I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 219
With one look, Xiang Shaoyun knew who the middle-aged man was. He bowed deferentially. "This nephew greets Uncle Tang."
The middle-aged man was none other than Tang Longfei's father—the sworn brother of Xiang Shaoyun's father, Xiang Yangzhan—and the current governor of Bloodsin City, Tang Zhan. Xiang Shaoyun had once met Tang Zhan during childhood, and Tang Zhan had been quite kind to him back then. Thus, his respect toward this uncle was sincere.
"Haha, excellent! I never expected that you would still remember your Uncle Tang, kid. I thought you had completely forgotten about me!" said Tang Zhan with a chortle.
After Xiang Shaoyun's appearance on the Bloodsin Arenas, the governor's butler, Zhang Sheng, had shown Tang Zhan the recordings of Xiang Shaoyun's battle. Since then, Tang Zhan had been having Zheng Sheng watch over Xiang Shaoyun in secret. He immediately rushed back from the Devil Domain, determined to personally meet and protect his sworn brother's sole son.
Subsequently, Tang Longfei had also entered the Devil Domain with Xiang Shaoyun. He had personally witnessed Xiang Shaoyun's strength, and when Tang Zhan had learned of that, the only thought he had was that Xiang Shaoyun was truly worthy of being his sworn brother's son and that the boy lived up to his father's strength!
The moment Xiang Shaoyun arrived at the fort above the Devil Domain, Tang Zhan received news of his return. After all, this Bloodsin City was his territory. Nothing in the city could be hidden from him. After returning from the fort, Xiang Shaoyun had not gone to the city hall immediately. Rather, he had returned to the Skeleton Gang and got into a fight with the Noxious Blood Gang.
When Tang Zhan heard words of that, he quickly arrived with Tang Longfei. He was the governor of this Bloodsin City, a person of great power. For someone like him to directly come looking for Xiang Shaoyun made it clear how much importance he attached to this son of his sworn brother.
"You must be kidding, Uncle Tang. If I had known you were the governor here, I would have come seeking refuge long ago! Why would I have drifted about hiding everywhere?" Xiang Shaoyun said in a self-mocking manner.
Tang Zhan heavily patted Xiang Shaoyun's shoulder. "Sigh, I know about everything that has happened. It has been hard on you."
"No, it's all my fault for being so useless. If I had been less useless, how could that old scoundrel, Di Batian, have prevailed?" Xiang Shaoyun said, his voice laced with hatred.
"Di Batian is a traitorous bastard who had long been plotting to rebel. Your father's departure for his battle had given him the opportunity to do just what he had planned. You were still young. There was nothing you could have done," Tang Zhan comforted.
"You're right, Uncle Tang. But I will personally take back everything that once belonged to my father," said Xiang Shaoyun seriously.
"Um, it's good that you have such ambition. I will support you with everything I have when the time comes," said Tang Zhan in a gratified manner. "So, are you going to invite your Uncle Tang inside or are you going to let me stand out here as we talk?"
With Tang Zhan's reminder, Xiang Shaoyun quickly apologized, "Your nephew was too excited to see you, Uncle Tang. I completely forgot to invite both of you in. It's my bad. Come on in!"
He personally led Tang Zhan and Tang Longfei in and ordered for tea to be served. Tang Zhan studied his surroundings, and his gaze eventually landed on Du Xuanhao. A praising look surfaced in his eyes.
Du Xuanhao knew who Tang Zhan was. His heart was overwhelmed with shock, The young master is indeed someone with an extraordinary status. Even this Bloodsin City's governor is his uncle! Looks like this will be a safe harbor for the young master, then!
Du Xuanhao was not some ignorant person. He had a rough understanding of the internal affairs of this Bloodsin City, and he also knew that the governor held absolute power within the city. The governor standing before him was definitely someone with an unfathomable strength. With such a backer, this city would indeed be a safe harbor for Xiang Shaoyun. The group entered the hall, and Tang Longfei took the chance to speak.
"Shaoyun, I heard you're a special-recruit disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy? Is that true?" Tang Longfei asked with a burning gaze.
"You are well informed, Big Brother Tang. That had happened not long ago," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile.
"So it is true that the Four Great Ancient Academies fought to recruit you?" Tang Longfei asked.
"They were merely being kind," said Xiang Shaoyun humbly.
"Haha, I knew you would amaze the world with a single brilliant feat! Looks like if I fail to pass the entrance test, I will have to rely on you to bring me in!" said Tang Longfei with a hearty laugh.
Chapter 522: Birth Mystery
"You must be kidding, Big Brother Tang. If you can't even enter with your capabilities, nobody will be able to!" said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Shaoyun, I am being serious. Everyone knows how strict the entrance tests of the Four Great Ancient Academies are. Anyone can fail. I don't have full confidence that I won't fail either," said Tang Longfei seriously.
"If the worst case scenario really happens, I will definitely bring you in," Xiang Shaoyun promised. He might not care about others, but he had to treat Tang Longfei like his own brother. Thus, he agreed without any hesitation.
"Haha, with that promise, I am at ease," said Tang Longfei cheerfully.
Tang Zhan interjected, "Is that all you're good for? Yes, the Dragon Phoenix Academy is prestigious and has a strict recruitment process. But if you don't even have the confidence to pass their test, you shouldn't even bother going."
"Come on, Father. That will only be a preventive measure. Of course I am confident I can get through the test," said Tang Longfei.
Tang Zhan ignored his son and asked Xiang Shaoyun, "Shaoyun, tell me. What is going on between you, the Skeleton Gang, and the Noxious Blood Gang?"
It was obvious Xiang Shaoyun had gotten the Skeleton Gang under his control, but it was unknown how he had accomplished that. Xiang Shaoyun gave a simplified version of everything that had happened after he had arrived at this Bloodsin City. Of course, he was still careful to leave out the things that he shouldn't say.
He attributed most of his success to the nether prison devil puppet and Du Xuanhao. He did not mention anything about Devouring Ghost. After all, Devouring Ghost's very identity was a taboo that could not be known by those super organizations. Otherwise, things would get very troublesome.
Tang Zhan did not doubt his words. He praised, "Kid, you are similar to your father when he was young. When I met you at the Ziling Sect in the past, you were still a naughty child. But now, you're all grown up. At least we have one good thing that has come out of the Ziling Sect incident."
"Uncle Tang, do you think my father will return?" Xiang Shaoyun couldn't help asking.
"Shangguan Wusheng the Death Magistrate is the most outstanding genius of the ancient Shangguan Clan in the last thousand years. He is equally matched with your father, and the two had fought a battle at the forbidden area Wumo Pass. I have people searching for them at the pass across all these years, but nothing has been found. I'm afraid..." Tang Zhan wasn't too optimistic. He paused for a bit and continued, "However, your father is a remarkable genius with excellent trump cards in protecting his life. I believe he will be able to return safely. You have to know that he is a freak that once survived the seventh layer of the Devil Domain."
"What? My father once went to the seventh layer?" Xiang Shaoyun cried out in alarm.
The seventh layer and beyond of the Devil Domain was where the strongest devils resided, including the Four Paramount Devil Clans. Even those above the Sovereign Realm would fear to go that deep. Xiang Shaoyun knew his father was strong, but he had not known that his father had even survived the Devil Domain's seventh layer.
"Hehe, looks like you know little about your father. I can tell you something. You were born in the Devil Domain. Back then, your father had left the Devil Domain with two babies after nearly losing his life. One was you
, the other was your sister. But your father said that you're his only biological child. The other child was someone he had picked up somewhere," said Tang Zhan with a smile.
Xiang Shaoyun was stunned. Not even in his dreams had he imagined that his place of birth was actually the Devil Domain. Was that the origin of the noble devil bloodline he had? So was his mother located at the seventh layer? Xiang Shaoyun sank into confusion.
Tang Zhan stopped before going too far and shifted the topic, "Now that the territories of both the Skeleton Gang and the Noxious Blood Gang are under your control, what are your plans with them?"
"I am going to join the Dragon Phoenix Academy soon. Maybe I can hand them over to you? In any case, you are the governor. Everything in the city is under your jurisdiction anyway," said Xiang Shaoyun.
If Tang Zhan had not shown himself, Xiang Shaoyun might have used the territories of the two gangs to accumulate some wealth for him. But since Tang Zhan was here, he might as well do this as a favor to Tang Zhan.
To his surprise, Tang Zhan waved his hand and said, "If I had wanted to take their territories, I would have done so long ago. Since you have lost your father's estate, you might as well use this place as your foundation and build an organization that belongs to you. That way, this organization can even help you retake the Ziling Sect in the future!"
"I'm afraid I won't be able to do so even if I wanted to," said Xiang Shaoyun with a bitter smile.
"Don't worry about that. If you trust me, I will get someone to manage the gang for you. You will receive a brand new Skeleton Gang as a gift when you return from the Dragon Phoenix Academy!" declared Tang Zhan boldly.
"That is excellent! Manpower is what I currently lack most!" Xiang Shaoyun agreed without any hesitation.
"Ok, I will send someone to tidy up the gang for you. But of course, the people occupying the main positions should still be your own people. Otherwise, it doesn't matter what we do, as you won't have the gang's loyalty in the future. Things might even get troublesome for you," said Tang Zhan, proving that he was treating Xiang Shaoyun selflessly.
Xiang Shaoyun heaved a breath of relief when he saw that Tang Zhan already had everything planned out. He wanted to throw a feast, but Tang Zhan and Tang Longfei rejected him, as they found that troublesome. After some idle chatter, the two prepared to leave.
"You still have a lot of things to do, so I'm leaving for now. I'll send someone over later. When you are done with the affairs here, come to the city hall and have a drink with me!" said Tang Zhan.
"Sure. Thank you, Uncle Tang," said Xiang Shaoyun gratefully. Tang Zhan and Tang Longfei then left for the city hall. After the two left, a commotion erupted in the Skeleton Gang.
"Was that Lord Governor Tang Zhan and his son Tang Longfei?"
"If you're not blind, you won't ask that stupid question. Of course they are! I did not expect that the young master would be so close with them! Looks like the young master's background runs deep!"
"Now that we are the young master's subordinates, doesn't that mean that we will be able to do as we wish in the city from now on?"
"It's too early to dream. Let's see what the young master does after this. I feel like our life won't be as free in the future."
"Regardless, with a strong backer, we can at least live a stable life."
...
As Xiang Shaoyun had forcefully taken the leadership of the Skeleton Gang, a number of the members were still indignant. But with Tang Zhan and Tang Longfei's visit, all the indignations vanished.
They knew that the gap between their previous leader and the governor was akin to the sky and the earth. There was no comparison. Since Xiang Shaoyun was friendly with the governor, that only meant that he had a background no weaker than the city hall. Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun was heading toward Devouring Ghost's restricted space.
Chapter 523: Devouring Ghost's Blood Demon Clone
Xiang Shaoyun arrived at Devouring Ghost's restricted space and entered using the corresponding secret technique. The restricted space was expertly constructed, and not even a Sovereign could find it. Thus, Xiang Shaoyun did not fear that someone would discover this place.
That was something that Devouring Ghost had taken into consideration as well. Otherwise, he wouldn't have opted to seclude himself here. The moment Xiang Shaoyun and Jin Wo entered, they sensed someone's focus lock onto them.
Overjoyed, Xiang Shaoyun asked, "Devouring Ghost, have you left seclusion?"
"Haha, this subordinate greets the young master," a hearty laugh rang out as a bowing Devouring Ghost appeared before Xiang Shaoyun.
Devouring Ghost was using the body of Linggu Haonan, someone in his robust years. Not only had the body's original cultivation level been restored, it seemed to have even grown. He looked to be in high spirits.
"Devouring Ghost, have you restored your strength?" asked Xiang Shaoyun in excitement.
Devouring Ghost had been his most devoted subordinate after being freed, and Xiang Shaoyun trusted him unconditionally. Devouring Ghost would be a great helper if he was able to restore his original strength.
Devouring Ghost shook his head. "No, I have only restored the strength of this body. But I'm not far away from reforming my soul foundation."
"That's good to hear," said Xiang Shaoyun, still happy.
Although Devouring Ghost hadn't been able to enter the Soul Foundation Realm, he would still be of great help as a peak Emperor. Furthermore, he would be able to reform a soul foundation soon. That could only mean that Xiang Shaoyun would soon have another Sovereign helper and be one step closer to revenge.
"Young master, your growth has been phenomenal. Looks like you have benefited greatly from your trip to the Devil Domain," said Devouring Ghost.
"You know about my trip to the Devil Domain?" Xiang Shaoyun asked in confusion.
"In truth, I was already out of seclusion a month ago. I made a round trip around the city and heard a lot of news. So it turns out you have even become the son-in-law of the Yu Clan? Hahaha, this is fate!" said Devouring Ghost with a laughter that seemed to contain an additional meaning behind it.
"What do you mean by fate?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Since you have been to the Devil Domain, you should have seen the name of my master on the Contribution Stele, right?" asked Devouring Ghost.
"Yes. That name is listed among the top 10," said Xiang Shaoyun with a nod.
"My master is the hero of a generation, an unrivaled overlord. Few women are worthy of him, and the woman he loved most in his life also had the surname Yu. Unfortunately, they had both died," said Devouring Ghost, pain in his voice.
"Surnamed Yu as well?" Xiang Shaoyun muttered with a complicated look in his eyes. He had never dreamed that there would be such a coincidence. Was this really the works of fate?
"It's better if you don't know too much about all that for now, young master. A day will come when you will understand everything. Let's go. It's pointless to continue staying here. Time for me to do something for you, young master."
"Wait, what is your relationship with the Ghostface Sect?” Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Oh? So the people from the Ghostface Sect have gotten in contact with you?" Devouring Ghost asked.
"That's right. I have even met Green Ghost's clone once. He claimed that you're his master," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Hehe, looks like he still hasn't forgotten his master," said Devouring Ghost with a sneer. "I had founded the Ghostface Sect. Back then, the master had just arrived at this Bloodsin City. As I had needed to follow the master around, I had left the Ghostface Sect in the hands of Green Ghost. Back then, he had the worst prospects among all my disciples. He did well to preserve the sect until today. I even thought he was long dead."
"I see. He wishes to see you," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"I had expected this to happen the moment I gave you the command medallion. Young master, to reclaim your family estate, the Ghostface Sect will be a decent helper. I will ensure they obey yo
ur every command," said Devouring Ghost.
"We can talk about that later. Go and meet Green Ghost. I wonder if he can still recognize you," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"He dares to forget me?" said Devouring Ghost imposingly.
"With your current strength, it's better to control your temper. Your disciple is very different from the past. He is now a monster who has lived for 10,000 years. I reckon he has even surpassed the Sovereign Realm," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Yes, you're right, young master. I will act accordingly," said Devouring Ghost with a nod.
"Let's continue the talk after leaving this place," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Wait a moment, young master. I need to bring a treasure with me," said Devouring Ghost with a proud smile.
After saying that, he dashed away and quickly returned with someone who looked exactly the same as him following behind him. This person's entire body was red, and his eyes were filled with bloodthirst, giving off a sinister feeling.
Xiang Shaoyun asked with shock, "I-is this a blood demon?"
"Yes, he's my blood demon clone!" introduced Devouring Ghost with excitement.
"Your blood demon clone? What do you mean?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
He had obtained a blood egg from the Dong Clan that was subsequently given to Devouring Ghost. The blood demons were an extremely sinister species that could only grow through devouring a great amount of blood. The numerous races viewed them as vermin that everyone should kill. However, a mature blood demon possessed extremely terrifying combat prowess and wasn't easy to destroy.
"A blood demon has always been capable of countless transformations. While in the egg, he has been fed with my blood and soul power. Gradually, he became my blood demon clone, and he will only obey me. More importantly, he is alive and can continue growing, unlike a puppet," said Devouring Ghost.