Chapter 253: Hulong Hall, Divine Marquis of Iron Gall, The Four Great Secret Agents

The Capital.

The Western Suburbs.

Hulong Hall.

The estate covers a vast area and is solemn and magnificent.

A stone dragon, appearing as if carved from white jade and shimmering with a faint white light, stands in the center of the estate; its scales and claws are dynamic and lifelike, as if it could break through the air and fly away at any moment, looking down upon the common people and stirring up the winds and clouds.

One cannot know how many mechanisms, traps, and experts are hidden within the estate; even if the Eight Great Sects were to surround and attack it with their full strength, I fear that apart from bringing disaster upon themselves and leaving behind a ground full of corpses, there would be no other outcome.

Ascending the steps, after ninety-nine stone stairs, one reaches the majestic and grand main hall of the estate, which is the legendary—Hulong Hall.

At this moment, a dignified-looking middle-aged man is sitting on the throne above. His expression is solemn, his gaze like lightning, and in his disdainful look, there is an awe-inspiring presence without anger.

Every move he makes possesses an indescribable majesty and noble bearing, causing people to involuntarily feel a sense of awe.

This person is none other than the one who shakes the world—the "Divine Marquis of Iron Gall" Zhu Wushi.

Back then, before the late Emperor passed away, he feared that the Emperor was too young and easily manipulated by treacherous people, or incapable of presiding over the imperial court and unable to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous, so he specially ordered his younger brother Zhu Wushi to establish "Hulong Hall," granting it power that could override all imperial court institutions, and bestowed upon him two supreme treasures: the "Dan Book Iron Ticket" and the "Shangfang Precious Sword." He could "execute the foolish ruler above and the slanderous officials below," serving as a check and balance against the Eastern Depot.

Standing below are three people, who are exactly Zhu Wushi's three most capable subordinates: the Heavenly, Earth, and Mysterious Three Great Secret Agents. There should have been a "Yellow" character secret agent, but because a suitable candidate could not be found, it had to be left vacant for the time being.

"I wonder why Foster Father has summoned the three of us here?"

The one speaking is a beautiful youth dressed like a refined gentleman of the world, with a handsome face and a graceful demeanor; this is the Mysterious Secret Agent, Shangguan Haitang, who is also the master of the current world's Number One Estate.

Zhu Wushi clapped his hands, and two burly men had already carried over a large wooden board, on which lay a corpse covered by a white cloth.

"Take a look."

"Yes!"

The white cloth was lifted, and the three immediately saw a pair of pale faces and that terrified, distorted expression, as if they had encountered immense terror before death.

Shangguan Haitang exclaimed: "Yi Zhangkong!"

"Haitang studied under Wuchen Gongzi and manages the world's Number One Estate, so you truly recognized his identity at a glance." Zhu Wushi nodded and said: "Correct, this person is the newly appointed Demon Sect Leader, Yi Zhangkong."

"Apart from a fist print on his chest, there is not a single injury on his body; not only is his sternum shattered, but I fear his internal organs have also been pulverized. What powerful fist technique."

The man with a handsome face, dressed in black, with a hint of melancholy between his brows, frowned as he examined it, saying: "It is said that Yi Zhangkong had practiced the Demon Sect's 'Indestructible Divine Gang' to ninety percent mastery, making him impervious to blades and spears, water and fire, and possessing immense strength. Even if it cannot compare to Gu Santong's 'Diamond Indestructible Divine Skill,' it is still a top-tier hard-body technique in the world, yet someone shattered his bones and internal organs with a single punch. The strength of the intruder's fist is something Duan Tianya has never heard of or seen before."

This person is called Duan Tianya, and he is the Heavenly Secret Agent. At sixteen, he was sent by Zhu Wushi to Dongying to learn ninjutsu at the Iga School, and later, through a stroke of fate, he followed the famous Dongying swordsman Mian Kuangsilang to master the "Phantom Sword."

"With such an expert, could my 'Tyrant Blade' cut him down with one strike?" The last man with a cold expression revealed a hint of murderous intent; he had already involuntarily gripped the blade in his palm.

He is the "Earth Character Number One," Guihai Yidao.

Guihai Yidao has a mysterious background and studied under the Tyrant Blade Sect since childhood; his blade technique not only inherited the true teachings of the Tyrant Blade but also surpassed his master, already exceeding the Tyrant Blade. It is said that on the day he completed his apprenticeship, he defeated the Tyrant Blade in one move, which caused the Tyrant Blade to develop the intention of retiring and never touching a blade again.

Shangguan Haitang frowned and said: "Twenty years ago, after the battle at Taihu, the experts of the Eight Great Sects were nearly wiped out, and the Demon Sect also suffered heavy losses. More importantly, the Demon Sect Leader at that time also died in this battle. The Demon Sect was left without a leader, with various factions standing on their own, and even several Guardian Heavenly Kings left to establish their own sects. It was not until a year ago, when Yi Zhangkong mastered the 'Indestructible Divine Gang,' that he finally sat in the position of Sect Leader."

Duan Tianya looked up at Zhu Wushi and asked: "Foster Father, what exactly is going on?"

Zhu Wushi clapped his hands again: "Sikong Wuji, come out."

Knock, knock, knock, knock...

A strange knocking sound rang out, carrying a gloomy and mysterious air, and a figure slowly walked out from the shadows on the right.

The Three Great Secret Agents were startled; even the eldest among them, Duan Tianya, was only in his twenties, yet they were all first-class experts of the current age, and the movement of wind and grass within a ten-zhang radius could hardly escape their Perception, yet this person was right here in Hulong Hall, and they had not discovered him.

While this was partly because their attention had been drawn by the corpse, it also proved that this person's concealment technique had reached the peak of perfection.

One could see that this person was disheveled and unkempt, with gray hair, one leg severed at the root, and leaning on a dragon-headed crutch; he did not look particularly unusual.

Shangguan Haitang's eyes flashed as she said: "Could it be... could this senior be the 'Flying Dragon Divine Crutch' Sikong Wuji, one of the four Guardian Elders of the Demon Sect?"

"The Estate Master has sharp eyes; indeed, it is this old man." The gray-haired old man replied in a hoarse voice.

The Divine Marquis of Iron Gall said: "The 'Flying Dragon Divine Crutch' is a spy I planted in the Demon Sect, and this corpse was also brought back by him."

"So that's how it is."

The Three Great Secret Agents nodded; although they were somewhat surprised, they were not overly shocked.

Hulong Hall's ability to gather intelligence is by no means inferior to the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Among the Eight Great Sects of the Edo, and even within the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Palace, there are spies from Hulong Hall.

The Divine Marquis of Iron Gall said: "Old Xue, repeat the situation of that day to them once more."

"Yes." Sikong Wuji nodded and said leisurely: "Half a month ago, Sect Leader Yi Zhangkong summoned us elders and guardians in the 'Divine Demon Hall' to discuss matters regarding the 'Hundred Herbs Thousand Leaves Ten Thousand Flower Hall'..."

The Three Great Secret Agents listened intently; they were also very curious about what kind of expert could kill Yi Zhangkong with a single punch.

"... but just as we were discussing, sounds of fighting came from the front hall. We were all very surprised—who would dare to act recklessly at the Demon Sect's main altar? Then a disciple ran in hurriedly and told us that someone had trespassed into the main altar and was heading straight for the 'Divine Demon Hall'."

Sikong Wuji sighed: "As the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse; although the Demon Sect has split, its power cannot be underestimated. At first, when we heard this news, we thought it was the other Seven Great Sects joining forces to attack the main altar, or that the Imperial Court had sent troops to suppress us, but later we found out..."

Shangguan Haitang couldn't help but ask: "Could it be that only one person attacked the Demon Sect?"

"Correct. Only one person, an empty-handed person."

Sikong Wuji's eyes held a look of terror: "That was a young man in black, whose whole body seemed to carry a strange magic that made it impossible to look away. He was alone, treating hundreds and thousands of Demon Sect disciples as nothing, and broke directly into the Divine Demon Hall."

"He said the current Demon Sect Leader was a piece of trash and that he should sit in this position instead, as he would surely be able to carry forward the Demon Sect. Yi Zhangkong was immediately enraged and at once channeled his 'Indestructible Divine Gang' to kill that person. As for what happened later, I believe you can all guess."

"That person only threw one punch, arriving after the other but striking first, shattering Yi Zhangkong's protective gang energy with a single blow. The remaining force did not cease, slamming into Yi Zhangkong's chest, and then Yi Zhangkong collapsed like a pile of mud."

The Three Great Secret Agents looked at each other; even though they had anticipated it, they were still extremely shocked when they heard it with their own ears.

Shangguan Haitang secretly speculated: Attacking the Demon Sect alone and killing Yi Zhangkong with one punch. Foster Father's martial arts are invincible in the world; even if that person is not Foster Father's match, I fear he is not much inferior.

Sikong Wuji added: "That person's martial arts are truly unfathomable; all of us elders and guardians were terrified. That person then said, 'I want to sit in the position of Sect Leader; I wonder who else opposes it? Just stand out. I am a very peaceful person; it would be bad if I accidentally killed the wrong person.'"

One can imagine that the scene at that time brought a huge shock to this old Edo veteran, which is why he still remembers every word that person said clearly to this day.

"Apart from two elders who tried to launch a sneak attack and were slapped to death by that person, one by one, the remaining elders no longer dared to oppose him and honored that person as the Demon Sect Leader. That person said his name was Yu Liancheng, flawless like white jade and worth a thousand cities. He also said the name 'Demon Sect' was not good and renamed it 'Heaven Beyond Heaven,' and he was the 'First Heavenly Venerable'."

"In the two days that followed, many Demon Sect experts wanted to assassinate this person, but his methods were mysterious and unpredictable, and he was proficient in hidden weapons, poisons, mechanisms, and other heterodox arts. In these two days, he remained unscathed, while the Demon Sect experts who assassinated him met ends more miserable than the last."

"I saw that he seemed to want to purge the entire upper echelon of the Demon Sect, so I brought Yi Zhangkong's corpse and fled to Hulong Hall."

After finishing everything in one breath, Sikong Wuji let out a long sigh.

"Heaven Beyond Heaven, First Heavenly Venerable, Yu Liancheng." A look of confusion appeared on Shangguan Haitang's delicate face: "What is this person's background? I manage the world's Number One Estate and have never heard of such a young and powerful expert."

"The Demon Sect's guards are strict and experts are as numerous as clouds. Not to mention young experts, looking at the entire Edo, apart from Foster Father and the Invincible Playful Child Gu Santong who was thrown into the ninth level of Tianlao, I truly cannot think of anyone else who could break into the Demon Sect alone and kill Yi Zhangkong with a punch." Duan Tianya frowned.

Guihai Yidao said coldly, "I have once seen Yi Zhangkong; the Tyrant Blade might not be unable to break his 'Body-Protecting Divine Qi', but to want to kill him with a single blade..."

"Ah!!"

Just as the Three Great Secret Agents were discussing, Sikong Wuji let out a miserable shriek. One could see his face contorted in pain, his body curled on the ground, trembling incessantly, as if enduring immense agony.

Divine Marquis Zhu Tiedan's expression also changed; his figure flickered, and he appeared before Sikong Wuji, displaying superb lightness skill. He reached out to grab him, but the moment he touched the other's skin, he felt a stinging pain transmit through his palm.

Before Zhu Wushi could investigate carefully, Sikong Wuji's screams became even more shrill, and his entire person turned into a pool of blood in an instant.

"Good! Good! Good! A good method!" Zhu Tiedan stood up, and a trace of chill appeared on his face, which usually would not change color even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him.

"Foster Father, what is going on?" Shangguan Haitang and the others wore expressions of astonishment.

Zhu Tiedan walked toward the outside of the hall with his hands behind his back, his steps steady and powerful. When he reached the doorway, he looked up at the sky and said, "If I am not mistaken, this is the handiwork of that 'First Heavenly Venerable' Yu Liancheng."

"Please enlighten us, Foster Father," said Duan Tianya.

Zhu Tiedan said, "Before you arrived, I had carefully questioned Old Xue about the situation. Before he fled, that Yu Liancheng found him, questioned him about the Demon Sect's situation, and even casually patted his shoulder; that must have been when he planted a strand of yin-soft, corrosive palm power."

Shangguan Haitang said, "A martial art similar to the 'Bone-Melting Cotton Palm' or the 'Flesh-Corroding Bone-Melting Claw'?"

"Correct," Zhu Tiedan nodded and said, "That strand of force was exquisite and remained hidden within Old Xue's body. He did not notice it, and it only erupted completely today, taking Old Xue's life in an instant."

Shangguan Haitang frowned and said, "Could it be that Yu Liancheng has already realized that Old Xue was a mole planted by Foster Father? But why did he not kill Old Xue on the spot, or interrogate him strictly?"

"That Yu Liancheng may not necessarily know that Old Xue is a person from the Manor of the World's Number One, but he might already know Old Xue was a mole. As for why he let Old Xue go, I fear he simply wanted to give us a warning."

Zhu Tiedan let out a cold snort, seemingly angered, and suddenly turned around, a flash of sharp light appearing in his eyes: "Heavenly Number One Duan Tianya, Earth Character Number One Guihai Yidao, Mysterious Character Number One Shangguan Haitang, hear my order."

"Please give your instructions, Foster Father."

Duan Tianya and the other two hurriedly cupped their fists and said.

Zhu Tiedan said, "This Divine Marquis authorizes you three to mobilize all manpower and resources of the Hulong Hall and the Manor of the World's Number One; you must investigate the background of this Yu Liancheng clearly. If he has any actions that threaten the Imperial Court or harm the common people, you three may execute him first and report later."

"Yes!"

The three secret agents received the order and hurried away from Hulong Hall.

"Go down!"

"It has been a long time since the three of us executed a mission together. It seems Foster Father is quite concerned about Yu Liancheng," said Shangguan Haitang.

They were the three most prized subordinates of the Divine Marquis, and regardless of martial arts or wisdom, they were extraordinary; behind every major case in the Imperial Court and the Edo, there were traces of them.

Usually, the three of them each held their own ground, but today they were sent by the Divine Marquis to execute the same matter.

"The Demon Sect is thousands of miles away. I do not know what that Yu Liancheng is actually doing now. We must plan before we act, otherwise we will alert the enemy," said Duan Tianya.

"Big Brother is right," Shangguan Haitang smiled slightly: "We must first figure out where that person is and what he is doing."

"He is killing people! Or he is on the way to kill people," said the cold-faced Guihai Yidao.

"Oh, why would Yidao think so?" asked Shangguan Haitang.

Guihai Yidao's eyes flashed with a blade-like sharpness as he said: "With that person's methods and martial arts, he is certainly not satisfied with a fragmented Demon Sect; he will definitely unify and integrate the entire Demon Sect. But the splintered Demon Sect factions will absolutely not be willing to have a 'First Heavenly Venerable' placed over their heads, so..."