But Xie Lian rolling two sixes right then and there was something that would never happen. He could only gaze at the door and sigh. After he paced for a bit in front of the doors, he withdrew and returned from whence he came. After walking for a while, he stopped abruptly. Walking toward him from the other end of the path was a tall, red-clad figure, with a slender and long silver scimitar hung at his waist. It was Hua Cheng.
He walked over with his arms crossed. “Gege, I’ve been looking for you.”
He looked exactly as he did when he left, the only difference being that the scimitar on his waist was out of its scabbard. It, along with the scabbard, clattered against him, clanking as he walked, painting a picture of arrogance. However, that silver eye on the hilt of Eming was closed.
Xie Lian composed himself and said, “I was going to go see the child, but I didn’t realize your house was so big. I got lost.”
At first Xie Lian was going to tell Hua Cheng about what had just happened, but when the words came to his lips, they turned around and he swallowed them.
The reason he had come to Ghost City was to investigate the missing heavenly official. Any signs of suspiciousness must not be ignored. And who knows, maybe the missing official was imprisoned in that room. It’d be best if he could find a way to go through those doors first. If the two matters were unrelated, Xie Lian would report to Hua Cheng about his subordinate’s suspicious actions. But if the two matters were related…
Hua Cheng spoke as he led Xie Lian back to the main hall.
“If you want to see that boy, I can send someone to bring him to you. There’s no need for you to seek him out yourself.”
It was probably because Xie Lian had something to hide, but the way he spoke to Hua Cheng unconsciously became more docile.
“Mm…you finished your business so fast?”
“It’s finished,” Hua Cheng replied. “Just another gang of useless trash embarrassing themselves, that’s all.”
The tone in which he said “useless trash” was very familiar, and Xie Lian guessed, “Did Green Ghost Qi Rong come and cause trouble?”
Hua Cheng laughed. “That’s right. Didn’t I tell you that many have their eyes on my place here? Qi Rong has wanted Ghost City for himself for years now, but the most he can ever do is want and burn with envy. So every so often he’ll send some even more useless underlings to cause mischief. Nothing worth mentioning. Don’t worry about it. Actually, I just happen to have a place I want to show gege. Might gege grant me the pleasure?”
“Of course,” Xie Lian replied happily.
Traversing the long corridor, Hua Cheng led Xie Lian to another lofty great hall.
The doors of the hall seemed to be made of steel with violent beasts carved upon them, horrible and terrifying. The moment Hua Cheng approached, the beasts parted and opened the doors. A blast of killing intent assaulted Xie Lian before he even stepped foot into the hall, and he tensed, veins popping on his hands, prepared to face anything.
However, once he saw clearly what was inside the hall, he blinked. His defenses melted away in an instant, and his legs moved on their own, bringing him inside.
Within the great hall, all manner of weapons were hung on all four walls. There were sabers, swords, spears, shields, whips, war hammers… It was an armory!
Any man finding himself in an armory such as this, surrounded by all kinds of weaponry, would feel as if he were in heaven, and his blood would boil with excitement. Xie Lian was no exception; his eyes were wide and his face bright. The last time he had felt such exhilaration was in Jun Wu’s armory.
Although his expression remained schooled, he was already so excited he was stammering, “May…may I touch?”
Hua Cheng smiled. “As gege likes.”
Xie Lian’s hands instantly flew out to feel the various weapons hung on the walls, so absorbed he couldn’t tear himself away. “These…all of these are masterpieces! This sword is splendid, a battle of one against many would most definitely bring out its godly powers! This one too! Wait, and that saber…”
Hua Cheng was leaning on the wall near the door, watching Xie Lian’s face flush with delight. “Gege, what do you think?”
Xie Lian was examining each piece so intently he was reluctant to turn around. “What do I think, what?”
“Do you like it?” Hua Cheng asked.
“I do!” Xie Lian replied.
“Do you like it a lot?” Hua Cheng asked again.
“Very much!” Xie Lian exclaimed.