Chapter 258 - 110: Your Vile Hobby Is Truly Despicable, The Barbarian Race’s Scheme, The Exotic Stone Brought Back From Overseas (2)

The Barbarian Race were a primitive people who ate raw flesh and drank blood. Most were uncivilized and simple-minded.

They relied on their Innate brute strength and their faith in the Barbarian God to gain power. They plundered Human Race cities year-round, and when food was scarce, they would even treat humans as rations.

In recent years, however, the Barbarian noble class had gradually become more civilized. Their intellect had sharpened, and they formed a ruling class with strict rules and a variety of well-made weapons.

The Barbarian Race, once considered a minor nuisance, had slowly grown into a threat to Great Xia.

Furthermore, the Barbarians reproduced at an alarming rate. Even other Alien Races suffered at their hands, which often resulted in the emergence of the Mixed-blood Barbarian Race.

Their intelligence was comparable to that of the Human Race, and they also carried alien bloodlines, enabling them to use the Cultivation Techniques of various races, making them incredibly powerful.

Every few years, Great Xia would dispatch a grand army to conduct the regular Southern Hunting. The major Immortal Sect Lineages would also attend to observe the ceremony, a tradition that had been established in Great Xia for millennia.

Before each Southern Hunting, the Royal Family would also conduct a rehearsal.

The rehearsal was held in the mountains behind Jingyang City. Numerous experts would join forces to open an Ancient Hunting Ground located in the Void, where they would release a group of death-row prisoners for a hunting competition.

The Royal Family would offer generous rewards, bestowing many precious Merits and Treasures, Celestial and Earthly Treasures, and Magical Artifact Inscriptions. Various Immortal Sect Lineages would also participate to get a piece of the action.

Jiang Lan was familiar with the plot, so of course he knew the Blood Immortal Church would stir up trouble at this time.

Song Youwei had just been summoned, so she was undoubtedly discussing and plotting something. ’As for whether things will unfold according to the plot I know... I’ll just have to ask her when she gets back.’

With a mole planted in the Blood Immortal Sect, he wasn’t worried about things spiraling out of his control.

「Meanwhile.」

Xiao Teng was about to leave the Garden of Osmanthus and return to Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion. He never expected that just as he pushed open the main gate, he would nearly collide with a charming, beautiful woman wearing a veiled hat.

Hu Sanniang, acting on the Naxian Alliance Leader’s orders to retrieve the woman residing in the Garden of Osmanthus, was equally surprised to see a strange man emerge from the residence so late at night.

With a look of surprise and suspicion, she sized up the sharply dressed Xiao Teng before her, quickly recognizing him by the moonlight.

As a high-ranking member of the Naxian Alliance, she was naturally familiar with the scions of Jingyang City’s powerful families.

Xiao Teng hadn’t bothered to conceal his face, and anyone familiar with Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion would know who he was.

"You’re... Xiao Teng, the third young master?" Hu Sanniang asked tentatively.

Xiao Teng was shocked that she had recognized him instantly and even called him by name.

"You’re... from the Naxian Alliance?" he asked, steadying himself.

Hu Sanniang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "I am."

At this, Xiao Teng was completely relieved.

Hu Sanniang now had a good idea who the woman in the Garden of Osmanthus was. A clandestine, late-night meeting with the third young master of Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, combined with the recent, sensational prison break...

"Please take good care of Jian Jia."

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Xiao Teng left these words behind and departed in a hurry.

Hu Sanniang said no more. As instructed, she entered the garden and quickly found Ye Shiyin. After explaining her purpose, the very cooperative Ye Shiyin packed her belongings and left with her.

Jiang Lan, who hadn’t gone far from the Garden of Osmanthus, watched this scene unfold from a distance and nodded in satisfaction.

He had arranged for Hu Sanniang to arrive after 7:00 PM precisely so she and Xiao Teng would run into each other.

This would not only dispel any doubts or suspicions the two might have, but it would also pave the way for him to have Xiao Teng make contact with the Naxian Alliance in the future.

’The key to opening the Emperor’s Temple is in the hands of the National Master, Ge Qixing...’

’In the original plot, he was the only one who deciphered the Spirit Turtle Divination Shell, but that can wait.’

’Once I’ve dealt with the current issues, I can start planning for the Circulation Thirty-Six True Immortal Techniques.’

On his way back to the Desire Immortal Pavilion, Jiang Lan’s thoughts turned to other matters.

With the Southern Hunting rehearsal imminent, Emperor Xia would be swamped and have no time or inclination to investigate or monitor him.

The only thing on his mind was the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

Back in Anyang City, a Commander from the Observatory named Linglong had paid him a visit.

She was ostensibly asking about the assassination attempt on him in Yu Yi City, but she was actually trying to control the insects, birds, and other animals in his residence to monitor his movements.

Jiang Lan considered his actions meticulous, leaving no flaws or openings. ’So how did that Commander from the Observatory notice me?’

His guess at the time was that there was a problem with his file at the Observatory—either it was incomplete, or it contained some logical inconsistency that couldn’t be reconciled.

If it were either of the latter two possibilities, he could use it to manipulate Emperor Xia.

Although the commander named Linglong belonged to the Observatory and theoretically shouldn’t meddle in the Royal Family’s affairs, the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain backing her was a different story. It was a well-known Royalist Faction within Great Xia.

At any critical juncture, they would undoubtedly side with the Royal Family.

Besides the three great Sword Sects—the Canglan Sword Sect, the Infinite Sword Sect, and the Dao Cang Sword Sect—there were six other Dao Lineages in Great Xia whose power and foundations were in no way inferior to those of the top Immortal Sects.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was one of them.