Chapter 415 - 289: Sect Treasure, Clan Treasure, National Treasure (Part 4)

In other words, the aura locked inside the golden jade box is related to the Pei Family!

"Pei Family..."

Scenes of the Pei Family in Qin Capital flashed through Chu Ming’s mind.

Pei Fu, a Standard First Grade Left Front Imperial Guard, a late-stage powerhouse in the Lower Meridian Unlocking Realm.

Pei Qing, a Standard First Grade Imperial Guard, commander of an independent Huang Forbidden Army, ensuring the safety of the one on the Dragon Throne, rumored to be perfection in the Lower Meridian Unlocking Realm, with all Eight Extraordinary Meridians fully connected.

Pei Changkong, a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm expert of the Astronomical Bureau, known as Master Pei.

These three are the pillars of the Pei Family, especially Pei Changkong of the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm; the Pei Family’s current status relies entirely on Master Pei’s leadership.

Besides them, there are many others in key positions within the Pei Family, as well as members with considerable talent and potential.

For example, in Wenlin Garden, there is Pei Yi, a disciple of Tang Bai, Chu Ming’s "senior sister," also a member of the Pei Family, and the daughter of Grand Commandant Pei Qing.

Inside the golden jade box, one aura belonged to Blood Evil Qi, while another belonged to someone else, most likely a member of the Pei Family.

Looking again at the four Pei Family members who followed Gao Yong of the Purple Cloud Sect here. The elder was middle stage in the Lower Meridian Unlocking Realm, and the other three were in the mid-to-late stage of the Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm, very powerful.

Being able to dispatch four Meridian Unlocking Realm individuals, one even in the middle stage of the Lower Realm, indicates that the person assigning them holds a high status in the Pei Family.

Therefore, the other aura in the golden jade box is the Qi Blood of a significant figure in the Pei Family, and this person has colluded with the Blood Evil Sect?

Does the Pei Family, with a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm expert, need to collude with the Blood Evil Sect?

It’s possible, but not accurate.

Chu Ming guessed that the Pei Family is more likely colluding with... the master behind the Blood Evil Sect, the King of North Snow in North Snow County.

If so, everything seems to make sense now.

"The Pei Family and the King of North Snow..." Chu Ming’s face broke into a smile, "That golden jade box..."

With a slight mental movement, his body vanished from under the eaves.

Under the drifting snowflakes, a shadow seemed to approach the small courtyard, leaving not a single trace in the snow.

In a moment, Chu Ming reached the small courtyard.

Inside the room, Tang Man and Gao Yong were still locked in combat.

Not far outside, Elder Soong and the other three of the Pei Family waited unhurriedly.

Chu Ming smiled faintly, his form appearing beneath the snow, stepping steadily into the courtyard.

This time, he purposely made no attempt to conceal himself.

"Not good!" The instant Elder Soong, in the Lower Meridian Unlocking Realm, noticed an intruder in the courtyard, his face paled.

Someone had entered and he hadn’t sensed it at all!

"Attack!"

Daring not linger, the four charged out with a rumble.

However.

Elder Soong could only see red shadows streaking under the drenching snow, then a force like ten thousand weights descended upon them.

Boom boom boom!

Three of them were sent flying backward, and the warm blood they spat out dyed the snow red.

Elder Soong narrowly dodged, seemingly unharmed.

Boom!

In the next instant, the courtyard seemed to explode with a punch.

In the resulting chaos, Gao Yong and Tang Man lay sprawled in the snow like dead dogs, unmoving, their lives or deaths uncertain.

Elder Soong focused his gaze, watching as the shadow blasted a palm to open the floor, then with a sweep of a large hand, seemed to retrieve something.

Subsequently, the shadow turned, looking at Elder Soong.

That gaze... indifferent... cold...

In an instant, Elder Soong felt a bone-chilling cold across his body, as if a giant hand was trying to forcibly extract his soul.

Chu Ming obtained the item, cast a cold glance over the few individuals, and gently stepping over the snowflakes, disappeared into the vast, snowy white landscape.

By the time it was deep into the night, the snow fell heavier and denser.

Elder Soong stood like an ancient pine, rigidly in place.

After a long while, it was as if he finally regained his soul.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Rough sounds of panting, the hot breath turning into white steam.

Looking at the ruined, snow-covered courtyard, Elder Soong suddenly shivered all over.

In a panic, he rushed into the wreckage, searching in a heap.

There was nothing!

The item was gone!

Elder Soong’s face, already scarcely colored, now looked paler than the snow-covered world around him.

"Tang Man!"

After looking around, he dragged another person out of the snow.

The person wasn’t dead but was barely hanging on to life.

"Tang Man, where’s the item?!" Elder Soong grasped Tang Man, rage filling his eyes.

"Cough cough..."

Tang Man’s face bore the look of someone resigned to death, with nothing but scarlet matter spilling from his mouth, without uttering a word.

He would rather die than tell Elder Soong anything.

"Xuu Man, do you know, back when the Five Lights Sect was slaughtered by the Shadow Tower, it was under the orders of Tang Xuan!"

Xuu Man being Tang Man, the Young Sect Leader of the Martial Arts Sect Five Lights Sect, whose entire family was slaughtered, leaving only Xuu Man saved by Tang Xuan, hence adopting the surname Tang.

"Cough cough..." Tang Man slightly lifted his eyes, a momentary look of confusion crossing them before they dropped again.

Clearly, he did not believe Elder Soong’s words.

"Humph, acknowledging a traitor as master, Xuu Man, your Five Lights Sect deserved to be wiped out!"

Elder Soong snorted coldly, retrieving something from his sleeve.

It was a contract, bearing two red seals.

Tang Man’s expression twisted upon seeing the seals.

One seal was the Evil Ghost Mask of the Shadow Tower, and the other, unmistakably familiar, was the seal of Tang Xuan!

He struggled fiercely, as if to snatch the contract for examination.

Elder Soong sneered, releasing his hand to drop the contract.

Tang Man grabbed the contract, inspecting it with trembling hands.

"It’s true, it’s true..."

Ever since his entire sect was annihilated, he had been searching for his enemies, investigating the Shadow Tower.

The contract’s Shadow Tower seal was genuine, and Tang Xuan’s seal, whom he served for ten years, was also genuine.

Flakes fell onto the contract, quickly obscuring the text.

"Pfft..."

Seemingly unable to accept it, Tang Man spat a mouthful of hot blood, the red stark against the snow.