Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 351 Huge Flaw, Eloquent Tongue

Lu Xiaofeng's heart skipped a beat.

He thought to himself, "The Star Luo Sect is truly dedicated to its duties!"

The Thunderclap Sword is a divine weapon with a spirit...it recognizes its master!
This feature effectively prevents a large number of swordsmen from trying to seize the sword.

However, at this moment, it has also become his most fatal flaw.

Lu Xiaofeng was not unaware of this flaw.

The problem is that even if he knew this clearly, he still couldn't possibly abandon the Thunderclap Sword.

Firstly, no one else can use the Thunderclap Sword except himself. If he abandons it in the desert, it will truly be abandoned, and he will have to retrieve it later.

Secondly, the Thunderclap Sword greatly enhances his combat power.

After all, his true cultivation level was only that of a Grandmaster. Although as a prodigy, some of his methods could be compared to those of a Second Flower Grandmaster, but that was all.

If he wanted to go toe-to-toe with a Grandmaster of the Three Flowers, he had no other means besides the Thunderclap Sword.

This journey is fraught with peril, and the possibility of encountering danger is extremely high.

Therefore, no matter what, Lu Xiaofeng could not possibly abandon the Thunderclap Sword.

However, he had anticipated this.

Lu Xiaofeng's face darkened with anger, and he coldly shouted, "You want to see my sword? Heh, boy, do you know what losing your sword means to a swordsman?"

After all, he was someone who had learned the Celestial Flying Immortal Technique from Ye Gucheng and had cultivated it for a long time after obtaining the Thunderclap Sword Technique.

Calling him a swordsman would be quite fitting.

His gaze was as sharp as a sword, causing the soldier in charge of the inspection to feel a chill and take two steps back.

But at this moment...

Tatata!
Suddenly, the two groups of Rakshasa soldiers standing on either side began to march forward.

The twenty people actually stepped in perfect unison, as if it were the footsteps of a single person.

The clanging of metal against metal as their armor clashed with their weapons was quite pleasing to the ear.

In the hands of Jade Rakshasa, this Rakshasa army was her most important trump card.

Even the Jade Rakshasa did not have enough wealth to fully arm all the Rakshasa soldiers.

Now that they're in Zhou Ming's hands, these people have been completely transformed. Not only are they all wearing armor, but they're all in full sets of iron armor!
There's no need to worry about them being unable to bear the weight of the armor, after all, every Rakshasa soldier is a congenital martial artist!
With such innate strength, full-body iron armor, and some clever gadgets and Xiao Ai's control, once the team of ten forms a formation, even a grandmaster-level expert can withstand them to some extent!
In fact, when Lu Xiaofeng saw these twenty warriors, fully armored and armed to the teeth, marching in perfect unison, each one like a cog in a large machine, carrying out their mission, even his eyelids twitched and a sense of threat arose in his heart.

Not to mention the others around them, whose faces were filled with fear and awe.

Lu Xiaofeng's expression immediately changed, and he hurriedly said, "No, no, no, I'll hand it over right away, I'll hand it over right away..."

He then took the long sword from his back and placed it on the table.

Everyone then relaxed.

But just as the soldier reached out to inspect it, a bolt of lightning suddenly burst forth from the Thunderclap Sword. It did not harm anyone, but the lightning was incredibly dazzling.

The blinding light caused many soldiers around to close their eyes.

At the same time, Lu Xiaofeng reached out and grabbed the Thunderclap Sword, leaped onto his horse, and galloped away.

When Li Xunhuan saw the soldier about to inspect the longsword, he was already prepared. His reaction was extremely quick; he mounted his horse and turned around as well.

In the blink of an eye, the two had already run several meters away.

Even if the Rakshasa soldiers behind wanted to catch up, they couldn't possibly catch up with the Blood-Strange Horse on foot.

The two used this opportunity to escape.

Although it was somewhat embarrassing, this was indeed one of Lu Xiaofeng's previous plans.

He knew that the Thunderclap Sword he carried was his biggest weakness, but he had no choice but to carry it.

Therefore, I had long considered the possibility of being exposed because of this sword.

If you can get away with it, that would be the best outcome.

If not, then take the opportunity to turn around and run away.

One of Lu Xiaofeng and Li Xunhuan's purposes for this trip was to attract attention, thereby causing the Star Luo Sect and the Eastern Depot to focus their main efforts on the two of them, thus relaxing their checks on others and creating conditions for Su Rongrong and the others to return to the Central Plains.

The reason they turned and ran westward instead of rushing through the checkpoints was for this very reason.

If they pass the checkpoint, the result will inevitably be that the Star Luo Sect intensifies its inspections within its sphere of influence.

Whether we can find them or not is uncertain, but there is a very high chance that we will find Su Rongrong and the others.

But now, heading west to the Western Regions is much simpler.

Knowing that they were still in the Western Regions and having pinpointed their location, the Star Luo Sect naturally relaxed its internal checks.

What they had to do was avoid being caught by the other side.

Normally, this is a very simple thing.

Unfortunately, the situation Lu Xiaofeng is currently facing is not quite normal.

Two horses of different bloodlines galloped wildly on the road.

Immediately, Lu Xiaofeng turned around and saw no one. He couldn't help but laugh: "Thank goodness, getting rid of these people was so easy!"

As soon as the words were spoken, an ancient yet mechanical voice, carrying a grand and majestic meaning, suddenly resounded throughout the world.

【Rose Clouds】

Lu Xiaofeng's expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Run! Run!"

Li Xunhuan turned his head and asked, "Brother Lu, could that voice be...?"

“That’s right, it’s the one you’re thinking of!” Lu Xiaofeng answered before he could finish speaking.

At the same time, he raised the whip high and urged the horse on.

However, this was of no use. In just a few breaths, a shadow had already covered the two of them.

Lu Xiaofeng looked up and saw a figure in the sky wearing beautiful armor and with wings on its back, following behind the two of them at a leisurely pace.

"Hahaha, Lu Xiaofeng, I never imagined we'd meet again under such circumstances?"

"Huo Tianqing? No, I should say... the Azure Phoenix King?"

"As expected, that guy from before was you."

The conversation between the two was somewhat unclear, and others probably wouldn't understand what they were saying.

But they themselves must be very clear about it.

Huo Tianqing suddenly accelerated, overtook the two exotic horses, and then landed on the road ahead.

The two had no choice but to rein in their horses.

Lu Xiaofeng's gaze lingered on Huo Tianqing's armor, finally settling on the energy core shaped like a beast's head at the waist, along with the magenta horn on the beast's head.

"That Kunsha guy is really generous, actually bestowing such a treasure as the Heavenly Crystal upon his subordinates?"

Huo Tianqing said, "The sect leader's generosity exceeds your expectations." "Is that so? If so, why are you, the Azure Phoenix King, appearing in a place like this? Does this mean that the Star Luo Sect's revenue now requires your personal collection?"

"I am here because you are here."

Huo Tianqing ignored the sarcasm in his words and laughed, "However, I really have to handle the Star Luo Sect's income myself. Especially this one."

Lu Xiaofeng sighed: "How could I possibly know how much money Shi Guanyin paid?"

"It's hard to describe in terms of money; it's more about resources. However, as long as we can get our hands on it, the development of the Star Luo Sect can be accelerated by at least one-fifth!"

"That's quite a large sum of money!"

Huo Tianqing emitted a strange radiance, like the rising sun or the afterglow of the setting sun, a radiance woven from the gold of the sun, the red of the sunset glow, and the blue of the sky.

Moreover, the colors are vibrant and the scenery is exquisite.

Both Lu Xiaofeng and Li Xunhuan sensed a threat from this magnificent radiance.

Although the power of heaven and earth is illusory, when it is gathered in large quantities, even those who cannot perceive the power of heaven and earth can still sense its strength.

Just as air is invisible, but when it turns into a gale, it can blow away houses and uproot trees.

Just as Huo Tianqing thought the two sides were about to fight, Lu Xiaofeng suddenly spoke up: "Qingfeng King, the goal of the Star Luo Sect is to unify the entire Western Regions, right?"

Huo Tianqing was taken aback, but nodded: "That's right."

There's no point in hiding it. Now the entire Western Regions knows that the Star Luo Sect's ambition is to become the king of the Western Regions.

Lu Xiaofeng said, "Guizi Kingdom is a great Western Region country with a long history. Now it has fallen into the hands of a powerful person like Shi Guanyin, who is exceptionally intelligent, has amazing methods, and whose personal martial arts have reached the Three Flowers Grandmaster level. I'm afraid it will become an obstacle for the Star Luo Sect in the future."

Huo Tianqing laughed: "You're not trying to persuade me with your silver tongue again, are you? Let me tell you, it's impossible. The resources that Shi Guanyin has provided are not only plentiful but also crucial, and they are exactly what my Xingluo Sect needs!"

Even if Shi Guanyin becomes a future threat to the Star Luo Sect, at least for now, the sect leader will definitely complete the deal between the two parties.

Lu Xiaofeng's eyes flickered: "Now that you put it that way, I'm even more curious. What exactly did Shi Guanyin sacrifice?"

Huo Tianqing said, "Population!"

Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "This kind of resource is indeed crucial!"

Whether in the Central Plains or the Western Regions, regardless of the country or power, everything is people-oriented, and all value is created by people.

The Star Luo Cult rules over a vast area, but it is clear from their origins that large tracts of land, after being improved, were completely uninhabited.

Because of a shortage of staff.

However, in the Central Plains, large-scale human trafficking was no longer possible unless there was a national war, while small-scale trafficking was too slow.

Only in the Western Regions could such trade take place.

The Star Luo Sect does not deny the ambition of the King of the Western Regions; to some extent, it is also trying to attract people and talents from the Western Regions.

No wonder the Star Luo Sect was determined to complete this transaction; the items being traded were so special that even the Eastern Depot couldn't produce them.

However, Lu Xiaofeng didn't really expect to persuade the other party to give up the deal just by talking.

He continued, "But the threat posed by Shi Guanyin always exists, right?"

"Yes."

Although the two sides were engaged in a transaction, Huo Tianqing did not hide this fact.

"If I'm not mistaken, Shi Guanyin's request for the two of us is not to kill us, but to capture us alive, is that right?"

"Yes."

“In that case,” Lu Xiaofeng said with a smile, “we two will surrender, but on the condition that we deliver the Thunderclap Sword to Shi Guanyin as well, how about that?”

Huo Tianqing was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Lu Xiaofeng, you really are eloquent. But what's even more valuable than your silver tongue is your insightful eyes!"

From a self-interest perspective, the Xingluo Sect could not refuse Shi Guanyin's offer.

However, from a longer-term perspective, Shi Guanyin is indeed a threat.

If he followed Lu Xiaofeng's suggestion, then even if he reached Shi Guanyin, he would still have a sliver of hope, given that he carried the Thunderclap Sword with him.

As for the Star Luo Sect, not only has the deal been completed, but Lu Xiaofeng, who wields the Thunderclap Sword, might also be able to add some good luck to Shi Guanyin's bet.

They even... killed Shi Guanyin!

Although the latter possibility is lower, it is still a possibility.

If Lu Xiaofeng really succeeded, then the Star Luo Sect could be said to have killed two birds with one stone.

The goods have been received.

People are dead.

The crucial point is that the murderers weren't even from the Star Luo Sect!
The only victim was probably Shi Guanyin.

But what does this have to do with the Star Luo Sect?
"Alright, alright, since you've made this condition, what can I say?"

The afterglow faded.

Huo Tianqing pulled out the energy box from his waist and said with a smile, "Please follow me, you two."

Seeing that Huo Tianqing had gone this far, Lu Xiaofeng and Li Xunhuan exchanged a glance and also dropped their guard.

Behind the previously set-up checkpoint, two prison carts were parked, made of ironwood and fine steel, which even ordinary masters could not destroy.

Seeing the two prison vans, Lu Xiaofeng's face turned ugly: "How come it feels like you were prepared all along?"

"Of course, we knew you two would be here a long time ago. My presence is proof of that."

Huo Tianqing said with great confidence, "In the Western Regions, you can ignore everything else, but you absolutely cannot ignore the Star Luo Sect!"

Lu Xiaofeng exclaimed in amazement, "I never imagined that a sect that has only been established for a short time would have such a powerful intelligence network."

"After all, we inherited the Rakshasa Sect and annexed the Demonic Sect, so naturally we have obtained everything from both of these major sects!"

Lu Xiaofeng stopped questioning and obediently boarded the prison van.

The same goes for Li Xunhuan.

Huo Tianqing hollowed out a piece of wood, hid the Thunderclap Sword inside, and then placed the wood under Lu Xiaofeng's prison cart.

At the same time, they also took sixty throwing knives from the twenty Rakshasa soldiers and hid them in Li Xunhuan's prison cart.

After some disguise, the two prison vans were completely undetectable.

He then waved his hand and set off with his men.

As Lu Xiaofeng watched him finish everything and set off, he was suddenly startled: "Brother Huo, shouldn't you report this matter to that sect leader?"

Huo Tianqing turned around and glanced at him, then burst into laughter: "Hahaha, Lu Xiaofeng, do you think you're the only smart person in the world?"

Lu Xiaofeng's expression changed slightly: "Could it be that your Star Luo Sect, from the very beginning, was planning to... kill two birds with one stone?"

Huo Tianqing nodded: "That's right. The day the sect leader agreed to the deal, he made it very clear to me that he wanted the goods, and he also wanted to kill the people!"

This Western Regions will eventually belong to my Star Luo Sect. That Stone Guanyin actually dares to try and use my Star Luo Sect's things to make a deal with me! Wishful thinking!

(End of this chapter)