Chapter 1798: Lurking Danger
Although Rong Fang was an insignificant person in the Rising Sky Mansion, the person he served was the Young Mansion Master of the Rising Sky Mansion! Due to this reason, he had encountered and seen many people and things before.
About five years ago, he had followed Xu Jing, the Young Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion, out and had met Zhao Ji from the Mystical Sky Mansion.
According to his Young Mansion Master, Zhao Ji was the second generation's strongest person in the Mystical Sky Mansion! This was why he could identify Zhao Ji.
This was someone even his Young Mansion Master did not dare to offend!
When he saw Zhao Ji earlier, he did not recognize him immediately. He felt that he looked familiar. After searching his mind, he finally managed to identify Zhao Ji.
As for the two people following behind Zhao Ji, he did not know them and had no impression of them at all.
"According to Young Mansion Master at that time, Zhao Ji is the only son of Zhao Deng, one of the Vice Mansion Masters of Mystical Sky Mansion. Moreover, his grandfather is one of the two great Guardians of the Mystical Sky Mansion!" When Rong Fan recalled Xu Jing's words from before, he could not help but shudder.
The two great Guardians of the Mystical Sky Mansion were only inferior to the Mansion Master of Mystical Sky Mansion. They were in no way inferior to the Mansion Master of their Rising Sky Mansion.
"W-why is Zhao Ji here at the Rising Sky Mansion's estate?" When Rong Fan saw Zhao Ji was heading to the Rising Sky Mansion's estate, he had a curious expression on his face.
As far as he knew, the Rising Sky Mansion and Mystical Sky Mansion did not have any interactions with each other. Why would Zhao Ji, the strongest person among the second generation disciples in Mystical Sky Mansion, come to the Rising Sky Mansion?
Rong Fan was baffled and was mulling over it for a long time when a figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the sky above the Rising Sky Mansion's estate.
It was a middle-aged man who resembled Zhao Ji slightly.
"Don't tell me this person is Zhao Ji's father? Vice Mansion Master Zhao Deng from the Mystical Sky Mansion?" It was only natural for Rong Fan to come to this conclusion since the middle-aged man and Zhao Ji resembled each other.
The middle-aged man was indeed Zhao Deng.
Zhao Deng descended from the sky as he appeared before Zhao Ji and the two others before he asked with a frown, "Ji'er, why are you here?"
"Didn't I ask you to wait for the news at home?" Zhao Deng's tone contained a hint of annoyance.
Zhao Ji stared at Zhao Deng with a burning gaze as he asked in slight desperation, "Father, you didn't return for such a long time so I came here to take a look. How is it? Did you manage to obtain that Devil Dao Cultivation Method?"
"We must wait until the soul of the Young Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion recovers a little before we can use the Soul Searching Secret Tactic on him to obtain that Devil Dao Cultivation Method." Zhao Deng shook his head. "Once everything here is dealt with, we'll bring him back to the Mystical Sky Mansion."
"Alright," Zhao Ji nodded before asking curiously again, "Father, why is this taking so long?"
It was because Zhao Deng did not come back after a certain time that Zhao Ji took the initiative to come on his own since he wanted to know what was happening.
He was eager and desperate to get his hands on the Devil Dao Cultivation Method the Young Mansion Master of the Rising Sky Mansion had cultivated. Once he obtained it, his strength would rise quickly as well!
At that time, even Ling Tian would not be a match for him. He wanted to snatch back all the glory that used to belong to him.
"Something happened. There's no news about the lackey of the Young Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion. However, Lord Mansion Master and your grandfather have gone to the lackey's hometown so they should be able to catch him," Zhao Deng replied.
"A lackey probably doesn't know about the top-tier Devil Dao Cultivation Method that Xu Jing cultivated, right?" Zhao Ji frowned. "Why are they going to such great lengths just for a lackey?"
"That lackey's not just an ordinary lackey. When Xu Jing obtained the Devil Dao Cultivation Method, he was there as well, He had also accompanied Xu Jing to the Rising Sky Ranking Battle," Zhao Deng replied solemnly, "For this reason, if he doesn't die, danger will definitely lurk around our Mystical Sky Mansion due to our actions!"
Zhao Ji's eyes gleamed coldly as he said in his deep voice, "With Lord Mansion Master and grandfather personally making a move, he'll definitely die!"
"Ji'er, return for now... If Lord Mansion Master finds out that you came here, he'll definitely rebuke you!" Zhao Deng urged Zhao Ji in his deep voice.
"Isn't Gu Li here as well?" Zhao Ji frowned, feeling slightly discontented.
As Zhao Ji's father, naturally, Zhao Deng could hear the discontentment in Zhao Ji's voice. He shook his head and replied, "Don't feel discontented over this. Apart from Ling Tian's contribution, Gu Li has contributed in this matter as well. Put everything aside, you're far inferior compared to Gu Li in terms of ability as well!" When Zhao Deng reached the end of his sentence, there was a hint of exasperation in his tone over his son's performance. "If you have the time to live such a leisurely and carefree life, why don't you enter closed-door cultivation instead! Otherwise, put Ling Tian aside, you won't even be a match for Gu Li!"
"Ling Tian!" Zhao Ji's eyes gleamed coldly and were filled with killing intent. "He won't be able to live for long!"
Zhao Deng looked at the two people behind Zhao Ji and ordered, "Bai Ju, Hei Tu, bring him back!"
The people who followed Zhao Ji here were none other than the Mystical Sky Mansion's disciples, Zhao Bai Ju and Zhao Hei Tu. They were also the two people who had wanted to attack Duan Ling Tian at the summit of the Mystical Sky Mansion's Heaven Palace.
At that time, due to Gu Li's appearance, their plans were foiled.
"Yes, Master!" Zhao Bai Ju and Zhao Hei Tu were Zhao Deng's direct disciple. Upon hearing his order, they quickly responded politely and looked at Zhao Ji in unison. "Little Junior Brother, listen to Master. Let's return."
Although Zhao Ji wanted to stay to join in the fun, he had no other choice but to return unwillingly since Zhao Deng would not allow him to stay.
After the three of them left, Zhao Deng also returned to the Rising Sky Mansion's estate.
"Something seems wrong..." Rong Fan was lurking far away. Due to the distance, he did not hear the conversation between Zhao Deng and Zhao Ji.
'Zhao Deng is the Vice Mansion Master of Mystical Sky Mansion. What's he doing in our Rising Sky Mansion's estate?" Rong Fan took a deep breath before he made up his mind. "I must be cautious. I can't return to the Rising Sky Mansion's estate for a while. I can only return and have a look after Zhao Deng has left.'
The moment he thought of this, he began to search for a place to hide nearby. At the same time, he did not forget to monitor the path one would need to take from the Rising Sky Mansion to the Mystical Sky Mansion.
The group of high-ranking officials led by Mansion Master Meng Qing stayed for an entire month in Hump Town, but they still did not find any clue regarding Rong Fan's whereabouts.
Rong Fan did not return that evening as his parents had said he would. It was as though he had vanished into thin air.
Gu Ci Yun, one of the two great Guardians of Mystical Sky Mansion, said with a grave expression, "Currently, I can say for sure that Rong Fan must have known something! He must have suspected the identities of that few disciples!"
"That day, although our men had rounded up the people who were leaving Hump Town, there were seven people whom we did not catch up to. Among those seven people, there must be some of them who had encountered Rong Fan and told him about this," Zhao Jin, the other Guardian, also chimed in.
"Two Guardians, please make a trip personally and catch those seven people. Make them swear on the lightning penalty oath to see if they met Rong Fan!" Meng Qing ordered.
He also felt the problem lay with seven people who had gotten away.
With Gu Ci Yun and Zhao Jin personally making a move, the truth would soon be revealed.
"Lord Mansion Master." When Gu Ci Yun and Zhao Jin returned, they brought a person with them. This person was none other than Rong Hong who had greeted Rong Fan previously.
When he was brought in, his entire body was trembling.
The old men's strength scared him to the bottom of his heart and soul. They did not need to do anything, just their auras were enough to suffocate him. If the two of them did not show some mercy, he would have long suffocated to death.
"Lord Mansion Master, we have brought someone here." When he heard the two old men addressed a middle-aged man nearby as Lord Mansion Master, his vision blacked out for a moment, and he almost passed out.
Lord Mansion Master?
Could it be that this person was the Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion?
The Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion had personally come for Rong Fan?
'This damn Rong Fan! What have you done to the point that the Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion personally came as well! That's right! That time when I met Rong Fan, it was obvious there was something wrong with his expression. He looked as though he was going to run away. No wonder I didn't see him during this one month!' The moment Rong Hong thought of this, his expression turned horrified. He had kept a secret for Rong Fan, but it did not cross his mind that it would implicate himself.
"Lord Mansion Master!" When he thought the person standing before him was the Mansion Master of Rising Sky Mansion, he instantly kneeled down as his body trembled. "I-I-I wasn't aware that Rong Fan is guilty of any crime. That's why I made this silly mistake."
At this moment, Meng Qing finally found out that Rong Fan had escaped from the two Guardians of Mystical Sky Mansion.
Meng Qing looked at Rong Hong and asked for confirmation, "Did he head toward the Rising Sky Mansion's estate?"
"Yes." Rong Hong quickly nodded like a chicken pecking on the grains on the ground. He did not dare to dally at all.
Zhao Jin raised his hand and killed Rong Hong immediately once he had lost his value.
Meanwhile, Meng Qing looked at Qian Ping Sheng, the Palace Master of Yellow Palace, and ordered, "Palace Master Qian, take two disciples with you and stay here for the time being. If Rong Fan returns, you must kill him immediately!"
"Yes, Lord Mansion Master," Qian Ping Sheng replied.
"As for the others, follow me back to the Rising Sky Mansion. However, I suspect that Rong Fan didn't return to the Rising Sky Mansion's estate. Otherwise, the people we left there would've reported it to me long ago." At this moment, even Meng Qing, the Mansion Master of Mystical Sky Mansion, had a grave expression on his face.
Although the person who had escaped was someone with a lowly position, they had to capture him or else the Mystical Sky Mansion would definitely face troubles if news of this spread out.
Duan Ling Tian only learned about this after Gu Li had returned.
"Then, does this mean all of you haven't found any trace of Rong Fan at all before you returned?" Duan Ling Tian asked.
"Yes." Gu Li shook his head and smiled wryly. "Currently, the Palace Master of Yellow Palace is personally staying in Hump Town while Zhao Deng and his father are waiting in the Rising Sky Mansion's estate for Rong Fan to reveal himself!"