53: captive

That night, the news of Li Ping's capture spread throughout Zigui City.

Li Ning also reacted quickly, sealing off Zigui City and not allowing anyone to leave until Li Ping was found.

Alive, I must see the person; dead, I must see the corpse!

This was exactly what Lu Xingchen wanted to see.

He wanted to throw Zigui City into chaos, and as for the blockade at the city gate, he disdained it.

Are you kidding? Xiao You can fly, so what's the use of these ground blockades?

The next morning, Li Ning summoned the other three Great Martial Master Realm Experts for a meeting.

In the meeting room, Li Ning took a sip of tea and said lightly, "Li Ping is missing. Who do you think did it?"

Sun Sheng said in a deep voice, "Lord Li Ning, I think Lu Xingchen did it. He actually dared to come to Zigui City and even laid hands on our people!"

Another Three-Star Great Martial Master, Wang Qian, said in a deep voice, "Besides Lu Xingchen, I don't think we have any other enemies. It must really be Lu Xingchen!"

Li Ning took another sip of tea and said in a deep voice, "This Lu Xingchen truly is a newborn calf not afraid of a tiger! He clearly knows I am stationed in Zigui City, yet he still dares to come and seek death."

Sun Sheng said in a deep voice, "We are in the open, Lu Xingchen is in the dark. Lord Li Ning, what should we do next?"

Li Ning remained unhurried.

"No rush. Lu Xingchen came to Zigui City to save his father. He captured Li Ping, likely wanting to negotiate with us. It won't be long before he contacts us voluntarily. At that time, we can let them, father and son, reunite."

Upon hearing this, the three Great Martial Masters all showed joy.

"Lord Li Ning's analysis is very reasonable. Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it is! Lu Xingchen still wants to negotiate terms with us; he's seeking death!"

Li Ning took another sip of tea and said lightly, "Sun Sheng, Wang Qian, you two lead teams to search Zigui City and force Lu Xingchen to show himself. If you encounter Lu Xingchen, immediately fire a signal flare and do not engage in prolonged battle. Understand?"

"Understood!" both said in unison.

The third Great Martial Master Realm Expert, Wang Bai, asked softly, "Then, Lord Li Ning, what should I do?"

"You stay at the City Lord's Mansion to prevent Lu Xingchen from making a desperate move."

"Understood!"

At noon, Sun Sheng and Wang Qian led ten Martial Masters to the inn where Lu Xingchen was staying.

They searched room by room and soon arrived at Lu Xingchen's door.

Sun Sheng kicked open the door, and Lu Xingchen immediately struck him with a Heaven Obliterating Seal.

Sun Sheng instantly vomited blood and flew backward, crashing heavily against the wall.

Despite his desperate struggles, he had no strength to stand up.

"Lu Xingchen? You, you actually dared to come!"

"Otherwise?"

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly and sealed him within the hunyuan umbrella.

Just as Wang Qian took out a signal flare, a blue-purple feathered arrow shot towards him.

The feathered arrow made no sound, and Wang Qian's attention was entirely on the signal flare, so his chest was directly pierced.

Immediately, a blue-purple lightning bolt struck him, and Wang Qian was killed instantly.

The remaining ten Martial Masters were stunned.

Wang Qian and Senior Sun Sheng were both Great Martial Master Realm Experts, beyond their reach.

But now, in just one encounter, one was dead and one injured.

How powerful must the enemy be?

They had no heart to resist and scattered, fleeing in all directions.

One blue-purple feathered arrow after another was shot, and the ten Martial Masters fell one after another before they could even run out of the inn.

Lu Xingchen, looking at Yun Li, who had such terrifying output, also gasped.

"Miss Yun Li, you are too violent."

"Mercy to an enemy is cruelty to oneself; you must have heard that saying, right?"

"Awesome!" Lu Xingchen gave a thumbs up.

Yun Li put away her longbow and said with a smile, "Lu Xingchen, what should we do next? Negotiate with Li Ning using these two low-star Great Martial Masters? Two for one, perhaps he will really agree."

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "Li Ning can't possibly be willing to exchange with us. As soon as he knows our whereabouts, he will definitely kill us."

Yun Li was a little puzzled: "Then what are you planning to do?"

Lu Xingchen smiled slightly: "You'll know soon. Let these corpses stay here, to let Li Ning sleep a few less nights. Let's go!"

The two left the inn and disguised themselves in an unmanned corner.

Yun Li's disguise technique was quite superb; with her help, and coupled with the breath concealing pill, the two easily blended into the crowd.

A quarter of an hour later, Li Ning arrived at the inn with Wang Bai.

Upon seeing Sun Sheng's corpse, Li Ning slammed a wall and said sternly, "Lu Xingchen, you bully me too much!"

The stone wall of the inn immediately shattered, and dirt flew everywhere.

Wang Bai's tone was full of shock: "He actually defeated Wang Qian and Sun Sheng so quickly; they didn't even have a chance to fire a signal flare!"

Li Ning said in a deep voice, "Clearly, Lu Xingchen did not come alone; he has a powerful helper. However, his helper obviously has not reached the Martial Spirit Realm. Otherwise, he wouldn't need to play these petty tricks; he would just directly force his way into the City Lord's Mansion."

"Then, Lord Li Ning, what should we do?"

"Keep waiting! Lu Xingchen should be showing himself soon. You stay by my side these next few days so you don't get caught again."

"Understood!"

The next morning, Lu Xingchen arrived at an unmanned corner in the east of Zigui City and placed the unconscious Sun Sheng and Wang Qian on the ground.

Then he and Yun Li ran to the City Lord's Mansion in the west of the city at the fastest speed and waited quietly.

Yun Li's tone held some surprise: "Lu Xingchen, I think I understand what you mean. Your strategy of luring the tiger out of its den is truly brilliant!"

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "When Li Ning goes to the east of the city, we will make our move. The remaining guards of the City Lord's Mansion will have to rely on Miss Yun Li to help me deal with them."

Yun Li smiled and said, "You can rest assured when I do things!"

Half an hour later, a soldier of the Fengming Kingdom ran into the City Lord's Mansion in a panic.

"Lord Li Ning, we found Wang Qian and Sun Sheng in the east of the city; they were knocked unconscious!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ning was not surprised but delighted.

"Excellent, Lu Xingchen has finally made his move. He must be hiding in the east of the city. I will go personally and aim for a single fatal blow!"

Wang Bai was a little worried: "Lord Li Ning, I am afraid they are using a strategy to lure the tiger out of its den. What if you leave and Lu Xingchen forcibly attacks the City Lord's Mansion, what should we do?"

Li Ning hesitated for a moment and said in a deep voice, "What you said is not without reason. How about this, you guard Lu Chaoyang's cell and gather heavy troops to hide in the City Lord's Mansion."

"If Lu Xingchen really comes, immediately fire a signal flare. I don't need you to defeat him; I can rush back in just a quarter of an hour."

"Understood!" Wang Bai felt much more at ease.

Li Ning immediately rushed to the east of the city.

He did not bring any men; he was alone. This was his confidence as a Martial Spirit Realm Expert.