Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

"If the little princess is dead, it is indeed an accident. It was most likely the dead Prince Jin who did it. But whether she is alive or dead is not important. The key is to find the body! Who would have thought that the sudden death of the princess would bring an opportunity to the East Sea Dragon Clan? It would be the blood of this fallen man."

"Huh... there seems to be some treasure here!" a servant exclaimed in surprise, beaming with joy. "And it's an ancient treasure, mixed with the little princess's aura. Does that mean the little princess used that treasure?"

Besides being used to search for the whereabouts of the Mirage Dragon Clan, the Night-Shining Mirage Pearl also has an extremely difficult-to-trigger ability: treasure hunting.

If it is not an ancient treasure, then it is not considered. If the luminous mirage pearl suddenly lights up with golden light, it means that the aura of an unclaimed rare treasure is flowing out.

Chi Wen, who had been dissatisfied with the long journey, was unusually moved. He knew what kind of treasure could make the Night-Shining Mirage Pearl shine with golden light!

But once you get back, you'll most likely have to hand it over...

Chi Wen looked at his accompanying subordinates, a few thoughts forming in his mind, and a flash of killing intent crossed his eyes.

"Although it's an unclaimed treasure, we still need to prioritize our primary task. The Night-Shining Mirage Pearl will shatter after searching for rare treasures once, and then we won't be able to find the little princess anymore. Let's find her first!"

"Yes!"

Following the aura of the Night-Shining Mirage Pearl, the group of East Sea Dragon Clan swiftly approached the town that had once "revived."

"The little princess's aura has gone that way. She's been gone for some time now. That location must be Xiling now," someone said, glancing at the map every now and then.

"What's going on with this abandoned town? Why are so many soldiers surrounding it?"

Below, the town was so dilapidated that it was completely silent, with jagged rocks and withered grass, and not a single person in sight.

However, soldiers from Xiling could be seen patrolling the area from time to time, and some people were gathered together on the edge.

After returning to Xiling, the Wei family quickly dispatched a group of people to be stationed near the abandoned town to deal with the wandering ghosts in the wild, while also searching for the mysterious treasure mentioned by the sorcerer Yifan who had risen from the dead.

The people of the East Sea Dragon Clan became worried.

"There can't be such a coincidence, right? Are these people after that mysterious treasure?"

"Could the little princess have been taken away by the people of Xiling?"

They were sizing up the people below, and the people below were also observing them.

Seeing that these strange fellows from afar were neither coming down nor making any move, the Wei family decided to go up and find out for themselves.

Accompanied by several members of his clan, Wei Satu flew up into the clouds and took a closer look at the East Sea Dragon Clan members.

The old man stroked his mustache:

"What brings you gentlemen here? You've been watching us for quite some time now."

Chi Wen sensed the other party's magical aura, and a look of surprise appeared between his brows. After a slight gasp, he said in a deep voice:

"There's even a tradition of witchcraft here... We just happened to be passing by and were curious. Judging from the flags and the uniforms of the troops, you should be from Xiling. Why are you in this abandoned town in Jin?"

Hearing the other party's threatening tone, Vesatu found it amusing, and the wrinkles on his cheeks deepened.

"This has nothing to do with outsiders. If you were from one of the secluded sects around the Tianji Empire, I would explain it to you. But since you are an outsider, or even a member of a different race, you don't need to ask me about this."

The old man emphasized the word "foreign race," implying that the difference between this group and its people extended to different ethnicities.

Wei Satu did not discriminate against outsiders, but these few East Sea Dragon Clan members showed some hostility from the start. They didn't even introduce themselves, and although they didn't say it outright, their contempt was practically written on their faces.

Chi Wen's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed, not taking the old man's retort seriously, and believing himself to be in the right:

"Old man, you've brought up our own kind and other races, but let me tell you, we've come from afar for the sake of our own clan. Some time ago, our East Sea Dragon Clan experienced some internal strife, and our little princess was taken away from the East Sea by her servants to avoid the turmoil."

"At the time, we entrusted Prince Jin with the care and liaison for the little princess. Now, Prince Jin has been killed by Chu Mingkong of Xiling, and the little princess has completely disappeared. We have come here to take the little princess back!"

Chi Wen's servants were initially at a loss, unsure how to respond to the old man's question about "other races." Their East Sea Dragon Clan's actions in human territory were indeed too conspicuous.

Before setting off, someone suggested disguising themselves and concealing their dragon horns, but Chi Wen, who was leading the team, felt that it would be undignified for the East Sea Dragon Clan to act sneakily, so the suggestion was dropped.

The servant was impressed when he suddenly heard Lord Chi Wen turn the matter of "foreign races" into the matter of "our own race" in just a few words. He thought to himself that he was indeed worthy of being the leader appointed by the Dragon King!

"We have come here with no interest in the affairs of the Tianji Empire. We only wish to find the little princess of our East Sea Dragon Clan. However, the Prince of Jin was killed by the Xiling people, and now you have appeared here. We hope you will leave. Jin does not welcome you. Once we have confirmed the whereabouts of the little princess, we will also leave politely."

Wei Satu was truly amused by these members of the East Sea Dragon Clan.

While Xiling has indeed broken away from the Tianji Empire, it is still human territory.

These few East Sea Dragon Clan members, with just their words, claimed to have a great deal of kinship with Jin, and told them to get out of Jin.

That's quite arrogant yet polite.

No, they were forced to be polite because His Highness's "bad reputation" had not yet faded, and these East Sea Dragon Clan members were wary of His Highness!

Could the little princess they're talking about be His Highness's adopted daughter, Jiao'er?

If that's the case, it's related to Jiao'er's background. We should contact His Highness first to ask him about it.

These members of the East Sea Dragon Clan are quite powerful; they're a formidable force simply for searching for missing persons.

Moreover, His Highness meant that the town should not be damaged, especially the house with the "portrait" of the daughter's birth mother. Vesatu was afraid that if there were too much debate and it came to the point of taking action, it might affect the town's buildings.

The old man made a swift and decisive decision, bowing to the group of East Sea dragons:

"We will temporarily withdraw our troops, while the remaining few will keep an eye on your movements to avoid affecting the Xiling border."

However, Wei Satu's decisive and efficient actions made the members of the East Sea Dragon Clan feel uneasy.

Could it be that these people from Xiling have already found that ancient treasure?

They have no interest in the little princess's affairs. Their presence here is most likely for that treasure, and their swift retreat means they've probably already obtained it!

Chi Wen, however, thought a step further: he could use this conflict to kill all the servants here, and then he could keep the treasure for himself.

Opportunity or chance? Most of the time, you won't get a share of the pool; only what you get in your hands is truly yours!

"Wait!" Chi Wen called out to the old man Wei Satu.

"What is it now?" Vessato turned around.

Chi Wen took out the luminous mirage pearl. The round pearl was now shining brightly with golden light, indicating that the treasure was in this small town.

"The little princess is carrying a priceless treasure from the East Sea, and it seems that the treasure is in your hands!"

Chapter Fifty-Five: Just a Sideline

A big question mark appeared on Wei Satu's old face.

A treasure? I'll smash your horse right now!

Originally, the intention was to protect the town's buildings, but this place was unexpectedly affected. And what those East Sea Dragon Clan people were saying...

We, the Dragon Lord of the East Sea, representing the land of Jin, do not welcome you, people of Xiling!

Wei Satu tolerated such nonsense, waiting to invite the person in charge over later so they could have a proper discussion.

However, Vesatu was old and experienced, having eaten more salt than many people have eaten rice. With a quick thought, he understood the cause and effect in an instant.

The Wei family's activities here are mainly to deal with the evil spirits, to prevent them from causing trouble in Xiling. However, another important matter is to search for the mysterious treasure hidden in Jin.

These members of the East Sea Dragon Clan most likely discovered the mysterious treasure here through the luminous mirage pearl.

They now suspect that the Wei family has already found the treasure and is in a hurry to leave, which is why they lied and said that the treasure belongs to their East Sea Dragon Clan.

One thing was rather strange: Vessato pondered what these people's goals really were.

The East Sea Dragon Clan came looking for that little princess, falsely claiming that the Dragon Clan's treasure is in our hands. But why don't they ask about the little princess's whereabouts?

The focus is not quite right!

“That thing originally belonged to your East Sea Dragon Clan, but it doesn’t look quite right to me. Wei Hai, bring that storage ring over.”

Wei Satu turned and gave his clansmen a look: Wei Hai, contact His Highness and have him come over immediately.

Wei Hai frowned, noticing the elder's gaze...

What do you mean? What are you taking?

Although he didn't understand the elder's meaning at all, he still did as he was told and took his storage ring.

Chi Wen breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that things were going so smoothly. They had really found the mysterious treasure. But if things went so smoothly, wouldn't there be no conflict?

It seems I'll have to get rid of my fellow travelers on the way back.

With a plan in mind, he walked towards the old man Wei Satu, preparing to take the treasure.

Wei Satu reached into his storage ring and a withered but powerful arm swung sharply at Chi Wen, coldly shouting:

"Grandpa, I gave you a good slap, and you dare to push your luck after I've already shown you some leniency?"

A giant hand formed from earth elemental energy instantly slammed down on Chi Wen with lightning speed and force.

Chi Wen was not the strongest among the East Sea Dragon Clan, but he was still a talented and outstanding young man. He reacted quickly and raised his hand to form a water-based shield to defend himself.

Unfortunately, the shield came a little too late. He grunted and was knocked back a few steps.

Although he wasn't injured, he was extremely embarrassed, and his clothes were badly damaged by the slap.

He hadn't expected the old man to cheat on his spell!

The earth spirit energy palm that he could see with his naked eye and perceive with his senses was actually an illusion. The moment the palm was formed, the force within it had already struck his face.

"Human old man, how dare you attack me with your strength?!" Chi Wen said angrily, clapping his hands together. Behind him, a giant spider formed from water elemental energy appeared, its aura overwhelming the Wei family.

"Little dragon cub from the East Sea, what are you anyway? Giving you any face is already treating you like a guest. How dare you, a mere outsider, put on airs here, thinking you're the master?"

When the old man Wei Satu slammed his cane into the ground, the earth rippled like water, and the ground trembled.

A simple wooden doll hangs from the magic staff, its smile constantly shifting.

Then, the swirling yellow sand coalesced into the graceful figure of a tall woman, who wielded a heavy sword and slashed at the pond.

The sword energy surged like a raging torrent, sweeping away everything in its path.

Chi Wen's prized water spider was severed, the force even penetrating his body, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood, and the dragon scale marks on his cheeks became visible.

"What kind of move is that!"

"Since you recognize that I practice witchcraft, why do you still provoke me on a battlefield where a battle has just ended?" Wei Satu spat on the ground.

In the "Summoning Gods and Ghosts" school, the most powerful techniques have been discarded by the Wei family ancestors over several generations, but some techniques remain that come at little cost.

For example, a battlefield can be recreated by using witchcraft to reenact battles that took place nearby.

Just now, Wei Satu used witchcraft to reenact Zuo Qiuchi's sword strike that cleared the town.