Zhang Ruochen had long guessed a few things about what happened to the Martial City Money Bank, but hearing Liu Chuan Shen speak about it, he still felt shocked and said, “The Martial City Money Bank has operated in the Yunwu County Kingdom for such a long time, and has the support of official strength. Who is so capable that they can take away all of the industries of the Martial City Money Bank in one night?”
Liu Chuan Shen said ruefully, “The other party has been setting up for a long time, and is just waiting for a moment.”
“Is it the black market?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Liu Chuan Shen nodded and said, “It’s not just the Black Market, there’s another force as well. This time, with the cleansing of the Martial Market’s money banks, that force hiding behind the Black Market was the one that got the real benefit. Although the Black Market also seized some industries, it was only 20%.”
“More powerful than the black market, could it be the …… Moon Worshipping Demon Sect?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuan Shen said, “That’s right, it’s the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect. In order to initiate this scramble, the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect has mobilised all of their experts from all of their sub-counties in the Yunwu County Kingdom. Moreover, I suspect that they have also mobilised a large number of experts from other counties, which is why the Martial City Money Bank was beaten without a fight.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “The Martial City Money Bank and the official forces have always been in a relationship of mutual cooperation. Could it be that the official forces, didn’t step in to help suppress the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult?”
Liu Chuan Shen shook his head with a bitter smile and said, “The Four Direction County State declared war on the Yunwu County State, and within ten days, it even took down the twelve cities of the Yunwu County State, and 100,000 troops were turned into white bones. The court of Yunwu County Country has long been in a state of chaos with everyone in danger, how can they still have the energy to mobilise the army to aid the Martial Market Money Bank? The Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult are looking at this point, and that’s why they picked this time to strike, catching the Martial Market Money Bank off guard.”
Zhang Ruochen comforted, “Don’t be discouraged, Master Zhuang, if the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult join forces, who in the world today can stop them?”
“No matter what, Mister Liu is bound to thank the Ninth Prince for saving his life, and in the future, if there is any use for Mister Liu, with only a word from the Ninth Prince, Mister Liu will definitely return today’s favour.” Liu Chuan Shen’s heart stirred as he said, “Is the Ninth Prince going back to the royal city?”
“Yes.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuan Shen shook his head and said, “Don’t ever go back, nowadays, the Yunwu County Kingdom is in the midst of a storm, with the armies of the Four Directions County Kingdom pushing across the country from the outside, the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect eyeing from the inside, and the disputes in the imperial court are also ongoing.”
“Because there is the Yunwu County King sitting in the King City, that’s why the King City hasn’t caused any major chaos. If anything untoward happens to the Yunwu County King …… to put it bluntly, that time will be when the Yunwu County Kingdom is destroyed.”
“Imagine, if the Yunwu County Kingdom is destroyed, wouldn’t you be asking for death if you return to the King’s City? Follow me back to the Martial City Academy! The Four Direction County Kingdom, the Black Market, and the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect, even if they are as rampant as they are, it’s impossible for them to take down the Martial City School Palace.”
Zhang Ruochen’s mind thought of his mother, the Nine County Lords, and that one father who was both strange and familiar, and a determined look appeared in his eyes as he said, “There’s no need to persuade me, Lord Liu Zhuang, I am definitely going back to the King City. Even if it’s dangerous, I must go back.”
Liu Chuan Shen no longer persuaded him and said, “If you go back to King City, you must be careful of the Queen and the State Master, they have always wanted to get rid of you. Moreover, they now control half of the forces in the King City, and many families and clans have defected to them.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” Zhang Ruochen asked, “What are Lord Liu Zhuang’s next plans?”
Liu Chuan Shen sighed once again and said, “The Yunwu County Kingdom’s properties were all lost under my management, causing the money bank to suffer heavy losses, so I must return to Heavenly Demon Martial City to ask for forgiveness.”
Right at this moment, outside the City Lord’s Mansion, there were terrifying sounds of killing.
Zhang Ruochen and Liu Chuan Shen glanced at each other, stopped talking, and walked towards the outside.
A roaring sound rang out, and it was as if all the aura between heaven and earth had been drained in a split second as the ground trembled along with it.
In the City Lord’s Mansion, a formation inscription was activated, intertwining into a large net that rose into midair.
The Mansion Protection Formation was opened!
Chen Yuchan, the Great General of Tianyue Pass, personally presided over the formation, leading five thousand elite troops in a fierce exchange with the black-clothed men who had come to break into the City Lord’s Mansion.
Hearing the commotion coming from outside, Liu Chuan Shen’s face remained calm as he asked, “Ninth Prince, what is this place?”
“The Great General’s Mansion in Tianyue Pass.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuan Shen gently nodded, “So it’s in Tianyue Pass, with Chen Yu Chan’s ability, coupled with the City Protector Formation, it should be able to block the attacks of the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Once a great battle occurs in Tianyue Pass, it will definitely alert the King City. The experts in the King City will be able to arrive within an hour. Therefore, as long as Chen Yu Chan can hold out for an hour, the crisis in Tianyue Pass will naturally be solved.”
“You’re right!”
Liu Chuan Shen looked at Zhang Ruochen, revealing a very appreciative look as he said, “You have done the right thing by choosing to come to Tianyue Pass, this is the only way to live. How good would it be if you were my heir?”
“Liu Zhanfeng is also a teenage genius, his future achievements will definitely not be low.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuan Shen shook his head and said, “He is less than a tenth of you.”
Zhang Ruochen looked at the huge formation suspended above his head and gently nodded, “There’s no need to open the City Protector Formation, just the Mansion Protector Formation, and it should be able to block the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect’s people.”
The City Protector Formation was quite consuming of spirit crystals and could not be opened easily.
Every time the Tianyue Pass’s City Protector Formation was opened, it would consume at least 10,000 Spirit Crystals, worth 10 million silver coins.
Therefore, until the moment of absolute crisis, the city guard array must not be opened.
Even if it was just a protective formation guarding the City Lord’s Mansion, opening it once would consume five hundred Spirit Crystals.
Since the Mansion Protecting Formation was turned on, with the generals outside, they should be able to hold back the evil people of the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect, and there was no need for Zhang Ruochen to make a move at all.
An hour later, those black-robed men who came to attack the City Lord’s Mansion all retreated, and on the streets, hundreds of corpses of martial artists were left behind.
The 5,000 soldiers guarding the City Lord’s Mansion also suffered heavy casualties, with nearly 1,000 killed in battle and more than 2,000 seriously injured, which could be considered quite tragic.
Liu Chuan Shen looked at the retreating black-robed men, his eyes slightly narrowed, revealing a puzzled expression as he said, ”Strange! How come only the evil people from the black market came to attack the City Lord’s Mansion, and how come the experts from the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect didn’t come out?”
“The Moon Worshipping Demon Sect’s experts didn’t come out?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuan Shen nodded and said, “If the experts of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect had also come to attack the City Lord’s Mansion, relying on the Mansion Protecting Formation alone might not be able to stop them.”
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, “Although the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect have teamed up to deal with the Martial Market Money Bank, they aren’t on the same journey after all. Since the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult has already gained from this, perhaps they are now watching the show from the sidelines, just waiting for the Black Market and us to fight to the death.”
“That should be the case.”
Liu Chuan Shen thought for a moment and then added, “That Chief Helmsman of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect guarding the Yunwu County Kingdom is definitely a ruthless character, and none of the people I sent out to investigate her have come back alive. I have not been able to find out her true identity until now, and I only know that she should be a woman. You must be extremely careful if you cross paths with her in the future.”
Sharp footsteps sounded.
Chen Yuchan and Zhang Shaochu walked towards Zhang Ruochen’s direction, and walking in front of them was a big bald man with a pair of huge elephant ears.
That one bald big man, wearing golden armour, stood at two meters seven tall, like a titan. He had a long cape trailing behind him, and was holding a green-coloured battle axe, emitting a powerful martial aura from his body.
Even Chen Yuchan and Zhang Shaochu looked very respectful in front of that one bald man, carefully walking behind the bald man.
Chen Yu Chan introduced, “Your Highness the Ninth Prince, this is the Grand Commander of the King City’s Forbidden Army, Wan Cheng Chong.”
Zhang Ruochen had heard of Wan Cheng Chong’s name, the number one person in Yunwu County**, claiming that his strength could carry mountains, a Heavenly Extremity Realm Martial Myth.
A figure like Wan Chengzhong would not have served as the Grand Commander of the Forbidden Army of a mere inferior county. That was because, when he was young, he had once owed the Yunwu County King a life, and thus, had agreed to help the Yunwu County King sit in the royal city for forty years.
Wan Chengzhong had always lived in deep seclusion and seldom asked about the affairs of the Forbidden Army.
It wasn’t until the recent great changes in the Yunwu County Kingdom that the Yunwu County King invited him out to guard the royal city.
Wan Chengzhong’s pair of sharp eyes carefully sized up Zhang Ruochen, and when he saw that Zhang Ruochen acted calm and collected in front of him, a few more points of praise grew in his heart.
“Indeed, you are an outstanding talent, no wonder the Great King asked me to personally come to fetch you. Your natural talent should not be below Old Seven.” Wan Cheng Chong said.
Wan Cheng Chong, was not a pure human, but a Barbarian Elephant half-human race, with not only human blood, but also Barbarian Elephant blood flowing in his body.
Zhang Ruochen said, “How long will it take to return to King City?”
“Tomorrow.”
After a pause, Wan Chengzhong coldly said, “Tonight, I still have to go and settle some matters. The Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult have turned the King City upside down, completely disregarding me as the Grand Commander of the Forbidden Army, it’s time to make them pay some price.”
“Right now, the experts of the Black Market and the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult are all gathered at Tianyue Pass, so it’s the right time to clean up after them. Chen Yu Chan, open the city guard formation, I’m going to conduct a major purge against the evil people of the Black Market and the Moon Worshiping Demon Cult.”
Chen Yu Chan’s brows narrowed slightly as he said, “Chancellor, opening the City Protector Formation once will consume 10,000 spirit crystals ……”
Wan Cheng Chong glared at Chen Yu Chan and said, “I will pay for these ten thousand spirit crystals, you just go and open the city protection array, leave everything else to me.”
After Chen Yu Chan and Wan Cheng Chong left, it wasn’t long before the Tian Yue Pass’s city guard formation was opened.
“Boom!”
The entire gateway shook violently as a huge circular array disc hovered a hundred metres in the air, slowly rotating and covering the entire Tianyue Pass.
The violent vibrations of the Tianyue Pass caused the mountains around the city pass to shake with it, and the entire heaven and earth seemed to be shaking.
A piercing pillar of light rushed out from the ground, connecting with the formation disc in the sky.
In a short moment, the dark night sky was completely illuminated by the array’s light, as if it had turned into day.
