Thirteen

Quietly checking his body, Luo Dingyi was surprised to discover that his injuries were actually not severe. Although the black-clad man's strength was a cut above his own, he had clearly held back, as if he were in no rush to take his life. If that were the case, the chances of Kaiguang and the others escaping were much higher.

Could it be that the other party didn't come to kill me? That's impossible. If they knew my identity, they wouldn't let me go. Luo Dingyi quickly dismissed the thought, tightening his focus and circulating his Spirit Technique, preparing to fight the black-clad elder to the death.

As the Spirit Technique circulated, countless golden lights slowly condensed upon Luo Dingyi's large hands, his momentum climbing to its peak in that very instant; his cultivation was primarily channeled through these hands.

However, the black-clad man opposite him remained indifferent, appearing calm and composed, which only made Luo Dingyi feel more uneasy. Could there be more than just this one person? If so, what about Feng'er and the others...

"Alright, stop playing. If you keep playing, you're going to kill someone," a young boy who hadn't spoken until now suddenly piped up from the courtyard.

The voice was still childish, lacking in vigor.

Yet, the incredibly powerful black-clad man actually stopped in his tracks, which made Luo Dingyi even more astonished by the pair's identities.

The black-clad man nodded slightly toward the child, took a waist token from his person, and tossed it gently toward Luo Dingyi.

Clatter.

Old Luo was naturally not foolish enough to reach out and catch it; who knew if there was a trap? The token fell directly to the ground. Seeing that the black-clad man made no further moves, Luo Dingyi carefully picked it up.

The pitch-black token had nothing remarkable about it, save for two strange patterns carved in a flowing, dragon-like script. In reality, these were two special characters that only members of the Tianlan Luo Clan could recognize.

As it happened, Luo Dingyi was indeed from the Tianlan Empire's Luo Clan, though this secret was unknown in Lushan.

"Thirteen?"

Luo Dingyi whispered involuntarily. At the same time, a piece of information he had almost forgotten suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

The Saint Ancestor of the Tianlan Imperial Luo Clan once had eight hundred iron-blooded guards, among whom the eighteen most loyal and distinguished in battle were bestowed with imperial tokens. Each was engraved with a unique numerical symbol of the Luo Clan, and those who held these tokens were entitled to the treatment reserved for the core members of the Luo Clan.

What defined the core of the Luo Clan? Within the Tianlan Imperial Luo Clan, only those of the Emperor's direct bloodline were considered core. Of course, if someone in the family possessed an exceptionally dense divine beast bloodline, possessed outstanding cultivation talent, or had made immense contributions to the family, they could also enjoy core status.

In other words, although Luo Dingyi was from the Tianlan Luo Clan, he was not a core member, as he belonged to a collateral branch.

Needless to say, this old man and young boy were none other than Sanbao and Thirteen, who had traveled from the Thousand Desolation Mountains.

"That is indeed me."

Thirteen did not stand on ceremony, walking with his head held high toward the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall. This time, Luo Dingyi did not block him at all; instead, he stepped slightly aside. After the old man and the boy entered the hall, he followed them in, simultaneously sending another loud cry toward the sky.

Luo Kaifeng and the others, who were fleeing in a panic, were startled upon hearing the cry: "He was unstoppable just a moment ago, so why has the danger suddenly been lifted? What is going on? Could it be that Father defeated the enemy? Let's go, we're going home."

Just as Luo Dingyi stepped into the ancestral hall, a loud shout came from outside: "Reporting to the Clan Head, Young Master, and all young masters, there were some strange noises from the backyard just now. Should your subordinate..."

Only then did the Luo Clan guards finally notice something unusual, calling out from outside the courtyard of the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall. But that was as far as it went, for without orders, these outsiders were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall at will.

"It is nothing, you may all withdraw!"

Luo Dingyi spoke with a resonant voice, and after the echo faded, he hurriedly closed the doors of the ancestral hall. Inside, the old man and the boy were looking at him with smiles, as if to say he had performed well.

"Please, follow me, both of you," Luo Dingyi nodded to them and walked gently to a corner of the hall. He pressed his palm against the wall, and suddenly, a hidden passage appeared before the three of them.

After Sanbao and his companion entered the secret passage, Luo Dingyi quickly closed the mechanism. He then walked silently to the main seat in the center of the ancestral hall, sat down, and closed his eyes, his expression far from calm.

Memories of the past flooded his mind.

Time passed in silence; in the blink of an eye, it had been fifty years since he left Tianlan.

Click. Another secret passage in the ancestral hall was suddenly opened, and Luo Kaifeng, his brothers, and Caiyang and his sister returned to the hall in a rush.

"Father, what happened?"

"Grandfather, has the enemy been dealt with?" they asked in a flurry.

"It was not an enemy, but an old acquaintance who came to reminisce. I misunderstood. You should all go back for now. Remember, whatever happened today must not be mentioned to anyone else."

Luo Dingyi opened his eyes and offered this explanation. He then calmly walked to the corner of the hall, opened the mechanism, and quickly vanished from their sight.

"Alright, everyone remember what the Clan Head said, let's all go back," seeing the bewildered looks on everyone's faces, Luo Kaifeng gave the order and was the first to leave the ancestral hall.

Although the others felt it was all very strange, since the Clan Head had spoken, they dared not discuss it and left one after another. Even the youngest, Caiyue, seemed to know it wasn't the time to be willful, as she didn't utter another word of complaint.

The secret passage twisted and turned, but fortunately, it was short. Before long, a clean and tidy underground chamber appeared before Sanbao and Thirteen.

Thirteen looked around and said, "Hmm, the secret chamber is built beneath the rockery. The environment here is elegant and the spiritual energy is abundant; it's a good place for secluded cultivation. Even if an accident occurs, one can advance to attack or retreat to defend. It seems this Lushan Luo Clan has quite a bit of foresight."

"Thirteen, is this Luo Clan the secret branch of our Tianlan Luo Clan in the Yunli Kingdom that you mentioned?" Sanbao could not help but be curious.

"Yes, the Saint Ancestor dispersed several collateral branches of the Luo Clan to various parts of the continent many years ago, just to ensure that if the imperial family were to fall, the Luo Clan would not be wiped out. Just like how you never entered the palace, it was because His Majesty feared accidents. I only thought the Saint Ancestor and His Majesty were taking precautions, but I never expected it to actually come to pass. Sigh..."

As it turned out, the Lushan Luo Clan was indeed a member of the Tianlan Imperial Luo Clan. Decades ago, under the instruction and arrangement of the Luo Clan's Saint Ancestor, they had come to this small Lushan Town in the Yunli Kingdom in the south of the continent.

A year ago, when the news of the Tianlan Luo Clan's fall finally reached Lushan Town, Luo Dingyi felt both sorrow and fortune.

He was sorrowful that in just a few short decades, the powerful Tianlan Luo Clan had been defeated. He was fortunate that he had been chosen by the Saint Ancestor and sent to Lushan; if he hadn't been sent away from Lanjing, his life would likely have been extinguished along with the fall of the Luo Clan.

To be safe, Luo Dingyi had to plan some escape routes for the family.

The secret passages in the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, as well as the special codes established among the direct members of the Luo Clan, were naturally prepared for this reason—to provide a glimmer of hope should something truly go wrong one day.

Thirteen's unexpected appearance this time was a perfect test.

Had it been an enemy, the Luo Clan would have had one more chance to escape with their lives.

Just as Sanbao and Thirteen finished talking, the sound of footsteps came from the end of the secret passage.

Luo Dingyi had arrived.

"The two of you, Luo Dingyi pays his respects."

Sure enough, Luo Dingyi arrived in the secret chamber shortly after, and upon learning that Sanbao and his companion were from the Tianlan royal family—especially after seeing the royal token held by Thirteen—he hurriedly bowed.

"Head of the clan, there is no need for such formalities. This is the Second Prince Cheng, who will go by the name Sanbao from now on. He may be staying here for some time, so please arrange his status accordingly," Thirteen said with a calm expression, his indifferent tone carrying a hint of command.

In front of Sanbao, Thirteen was merely a guard, but before other members of the Luo Clan, he enjoyed the treatment reserved for the core of the Luo Clan. Even though the royal family was no longer in power, the sense of superiority earned through military merit and loyalty remained unchanged.

"Greetings to the Second Prince, greetings to Guard Thirteen," Luo Dingyi hurriedly bowed again.

"Hello Uncle, hello Uncle, please, there is no need to be so formal! I will be troubling you from now on," Sanbao, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the treatment, quickly returned the bow.

Although Luo Dingyi was well over seventy years old, his profound cultivation made him appear very young, looking to be around forty, which left Sanbao feeling slightly surprised.

Thirteen had mentioned long ago that Luo Dingyi had been sent to Deer Mountain by the Saint Ancestor over forty years ago, meaning he should be in his seventies; it was unexpected that he looked so youthful.

This was simply due to Sanbao's lack of experience. In reality, as their cultivation increased, the lifespan of Spirit Cultivators far exceeded that of ordinary people, so Luo Dingyi appearing to be in his early forties was actually quite normal.

"It is only right, it is only right. I am the sixth in the clan, and His Majesty is my third brother, so I shall accept this title of uncle!" Seeing Prince Cheng being so humble and polite, Old Luo felt a great sense of affection toward him.

Only then did Sanbao realize that his "father" was actually older than Luo Dingyi. If Thirteen said he had watched His Majesty grow up, wouldn't that make him much older? Thinking of this, Sanbao could no longer suppress his curiosity and asked aloud.

"Thirteen, how old are you exactly? Are you over a hundred years old?"

"This old servant is nearly one hundred and twenty; I do not have many years left to live," Thirteen sighed deeply, his words seemingly reflecting his current mood.

Meeting Sanbao's wide, oval-shaped eyes, Thirteen then turned back to explain to Luo Dingyi.