Chapter 113: Provocation

Chapter 113: Provocation

Wu Hong and Wu Songran left the Tianxing Antique Shop in high spirits. Inside one of the offices, only the tall, beautiful woman, Manager Zheng, and the old man who had given Wu Hong the diamond card remained.

"My lord, why do you place such importance on this boy, Wu Hong?" the tall woman asked, walking over to the old man and sitting on his lap. Her slender fingers traced his neck gently, and the old man, unable to resist the stimulation, began to let his withered hands roam over her body.

"Heh, my little sweet, don't you underestimate this Wu Hong! He is very likely a master who has directly cultivated the innate martial path! His future potential is limitless! Although the Prince of Wuwei is long dead, this once-extravagant young master is no ordinary person."

The old man’s branch-like hands continued to wander over the woman, who would moan whenever he touched a sensitive spot.

"I strongly suspect that Wu Hong has encountered some extraordinary fortune. It is inevitable that he has more spirit stones like the ones he showed earlier. It is worth our while to spend a great deal to build a relationship with him."

"Cackle—My lord, even the cleverest fox looks as clumsy as a bear when standing before you!" The tall woman laughed, then began to cater to the old man’s desires.

Because of this delay, they were already an hour late for the audience appointed by Emperor Yang Wei.

When Wu Hong and Wu Songran arrived at the palace gates, the towering walls were magnificent and gilded, showcasing the immense wealth of the Great Qian Dynasty. The bricks used to build the walls were not ordinary stone, but extremely hard Mysterious Iron Stone. The palace gate was towering and grand, and standing outside were over a hundred warriors in bright armor and silver helmets, each appearing full of vigor and spirit.

"Halt! Who goes there? This is the forbidden palace grounds—leave at once!" A soldier, seeing Wu Hong and Wu Songran approach without a carriage or servants, moved to drive them away.

"Hmph, the palace? What’s so special about it? It’s not like we haven't been here before," Wu Songran said dismissively.

Back when the Prince of Wuwei was alive, Wu Hong, Wu Lie, and Wu Songran had been incredibly prominent—far more arrogant than the average prince or princess. They could practically wander into the palace at will. Being blocked now naturally made Wu Songran quite angry.

"Audacious! Who are you to act so brazenly? Seize them!" A palace guard captain suddenly emerged from the crowd and shouted at Wu Songran.

"Clang!" Dozens of guards simultaneously drew their cold-gleaming sabers, which had tasted countless drops of blood. Though it was broad daylight, an icy killing intent permeated the air.

Wu Hong’s expression darkened. "You people are truly unreasonable! I am Wu Hong! I have been summoned by the Emperor himself. Are you going to arrest us too?"

The guard captain did not change his expression upon hearing Wu Hong’s name. "Your token—" he said, reaching out his hand toward Wu Hong. The guards, their blades still half-drawn, did not sheathe them.

Wu Hong was incensed. Emperor Yang Wei had summoned him but had not provided any token for palace entry. These guards were clearly making things difficult on purpose.

"Sister Ran, let’s go! If they won’t let us in, why should we bother?" Wu Hong turned to leave. Wu Songran, who had expected Wu Hong to fight his way in, was surprised by his sudden departure.

"Stop right there! Do you think the palace is a place you can just come and go as you please?" the guard captain demanded.

"Hmph—if I, Wu Hong, wish to leave, no one in this world can stop me!" Wu Hong let out a cold snort. His internal energy, infused into the air, struck the guards at the gate directly. The sharp sonic vibration felt like thousands of daggers stabbing into their hearts.

"Pfft—" Several guards, no longer appearing imposing, collectively vomited large mouthfuls of blood. Their faces turned deathly pale; they had all been severely injured by that single cold snort from Wu Hong.

Although these guards were one-in-a-million experts, all having reached the early stage of the Bone-Refining Realm, they would not normally be stationed at the palace gate. Wu Hong assumed they had been placed there by Emperor Yang Wei to intimidate him. But who was Wu Hong? Having spent years roaming the martial world, no one had ever dared to humiliate him like this.

Wu Songran gazed at him with adoration, thinking, "Brother Hong is so handsome even when he's angry!" Wu Hong’s internal energy possessed a fatal attraction to women, and for Wu Songran, who had already been intimate with him, the effect was profound.

The guard captain’s face turned ghastly. He tried to issue an order to capture Wu Hong, but to his shock, as soon as he opened his mouth, another mouthful of blood sprayed out, and his internal energy fell into complete disarray. The guards' jaws nearly hit the floor; they had heard of Wu Hong’s peerless courage, but they never imagined that a simple cold snort at close range would leave them all severely wounded.

When Wu Hong was in the early Bone-Refining Realm, he could fight numerous peak Houtian experts; he was even more formidable now.

As Wu Hong and Wu Songran walked away, rapid footsteps approached from behind. Seeing them leaving, someone shouted urgently, "Wait, Young Master Wu! His Majesty requests your presence!"

"You slaves! Have you no eyes? Do you not know this is Young Master Wu Hong?"

Wu Hong stopped but did not turn around. He felt a surge of energy reaching out to grab his shoulder. The attacker possessed thick, powerful internal energy—clearly a peak Houtian expert. Wu Hong sneered inwardly, "Yang Wei, is this how you deal with me? You underestimate me far too much!"

"Brother Hong, be careful!" Wu Songran warned, but Wu Hong did not dodge, allowing the man to grab his shoulder.

The old eunuch’s face lit up with joy, thinking, "Heh, Wu Hong, no matter how arrogant you are, you could never imagine the bizarre nature of the Ten Thousand Devils Heart Sutra!" The old eunuch was none other than the man who had faced off against Ma the King of Hell in front of Emperor Yang Wei—Eunuch Li.

Eunuch Li violently channeled his internal energy into Wu Hong’s body. Wu Hong remained motionless, which only delighted the eunuch further. "They say you are so formidable, Wu Hong, but you are nothing! You don't know that the Ten Thousand Devils Heart Sutra can corrupt and assimilate the internal energy of others. Today, I shall perform a great service for His Majesty by eliminating you, his greatest threat."

Eunuch Li had heard of Wu Hong’s reputation for invincibility but had never seen it with his own eyes. Having landed his strike, he felt quite smug. However, after pouring his energy into Wu Hong for a while, he realized something was wrong. His energy, upon entering Wu Hong, was like a stone sinking into the ocean—it didn't cause a single ripple.

"Slap—" Wu Hong turned around with a smile and placed a hand on the old man’s hand that was still gripping his shoulder.

Eunuch Li’s expression changed drastically. Cold sweat soaked his clothes instantly, and he was struck by absolute shock. Wu Hong’s seemingly casual touch made him feel as though he were looking at the vast ocean or a mountain thousands of meters tall, while he himself was but a drop of water or a tiny pebble beneath it.

"Oh! Isn't this Eunuch Li? If we calculate properly, I am your junior, so there is no need for such grand gestures!"

Eunuch Li’s legs trembled, his internal energy in chaos. He tried to steady himself, but his body no longer seemed to belong to him, shaking uncontrollably. His knees went weak, and he suddenly knelt down.

Wu Hong supported him with both hands, repeating that there was no need for such grand gestures. Eunuch Li felt utterly humiliated and filled with immense rage, but he dared not show it. The Wu Hong before him was too terrifying—more so than any peak Houtian expert he had ever met—and he dared not act recklessly.

Wu Hong gripped Eunuch Li’s hand and pushed it back gently; the eunuch stumbled back three steps.

Eunuch Li’s face turned deathly pale. He forced an ugly smile and said, "Young Master Wu! Your status is noble; you honor this old servant too much. My old bones haven't been feeling very sturdy lately. Please, His Majesty has been waiting for you at the military drill grounds for a long time."

Eunuch Li dared not offend Wu Hong in his speech; Wu Hong’s power had truly shaken him to his core.