Beastmaster of the Ages - Chapter 7852

Chapter 7768: Heading to the Tiger’s Den

Within the imperial city, several figures quietly departed.

These figures split into two groups, each acting on the orders of Inspectors Liu and Han.

However, when they actually attempted to search for Li Tianming, they discovered that the Beacon Ruins were so vast that they had nowhere to begin their search.

The Qianfeng Heavenly Emperor and Prince Yuan’s forces searched every possible location within the Beacon Ruins, but to no avail.

Li Tianming had already left the Beacon Ruins without a trace; of course, they couldn’t find him, and they hadn’t expected him to be so decisive.

Therefore, both the Qianfeng Heavenly Emperor and Prince Yuan dispatched more elite assassins to search the entire city for Li Tianming’s whereabouts.

…

Prince Yuan, already under immense pressure with this heavy responsibility, became even more so after the fruitless search, his expression turning ashen.

“That kid… he ran quite fast. I reckon after this attack, he’ll become even more cautious, making him much harder to capture,” the Myriad Realms Heavenly Emperor remarked, glancing at him.

Prince Yuan, standing beside him, said with a deep gaze, “They can run away, but they can’t hide. After this incident, the two women beside Li Tianming will most likely return to the Heavenly Emperor Sect to lay low. Staying in Fengxu isn’t a wise move. To find them, perhaps we should start with the Li family’s Heavenly Emperor Sect.”

“What if they figured this out and didn’t even return to their sect? After all, it might take a year or two to get there from Fengxu. If it drags on too long, it won’t be easy to explain to Lord Han.” The Heavenly Emperor of Myriad Realms had some doubts.

“We don’t necessarily need to find Li Tianming himself. As long as we threaten him with the Li Clan Heavenly Emperor Sect, he will naturally show himself,” Prince Yuan said slowly. “If he’s not at the Li Clan Heavenly Emperor Sect but in Fengxu, that’s fine too. We don’t lack manpower in Fengxu. We can keep in touch with both sides and make our move.”

“But… that’s just a small sect in the outer borders. Li Tianming most likely grew up under the protection of these two women, and his feelings for the sect might not be deep. Threatening him with that sect shouldn’t be enough for him. He might not care,” Emperor Chenxi added from the side.

“Yes, although he most likely stole the Divine Treasure Mine that Lord Han was supervising, we don’t have enough evidence. If we use such methods to capture him, and things accidentally escalate, the reputation of the Qianfeng Eternal Empire will be affected,” Emperor Wanjing still hesitated.

“We can’t worry about that now. Although that brat is hateful enough, blocking our descendants from participating in the Ten Thousand Sects Emperor War and stealing the Divine Treasure Mine, his talent is indeed high. If we miss this opportunity, by the time he truly joins the Republic of the Divine Heaven, or even the Great Wall of the Martial Immortal North Crown, it will be too late. We don’t have much time left,” Prince Yuan said coldly.

“Then… how many people should we send?” Empress Chenxi asked.

“I’ll go and see for myself. My friends, while I’m away from Fengxu, please help keep an eye on Fengxu,” Prince Yuan said, turning to the others and clasping his hands in a fist salute.

“That’s easy. Just go with peace of mind. If there’s any news about him in Fengxu, we’ll notify you immediately and help out,” the black-winged, black-haired Origin Blood Emperor said with a smile.

Prince Yuan nodded to the others, then concealed himself and headed towards the Giant Source-Attracting Plank Road of the Li Clan Heavenly Emperor Sect.

…

At this time, the Qianfeng Heavenly Emperor was somewhere in Fengxu.

He dispatched men to search Fengxu, not exactly to appease Inspector Liu, but not overly enthusiastic either, as he had his own reservations.

Emperor Qianfeng contacted Ji Ziling and Ji Qingyue via the communication star tower, informing them of Inspector Liu’s decision to eliminate Jiang Feiling and Wei Shengmo Ran.

Upon hearing the news, Ji Qingyue was stunned, her mind reeling.

“How could it have come to this? Didn’t she say she was giving Brother Tianming time to decide? Why did she kill Sister Ling’er and the others?” Ji Qingyue’s face was deathly pale, and she felt weak.

Ji Qingyue couldn’t understand why Li Tianming, relying on Emperor Qianfeng’s connections and showcasing his talent, would pay such a high price to enter the Gonghe Divine Heaven.

Ji Ziling was equally incredulous, her mouth slightly open, unsure what to say.

However, she was much more mature than Ji Qingyue and accepted the situation more quickly.

Feeling sorry for the devastated Ji Qingyue, she put her arm around her shoulder.

“Xiao Yue, these powerful figures are complex and wield immense power. Their decisions are unpredictable. Father Emperor is also acting against his will. If we don’t obey orders, we will suffer, and it might even implicate the entire Qianfeng royal family.” Ji Ziling explained with heartache upon seeing Ji Qingyue’s dejected expression.

Ji Qingyue’s eyes were somewhat vacant, but she still nodded. “I understand Father Emperor’s predicament, but I truly consider him a friend, and I don’t want his loved ones to be killed. They have such a close relationship; how heartbroken Brother Tianming would be if he truly lost them…”

“Xiao Yue…” Ji Ziling lowered her eyes, remaining silent.

Seeing this, the Qianfeng Heavenly Emperor also frowned deeply.

He sighed softly, “In this matter, we have indeed failed Heaven, but we must also consider the well-being of our people. Therefore, I can only do whatever Inspector Liu orders.”

“Father, I implore you, within the bounds of what you can control, leave Li Tianming a sliver of hope. If he can truly survive with his two wives under Inspector Liu’s scheme, I think he will understand our predicament, and it will also leave a trace of goodwill for both sides.” Ji Ziling knelt before the light and shadow of the communication star tower.

“Please grant my request, Father!” Ji Qingyue also knelt.

“If I were truly so heartless and indifferent, I wouldn’t have come to tell you about this. Of course, I also hope he can overcome this calamity, but only if it doesn’t affect my reporting.” Emperor Qianfeng’s gaze was profound. He added, “Although I still think highly of him, we cannot allow the deliberate protection of him to affect our entire clan.”

“Thank you, Father,” Ji Qingyue and Ji Ziling said simultaneously.

They both knew this was the greatest concession Emperor Qianfeng could make.

From the fact that he only ordered a search of Fengxu initially, and not too many people were sent out, it was clear that he was showing leniency towards Li Tianming.

“Previously, Lady Liu would stay in Fengxu for nine months, after which she would leave directly,” Emperor Qianfeng suddenly said meaningfully.

“What if we don’t find Tianming by then?” Ji Ziling asked.

“If it really comes to that, the possibility of Tianming following Lady Liu to the Republic of the Divine Heaven will probably be completely severed. He might even incur Lady Liu’s wrath, and it’s uncertain whether he will face retaliation for offending her in the future,” Emperor Qianfeng said helplessly. “And we might also be blamed, thus worsening our relationship with Lady Liu.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingyue’s face scrunched up even more, extremely conflicted and annoyed.

On one hand, she was at odds with Li Tianming, and on the other hand, her family had fallen out with Inspector Liu, possibly even becoming enemies.

Neither of these outcomes was what Ji Qingyue wanted.

Through this incident, the two princesses of the Qianfeng Eternal Empire finally saw through the true nature of Inspector Liu, who appeared reasonable on the surface.

At least, working under her meant that the Qianfeng Heavenly Emperor had to do all the dirty and hard work, and it was thankless work.

“Hopefully, things will take a turn for the better…” Ji Ziling said, her mind heavy with worry.

At this moment, Emperor Qianfeng was unaware that Prince Yuan’s forces were also searching for Li Tianming…

After all, both were operating in secret, and the vast Fengxu was usually teeming with people, making it nearly impossible to bump into each other.

Both Emperor Qianfeng’s and Prince Yuan’s forces were focused on Fengxu and the Li Clan Star System, and no one could have imagined that Li Tianming would head to the headquarters of Emperor Wanjing at this crucial juncture.

No one expected him to be so audacious!

While both were powerful nations within the inner borders, Emperor Qianfeng at least harbored no hostility towards him, but Emperor Wanjing was different; Li Tianming was heading straight for the tiger’s den!