"But..."
Wen Wanrong felt slightly distressed.
"Madam, that wretch has already been crippled and is even cursed by the Heavenly Dao. If you do not sever ties with him now, he will surely drag you down with him! Listen to me—just pretend we never had this son!"
At the thought of Xiao Chen cutting off all ties with them, Xiao Zhentian trembled with rage from head to toe.
Yet he never once considered why Xiao Chen had done this, nor did he realize that it was his excessive favoritism toward Xiao Lingtian and his complete disregard for Xiao Chen's feelings that had led to today's outcome!
Instead, he placed all the blame on Xiao Chen.
He was the Zhenbei King!
How could he possibly be wrong?!
"Exactly, Mother. That trash Xiao Chen is destined not to live more than a few days. Why are you still thinking about him?"
Xiao Lingtian said unhappily as well.
Listening to the family's conversation, Zhang Qitian could not help falling silent.
He had not expected that, though both were sons of the Zhenbei King, Xiao Chen and Xiao Lingtian would be treated so differently!
One basked in glory and affection, while the other was unloved by both father and mother.
Personally, he still preferred Xiao Chen. Even when trapped in desperate straits, Xiao Chen could face them calmly. Setting everything else aside, that bearing alone far surpassed the petty Xiao Lingtian!
Not to mention that Xiao Chen's talent was far greater as well. Xiao Lingtian was merely Heaven Tier, while Xiao Chen possessed a King Physique. Though Heaven Tier was already invincible, compared with a King Physique, it still fell far, far short. Unfortunately, Xiao Chen had been afflicted by the Curse of the Heavenly Dao and did not have long to live.
However, he always felt that the Martial Spirit Realm's verdict on Xiao Chen was strange. There had clearly been a second half to it, yet it seemed as though someone had forcibly concealed it. But the Martial Spirit Mirror was an ancient divine artifact, profound and unfathomable. What in this world could obscure the heavenly secrets revealed by the Martial Spirit Mirror?
"Your Highness, the Zhang Family head is outside requesting an audience. He says he wishes to seek justice from you. The area outside the manor is already packed with people—you must go take a look quickly!"
Just then, a manor guard hurried in from outside the hall and reported to Xiao Zhentian.
The moment those words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.
Zhang Mohu actually dared to be so arrogant as to come to Zhenbei King Manor and demand justice?
Xiao Zhentian frowned slightly. "Did he say what it was about?"
"He said his son was killed by the young master!"
"Lingtian, did you kill Zhang Youzhi?"
Xiao Zhentian was taken aback. He turned toward Xiao Lingtian, his eyes filled with astonishment.
He knew a little about Zhang Youzhi. He was a renowned Heavenly Prodigy Rank in Barren North City, and the Asura Blade Sutra in his hands was incredibly powerful. A month ago, he and Xiao Lingtian had fought fiercely over Ye Qingxuan. Xiao Lingtian had only narrowly won by a few moves, his advantage extremely slight!
How long had it been? Xiao Lingtian could actually kill Zhang Youzhi now?
But not long ago, Zhang Youzhi had appeared at the martial academy assessment. Only an hour had passed since then—how had he died already? Could it be that Xiao Lingtian had fought Zhang Youzhi again at Barren North Plaza?
"Father, how could that be possible? Zhang Youzhi and I do have some grudges between us, but I never even encountered him today!"
Xiao Lingtian shook his head.
There were some things he was too embarrassed to say aloud. Even if he had encountered Zhang Youzhi, he would not have had the ability to kill him.
Zhang Youzhi was one of the top ten Heavenly Prodigy Rank cultivators in all of Barren North City, and he had cultivated far longer than Xiao Lingtian. At present, Xiao Lingtian could only barely defeat him. Killing him was absolutely impossible.
Not just him—even among the younger generation of Barren North City, there was no one who could kill Zhang Youzhi.
"Has Zhang Mohu eaten a bear's heart and leopard's gall? He actually dares slander Zhenbei King Manor? Come, let us take a look!"
Xiao Zhentian's expression suddenly darkened, and he strode directly toward the entrance.
It had never occurred to him that Xiao Chen might have killed Zhang Youzhi. After Xiao Chen's dantian had shattered, he had lost all his cultivation. He had only just recovered recently, and with the Curse of the Heavenly Dao upon him, absorbing the vital energy of heaven and earth was immensely difficult. It was impossible for him to possess the strength to kill Zhang Youzhi.
Xiao Lingtian and the others followed close behind.
Outside Zhenbei King Manor.
"My son, Zhang Youzhi, was murdered today by the son of the Zhenbei King. Though I, Zhang Mohu, know full well that I am no match for the Zhenbei King, as his father, I have no choice but to seek justice for my son. I ask all the elders and townsfolk here to bear witness for me."
Zhang Mohu stood with a group of Zhang Family martial artists, all dressed in mourning clothes, before a pale-faced corpse. His expression was grief-stricken and furious.
"Damn, Zhang Youzhi is dead?"
"He was one of Barren North City's strongest Heavenly Prodigy Rank cultivators. Who among the younger generation could kill him? Has Xiao Lingtian suddenly become that formidable?"
"That's not right. I remember Xiao Lingtian fought Zhang Youzhi last month, and Xiao Lingtian only won by the skin of his teeth. How long has it been? His strength has grown so much that he can outright kill Zhang Youzhi?"
"If it wasn't Xiao Lingtian, who else could it be? It couldn't possibly have been that trash Xiao Chen, could it?"
The surrounding crowd discussed it fervently.
In their eyes, Xiao Chen was already crippled. The Zhenbei King had only one son capable of fighting Zhang Youzhi, so Xiao Lingtian must have done this.
News that Zhang Mohu's son had been killed and that Zhang Mohu was demanding justice from the Zhenbei King at Zhenbei King Manor spread without wings!
Before long, more and more people gathered outside Zhenbei King Manor, all eager to watch the spectacle.
The Zhenbei King had been majestic and awe-inspiring. In Barren North City, no one had dared become his enemy for many years.
Yet today, Zhang Mohu actually dared to make such a huge move. It was simply thrilling.
No one knew whether, in a fit of rage, the Zhenbei King would directly wipe out the Zhang Family, one of the five great lineages, root and branch today.
A short while later, Xiao Zhentian emerged from Zhenbei King Manor with a gloomy expression. Seeing Zhang Mohu and the others dressed entirely in mourning clothes as they blocked the gates of his manor, his face darkened further. "Zhang Mohu, what do you mean by this? Have you come here deliberately to bring misfortune upon me?"
Seeing Xiao Zhentian truly angered, fear appeared on everyone's faces, and even their bodies could not help trembling slightly.
A trace of fear also flashed through Zhang Mohu's eyes, and he felt the urge to retreat. But when he thought of his beloved only son dying an unnatural death, he gritted his teeth, raised his head, and met Xiao Zhentian's gaze. "Your Highness, I know your combat strength is heaven-shaking, but all matters must be reasoned through. Your son killed my son for no reason. Even if you are the Zhenbei King, you must give me an explanation, must you not?"
As he spoke, Zhang Mohu signaled his men to move aside, revealing the pale corpse on the ground.
"Sword Qi?"
Xiao Zhentian glanced at the wounds on the corpse, and his expression changed slightly. Killing intent immediately rose in his eyes as he looked up at Zhang Mohu. "Sword Qi lingers around your son's wounds. He was clearly killed by a sword cultivator. Instead of investigating the truth, you came here to falsely accuse my son Lingtian. What are you really plotting?"
At that moment, he was truly enraged.
His son Xiao Lingtian cultivated fist techniques and had nothing whatsoever to do with sword cultivators. Zhang Mohu's son had been killed by a sword cultivator, yet Zhang Mohu could still pin it on his son. It was utterly absurd.
Sword cultivators possessed the greatest killing power among all paths of cultivation.
He wished Zhenbei King Manor could produce a sword cultivator, but becoming one was far too difficult. Xiao Lingtian simply could not do it.
Xiao Zhentian stared at Zhang Mohu with a dark expression.
An incomparably terrifying pressure suddenly spread from his body. Zhang Mohu felt as though a towering mountain ten thousand zhang high were pressing down upon him. His face instantly reddened, and veins bulged across his body.
"It was Xiao... Xiao Chen. My son was killed by Xiao Chen!" Zhang Mohu forced out those few words with all his strength.
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