An atmosphere of stark killing intent filled the White Tiger Hall. Luo Xiao, the Second Elder of the Luo Family, sat rigidly in the main hall, his face like frost. Since Luo Yan's death, he had temporarily taken control of the Luo Family's overall strategy. Flanking him were the other elders and elite disciples of the White Tiger Alliance.
The six remaining elder generation Luo Family veterans in the Elder Hall were: Luo Xiao, Luo Kai, Luo Fang, Luo Zhen, Luo Lin, and Luo Chong.
Standing respectfully before the hall were six members of the younger generation, peers of Luo Hao: Luo Wei, Luo Song, Luo Ning, Luo Zheng, Luo Feng, and Luo Kong. Naturally, the younger generation extended beyond just these six, but only the elite of the elite of the elite were permitted entry into the White Tiger Hall—the absolute core members of the Luo Family.
Beside them stood their fathers’ generation: Luo Tian, Luo Xiong, Luo Ying, Luo Chuan, Luo Hai, and Luo Xin.
It could be said that the core members of three generations of the Luo Family were gathered here. At this moment, the White Tiger Alliance faced an unprecedented crisis.
The deaths of Luo Yan, Luo Hao, and Luo Meng had dragged the prestige of the White Tiger Alliance to its absolute nadir. Now, within the world of the Wandering Heroes, merely mentioning the White Tiger Alliance no longer evoked awe and admiration, but was met instead with disdain and contempt.
Coveting the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword was a minor issue; any person driven by a thirst for power or fame would have acted similarly upon hearing such news. But to have people storming their gates, unable to claim a shred of justification, was utterly humiliating. Even more galling was the public castration and murder of Luo Meng, which also led to Luo Hao's death. Even the Luo Family’s strongest former Patriarch had lost a duel to that young Hero. Following this battle, the White Tiger Alliance’s reputation had plummeted.
The Alliance’s branch halls across various regions were frequently targeted by retaliatory strikes from former rival gangs. Even some obscure, little-known factions dared to lightly test the tiger’s whiskers, taking advantage of the chaos to loot, completely disregarding the White Tiger Alliance that once shook the continent. The White Tiger Alliance, which once dominated the Demon Dragon Continent, striking fear into all who spoke its name, had now become a stray dog in the world of Heroes, hounded by all.
Staring at the blizzard of letters arriving from all directions, Luo Xiao’s face grew increasingly grim, his fury mounting, making him resemble a fierce tiger ready to lash out at any moment. Luo Xin, the steward of the Pigeon Corps standing quietly nearby, dared not even take a full breath.
However, these matters could not be settled merely by a few bursts of anger. As an elder of the Luo Family accustomed to weathering great storms, this setback alone was not enough to shatter his composure. Still, the antics of these jumping clowns were undeniably infuriating.
After staring for a long time, Luo Xiao’s grim expression slowly turned numb, as if he were utterly unmoved. Only then did the younger generation secretly exhale a breath of relief. They knew Luo Xiao’s temperament best; once angered and stripped of reason, he was terrifyingly extreme, even more so than Luo Yan.
“It seems these jumping clowns have forgotten what the White Tiger Alliance truly was in its prime,” Luo Xiao stated in a deep voice. “What do you propose we do?”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!” Luo Tian and several of his cousins from the younger generation, including Luo Song, roared in unison, as if only such violence could soothe the resentment within their hearts.
“Very well.” Luo Xiao’s grim face instantly twisted into something even more terrifyingly savage. “Zheng’er, from this day forward, you will take over command of the White Tiger Alliance in place of A'hao.”
“Yes!” Luo Zheng, from the younger generation, responded with a firm voice.
“Do not disappoint us,” Luo Kai said sternly.
“Those who dare violate the might of our Tiger shall die,” Luo Zheng and the others roared.
“Go,” Luo Xiao commanded.
“Yes.”
The younger generation withdrew from the hall.
“Luo Xin! Report the details regarding Binghe!” Luo Xiao commanded gravely.
“Yes!” the Pigeon Corps steward replied respectfully, immediately unrolling a scroll of correspondence in his hands.
Everyone present adopted solemn expressions and fixed their gaze upon Luo Xin.
“Name: Binghe. Former alias: Blue Star. Estimated age: around eighteen. First appeared in the world of Wandering Heroes…”
Five minutes later, all intelligence that could be collected regarding Star was reported flawlessly by Luo Xin.
“This is all we can currently ascertain,” Luo Xin concluded.
“Good,” Luo Xiao said deeply. “I want more detail.”
“Yes. The Pigeon Corps is already pursuing this at full capacity and will report any findings immediately.” Luo Xin broke out in a cold sweat, inwardly lamenting. What he held in his hands was already the most complete data obtainable in the world of Heroes. Yet, no one truly knew Star’s real identity; even the fact that Star was a disciple of Dragon Shadow Manor was only uncovered during the duel with Luo Yan.
Currently, intelligence on Star was the most valuable and highly sought-after commodity in the world of Heroes. The Luo Family was far from the only entity desperate to uncover his background.
However, every lead dissolved at Dragon Shadow Manor, suggesting the Manor had implemented comprehensive secrecy measures for him. To discover his true identity was proving to be agonizingly difficult.
But this bitterness was something he had to swallow alone. Luo Xin was acutely aware of the ruthless decisiveness of these elders; he might have to leave the White Tiger Hall sooner rather than later. The Luo Family never kept useless excess.
“What are your thoughts?” Luo Xiao looked at his brothers and nephews, letting out a long sigh.
“Investigating further will yield little benefit,” Luo Kai stated gravely. “It is clear he is an elite disciple specially shielded by Dragon Shadow Manor.”
“He must be a direct descendant of Dragon Shadow Manor,” Luo Zhen countered, “otherwise, he couldn't have learned the Dragon Transformation Heart Method.”
“What about the Lightning Sword Technique and the Lightning Saber Technique?” Luo Chong inquired.
“Those are secondary,” Luo Lin dismissed. “From this intelligence, we can see that this Binghe adopts a new alias with every location he visits, and his strength grows at an astonishing rate each time he appears.”
“Precisely!” Luo Xiao agreed. “From the initial stage of Red Moon to the peak of Red Moon, he only took two years to traverse the Path to the Summit! And he is only eighteen now!”
“What a terrifying rate of advancement,” Luo Kai exclaimed, shocked. “If we allow him to develop freely, our Luo Family will eventually be flattened by him.”
“Incredible! Someone more naturally gifted than Jiang’er,” Luo Lin murmured. “In a few more years, perhaps even Jiang’er won’t be his match.”
“He must be killed before he fully matures, or the consequences will be endless,” Luo Xiao declared with resolute finality.
“Agreed!” Luo Chong affirmed.
“But this youth possesses formidable cultivation, and he is closely linked with the Azure Dragon Gang and the Yun Family, currently associating with them. We have no opportunity whatsoever,” Luo Lin pointed out.
“I believe once the whereabouts of the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword are revealed, this youth will surely participate in that venture!” Luo Kai suggested.
“Hmm,” Luo Xiao mused slightly. “The Lu Family’s greatest desire is the destruction of the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword, and since this youth shares a non-trivial relationship with Lu Tong, he is bound to be involved.”
“At that time, we can eliminate him while seizing the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword,” Luo Kai proposed.
“However, the Azure Dragon Gang, the Yun Family, and the Black Tortoise Alliance are currently allied. We have absolutely no opportunity,” Luo Tian, from the nephew generation, interjected.
“Who says there’s no opportunity?” Luo Xiao stated darkly. “It is time to release the Blood Tiger.”
“Ah! Second Uncle!” Luo Tian gasped in horror. “If we release Big Brother, the first person he will kill is us!”
Luo Tian and the others involuntarily recalled that terrifying scene from thirty years ago!
“Indeed,” Luo Xiong, standing beside Luo Tian, looked equally stunned.
“Big Brother is deeply steeped in demonic nature,” Luo Ying worried. “Even after all these years, his demonic nature has not waned; if anything, it has grown stronger, and his killing intent has intensified.”
“I have my arrangements,” Luo Xiao chuckled lightly. “Do you know why we haven't killed him all these years?”
“Why?” Luo Tian asked.
“Because he still has a use,” Luo Kai affirmed gravely. “And now is the time to employ him.”
“The deeper his demonic nature, the stronger his cultivation,” Luo Xiao explained. “After so many years, his demonic nature has reached a level we cannot even imagine, and his cultivation is unfathomably deep.”
“Perhaps only a Heavenly Demon Warrior clad in the Heavenly Demon Battle Armor could defeat the current Jiang’er,” Luo Zhen observed.
“Ah,” the nephews like Luo Tian turned even paler with shock. “Has Big Brother’s strength reached this level?”
“If Big Brother’s strength is greater, doesn’t that make him even more dangerous?” Luo Chuan exclaimed fearfully.
“Rest assured,” Luo Xiao was confident. “No matter how strong Jiang’er’s demonic nature is, or how terrifying his power, he cannot harm us.”
“What exactly is going on?” Luo Tian asked excitedly.
“Because we now possess the means to control Jiang’er,” Luo Xiao revealed.
“The current Jiang’er is our strongest weapon, a true bloodthirsty tiger,” Luo Kai said, his face complex. “Originally, we didn’t plan to reveal Jiang’er this soon, because in a short time—at most one year—Jiang’er would transform into a true, perfect Demon Man, at which point he would be unrivaled in the world.”
“But we can’t afford to wait now,” Luo Xiao expressed a trace of regret, before a knowing smile spread across his face. “However, letting Jiang’er appear early might not be a bad thing. Imagine, once Jiang’er obtains the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword, it will truly be like adding wings to a tiger. At that point, he might not even lose against the Heavenly Demon Warriors of the Royal Family.”
“But I worry that those three old fellows from Biqi will also try to interfere,” Luo Tian analyzed.
“That is certain,” Luo Xiao ground out through clenched teeth. “They won’t pass up this opportunity, and even if they can’t seize it themselves, they certainly won’t stand by and watch us take it.”
“The people from the Azure Moon Vermilion Bird Alliance and even the Wind Demon Brotherhood will show up!” Luo Xiong said grimly.
“If that happens, even with Big Brother’s unfathomable cultivation combined with the strength of you uncles, we still stand little chance facing the combined forces of the Azure Dragon Gang, the Yun Family, and those old men from Biqi and Azure Moon,” Luo Tian lamented.
“Relax,” Luo Kai assured him. “The Brotherhood has sent word; it seems they intend to cooperate with us to jointly oppose the combined forces of the Azure Dragon Gang, the Vermilion Bird Alliance, and the Star Moon Alliance.”
“Is that true?” Luo Tian was overjoyed. “If so, our chances of success increase dramatically!”
“Judging by the time, the Brotherhood’s people should be arriving soon,” Luo Kai smiled faintly.
“But can we truly trust the Brotherhood?” Luo Tian asked doubtfully.
“Who said we need to trust them?” Luo Xiao stated grimly. “It is mutual utilization; they are also forced into this corner.”
“Without cooperating with us, the Brotherhood has zero chance,” Luo Kai explained. “It benefits both them and us. If successful, the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword will only fall into their hands or ours.”
“At least by cooperating with us, they have a fifty percent chance.”
“I understand,” Luo Tian said with relief. “We will prepare immediately.”
“Good,” Luo Xiao and the others nodded slightly.
In the Hall of Thousand Peaks.
“Blood Tiger Luo Jiang?” I asked, somewhat confused. “Who is that?”
“Blood Tiger Luo Jiang is considered one of the strongest genius experts on the Demon Dragon Continent in the past several hundred years,” Yun Xi stated solemnly. “He traversed the Path to the Summit at the age of twenty-six, simultaneously passing the examination of the Heavenly Demon Sanctuary. His strength is immense; even his father, Luo Yan whom you killed, was no match for him.”
“What?” I gasped in shock. “That strong?”
“But Luo Jiang, in order to further enhance his cultivation, practiced some unknown technique, causing a complete change in his temperament. However, his strength became terrifyingly immense. Because of this, some say Luo Jiang cultivated incorrectly and fell to demonhood, which is indeed the truth.” Yun Xi seemed to recall something terrifying, and a flicker of panic crossed her usually calm face. “The demonic Luo Jiang killed his wife—Luo Hao’s mother—and many of the clan’s experts. To capture the possessed Luo Jiang, the twelve elders of the Luo Family joined forces and finally managed to heavily injure him.” She paused, relief evident on her face. “But five of the original twelve Luo Family elders were killed, and the remainder were all severely wounded.”
“What! Luo Yan, plus eleven elders, and he still managed to kill five of them?” I was stunned. “Is there truly such a powerful person in this world?”
“This is true,” Yun Xi sighed. “Actually, back then, the White Tiger Alliance was far stronger than it is now. If it hadn’t been for that internal strife, the Azure Dragon Gang wouldn't have been able to grow so powerful.”
“What happened to Luo Jiang afterward?” I asked curiously.
“The subdued Luo Jiang was imprisoned in the Luo Family’s forbidden grounds,” Yun Xi explained.
“I see.” I couldn't quite determine what to feel, but one thing was certain: the emergence of this Luo Jiang would certainly bring chaos to the world.
“Perhaps over the years, the Luo Family has found a way to overcome Luo Jiang’s demonic nature,” Yun Xi murmured. “This is also what my grandfather constantly feared. The reason the Luo Family didn’t kill Luo Jiang back then was likely because they coveted his terrifying power and attempted to control him. If they succeed, the Demon Dragon Continent will inevitably face another torrent of bloodshed.”
What worried me most was the possibility that the Luo Family would use Luo Jiang to seize the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword; if that happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Releasing that monster at this juncture shows that the Luo Family is absolutely determined to obtain the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword this time,” Yun Xi’s face grew frighteningly grim.
“This is truly troublesome,” I said with a wry smile. I thought that after killing Luo Yan, there shouldn't be any more powerful figures, but now this Blood Tiger Luo Jiang had suddenly appeared, possessing such terrifying strength.
Although I didn't know Luo Jiang's true peak strength, I was perfectly clear on how terrifying Luo Yan was. Yet, even the formidable Luo Yan, facing the combined might of the Luo Family's dozen elders, resulted in five deaths and severe injuries for the rest. The Luo Family elders, while perhaps not stronger than Luo Yan, could not be significantly weaker. By deduction, didn't this mean Luo Jiang, relying only on his flesh and blood, possessed strength nearly comparable to a Heavenly Demon Warrior?
“If I’m not mistaken, the first person Luo Jiang will seek to kill upon his release is you,” Yun Xi stated.
“The Luo Family hates me to the bone,” I chuckled wryly. “Who else would he hunt down if not me?” The thought of perhaps living under the shadow of being hunted by such a terrifying monster made my limbs feel weak, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“I didn’t expect the Luo Family to pull this move at such a crucial time,” Yun Xi worried. “If Luo Jiang truly obtains the Scarlet Blood Demon Sword, no one in the world will be his match. The Scarlet Blood Demon Sword is the Demon among Swords; the Blood Tiger Luo Jiang is known as the Demon among Men. If this Demon Man and the Demon Sword unite, I cannot imagine what will happen.”
“…” I was stunned. Just how strong would Luo Jiang become if that happened?
“Perhaps even the Heavenly Demon Warriors in their Heavenly Demon Battle Armor won’t be able to handle him then,” Yun Xi muttered to herself.
“I will send this news back to Dragon Shadow Manor immediately,” I said nervously. “No matter what, we must stop Luo Jiang!” Not for the sake of the world’s populace, but to save my own skin. If Luo Jiang lives, I die.
“Then, I rely on you,” Yun Xi replied. “Perhaps the Four Great Famous Swords can hold back Luo Jiang. If we can also secure the assistance of the experts from the Azure Moon Vermilion Bird Alliance, our chances will be even greater.”
“Let’s hope so,” I sighed deeply, then looked towards Yun Lei and Yun Xiu, the youths standing nearby. “I apologize, it seems I can only teach you the Lightning Sword Technique and the Lightning Saber Technique after this matter concludes.”
“The greater cause comes first,” Yun Lei said seriously.
“You must work hard,” Yun Xiu encouraged. “If he dares to cause trouble, just cripple him.”
“I will do my best,” I felt an impulse to break out in a full-body sweat. These youngsters, so unaware of the world’s immensity, truly thought I was invincible!