Chapter Fifty-Six: Bo Juncheng

Du Guling and his companions passed through the city gates and arrived at the special reception point set up by the Divine Hidden Pavilion in Starry Sky City, the imperial capital of the Starry Sky Empire.

“Look, Brother Du Gu, over there is the reception point for the Divine Hidden Pavilion. What do you think?” Ouyang Chi asked.

Following the direction of Ouyang Chi’s finger, a lavish administrative building came into view. Why call it lavish? Just look—the grounds alone covered several thousand square meters, right in the most opulent district of Starry Sky City.

Above the entrance, human-sized golden characters proclaimed: “Divine Hidden Pavilion Reception.” The bold, sweeping calligraphy radiated a breathtaking grandeur, while the extravagant interior decor and splendid furnishings spoke of ultimate luxury. Compared to it, the Iron Bull Smithy was like a firefly before the sun.

Du Guling exclaimed in amazement, “This is truly extravagant! I didn’t expect the Divine Hidden Pavilion’s reception point here to be so elegant. It’s on a whole different level from the Iron Bull.”

“That’s nothing. This is only a temporary transfer point set up by the Divine Hidden Pavilion. Wait until you reach the Pavilion itself—you’ll feel like a country bumpkin entering a grand palace,” Ouyang Chi said with a laugh at Du Guling’s bedazzled expression.

“What?” Du Guling asked in disbelief. Such a luxurious building was merely a temporary transfer point for the Divine Hidden Pavilion?

“What else did you expect?” Ouyang Chi replied. “The Divine Hidden Pavilion didn’t even have to lift a finger for this. The imperial family of the Starry Sky Empire personally arranged for its construction.”

“But why?” Du Guling was puzzled. Building such a reception point couldn’t have been cheap, and the Starry Sky Empire didn’t seem like the type to make losing investments.

“You don’t get it. The Starry Sky Empire couldn’t be happier to make such ‘bad deals’—anything to leave a good impression on the Divine Hidden Pavilion. Officially, the four great empires control the northwest of the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, but in reality, the true masters behind the scenes are the Divine Hidden Pavilion. No one else can compare to their power,” Ouyang Chi said in a low voice, careful not to let others overhear.

“What?” Du Guling lowered his voice as well. “I just saw how well-armed this imperial city is. There must be millions of soldiers—surely they wouldn’t fear just one Divine Hidden Pavilion?”

Ouyang Chi shot him a sidelong glance, then leaned in to whisper in his ear, “You’d better be careful saying things like that in the future. You haven’t seen the true might of cultivators. Let me tell you, our Starry Sky Empire’s army numbers in the tens of millions. But what does that matter? If the Divine Hidden Pavilion’s patriarch shows up, those millions of elite soldiers would be reduced to ashes in moments.”

Du Guling stared at Ouyang Chi in utter disbelief.

Ouyang Chi nodded solemnly in confirmation.

So that’s how it was. Du Guling finally understood why Ouyang Chi told him he must become a powerful cultivator. If what Ouyang Chi said was true, and he could one day become like the patriarch of the Divine Hidden Pavilion, then not only could he avenge his brother, but even wiping out the entire Tumen clan would be within his grasp.

Du Guling unconsciously clenched his fists, steeling himself with determination—he would become a powerful cultivator, and avenge Brother Yuan Tianci.

With their conversation finished, the pair approached the entrance of the Divine Hidden Pavilion’s reception point, with Old Tian trailing behind them.

“Isn’t this Young Lord Ouyang of Cold Moon City? Why so late to report in?” No sooner had they stepped inside than a gentle, magnetic voice rang out behind them. Turning, they saw a young man standing there. His exquisitely tailored attire marked him as someone of extraordinary status. Though in his early twenties, he exuded a mature steadiness. His eyes were as deep as the night sky, his gaze as clear as moonlight, and a commanding aura lingered between his brows.

“Who is that?” Du Guling asked Ouyang Chi in a low voice.

“That’s Bo Juncheng, the young lord of Morning Star City, which neighbors ours. He’s the third son, and we get along well—he’s one of us,” Ouyang Chi explained, then strode forward and called out, “Young Lord Juncheng! It’s been a while, and you’re looking even more handsome these days.” He embraced Bo Juncheng warmly.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Young Lord Ouyang. In just a few days, you’ve grown even more impressive and commanding,” Bo Juncheng replied with a laugh.

“And who might this be?” Bo Juncheng asked, noticing Du Guling behind Ouyang Chi.

“I was just about to introduce you,” Ouyang Chi said, pulling Du Guling forward. “This is the renowned young master of the Iron Bull Smithy from Cold Moon City—Du Guling.”

“Oh, so you’re the Iron Bull’s young master,” Bo Juncheng said as he shook Du Guling’s hand. Then, curiously, he asked, “But isn’t the owner of the Iron Bull always surnamed Yuan?”

Ouyang Chi realized Bo Juncheng had unwittingly touched on a painful subject and quickly pulled him aside.

“This young brother Du Gu is Elder Yuan’s adopted son,” Ouyang Chi explained.

“I see. But aside from his white hair and that impressive sword he carries, I don’t see anything particularly special about him. Why did Elder Yuan take him as an adopted son?” Bo Juncheng mused.

“Did you notice the black hammer he carries on his back?” Ouyang Chi prompted.

“What?” Bo Juncheng covered his mouth in shock. “You mean that’s the same massive black iron hammer that even your father never managed to wield?”

“Exactly,” Ouyang Chi nodded.

It took Bo Juncheng a moment to recover from his astonishment. “So this brother is truly gifted—no wonder Elder Yuan took him as his adopted son. But why did you pull me aside?”

“You wouldn’t know,” Ouyang Chi said sadly. “Elder Yuan’s biological son—Brother Yuan Tianci—is dead.”

“What? How could that be? How did he die?” Bo Juncheng fired off questions in disbelief. He had met Yuan Tianci a few times and couldn’t believe such a man could simply die.

“It’s true. Brother Yuan Tianci was murdered,” Ouyang Chi replied regretfully.

“By whom?” Bo Juncheng asked urgently.

“There’s no proof yet, but I suspect it was Tumen Fu, the young lord of Sunset City,” Ouyang Chi said in a low, deliberate voice.

“What? Tumen Fu again! I can’t believe how brazen he’s become.” Bo Juncheng was indignant. As the young lord of Morning Star City, he’d dealt with Tumen Fu before and had always despised his character.

“So, best not to mention this in front of Brother Du Gu again. No need to stir up his grief,” Ouyang Chi advised.

Bo Juncheng nodded, then turned to Du Guling and said sincerely, “Brother Du Gu, my apologies. I am Bo Juncheng, young lord of Morning Star City, the third son—you may call me Juncheng. If anything I said just now was offensive, please forgive me.”

Du Guling was impressed by the courtesy of this young lord, who, despite his status, treated others with such respect. His opinion of Juncheng rose instantly, and he quickly replied, “No need to worry, no need at all. Besides, you didn’t say anything wrong.”

“Good, good. As long as there are no hard feelings, all is well,” Bo Juncheng said.

“Now that we’re all acquainted, we should hurry to register and head to the Divine Hidden Pavilion. There isn’t much time left,” Ouyang Chi said with a smile, pleased to see Du Guling and Bo Juncheng getting along so well.

P.S. My apologies—there was a power outage at school today, and the chapter I planned to post this afternoon was delayed until now. The intense trials are about to begin—please look forward to them! If you enjoy the story, don’t forget to add it to your favorites; your support means the world to Jimo.