ah, yes, of course..."

Young Master Liu wiped another tear from his eye, had his attendants set down the two wreaths and mourning scrolls he’d brought, and walked inside.

Just then, Chu Qingyun arrived.

He easily pushed through the crowd, walked up to the entrance, and started to head inside.

"Hold it, kid. Where’s your invitation?" one of the two men at the gate demanded, stretching out an arm to block Chu Qingyun.

They didn’t recognize Chu Qingyun’s face, figured he wasn’t any big shot from Flame City, and saw he was dressed plainly, so their tone was devoid of any courtesy.