Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 247 Reunion with Uncle Wu (4k2)

Through the blurry, distorted reflection of the pair of bright, arched eyebrows on the shelf, Zhan Xiao could vaguely see the person behind him.

The man stood with his hands behind his back, three steps behind him, his posture calm and composed, his hands hanging at his sides, without even making a move.

But his leisurely stroll made Zhan Xiao even more alarmed.

"Your intuition is correct, and your choice is wise."

Li Fu stood behind him, speaking calmly, "You have a certain reputation in the martial arts world, and your martial arts skills are not bad."

If we were to face each other directly, even if I wanted to kill you, I probably wouldn't be able to take your life with a single, casual move.

But alas, I am now standing right behind you.

In terms of speed and ease of execution, few in the world can match me.

The fact that the other party was so arrogant, yet still dared not make the slightest move, shows that the newcomer had absolute confidence in his own speed, so confident that even with his hands behind his back, he could be faster than him at any time.

Zhan Xiao was a peerless master of his generation. His name, Nine Heavens Crane, resounded throughout the martial arts world. Few heroes in the martial arts world wanted to become his disciples and learn his skills, but it was impossible. His martial arts prowess and reputation had long been enough to establish a sect.

But today, someone stood in this room and told him in an almost indifferent tone that admitting his martial arts skills were not high enough was not a way to take his life with a single move.

If such words were to spread, no one in the martial arts world would believe them; everyone would think it was just wild talk.

But Zhan Xiao felt that this was by no means arrogance.

He could sense that when the person behind him said those words, there was no exaggeration in their tone; it was as if they were simply stating an undeniable fact.

The oppressive aura that felt like a mountain pressing down on him was definitely not fake.

Zhan Xiao took a deep breath and slowly said, "Your Excellency sneaked into the Prince's mansion late at night and stood behind me, surely not just to praise me for being sensible."

"What is it? Please speak frankly."

Li Fu said, "I have a few questions for you. If you answer them well, I may spare your life."

Zhan Xiao's eyes flickered, and several thoughts raced through his mind.

He had just been speculating in front of his retainers that there might be something else going on with the abduction of Fan Taisui, and that perhaps there were still some experts among those old acquaintances who had tracked him down to the Prince's mansion.

Now that he was being questioned from behind in the blink of an eye, he couldn't help but think in that direction.

He said in a deep voice, "You sound quite young. Are you perhaps a descendant of those old-timers?"

Li Fu said calmly, "You're quick-witted, but unfortunately you guessed wrong. I don't know what you mean by 'old hands' or 'new hands'."

"I have a question for you. I just overheard you talking to your group of retainers. It seems that your palace has captured someone and is hesitating about whether to torture them."

I had previously received some information that the people from your Nankang Prince's Mansion were secretly searching for someone.

Have you caught that person yet?

What's his name? What does he look like?

do not know?

If he's looking for the person imprisoned in the Prince's dungeon, how could he not know what he meant by "old friend"?

Zhan Xiao was taken aback, but answered Li Fu's question without giving his name. He only described his appearance: a man in his forties or fifties with a broad face, a short nose, an honest and simple appearance, and a quiet and unremarkable demeanor.

This allowed Li Fu to confirm that it should be Uncle Wu.

"Where is the person being held?"

Li Fu quickly pressed for more information.

When he overheard those guests talking outside the window, he thought it couldn't possibly be Uncle Wu.

Zhan Xiao mentioned to the retainers that the arrested person had worked in the Prince's mansion, and that his whereabouts were related to the lives and status of everyone in the mansion. Li Fu assumed that it was just an old servant who had stumbled upon an important secret of the Prince of Nankang's mansion who had escaped.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Uncle Wu.

Could it be that Uncle Wu worked in the Prince of Nankang's mansion in his early years and accidentally stumbled upon the mansion's shady secrets before escaping?

He fled back home and discovered that he was an orphan whose parents had died early. He then hid and raised himself to adulthood.

"What is your relationship with that person?"

Just then, Zhan Xiao seemed to realize something, his body suddenly trembled, and he boldly but hesitantly turned his head to look directly at Li Fu, looking him up and down in disbelief.

After Li Fu appeared, he dared not make a move under Li Fu's murderous intent, but now he suddenly turned around.

Li Fu's gaze sharpened: "Did I say you could ask me questions?"

You haven't answered me yet!

Zhan Xiao was startled by his icy gaze and snapped back to reality, nodding: "The person you're looking for is in the dungeon of the Prince's mansion."

Why did the Prince of Nankang arrest him? Where is he being held?

I heard from Fan Taisui that his whereabouts are even related to the lives and fortunes of everyone in the Nankang Prince's Mansion. What's going on?

""

Zhan Xiao's expression tightened, and he sighed: "Fan Taisui was indeed kidnapped by you, sir."

He remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I'm sorry, but I can't say why the Prince wants to see him."

Even my retainers don't know much about this matter.

The prince only told them that this person was a servant of one of his former enemies. Because he was embarrassed and afraid that outsiders would find out about this and seek revenge, he ordered them to search for the person secretly.

But since you've already come this far, you must know that things are far from simple.

Li Fu's gaze grew even colder: "So you're not going to tell me?"

Zhan Xiao paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice.

"Since you know that this person is related to the lives and fortunes of everyone in the Prince of Nankang's mansion, you should understand that the Prince's frankness in telling me this shows that he considers me a confidant and how much he trusts me."

How could I betray this trust?

The prince has treated me with utmost sincerity; I shall repay him with my life.

Your Excellency is concerned about the person you are looking for, who is also a loyal servant, which is why he is respected by the Prince. I believe you can understand my predicament.

""

"Clever words and a flattering appearance."

Did not say?

I'll give you one more chance.

A chilling killing intent emanated from Li Fu once again, his gaze as cold as the glint of a blade before it is drawn.

Zhan Xiao felt as if he were being stared at by a prehistoric beast, and his life was under extreme threat. He involuntarily took two steps back in fright, and reached back with his right hand to grasp the pair of cold Emei daggers on the weapon rack.

"You dare to lay a hand on me?"

Li Fu noticed his movement and moved almost at the same instant.

He brought his right index and middle fingers together and pulled them forward. A solid, invisible sword of energy silently emerged from his fingertip. The three-foot-long sword of energy condensed at his fingertip, cold and sharp.

He took a step forward, and his sword flashed horizontally.

Zhan Xiao crossed his twin daggers to meet the attack head-on. With a crisp clang, his body was jolted backward, shattering the weapon rack.

Despite being in a sorry state, he managed to barely catch Li Fu's sword.

But when Zhan Xiao's gaze fell on the condensed and unyielding invisible sword energy, he was suddenly stunned.

"What is this?"

The sword energy was condensed and did not dissipate, as if it were a physical object, like a weapon forged from pure sword energy. He had never seen such a swordless sword in his life.

In the brief moment he was stunned, Li Fu's next sword strike had already arrived.

With a flick of his sword, he deflected Zhan Xiao's twin daggers. Then, with a sweep of his sword, a cold light flashed diagonally upwards, more than twice as fast as before, fierce and swift, as fast as a shooting star.

Zhan Xiao tried his best to block again, but he was already powerless, and he felt a chill in his throat.

The invisible sword of energy was already pressed against his neck, the sharp blade brushing against his skin, making his hair stand on end. Then he felt a trickle of warm blood seeping from the side of his neck.

"Wait a minute—"

Zhan Xiao froze completely, not daring to move an inch.

He knew that if he made the slightest mistake, the invisible sword of energy would mercilessly slice through his throat.

Zhan Xiao looked at Li Fu, who was so close to him, and then at the invisible sword of energy that remained solidified and undissipated at the side of his neck.

"Sword Qi Condensation—" he murmured, his voice filled with an almost delirious shock, "The legendary martial art of Sword Qi Condensation, lost for a hundred years, has reappeared in the world—you—you are Li Fu, the Celestial Immortal?"

He suddenly looked up at Li Fu's young face, his eyes shifting from shock to confusion, and then from confusion to a deeper bewilderment.

"But wait—how could you possibly be the infamous Celestial Immortal Li Fu?"

"Why can't I be Li Fu?"

Li Fu frowned, not understanding what he was talking about, and said coldly, "Stop talking nonsense. This is the last time. Will you speak or not?"

Zhan Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze falling on the invisible sword of energy resting against his neck. After a long silence, he finally let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry—I still can't say."

There was fear and struggle in his eyes, but in the end he still spoke.

"The secret concerning the lives of the Prince's entire family must never be revealed to me."

"You really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."

Li Fu was already planning to knock him unconscious and kidnap him.

Zhan Xiao is a peerless master, a rare talent in the martial arts world. It would be difficult to severely injure him to the point of mental exhaustion without endangering his life or causing any commotion or screams.

This is the heart of the Prince's residence. If he makes a noise and alerts the guards, although he is not afraid, it will still cause a lot of trouble.

The Soul Transfer Technique is powerful, but it only works when the target's mind is relaxed. Given Zhan Xiao's current vigilance and willpower, it might not be able to succeed.

However, just as Li Fu frowned, preparing to act, Zhan Xiao seemed to misunderstand, thinking he was about to kill him, and hurriedly said, "Wait a moment!"

He took a breath and spoke much faster than before.

"I must not reveal a single secret concerning the lives and fortunes of the entire Prince's mansion."

But if you want to know where he's being held—I can take you there.

What do you mean? As long as he doesn't say it out loud, it's fine?

Li Fu thought for a moment and nodded: "Lead the way."

Remember, if you dare to make the slightest move, the head on your neck will no longer belong to you.

Zhan Xiao swallowed hard, put down the Emei Dagger, turned around and walked ahead. The two of them left the courtyard one after the other and walked deeper into the palace through the winding corridors.

Along the way, we passed through two courtyards and encountered several patrolling guards from the Prince's Palace.

"Manager Zhan, who is this person?"

He was a new face.

Zhan Xiao was about to explain.

"This has nothing to do with you. Keep moving forward; you didn't see anything!"

But Li Fu didn't want to waste time, so he frowned and glanced over.

Zhan Xiao was taken aback, surprised that Li Fu spoke in such a dismissive and impolite tone. Wouldn't that arouse suspicion?

"Yes."

But to everyone's surprise, the guards from the Prince's mansion suddenly looked blank, paused in their steps, and then, as if they had lost their souls, nodded and turned away.

Zhan Xiao's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He had already witnessed Li Fu's Six Meridian Divine Sword, but this Soul Transfer Technique made him feel even more terrified.

What kind of martial art can make someone obey like a puppet with just a glance?

Zhan Xiao dared not look back any longer and continued walking forward with his head down.

After walking for a while, Zhan Xiao couldn't contain himself and seemed to be trying to find out something indirectly: "Your Excellency—you and Wu Zhizhong—"

—What exactly is their relationship?

Li Fu coldly replied, "Shut up, stop talking nonsense."

Zhan Xiao's lips moved, but he didn't speak again, and just silently led the way.

The two passed through two more courtyard gates and arrived at a secluded garden.

In the center of the garden stand three huge artificial mountains, arranged in the shape of the Chinese character "山" (mountain). Under the sunlight, large areas of shade are cast among the rugged rocks.

Four guards dressed in tight-fitting clothes stood in front of the artificial hill, with swords at their waists. Their auras were deep and imposing, clearly indicating that they were experts selected from the Prince's mansion.

Upon seeing Zhan Xiao, the group clasped their hands in greeting: "Chief Steward Zhan."

His gaze involuntarily drifted to Li Fu behind him, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

But those chosen to guard the dungeon here must be tight-lipped.

Zhan Xiao remained expressionless and said in a deep voice, "Open the dungeon. I want to see the prisoners again. I have two questions to ask."

The head of the guards hesitated for a moment, glanced at Li Fu, and knew that Zhan Xiao was the chief steward of the Prince's mansion and a favorite of the Prince. He dared not ask any questions, took out a long key with a peculiar shape from his waist, walked to a hidden crevice behind the artificial hill on the left, and turned the mechanism.

With a dull creaking sound, a crack slowly appeared at the base of the artificial hill, revealing a set of stone steps leading downwards. The entrance was only wide enough for one person to pass through, and it was dark and deep.

"Come with me."

Li Fu followed Zhan Xiao down the steps.

There are thirty or forty stone steps, and a few oil lamps are lit at the corner, their dim and flickering light shining through.

At the end of the road was a heavy iron gate made of fine iron. Zhan Xiao took out a key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open to enter.

Li Fu stepped through the iron gate, his gaze quickly sweeping over the surroundings. The walls were all rough mountain rocks, and the iron gate was the only entrance and exit.

Strangely, there was no one else to be seen below.

Li Fu paused slightly: "Why aren't there any guards down here?"

Zhan Xiaodao.

"This is an underground iron prison, with no other entrances or exits except for the iron door, which is secure enough."

The people imprisoned here are of great importance, and the fewer people who know about them, the better, and the fewer people who have contact with the prisoners, the better. Therefore, the prince did not set up many guards.

Only four trusted and skilled guards were left to protect the entrance.

Li Fu frowned slightly; they had arrived at the prison cell deep inside.

His gaze passed over Zhan Xiao, ending at a single iron-barred prison cell.

In the cell, a figure was chained with heavy iron chains, suspended in mid-air, with disheveled hair and tattered clothes, head drooping, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Li Fu's breath hitched.

Although the figure had become much thinner and his hair was mostly white, his broad shoulders and slightly hunched back, resembling the posture of a packhorse, made him absolutely certain that it was Uncle Wu.

It was the man who raised him from infancy, the taciturn Uncle Wu who disciplined him and made his youth less joyful but never caused him any hardship.

Footsteps could be heard in the stone chamber.

The figure in the cell seemed to hear the noise, slowly raised his head, and thought that it was the Prince of Nankang coming to interrogate him again. He instinctively spoke, his voice hoarse and weak, extremely tired.

"Your Highness, when you were imprisoned and your life was hanging by a thread, did you never hope that the matter could succeed, so that your lineage could be preserved and that there would be hope for the future?"

Why be so aggressive and ruthless now, resorting to such ruthless tactics?