Chapter 69

"Of course I believe you, because if you had lied just now, you would already be a corpse." Long Chen’s words were calm, but they were filled with confidence.

Chen Fei was greatly startled, but seeing that his body had not changed at all, a look of doubt appeared on his face.

"The pill I just released is called the Soul-Burning Pill. Even if you had held your breath just now, it would have been useless. This poisonous gas would directly erode your pores and seep into your blood.

"Once the poison enters your body, if you run wildly or engage in intense battle, it will accelerate your blood flow, and the poison will instantly invade your soul, leading to certain death." Long Chen said.

Chen Fei’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected the poison pill Long Chen had concocted to be so terrifying, but now that Long Chen had completely trusted him, he definitely wouldn’t lie to him.

"The reason I trust you is not because of my high intelligence, but because I have more confidence in my pills.

"When I asked you just now, if you had lied, your blood would have automatically accelerated, and you would have bled from all seven orifices and died. Swallow it."

After saying that, Long Chen threw a pill to Chen Fei, who caught it and, without hesitation, swallowed it.

"After taking this pill, the poison in your body will be neutralized, but the effect is a bit slow, so within three days, you cannot engage in intense battles. Let’s go, follow me."

After saying that, Long Chen walked straight toward his home, and Chen Fei hurriedly followed. The ground was left with the bloody smell of severed limbs and broken arms.

...

"Damn it, you actually dared to go and kill Long Chen behind my back? Do you think I won’t dare to kill you?" In a secret room, a man in white pointed at Xia Changfeng, his face filled with murderous intent.

At the same time, a terrifying killing aura enveloped Xia Changfeng, as if a sharp blade were placed on his neck, ready to end his miserable life at the man in white’s will.

"Brother Luo, listen to me, I didn’t do this. My sister moved my subordinates without my knowledge. I really didn’t know about it."

Xia Changfeng explained in a panic, his clothes instantly drenched in sweat. The killing aura was too terrifying, even for a Blood Condensation Realm expert like him, making him feel like an ant, powerless to resist.

"Do you take me for a fool? Your guards can’t be moved by your stupid sister without your approval.

"Clearly, you saw that you were about to leave and wanted to get rid of Long Chen, this thorn in your eye. Fortunately, Long Chen didn’t die; otherwise, this would have ruined everything. Even if you had ten lives, you couldn’t withstand the anger from above." The man in white coldly shouted.

Xia Changfeng kept his head down, not daring to say a word. The assassination of Long Chen was indeed arranged by Xia Baichi, but the man in white was right; he had lent his guards to her.

He had thought that if he killed Long Chen, he could push the blame onto Xia Baichi. Given her status as a pill master, she would be fine.

During the auction, he had borrowed a lot of gold coins from Xia Baichi, and this time, under her pressure, he had no choice but to secretly support her.

However, he hadn’t expected that a group of Blood Condensation Realm experts would go, and only three would return, which shocked him greatly. Before he could ask for details, the man in white had already arrived.

"Xia Changfeng, I’m warning you for the last time. Your actions are minor, but if you ruin the big plan, not even your entire Great Xia Empire can bear the consequences.

"Go back and tell your stupid sister that if she dares to act recklessly again, I will personally twist off her head. That old lecher Wei Cang, I don’t even put him in my eyes." The man in white coldly snorted.

"Yes, yes, Changfeng will definitely discipline my sister and won’t cause any trouble for you," Xia Changfeng nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Long Tianshao has said that if anything happens to his wife and son, he will abandon his defense and lead his army to attack the capital. That’s what we fear the most, understand?" The man in white said coldly.

"We have been probing Long Tianshao’s limits recently, but he hasn’t responded at all. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about his wife and son.

"Either he doesn’t move, or he strikes with overwhelming force. This is his warning to you, but you idiots can’t even understand this."

"Brother Luo, I’ve always been confused. With Brother Luo’s skills, why don’t you directly eliminate Long Tianshao?" Xia Changfeng asked.

"Idiot, if it were that easy, would we need to cooperate with you? Besides, Long Tianshao is a Sinew Transformation Realm expert. Is he that easy to kill?

"If the first strike fails and the news leaks, who can bear the responsibility?" The man in white scolded.

Xia Changfeng was embarrassed by the scolding but didn’t dare to argue, only enduring it silently. At the same time, his hatred for Long Chen grew even stronger.

Xia Baichi’s move this time was something he had also wanted to do. As long as Long Chen lived, he couldn’t swallow his anger.

However, he hadn’t expected that a dozen Blood Condensation Realm experts, with a clear plan, would still fail, and suffer such heavy losses.

Watching Xia Changfeng leave the room, the man in white sighed. The easy task he had barely managed to get was probably not going to be so easy to complete.

He had been so angry that he almost killed Xia Changfeng, but he couldn’t do that. This plan had been in the works for many years, and he was supposed to come and reap the benefits.

But the people here seemed to have their brains frozen, making him so angry that he wanted to kill someone, but he couldn’t vent his anger.

He couldn’t show his face either and still needed to cooperate with the Great Xia Empire. A cold and fierce look appeared on the man in white’s face: If things go wrong, I’ll make everyone pay with their lives!

...

Long Chen returned home late at night. In his room, he carefully examined Chen Fei and was surprised to find that Chen Fei’s aura was extremely subtle, making it difficult to sense his presence even when face-to-face.

"The cultivation technique I practice is special, and I have some expertise in concealing my aura, so it’s no surprise, Young Master."

Although Chen Fei spoke humbly, there was a deep sense of extreme confidence in his eyes, clearly indicating his confidence in his concealment technique.

Long Chen nodded. Chen Fei indeed had unique skills, and he hadn’t detected his presence for a long time.

If it weren’t for the moment when his sword was shattered and he was at a disadvantage, and Chen Fei revealed a hint of his aura, he would never have discovered him.

Revealing a hint of his aura at that moment clearly indicated that he was about to act, and since he didn’t feel any hostility, it meant that Chen Fei wanted to save him.

So Long Chen had guessed that Chen Fei probably had no ill intentions toward him, but for safety, he still used his poison pill.

The Long family was in a precarious position, and at any moment, it could collapse. He couldn’t be careless and couldn’t risk the lives of the Long family members.

"How is my father?" Taking a deep breath, Long Chen finally asked, wanting to know his father’s condition.

It had been too long, and his father’s memory had started to become blurry, but the kindness of his father in his childhood was deeply buried in his heart.

"The Marquis is well, but the battles with the barbarians have become increasingly intense in recent years, and the empire has long stopped providing supplies to the Marquis.

"The original army of 500,000 has now been reduced to less than 200,000. If it weren’t for the local people, who, out of gratitude, sent their children to join the army and provided large amounts of food and supplies, we would have been unable to continue." Chen Fei’s eyes flashed with anger, and his voice became low and deep.

The empire’s attitude toward the Marquis of Zhenyuan had made them feel disheartened. If it weren’t for the earnest looks of the local people, they would have left long ago.

The so-called barbarians are not a single race but a general term for some savage races. They live in the wilderness, surviving by hunting and gathering, and their harsh living conditions have forged them into extremely strong and formidable warriors.

As they grew stronger, their living areas expanded. Later, they discovered the rich resources of the Phoenix Cry Empire, and plundering was easier and safer than their hard hunting.

They are called barbarians because their living habits are vastly different from normal people. They live in the same bed, without regard for age or gender, and their lives are extremely chaotic.

They view all other races as prey, which they can kill at will. When they capture Phoenix Cry citizens, they kill the men and store them as food, while the women are used for pleasure and then eaten after death.

The Phoenix Cry citizens both hate and fear them. The more they are plundered, the stronger the barbarians become. It was only then that the Phoenix Cry Empire reacted and began to counterattack.

However, the barbarians are numerous, swift, and have no fixed abode. Unlike the Phoenix Cry citizens, who have homes, they are impossible to find. The empire can only defend passively.

Since Long Tianshao arrived, he has repeatedly killed barbarian raiders, his blood staining the yellow sand, intimidating the barbarians and allowing the border citizens to live in peace. Long Tianshao has become a military god in the hearts of the people.

Later, Long Tianshao’s army frequently engaged in battles with the barbarians, often being ambushed, suffering great losses, and receiving no supplies, leading to a rapid reduction in the army’s size.

The surrounding citizens provided all-out support, sending their children to join the army and contributing whatever they could from their homes to the Zhenyuan army.

However, these supplies were still far from enough. In times of no major battles, the army would also help the citizens with farming to provide more supplies.

Thus, the border military and civilians were like one big family. Thinking of those hopeful eyes, Chen Fei’s eyes turned red. They would rather die than let those citizens be harmed.

Hearing Chen Fei’s account, Long Chen finally understood his father’s dilemma. On one side were his wife and children, and on the other were millions of innocent citizens.

If it were Long Chen, he would also find it hard to choose. The resentment he had previously felt toward Long Tianshao vanished, and a sense of boundless pride arose in his heart. A true hero is one who serves the country and the people.

"Chen Fei, go back to my father." Long Chen thought for a moment and looked at Chen Fei.

Chen Fei’s face changed. "Absolutely not."