War God Long Ao

In the end, strength is all that matters.

"Ao'Er, the Ghost King is here."

The Ghost King?

Long Ao didn't know why the Ghost King had suddenly come to visit. After all, their last encounter had ended on very unpleasant terms. However, Long Ao ultimately decided to meet with him. The reason was simple: the Ghost King was, and always would be, Ao Xue's father.

「Inside the Little Courtyard House.」

On opposite sides of the stone table, Long Ao and Ao Tian each took a sip of tea. Ao Tian smiled and asked, "Long Ao, do you hate me?"

Long Ao, of course, understood the meaning behind the Ghost King's words. He answered indifferently, "Hate isn't the right word."

"I know you're dissatisfied with me, but there's one thing I must tell you: my hands are tied. As the Sect Leader of the Ghost King Sect, I must first consider the interests of the Sect, understand?"

Long Ao strongly disagreed with the Ghost King's statement.

"I have a question. If you had to choose between the Sect and Ao Xue, which would you pick?"

"The Sect," Ao Tian said without a moment's hesitation. But Long Ao had already guessed as much, so he wasn't the least bit surprised.

Neither of them spoke again, and the atmosphere grew tense.

After an unknown amount of time, Long Ao finally asked, "So, why did you come looking for me this time?"

Long Ao knew full well that the Ghost King wouldn't seek him out for no reason. 'Is it about the Battle of Kyushu? Or about Zhang Zhihang's murder?'

The Ghost King Sect's decision to support the Long Family had always puzzled Long Ao. He didn't know what game the Ghost King was playing, but for Ao Xue's sake, he could only choose to remain silent.

"Long Ao, my purpose in coming here is simple. I have a general understanding of the situation between you and Zhang Zhihang."

Long Ao said nothing, sitting quietly. He wanted to hear what the Ghost King would say next.

"Long Ao, I know who killed Zhang Zhihang."

His eyes suddenly lit up, but Long Ao still didn't ask the question aloud. A sense of caution rose within him. 'How does the Ghost King know? The one who killed Kai Feng was clearly a Void Martial Artist. How on earth did the Ghost King find out about such a powerful expert?'

Ao Tian seemed to guess what Long Ao was thinking. "You don't need to be suspicious," he said. "I didn't see it myself. It was one of the Ghost King Sect's elders who happened to witness it."

He was about thirty percent convinced.

"Who did it?"

"An Elder from the Blood Sea Sect, a Void Hundred Tribulations Martial Artist."

The Blood Sea Sect?

Hearing that the Blood Sea Sect was behind it, Long Ao was now completely convinced. The Blood Sea Sect had always wanted him dead, so it was entirely possible they would try to frame him. Besides, Long Ao didn't believe that the Ghost King, as the Sect Leader of the Ghost King Sect, would lie to him about this.

'The Blood Sea Sect again.' Long Ao's expression chilled, and he clenched his fists tightly.

Long Ao knew in his heart that the grudge between him and the Blood Sea Sect would have to be settled sooner or later. The most troublesome part right now, however, was the Golden Sun Sect. He now knew the Blood Sea Sect had framed him, but the Golden Sun Sect didn't, and Zhang Mo certainly didn't.

With his only son murdered, Zhang Mo must be going mad with grief and anger. There was no way he would let Long Ao off the hook.

"Long Ao, I've already discussed this with Brother Xia. Brother Zhang will be here shortly. In front of him, we will expose the Blood Sea Sect's insidious plot and clear your name."

"Thank you."

"Alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving. Ao Xue will come find you later. Remember, treat her well."

Watching the figure gradually disappear, Long Ao didn't act rashly. He still couldn't figure out the true intentions of the Ghost King Sect and the Thunder Sect. Even if the Blood Sea Sect had framed him, under normal circumstances, there was no reason for the Thunder Sect and the Ghost King Sect to provoke both the Blood Sea Sect and the Golden Sun Sect just for his sake.

The more attentive the Thunder Sect and the Ghost King Sect were, the more Long Ao felt that something was not quite right.

Not dwelling on it any further, Long Ao began to contemplate the matter of the Golden Sun Sect and the Blood Sea Sect.

「Three days earlier, at the Ghost King Sect.」

"Father, let me out! I'm begging you, let me out!"

Inside a secret chamber, Ao Xue was screaming hysterically, pounding on the door and walls. "Father, I beg you, let me go!" she roared. "Please, don't hurt Long Ao!"

"Ao Xue, you must choose between your father and Long Ao."

Seeing her father appear, a flash of joy crossed Ao Xue's face. She didn't make a choice. Instead, she asked, "Father, why do you always force me to choose between the two of you? Why?"

"Because Long Ao must die."

Seeing Xia Fang, the Sect Leader of the Thunder Sect, suddenly appear, Ao Xue seemed to realize something. She roared in terror, "Father, you've joined forces with the Thunder Sect to deal with Long Ao?"

Xia Fang sneered. "Long Ao has two Treasures," he said. "They can not only lock onto a Martial Artist, but also alter the flow of Time. If we just asked him to hand them over nicely, I'm sure your precious Long Ao would refuse. That's why we must do this."

"Even so, Long Ao will never hand them over."

"Haha! Ao Xue, don't you worry about that. Your father and I have already come up with an excellent plan. I guarantee Long Ao will hand them over obediently. And the moment he does... will be the moment he leaves this world."

As Ao Xue watched in stunned silence, another version of herself suddenly appeared before her. She was a perfect copy, as if one person had been duplicated.

"Sect Leader Xia, Proud Sect Leader."

Even her voice was identical. Ao Xue looked as if she had seen a ghost, with no idea where they could have found a woman who looked exactly like her.

"You're going to use her to deal with Long Ao?"

"Ao Xue, just be patient for a little while longer. We'll let you out once we've taken care of Long Ao. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—I just discussed it with Brother Xia. After the Battle of Kyushu ends, we'll have you and Huo Teng get married."

Ao Xue was completely stunned. 'Is this really my own father?'

"Father, why are you doing this to me?"

"Hmph! Shut up. From this day forward, you are forbidden to call me 'father' again. I have no daughter like you."

Ao Xue's face turned pale, and her body swayed as if it would collapse. Even now, she couldn't believe what was happening right before her eyes. It was all too sudden.

"Ao Xue, I'll tell you a secret right now. You are not my daughter at all. You're just a bastard your mother had with some other man. I've raised you for all these years, and now it's time for you to repay me. As long as you obediently marry Huo Teng, the debt you owe me for raising you will be wiped clean."

"Brother Xia, let's go."

"Alright," Xia Fang was also a little shocked. He never would have imagined that Ao Xue wasn't actually Ao Tian's daughter. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it even if you beat him to death.

Watching the two of them leave, Ao Xue collapsed onto the floor, her face a mask of disbelief. She squeezed her eyes shut in anguish, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. An unventable rage and sorrow churned within her. It hurt. It really, really hurt. Even now, Ao Xue still couldn't accept it—that she wasn't Ao Tian's daughter. Perhaps unable to bear the pain, Ao Xue fainted.