Chapter 109 - Fan Family of Tianxiu City
Four months ago, after producing the concentration elixir, which could allow him to rapidly master “Lord of the Four Supremes,” Zhou Donghuang had gotten Fu to find a relay station with ferghana horse messengers, to pass the letter to Lu Qinghu in Yunfeng prefecture.
Such a relay station allowed for a change in messenger and horse between every station, without having to cater for rest stops along the way. That would allow the letter to reach Yunfeng prefecture capital from Chu royal city within a month.
Lu Qinghu appearing here now meant that he had rushed over on a ferghana horse.
“Where were my mother and Xiao Lu taken? By whom?” Zhou Donghuang glared at Lu Qinghu and questioned. Although he was trying hard to suppress his anger, those around him could still sense the fury in his voice.
Lu Qinghu replied, “Madam and Lady Yun Lu were abducted just after we entered the central ridge... both me and Brother Freezing Wing almost died at their hands, if Lady Yun Lu had not threatened to kill herself at that crucial moment, they would have killed us.”
“Do you know who they are?” Zhou Donghuang’s eyes flashed menacingly, as an icy cold settled over him. Taken his mother? Abducted his sister? Whoever they were would be sorry!
“They said they were from the Fan family of Tianxiu City!” Lu Qinghu said, “Now, Brother Freezing Wind brought Zhou Han and Zhou Feng to Tianxiu City, while I came over to tell you the news.”
“The Fan family of Tianxiu City?” Tang Liunian, who had come over with Zhou Donghuang, had wanted to help the young man after hearing the story. However, upon hearing who had abducted Zhou Donghuang’s family, he shut his mouth.
Tianxiu City was not a prefecture capital. As compared to a prefecture capital that controlled a prefecture, Tianxiu City was just a city within the central ridge of the Western Chu Ridge. The Chu royal city was in the centre of the Western Chu Ridge, while the other lands that did not belong to any prefecture were known as the central ridge. Within the central ridge, besides the Chu royal city, there were many other cities directly ruled by the Chu royal household. Tianxiu City had four tycoon families, one of which being the Fan family.
The Fan family was similar in power to the Tang family, as the Fan family also had just one level-nine adept. However, Tang Liunian was afraid of them not because it was a tycoon family, but because the Fan family enjoyed a very close relationship with the Chu royal household. The concubine of the prince of the Chu royal household had come from the Fan family, and she was the sister of the current Fan family chief! With such a relationship, not only the Tang family, but even the three greatest tycoon families in the Chu royal city did not dare to offend the Fan family.
“The Fan family?” The elders from the three premier tycoon families, despite all being fearsome level-nine adepts, all shook their heads upon hearing that Zhou Donghuang’s family had been taken by the Fan family, their eyes showing a hint of sympathy.
At this point, the other superior tycoon families present all shook their heads sadly. As for those from the other families, they felt that Zhou Donghuang had no chance against the Fan family. After all, the Fan family had the backing of the ruler of the Western Chu Ridge, the Chu royal household!
However, as everybody watched on, Zhou Donghuang looked at Lu Qinghu again and asked, “Do you know the way?”
“I do,” answered Lu Qinghu with a nod. He had separated from Freezing Wind somewhere near Tianxiu City, so he knew where the city was and how to get there.
“Young Master Donghuang, the Fan family appears to be a tycoon family,” reminded Lu Qinghu quietly. His eyes were filled with fear. Even the most inferior tycoon family had at least a level-eight adept. Although the young man in front of him seemed powerful, but he did not think that he had attained level-eight of the Qi-Gathering in less than a year’s time.
“Young Master Donghuang.” Tang Liunian could not help but add, “The Fan family of Tianxiu City is a tycoon family no weaker than our Tang family. The family has one level-nine adept and three level-eight adepts.” Seeing the young man disregard his words, Tang Liunian continued, “The scariest part is that they are not just a tycoon family, but have close ties with the Chu royal household. The royal concubine is the sister of the current Fan family chief... hence the Fan family is not just a superior tycoon family, but they have an extraordinary status within the Western Chu Ridge region.” As he spoke, his eyes shone with fear.
“Even our Lui family does not dare to offend the Fan family,” said the Lui family fourth elder, Lui An as he shook his head gently.
“Young man, although I don’t know why your family was taken by them, but since it was the Fan family who did it, just give up,” added the Liu family second elder, Liu Xuyang, with a sigh.
“In the Western Chu Ridge, even adepts who have achieved Petty Consummation of the Qi-Gathering do not dare to offend the Fan family,” Ouyang Zhen, Third Elder of the Ouyang family, chimed in.
Fear seemed to show on the faces of the three elders, level-nine adepts of the three premier tycoon families in the Chu royal city.
Yet, Zhou Donghuang seemed not to hear any of what the three of them had just said as he turned his head to the sky.
“Finally here... if they took any longer, I would have had them for stew!” Zhou Donghuang’s eyes flashed as he muttered to himself.
Hearing this, and seeing him turn to the skies, everybody looked to the skies as they followed his gaze.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that moment, high above them, two shadows streaked across the sky like lightning from the distance, only slowing down when they appeared above the Tang family courtyard. The two dark figures then rushed downwards, causing those beneath to scatter out of the way.
Boom!
Bang!
...
The two dark figures landed on the ground like two huge boulders, causing the large round table to shatter all over, creating a huge mess. The whole courtyard shook as if a massive earthquake had happened.
Looking closely, one could see that cracks had started to form beneath the feet of the two dark figures, wide enough to fit a toddler’s first.
“This...” Everybody was stunned. Even Tang Liunian or the three elders were similarly in a state of shock.
It was only when Zhou Donghuang landed a hand on Lu Qinghu’s shoulder and brought him with a leap onto the back of one of the figures that everyone recovered from their shock.
“Fu, bring Zixi back,” ordered Zhou Donghuang from above. He then turned to the dark figure beneath him, his mouth moving, yet without making a sound. He was conversing in demon-speak.
“Which direction?” he asked Lu Qinghu.
“That way.” Lu Qinghu glanced at the golden-crowned eagle beneath his feet and gulped as he raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Tianxiu City.
Flap! Flap!
...
Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew as the two black eagles flapped their wings in unison and rose to the skies, flying in the direction that Lu Qinghu had pointed.
It was only after the two figures disappeared that the group of them in the Tang family courtyard regained their senses.
“Just now that was... a golden-crowned eagle?!” Tang Yong, third elder of the Tang family, exclaimed in shock.
“The two golden-crowned eagles from the Lost Forest! Half a year ago, they had robbed me of my concentration elixir when I was hunting in the woods!” screamed a tycoon family chief as his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.
“Oh my gosh! Why did the two eagles appear in the city? And that stronger eagle among the two had somehow allowed the young man to ride on it?”
“Even the prince of the Chu royal household can’t ride that eagle.”
“Who is that young man?!”
...
The group of people were all shocked and in a state of disbelief.
“Young Master Donghuang...” Tang Liunian gasped. He had thought that he had already thought too highly of the young man, but now, it appeared that he had underestimated him.
The elders from the three premier tycoon families were similarly shocked. Now, they did not dare to doubt the words of Tang Liunian anymore. That young man had even managed to subdue the rulers of the Lost Forest. Of course, he could easily kill a level-nine grizzly bear.
“Brother Zhou...” uttered the young lady as the blood drained from her face. She had never imagined that the two silly birds that her Brother Zhou had talked about were the two golden-crowned eagles from the Lost Forest!