way of the devil
“According to the regulations of the organization, your contribution points indeed merit us helping you out for once.” The old man’s expression was dry as he nodded slowly. “However, do tell us what this is all about.”
A look of helplessness crept onto Pang Yuanjun’s face when he heard this.
“Come to think of it, the circumstances are quite peculiar. I was laying siege to the Feng Family Villa and victory was right within my reach. Suddenly, a young man came out of nowhere, held me down, and spouted a bunch of nonsense to me. This young man resembled my son, Pang Sicheng. I initially intended to chase him away and get on with it, but after a few exchanges, I noticed that he was terrifyingly powerful. I’m sure he’s no weaker than the three great sect masters!”
“How’s that possible? The three great sect masters have formidable strength and are the peak grandmasters of the current martial world. How can some random person be compared to them?” When the old man heard this, he displayed a look of annoyance.
“I won’t be so daring to say that, but that man was truly stronger than I was. This much is true!” he said with finality.
“So, what’re you saying?” asked the old man drily.
“I’d like all of us to take down that man together. Naturally, it’d be best if we can capture him alive! We must find out who he is, and what he’s after!” said Pang Yuanjun with a straight face.
The Half Devil organization was his true ace in the hole. The current situation left him no choice but to use this final resort of his.
Otherwise, he was sure to be gobbled up by that young man.
“We can help you, but we must first confirm that this man has no connection whatsoever with one of ours. He might be related to the nobles of the martial world. Perhaps this is only a misunderstanding, and the person will go away once everything’s talked through,” said the old woman with a calm expression.
“You’re right, Elder Su.”
Su Han and Xu Sunjing. These two were collectively referred to as Elders Jing Han. They were one of the best Martial Emperor elites of the martial world. Like Pang Yuanjun, their powers were second only to the three great sect masters. They could be regarded as one of the most powerful people in the current martial world.
If they fought against Pang Yuanjun in single combat, they might just be slightly weaker than Pang Yuanjun because of their relative lack of vigor, but if they worked together, they could easily fend off a peak Martial Emperor expert. This was the reason why Pang Yuanjun worked hard to win these two over.
After obtaining the promise of his elite peers, Pang Yuanjun could finally sighed with relief.
He was about to rest in the living room.
“Boom!”
There was a loud explosion from the rock formations outside.
The three of them started. They stood up and gazed outward.
There were clouds of dust and smoke which obscured their view.
At this moment, a sinister voice reached them.
“Daddy, I’ve been looking all over for you… I’ve looked away for a second, and you’ve come all this way. Is coming home with your son making you that sad?”
Pang Yuanjun shivered. He looked around himself swiftly as if a great enemy was here. However, he could not determine where the voice had come from.
Elders Jing Han wore icy expressions as well. Even they could not detect the direction from which the voice came.
“Show yourself, you scoundrel! You dare ack this recklessly before us!?” Su Han grabbed his staff and hit the floor with it. The third floor gave a violent shudder.
The staff made no mark on the floor where it hit, but the third floor swayed as if it would tumble at any moment. His mastery of the force was apparent in this.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, a stone door below the little building exploded and shattered.
A group of patrolling guards charged toward the spot, but were sent reeling by a huge force. They crashed onto the stone walls and rock pillars, wailing as they hit.
“Who?!”
More than 10 Martial King elites wielded an assortment of weapons as they surrounded the stone door. They looked as if a great enemy had appeared among their midst.
It should be mentioned that there was a number of Martial Kings among the guards who’d charged up just now. Even so, they were no match for this enemy.
“How dare you trespass this vicinity! Do you have any idea where you are right now?!” the leading middle-aged man shouted.
Lu Sheng was bare-chested, with a black cloak draped over his shoulders, covering his body from his neck down. He was wielding a curved blade which he had just picked up. He walked into the rock forest with a cold expression.
“Let’s go home, Father. Don’t run away anymore. Isn’t it good to go home and enjoy the time as a reunited family? I’m your son, for crying out loud. Your biological son whom you’ve given life and brought up all these years. Now that I’m old enough, it’s time for me to repay the kindness you’ve shown me.” Lu Sheng’s words appealed to the people’s emotions, but his face was as blank as could be. The contrast was offsetting.
“Besides, this is a family matter. Why do you have to go and drag outsiders into this?” he added after sweeping his gaze around.
Inside the building, Pang Yuanjun caught a glimpse of the strange looks in the Elders Jing Han’s eyes. His stomach plummeted.
“Don’t listen to him. My son, Pang Sicheng, is only 10 years old, how could he possibly be this accomplished in the martial path?! Even if I believe him, you two know about my situation, and you have your own information network. Do you believe this?” he quickly argued.
“Where are you? Come out, Father. Don’t worry, I won’t hit you now. What happened last time was an accident. I didn’t knock you out on purpose. I’m serious, don’t worry. I can guarantee that you’ll be safe.”
Lu Sheng could not search with his spirit, nor did he have extremely sharp senses. Rocks were as numerous as the humans here. He could not locate anyone too quickly.
When Pang Yuanjun looked at the increasingly complicated gaze the elders were having, he felt extremely frustrated.
He was the great Green Dew Altar’s master with 10,000 disciples, all of who were crème of the crop. To think that he would be pestered by this lunatic.
“I guarantee, that is not my son! My son, Sicheng, is still in Clear Dew City. He’s too fat, he can’t go anywhere! I’m telling you, this person must be out of his mind. He’s trying to give me trouble while using my son’s name!” Pang Yuanjun argued again.
“…” The two old Martial Emperors exchanged glances. For a time, they could not decide what they should do.
“Boom!”
During that slight moment’s hesitation, another group of people in the rock forest was sent flying by Lu Sheng. They lay sprawled on the floor. They were either gravely wounded or unconscious.
Fortunately, Lu Sheng held back and did not kill anyone.
“It’s perfectly natural for a son to want to meet his father. That’s the way things are. How dare you lot go against the forces of nature? How dare you stop me from carrying out my responsibilities as a son to his parents!? I’ll pass judgement on you on behalf of the heavens. I’ll have you know what filial piety is!” Lu Sheng growled.
He intercepted the steel hammer that was chucked at him from the side. He jabbed with his elbow.
The terrifying speed and strength resulted in a loud sound of an explosion as his elbow connected with the chest of a Martial King.
With a series of cracks, the man immediately keeled over from his heavy injuries. He reeled and fell to the ground, unconscious. There seemed to be no life left in him.
This was the first person Lu Sheng killed. The man reeked of blood. He’d clearly killed countless people before. Also, he wanted to sneak up on Lu Sheng while he was speaking. That was why Lu Sheng had been harsher on him.
“Come out nicely, Father. Don’t force your son to kill everyone here. If it comes to that, it won’t look good on both our books…” Lu Sheng licked some splattered blood on his face.
Pang Yuanjun listened to his words from a distance. He could sense the creeping tone of impatience in his words. An alarm blared in his mind. His body was as tense as it could be. He was prepared to fend off the life-threatening attack that would come at any time.
“Kill everyone? That’d be impressive, indeed!” Beyond the stone forest, the Sand King, who’d initially wanted to look on and do nothing, was furious now.
As a middle-stage Martial Emperor, he could be indifferent about the life and death of the ordinary members. However, if he did not rise to such an obvious insult, he would truly be a coward.
He was not the only one. The Elders Jing Han’s expressions gone cold as well.
“Let’s go and meet this friend of ours. Let’s see what he bases his confidence on.”
Su Han snickered and tapped the floor with his staff. He morphed into a black shadow which shot out of the living room. His old partner followed closely behind him.
Pang Yuanjun felt a hint of relief. With three experts with similar strength working with him, he would not even be afraid of one of the three great sect masters. He would not even falter against a peak Martial Emperor. He did not think that the man would still talk boldly after this!
After calming down, he quickly followed the two elders. He leapt off the balcony and proceeded to where Lu Sheng was.
In the blink of an eye, the four Martial Emperors reached the entrance to the rock forest at the same time. Atop a site of ruins which had been flattened into a plain, they saw Lu Sheng walking slowly toward them.
When they saw Lu Sheng’s face, which clearly resembled Pang Yuanjun’s, they were all taken aback.
The four of them surrounded Lu Sheng from all four directions, trapping him in the center.
“Tell me! Who are you? Why’re you impersonating my son, Sicheng?!” Pang Yuanjun’s expression was extremely dark. He gave Lu Sheng a murderous look.
Lu Sheng had an indifferent expression.
“I’m your son, Sicheng. Throughout these 10 years, I’ve been cultivating painstakingly while concealing my strength. It wasn’t until recently after I’ve tasted all other pleasures of life that I was hit with a sudden realization. I understand now that family is the greatest source of happiness and love. That’s why I’m determined to bring our family back together. I’ve already fetched Mother from the Hequan Sect. You’re the only one that’s left now.”
“…” Pang Yuanjun and the others exchanged glances.
The Sand King had wrapped himself in long yellow robes. He was a strong man with a veil over his face. When he heard this, the look he gave Lu Sheng softened considerably.
“If what you say is true, then you are a good child. A family can only be happy if it’s complete. In life, if a person can’t even live a good life with their family, any other endeavor is meaningless! There’s no one to share your riches, no one to support you in your poverty.”
“You have a point, dear Senior.” Lu Sheng immediately nodded. “Alas, my own parents do not understand this. Someone told me to wait, saying that it’s still early and I still have time. They told me that I’ll have it when the fate allows it. But I have a different point of view. I think that to live is to seize every minute we’re given.” He paused for a while. The look he gave Pang Yuanjun softened as well.
“I know that my father has a sharp tongue with a soft heart. The more merciless his words, the gentler his heart is. He’s proud to a fault, he is. He may not agree to this on the surface, but I’m sure he’s been more than willing in his heart.”
“Bullsh*t!” Pang Yuanjun felt so sad that he wanted to vomit blood. “Where did you pop out from, you freakshow!? You’ve foiled my grand plans, blabber nonsense, and I’m almost certain you’re here to take my life the moment I let my guard down!”
“See? You and mother are alike. The Supreme Heartless-whatnot, isn’t the essence of it to have a cold appearance but a blazing heart? I can see through you, both of you.” Lu Sheng walked slowly toward Pang Yuanjun.
“Come, stop kidding yourself. Come home with me.” He stretched his hand toward Pang Yuanjun slowly. His gaze was gentle.
“Let me break that seemingly tough outer shell of yours!”