Chu Liuxiang

The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty's surname is Zhu.

The Night Emperor's surname is Zhu.

If these two facts were stated separately, neither would be significant. No one would pay much mind to another person's surname.

However, Boss Azure Dragon brought these two facts up together today, making the implied meaning quite obvious.

The Night Emperor, the Night Emperor, daring to use "Emperor" as his title, naturally meant he was born into a royal family.

"I never expected this to be the Night Emperor's background," people murmured in amazement.

At this moment, Boss Azure Dragon smiled again and said, "There's nothing to be surprised about. The Night Emperor's identity was actually revealed long ago by his surname, but no one ever thought about it. It's actually a simple matter."

Everyone fell silent, looking at Boss Azure Dragon, speechless for a moment.

Boss Azure Dragon continued, "The Night Emperor was born into the imperial clan, and my second step of the plan involves the Emperor himself. He will definitely interfere then. And as for the relationship between Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor, everyone present knows it. Moreover, given Tie Zhongtang's character, he will absolutely try to stop our actions, no matter what."

"We will face him eventually. Since that's the case, why not strike first?"

"Therefore, for our grand plan to unfold perfectly and without disruption, the first step is to eliminate Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor."

"Furthermore, given Tie Zhongtang's status, his death would undoubtedly cause a massive upheaval in the martial world, drawing everyone's attention and making it easier for us to act."

"So, for our grand plan, for this world, first kill... Tie Zhongtang!" Boss Azure Dragon concluded.

Under Boss Azure Dragon's cold gaze, everyone present fell silent. Then, all hesitation in their eyes transformed into icy killing intent, permeating the air, exceptionally chilling.

"You are right, we agree."

This was everyone's choice, a choice already destined.

The people here were all ambitious strategists, the most terrifying power-seekers in the world. For their ambitions, there was nothing they would not sacrifice, not even themselves.

And at this moment, between their ambitions and their respect for Tie Zhongtang, they chose the former without hesitation. This was never a choice to begin with.

Respect is respect, but important matters must be clear.

For the sake of their ambitions, sacrificing anyone was worth it. Everything in the world has a price. Some things that seem priceless are merely because the price offered isn't high enough. Once the price reaches a certain level, everyone will find that what they previously insisted upon was utterly insignificant.

Boss Azure Dragon looked at everyone present with satisfaction. Decisiveness was precisely the quality that great individuals should possess. Otherwise, how could they be worthy of cooperating with him?

Boss Azure Dragon continued, "Since we've decided to kill Tie Zhongtang, let's discuss how to do it next."

"This is the first task after our alliance, and it demonstrates each party's sincerity. It's the foundation for future mutual assistance, and failure is absolutely unacceptable."

Boss Azure Dragon's voice remained cold and terrifying, reaching everyone's ears and resonating with an icy chill.

How to kill the number one hero in the world, Tie Zhongtang? This was a question no one had ever considered before. Now, everyone was racking their brains, trying to figure out how to put an end to the life of this man who had been famous for decades and was universally acknowledged as the number one under heaven.

This was an incredibly difficult problem because... it was too hard!

After a long while, everyone remained silent, looking at each other.

Finally, a smart person looked at Boss Azure Dragon, who sat at the head of the table, coldly observing everyone. Since he raised this question, he must have had an answer in mind. Hadn't he prepared for this opportunity for a long time?

So, that person stood up, cupped his fists in a salute to Boss Azure Dragon, and said, "We are dull-witted. We hope the Dragon Head will enlighten us."

Seeing his action, the others immediately reacted and all asked Boss Azure Dragon to speak.

Boss Azure Dragon did not act coy. He said indifferently, "Tie Zhongtang is a renowned expert in the world. Even if his martial arts are not the absolute best, they are certainly among the top five in the world. Killing him is naturally not easy."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, Tie Zhongtang is not a loner. He is the Sect Master of the Iron Blood Great Banner Sect, with countless experts under his command and incredibly formidable disciples. Dealing with him is far from easy."

"What's even more troublesome is his extremely high prestige in the martial world. Even those present admire his character, let alone others. I fear that if he were to rally the people, heroes from all over the world would flock to his side and fight for him."

Listening to Boss Azure Dragon's analysis, everyone nodded. It was precisely because of these reasons that they found it troublesome. After all, Tie Zhongtang was no ordinary person, and killing him was far from easy.

At this moment, Boss Azure Dragon scanned his surroundings and said with confidence, "Precisely because of the reasons mentioned above, if we want to kill Tie Zhongtang, we must strike a fatal blow. We cannot give him any opportunity. Otherwise, once he is on guard, gathers his numerous Great Banner experts, and invites heroes from all over the world, we will never have the slightest chance. Instead, we will alert the enemy and our plan will face immense difficulties."

Everyone nodded again, strongly agreeing with Boss Azure Dragon's reasoning. Dealing with someone like Tie Zhongtang required a fatal blow, leaving him no chance.

"But how can we achieve this? Tie Zhongtang has been elusive for years, like a dragon that shows its head but not its tail. We don't even know where he is, so how can we kill him?" someone questioned.

Just as Boss Azure Dragon was about to say something, a figure suddenly stood up and looked at him.

He Heng revealed a slight smile. He first looked at the crowd, then at Boss Azure Dragon, and said, "Regarding how to deal with Tie Zhongtang, I have a suggestion."

"White Tower Lord, please speak!" Boss Azure Dragon glanced indifferently at He Heng, his gaze as calm as ancient water.

He Heng smiled slightly again and said, "This time, we are actually dealing with both Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor. And I know of one person who has a significant relationship with both of them. Through him, we might be able to lure the Night Emperor and Tie Zhongtang into taking the bait."

"Who is that person?" everyone asked.

He Heng smiled and said, "Thief Marshal Chu Liuxiang."

"So it's him. No wonder his martial arts are so peculiar; they came from the Night Emperor's hands." These people suddenly understood. He Heng's words were enough to make them think of many things.

Boss Azure Dragon also looked at He Heng, an individual nurtured by the Azure Dragon Society, and said, "In that case, why don't we ask White Tower Lord to handle this matter personally? We will assist from the side."

Everyone else also looked at He Heng, letting him be the first to step forward and deal with Tie Zhongtang and the Night Emperor.

However, this was precisely what He Heng wanted.

What fame, fortune, wealth, or power? None of these were He Heng's pursuits. Moreover, what was the point of gaining power in this world? Could He Heng take it back to the Great Heaven World?

For He Heng, his purpose in this world was to improve his own martial arts cultivation and break through to higher realms of the Martial Dao. This was the only thing he could take away.

He Heng's current realm had reached a bottleneck. To advance, he would need to spend a lot of time grinding. While He Heng wasn't short on time, he was unwilling to wait.

Martial Dao cultivation was always about seizing the day. If he developed the habit of waiting in this world, would he continue to wait in the Great Heaven World later on?

No, retreating was never He Heng's style. To him, no matter how difficult the road ahead, he would never fear it. Instead, he would charge headfirst into challenges, growing stronger with each battle. This was the quality a seeker of the Dao should possess, otherwise, how could he ever reach the peak?

Even the Myriad Heavens Treasure Mirror was merely an external object in He Heng's eyes. Compared to anything else, his own cultivation was the foundation. Any external object could be discarded, but the self was eternal.

And now, the best way for He Heng to quickly break through his bottleneck was through combat, evenly matched combat! Only in the crucible of life and death could one's potential be truly ignited, allowing He Heng to break through the bottleneck and reach a stronger realm!

Both the Night Emperor and Tie Zhongtang were excellent opponents, and He Heng certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity.

He glanced at the reactions of the others and could only sneer inwardly. What can sparrows understand of a swan's ambition?

His expression remained unchanged as he said, "It is my honor. I hope you will all cooperate with me wholeheartedly and contribute to our grand plan for the future."

"Naturally," the others chimed in.

Boss Azure Dragon stood to the side, watching it all coldly, as if in complete control. However, when his gaze fell upon He Heng, it paused, his pupils contracting slightly.

This was the only person he couldn't see through, just as He Heng couldn't see through him. Boss Azure Dragon couldn't fathom He Heng, at least not why He Heng would choose to be the first to step forward.

An interesting person. The days ahead won't be lonely...

PS: Something major has happened at home, so I might only be able to post one chapter these few days, or possibly none at all. I hope for your understanding.