“Oh?”
“How interesting!”
“Send someone to keep an eye on him.”
Upon hearing the words “Divine Wind Steed,” Xia Mingqing also grew somewhat interested.
Anyone capable of riding such a steed was certainly no minor figure.
After speaking, Xia Mingqing immediately addressed the woman before him again.
“By the way, send someone to notify Lü Haodong. Tell him I wish to see him. Have him come secretly.”
The Lü Haodong mentioned by Xia Mingqing was precisely the Mysterious Bird Guard Commander of Qingling Prefecture, and one of those who had long since pledged allegiance to him.
Throughout Anzhou, essentially every prefectural Mysterious Bird Guard Commander had been bribed by Xia Mingqing.
Thus, most of Anzhou’s territory was under Xia Mingqing’s control.
However, there just happened to be two prefectural cities not within his grasp.
Those were Jingtai Prefecture and Baidao Prefecture!
Xia Mingqing was well aware of the backgrounds of those two prefectural Mysterious Bird Guard Commanders.
They were simply not figures he could control.
Because those two fellows, Mo Ronghua and Li Chengfeng, were from those two families.
Two of the Eight Great Families: the Mo Family and the Li Family!
Therefore, Xia Mingqing had not chosen to bribe Mo Ronghua and Li Chengfeng.
Instead, Xia Mingqing found another method, directly installing some officials loyal to himself within Jingtai Prefecture and Baidao Prefecture.
Especially Jingtai Prefecture’s Prefect Wu Hao, and Baidao Prefecture’s Assistant Prefect Luo Jinghe—these two were his men.
But now, Baidao Prefecture’s Assistant Prefect Luo Jinghe had actually died, and at the hands of someone obscure and unknown.
According to the information reported by Baidao Prefecture’s Prefect to the Provincial Governor, Luo Jinghe, the Assistant Prefect of Baidao Prefecture, had died at the hands of He Yan, the Deputy Commander of the Mysterious Bird Guard.
However, anyone with clear eyes could see through this claim.
The only person in all of Baidao Prefecture with the actual authority to execute Luo Jinghe was one individual.
That was Baidao Prefecture’s Mysterious Bird Guard Commander.
Because only the prefectural Mysterious Bird Guard Commander possessed the power of life and death.
Otherwise, a mere Deputy Commander like He Yan would have had no qualification to execute a prefectural Assistant Prefect like Luo Jinghe.
Thinking of Luo Jinghe, whom he had installed in Baidao Prefecture, dying so ambiguously like this, a trace of killing intent flashed in Xia Mingqing’s eyes.
Immediately, Xia Mingqing looked at the woman before him and inquired about Lu Xuan’s information.
“Li Chengfeng of the Li Family has already returned to Tiandu.”
“This Lu Xuan, who replaced him as Baidao Prefecture’s Commander, actually dared to move against this king’s man.”
“Luomeng, have you thoroughly investigated this Lu Xuan’s origins?”
Just a few days prior, Xia Mingqing had secretly dispatched people to Baidao Prefecture to ascertain Lu Xuan’s background.
“Your Highness, Lu Xuan’s origins are quite mysterious. Only some basic information has been uncovered.”
“That Lu Xuan was not previously a member of the Mysterious Bird Guard. He only joined the Baidao Prefecture branch a little over half a month ago.”
“Therefore, very few know of Lu Xuan’s background.”
“Moreover, our people dared not get too close to the Baidao Prefecture Mysterious Bird Guard, fearing they might discover our traces.”
Hearing this answer, dissatisfaction appeared on Xia Mingqing’s face.
However, he did not explode in anger, instead murmuring quietly to himself.
“Is that so?”
“Baidao Prefecture, Jingtai Prefecture, hmph!”
“Once this king breaks through to the Divine Mansion realm, the entire Anzhou will be under my control.”
“Even people from the Li and Mo Families, this king will not regard them with any fear.”
Before Xia Mingqing, the woman called Luomeng
now began to flatter Xia Mingqing, a gorgeous smile gracing her beautiful face.
“Wise and brilliant, Prince An!”
As the woman bowed, bending her proud figure, a stunning, seductive, pale curve reflected in Xia Mingqing’s pupils.
Witnessing this, Xia Mingqing’s eyes grew fervent, brazenly staring directly at that place.
“Luomeng, don’t leave just yet. Keep this king company for a while!”
This woman before him was not only his most capable personal maid but also one of the women he used to satisfy his desires.
As the woman raised her head, the ribbon tied at her waist, already perilously loose, silently slipped to the ground without a sound.
However, the stunningly beautiful woman paid it no mind whatsoever. Instead, she gazed affectionately at Xia Mingqing, her voice soft as water, filled with tender emotion.
“As you command, Prince An!”
In the northern part of Qingling Prefecture’s city, by the side of a main street, stood a tall, young man holding the reins of an extraordinary and peculiar steed.
The young man wore a set of dark, black brocade robes, his face completely expressionless.
“The Luo Family of Qingling Prefecture should be around this area, I believe.”
This young man was precisely Lu Xuan. Upon entering the city, he had already inquired about the Luo Family’s location from passersby on the road.
Lu Xuan led the Divine Wind Steed to the front of a relatively large inn.
Before Lu Xuan could even approach the inn’s main entrance, the attendant standing at the door,
upon seeing Lu Xuan, immediately wore an expression of enthusiastic, ingratiating smiles and scurried over.
“Esteemed guest, right this way.”
“Prepare a fine room for me, and take good care of this horse of mine.”
“Yes, yes, yes! Esteemed guest, please come inside!”
In the central area of the western city, in a quiet, secluded, and elegant spot, stood a magnificent and imposing mansion.
That was precisely the residence of the Luo Family, a major clan of Anzhou. Luo Jin, the Anzhou Surveillance Commissioner, was the master of this mansion.
Inside the main hall of the Luo Mansion.
A group of the Luo Family’s servants and guards knelt trembling on the ground, their foreheads pressed tightly against the floor, not daring to make any movement.
Before them sat a furious old man, his rage reaching its peak.
The old man was precisely the Luo Family head, Luo Jin!
“Where have those two good-for-nothings gone?”
“What sin did I commit to have given birth to such waste?”
Slap!
Luo Jin’s aged arms bulged with veins. The fingers of his right hand clenched tightly as he slammed his palm heavily onto the wooden table beside him.
Boom!
That sturdy table, crafted from premium Green Beamwood, could not withstand the slap of a martial artist at the peak of Internal Energy cultivation. It instantly shattered into pieces.
“What are you all still standing there for? Go immediately and drag those two unfilial sons back for me!”
After all these servants and guards had left, Luo Jin’s fury diminished somewhat.
However, whenever Luo Jin thought about having to cultivate the Luo Family’s next successor from scratch again,
a sense of utter despair welled up in his heart.
Because the only two sons he had left were, one worse than the other, utterly useless. Luo Jin could only say one thing.
Can’t choose!
Simply can’t choose!
If not for those two damned scoundrels who had cruelly murdered his most accomplished eldest son,
the Luo Family would never have fallen to this state!
Lu Xuan, He Yan, this old man will not let you off even as a ghost!
However, just as Luo Jin was seething with hatred for Lu Xuan and He Yan,
a figure abruptly appeared outside the main hall door.
Accompanied by a shadow as dark as ink, stretched long by the sunlight, it extended all the way to Luo Jin’s feet.
“Who are you?!”
Luo Jin jolted awake, looking toward the door. The man there was a young man he had never seen before.
The young man was naturally Lu Xuan!
