On the street.
Su Chen headed toward Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower. The bustling street was crowded with people coming and going.
The weather was pleasant, with the sun shining brightly.
Just as Su Chen arrived at Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower,
Lei Mu of the Lei Family was heading this way with Lei Gu and Lei Muyan, two of the three great guardians.
As for Lei Mo of the Lei Family, he had stayed behind at the Lei Family to guard Qin Hao.
They had also mobilized several skilled fighters from Lei Hall to provide strict protection and prevent anything from happening to Qin Hao.
Qin Hao was the Qin Family's Third Young Master. He could not be allowed to come to harm at the Lei Family; if anything happened to him, the Lei Family would be done for.
Meanwhile, Lei Yao was escorting the Void Nether Stone to the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform.
Su Chen glanced at them, furrowed his brow slightly, then turned and stepped into Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
"Why are Lei Mu and the others here?"
For a moment, Su Chen couldn't figure out what they were after.
He went straight upstairs. The Lei Family had come, but they probably weren't looking for him. They were here to see Ling Tianhe.
As soon as the Lei Family members entered Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower,
An attendant hurried over and bowed. "Hall Master Lei, Deputy Pavilion Master Ling is temporarily occupied, but he'll be here shortly. Please follow me."
Lei Mu nodded.
Although they had come to pressure Ling Tianhe, they hadn't started negotiating yet. They still had to show him the proper courtesy.
Besides, Bai Tianyu stood behind Ling Tianhe and could completely overpower them.
If they made a move, they would be the ones to die.
Meanwhile, Ling Tianhe had gone to Su Chen's room.
"Pavilion Master, I've found the location. It's at Qin Cui Mountain!"
Ling Tianhe took out a map marked with a location and placed it in front of Su Chen.
Su Chen set the map aside.
He asked gravely, "Deputy Pavilion Master Ling, do you know anything about the Blood Demon Flower?"
"The Blood Demon Flower?"
Hearing Su Chen's question,
Ling Tianhe furrowed his brow and began to think.
"I've heard of it, but I don't remember much. I'll have to look into it."
Ling Tianhe replied.
"Find out what you can about the Blood Demon Flower and report back to me."
Su Chen nodded.
"Yes, understood. I'll deal with Lei Mu and the others first, then investigate the Blood Demon Flower."
"Pavilion Master, would you like to listen in from the next room? You can hear everything they say in there."
Ling Tianhe asked.
"Is that so? Then I'll go hear what brought Lei Mu here in person."
Su Chen nodded.
Ling Tianhe then led him to the room next to the one where Lei Mu and the others were being received. Su Chen went to listen while Ling Tianhe went to meet them.
Inside the room,
Lei Mu and the other two sat without showing any particular impatience.
"Hall Master Lei, something held me up. My apologies. May I ask what brings you to see me?"
Ling Tianhe entered and cupped his hands.
"Brother Ling, let's speak plainly."
"I'm sure you've heard about Young Master Qin Hao."
"We're here today on Young Master Qin Hao's behalf. It's about the Void Nether ore. Name your price, and Lei Hall will pay you."
Lei Mu said.
He got straight to the point.
As he spoke, he took out the Qin Family token Qin Hao had given him and placed it on the table.
"Hmph! Hall Master Lei, Lei Ao of your Lei Hall hired Happy Pure Tower to kill the lord of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."
"Shouldn't your Lei Hall give Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower an explanation?"
Ling Tianhe didn't discuss cooperation. Instead, he brought up Lei Ao.
"Brother Ling, Lei Ao has already been killed. The man who killed him also killed your trusted subordinate, Song Yuan."
"Now we have a common enemy. We should join forces."
"Besides, we truly knew nothing about what Lei Ao did. If we had, we would have stopped him."
Lei Mu said.
As he spoke, he cursed Lei Ao inwardly.
Lei Ao had acted on his own and hired someone to kill Su Mengbai, putting the Lei Family in a difficult position and leaving them no choice but to rely on Qin Hao.
"About my subordinate being killed, I know. I can deal with it myself."
"On that point, I don't think we need to cooperate."
"And the Void Nether ore is important to Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower—and to me personally. It's the foundation of our relationship with Zitan Palace. Do you think I'd give it up?"
Ling Tianhe said gravely.
"Ling Tianhe, so you're refusing to hand over the Void Nether ore?"
"Do you realize that you'll be offending both Lei Hall and Young Master Qin Hao? With your strength, not even at the Innate Late Stage, there are plenty of people in Qingcheng City who could kill you!"
"Are you hoping to meet the same end as Lord Su, assassinated and left dead?"
Lei Gu, seated beside Lei Mu, spoke in a grim voice, directly threatening Ling Tianhe.
"Looks like you don't plan on leaving Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."
Ling Tianhe looked at Lei Gu and spoke coldly.
Bai Tianyu was inside Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower right now.
If they made a move, he would simply keep them here.
"Brother Ling, Lei Gu spoke out of turn. Don't take it to heart."
"Actually, we only need the Void Nether ore for a while. We can return it to you later."
Lei Mu cut in.
They only needed the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform until it matured. Apart from that, they had little use for the Void Nether ore.
"Lei Mu, do you think I'd believe that?"
Ling Tianhe said coldly.
Who would believe that someone would hand back what they had already taken?
Even if he knew a few things and believed Lei Mu, he couldn't let it show.
"Brother Ling, to be honest, Young Master Qin needs the Void Nether ore to cultivate something. It's nearly mature!"
"But the Void Nether Stones the Lei Family bought are almost used up, so we've had to turn to your mine."
Lei Mu said.
In the next room,
Su Chen, who had been listening in, watched with brightened eyes.
Now he understood why they wanted the Void Nether mine. They were using it to cultivate the Blood Demon Flower.
This Blood Demon Flower must be no ordinary thing!
Su Chen thought to himself.
The Lei Family had recently bought a great deal of Void Nether ore, yet still hadn't brought the Blood Demon Flower to maturity. It had to be an extraordinary spirit herb.
Meanwhile,
inside Gathering of Sages Hall, another of Qingcheng City's five great factions,
the hall master, Ximen Muye, stood respectfully before a young man dressed in a brown robe.
A chill aura emanated from the young man. He looked at Ximen Muye and asked, "Have you found out why Qin Hao came here?"
"Young Master Yang, I haven't learned much so far. But Ling Tianhe of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower probably knows a lot. I intend to start with Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."
Ximen Muye replied.
The young man belonged to the Yang Family, one of the eight great families and the power behind their Gathering of Sages Hall in the prefectural capital.
"Ling Tianhe has an expert by his side. He must have support from someone else, and he's probably competing with Qin Hao for something. We only need to stay in the shadows."
"Then we can reap the rewards while they fight."
The young man in the brown robe said.
Just then, someone knocked at the door.
Ximen Muye opened it. It was his disciple, Qin Zhenyuan.
He whispered a few words in Ximen Muye's ear.
Ximen Muye's expression changed. He waved for Qin Zhenyuan to leave.
Then he turned back to the young man in the brown robe.
"Young Master Yang, I just received word that someone severed Qin Hao's arm last night. He fled to the Lei Family, gravely injured."
"Also, Lei Mu of the Lei Family went to Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower first thing this morning!"
Hearing Ximen Muye's report, surprise appeared on the young man's face.
But it soon gave way to delight.
"Whatever they're after must be extraordinary. We have to find out what it is!"
Before you continue