allendalepharm Chapter 173 Forcibly keeping Luo Cheng as a hostage
Chapter 173 Forcibly keeping Luo Cheng as a hostage
"You dare to challenge a prince!"
A loud shout rang out from the side, and Zuo Xiong strode forward.
Luo Cheng gave him a cold look.
"Hmph." Luo Cheng snorted coldly, without replying, and threw a punch!
This punch was fast and fierce, accompanied by the sound of wind breaking, heading straight for Zuo Xiong's face.
Zuo Xiong neither dodged nor avoided the punch, but instead took it head-on.
"Bang!"
The two fists collided violently, producing a dull thud.
Zuo Xiong's expression changed drastically, and he retreated several steps, each step making a dull thud on the blue bricks.
Luo Cheng shook his hand, loosened his wrist, and a disdainful smile appeared on his lips.
"You're not good enough," he said casually. "Next."
Zuo Xiong's face turned bright red, and he clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.
"Wolai".
With his towering, azure-like body, he stepped forward, shielding Zuo Xiong behind him.
Luo Cheng looked up at the giant who was nearly two heads taller than him, and instead of being afraid, he laughed.
The giant turtle said no more, and slammed down its large, fan-like hand!
This palm strike carries the force of wind and thunder; if it were to land squarely, it would likely break bones and tendons on the spot.
Luo Cheng neither dodged nor avoided, but slightly shifted his body and met the attack with a palm strike.
Fists and palms collided, and a powerful wind blew outwards.
Ao Yu frowned slightly; this person was even more formidable than he had imagined.
Luo Cheng's palm strikes were like a torrential downpour, continuous and relentless.
The giant turtle was strong, but clumsy in foot combat, and was forced to retreat repeatedly after only a few moves.
Another punch!
The giant turtle let out a muffled groan, its massive body staggering backward several steps, knocking over the weapon rack behind it.
Luo Cheng withdrew his fist, his face neither flushed nor out of breath, and stood with his hands behind his back.
"Your Highness," he turned to Lü Xiao, his chin slightly raised, his innate arrogance now fully displayed on his face, "may I leave now?"
Having defeated Zuo Xiong and Ao Yu in succession, Luo Cheng felt he had demonstrated his strength to Lü Xiao.
He was not a lamb to be slaughtered; if it really came down to a fight, he was confident he could hold his own against Lü Xiao.
Lu Xiao remained leaning on the throne, a hint of admiration on his face.
"Wait a minute."
This time, it wasn't Lü Xiao who spoke.
Yuwen Chenglong slowly walked out and stood in front of Luo Cheng.
Luo Cheng looked down at the young man who was half a head shorter than him and looked frail, his disdain almost overflowing.
He could tell at a glance that this person was not even as good as Zuo Xiong, and probably couldn't even withstand three of his moves.
"You want to compete with me?" Luo Cheng raised an eyebrow, his tone contemptuous.
Yuwen Chenglong did not answer, but simply put his hands behind his back and said slowly, "The prince said you can't leave, so you can't leave."
"That depends on whether you have the ability to stop me." Luo Cheng sneered, taking a fighting stance. "Come on."
Seeing that Luo Cheng was about to make a move, Yuwen Chenglong suddenly shrank his neck, jumped to the side, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Close the door, unleash the dogs! No, unleash Pei Yuanqing!"
Before he could finish speaking, a figure darted out from the side.
"I'm here!"
Pei Yuanqing rushed out excitedly, his strong wind whistling as he knocked Yuwen Chenglong, who was blocking his way, flying away.
"Ouch!"
Yuwen Chenglong rolled twice on the ground, got up covered in dust, and cursed, "Are you blind?! Why did you bump into me?!"
Pei Yuanqing didn't even turn his head, stating matter-of-factly, "Sorry, a good dog doesn't block the way!"
"you!"
"Stop rambling!" Luo Cheng interrupted the two impatiently.
He had heard of Pei Yuanqing's reputation, a young and fierce general under Lü Xiao.
Luo Cheng, however, refused to believe in such superstitions. Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he would dare to fight him.
"Alright, alright, alright!" Pei Yuanqing didn't say much more, took a deep breath, and suddenly swung his right fist!
This punch was as fast as lightning, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air, heading straight for Luo Cheng's face!
Luo Cheng remained unfazed and took the punch head-on!
He just used this move to defeat Zuo Xiong and repel Ao Yu.
He believed that the power of his punch was enough to contend with any opponent.
"Bang!"
The two fists collided violently.
Luo Cheng's face instantly twisted in pain.
His pride and joy were utterly futile in the face of this boy who looked even younger than himself, like an ant trying to shake a tree.
The next moment, he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard into a pillar in the palace.
Pei Yuanqing withdrew his fist, blew on his knuckles, and looked innocent: "Oops, I couldn't control myself. Are you alright, Your Highness?"
Yuwen Chenglong peeked out from behind a pillar, revealing half his face. He looked at Luo Cheng, who was slumped on the ground, and couldn't help but laugh.
He strolled up to Luo Cheng with his hands behind his back, bent down, and asked with a smile, "Young Master, are we still going?"
Luo Cheng gritted his teeth and remained silent.
He lowered his head, staring at his trembling right hand.
The skin at the knuckles was torn open, and fresh blood dripped onto the ground from between the fingers.
But more painful than the injury on his hand was his proud heart.
"General Qin, I must take the Crown Prince to meet His Majesty. You should lead your army back to Yanshan."
Lu Xiao stood up, giving Qin Qiong no room to refuse.
As soon as he finished speaking, he strode out of the hall.
The hem of the dark brocade robe brushed against the blue bricks, creating a soft rustling sound.
Behind him, Zhao Chong and Gao Le, two generals of the Red Vanguard Army, stepped forward from the left and right and helped Luo Cheng, who was slumped on the ground, up without saying a word.
"Let me go!" Luo Cheng struggled for a moment, but his right arm was in excruciating pain, as if it were broken, and he couldn't muster any strength at all.
He gritted his teeth, ceasing his futile resistance, and stared intently at Lü Xiao's back, his gaze filled with a desire to tear him to pieces.
Lü Xiao didn't turn his head, his steps never stopping.
He suddenly stopped when he reached the palace gate.
A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Qin Qiong's heart.
"By the way," Lu Xiao said without turning around, his voice coming from the palace gate.
"I have also left a great gift for General Qin. Remember to take it with you."
"His Highness has ordered the army to assemble and return to the capital!"
The orders from the Red Valiant Army soldiers faded into the distance.
"Ugh!"
A deep, resonant bugle call sounded.
The sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, wheels, and clashing weapons... all these sounds converged into a torrent, surging through the village.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Wagang Village was deserted, leaving only an empty shell.
Lü Xiao could have burned Wagang Village to the ground, but he didn't.
If he wasn't mistaken, this place had already been targeted by another group of people.
Very well, since Cheng Yaojin and Shan Xiongxin are unwilling to come looking for him.
Then let's leave Wagang Village behind, so that these people will also have a place to settle down.
These people will still be useful when the world is truly in chaos.
Watching the imperial army depart in a grand procession, Qin Qiong remained standing in place, refusing to move.
"General Qin, where is our heir?"
The generals of Yanshan waited for a long time but Luo Cheng did not appear, so they couldn't help but ask.
Qin Qiong was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "He... was taken by Prince Shuo to meet the Emperor."
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of several generals changed drastically.
Zhou Rui gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
He stared at Qin Qiong, his eyes blazing with suppressed anger, but his voice remained unusually calm:
"General Qin, you are the Crown Prince's cousin, are you just going to stand by and watch the Crown Prince be taken away?"