Chapter 63

At night, Zhao Yun put on a black robe.

Before leaving, he went to the tavern and retrieved the Lone Wolf seal he had hidden there.

Then, the sound of hooves could be heard.

With Yan Tianfeng's order, he encountered no obstacles along the way.

Once out of the city, the sky was vast and the birds flew freely.

The city lord's steward looked at Zhao Yun as he left, then turned to look at the city lord Yan Tianfeng, his eyes clearly conveying: Just let him go like this?

"He, after all, is just a passerby."

Yan Tianfeng sighed. It was rare to meet a young man who looked so pleasant, and even rarer that his daughter liked him, but the man was already married.

The city lord's steward also sighed.

This, perhaps, was what was meant by having a connection but no fate.

What a cruel twist of fate!

Under the moonlight, Zhao Yun whipped the reins and galloped, constantly identifying directions, determined to find Niu Hong and the villagers as quickly as possible.

Yan Tianfeng was right.

To Qingfeng City, he was indeed just a passerby. If not for his injury, if not for the city being sealed, if not for accidentally entering the city lord's residence, none of this would have happened. Everything was a series of coincidences, yet it seemed as if it was all predestined.

Putting his thoughts aside, he sped up.

If his guess was correct, Niu Hong would definitely have settled in an ancient town.

Hmm?

As he reached a valley, he frowned slightly. The small spirit pearl in his chest suddenly glowed, indicating that someone was following him. They were at the peak of the Xuan Yang realm, and there were two of them.

Without hesitation, he rode into the forest.

Sure enough, two black shadows followed him in. In the dim moonlight, he could see their true forms—it was the two old men from Wanggucheng. Their purpose was clear: to determine Zhao Yun's identity.

Where is he?

Not long after entering the forest, the two stopped, looking at each other. They could see the horse tied to a tree but found no trace of Zhao Yun.

"It's them."

Zhao Yun, who had hidden underground, narrowed his eyes slightly, holding his breath and concealing his true energy. Through the soil, he could see the two men clearly.

It was agreed that no one could leave the city.

How did these two old men leave Qingfeng City? Did they also have Yan Tianfeng's order?

Zhao Yun thought, knowing why they had come.

"Good boy, you underestimated him."

The two old men both coughed, hands in their sleeves, wandering around.

"Do you think the Lone Wolf is really in Qingfeng City?"

"It doesn't matter if he is or isn't. As long as his seal is here, that's enough."

"To be honest, I admire that boy."

The two old men were in high spirits, each holding a stick, poking around the forest, looking for people while chatting happily.

"Seal?"

Zhao Yun raised an eyebrow. The seal must be the Lone Wolf's seal, which he still had in his possession. Could the seal contain some secrets?

"Can't handle it."

Just then, a loud howl was heard.

"Can't... handle it?"

The two old men's mouths twitched. If they couldn't handle it, why were they howling so loudly? Were they trying to draw attention, or were they just crazy? Why were they howling in the middle of the night in the wilderness?

Zhao Yun stopped, and the meaning was different.

By the sound, it must be Little Black Fatty. "Can't handle it" was actually "Zhao Can't Handle It." Niu Hong had once asked him his name, and he had given this alias. Indeed, these three characters were quite impressive.

Meeting Niu Hong here was unexpected.

Most likely, Niu Hong had settled the villagers and come out to find him.

Coincidentally, he found this forest.

Coincidentally, Zhao Yun was in this forest.

"Let's go check."

The two old men moved, heading deeper into the forest.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Soon, the sound of explosions could be heard, indicating that the two old men had taken action.

"Are you crazy! What did I do to you?"

"Hey, you're still cursing me."

There were many shouts, from both Niu Hong and the two old men.

Tsk tsk tsk!

The explosions stopped, leaving only the two old men's tsking.

They had caught Niu Hong.

Because they had caught him, they couldn't stop tsking. What did this guy eat to grow so fat? Not only was he fat, but he was also so dark. From a distance, all they could see were his teeth. Up close, they realized it was a person.

"This is awkward."

Zhao Yun arrived, seeing the two old men examining Niu Hong up and down, clearly amazed by his appearance.

"What are you doing! What are you doing!"

Niu Hong shouted, being held by one leg, head down, flailing his arms. He was caught off guard.

"Take him back for research."

The two old men examined him for a long time but couldn't figure out anything. They decided to take him away. It was too dark to see clearly, and this guy was too dark.

However, just as they took two steps, they saw paper money falling from the sky.

No, it was actually talisman paper, fluttering down with the wind.

"Is this an explosive talisman?"

One of the old men asked, his eyes darting around.

"It seems so."

The other old man swallowed hard. He had seen explosive talismans before, but never so many. They looked like rain, and if they were detonated, the two of them would be lucky to survive.

"It's him."

Niu Hong's eyes widened, recognizing Zhao Yun. Among the people he knew, only Zhao Yun knew how to draw explosive talismans and had the presence to set up such a grand display.

"From Wanggucheng!"

Zhao Yun appeared, standing on a small hill, looking down. He had taken a voice-changing pill, making his voice sound old, a necessary trick to deceive.

The two old men turned sharply, eyes narrowing.

When did a person appear on that hill without them noticing?

"Put him down."

Zhao Yun said calmly, his meaning clear. The small fat man they were holding was his. Either release him or he would send them to heaven. With so many explosive talismans, he was confident he could blow them up.

"Sir, are you from the royal family?"

The old man from Wanggucheng chuckled, not daring to move. The placement of the explosive talismans was strategic, and they would be blown to pieces before they could run.

"What do you think?"

Zhao Yun said coolly, his voice still old after the transformation.

Deception was a skill.

Even without the support of the Moon God, he had to stand firm and not show any fear. He had to be strong; if they saw through his deception, the two old men would force the issue, and both he and the small fat man would be in trouble. Two peak Xuan Yang realm cultivators were not to be underestimated.

The royal family referred to the Daxia royal family.

Members of the royal family were extremely prestigious, as evident from the two old men's expressions. They showed both fear and respect. Anyone from the royal family was beyond the reach of even the city lord, let alone two Xuan Yang realm cultivators.

Why did they think I was from the royal family?

Zhao Yun muttered, frowning, his thoughts racing.

Most likely, it was because of the explosive talismans.

After much consideration, this was the only possibility. Explosive talismans were rare, and even a city lord might not have so many.

This might be a symbol of status.

Such a symbol was unknown to most people. His father, Zhao Yuan, rarely mentioned it, as it was not something a small family could discuss. As members of the city lord's residence, the two old men must have known some secrets. Otherwise, they wouldn't have shown such humility when mentioning the royal family.

"From the royal family, indeed. My apologies."

The two old men bowed and released the small black fatty.

As Zhao Yun had guessed, such a large number of explosive talismans was not something a common person, or even a city lord, could possess. Explosive talismans had been rare for many years, or rather, banned by the royal family. The true method of drawing explosive talismans was monopolized by the royal family.

Indeed, it was a symbol of status.

To be honest, even if the person holding the explosive talismans was just a low-level Condensation Realm cultivator, they wouldn't dare to act rashly. Offending the royal family was far more terrifying than offending a city lord, with the worst-case scenario being the extermination of the entire clan.

Not to mention, they couldn't see Zhao Yun's cultivation level.

This was the intangible intimidation of the royal family's name.

"Boy, be careful."

The small black fatty prayed, walking cautiously, afraid of stepping on the explosive talismans. If Zhao Yun accidentally triggered them, he would be blown to pieces.

"Misunderstanding, all misunderstanding."

The two old men laughed nervously, still not daring to move, fearing Zhao Yun would detonate the talismans or offend this mysterious royal family member. It was better to be cautious.

"Do you really think I'm from the royal family?"

Zhao Yun thought, seeing the two old men's fear.

"May I ask, are you also here to catch the Lone Wolf?"

The two old men chuckled, trying to get closer to the royal family member.

"Or do you think I'm here for a leisurely stroll?"

Zhao Yun's voice was stern and authoritative. Since he was in deception mode, he had to fully commit, acting as a true royal family member.

After all, he had a mysterious and powerful master.

Earlier, even the old man in the Ma Yi robe at the Caiman Tower was deceived. If they investigated, he could blame it on his master.

To be honest, if the Moon God were awake and did the deceiving, it would be even more effective, leaving the two old men completely disoriented.

Good boy, you're really something!

The small fatty was impressed. Zhao Yun's deception was so convincing that the two peak Xuan Yang realm cultivators didn't dare to move. This level of skill wasn't achieved in a day or two.

"Apologies for the intrusion."

The two old men smiled awkwardly, as if they had said something they shouldn't have.

"Please deliver this to my disciple."

Zhao Yun said calmly, and an object floated down from his sleeve.

It was a talisman paper.

The object itself didn't matter; the key was the word "disciple."

Deception required leading the other party by the nose.

The two old men quickly caught the object. The talisman paper was blank, just a regular piece of paper. To them, it required a special method to reveal its contents, and they couldn't see anything.

"May I ask, your disciple is...?"

After examining it, the two old men looked up at the hill.

"Wanggucheng, Zhao Yun."

Zhao Yun said coolly, his purpose clear: to find a protector for the Zhao family.

The name of the royal family was more powerful than that of the city lord.

With such a backing, the Zhao family's situation would improve significantly.