The Imperial City was ablaze with lights, not going out until dawn.
Chen Zong opened his eyes. A sharp light tore through the dusk of dawn. It was as bright as the sun in the day.
After a night of cultivation, Chen Zong naturally couldn't make any significant progress in his cultivation, but cultivation was like rowing a boat against the current, if he didn't advance, he would fall back. Persevering in cultivation was a good habit, slowly accumulating and settling down until the conditions were right.
Standing up, leaping forward, drawing his sword, Chen Zong practiced his Sword Skills in this small courtyard. Although it seemed chaotic, it actually contained profound mysteries.
* Bang bang bang! *
A dull sound rang out as the heavy wooden door of the courtyard shook.
Chen Zong casually waved his sword and used his strength to open the door, revealing two people standing outside. One of them was the restaurant waiter who had brought Chen Zong here yesterday while the other was a middle-aged fat man with a round belly. Although he was trying his best to restrain his aura, Chen Zong was still keenly aware that he was a Pseudo Transcendent Realm cultivator.
In an instant, Chen Zong became vigilant, but on the surface he remained calm.
"I am the shopkeeper of the Grand Harmony Restaurant." The fat man introduced himself. Chen Zong was even more surprised. The shopkeeper of a restaurant turned out to be a Pseudo Transcendent Realm master, unexpected.
However, in the Imperial City, this was nothing out of the ordinary, because the Grand Harmony Restaurant was the property of a Transcendent Realm master.
"The Grand Harmony Restaurant does not welcome you, leave immediately. As for the hundred spirit shells for your room, we will return them to you." The shopkeeper's tone was slightly cold, and Chen Zong could even see a trace of disgust in his small eyes.
Puzzled, Chen Zong was very puzzled. Logically speaking, this was his first time entering the Imperial City, and also his first time visiting the Grand Harmony Restaurant, so there shouldn't be any conflict between them.
However, the fat shopkeeper obviously didn't have any intention of explaining, turning around and leaving after speaking.
"Sir, please come out." The waiter was no longer as enthusiastic as he had been the day before. Instead, he was cold and impatient.
If there was no place for him here, there would be another place for him. Chen Zong didn't shamelessly walk away. He walked out of the Grand Pleasure Restaurant under several disdainful gazes.
Having just arrived at the Imperial City, Chen Zong didn't want to leave just like that. It was necessary to find another place to stay, so he went to the next restaurant.
"Your name is Chen Zong, and you came from Tianjiang Prefecture?"
"Get out! Get out! Our restaurant doesn't welcome traitors like you."
While pushing and shoving, Chen Zong left the second restaurant. His expression remained unchanged, but his mind was working quickly.
With just a few words, Chen Zong quickly sorted out his thoughts.
Deceiving his master and destroying his ancestors?
This was a serious crime. It was enough to make one a target of scorn.
In other words, the mastermind behind the scenes had once again started a conspiracy against him. Although he didn't know why the mastermind was doing this, it was definitely not good for him.
Perhaps leaving the Imperial City now was the best way, but Chen Zong didn't want to leave. Since the mastermind behind the scenes didn't directly take action, but added fuel to the fire behind the scenes, then he would deal with it.
Chen Zong walked to the third restaurant. However, the shopkeeper also asked for his name. After learning that it was Chen Zong, he asked where he came from. When he heard that he came from Tianjiang Prefecture, he also drove Chen Zong away with a face full of disgust.
"You're worse than a beast. Don't tarnish this place."
Chen Zong didn't feel angry. His heart was as calm as the ice sea.
"Traitors … Worse than a beast … How many more crimes are there?" Chen Zong murmured to himself.
They were trying to accuse him of more crimes.
They found seven restaurants and three inns in a row. After learning Chen Zong's name and background, they drove him away. They weren't afraid that Chen Zong would lose his temper and beat him. After all, this was the Imperial City. If anyone dared to make a move without permission, the Dragon Claw Guards would immediately come to arrest him. Those who dared to resist would be beheaded directly.
Chen Zong also heard all kinds of unpleasant words, such as beasts who betray their masters and ancestors are worse than ungrateful beasts, despicable and shameless, and so on. It almost made Chen Zong become a heinous person.
Moreover, Chen Zong also knew that no restaurant or inn would let him stay. It was useless no matter how much money he spent.
However, in such a large Imperial City, not everything was like those restaurants and inns. In the end, Chen Zong still found a place to stay. It was a small, dilapidated inn in a relatively remote alley. This kind of small inn run by people without any power did not care about your identity or background. As long as you paid the money, they would accept you.
Of course, the environment of this kind of small inn couldn't be compared to those big inns and restaurants.
An old wooden bed, a broken wooden table, and a bumpy chair were all the furnishings in the room. The remaining space was very small, and he could only turn around.
Chen Zong sat on the hard wooden bed. He wasn't cultivating, but was thinking. From all the clues he knew, he was trying to deduce who was plotting against him.
However, without enough information, Chen Zong couldn't deduce at the moment.
Suddenly, the old door was rudely pushed open and fell down. A few figures appeared outside the door. Their cold gazes swept into the room and landed on Chen Zong.
Chen Zong also looked over and was slightly startled. Among those people, he saw a familiar face.
"Ding Xuan …" Chen Zong was a little uncertain because this was the Imperial City of the Longtu Dynasty. It was very far away from the Cloud Dragon Dynasty. How could Ding Xuan appear here?
Hearing Chen Zong's two words, Ding Xuan's face darkened.
"My name is Long Pozong," he said, his voice cold and stiff.
He was indeed Ding Xuan. After being defeated by Chen Zong, he left the Imperial City of the Cloud Dragon Dynasty in search of a breakthrough. In the end, he cultivated to the level of half a step into the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm. After crossing the Sinking Feather River, he coincidentally met an expert from the Imperial Family. His cultivation level of half a step into the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Realm was quite extraordinary. Even if there were many geniuses in the Imperial Family, few could reach this level.
Naturally, Ding Xuan was brought into the Imperial City and accepted as a member of the Imperial Family. He changed his surname to Long Xuan.
However, Ding Xuan was very obsessed. He wanted to defeat Chen Zong and even kill Chen Zong. Therefore, not only did he change his surname, but he also changed his name.
Pozong!
The meaning of these two words was profound and direct.
Chen Zong was surprised to find that Ding Xuan … or rather, Long Pozong's cultivation level had reached the early stage of the ninth level of the True Martial Realm. To reach this level, he had put in a lot of effort and went through a lot of hardships. He had even walked the line between life and death a few times.
Relying on the Imperial Family was indeed very beneficial. Chen Zong sighed, but he was not the least bit envious.
If he could rely on himself, he would rely on himself. The path he walked would be even more exciting.
"Chen Zong, I heard that you are the most outstanding Sword Son in the history of the Unhindered Sword Sect. How could you live in such a shabby place? It's a disgrace to your status," Long Pozong said with a sneer.
From the moment he saw Ding Xuan, Chen Zong knew that Ding Xuan didn't come with good intentions. Therefore, Chen Zong didn't find it strange at all what Ding Xuan said.
As for the people standing behind Long Pozong, they all had cold expressions on their faces. The silver armor they wore was imprinted with the image of a dragon's tooth. They were the Dragonteeth Guard. Chen Zong also discovered that Ding Xuan was also wearing silver armor with the image of a dragon's tooth. However, the color was different.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You've already been expelled from the Unhindered Sword Sect. You betrayed your master, destroyed your ancestors, and are ungrateful. I didn't think that you would be such a person." Ding Xuan spoke with a face of sudden realization. He looked very pained, but his eyes were full of mockery.
However, Chen Zong's expression was still calm. He didn't fly into a rage out of humiliation because of Ding Xuan's mockery. That kind of calm gaze actually made Ding Xuan feel uncomfortable and even angrier.
"Ding Xuan, you didn't come looking for me just to say these words, did you?" Chen Zong opened his mouth and spoke in a calm tone.
Ding Xuan took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Of course, he hadn't come looking for Chen Zong to mock him, but because he had a mission. It was just that the grudge between him and Chen Zong was too deep. It was to the point that anger surged in his heart whenever he saw Chen Zong, so he had to mock him.
"Chen Zong, although you've done many disgraceful things, you do have some talent. It just so happens that the third prince admires talented people the most and has decided to give you a chance. If you perform well, you may be able to be put in an important position by the third prince." Ding Xuan was very unwilling, but he had no choice. He had to rely on the third prince and was used by the third prince. Whatever the third prince ordered, he would carry it out accordingly.
"The third prince …" Chen Zong repeated silently, but he was a little confused.
The third prince should be referring to the third prince of the Longtu Dynasty. Why did he send someone to look for him at this time? Chen Zong couldn't help but feel puzzled.
However, no matter what kind of person the third prince was, Chen Zong wasn't interested in him at all. This was because Ding Xuan, whether it was Ding Xuan's expression or his words, revealed his hostility towards him.
"That's right, the third prince of the dynasty. He's the most capable one among the nine princes. It's your good fortune to be chosen by the third prince," Ding Xuan said with a cold smile.
"Thank you, third prince, for thinking highly of me. I'm afraid I don't have that good fortune." Chen Zong smiled slightly and responded to Ding Xuan in a calm tone.
"So you're saying that you're rejecting?" Ding Xuan was secretly delighted. He smiled coldly and said, "I'm rejecting the third prince's invitation."
Chen Zong really didn't want to talk to Ding Xuan anymore. When they were in the Cloud Dragon Dynasty, although Ding Xuan was hostile towards him, at that time, Chen Zong felt that Ding Xuan was a person with integrity. He didn't expect that Ding Xuan would change so much in just a few years. Of course, it was also possible that his impression of Ding Xuan back then was wrong.
"Good, good, good. Not only did you reject the third prince's invitation, I heard that you also rejected the Jinghong Mansion's master's offer to take you in as a disciple. The reason was that you didn't want to change your surname. It seems that you look down on the surname Longtu." Ding Xuan didn't hesitate to slander Chen Zong.
"Ding Xuan, don't speak carelessly. I've never looked down on any surname." Chen Zong said solemnly.
To be able to establish a dynasty, the ancestor of the Dragontu Dynasty was undoubtedly worthy of respect. What reason did Chen Zong have to look down on the surname Longtu? Besides, wasn't looking down on the surname Longtu just making trouble for himself for no reason?
"Hmph hmph." Ding Xuan smiled coldly and swept his eyes over Chen Zong with a trace of undetectable viciousness. As if he hadn't heard Chen Zong's words, he turned around and strode away with a few Dragonteeth Guards, disappearing before Chen Zong's eyes.
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