Listening to the information provided by Zhu Gao, and with the addition of details that the messenger didn't know, like that Dongpo Qingqiu had been torturing the source of the trouble, Bai Qi, after actually donating all of the latter's treasures to the city, which was basically no better than robbing a cultivator, Dongpo Ao felt that the headache of his was getting even worse.
After all, before, he could have still played a bit with the same card as Liao'er, the one of city laws. But what laws would condone torture and robbing before any trial or proof? Granted, dozens over dozens of the so-righteous powers did the same, but, in this case, under the scrutiny of 2nd and 3rd tier powers far above the culprit, and the situation probably even escalating to the [Boulder Forest Sect], the 1st tier lord of this area, every offense, even if light, would signify nothing but demise for the [Dongpo Clan]. And that was even without counting the dozens of enemies that Dongpo Ao had made during his life, who wouldn't hold back when seeing him hounded by powerful opponents!
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He had indeed delved into the understanding of the weapon paths while multitasking and taking a look at what was going on as soon as he was captured, but he found himself immersed in the magical realm of weapon comprehension that followed his recitation of the newly obtained mantra part. And, such powerful was the realm of comprehension that he gradually let go of his senses and even consciousness, concentrating only on understanding the [Weapon Path]. And not just one or even just [Weapon] paths, as all of the ways he had delved into during this mere two years of cultivation benefited from his current understanding.
His understanding of his levels also grew stronger as he found that he had been mistaken about a few. For example, he had taken for granted that he was already a 4th step practitioner of both sword and saber, with the spear lagging just a bit behind but still on the same overall level. And yet, it wasn't so. His saber path had just reached the pinnacle of the 3rd level, and the spear wasn't even in the advanced stage of it.
His sword, which he had considered to be about to reach the 5th level because of the apparition from before, was just at the very beginning of the 4th level.
He found that all of his motions and understandings were incorrect, although it was only when related to himself. After all, he had not failed to sense his own opponent's level even once.
All of this, coupled with the magic sensation of everything becoming clear, had taken so much of Bai Qi's attention that he had even failed to notice Dongpo Qingqiu's torture. Granted, he did sense a bit of it, but the pain was so low that it didn't prevent him from keeping himself cultivating. As for the humiliation,
***
Bai Qi's awakening came right after Dongpo Qingqiu and the strong presence, which he identified as the strong cultivator Dongpo Qingqiu had reunited with before coming down to torture him, left the cell. As he had awoken, he followed with his senses as they departed, which led him to sense the newly arrived Warrior Emperor even before the two of his captors met him.
Regretfully, his senses were severely lagging compared to his overall advancement and had only reached the natural level of the Warrior Lord realm. While his consciousness had previously enhanced them to a higher level, when mixing them with aura, now that he did so with his mind-power, he found himself unable to even hear or see anything farther than a few hundred feet, just getting an overall feeling of what was happening, and only thanks to the basic improvement of the qi-sense stemming from both his consciousness and soul. Not that it was bad, as under such imprisonment even Warrior Kings would struggle to sense anything outside the cell, but for Bai Qi, it was far from enough.
While he set his goals for training, Bai Qi's senses still served him well during this situation as well.
While he could hardly put a face on the auras he sensed behind the newly arrived Emperor, he did recognize two of them and felt some familiarity from a third one.
Other than Pan Tong, Bai Qi also recognized the bizarre aura signature of the Warrior King that had talked him out of resisting arrest, which meant that the latter was telling the truth when he said that nothing serious would happen to Bai Qi.
As for the third aura signature, the one he felt somewhat similar to an acquaintance of his, Bai Qi couldn't be sure without using all of his available mind power to sense the Warrior King releasing the former. But as that would alert the present Warrior Emperor, he decided against it. After all, he had no idea how much of a friend had arrived, so why risk disclosing such a card - one that could probably save his life at some point?
***
Bai Qi wouldn't even finish his thoughts as he found out that the Warrior Emperor's presence, along with four of the six previously sensed auras, moved towards his location and he quickly recalled his mind power while stopping the natural suppression of his peak Warrior Lord body, and he was indeed an owner of one, had over the pretty light wounds he had received from Dongpo Qingqiu.
Granted, all of the wounds that he inflicted on himself, as well as the one from the torture, were hardly threatening to him. But, with a puddle of blood below his body and bloody lines along all of his robes, and drops all around the room, who could remain calm if not an absolute enemy of his?
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Neither Lei Su, Zhu Chen, nor Pan Tong could have expected the situation to resolve as it had, with the absolutely unexpected reappearance of the disappeared Warrior Emperor of the [Dongpo Clan], the [Jade Rune Dragon], Dongpo Ao. And while understanding that he acted as he did to give face and avoid trouble from their powers, they were also taken aback by the announcement of Bai Qi's badges and relationships.
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Well, everyone but Pan Tong, as the information he had gathered about Bai Qi and the reason for his current actions did include all of the happenings in both [Zihoadao] and [Shoumen], as well as first-hand information about the [Martial Path of the Herbs] results, even if the latter was no secret from the two so-called guardians from [White Grove] sect and [Yuxuan] city.
Even so, Pan Tong couldn't help but applaud Dongpo Ao's acting skills, as he had gone so far as to publicly imprison his grandson while rushing into the prison at utmost speed as soon as he heard the words [Torture] and [Seizing].
***
"Is Dongpo Qingqiu a monster?! If it wasn't Lord Dongpo's grandson, I could only recommend him to be put down as the rabid dog he is." While the same thought crossed both Zhu Chen's and Pan Tong's minds, only Lei Su dared to voice it outright before Dongpo Ao. With the former still feeling attachment to the Zhu clan under the [Eastern Inscription City] rulers and the inheritor of the [Pan Trade Company] having to show respect even in such a situation, Lei Su wasn't so worried.
Dongpo Ao may be a 3rd level Warrior Emperor, and probably not even a beginner one, but he was both leader and strongest cultivator of his clan. As for the [White Grove], the latter counted with at least three Warrior Emperors of his level or superior, one of which, the current owner of the namesake [White Grove Sword], a 5th level Warrior Emperor, her own grandfather!
If Dongpo Ao didn't kill everyone present, something he wouldn't dare to do, not with Pan Tong's always-present Warrior Emperor guardian not far away, a commonly known fact, he couldn't hide the matter. Thus, what could Lei Su fear from a mere [Dongpo] clan, if she couldn't be silenced now?
***
To say that Dongpo Ao wasn't shocked himself wouldn't be to say anything. From his interrogation of Zhu Gao and the sent messenger, he had expected the torture to have gone for no more than an hour, and even with Qingqiu's wicked character, the latter shouldn't have done much simply because his grandson was nothing more than a coward that hid behind the clan's name and power.
But, the current Bai Qi state was far worse than the one described previously by Zhu Gao.
After all, even if Bai Qi's body was under the average strength of his 6th level Warrior Lord realm, how could just a few hits of the [Three-headed Shark] whip, meant to inflict more pain than damage during its first uses, leave him bloodied all over, and with light sensing, a couple of meridians cracked, and uncountable pathways on the verge of breaking over?
The whip was meant to inflict physical punishment on a restrained cultivator, even breaking his mind or killing him from the pain, but as a rune weapon, it couldn't actually affect one's cultivation except for a direct hit on the dantian or the head, no matter how restrained one was. And while Bai Qi showed a few wounds on his face, his dantian and scalp were entire, which meant that his wounds weren't caused by the [Three-headed Shark] implement.
*Boom*
Turning his head and looking over the table filled with torture implements, some of which Dongpo Ao had used himself at some point, as there was no true ruling without bloodshed, he barely held from rushing back and using the same on both Zhu Gao and even Dongpo Qingqiu.
After all, there wasn't even a single item, except for the two [Meridian Puling Hooks] still in the oven that had no blood on them!
***
"He is still my grandson, but I will give you justice!" Dongpo Ao knew that the situation had gotten out of hand, breaking not only his plans but also putting the entire city, his city, into a dangerous position. Thus, he would have no other choice but to promise justice and even act as if he would enforce the utmost penalty,
***
"At some point, I will be back to collect what I lost. For now, it's enough that I leave." Bai Qi ignored the soldier offering his items back and walked outside without looking at them. He only spoke and briefly turned around, to face the prison, as he left it. And it was a good thing that no one looked into his eyes at that moment, as after all, in place of fury, fear, or whatever human emotion they could expect, they would have found a dark flame of absolute hate and murder intent.
_______
Forty-three years ago, Dongpo Ao, a young genius, achieved the Warrior Emperor realm at 56. Recognized by the [Great Forest Sect], he was granted control over [Eastern Inscription City] and surrounding lands, transforming the once-weak [Dongpo] clan into a formidable power. In twenty years, he expanded his territory and subjugated local clans, including the powerful [Zhu] clan, laying the foundation for a future powerful city.
However, his arrogance led to his downfall. As his cultivation stagnated, he amassed numerous enemies. Various powers, including untiered and 4th-tier factions, united against him, reclaiming most of his gains and reducing his lands to the city and its immediate surroundings. Despite the city’s protection under the [Boulder Forest Sect], Dongpo Ao’s influence waned.
Nineteen years ago, he attempted a comeback but was defeated by two nearly ascended Warrior Emperors from 4th tier powers, forcing him into seclusion. During this time, he even embezzled city resources through his official daughter, the current city lord, doing all to boost his cultivation and get a chance for another comeback.
Yet, a significant regret haunted him. 31 years ago, he forced himself on Fan Ye, a golden-haired Warrior Lord refugee. Unbeknownst to him, she bore a daughter, Fan Lin, who later joined the [Delicate Forest Palace]. Fan Ye’s death three years ago and Fan Lin’s rise to assistant elder brought to his attention by the information network that he still operated, even in seclusion.
And while he had planned to wait until he reached the 4th level of the Warrior Emperor realm, no matter if he had to bleed the city dry and steal the resources meant for the [Great Forest Sect], after all, his comeback as a 4th level Warrior Emperor and the convenient scapegoats, his daughter and grandson, who he would obviously condemn, he had no other choice but to act now.
The reason? A few days ago, a letter signed by Fan Lin had arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, and by chance of fate, it had been delivered to the awake at that moment, Dongpo Ao. And from that letter, in which Fan Lin asked the [Dongpo] clan to support a young talent that would be crossing their city after obtaining 1st place in the [Martial Path of the Herbs] event, Dongpo Ao learned not only Bai Qi's name but also understood that Fan Ye had died without revealing the truth, making even him, who always had only considered himself, not the clan or his own family, first, feel some pain, making him act as he did.
Although he still would have to act in any case, after all, neither of the powers asking or protecting Bai Qi was something a 3rd level Warrior Emperor could even shake!
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Midday of the same day, [Sima Family] clan grounds.
Sima Yijun's and Yuwen Dong's clash over a low-grade Earth-tier sword made of [Saint's Alloy], a treasure that wouldn't usually generate interest among truly wealthy cultivators, considering that it had no vestige of spirit or soul, meaning that it was simply a sharper weapon than an upper-tier Spirit one, had attracted the interest of all nobles and small powers inside [Dongpo] city.
After all, for a small misunderstanding as a fight to buy a weapon, who could have expected it to grow into a conflict between the families, with an actual duel between them agreed to clear the issue?
But in truth, it was the two parties that had garnered such attention. After all, both Sima Yijun and Yuwen Dong were the leaders of their clans, both related to great families of the [Ten Family Region], although at that, their similarities ended.
Sima Yijun was a barely twenty-year-old girl who had become the leader of the [Sima] local clan after her father's death. While a talented cultivator, already becoming a Warrior Lord at her age, learning and cultivating just with the resources of her pretty small clan, she was mainly known for her beauty and not for either leadership skills or fighting prowess. In fact, as all observers thought, if not for the two renowned people left by her father before his death to serve and guard her, she couldn't have maintained even the few businesses and small mine that her family owned.
On the other hand, Yuwen Dong was known for being shrewd and manipulative, as well as a strong cultivator in his own right. Nearing 70 years, he maintained a toned body that looked no older than a middle-aged fighter, with toned muscles and cold eyes that intimidated most of the people he would meet. While his clan wasn't strong, with him currently being basically the strongest cultivator, his many approaches and ventures had worked very well for it, no matter the reek of blood that some had. By now, they controlled over twelve stores and six resource spots outside the city, with over half of them gained personally by Yuwen Dong during the last twenty years that he had been the head of the local [Yuwen] clan.
But while this duel, in which no one could understand just how the two leaders would fight, with the actual difference in cultivation, attracted many people, it would attract even more onlookers as a group of mighty beings arrived...