Chapter 217: Return to the Original Owner

Inside Jishi Hall, Jiang Feng half‑dragged and half‑pulled the dazed Southern Guard Military Marquis Xiao Po Zhan into the house in the backyard.

As soon as the door was shut, Xiao Po Zhan violently flung Jiang Feng's hand away.

His face turned iron‑blue, clearly seething with a bellyful of anger.

Xiao Po Zhan stepped forward, staring at Jiang Feng intently.

"Jiang Feng! What on earth are you doing! Just now at the Prince's Residence, didn't you say Yun Hengqiu is the Prince's pawn, and the Tiger Talisman is in his residence? I, the Marquis, even unleashed the Grand Master's aura and almost came to blows with him!"

"You, on the other hand, just say 'go' and go, without even a single explanation! What exactly are you selling in your gourd of medicine?"

Xiao Po Zhan is a veteran of the battlefield, accustomed to acting straightforwardly.

His actions just now at the Prince's Residence made him feel like a jumping‑beam clown, and he was extremely aggrieved.

Jiang Feng, seeing this, spread his hands helplessly.

"Marquis, do you go into battle without a brain?"

"What did you say?"

Xiao Po Zhan's eyes widened instantly, almost breaking his composure on the spot.

He has guarded the Southern Frontier for decades, fought over a hundred battles of all sizes, and has never been called brainless in war!

Does this guy really think the Prince's Fist Wind is ineffective?

Jiang Feng saw he was truly agitated, stopped teasing him, and just as he was about to explain, Ling Zhaixing's figure flashed in.

Jiang Feng no longer hid anything, and waved at Ling Zhaixing.

"Bring out the item, Marquis, I can't wait."

Ling Zhaixing nodded, walked up to Xiao Po Zhan, and handed the Southern Frontier Tiger Talisman to him.

Seeing the Tiger Talisman, Xiao Po Zhan instantly forgot everything.

He snatched the Tiger Talisman, carefully examined its authenticity.

After confirming without doubt that it was the very one he had lost, he became even more stunned.

"What... what on earth is going on? How did the Tiger Talisman end up with you?"

Jiang Feng, too lazy to explain in detail, simply lifted his chin toward Ling Zhaixing.

"You explain to the Marquis; I'm too lazy to waste words."

Ling Zhaixing nodded, clasped fists in salute to Xiao Po Zhan.

"Marquis, actually at first, our plan was to take the Tiger Talisman to Yitian Pavilion for auction..."

She paused, a trace of coldness flashing in her eyes.

"The Prince and I have a Blood Sea Grudge; originally he destroyed my Sect, and I was the only one who luckily escaped. Jiang Feng knew my vendetta, so he set up this scheme, deliberately letting the Tiger Talisman appear at the auction to lure the Prince into making a move."

"He has coveted the Tiger Talisman for a long time and will definitely spare no cost to buy it. Once he spends a fortune to obtain it, I will slip into the Prince's Residence, steal the Tiger Talisman back, and at the same time loot his Treasure Vault, cut off his foundation, which counts as repaying part of my revenge."

Ling Zhaixing glanced at Jiang Feng, gratitude in her eyes.

"Later, Marquis, you came knocking, saying you wanted to retrieve the Tiger Talisman. Jiang Feng thought since the Tiger Talisman was originally yours, we might as well return it to its rightful owner, saving extra effort, so he brought you to the Prince's Residence, deliberately holding them back to make it easier for me to act."

After hearing Ling Zhaixing's explanation, Xiao Po Zhan finally understood completely.

He held the Tiger Talisman, looked at Jiang Feng, and couldn't help shaking his head.

"The Prince is also a member of a noble clan, with a wealthy family background, but crossing paths with you Jiang Feng is like being cursed with bad luck for eight lifetimes. Not only did six hundred billion go down the drain, his Treasure Vault was also emptied; I guess his guts are now green with regret."

However, he felt no sympathy for the Prince at all.

If the Tiger Talisman hadn't already fallen into his hands, just this operation alone would have been enough for the Southern Guard Military Marquis's residence to declare war on him.

"What kind of cat‑and‑dog junk! How dare they covet the stuff of their Marquis's residence?"

……

On the other side, inside the Prince's Residence.

In the main courtyard's bedroom, the scent of medicine filled the air.

The Prince lay on the sickbed, his face pale as paper.

The blood just now almost took half his life.

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling a dry, painful throat.

As he was about to speak, a low call came from beside him.

"Prince! You're awake!"

The Prince turned his head and saw Si Jiannan kneeling at the bedside, his face anxious.

The Prince's voice was hoarse, as thin as a wisp of breath.

"Treasure... Treasure Vault, how's the situation over there?"

Si Jiannan's expression instantly became hesitant.

After a while, he still forced himself to speak.

"Prince, the Treasure Vault has been almost completely looted! All the gold, silver, and jewels that could be taken were moved away entirely, and even those too heavy or large to carry were mysteriously destroyed..."

"Prince! The opponent is clearly aiming to dig up the roots of our Prince's Residence!"

"Pfft!"

The Prince, hearing this, couldn't catch his breath and spat another mouthful of fresh blood.

He suddenly sat up, howling hysterically.

"Jiang Feng! I, the Prince, will definitely kill you! I'll skin you, pull out your tendons!"

He now fully understood.

From start to finish, this auction was a scheme set up by Jiang Feng!

Jiang Feng deliberately put the Tiger Talisman up for auction precisely to lure him into paying a high price.

Six hundred billion almost emptied most of his fortune; after he obtained the Tiger Talisman, someone stole it back and also emptied his Treasure Vault, basically forcing him onto a road to death!

Jiangnan Wang's hatred deepened, his teeth grinding with a creak.

"The Tiger Talisman must have been marked by him; otherwise the other side couldn't have located the Treasure Vault so precisely! And that thief has to be Ling Zhaixing! Throughout the empire, the only one who could silently loot the Treasure Vault under the heavy guards of my Jiangnan Wangfu is she, Ling Zhaixing! This is her revenge against me, and she and Jiang Feng have teamed up to plot against me!"

Jiangnan Wang's breath grew increasingly feeble, and his eyes began to roll upward.

Si Jiannan, seeing this, was startled and hurriedly pulled a wholly golden Golden Pill from his bosom.

He dared not delay, and quickly shoved the Golden Pill into Jiangnan Wang's mouth.

The Golden Pill melted upon entry, and a warm current instantly surged through Jiangnan Wang's limbs and bones; his complexion finally began to slowly regain some color.

After his spirit recovered a little, Jiangnan Wang's eyes were filled with blood vessels, and he barked a harsh order at Si Jiannan.

"Transmit my command! Let the Four Demons enter the Prince's Residence! I want Jiang Feng dead! I want him to lie dead in the streets tonight!"

"Four Demons?"

Si Jiannan heard this, and his eyeballs instantly bulged round.

He abruptly lifted his head to look at Jiangnan Wang, his voice trembling slightly.

"Prince, the Four Demons are your trump card, and their methods are ruthless; once they act, they will surely rouse the Dragon Group and various factions, and then our Prince's Residence…"

The Four Demons are the four top experts secretly cultivated by Jiangnan Wang, each possessing the strength of a Grand Master.

Most crucially, they act without any bottom line.

This is Jiangnan Wang's final trump card prepared for a rebellion; unless absolutely necessary, he will never employ it.

Jiangnan Wang is now clearly in genuine fury; seeing Si Jiannan still hesitating, he could not help but urge.

"Are your ears deaf? I ordered you to deliver the command! I want Jiang Feng dead! Even if it rouses the Dragon Group, so what? As long as Jiang Feng can be killed, even if I cannot reach the Great Treasure, I'll accept it!"

Si Jiannan realized Jiangnan Wang was now set in his mind, and dared not refute further.

"I obey your command!"

Having spoken, Si Jiannan rose, slipped out of the chamber silently, leaving Jiangnan Wang alone, collapsed on the sickbed.

Jiangnan Wang leaned against the headboard, gazing at the pitch‑black night outside the Window, his eyes filled with unrelenting hatred.

"Jiang Feng, Ling Zhaixing, you wait; I, the King, will not let you go. I will make you pay a hundred‑fold, a thousand‑fold price for today's deed!"