All the dragons went silent at the audacity of this request. Long Baofu who was silent the entire time growled as he glared in Long Jin’s direction.

“Are you mad!?”

****

Within a place cast in deep shadows and sacred silence rested a collection of temples. Atop one of them was a statue of a figure that appeared fierce beyond all reason.

The figure was decked in muscles all over and wore only a simple tattered loincloth. His hair was long but unkempt and menacing canine teeth could be seen. Electric eyes generated fear in those who would look into them.

Whoever sculpted this figure was a master at the craft and nothing less. The statue need only move, and no one could mistake it for anything but what it epitomised.

However, it didn’t move. It didn’t shake save for the faint light that it constantly gave off. This was its goal, its purpose, to be a beacon for a demon, a special type of demon, a Yu Lang demon.

Within this temple, along a hall of clear flames steeped in an eerie glow, was a figure startlingly similar to the statue perched outside.

This figure sat lotus style with the tips of its claws connected to each other on the opposing hand. Looking closely at this would also show that this figure had crystal claws with crystalline runes flashing within them that ran from the crystal claws down both arms.

Cauldrons spun slowly behind the figure in a mysterious rhythm. As the cauldrons pulsated, so did the crystal claws and the tattoos in turn as well.

Shu!

Without warning, a pair of eyes flashed open, and the figure stood up in a rush and hurried out of the Yu Lang temple.

The light from the sun dispelled the darkness that veiled the figure’s identity. Who else could it be but Tie Lang?

He was far different from before. His physique underwent a startling transformation. Aside from the crystal claws that tipped every finger and the crystal tattoos that ran the length of his arms, the wounds he suffered earlier were all gone.

In addition, the muscles on his body were all much more refined and pronounced. His hair grew much longer and was a few shades lighter as well. It reached all the way to his lower back, but it was now thick and bristly.

“W-Who are you!?”

The instant Tie Lang exited the temple, a guard stationed outside was surprised that someone actually came out.

The wolf-like ears on top of Tie Lang’s head twitched at the voice of the guard. His eyes beheld a feral savagery and his canines were bared now and were much more striking than before.

The guard’s blood ran cold when he saw Tie Lang’s expression and he quickly took out a jade tablet and crushed it.

He was completely clueless regarding everything concerning Tie Lang since the latter was brought in because it was above his pay grade.

After everything was decided and over with, he was told to stand guard here and crush the jade tablet if anything unusual took place.

Shing!

The minute the jade tablet was crushed, the particles released a bright blinding light that shot to the sky.

Shu! Shu! Shu! Shu!

Immediately, several existences appeared surrounding Tie Lang.

They were all armoured figures with helmets that shielded most of their faces. However, this did nothing to hide the fierceness in their bearings.

“Come with me!” The apparent leader of the guards commanded in an overbearing tone.

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“Where am I?” Tie Lang asked coldly.

A smirk formed on the leader’s face when he heard Tie Lang’s question. “A place a mongrel like you has no business being in. Now come!”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Tie Lang responded in kind.

The leader of this small troop smiled before he raised his hand and waved it forward. “Suppress him! We’ll bring him over to the Second Minister.”

Dum!

Cauldrons burst into existence behind the guards and one of them rushed towards Tie Lang with a club in hand.

Bang!

The club smashed into Tie Lang’s chest and sent him flying off before crashing into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process.

The leader sneered at the sorry display from this proclaimed Yu Lang demon.

“This disgusting mongrel dares to take on the name of one our benefactors? What a joke!” The leader crossed his arms in front of him.

Another set of guards suddenly appeared out of nowhere and after seeing the scene before them, a scowl appeared on their faces.

One of the new arrivals stepped forward and pointed his finger accusingly. “Ce Renwu, what the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

The leader of the opposing squad known as Ce Renwu saw the new arrival and a slight lift of the brow was all he afforded him. “So it’s squad leader Min Ren. What does it look like we’re doing? We’re punishing a mongrel for stepping foot into one of our most sacred places. Speaking of…”

Ce Renwu cast a gaze on not just Min Ren, but on the rest of the demons that accompanied him.

“It seems that not just one mongrel has taken it upon himself to set foot here.” The sneer on Ce Renwu’s face deepened.

Min Ren’s expression twitched. “Watch your mouth Ce Re-”

C-C-C-C-Clack…

The sound of falling rocks and pebbles (not our beloved cat) stifled his response and everyone looked over to see Tie Lang rising from the broken-up stones that covered him.

He inspected his body and aside from a bit of blood leaking from the side of his mouth, no other visible injury could be seen. He then patted the dust off the robes that collected on them when he landed on the ground.

Min Ren, Ce Renwu, the random guard who attacked Tie Lang and the members of the two squads, stared wide-eyed and gobsmacked at the scene before them.

The surprise stemmed from the fact that the guard who attacked Tie Lang did so in the form of a sneak attack.

Everyone who was here saw it but just chose not to comment on it.

Nevertheless, this meant that Tie Lang didn’t even have time to put up any form of defence. He should be, at the very least, gravely injured.

Yet here he was, patting the dust off his robes and being a whole mood while he was at it.

He then stared at the person who attacked him. “Did you get that out of your system?”

The person who attacked him hurriedly raised his club in a defensive stance.

Tie Lang saw this and commented. “Ah, so it hasn’t been noticed yet.” He then turned his attention to Min Ren and the others. “Where am I?”

Min Ren was shaken out of his shock and answered. “You’re among the Ancestral Temples Ground within the Yaomu family’s property.”

“Yaomu?” Tie Lang entered a brief state of rumination. “Thank you for answering my question. I’d like to leave. Can you show me how to get out of here?”

“I’m sorry,” Min Ren apologised before he explained. “I’ve been ordered to bring you to the Grand Preceptor himself. If there’s anyone who can grant you your freedom, it would be him.”

“Then let’s go.” Tie Lang made his way to Min Ren and his team.

“Hey!” Ce Renwu didn’t like being ignored and immediately stepped in front of Tie Lang to stop him from going any further.

“What are-”

Min Ren stepped forward, but Ce Renwu’s squad blocked him from going any further.

“You!” Min Ren’s face reddened at the ignominy afforded him as he was stopped in his tracks, unable to do anything.

Ce Renwu himself and his squad were all pureblood demons, so even though Min ren was stronger than them, being a squad leader himself, he would face tough times if he were to make a move against them without a good enough reason.

Not only that, but it would also fall on his squad as well. This was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

It didn’t matter that he was doing this for the Grand Preceptor; the people backing Ce Renwu would find some way to make their times here even more miserable than it already was.

Ce Renwu saw this and smirked at Min Ren’s cowardice. He then came up to Tie Lang and put a hand on the latter’s shoulder. “Don’t think that you’re incredible just because you were able to avoid being seriously injured by that earlier blow. You would do well to follow me.”

Tie Lang then sidestepped him and responded by saying. “Thank you, but n-”

Pa!

Before anyone could react, a slap landed on Tie Lang’s face that was as crisp and resounding as anything.

Ce Renwu sneered at him. “Mongrels don’t have a choice. Now be a good dog and follow your master!”

Tie Lang then looked calmly at Min Ren who was being blocked and said in a hushed tone.

“I’m sorry.”