My Beautiful Duchess Wife

Angelina sat on the suspension bridge that stretched from the house into the lake. Her small, delicate feet, as smooth as jade, dipped into the water, gently swaying. Seeing Lin Peng return, Angelina giggled, then became somewhat serious: "Brother… it seems Sister Xia and the others have something important to discuss with you again!"

"Huh?" Lin Peng was slightly taken aback, but regained his senses under Angelina's innocent gaze. He then smiled wryly and walked towards the council chamber. Looking at the somewhat lonely Angelina, he felt a pang of guilt.

At the very least, I don't have much time to spend with her. And... there's nothing better that could make her happy.

However, as soon as he entered the council chamber, he quickly transformed into a calm and collected figure. Inside, Shia, Irene, Nadas, and an old man sat, all looking resentful.

When he saw Lin Peng walk in, Nadas stood up as if he had met a savior: "You're finally back, hehe, those bastards in Darkmoon City, it seems they've made their move again!"

Lin Peng found a seat and sat down. Next to him was a cup that looked like tea but wasn't quite. Looking at the three familiar faces, as well as the somewhat old-fashioned, thin old man, Lin Peng nodded slightly.

With a squint, he could see the old man's wrinkled face reflected in his eyes.

"This is the mayor of Kurau Town, which is affiliated with Darkmoon City. He's here to provide assistance!" Sia asked directly, and the chill in her eyes made even Lin Peng feel uneasy.

Eileen snorted and said, "Yesterday, Sheriff Capa suddenly led a group of people to Kurau Town, claiming to be arresting some kind of wandering knights or thieves. And... in an instant, they took control of almost all the officials in Kurau Town. Only Mayor Rad managed to escape, and it seems... that was done on purpose. This... is clearly a provocation against us! Hmph..."

After letting out a heavy snort, Eileen stared intently at Lin Peng, as if she could see right through him.

The situation is actually quite simple: Mayor Rad is a member of Sia's faction, and the officials are absolutely under Sia's control. But... now they've used such violent means to directly interfere. So... in other words, they've begun to challenge Sia from this angle.

Rad looked at Lin Peng with some confusion, not understanding why the staff officer was such a young person. He was even more puzzled as to why such a young man gave him a sense of danger.

With his eyes closed, he clasped his hands together and gently twirled his fingers. A whoosh of flame erupted, dancing merrily on his fingers. This single move astonished Rad.

To understand elemental manipulation at such a young age is, at the very least, a highly talented expert.

After a quick mental calculation, she said, "I want to know the whole situation in Kulau Town. I don't want to miss anything, not even which official stole whose wife, the more detailed the better!" Her first words upon opening her eyes caused both Xia and Eileen's fair, jade-like faces to turn completely blush.

This guy seems to have gone a bit too far.

Xia thought so, but seeing Lin Peng's focused eyes and innocent expression, she realized he really seemed to want to know.

Rad paused, then turned to look at Shia and Eileen. Seeing the two leaders' agreement, he slowly began to explain everything about Kurau Town. In short, Kurau Town might seem like a dispensable place, but in fact, it was the most important place in Darkmoon City.

The minerals there are the richest and largest reserves in the entire Dark Empire. It seems that... many handicrafts and the processing of iron weapons come from the mines in Kurau Town, as well as the vast mangrove forests and swamps there.

Therefore, the importance of Kulau Town is absolutely comparable to that of the crystal mine. Seeing that Rad seemed to have let go of his inhibitions and was directly talking about those humorous stories of adultery, Lin Peng couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It seems that's exactly what Jess is thinking. You took my crystal mine, so… I'll take your largest mine. I'll make sure you… don't even have the guts to fight me!

After hearing those amusing stories, Lin Peng came up with a brilliant idea. He smiled faintly, stood up, and said, "I understand now, hehe... It's a small matter. It's just framing you! Well, how about I go with you tomorrow?"

Under Rad's somewhat surprised gaze, Sia and Eileen exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. It seemed that this was how it should have been.

Chapter 41 Capa, The Spirit of a Warrior

Outside Kulau Town, where there were originally no city walls, thick wooden walls have now been erected. Towering watchtowers stand tall, with a sentry tower every ten zhang (approximately 33 meters). While such fortifications cannot stop a large army, they are more than sufficient to fend off ordinary bandits or wandering knight-errant.

Originally, this place was very close to the Abyss. If Darkmoon City was to the east of the Abyss, then Kulau was to its northeast. However, this place had never suffered any attacks from beast tides or similar problems.

Looking down from the nearby mountains, the town of Kulau was still bustling with people. Many blacksmith shops were still diligently hammering away at their weapons, while a steady stream of people were choosing their favorite weapons or handicrafts.

Lin Peng coldly looked at the security soldiers on the watchtowers, a smirk playing on his lips, and said, "Looks like Kappa really intends to continue managing this place long-term. Heh... In just a few days, he's even finished these wooden walls!"

Although it's far inferior to the knock-offs, it has truly revealed Kappa's resolve.

Nadas, standing to the side, snorted angrily, almost rushing forward to take down a watchtower first.

Rad was anxious, and after a heavy snort, he said to Lin Peng in a friendly tone, "Then how do we get in? We can't just storm in! The defenses are so tight, and... it seems like everyone who goes in has to be checked. With our identities, it seems impossible for us to get close!"

Lin Peng shook his head, chuckling coldly, "No, no, no... we walked in openly and honestly. Right now... their security team is checking people associated with thieves, and we're here on the Duke's orders to assist them in the investigation. Hehe..."

His sinister smile made Nadas tremble involuntarily.

Immediately, the three swaggered towards Kulau Town. At the town gate, two security soldiers stepped forward to stop them, shouting, "Who are you? What are you doing in Kulau Town?"

Lin Peng was a little stunned. This was such a philosophical question. Why don't you just say who you are, where you come from, and where you're going? Shaking his head, he tried to soften his tone: "We are the Duke's advisors and the captain of his guard. This time, we've come to assist Lord Capa in clearing out the thieves!"

As he spoke, he gave a cold laugh and lightly pointed his finger at the soldier in front of him. Instantly, flames erupted from the soldier's hair, causing chaos. One of the soldiers who had come to investigate even slapped the burning soldier on the head.

The fire was extinguished. Unfortunately, he was also knocked unconscious. Upon seeing someone fall to the ground, the soldiers immediately raised their swords and slashed at Lin Peng and his companions.

After all, they weren't there just now and didn't know what the two of them said to Lin Peng and the other two.

Lin Peng gave Nadas a signal, and Nadas sneered before swinging his fists, punching dozens of soldiers at the town gate one by one until they were crying for their fathers and mothers. One of them was even thrown directly onto the wooden wall, screaming fiercely!

Nadas clapped his hands crisply; he was now a true Greater Demon. After returning and diligently training, he had definitely stabilized his current strength. However, he was still only a rudimentary Greater Demon.

However, dealing with soldiers who don't even have high-level demons is definitely a matter of one punch per soldier.

The commotion at the town gate naturally attracted the town's security team. They rushed towards the scene, their faces contorted with menacing expressions. When over a hundred men arrived at the town gate, a ruthless figure coldly stared at Lin Peng and his companions, then smiled faintly: "Unexpectedly, the Chief of Staff has arrived! Heh... I wonder... what brings you here!" As he spoke, his hand instinctively gripped the greatsword at his waist. He appeared fully alert, as if he might kill Lin Peng at the slightest provocation.

Lin Peng did have some influence over this great devil. That time, when the Chris family caused trouble, it seemed that he was the one who arrived in the end with a team of security soldiers and Capa.

Moreover, judging from Capa's attitude towards him, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he should be considered an elite member of the Chris family.

Lin Peng glanced at the Great Demon and said dismissively, "You're not qualified to speak to me. Call Kappa out! You've been watching for so long, it's time for him to show himself!"

The Great Demon was furious and drew his greatsword, ready to charge. At that moment, Capa placed a hand on the Great Demon's shoulder: "Don't be impulsive, Allen. Otherwise, you'll offend the strategist, and you won't even know how you were tricked to your death!"

These words were a sarcastic jab at Lin Peng, evident from Capa's clenched teeth. However, Lin Peng was no pushover. He stepped forward, meeting Capa's murderous gaze directly, and said, "This time, I was sent by the Duke to assist you. Heh... How could someone like you, who was tricked and even lost his son, possibly find the murderer? This man next to me, you probably don't even know, was the one hiding, intending to bring all the murderers to justice. And you, you fool, just alerted them and drove them all away!"

"Youngster!" Kappa had almost reached his limit. After blurring his figure, he threw a punch at Lin Peng's chest. It was the same move as before, but this time Lin Peng was no longer the same naive person he had been then.

With a slight smirk, he deftly dodged the powerful punch. Immediately, a wisp of flame detached from his fingertip and shot towards Kappa. It moved with incredible speed, reaching Kappa in the blink of an eye.

"Humph!"

After letting out a heavy snort, Kappa's entire body erupted in dazzling red demonic flames. The flames instantly dissipated into the air, but... Kappa's anger was now even more intense.

His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, and veins bulged on his forehead. He looked as if he was about to die from a brain hemorrhage.

"Slash!" The word seemed to be forced out from between his teeth as he unleashed a powerful punch towards Lin Peng. The fist, wreathed in demonic flames, seemed to shatter the very air, transforming into a fiery fist that hurtled towards Lin Peng.

Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the demonic flame fist was still gathering power after it was released. It had even shrunk somewhat, but its power remained unchanged and had even increased significantly.

Lin Peng narrowed his eyes. It seemed that without displaying some strength, he wouldn't even be able to enter the gates of Kulau Town. He clenched his fists, and flames burst forth from their center, making it appear as if he were wielding two enormous flaming hammers.

Just as the fiery fist was about to reach him, he swung out two fiery iron hammers.

Boom boom boom...

A massive explosion erupted, sending flames and debris flying. Nadas staggered back, drawing his sword to shield himself, and blurted out, "When did Lin Peng become so awesome?!"

Rad was overjoyed. At least, anyone who could stop Kapa was definitely a powerful figure even among Demon Lords. He hadn't expected the Duke to have such a formidable subordinate.

Lin Peng and Kapa both retreated more than ten feet before stopping. From the slowly rising dust, a huge pit, more than ten feet wide and three or four feet deep, was revealed.

This single action stunned even Kappa.

He hadn't expected that Lin Peng, who looked so thin and seemingly powerless, would possess the strength of a Demon King. Then… what happened back in his shop? Back then, he couldn't even seem to withstand a single blow from him!

"You just broke through?" Capa stared at Lin Peng's amused face with some surprise, his thick eyebrows furrowing as he spoke. The great demon named Allen beside him also nodded with a cold smile.

Lin Peng crossed his arms and nodded with a seemingly relaxed smile: "Well... thanks to Chief Kapa, ​​your attack last time didn't kill me, and as a result, I broke through. Hehe..."

Upon hearing this, Capa nearly coughed up blood in anger, while Allen beside him was so frustrated he almost died. How could someone have such good luck? He suffered such severe injuries, yet he broke through to a higher level as soon as he woke up.

Of course, their news was only based on the fact that Lin Peng had just woken up. Such news had already begun circulating since Lin Peng and his group set off. It's just... unexpected that he had actually broken through.

What's even more infuriating is that he also comprehended the power of the fire element.

Once you reach the Demon Lord level, you can comprehend an elemental power within the demonic flames. Or, you can simply use the demonic flames to neutralize all other powers, because there are warriors whose mastery of demonic flames rivals that of elemental magic.

Furthermore, the Demon Flame seems to have a certain chance of reducing the attack power of elemental attacks. Essentially, it can suppress the strength of other players' magical attacks.

Kapa's brows slowly relaxed, and he sneered, "Let's go!" With that, he led his men into the town of Kulau, completely ignoring Lin Peng and his companions.

This made Lin Peng somewhat embarrassed. "At least say something polite! What does it mean to just leave like this?" Shaking his head helplessly, Capa wasn't like Jess or Paglis; he had no hypocrisy whatsoever.

Perhaps, to him, he was simply a true warrior. Among the demons, he was the kind of warrior who disliked intrigue and only loved battle and overwhelming power. With a wry smile, he waved his hand and led Nadas and Rad towards Kulau Town: "Let's go! Looks like we'll have to stay at your place tonight, Mayor Rad!"

Rad and Nadas exchanged a glance and quickly followed. Based on the reason Lin Peng had given Rad, they could actually take back the house. However… how much stuff would be left inside was uncertain!

Chapter Forty-Two: Getting Things Done

In the town of Kulau, the streets and alleys were filled with the sounds of clattering and banging. One could also constantly hear crude cursing, accompanied by strange laughter and screams, as if someone was up to no good.

Of course, even in broad daylight, those blacksmithing devils, shirtless, seemed unaffected by the cold. A liquor pouch hung from their waists; with each strike of the iron, they would gulp down a mouthful of strong liquor.

Such spirit alone made Lin Peng somewhat envious. A true man! He couldn't help but admire him inwardly before turning his gaze to the other side. Kulau Town, in fact, was at least half the size of Darkmoon City.

Moreover, because of the mines and the abyss nearby, many travelers stop to resupply or come here specifically to do business. The sight of blacksmiths, their faces flushed, arguing fiercely with those who seem like unscrupulous merchants, is a particularly striking scene. At least, you can prove you're still alive. You can still hear business, watch others argue, or even have a good argument yourself.

Sometimes, this is what makes life truly interesting.

However, Lin Peng could never live like that again. He could only hang his head, looking utterly dejected. Rad tilted his head in confusion, wondering to himself: Could it be that he was injured after exchanging blows with Capa?

Soon, the three arrived at the town center, where the mayor's former residence had once stood. However, just by looking at the fact that the two demon statues at the entrance were gone, it was clear that most of the valuables inside had probably been moved out.

Rad was a little angry and was about to start cursing when Lin Peng patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, Mayor. As long as they're still in Kulau Town, I can bring them back for you. Hehe... It would be even better if they were outside Kulau Town. Hmph!"

A long, cold laugh immediately brought Rad to his senses. Once they were out of Kurau Town, things would be much easier. After all, weren't there supposed to be thieves? He could just disguise himself and rob them! Thinking this, he let out another long, cold laugh.

Night slowly began to fall, and the red moon had already set behind the western mountains. The white moon hung high overhead, casting long shadows of the passersby. Lin Peng strolled along the commercial street of Kulau, the cold earth making him feel somewhat melancholy. Looking at the still bustling blacksmith shops, he sighed listlessly.

Speaking of which, if one truly possessed a divine artifact, it seemed one could instantly ascend to the ranks of experts. The Dark Empire's most powerful national treasure is currently a divine artifact, the Dark Sword. Given sufficient demonic flames, it appears one could unleash a vast black curtain. Moreover, within this black curtain, all one's attacks would be amplified by 200%. And… most powerfully, it could absorb the soul power of others and convert it for its own use. As for its other uses, Lin Peng was genuinely unaware. Even the functions of these divine artifacts seemed to have been revealed to him by Angelina.

If a Demon King-level expert wielded such a divine weapon, they could absolutely fight against a Demon Emperor-level opponent, and wouldn't be defeated. Unfortunately, the Dark Sword is currently in the hands of the Dark Emperor Charon.

However… because they are not true direct descendants, they seem unable to unleash much power. These divine artifacts, from the very first generation, have been growing by drinking the blood of the Dark Emperor.

However, the bloodline seems to be thinning with each generation. Therefore, the Dark Sword is playing an increasingly smaller role.

Shaking his head to clear away those somewhat irrelevant thoughts, he continued on his way. He'd come out tonight mainly to familiarize himself with the surroundings. Besides… he'd heard Rad say last time that he wasn't the only one in charge of this town of Kulau.

A small portion of them were Jess's men. The last incident, though somewhat sudden, wouldn't have allowed them to take control of Kulau Town so quickly without their guidance. This time, they not only have to face Kappa, but also that small group of people they absolutely must deal with.

Lin Peng pursed his lips, gazing at the mansion ahead, whose gates seemed to be made of dark gold. A smirk appeared on his face; he already had a brilliant idea. After a chuckle, he vanished instantly from the somewhat gloomy street.

This mansion belongs to a minor nobleman in Kurau who has pledged allegiance to Jess. However, perhaps due to past corruption, the Duke has been trying his best to suppress him since taking control of Darkmoon City.

This minor noble family was the former mayor of Kulau Town.

As soon as he stepped inside, Lin Peng nodded with a hint of envy. Overall, while it wasn't as large as the imperial palace, it was at least excessively luxurious. The fountains throughout the garden were made of high-grade magical materials; the entire pool seemed to be a magical energy array. Even the flowering trees were made of jade. Although it was a lower-quality jade, the large pieces were definitely valuable.

Sighing silently, Lin Peng at least somewhat assumed he had entered an emperor's palace. As he walked, he avoided the guards, who were at most mid-level demons. He strolled easily, with a touch of approving curiosity, towards the very back of the palace!

Looking at the residential area that covered at least five miles, and the enormous, luxurious statue in front of it, Lin Peng felt an even stronger urge to take it over. The statue didn't appear to depict a great figure, but rather an ancestor of this minor noble family.