Chapter 71: Omen

“Where is the person you captured?” This question was the most crucial one.

Zhu Meng hesitated for a moment, then turned to look behind him. All he saw were his loyal subordinates who had followed him for years; he recognized every face. The burly man in heavy armor sighed and said, “He has been taken away by the trusted aide of Steward Rui. I don’t know where exactly, but they left in the direction of Listening Tide City. It could also be towards the Ancient Totem Fortress.”

At this point, Qian Ye knew he wouldn’t get any more information. Zhu Meng’s revelation about Song Zining’s whereabouts was already tantamount to surrender. But Zhu Meng didn’t know much either. It seemed that his relationship with Rui Xiang was truly terrible; otherwise, the old man would not have let them stay to die.

“Very well, you can go now. When you return, tell Lord Luo that if he doesn’t release my brother, no one from Listening Tide City will be safe leaving the city. If my brother dies, no matter the cost or time, I will exterminate everyone involved.”

Qian Ye spoke calmly, but an intense chill rose in Zhu Meng’s heart for some reason.

Finally, Qian Ye pointed at Zhu Meng and said solemnly, “Now, you know who you are facing. Even if it’s a divine general, do not think you are safe.”

Qian Ye turned and left, vanishing in an instant.

Suddenly, Zhu Meng’s aura plummeted, as if he had aged ten years. He looked utterly exhausted.

An officer approached and whispered, “General, is this the person who killed so many of our brothers? He doesn’t look like it.”

Zhu Meng still gazed in the direction Qian Ye had gone, and slowly said, “From now on, stay as far away from this man as possible. Let’s go, we’re returning.”

At this moment, Qian Ye stood atop a distant hill, his mind a jumbled mess. He hadn’t expected the old man and Zhang Bushou to be so close. Now, the old man was essentially Zhang Bushou’s mouthpiece. The key was that no one knew if the words were truly Zhang Bushou’s or just the old man’s own fabrication.

In a way, he might be even more troublesome than the Wolf King. The Wolf King was strong and ferocious, but he was also easily angered and arrogant. He had suffered two major defeats at Qian Ye’s hands, especially the second time when, enraged by Qian Ye, he charged into a trap despite knowing it was there. He ended up being surrounded and gravely wounded by Qian Ye, Zining, Ji Tianqing, and Li Kuanglan, ultimately struck by Qian Ye’s earth-shaking shot.

Rui Xiang, on the other hand, was the opposite: cunning and patient, and capable of doing anything, regardless of his position. Such an enemy was particularly difficult to deal with.

But why did Rui Xiang suddenly attack and ambush Song Zining? Reflecting back, it seemed the only offense Qian Ye had committed against him was that distant threat. There had been no further contact before or after. If it was just for such a trivial matter, it seemed out of character for a true strongman.

Song Zining’s incident came without warning, and it happened shortly after he mysteriously suffered a setback, temporarily losing his ability to foresee events. Now, it seemed less like a coincidence.

The more Qian Ye thought about it, the more troubled he became. Analyzing the situation and divining fate were not his strengths, and the current situation was chaotic, with various figures emerging. The appearance of the mysterious and deeply-connected Ji Tianqing and Li Kuanglan indicated that more and more major forces were turning their attention to the neutral zone.

What did the neutral zone have that made these major forces turn their gaze here while the floating land war was still ongoing?

During his time in the floating land, Qian Ye had discovered many unusual things, such as the mysterious existence in the Eastern Sea, the Black Forest, the hidden arrangements left by the Finger Pointing King, the Hall of Heroes, and the Northern Continent. This was just one block in the Eastern Sea; other blocks might hide even more, more shocking secrets.

Only such secrets could justify the attention, and Qian Ye was quite self-aware. Even if he offended the military department, it would be like an ant biting an elephant—maybe the elephant would stomp once, but twice would be a waste.

Song Zining’s capture might be the beginning of a major storm.

Qian Ye suddenly extended his finger, and a streak of carmine-gold origin power shot out, carving the words “Zhang Bushou” onto a large rock. He took a deep breath and punched the air, causing the rock to shatter into countless pieces.

Even if it was the Heavenly King Zhang Bushou standing in his way, Qian Ye would cross over and bring Song Zining back.

His determination set, the next step was how to proceed.

At this point, he couldn’t go to the Ancient Totem Fortress or Listening Tide City. The enemy likely had a net laid, waiting for Qian Ye to fall into it. He couldn’t easily enter the city and had to roam outside, maintaining a certain amount of origin power and blood energy, always ready for a void flash and a primal shot, in case of emergencies. Even if the Wolf King or Luo Bingfeng attacked, Qian Ye had to be able to escape.

Qian Ye was very clear that if he failed and was captured, Song Zining would be doomed.

Also, he wasn’t sure about Ji Tianqing’s current state. With her endless array of secret methods and treasures, as long as she escaped, she should be fine.

Resolute, Qian Ye calmed down, sat cross-legged, and meditated until sunset, restoring his strength and origin power to peak condition. Then he rose and headed towards Listening Tide City.

In Listening Tide City, strange rumors had spread recently. A renowned fortune-teller in the old district suddenly went mad, repeatedly claiming that someone had angered a world-destroying star, and the entire city would be destroyed.

This so-called master was popular among the lower class, and the commotion grew, drawing the attention of the city guard. Seeing the crowd grow, an officer quickly ordered the old madman to be taken away. Unexpectedly, at his command, the old madman smashed his head against the wall, bleeding profusely.

As he lay dying, the old madman’s eyes widened in shock, mumbling, “Blood divination, this is blood divination! I saw, it was black, black… We will all die, all die…”

The officer, somewhat knowledgeable, felt a chill upon hearing the term “blood divination.”

Blood divination was a gruesome and rare method of predicting fate. The diviner would inflict self-harm to reach a near-death state, stimulating their survival instinct to see what they couldn’t before.

Only madmen or those in desperate situations used blood divination. This old madman had used it to verify his prophecy. What did he see in his last moments?

The officer acted decisively, ordering the old madman’s body to be cremated along with his residence.

The old madman had no family, so no one objected. In the raging fire, all traces of his existence were reduced to ashes.

However, the rumors continued to spread, and the fire served as proof.

On the holy mountain where Zhang Bushou once cultivated, a small, simple, and elegant courtyard was built. A white wall, a few slender bamboo, and a few flowers adorned it, giving it a refreshing and graceful atmosphere. At a glance, it seemed like a retreat for a high-ranking figure in the empire.

Suddenly, an extremely sharp, invisible sword qi shot up from the courtyard, reaching hundreds of meters before dissipating. Many of the city’s strong sensed it and looked toward the mountain, all showing shock.

In the courtyard, stones and debris rained down, and the main house’s roof was almost completely destroyed. The sword qi, thin as a hair, was astonishingly powerful.

A gentle breeze swept away the debris. The gentle woman emerged from a side room and asked softly, “Bingfeng, why so angry?”

Luo Bingfeng walked out, his eyes filled with confusion. “I had a sudden urge, feeling that something significant was about to happen. I lost control for a moment.”

“What significant event?” The woman was concerned. For Luo Bingfeng to lose composure, it was no small matter.

Luo Bingfeng frowned, speaking both to her and to himself, “I saw darkness, a vast darkness… I don’t know how to describe it, but it was the abyss and destruction.”

The woman was startled, her expression changing. “How could this be? Have you practiced divination techniques?”

Luo Bingfeng shook his head. “Of course not. I promised you I would never touch such techniques.”

The woman sighed in relief. “That’s good. What you saw might be a sign, but perhaps it’s not related to us. If it is, we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

Luo Bingfeng looked down at the city. “You’re right. But it’s better to be cautious. I think we should call Luo Yun to find out what has happened recently.”

“Agreed,” the woman nodded.

Moments later, a serious-looking man in his thirties arrived, giving a brief report of recent events.

The most significant was the Wolf King’s campaign against Southern Green City, which ended in defeat. The Wolf King himself was seriously injured and retreated to the Ancient Totem Fortress to recover.

Another event was Rui Xiang’s swift strike with the city’s elite troops, ambushing the Southern Green City army from behind. The Southern Green City troops, having just defeated the Wolf King and suffered heavy losses, were overwhelmed by the fresh troops from Listening Tide City and were soundly defeated.

Luo Yun only knew this much, and the specifics of the battles were vague.

Luo Bingfeng was surprised. “The Wolf King lost? And not to Emperor Spider or Mask, but to a group of young strongmen? Interesting.”

At that moment, Luo Bingfeng’s gaze shifted, and he saw a force approaching the city. His keen eyes discerned the details even from a distance, and his expression changed. “Isn’t that Zhu Meng? Why are so many of his men missing?”