Thirteen

After quietly checking himself over, Luo Dingyi was surprised to find that his injuries weren't serious. The black-clad man was stronger than he was, but had clearly held back, as if he wasn't in a hurry to kill him. If that was the case, Kaiguang and the others had a much better chance of escaping.

"Could it be that he isn't here to kill me? No, that's impossible. If he knew who I was, he wouldn't let me go." Luo Dingyi quickly dismissed the thought, then focused his mind, circulated his Spirit Technique, and prepared to fight the black-clad elder to the death.

As his Spirit Technique flowed, countless golden glimmers slowly gathered over Luo Dingyi's large hands. In that instant, his aura surged to its peak. Nearly all of his cultivation was concentrated in those hands.

But the black-clad man opposite him was utterly unconcerned, wearing a carefree, unhurried expression. That made Luo Dingyi even more uneasy. Could there be more than one of them? If so, Feng'er and the others would be...

"All right, stop playing around. Keep it up and someone really will die." The little boy, who had remained silent in the courtyard, suddenly spoke.

His voice was still childish, and seemed a little weak.

Yet the black-clad man, whose strength was formidable, actually stopped. That left Luo Dingyi even more astonished by the identities of the two.

The black-clad man gave the child a slight nod, took out a waist token, and tossed it gently toward Luo Dingyi.

Thud.

Old Luo wasn't foolish enough to reach out and catch it. Who knew if there was a trap? The token fell straight to the ground. Only after checking that the black-clad man made no move did Luo Dingyi cautiously pick it up.

The jet-black token looked unremarkable. Two strange symbols, carved in sweeping strokes, marked its surface. They were actually special characters, but only members of the Tianlan Luo Clan could recognize them.

As it happened, Luo Dingyi was from the Luo Clan of the Tianlan Empire, though no one in Lushan knew this secret.

"Thirteen?"

Luo Dingyi murmured without thinking. At the same time, a piece of information he had nearly forgotten suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

The Saint Ancestor of the Tianlan Royal Family's Luo Clan had once commanded eight hundred battle-hardened guards. Among them, eighteen exceptionally loyal guards with outstanding records had been granted royal tokens, each engraved with a number unique to the Luo Clan. Those who held the tokens received the privileges of the Luo Clan's inner circle.

What did it mean to be part of the Luo Clan's inner circle? Within the Tianlan Royal Family's Luo Clan, only the emperor's direct bloodline counted as core members. Of course, anyone whose Divine Beast bloodline was exceptionally strong, whose cultivation talent was outstanding, or whose contributions to the clan were immense could also enjoy the privileges of the inner circle.

In other words, although Luo Dingyi was also from the Tianlan Luo Clan, he wasn't part of its inner circle, because he belonged to a collateral branch.

Needless to say, the old man and the boy were Sanbao and Thirteen, who had come from the Thousand Desolation Mountains.

"Indeed. That would be me."

Thirteen didn't bother with false modesty. He strode toward the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, head held high. This time, Luo Dingyi didn't stop him in the slightest. Instead, he stepped aside to let the two pass, then followed them into the ancestral hall. At the same time, he sent another loud cry up into the sky.

Luo Kaifeng and the others, who were fleeing at full speed, all started at the cry. "They were unstoppable just a moment ago. Why did the danger suddenly disappear? What's going on? Did Father defeat the enemy? Come on, let's go home."

Just as Luo Dingyi stepped into the ancestral hall, a shout suddenly came from outside. "Reporting to the clan head: strange noises just came from the rear courtyard. Should we...?"

Only then did the Luo Clan's guards notice that something was amiss. They called out from outside the ancestral hall's courtyard, but that was as far as they went. Without orders, outsiders like them weren't allowed to enter the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall.

"Nothing's wrong. You may all leave!"

Luo Dingyi's voice rang out with vigor. As soon as the echo faded, he hurriedly shut the ancestral hall's doors. Inside, the old man and the boy were watching him with smiles, as if to say he'd handled things well.

"Please, follow me." Luo Dingyi nodded to the two, then quietly walked to a corner of the ancestral hall. He pressed his palm against the wall, and a hidden passage appeared before them.

Once Sanbao and Thirteen had entered the passage, Luo Dingyi quickly closed the mechanism. Then he silently walked to the seat of honor in the middle of the ancestral hall and sat down, eyes shut, his expression anything but calm.

Memories of the past flooded his mind.

The years had slipped by in silence. In the blink of an eye, he had been away from Tianlan for fifty years.

With a click, another secret passage in the ancestral hall suddenly opened. Luo Kaifeng and his brothers, along with Caiyang, Caiyue, and the others, hurried back inside.

"Father, what happened?"

"Grandfather, did you kill the enemy?" They fired off questions in a flurry.

"It wasn't an enemy. An old friend came to see me, and I mistook him for someone else. You should all go back for now. Whatever happened today, don't mention it to anyone."

Luo Dingyi opened his eyes and explained. Then he calmly walked to a corner of the ancestral hall, opened the mechanism, and quickly disappeared from sight.

"All right, everyone, remember the clan head's words and go back," Luo Kaifeng ordered. Seeing their bewildered faces, he left the ancestral hall first.

The others were all baffled, but since the clan head had spoken, they naturally didn't dare discuss it. They got up and left one after another. Even the youngest, Caiyue, seemed to know this wasn't the time to act spoiled; she didn't make another peep.

The secret passage twisted and turned, but fortunately, it wasn't long. Before long, a clean, tidy underground chamber appeared before Sanbao and Thirteen.

Thirteen looked around before speaking. "Mm, the chamber was built beneath the rockery. It's a pleasant place, rich in spiritual energy—a fine spot for secluded cultivation. Even if disaster strikes, it can serve as a base to attack from or retreat to. The Luo Clan of Lushan clearly had the foresight to plan ahead."

"Thirteen, is this the Luo Clan you mentioned—the secret branch of our Tianlan Luo Clan in the Yunli Kingdom?" Sanbao couldn't help asking.

"Yes. Many years ago, the Saint Ancestor scattered several collateral branches of the Luo Clan across the continent to keep the clan from being wiped out if the royal family ever fell. Just as you've never been to the imperial palace, the emperor feared something might happen to you. I thought the Saint Ancestor and the emperor were simply taking precautions, but I never imagined those precautions would become reality. Sigh..."

As it turned out, the Luo Clan of Lushan had originally been part of the Tianlan Empire's royal Luo Clan. Decades earlier, at the Saint Ancestor's instruction and under his arrangements, they had come to this small town of Lushan in the southern part of the Yunli Kingdom.

A year ago, news of the Tianlan Luo Clan's downfall had finally reached Lushan. At the time, Luo Dingyi had felt both grief and relief.

He grieved that in only a few short decades, the powerful Tianlan Luo Clan had been defeated. He was relieved that the Saint Ancestor had chosen him to come to Lushan. If he hadn't been sent away from Lanjing, his life would almost certainly have ended with the Luo Clan's destruction.

To be safe, Luo Dingyi had to plan a few escape routes for his family.

The several secret passages in the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, as well as the special codes established for the Luo Clan's direct-line members, had all been prepared for this reason. If disaster ever struck, they would give the clan a few more chances to survive.

Thirteen's unexpected arrival this time had been a perfect test.

If he had been an enemy, the Luo Clan would have had a much better chance of escaping with their lives.

Sanbao and Thirteen had just finished talking when footsteps sounded from the other end of the passage.

Luo Dingyi had arrived.

"Your Highness, the Second Prince. Dingyi pays his respects."

Sure enough, Luo Dingyi soon entered the chamber. Once he learned that the two came from the Tianlan Royal Family—and especially after seeing Thirteen's royal token—he hurried to bow.

"Clan head, there's no need for such formalities. This is the Second Prince Cheng. He'll go by Sanbao from now on, and may have to stay here. You'll be responsible for arranging his identity." Thirteen's expression was calm, but his casual words carried a hint of command.

Before Sanbao, Thirteen was merely a guard. But before the rest of the Luo Clan, he enjoyed the privileges of the inner circle. Even with the royal family now gone, the status earned through his loyalty and battle service remained unchanged.

"Greetings, Second Prince. Greetings, Guard Thirteen," Luo Dingyi hurriedly said, bowing again.

"Hello, Uncle. No need to be so polite! I'll be relying on you from now on." Sanbao felt a little uncomfortable, so he hurried to return the greeting.

Luo Dingyi was already over seventy, but his profound cultivation made him look quite young—around forty. Sanbao was a little surprised.

Thirteen had told him long ago that the Saint Ancestor had sent Luo Dingyi to Lushan more than forty years earlier, so he should have been over seventy. Sanbao hadn't expected him to look so young.

That was only because Sanbao lacked experience. In fact, as their cultivation increased, Spirit Cultivators lived far longer than ordinary people. It was perfectly normal for Luo Dingyi to look barely over forty.

"You should, you should. I'm sixth in line within the clan, and the emperor is my third older brother. I've earned the right to be called uncle!" Seeing how humble and courteous Prince Cheng was, Old Luo felt a deep fondness for him.

Only then did Sanbao realize that his "father" was older than Luo Dingyi. Thirteen had said he watched the emperor grow up—so didn't that mean Thirteen was much older still? Unable to contain his curiosity, Sanbao asked, "Thirteen, how old are you, exactly? Are you over a hundred?"

"This old servant is nearly one hundred and twenty. I don't have many years left," Thirteen sighed, sounding much as he felt.

Seeing Sanbao's round eyes, Thirteen turned to explain to Luo Dingyi.