Chapter 148: Chapter 12 Lord Ling Arrives
“Indeed, it is him!”
Wu Yunzhou nodded, “He had already died from severe illness. Young Master Sun, the Second Young Master, and Miss Sun had all arrived, preparing for his funeral, when Teacher Zhang arrived… He struck his corpse and not only revived him but also completely removed the deadly toxins from his body…”
Vice Dean Wu recounted the situation in detail.
After hearing the explanation, Lu Mingrong was utterly baffled, “You mean… he not only brought a dead man back to life but also cured diseases that countless physicians couldn’t resolve? When did his medical skills become so advanced?”
The so-called reviving the dead and healing broken bones, he had always thought it was just a legend. He never imagined that someone could actually do it, let alone this fellow who had already created countless miracles…
“How would I know!”
Wu Yunzhou replied with a wry smile, shaking his head, then continued, “Not just that, after doing all these, Teacher Zhang immediately went on a trip. The Luo Yu Flower wilted for no reason at all, and nobody could solve it. Teacher Zhang simply poured a bottle of liquor on the flower and trimmed some yellow leaves, making the branches and leaves thrive again, completely curing it.”
“Is this… an herbology skill?” Lu Mingrong’s eyes widened.
Wu Yunzhou said, “Yes, after completing these two tasks, he then went to Wen Xiang Garden, found the notorious thief Luo Qingkong who was indulging in pleasures, and after several rounds of battle captured him! He went on to Han Liu Alley, providing guidance to Layperson Hua Long on weapon forging, and successfully crafted a weapon of spirit pinnacle caliber.”
“He also made a trip to Liu Deng Street, helped solve the Lingyun Heavenly Machine Lock that had troubled countless people for decades; in passing, he played a game of chess, cracking the intricate chess layout left by Elder Du thirty years ago…”
“This, this…”
The more Lu Mingrong listened, the more shocked and confused he became, finally bursting out, “All these tasks had rewards, and the prices were extremely high…”
“Indeed, Teacher Zhang should be working hard to earn those rewards. If nothing unexpected happened, he earned at least ten million Origin Currency in just half a day!”
Wu Yunzhou replied with a wry smile.
“You mean to say… these problems that troubled countless geniuses and experts of Baiyan City for so many years, just because he wanted to earn money, he solved all of them in a short period of time, all by himself?”
With eyes wide open, Lu Mingrong found it hard to believe.
These challenges had even reached his ears, signifying their long-standing nature, because they offered high rewards, not only experts from Baiyan City but also from neighboring cities and even the capital’s experts had tried their hands but all to no avail!
Normally, if one person could solve one, they would already become famous throughout the city. Yet this fellow rushed over one after the other, solving them as soon as he arrived…
You’re not just solving problems; you’re here to make money…
It’s too contrary to nature!
“Yes! He not only solved them all but each solution was perfect…”
Wu Yunzhou nodded, “So, according to my guess, this Teacher Zhang, not only excels in beast taming and impartation of knowledge, his talent is exceptional, and he possesses deep mastery in medicine, chess, forging, tracking, and herbology…”
“This…”
Lu Mingrong found himself at a loss for words.
He felt he had overrated him originally, yet he continuously underestimated him.
The other party was like an inexhaustible gold mine; no matter how much you dug, there was an endless wealth that emerged, astonishing and mesmerizing.
…
While Zhang Xuan hurriedly sought ways to earn money, Lu Mingrong and others were shocked and puzzled. Outside the Liu Clan, Liu Tianzheng and many elders again stood in front of the mansion, quietly waiting.
Not only them, this time even Xu Xin stopped his mischief and stood silently, his face anxious as he looked around, as if waiting for someone.
Indeed, today was the day when Lord Ling, Fate Master Ling Buyang from the capital was set to arrive.
Whether Zhang Xuan is a Mandate Chaos Master or a Fate Master, once this person arrives, there can be no more hiding!
“Caw!”
After an unspecified long wait, a resounding eagle cry filled the sky, and everyone hastily looked up, soon seeing a massive Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk, beating its giant wings, rushing toward them.
The Black-scaled Phoenix Hawk was over seven meters long, a Primordial Beast with the strength of the Divine Soul Realm, powerful and extremely fast, capable of flying tens of thousands of miles in a single day, one of the most common flying tools in the Han Yuan Imperial Capital.
“It’s Lord Ling!”
Xu Xin’s eyes brightened, he quickly bowed, cupping his fists towards the incoming Phoenix Hawk: “Life Guardian Xu Xin, here to welcome Lord Ling!”
“Hmm!”
A faint voice sounded, and then the crowd saw a middle-aged man standing up on the back of the eagle.
Appearing to be in his forties, with a beard of Qing-blue and eyes sharp as lightning, merely a distant glance could shake one’s soul.
His cultivation was probably far beyond those like Yu Longqing who had already advanced to the Dharma Form Realm.
As a Fate Master seeking to control fragments of the heavens, soul strength must be extremely strong, meaning… to become a Fate Master, one must at least reach the Divine Soul Realm.
This Lord Ling, who had been a Fate Master for who knows how long, naturally had higher and more formidable cultivation.
Whoosh!
Ling Buyang jumped down from the eagle’s back, his eyes landing on Xu Xin, “You mentioned Zhang Xuan. How is the investigation going?”
Taking a deep breath, Xu Xin took a book out of his pocket and handed it over, “My lord, there are indeed many suspicious aspects about him. Here are the details I have recorded over the past few days, please review them!”
Taking the notes, Ling Buyang casually flipped through them, his brow furrowing more and more as he read.
“The students he taught have increased their strength tenfold in just a few days, reaching the pinnacle of the Accumulative Realm; he tamed three thousand horses in two hours, making them willingly accept their owner; within a quarter of an hour, he drained all the Heavenly Mandate Vitality from a Destiny Plate… This is absolutely not something an ordinary Fate Master can accomplish, even with the talent for Horse Taming!”
Fate Masters control Heavenly fragments, which means they can have the chance to learn more skills, but… they’re just somewhat stronger than the average person. This person is clearly cheating. The usual experiences can’t apply here.
Seeing his expression growing more solemn, Xu Xin cautiously looked at him, “My lord, what do you think?”
Closing the notes, Ling Buyang’s gaze sharpened, “A Mandate Chaos Master, not only invincible in imparting knowledge but also capable of rapidly advancing his students’ skills in a short period of time. And most importantly, he is skilled in multiple professions and excels in every one of them. Although I haven’t met this Zhang Xuan, based on your records, if he’s not one, he must have significant ties to it!”
“So… what should we do?” Xu Xin asked, slightly nervous.
“Since his cultivation is only at the Jade Bone Realm, to avoid prolonged complications, we apprehend him immediately without leaving any troubles,” Ling Buyang coldly snorted.
Xu Xin blinked, “What if… we catch the wrong person?”
“Wrong?”
Ling Buyang shook his head, “Once we make a move, whether he is a Mandate Chaos Master or not, there’s no such thing as catching the wrong person.”
Heaven Mandate Hall in the Han Yuan Dynasty wasn’t united as one; various forces influenced each other, no one subordinated to another. If they caught the right person, he would surely defeat Elder Feng, skyrocketing to success and securing that coveted position. But if it was a mistake, it might destroy all his prior efforts.
Hence, there was no mistake, only correctness!
If it really was a mistake, it would be the capture of a dead man… and who would care about right or wrong then?
“I understand, my lord!” Xu Xin’s expression solidified.
Seeing his response, Ling Buyang nodded in satisfaction, turning towards Liu Tianzheng, “This must be the clan head of the Liu Clan. You’ve done well these years. Rest assured, as long as you are loyal to me, you will reap endless benefits. The imminent rise of the Liu Clan to become the foremost in Baiyan City is assured!”
Liu Tianzheng’s face lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed with clasped hands, “Thank you, Lord Ling, for your cultivation!”
Ling Buyang said, “Send someone to surround Zhang Xuan’s residence. If the news leaks and he escapes, your entire Liu Clan will have to die for it!”
Liu Tianzheng bowed his head, “My lord, I dare not. However… I have something else to confess to you in advance.”
Ling Buyang frowned, “Speak!”
Liu Tianzheng explained, “My daughter, Liu Mingyue, somehow got charmed by this Zhang Xuan and has taken him as her master. She even went as far as to sever our father-daughter relationship. I beg of you, my lord, in consideration of my years of loyalty, to spare her life when you capture him…”
Ling Buyang coldly snorted, “The Mandate Chaos Masters are adept at bewitching people. That one in the Zhou Yi Dynasty, he gathered over a hundred disciples within three days in the royal palace, from the prince to commoners, all holding him in high regard, and none could be dissuaded. This allowed him to escape easily, and he has not been caught to this day… Your daughter is only a bit over sixteen, it’s quite normal for her to be deluded. Don’t worry, I won’t blame her.”
“Thank you, my lord…” Liu Tianzheng sighed in relief.
“Right, let’s move on with it then! It’ll be best if Zhang Xuan doesn’t resist, but if he does, you may kill him on the spot!”
Ling Buyang instructed.
“I understand, my lord!”
Liu Tianzheng nodded, a hint of regret in his eyes.
If he’d known Lord Ling’s attitude earlier, he wouldn’t have needed to pander to him by sending those three Destiny Plates a few days ago… But no matter, as long as he is captured, those items would still be his.
…
City Lord Residence.
Yu Longqing was reviewing the numerous documents on his desk, one by one. Then he saw Liao Shiquan, the official master teacher, hurriedly approaching him.
“My lord, the city lord… there’s trouble!”
Liao Shiquan’s brows were knitted together.
“What happened?” Yu Longqing looked puzzled.
Liao Shiquan said, “Just now, our spy embedded within the Liu Clan sent a message stating… Fate Master Ling Buyang has visited the Liu Clan and is having a secret meeting with the clan head and several elders.”
Yu Longqing nodded, “This Fate Master Ling has always been supporting the Liu Clan from the shadows. Haven’t we figured that out already? If he is here personally, as long as there is no notification, we can pretend we know nothing…”
Although he was the city lord, even he dared not offend a Fate Master, so under such circumstances, it was better to turn a blind eye.
“If it’s just a transaction involving Destiny Plates, we could ignore it…”
Liao Shiquan clenched his fists, looking up anxiously, “But if… they’re planning to kill Zhang laoshi, should we intervene or not?”
“Kill Zhang laoshi?”
Yu Longqing suddenly stood up, looking incredulously, “Why?”