Chapter 116 - Visiting the Tong Mansion

Chapter 116: Chapter 114 Visiting the Tong MansionLu Hong had just been respectfully seen out of the Kengri family mansion when Ge San from General Tong’s Mansion sprouted up from who knows where.

Ge San walked towards Lu Hong with a smile, "Mr. Lu, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?"

"This isn’t...," Lu Hong was about to say the other person’s name but to his regret, it seemed he hadn’t quite remembered it.

"Mr. Lu can just call me Ge San," Ge San said without pretense in front of Lu Hong. Able to fight with the young master of the Tong house and ending up with the lord himself cleaning up afterward, Ge San certainly couldn’t afford to put on airs.

"I wonder what brings Ge San here today," Lu Hong would, of course, not call him Ge San directly, but referred to him as Ge Old, just like General Tong did.

"Replying to Mr. Lu, ever since you taught our young master a lesson, old master Tong has asked me to invite you back to the mansion for a chat. However, hearing that you were seriously injured, I waited here," Ge San answered.

"General Tong has invited me to his mansion for a chat?" Lu Hong nodded, "Just right, I also have some matters I’d like to consult General Tong about."

"Then, please follow me, Mr. Lu." Ge San clapped his hands and a palanquin made of solid gold appeared around the street corner, carried by eight Demon Race men at the Second-Transformation Peak, who respectfully said to Lu Hong, "Please get into the palanquin, Mr. Lu."

"Let’s forget it, we can walk together." Lu Hong really wasn’t accustomed to riding in such relics of the old society, so he refused the gesture and strode alongside Ge San following his lead to General Tong’s Mansion.

Ku Le was not wrong; the gate of General Tong’s Mansion was even more majestic than the Kengri family’s. The walls were made of pure white gold stone, a building material on the Continent of God’s Grace reserved only for the use of temples. Each cubic meter of white gold stone was worth a fortune, indicating that the Kengri family really spent a hefty price to please General Tong.

With Lu Hong’s arrival, a row of Demon Race soldiers, each with the strength of Second Transition Level 3, appeared on the ramparts of General Tong’s Mansion. Each soldier held a giant horn, and at a given command, they blew them in unison.

The deep sound immediately echoed throughout the entire city, and amidst the blaring horns, General Tong’s Mansion’s chief steward also appeared above the gate, summoning the Demonic Qi and bellowed, "Today, a distinguished guest visits the General’s Mansion, the city will feast for three days, all expenses are covered by our Tong Mansion!"

Lu Hong looked up at the middle-aged chief steward and smacked his lips; this was far more grandiose than what young master Zhao could afford. Covering the tab meant taking care of the entire city.

"Open the gates, welcome the honored guest!" The chief steward, seeing Lu Hong looking at him, quickly bowed humbly.

As the gates opened, a row of cavalry charged out, lining up in two rows to welcome Lu Hong’s arrival.

Compared to the Kengri family’s female group’s welcome, Lu Hong felt that General Tong’s arrangement suited him a bit better.

"Let’s go." Lu Hong stepped through the gates of General Tong’s Mansion and arrived at General Tong’s guest hall.

"Mr. Lu, there’s no particular formality in Tong’s Mansion, please make yourself comfortable," the chief steward pointed to a cottage ahead, "General Tong is resting inside; we will not inconvenience you by following you further."

"Thank you." Lu Hong nodded at the chief steward, pushed the door, and entered the cottage.

The cottage was not large; upon entering, he saw a child leaning on a straw mat with his eyes closed and legs crossed, lacking the dignified presence he had the first time they met in the busy market.

"You’ve arrived?" The childlike voice reached Lu Hong’s ears, "Just grab a cushion to sit on, there’s tea on the table, help yourself."

"Thank you, General Tong." Lu Hong was not shy; when in Rome, do as the Romans do. He casually pulled a rush mat from the ground, sat opposite General Tong, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup of tea.

He tilted his head back and drank, a rush of warmth cascaded down his throat.

"What a waste," General Tong saw Lu Hong’s hearty drinking, waved his large hand, and all the tea utensils were collected into his storage ring, replaced with a special liquor from the Demon Race.

"General Tong, your tea doesn’t seem to be that great."

"Not great because you drank it too quickly? Do you know how expensive this tea is?" General Tong glared at Lu Hong with irritation, then sat up straight and said, "Speaking of which, I still have to thank you for teaching those two ignorant sons of mine."

Hearing General Tong’s thanks, Lu Hong did not dare to presume, "General Tong is too kind; not holding a grudge against me is already the greatest gift."

General Tong shook his head with a smile, "Actually, the reason those two sons of mine clashed with the Kengri family is because of a comment I made. Five months ago, I called them and told them that whoever could win the Kengri family’s allegiance would qualify to inherit the position of City Lord."

Continuing, General Tong shook his head yet again in a double negative to affirm, "That incompetent younger son of mine knew he couldn’t compare in strength to his elder brother, so he thought of crooked schemes, starting with Cui Xi, aiming to erode the Kengri family bit by bit. Such underhanded tactics, he truly disgraced the Tong family name. Thankfully, you were there to intervene in time. As for my eldest son, conspiring with the Blood King, wanting to rely on an alliance with the Blood City to gain more support in contending with me. A good idea in theory, but inviting the wolf into the house will only harm oneself in the end. Thanks to you as well for pulling him back from the brink."

Good grief, both of General Tong’s sons had fallen to Lu Hong’s hand. Had it been any other parent, they might have harbored thoughts of murder, but General Tong seemed unperturbed.

In just a few words, General Tong articulated both sons’ entire plans and intentions. What puzzled people, however, was that even though General Tong disapproved of his sons’ actions, he didn’t seem to have any intention of intervening personally. Were it not for Lu Hong’s interference, the successful younger brother, Tong Ling, might have already started a fight with his brother, Tong Shuai.

"General Tong, your sons are already quite formidable. It’s just that you, as their father, are too strong, completely overshadowing them." Lu Hong wouldn’t join General Tong in criticizing Tong Ling and Tong Shuai—their father could scold his own sons however he liked, but as an outsider, he thought it wiser to praise.

"Prestige?" General Tong sneered softly, "Take Tong Ling for example; he thinks he’s stepped into the ranks of the top fighters of the wasteland, but he couldn’t be more mistaken. Had you not awakened him a few days ago, his arrogance would have undoubtedly led him to an early grave."

"Ugh..." Lu Hong didn’t want to respond to that. He and Tong Ling were probably on par with each other. If Tong Ling wasn’t among the top fighters of the Different Realms, then he definitely fell short. Although this was the truth, sometimes the truth can be so disappointing.

General Tong looked at Lu Hong and asked, "Do you know how strong I really am?"

Lu Hong shook his head: "I don’t know."

"Once I leave the Different Realms, I am at the Third Transition Peak," General Tong said. "The top echelons in the Different Realms all have the strength of the Third Transition Peak. Even with the plane’s suppression, their foundation is much stronger than that of the typical Second Transition Level 4, so thinking of overpowering everyone through the plane’s restrictions is simply impossible."

"General Tong is at the Third Transition Peak?" Lu Hong very much agreed with his statement. Although everyone in the Different Realms was at Second Transition Level 4, those who were pushed down from the Third Transition were many times more formidable than those who had just barely reached Level 4.

"Exactly. Every hundred years, I must leave the Different Realms to seek opportunities to level up in other planes," General Tong candidly spoke of his own strength. "It won’t be long before my next departure, but this time, I am seeking the method to break through to demigod status. I fear I won’t be able to return to the Different Realms for hundreds of years, which is why I’m considering setting up my own position as City Lord."

Lu Hong found himself less inclined to keep the conversation going. Was General Tong too straightforward, or did he have an ulterior motive? Why would he disclose everything to him?

Seeing Lu Hong silent, General Tong laughed and said, "Don’t worry, I just think highly of you."

"Thanks for the high regard, General Tong." Think highly of him? How? Why would a powerful demon suddenly take such an interest in a member of another race? It felt spine-chilling no matter how he thought about it.

"I heard that you are searching for the Mysterious Artifact?" General Tong didn’t wait for Lu Hong to ask but offered proactively, "I can indeed tell you some useful information about the Mysterious Artifact."

"What information?"

"I indeed possess the Mysterious Artifact," General Tong said quietly, watching Lu Hong. "The Ancestral Demon Kill that Tong Ling used that day is a Skill passed down from the Mysterious Artifact."

"..." You already have the Mysterious Artifact, what kind of news is that to me! Lu Hong dared not say it out loud, but inwardly he was cursing up a storm.

"Hahaha." General Tong suddenly burst into laughter. "I may have the Mysterious Artifact, but it isn’t actually in my possession."

??? Now Lu Hong was even more confused. You have the Mysterious Artifact, but it’s not with you? What kind of logic was that?

"The Mysterious Artifact of the Demon Race is too mysterious. When my Sacred Demon lineage left the Demon Race’s ancestral star and crossed countless planes to reach the Different Realms, it was for this pair of Mysterious Artifacts. If it were really that easy to obtain, then why would my Sacred Demon lineage have suffered on this remote prison planet until now?" General Tong was right. As a powerhouse at the Third Transition Peak, every level up required him to leave. After upgrading, he would return to the Different Realms, likely all for the sake of the Mysterious Artifact he mentioned.

Somewhat hesitant, Lu Hong asked, "If the Mysterious Artifact is so important to the Demon Race, then why are you telling me about it, General Tong?"

"Because I believe you can find the Mysterious Artifact."

"Didn’t you say you’ve already obtained it?"

General Tong shook his head, "Let me explain it to you first. There are two Mysterious Artifacts, and the Tang clan separates them into tangible and intangible. The tangible Artifact is currently enshrined in the Demon King’s palace, but it has no power at all. It’s the intangible Artifact that contains countless powerful abilities. And this intangible Artifact, true to its name, is profoundly mysterious and elusive. Although I have the Mysterious Artifact, it’s only a shadow projection of it. There are hundreds of such shadow projections existing within the Demon Race, each controlled by major families. However, these projections are ultimately just illusory shadows that will one day disappear. Therefore, I hope you can help our Demon Race find the real Mysterious Artifact."

"Me?" Lu Hong shook his head repeatedly: "Forget about it. Your Demon Race has been trying to do this one thing for a lifetime without success, and I don’t have the ability either."

"No, you do," General Tong said with a smile. "Believe it or not, the Mysterious Artifact will ultimately come to you through fate."

"General Tong is overestimating me," Lu Hong bowed slightly, thinking to himself that he should have known better than to come to the Demon Race looking for the Mysterious Artifact. He couldn’t understand how such a difficult-to-find Mysterious Artifact had been discovered by a thief in the game in the past.

"There’s no rush. My Sacred Demon lineage has planned for tens of thousands of years for this Mysterious Artifact; we’re not concerned about a moment’s delay," General Tong wasn’t pressuring Lu Hong and continued, "I heard you’re not from our Different Realms?"

"That’s correct, I come from the Continent of God’s Grace."

General Tong nodded approvingly, "Very honest, I like that."

Presumably, General Tong had already figured out Lu Hong’s origins. The inquiry might just be a test.

"Since you’re from the Continent of God’s Grace, have you heard of the Golden Lion?"

"I know of him, a prince of the Beastman Empire with the highest level of the Lionheart bloodline," Lu Hong said. "I received news some time ago that he seems to be plotting to enter the Different Realms. That lion is very strong, but I’m not quite sure how much his strength will be suppressed here in the Different Realms."

General Tong nodded and said, "The suppression of the Different Realms is indeed significant for him; otherwise, the beast clans would have been massacred by him long ago."

"What?!" Lu Hong was startled. Although he knew from Caesar’s letter that the Golden Lion had come to the Different Realms, he would at least have to sneak in, right? How was it possible that he nearly annihilated the beast clans’ territory? What kind of operation was this?

"Three days ago, Demon King Yan received a plea for help from the beast clans. Reliable information has it that the Beastman Empire from the Continent of God’s Grace has deployed a large army to the Different Realms. Unhappy with the large influx of external forces, there was a conflict with the Golden Lion. As a result, the Golden Lion led a small group of a hundred and broke through eighteen beast clan defense lines, stormed the beastmen’s main city, and killed the Beast King."

"That powerful?" Lu Hong truly hadn’t expected this damned creature to cause such an uproar in the Different Realms. Was it because his previous plans had been thwarted and he had come to the Different Realms for revenge?

"The native beast clans of the Different Realms didn’t wish to submit to the Beastmen from the Continent of God’s Grace, and so they sought help from both our Demon Race and the Human Race. After discussions, Demon King Yan and the Red Empress decided to set aside past differences and form an alliance to handle this pressing matter, driving out the Beastmen from the Continent of God’s Grace once and for all!"