Chapter 241: Reappearance of the Ghost-Masked Man
Of course, besides the Xiao Clan, Duan Ling Tian also entered the Imperial Palace and asked the Emperor to help him gather these materials.
Besides that, he also went to the Divine Might Marquis Estate and the Duan Clan.
The Duan Clan currently regarded Duan Ling Tian as their hope....
When the Duan Clan higher-ups heard that Duan Ling Tian would be leaving the Crimson Sky Kingdom and head to the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom to enter one of the five great sects of the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom, they agreed to Duan Ling Tian's requests without condition.
"Kid, our Duan Clan will pay for the materials you asked others to gather as well!" The Duan Clan's Grand Elder, Duan Zhen, said readily.
"Then I'll thank Grand Elder first." Duan Ling Tian laughed and didn't refuse, since he and the Duan Clan were each taking what they needed.
What the Duan Clan wanted was the Void Advancement Pill.
Even if he were unable to obtain one from one of the sects in the Azure Forest Imperial Kingdom, once his own cultivation steps into the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Stage and he becomes a grade five alchemist, he will be able to refine one himself.
After leaving the Duan Clan, Duan Ling Tian went to the Su Clan.
The Su Clan's Patriarch, Su Bo Ya, personally greeted Duan Ling Tian in. "Commander Duan!"
Duan Ling Tian went straight to the point. "Patriarch Su, I came here today because I want to ask you to help me gather some materials....In a month, I'll come to get them, and at that time, Patriarch Su can quote a price."
"This is naturally not a problem." Su Bo Ya nodded and received the piece of paper with a pile of materials written on it from Duan Ling Tian.
His gaze was extremely complicated.
In the past, he was discussing with all of the Su Clan's elders about how to deal with Duan Ling Tian.
But in the blink of an eye, Duan Ling Tian instead abruptly turned his situation around, and now even their Su Clan didn't dare offend him.
Moreover, he suspected that Duan Ling Tian was surely involved in the disappearance of their Su Clan's Grand Elder, Su Nan....But not to mention the fact that he didn't have any proof, even if he did have proof, he still wouldn't dare look for trouble with Duan Ling Tian.
To a certain degree, Duan Ling Tian was already bound to the Imperial Family and the Divine Might Marquis Estate, so he was far from something the Su Clan could match!
"Thank you, Patriarch Su. Farewell." Duan Ling Tian bid his farewell and left, directly walking out of the audience hall.
Right at this moment, vigilance arose in Duan Ling Tian's heart, and his body moved. He noticed a figure flash over, and on the silver, grade eight spirit weapon in the figure's hand, a sheen that was jet-black like ink flickered, obviously having been tainted with toxic poison.
"Duan Ling Tian, I want you dead!" The person once again rushed at Duan Ling Tian; however, the person's ninth level Body Tempering cultivation was nothing in Duan Ling Tian's eyes, so he was directly kicked away by Duan Ling Tian.
"Su Tong, I never thought that even after you lost your cultivation, you'd still be so vicious." Duan Ling Tian's face sank, as the person that had sneak attacked him was precisely Su Tong.
This was also the reason why his Spiritual Force didn't have any reaction.
A martial artist at the ninth level of the Body Tempering Stage couldn't pose any threat to him.
Su Tong was injured by Duan Ling Tian's kick and crashed onto the ground. It was difficult for him to stand up once more, and his vicious gazed stared fixedly at Duan Ling Tian. "Duan Ling Tian, you crippled my Dantian and killed my grandfather. I resolve to destroy you or die trying!"
"Resolve to destroy me or die trying? You?" Duan Ling Tian's gaze went cold. This Su Tong really hadn't learned his lesson!
"Su Tong!" Meanwhile, Su Bo Ya, who had noticed the movement, had come out as well, and his face sank when he saw the scene before him. "What are you doing?"
"Patriarch, I want to take revenge for my grandfather and for myself!" Su Tong said coldly.
"Enough! From today onwards, the resentment between you and Duan Ling Tian is abolished....If the incident from today happens once more, I'll expel you from the Su Clan!" Su Bo Ya slightly frowned. This Su Tong was truly mad.
Not to mention the fact that Su Tong was only a cripple, even the entire Su Clan couldn't afford to offend the current Duan Ling Tian.
Su Tong's body trembled when he heard what Su Bo Ya said, and he lowered his head, but the accumulated hatred in his eyes were almost capable of causing his eyes to explode.
"Patriarch Su, farewell." Duan Ling Tian nodded to Su Bo Ya and left the Su Clan to return home.
Meanwhile, the sky had turned dark.
However, when he had just arrived before the gate to his house, Duan Ling Tian noticed a figure that seemed to transform into a specter and silently descended before him....
Whoosh!
And at almost the exact same time, Xiong Quan appeared behind Duan Ling Tian.
Xiong Quan was concealed by Duan Ling Tian's side all this while; it was as if he had transformed into Duan Ling Tian's shadow that followed close behind him.
"It's you!" Through the dim light of the night, Duan Ling Tian clearly saw the attire of the person before him and recognized the person.
Black-clothed, and a ghost mask on his face....
Wasn't this person the Ghost-Masked Man that killed the Half-step Void Stage powerhouse by Duan Ru Lei's side the other day?
According to Duan Ling Tian's guess, it was extremely likely that this person was the elusive leader of the Ghastly Shadow....Of course, it was only a guess.
"Follow me." A hoarse voice sounded out from the person's mouth.
This was also the first time Duan Ling Tian had heard the person's voice.
Duan Ling Tian could still remember that when this Ghost-Masked Man appeared to kill that old man in Duan Ru Lei's courtyard house that day, from the beginning until the end, he hadn't said a sentence, not a word.
Subsequently, Duan Ling Tian noticed that the Ghost-Masked Man left with a speed that he could catch up to.
"Let's go!" Even though he didn't know why the Ghost-Masked Man was acting this way, Duan Ling Tian still followed with Xiong Quan.
He could feel that the Ghost-Masked Man bore no ill will towards him.
Eventually, the Ghost-Masked Man brought Duan Ling Tian into an unoccupied courtyard house, then he walked into a room and lit up the lantern.
"Did you look for me for something?" Duan Ling Tian looked at the Ghost-Masked Man before him. Earlier, on the way here, he felt that the Ghost-Masked Man's figure seemed familiar; it was as if he'd seen it before somewhere, but for a moment, he couldn't recall it.
Suddenly, Duan Ling Tian noticed the Ghost-Masked Man actually extend his hand to take off his mask....
The Ghost-Masked Man's true face was completely revealed before Duan Ling Tian's eyes.
"Si....Teacher Sima!" Duan Ling Tian was stupefied. No matter what, he never would've thought that the Ghost-Masked Man that appeared that day was actually the teacher of Paladin Academy's Star Mastermind Department and also the dean of Paladin Academy, Sima Chang Feng!
No wonder he felt like the figure of the Ghost-Masked Man from behind seemed familiar.
Sima Chang Feng lightly smiled. "Kid, you seem to have offended quite a few people...."
Duan Ling Tian was stunned. "Teacher, what do you mean by this?"
"You just arrived in the Imperial City today, right? At dusk, someone came to the Ghastly Shadow's point of operations to buy your life...." Sima Chang Feng glanced deeply at Duan Ling Tian.
Duan Ling Tian suddenly laughed. "Teacher, you're the leader of Ghastly Shadow?"
Sima Chang Feng lightly smiled, but he didn't admit nor deny it.
But Duan Ling Tian already had the answer in his heart.
He once thought that Sima Chang Feng was the fourth Void Stage powerhouse that was concealed within the Crimson Sky Kingdom, but now it would seem that it wasn't so.
Sima Chang Feng was precisely the elusive leader of the Ghastly Shadow!
"Teacher, who bought my life?" Duan Ling Tian changed questions, and his eyes flickered with a ghastly flowing light.
"In fact, that person has quite a deep connection with you," Sima Chang Feng said, with a smile.
"Teacher, stop beating around the bush....Who actually was it?" Duan Ling Tian laughed bitterly and slightly lost his patience. Now he slightly missed that Ghost-Masked Man that was sparing in speech.
"Duan Ru Lei's wife, or in other words, Duan Ling Xing's mother....Yun Ping!" Sima Chang Feng slowly said.
Yun Ping?
This name was completely unfamiliar to Duan Ling Tian.
However, once he knew her identity, he could understand why she wanted to buy his life.
Truly like a haunting ghost that just wouldn't go away!
"Do you need me to deal with it?" Sima Chang Feng asked Duan Ling Tian, with a spurious smile on his face.
"Deal with it for free?" Duan Ling Tian laughed as well.
"You wish, kid. Do you even lack that little money? I naturally have to take money if I help you deal with it," Sima Chang Feng derided.
"Teacher." Duan Ling Tian's expression abruptly went serious. "My Uncle Nie seems to not know about you being the leader of Ghastly Shadow....Does his Majesty know?"
Sima Chang Feng nodded. "His Majesty knows. In fact, the Ghastly Shadow was something his Majesty asked me to establish."
"Teacher Sima, I'm extremely curious, why do you serve the Emperor so willingly?" Duan Ling Tian asked curiously. He believed that with Sima Chang Feng's strength, he was completely capable of not being under the control of the Emperor.
Sima Chang Feng's gaze became misty when he heard Duan Ling Tian's question, and he sighed after a long time. "That year, it was his Majesty who saved my life...I owe him."
Duan Ling Tian came to a sudden understanding, and he didn't ask in detail.
This reason was already sufficient.
A life-saving kindness was sufficient for someone to be willing to serve another with their own life.
Deep into the night, the winds of autumn rustled in the air.
Inner city, in an antique styled inn.
The fat married woman paced up and down within a superior room, and every step she took seemed as if it could cause the ground to quake slightly.
"Little bastard, with Ghastly Shadow making a move, I'll make you die a graveless death!" The voice of the fat married woman revealed gloominess and viciousness. It was as if so long as the person she hated to the bones was before her, she would tear him into a thousand pieces at the first possible moment.
"Really?" Right at this moment, an icy-cold voice echoed out from the roof.
Subsequently, the roof was blasted apart.
A violet-colored figure flew down to descend into the room.
It was precisely Duan Ling Tian.
Yun Ping noticed the movement and her face went pale. When she noticed Duan Ling Tian, her gaze abruptly went cold. "Little bastard, it's you!"
Although she'd never seen Duan Ling Tian after he'd grown up, Duan Ling Tian's face was 60% or 70% similar to Duan Ru Feng's, allowing her to recognize Duan Ling Tian with a single glance.
"Little bastard?" Duan Ling Tian's eyes went cold and killing intent flickered within.
Noticing the killing intent within Duan Ling Tian's eyes, Yun Ping shuddered. Only now did she realize that Duan Ling Tian was also an Origin Core martial artist.
Instantly, a ghastly pale expression appeared on her fat face, and her fat figure even started to slightly tremble.
Duan Ling Tian took a large step forward, and in his hand, a jade-green grade eight spirit sword appeared out of thin air, flickering with an icy-cold sheen from the moonlight that descended down through the broken roof....
"Little bastard, I'll kill you and take revenge for Xing!" Yun Ping gritted her teeth, and the fat on her entire body trembled as she pounced towards Duan Ling Tian, facing death with no regrets.