Nine Heavens Martial Emperor

On the streets of War Dragon City, Yi Mingcheng pulled Lin Hao by the hand, his steps hurried.

Just moments before in the Lin family’s assembly hall, he had been standing on the outskirts, but he had seen every move Lin Tianhao and his son, Lin Zheng, made. It was clear they intended to kill Lin Hao.

At a time like this, letting Lin Hao stay with the Lin family would surely be a death sentence.

In all of War Dragon City, there was only one place that could make the Lin family hesitate to act, and it was the only place Yi Mingcheng could rely on now.

Taking Lin Hao to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion had become Yi Mingcheng’s only choice.

Just as Yi Mingcheng pulled Lin Hao onto the steps of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, Lin Zheng was losing his mind in the Lin family’s rear courtyard.

"Damn it! Where is that little bastard?!" Lin Zheng roared, his face contorted in a ferocious snarl as he stared at the empty, dilapidated hut before him.

With a single palm strike, the already crumbling hut collapsed with a BOOM.

"Find that trash Lin Hao for me at once! I’m going to grind his bones to dust!"

Lin Zheng whirled around. Five men stood before him.

All five were around twenty years old, powerfully built, and their eyes glowed with a blood-red light, radiating a savage aura whenever they blinked.

They were death warriors, cultivated by the Lin family using a Secret Technique. They had no thoughts of their own; once they received a command, they would pursue their target until death.

All five possessed the strength of the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer Pseudo Realm.

This was a secret weapon that only the Patriarch was qualified to command. For Lin Zheng to be using them now, one could only imagine the fury of certain members of the Lin family.

"Break Lin Hao’s limbs, then drag him back to me! Remember, I want him alive!" Lin Zheng formed hand seals, then slapped them onto the heads of the five men.

"Break Lin Hao’s limbs. Leave him alive," the five of them repeated in unison, their voices dry and robotic, shuddering as one.

"Go!" Lin Zheng nodded in satisfaction, a smile spreading across his face.

With these five on the move, Lin Hao’s fate was sealed.

"Young Master, I’ve just received news. Housekeeper Yi took Lin Hao to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion," a trusted subordinate reported at that moment.

"What?!" Lin Zheng’s smile froze instantly, his expression turning utterly foul.

"Young Master, should we call them back?" the subordinate asked tentatively.

The Treasure Hunting Pavilion was no ordinary place. It was no exaggeration to say it controlled the majority of War Dragon City’s lifelines.

No one dared to cause trouble at the Treasure Hunting Pavilion.

"No need! They have their ways. I refuse to believe he’ll stay in there forever!" Lin Zheng said, forming new hand seals and issuing a new command to the five death warriors.

Watching the five of them sprint away, Lin Zheng said coldly, "That Yi Mingcheng is getting more and more disrespectful to the Lin family. He repeatedly stonewalled even my father when asked about the origin of those pills! Now that old fool dares to oppose me! He shouldn’t think that just because he’s connected to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, I won’t dare to touch him!"

"Young Master, leave this matter to me!" the subordinate’s eyes burned with fervor.

He had always thought Lin Zheng’s cultivation was low. Although he had received many benefits from following him, he had always felt a little disappointed deep down.

Now that he knew Lin Zheng actually possessed the cultivation of the Blood Coagulation Realm Eighth Layer, when better to show his loyalty?

Although Yi Mingcheng had the backing of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, there were two factors. First, Lin Zheng was the Lin family’s Young Master, and Yi Mingcheng was a Lin family servant. The Treasure Hunting Pavilion’s reach was long, but it couldn’t interfere in another family’s internal affairs.

Second, with Lin Zheng’s level of cultivation, he was certain to be noticed by a powerful sect and become a Sect Disciple.

The Treasure Hunting Pavilion might be formidable, but they only ever cared about profits. They would never cross the Lin family’s Young Master for the sake of a mere housekeeper.

Besides, the pills Yi Mingcheng had were treasures. If he could pry the origin of those pills from his mouth, the benefits would be immeasurable.

With his mind racing, the subordinate resolutely volunteered for the task.

"Good! Ma Sanpao, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you! Pick a few more skilled men from the family and capture Yi Mingcheng for me! You can do whatever you want with him. Just leave him breathing," Lin Zheng said icily.

"Yes, Young Master!" Ma Sanpao was overjoyed.

He was at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, and there were quite a few others in the family at the same level. With a few more men, dealing with Yi Mingcheng would be more than enough.

More importantly, Lin Zheng’s words were clear: once he captured Yi Mingcheng, he could ’play’ with him as he pleased.

Yi Mingcheng’s status in the Lin family had risen too quickly these past few days, and Ma Sanpao was already jealous. What drove him even crazier was that when he had deliberately tried to curry favor, Yi Mingcheng had treated him like he was thin air.

’This is intolerable!’

"Young Master, I’ll be on my way. Just wait for my good news!"

After speaking, Ma Sanpao respectfully withdrew.

Staring at the wreckage before him, his anger still unvented, Lin Zheng unleashed another vicious palm strike, completely leveling the ruins before he finally left.

Not long after he departed, a voice spoke from the shadows of a nearby corner.

’I never thought the Lin family could be so cruel, breaking people’s limbs at the drop of a hat. I’m much more merciful, I even gave away a precious gift like the Iced Blood Fungus. He can’t have an accident before I get what I want.’

The man stared in the direction Lin Zheng had gone, muttering to himself with a furrowed brow, clearly stumped by a problem.

’That’s it! Why don’t I...?’ After a moment, he strode out, his eyes gleaming with a foxy light.

Who else could it be but Shi Bai.

Shi Bai was extremely cautious, only leaving after confirming multiple times that everything was clear.

...

In the rear courtyard of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, Lin Hao sat in a room, his brow furrowed.

’Just now, when he learned of my arrival, the Treasure Hunting Pavilion’s Pavilion Master actually came to greet me personally, and his gaze... ’

Lin Hao was secretly alarmed as he recalled Ninety-Five’s eyes.

’His gaze seemed to possess the ability to see through everything.’

’Thankfully, I received the Divine Monarch’s inheritance, and my acting skills are superb. Otherwise, he would have definitely seen through me.’ 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’And...’

Lin Hao’s Spiritual Sense was powerful, and he had clearly felt someone observing him in secret just a moment ago.

A wisp of aura, leaked unintentionally, let Lin Hao know that the person watching him was none other than the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion.

After he could no longer sense Ninety-Five’s aura, Lin Hao kept up his act for another ten minutes. Only after he was sure he was no longer under suspicion did he finally relax.

Just as he was about to sort through the day’s events, the faint sound of footsteps reached his ears.

Lin Hao’s brow twitched, and he instantly slipped back into character.

After several knocks on the door, Lin Hao remained motionless.

The person outside seemed to grow impatient and finally pushed the door open themselves.

Lin Hao saw someone dressed as a servant enter the room. The person said nothing, simply leaving a note on the table before hurriedly departing.

Once the person was long gone, Lin Hao picked up the note. His expression changed drastically as he read it.

On the white paper, a few large, hastily scrawled words in black ink read: Mass graves outside the city. Yi Mingcheng is in danger. Rescue him quickly!

’It seems someone suspects I’m faking it and wants to test me.’

Lin Hao had no idea who this person was, nor could he judge the note’s credibility. But Yi Mingcheng had sworn a Blood Oath to him. Now that he was in trouble, Lin Hao could not just stand by and do nothing.

Lin Hao never relied on wishful thinking.

Therefore, he had to go to those mass graves!

As for his identity being exposed, Lin Hao didn’t give it much thought.

’Cowering and hesitating is not the way of a true man!’

"Since they want to play, I’ll play a game that will turn their world upside down!" Lin Hao stood proudly, his eyes blazing with a fierce battle intent!

...

The wind howled on the dark night, and even the moon hid behind the clouds.

Beneath the vast sky, War Dragon City lay asleep.

Suddenly, a figure bolted out of War Dragon City, but a closer look revealed that he was staggering slightly.

As he sprinted, he kept glancing back over his shoulder, his eyes filled with terror, as if a ferocious Devil Beast were chasing him.

With torn clothes and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, who could it be but Yi Mingcheng.

Behind him, five men followed at a leisurely pace, their eyes full of mockery, as if playing a game of cat and mouse.

Yi Mingcheng’s face was as pale as paper. He never imagined that the moment Ma Sanpao and his four companions saw him, they would attack without a word.

Thankfully, he had the pills Lin Hao had given him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be alive.

After swallowing a Body Forging Blood Coagulation Pill, Yi Mingcheng’s injuries had mostly healed. He had wanted to retreat to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, but they gave him no chance.

Left with no choice, Yi Mingcheng could only flee the city.

Before, death would not have frightened him. But ever since drinking that Iced Blood Fungus, Yi Mingcheng had clearly felt a change in his body.

Now, he did not want to die.

Marrying a wife and having children had become his greatest wish.

The chase continued, one fleeing, the others pursuing, as they drew farther and farther from War Dragon City.

THWACK!

His steps growing heavier, Yi Mingcheng tripped over something and finally fell.

When he looked up, his face turned ashen.

Before him were numerous mounds of earth, large and small, high and low.

This was the mass grave site outside War Dragon City, the final resting place for many.

"Heheheh, Yi Mingcheng, run. Why don’t you keep running?" Ma Sanpao stood a short distance away, looking down on Yi Mingcheng with a mocking expression.

"You’ve gotten bold, old man. You actually dare to oppose Young Master Lin Zheng, the future master of the Lin family! Who gave you the guts? That idiot fool Lin Hao?" Ma Sanpao continued to sneer.

"Ma Sanpao, you must have lard clouding your mind! The old Patriarch fought to reclaim the Lin family! What makes Lin Zheng worthy of being the Young Master?! Lin Hao is the old Patriarch’s own grandson! He is the true Young Master of the Lin family!" Yi Mingcheng had accepted Lin Hao as his master, and in his heart, he would not tolerate anyone insulting him.

Ma Sanpao burst out laughing. "Lin Hao, that idiot, as the Lin family’s Young Master? Old man, do you think everyone is as stupid as you? Swearing loyalty to a fool?"

"That’s right! That idiot Lin Hao completely disgraced the Lin family today!"

"Don’t you worry, Yi Mingcheng. It won’t be long before you’re reunited with that idiot Young Master you’re so loyal to. Young Master Lin Zheng thinks very highly of him, you know. He’s even arranged for several death warriors to meet him."

"What?!" Yi Mingcheng’s face fell upon hearing this.

He had long heard of the Lin family’s death warriors. They were mindless, exceedingly sinister creatures.

"Hahaha, old man, now you see how serious this is. I’ll give you a chance. Crawl over here and beg me. If you can put me in a good mood, I’ll be a little more merciful when I finish you off."

The housekeeper who had been so high and mighty just a few days ago was now slumped weakly before him. The immense contrast gave Ma Sanpao a feeling of extreme satisfaction.

"Pah! A piece of trash like you isn’t worthy! You want to harm my Young Master in War Dragon City? Dream on!" Recalling the scene at the Ten-Mile Slope pavilion, Yi Mingcheng was suddenly filled with confidence in Lin Hao.

"If you want to kill me, then come on! Let’s just see who dies first!" Yi Mingcheng pulled out a pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and shot to his feet, suddenly erupting with a fearsome aura.

"A Body Forging Blood Coagulation Pill!" Ma Sanpao’s eyes lit up, his greed unconcealed.

It wasn’t just him; the other four men with him reacted the same way.

The five men moved in concert, instantly forming a circle and trapping Yi Mingcheng in the middle.