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Chapter 558: A Dead End

After saying this, he left with his beautiful daughters.

Meanwhile, Liu Mumu waited at the entrance of the western wing.

Following Governor Jiang\'s departure, Liu Mumu stood outside the door, her expression cold, watching Yun Xiao adjust his Arbiter armor.

"What did you administer to Jiang Heqing?" Liu Mumu inquired.

"Relax, it\'s just to make her obedient temporarily; it won\'t kill her," Yun Xiao replied after finishing his adjustments, walking towards her. "Didn\'t you hear Governor Jiang? He and his family are bound for a splendid future together with us."

"Bullshit!" Liu Mumu shook her head. "You don\'t understand him at all! To meddle with his daughter is to provoke his wrath. When his core interests are threatened, he will retaliate mercilessly. Today he was only subdued because Thunder Emissary Cao was present, and for the sake of preserving his reputation..."

"I know." Yun Xiao nodded.

"Then why play with fire?" Liu Mumu urgently looked at him and continued, "I know you possess supreme talent, but even if they use Miss Yu to threaten you, couldn\'t you just bear it and focus on growing stronger? Why must you be so ruthless?"

"Master, I\'m running out of time," Yun Xiao took a deep breath, "To save more people, I must kill. I\'ve been waiting for someone to cross my path. Whoever it is, dies first."

"You..." Tears rimmed Liu Mumu\'s eyes as she gazed at the young man, at a loss for words.

"Master, I\'m still waiting for you to tell me everything about Lu An," Yun Xiao said, passing her and walking outside.

Liu Mumu, startled, clenched her fists tightly, her gaze dimming as she silently lowered her head.

Outside, Blue Star popped out in Yun Xiao\'s arms and remarked, "Speaking of which, we\'ve taken his little daughter, and this old fool is so anxious, why don\'t you just directly demand the Boundary Defining Divine Needle?"

Yun Xiao shook his head. "Everyone has their limits, especially someone like me now, a desperate fugitive with no substantial backing. I\'m just making Jiang Taiping give up Dongfang Yong for now—he can tolerate that. But if we cross his current threshold, the tacit understanding between us will collapse. This old man would forsake his daughter and still seek my death."

Human nature had its boundaries, and through keen observation and understanding of human expressions, Yun Xiao had grasped where Jiang Taiping\'s limit lay.

Cross that line, and the fangs came out! This, in fact, was like the demonstrations of power and the gambits among beasts in the forest.

"What will you do next?" Blue Star asked, a twist to his lips.

"To make Jiang Taiping tolerate me more, I need to push his boundaries higher and suppress his limits lower. The only way to achieve this is by elevating my own status, so he no longer sees me as a mere fugitive," Yun Xiao explained.

After speaking, he glanced back at Liu Mumu.

Liu Mumu would lead him alone to the Nine Thunders Arena.

The selection for the Immortal Tournament offered Yun Xiao the best opportunity to raise his standing!

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After exiting the Eight Symbols Guard Pavilion, Governor Jiang hurriedly took his daughters to a secret chamber in the Hall of Soaring Thunder.

"Dad! He used his Life Sigil, turning it into an eye on his forehead! Qingqing was enchanted by this eye, utterly bewitched," Jiang Haiyan said as soon as they entered, her eyes slightly reddened with urgency.

"An eye on the forehead? It seems Lu Qian and Sun Xiaoqi were also afflicted by this soul-controlling technique," Governor Jiang noted, his brow furrowing as he looked at Jiang Heqing.

"How are they doing?" Jiang Haiyan asked anxiously.

"I\'ll have someone check, but they\'re probably just like Qingqing, revering Lu Yao above all else, with no impact on their daily routines. It\'s similar to the mind-control of the All Life Devouring Gu," Governor Jiang replied coldly.

"All Life Devouring Gu? I haven\'t heard of it," Jiang Haiyan blinked in confusion.

Governor Jiang glanced at her and cautioned, "Don\'t mention these three words outside; they are taboo in the Thunder Department."

"Understood," Jiang Haiyan nodded seriously.

"I\'ll see if there\'s a way to break this spell," Governor Jiang said as he approached Jiang Heqing.

"Dad, hurry, the selection is about to start," Jiang Haiyan urged.

"No rush, with thousands of combatants, the battle order is randomly decided; you might not fight this afternoon."

Governor Jiang waved her off, suggesting she leave first. He stayed in the dark chamber with Jiang Heqing for about fifteen minutes.

"How is it?" When Governor Jiang opened the door, Jiang Haiyan quickly asked.

Governor Jiang shook his head, squinting his eyes thoughtfully, "This boy\'s talents are no ordinary affair."

"Dad, you mean he\'s not a joke?" Jiang Haiyan pursed her lips.

"How could he be a joke?" Governor Jiang paused, meaningfully adding, "Every corner of the Thunder Department is searching for someone who looks like Lu Yao, and so far, they\'ve found no one."

Hearing this, disbelief crept over Jiang Haiyan\'s pretty face. "Could it be that the incident at the Thunder Immortal Formation is actually related to Lu Yao?"

"From what I see, it\'s very likely."

After Governor Jiang spoke, he gazed outside and remarked dryly, "It\'s quite ridiculous, everyone and their mothers are secretly mocking General Cao\'s blunder."

"No wonder this fellow is so excessive. And yet you endured," Jiang Haiyan mused, recalling the recent scene with a sense of unease.

To make the deception believable, that boy had nearly stripped them bare, inevitably leading to intimate contact, leaving the sisters half-convinced and half-doubting, the memory vivid and troubling.

"I suspect he has no powerful backers, but he possesses some unique fortune," Jiang Taiping suddenly said.

"If that\'s the case, why not just kill him and take his treasures?" Jiang Haiyan bit her lip.

Jiang Taiping turned back to glance at Jiang Heqing and sighed. "This young man is ruthless. We should have decisively eliminated him at the start. Now, it\'s not so simple to do."

Hearing this, a hard, uncomfortable lump formed in Jiang Haiyan\'s throat.

"Dad, what do we do now? Two Arbiters died in the Hall of Soaring Thunder, we need to close this case quickly," Jiang Haiyan said anxiously.

"How can we close it? To protect Qingqing and to give General Cao a chance to redeem his honor, we might really have to sacrifice the son of Dongfang Sheng," Jiang Taiping said softly.

At the mention of General Cao, Jiang Haiyan knew that killing Yun Xiao before people recognized his true talents would deprive General Cao of a chance to vindicate himself!

"Dongfang Yong…" Jiang Haiyan thought of him, her heart in turmoil. This man was like a shadow, always following her from their childhood, responding to her every call. She was fully aware of how devoted and loving he was towards her.

"Dad, Dongfang Sheng only has this one son. Would he agree to this sacrifice?" Jiang Haiyan asked with concern.

Governor Jiang did not reply but pointed outside, saying, "He\'s here."

Sure enough, Dongfang Sheng, dressed in a black and white robe, entered with his head bowed.

"Take your sister and wait next door," Governor Jiang instructed.

"Yes," Jiang Haiyan bit her lip, unable to meet the eyes of Dongfang Sheng beside her.

After the two sisters left, Dongfang Sheng\'s eyes were red as he knelt down with a thud and began to knock his forehead on the ground before Governor Jiang, his face bloody from the impacts.

"The times force our hands; your pleading is futile." Governor Jiang pulled Dongfang Sheng to his feet, looking into his eyes, and said solemnly, "Dongfang, on the path of Immortality, we are often not masters of our own fate. You should understand this."

"I only beg you, Governor, to give my son a chance at life!" Tears fell from Dongfang Sheng’s eyes.

"How can I do that?" Governor Jiang asked.

"I heard General Cao controls the initial rounds of the battle sequence. I beg you to help arrange for my son to face Lu Yao in the first round. Between them, one must die. If so, let my son have a chance to fight for his life!" Dongfang Sheng\'s eyes blazed with fervor.

After hearing Dongfang Sheng\'s plea, Governor Jiang remained silent, not uttering a word.

"Lu Yao is alone; he won\'t suspect that the battle sequence can be manipulated. He\'ll think it\'s just a coincidence. If my son can seize the chance to kill him instantly, Qingqing will also be safe," Dongfang Sheng urged urgently.

"Dongfang." Governor Jiang sighed and shook his head. "Nearly 10,000 are competing, with the first round alone involving 5,000 battles. Do you realize how low their chances are of facing each other? If you think Lu Yao is a fool, he\'ll think the same of you."

"Uh…" Dongfang Sheng stepped back, his face a mask of despair.

He looked at Governor Jiang, his eyes brimming with bleak tears. "I\'ve followed you for 200 years, served you for 200 years..."

"I know!" Governor Jiang took a deep breath and said to Dongfang Sheng, "This situation is a dead end; stop struggling."

"Yes." Dongfang Sheng lowered his head.

"Look at me," Governor Jiang instructed, lifting his chin and placing his hands on Dongfang Sheng\'s shoulders. "Today, you sacrifice one son to secure our prosperous path under General Cao. When I retire, I guarantee you a position as a Thunder Emissary."

"Governor…!" Dongfang Sheng\'s body shook. A glimmer of hope slowly appeared in his dull eyes.

"Go now, spend time with him. After the first round of selections this evening, I will close the case," Governor Jiang said.

"Yes!" Dongfang Sheng took a deep breath and turned resolutely to leave.

Outside the Hall of Soaring Thunder, a young man in black still stood, his face flushed red.

"Son," Dongfang Sheng emerged from inside.

"Dad, how did it go?" Dongfang Yong\'s gaze was fierce. "Rest assured, just give me the chance, and he won\'t even have time to speak. After I kill him, Qingqing will be safe, and you can close this dead man\'s case!"

"I trust your strength," Dongfang Sheng patted Dongfang Yong\'s shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Son, I know your talent has always been the best in Sky Soaring City. Ever since you were young, in every duel, you\'ve deliberately lost to please Governor Jiang\'s daughter, to win her favor. You\'ve lain low for 20 years, just to show your true prowess in the Thunder Department today, to release the brilliance that\'s always been yours."

"Dad…" Dongfang Yong\'s eyes darkened as he listened, truly, he had been the best, yet he had willingly played the lesser for so many years, bearing much grievance.

What choice did he have?

His father was second in command!

How could he outshine the governor\'s daughter?

"But, you don\'t have to worry about closing the case anymore! There\'s no need to fight to the death with Lu Yao at the Nine Thunders Arena," Dongfang Sheng said, patting his shoulder with a laugh.

"Why?" Seeing his father laughing, Dongfang Yong was somewhat puzzled…

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