Chapter 80

When Zhao Mu heard what Yang Dingtian said, his expression immediately changed, and he asked coldly, "How do you know these things? This is the top secret of my Terror Manor. No one except the successive manor lords knows about it. How did you find out?"

Instantly, Zhao Mu's gaze turned cold and fierce. If Yang Dingtian made a mistake, he might be killed on the spot.

Yang Dingtian took out a jade pendant from his chest. It was a black jade pendant, intricately carved with a strange beast, vaguely resembling a thousand-year-old night owl.

"Do you recognize this, Young Master?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"Have you seen my father? Where is he?" Zhao Mu asked, trembling.

"He is already dead," Yang Dingtian said.

Zhao Mu's body swayed, and he was about to faint.

"It's impossible. My father's cultivation is close to the Master level. There are few people in the world who can kill him," Zhao Mu said sternly. "Where did you see him?"

"Eight thousand miles away, in a cave," Yang Dingtian said. "He found a supreme fire there and wanted to melt the Blood Crow Metal to forge a雏sword. He was killed by the guardian demon beast, the Heavenly Fire Phoenix. When I met him, he only had half a body left. He gave me the jade pendant and told me to leave the Terror Manor immediately. On the Yin-Yang Festival, the thousand-year-old night owl will break free from its seal and completely destroy the entire Terror Manor. He wanted you to live a peaceful life in a place no one knows about."

Most of what Yang Dingtian said was true. Eight thousand miles away, there was indeed a Fire Cloud Demon Cave with a supreme fire, and there was indeed a very powerful Heavenly Fire Phoenix inside. This was what Dongfang Niemie had told him. Dongfang Niemie had wanted to forge a雏sword there but discovered the Heavenly Fire Phoenix and decided to leave, seeking another fire.

"Father..." Zhao Mu wept bitterly and fell to his knees.

Zhao Wuji was ruthless, twisted, and cold-hearted, but he was an exception when it came to his only son. Otherwise, he wouldn't have knelt for three days and three nights in front of the Yin-Yang Sect for Zhao Mu.

The people present remained silent, while Zhao Mu knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, his heart torn apart, his soul shattered.

After about ten minutes, Zhao Mu lifted his head. He seemed like a different person, and his attitude toward Yang Dingtian became gentle. "Was my father at peace in his final moments?"

Yang Dingtian hesitated for a moment and said, "Not exactly at peace, but somewhat relieved and somewhat unwilling."

Zhao Mu cried out in pain again. "He spent his entire life cultivating his sword soul, but in the end, he died because of it. How unjust is heaven?"

Then, Zhao Mu wiped away his tears and asked, "Did you bury him, sir? Did you prevent his body from being devoured by wild beasts?"

At this point, Zhao Mu even changed his address, calling Yang Dingtian "sir."

Yang Dingtian's face showed a hint of guilt. "I apologize, Young Master. The situation was very urgent. The Heavenly Fire Phoenix chased me out, and the entire cave collapsed. I didn't even finish listening to your father's last words before I had to flee. But please rest assured, most of the Fire Cloud Demon Cave has collapsed, and your father is buried inside, safe from wild beasts."

Hearing this, Zhao Mu believed Yang Dingtian even more.

"Regardless, thank you," Zhao Mu said, standing up and bowing to Yang Dingtian.

"I am ashamed, I am ashamed..." Yang Dingtian said.

Then, Zhao Mu sighed softly. "Since you know, I won't hide it from you. As you said, this thousand-year-old night owl is no longer a treasure but a disaster for my Terror Manor. I can give it to you, but the successive manor lords have been unable to deal with it. Sir, your cultivation is not high. How do you plan to subdue it?"

Yang Dingtian smiled bitterly. "To be honest, I don't know. However, I don't want to subdue it as a martial soul; I need its demon core."

Zhao Mu was even more shocked. "A demon core? That means you have to kill the night owl? Its demon core is valuable, but compared to the night owl itself, it is worthless."

Indeed, hunting the thousand-year-old night owl for its demon core was more exaggerated than buying a pearl and returning the casket. The value of the thousand-year-old night owl was at least thousands or tens of thousands of times higher than its demon core.

"I know that too," Yang Dingtian said with a bitter smile. "But I really need its demon core."

Zhao Mu said, "To be honest, although our ancestors sealed the night owl, it was during its weakest moment. Now, to kill it, I estimate that we would need the combined efforts of the City Lord of Ximen, the Patriarch of the Qin Family, and the Sect Master of the Dongfang Sect. So, for us to kill it and obtain its demon core, we are truly powerless."

"It can't be done by others; I must do it myself," Yang Dingtian said.

"How is that possible?" Zhao Mu said. "Even if you were ten thousand times stronger, you couldn't kill the night owl. What do you plan to do?"

"To be honest, I don't know," Yang Dingtian said. "I can only wait for fate and risk my life. If heaven doesn't help me, I will surely die."

Zhao Mu was shocked and asked slowly, "Why are you doing this? This is a sure path to death."

"Besides this, I have no other way," Yang Dingtian said. "But please rest assured, even if I die, I will cure the cold poison in your body before I do. If I fail and die, I ask you to help send the woman by my side back home."

"I won't leave," Ningning said softly.

Zhao Mu stared intently at Yang Dingtian. "I still can't understand. In my view, ordinary people would never choose death if they can live. What you are doing is a sure path to death. Please be honest. This night owl is already a disaster. I can give it up because we will all leave the Terror Manor in two days, effectively abandoning the night owl. But I hate deception. If you can't convince me, I won't agree."

"Convince me of what?" Yang Dingtian asked.

"Make me believe that you are willing to die to get the demon core of this thousand-year-old night owl," Zhao Mu said, staring intently at Yang Dingtian.

Yang Dingtian lowered his head, sighed, and after a few minutes of thought, he looked up and said slowly, "My name is Yang Dingtian. Is this reason enough?"

Zhao Mu was stunned, his face showing surprise.

Ningning looked at Yang Dingtian with concern. "Xiao Tian, how can you..."

Ningning was naturally worried because revealing Yang Dingtian's identity was very dangerous. This was the northwest territory of the Qin Family, and although Yang Dingtian was now very weak, he was very valuable.

"You are Yang Dingtian, the waste and the madman, the one who wants to be the new Cloud City Lord," Zhao Mu said.

"Is this reason enough?" Yang Dingtian said with a bitter smile.

Zhao Mu nodded. "Indeed, it is enough. I was already at a dead end, but compared to you, I am much luckier. You are truly at a dead end."

"Three days from now, I need to break through from the启蒙stage to the Six-Star Xuanwu stage. This might be the most insane thing in the world," Yang Dingtian sighed. "So even if there is only a one percent chance, I must risk my life. Otherwise, everything I have will be lost, my mission, my wife, my allies."

Zhao Mu was silent after hearing Yang Dingtian's words. Suddenly, he smiled at him. "Yang Dingtian, no wonder you said we are natural allies. Yes, because we have a common enemy, Dongfang Bingling."

"My relationship with her is very complicated. I can't really call her an enemy, but our grudges are deeper than those of enemies," Yang Dingtian said.

Zhao Mu's face showed a mocking smile. "Yang Dingtian, do you want to hear my story? The story of how I was turned into a cripple by Dongfang Bingling."

"I know a little," Yang Dingtian said. "But I would like to hear more."

"Everyone says I was struck by lust at the sight of her beauty and made lewd remarks, which is why I was turned into a cripple," Zhao Mu said with a mocking and painful smile. "I was licentious and had a bad reputation? My father seduced foreign enemies to kill all my uncles and seize the position of manor lord. But my Terror Manor became a vassal of the northwest Qin Family, and the entire manor was notorious. I dared not reveal my identity when I went out, fearing ridicule and humiliation. The more I feared, the more determined I became. I wanted to become strong, to be a hero, to restore the reputation of the Terror Manor. I wanted to bring back the strength of the Terror Manor and make it a top-tier force again."

Zhao Mu's emotions gradually became agitated, and he had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"At that time, I was practicing every day. How could I have time for women? Don't laugh, but I was already twenty-four years old and had never tasted a woman. I told myself that I must become a Martial Master before I could marry and have children. Although Dongfang Bingling was a celestial beauty, how could I have made lewd remarks?" Zhao Mu said. "The truth is that I and a group of disciples from the northwest Qin Family went to the Hellish Land to practice. Rumors said that a supreme mystical technique was hidden in a secret realm, and many strong people rushed there. I and Qin Huaiyu were among the strongest forces at the time. When we entered the Hellish Land, we encountered Dongfang Bingling alone. At that time, Qin Huaiyu and the others didn't recognize her. Seeing her beauty, they had evil thoughts and wanted to gang up on her, cripple her, and take her into their chambers."

At this point, Zhao Mu's voice trembled again. "To be honest, Dongfang Bingling was so beautiful that she could bewitch any man's heart. Although I didn't admit it, I did have some feelings for her. So, I couldn't bear to see her fall into Qin Huaiyu's hands. I warned her: 'This is a dangerous place. Why come here alone? Leave quickly to avoid danger.'"

When he said the last part, Zhao Mu spoke clearly, word by word.

"These words, I didn't add or subtract a single word," Zhao Mu said through gritted teeth. "After she heard, her eyes flashed with disdain and contempt, and she struck me with a palm. I flew dozens of feet away, my tendons and meridians torn apart by the cold poison, and I fainted. When I woke up, I was a cripple."

"Then, I learned that this woman was Dongfang Bingling, the daughter of the Yin-Yang Sect Master, a celestial being, and the most likely candidate to become a Martial Saint. Everyone ridiculed me, saying I was licentious and had tried to molest the celestial maiden, and I deserved to be crippled. My father couldn't seek justice and had to kneel for three days and three nights at the Yin-Yang Sect to beg for forgiveness. I have been a laughingstock ever since."

"What a tyrannical celestial being, what a tyrannical Yin-Yang Sect. Do we, mere mortals, deserve to be struck down and trampled on ten thousand times? Ha, ha, ha..." Zhao Mu laughed, but it was sadder than crying.

Yang Dingtian watched Zhao Mu, who was crying and laughing, and sighed, feeling deep sympathy. Dongfang Bingling was indeed unreasonable and ruthless.

"Brother Zhao Mu, if I can pass this test, and if I can defeat Dongfang Bingling in five years, I will restore your reputation and justice in front of the world," Yang Dingtian said slowly. "I can't say I will kill her for revenge or cripple her to vent my anger, because she is my master's only daughter. But I will do my best to make her restore your justice."

Zhao Mu looked at Yang Dingtian for a long time and then bowed. "Thank you, Brother Yang. I entrust this to you."

Then Zhao Mu added, "In theory, a man who has been humiliated should seek justice himself. But I know my limits. Although I have exceptional talent, even if I hadn't been injured, I would never be a match for Dongfang Bingling. The gap between us will only grow wider, eventually becoming insurmountable. It is impossible for me to seek justice on my own. Dongfang Bingling is a supreme talent. Do you have the confidence to defeat her in five years?"

Yang Dingtian said slowly, "I can only do my best. If I can pass this test in five days, I might have a better chance. My Xuan pulse talent is not inferior to Dongfang Bingling's, but she is far ahead. So, I have to take a path no one has taken before to have a chance of winning."

Zhao Mu looked at Yang Dingtian. "Brother Yang, I formally entrust this thousand-year-old night owl to you. I hope you succeed."

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