The Spirit Pagoda Crossed a Line

Chen Xing's family of five sat around the table in the courtyard, eating dinner.

Lang Yue had made several extra dishes today to celebrate all three children coming home.

Tang Wulin had polished off more than half the food by himself.

Na'er sat beside Chen Xing, sipping her soup. Every so often, she glanced up at him, then lowered her head again.

Tang Ziran held a wineglass, a rare smile on his face.

Chen Xing leaned back in his chair, thinking of taking Na'er and Wulin to the beach later that night.

Everything felt just right.

Then a dull thud came from outside the courtyard, as though something heavy had been thrown to the ground.

"I'll take a look."

Chen Xing stood, but before he could take a step, someone pushed open the courtyard gate from outside.

A tall man with red hair and crimson eyes walked in.

He held a rope in one hand. Five people were tied to its other end.

Bound together in a line, they were dragged across the ground like dead dogs.

An insignia was embroidered on their clothes.

Chen Xing recognized it.

The Spirit Pagoda!

Chen Xing's expression chilled.

He had thought the Spirit Pagoda had given up. Instead, they had been preparing something big.

The red-haired man entered the courtyard and tossed the rope aside.

The five captives tumbled into a heap. They struggled on the ground but couldn't get up.

"My lord."

The red-haired man dropped to one knee and bowed his head toward Na'er.

"I've brought them."

An awful silence fell over the courtyard.

Tang Ziran's wineglass was still raised halfway to his mouth, but his hand was shaking.

Lang Yue covered her mouth.

Tang Wulin looked at the five bound captives, then at Na'er. His mouth hung open, but no words came out.

Chen Xing stood where he was.

He recognized the man.

The Scarlet King.

He just hadn't expected the Scarlet King to appear like this.

Na'er slowly rose.

She walked up to the five captives and looked down at them before turning to the Scarlet King. "Get up and speak."

The Scarlet King stood and waited at her side, hands at rest.

Na'er crouched and studied their faces. "Who sent you?"

One of them looked up at the silver-haired, violet-eyed girl in terror.

They had no idea what was happening.

All they knew was that the five of them, Soul Douluo-level experts, had been about to begin their operation tonight when a red-haired man had pinned them to the ground with his bare hands. They hadn't even had a chance to resist.

"W-we're from the Spirit Pagoda's East Sea Branch..."

"I asked who sent you," Na'er said calmly.

The man swallowed.

"The... the higher-ups at our branch... They sent us to capture two people..."

"Which two?"

His hand trembled as he pointed at Tang Ziran and Lang Yue. "Tang Ziran... and Lang Yue..."

Tang Ziran's wineglass hit the ground with a crash.

Wine spilled everywhere.

Na'er stood and glanced back at Chen Xing.

Chen Xing came over and stood beside her.

"Why capture them?"

The man's lips quivered. Then the Scarlet King took a step forward, and a terrifying pressure descended on him.

"Because... because they're researching an inhibitor..."

"What kind of inhibitor?"

"One that suppresses the emotions of Ferocious Beasts... It works on them, but in humans... it would erase their emotions entirely..."

"The higher-ups said... to silence them once the research was complete... That's why they sent us to capture them first..."

The courtyard fell deathly silent again.

Tang Wulin's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. Tang Ziran had gone pale.

Lang Yue leaned back in her chair, her lips trembling.

The Spirit Pagoda had clearly targeted Lang Yue because she was a pharmacist!

Chen Xing drew a deep breath.

He looked down at the five captives.

"Anything else?"

All five shook their heads over and over.

"Sir! That's everything... We've told you all we know!"

Chen Xing fell silent for a few seconds, then crouched before one of them.

"How many people at the East Sea Branch are involved?"

"The higher-ups... all of them..."

"What level is your strongest fighter?"

"Titled Douluo..."

Chen Xing stood.

His expression was calm.

But anyone who knew him understood that this kind of calm was when he was most dangerous.

Na'er came to his side. Her eyes betrayed no emotion, but her words made all five captives go cold.

"Brother, let me handle this."

Chen Xing looked at her and nodded.

Tang Wulin stood as well.

"I'm coming too."

Chen Xing turned to him.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Tang Wulin clenched his fists, his expression hardening.

"They were going to capture Mom and Dad. I can't just ignore that!"

Chen Xing was silent for two seconds, then patted him on the shoulder.

"All right. We'll go together."

With that, he turned to the Scarlet King.

"Sorry for the trouble, but please take my parents to the Blacksmiths Association in Heaven Dou City and hand them over to my teacher, Zhen Hua."

The Scarlet King glanced at Na'er.

He knew this young man was the person his lord cared about most. He also knew that Di Tian, who was far stronger than he was, had suffered a crushing setback at the boy's hands.

So he didn't dare take the request lightly. He went straight to Tang Ziran and Lang Yue.

"Please come with me."

Tang Ziran opened his mouth, but when Chen Xing and Na'er nodded to him, he hesitated no longer and took Lang Yue's hand.

Lang Yue looked back at Na'er, then at Chen Xing. Her eyes reddened.

"Xiao Chen... Na'er..."

Chen Xing smiled at her.

"Mom, it'll be fine. Go to Heaven Dou City first. We'll come find you once we're done."

Lang Yue wanted to say more, but Tang Ziran stopped her.

"Let's go. The children have grown up. They can make their own arrangements. We just need to wait in Heaven Dou City for good news."

The Scarlet King led them out through the courtyard gate.

Only Chen Xing, Na'er, Tang Wulin, and the five bound captives remained in the courtyard.

Chen Xing glanced down at the captives.

"You're coming too."

He took a palm-sized metal device from his Storage Ring and tossed it onto the ground.

Golden light flashed.

A Black-rank Mecha appeared in the courtyard.

"Put them inside."

Chen Xing pointed at the five captives.

Without a word, Tang Wulin grabbed them two at a time and stuffed all five into the Mecha's cargo hold.

Chen Xing jumped into the cockpit. Na'er climbed in behind him and took the passenger seat.

Tang Wulin sat in the back and shut the hatch.

"Let's go!"

The Black-rank Mecha lifted off and flew straight toward Eastsea City.

The night wind howled past the windows.

From the back seat, Tang Wulin stared at Chen Xing and Na'er and felt suddenly dazed.

Six years ago, he had known Na'er only as a little girl his brother had found and brought home.

Only now, six years later, did he learn the truth.

One command from this "little girl," and a three-hundred-and-ten-thousand-year-old king of Ferocious Beasts obeyed her every word!

"Na'er..." Tang Wulin said.

"Hmm?"

"Who are you, really?"