And so, Yin Ye and the group from Dragon Flame Academy waited where they were.
Suddenly, Wu Tong shrieked, "Wu Caicai, you unfilial daughter! Get over here right now! Hurry up and figure out a way to save your second uncle!"
Wu Caicai, of course, had also come with Yin Ye...
Her body went cold as she stepped forward, riding her warhorse toward her father, Wu Tong.
Seeing this, Luo Wendeng and the others naturally followed.
Slowly, Wu Caicai stopped before her father and said softly, "So this was your choice. A fine choice, indeed. In the end, you were sold out by Lu Dingtian, and you nearly died at his hands."
The next moment, her Second Mother, Zhong Qiao, came jogging out, shrieking, "Wu Caicai! Is that any way to speak to your father?"
Wu Caicai stared at her Second Mother...
Staring at one of the very people who had made her and her mother suffer so much at home.
Suddenly, Wu Caicai’s expression turned frigid. "It was you, spreading your poisonous words... Now, I’ll be the one to send you on your way."
As her voice fell... SHK!
Wu Caicai thrust her sword into Zhong Qiao’s throat. Zhong Qiao’s eyes flew wide in disbelief.
Wu Tong froze on the spot, then roared, "You unfilial girl! You dare kill your Second Mother! I’ll kill you!"
However, Dongfang Ren flashed over and knocked Wu Tong back.
Wu Caicai withdrew her sword, turned, and walked away. There was nothing more to say.
"You unfilial girl, stop!"
"I can forget what happened, but just have your people save your second uncle, quickly."
Wu Tong could see that his second brother was on his last breath, so he finally relented and softened his tone.
But Wu Caicai only sneered, replying word by word, "His own daughter ran off and abandoned him. Your most beloved niece, her heart is so hard she won’t even care for her own father. So why should I care what happens to him?"
Hearing this, Wu Tong was stunned.
He looked around, but there was no sign of Wu Yiyi. She had really run off.
Just then, an elder from the Hundred Flames Trading Company stepped out and rebuked Wu Caicai, "Yiyi was unconscious! That’s why Zheng Zhuhe carried her away. I saw it clearly with my own eyes."
At that, Wu Tong’s vigor returned, and he cursed, "You unfilial girl! Do you think Yiyi could be as venomous as you?"
The moment he said that, Wu Caicai, who had been feeling a shred of pity, abruptly stopped and slowly turned back...
And then... HAHAHAHA!
Wu Caicai laughed, laughed so hard that tears started to form. Then, her expression suddenly grew serious. "You’re right. I am venomous."
After saying her piece, she ignored them completely. ’If nothing I do makes a difference, if no explanation will ever be enough, then there’s no need to explain at all.’
And just like that, Second Master Wu of the Hundred Flames Trading Company died.
As Wu Tong and his men wept and cursed... THUDDA-THUDDA-THUDDA!
Lu Chao’s tens of thousands of cavalry thundered in. His arrival brought the weeping of Wu Tong and his men to an abrupt halt.
It also silenced the clamor from everyone else present, great and small.
All eyes turned to Lu Chao on his warhorse. Some gazes were filled with adoration, others were complex, but not one person looked worried.
Because Lu Chao, unlike Lu Dingtian, would not kill without batting an eye.
Yin Ye approached and quickly filled him in on what had just happened.
Lu Chao gave a slight nod, then swept his gaze across the crowd. "Lu Dingtian and Nan Zhuiming have colluded with the Cyan Sword Great Empire and intend to invade our Azure Flame Domain. You are all aware of this now, are you not?"
Everyone, whether from the Great Wu Empire or the Hundred Countries, nodded gravely.
"That Young Master Cyan Sword, Yan Mu, told me that the people of our Azure Flame Domain could only become dogs or slaves. Once the Cyan Sword Great Empire conquers the Azure Flame Domain, every corner of it will become a living hell."
As Lu Chao’s voice thundered out, the crowd exchanged horrified glances, a chill running up their spines.
Lu Chao continued, "All of you, leave now. This place is about to become the battlefield where I face Lu Dingtian. You only need to know one thing: Lu Dingtian and Nan Zhuiming are treasonous dogs who intend to sell out the Azure Flame Domain."
"All of you must be careful on your way back, especially those from the Great Wu Empire. Beware of Lu Dingtian attempting to silence you."
Everyone held their breath. The more prominent figures cupped their fists in gratitude and prepared to depart.
Suddenly, a little boy ran out and asked, "General Lu Chao, can I spit on the Blood Stele now? Lu Dingtian is a great villain! He’s the piece of trash the whole world should be spitting on!"
At his words, everyone instinctively looked toward the Blood Stele. Now, only the two words "Lu Dingtian" remained on it.
Lu Chao’s expression stiffened for a moment, but then he smiled faintly. "Do as you see fit. But please, leave quickly."
Hearing this, the crowd surged toward the Blood Stele...
They spat furiously upon the two words of Lu Dingtian’s name, as if all the spittle from the past was now being endured by him.
No, back then, hardly anyone truly believed that Lu Chao would harm the innocent.
In the past, no one besides Lu Chao’s enemies had done anything to the Blood Stele. But now... countless people seethed with hatred for Lu Dingtian, knowing it was he and his two children who had slaughtered masses of prisoners and citizens just to frame Lu Chao.
"Father, you died at Lu Dingtian’s hands. This is the only way your son can vent his rage on your behalf."
A man sobbed uncontrollably beneath the Blood Stele before kneeling heavily before Lu Chao. "General Lu Chao," he pleaded, "you must make sure Lu Dingtian dies! Don’t let him be a scourge upon the Great Wu Empire! Don’t let him be a scourge upon the entire Azure Flame Domain!"
As the man spoke, a great many people knelt heavily before Lu Chao...
No one here doubted Lu Chao any longer. After all, Lu Dingtian had just tried to kill every single one of them to silence them.
"All of you, rise. Leave at once," Lu Chao said gravely, looking at the people before him.
And so, the crowd departed in silence.
At some point, Cheng Yunsu had walked up behind Lu Chao. She gazed at her husband on his warhorse, her heart filled with joy for him. Though Lu Dingtian had not yet been slain, a great weight had been lifted from her husband’s heart.
The Second Prince of Great Wu, Wu Zhiqiu, had exonerated him.
And now, the masses finally understood that Lu Chao had been framed.
Before long...
Aside from Lu Chao, Yin Ye, and their soldiers, the temporary town was now empty. Even Wu Tong had departed with the people from the Hundred Flames Trading Company. The atmosphere gradually grew heavy with killing intent.
The wind howled through the temporary town, whipping across the desolate arena stage...
BOOM...
A clap of thunder cracked, and sheets of rain suddenly poured from the sky, just like the night Cheng Yunsu had resurrected Lu Chao. The downpour washed over the Blood Stele, beating down upon Lu Chao and all his soldiers.
The next moment, the ground outside the temporary town began to tremble.
Lu Dingtian had returned on his warhorse, leading the troops of the Great Wu Empire back for the kill. At the same time, the forces of the Hundred Countries arrived, taking up position behind Lu Chao.
Lu Chao and Lu Dingtian faced each other from a distance, positioned on opposite ends of the temporary town.
At this moment, Wu Zhiqiu rode forward and roared, "Soldiers of the Great Wu Empire, hear me! I am Wu Zhiqiu, Second Prince of Great Wu! Lu Dingtian has colluded with the Cyan Sword Great Empire! His crime is punishable by death!"
Hearing this, a stir of confusion rippled through the ranks of the Great Wu Empire’s army standing in the rain.