'Thump!'
It was accompanied by a church bell that sounded near and far.
Zhang Yun's consciousness gradually blurred. It was as if he was having a hangover. He suddenly woke up in an unknown place.
The surrounding scene changed from a bedroom full of posters to a vast canyon full of yellow sand and strange stones. Zhang Yun could vaguely see red lava pouring out of the surrounding rock walls. It was steaming and submerging the cracks in the ground.
The originally cold autumn season seemed to have turned into a hot summer, making people feel extremely hot and dry. The urge to take off one's clothes felt irresistible.
This?
It was too... It was too realistic!
Zhang Yun felt as though he had transmigrated to another world!
While sighing, he turned around and glanced at the empty canyon. It would probably take an hour for Dark Knight Leon and his group to come over.
That was true.
Dark Knight Leon was riding on a strong black military horse. Zhang Yun could only rely on walking. Following the traces left on the ground, Leon could catch up with him at any time.
Leon shouldn't be worried about Zhang Yun playing any tricks.
As he thought about it, Zhang Yun quickly walked forward and entered the temporary camp. He looked at the group of red-haired children who were panicking.
Before Zhang Yun could speak, a stern-looking middle-aged swordsman of about 30 years of age walked out of the military tent in the center.
The swordsman had short red hair and held a red sword in his hand. His upper body was bare and full of muscles. The left side of his waist was wrapped in a white bandage, and there were evident blood stains on it.
Obviously…
This was one of the Five Dragon Generals, Hero Kanan.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Zhang Yun took out the tracking stone that Dark Knight Leon had given him and spoke.
"I was sent here by Dark Knight Leon."
Kanan frowned.
"Leon? That fellow... His Majesty has already promised me that he won't force me anymore. Why did he still send you here?"
Zhang Yun responded lightly.
"To kill you."
Kanan's face was filled with disbelief.
"What? Is that madman going to disobey?"
Zhang Yun continued.
"No. According to Dark Knight Leon, this is the order of the Flame Emperor. But I don't really want to help Leon, and I don't really want to help the Flame Emperor. As long as you give me some information, I will help you deal with them."
Zhang Yun inquired, "Tell me the reason… As one of the Five Dragon Generals, you helped the Flame Emperor unify the volcanic land, but the Flame Emperor wants to kill you instead? What have you done? Treason?"
Kanan looked at Zhang Yun suspiciously.
"You don't know anything? Also, from your appearance, you don't seem to be a native of the volcanic region. You are a foreigner from the outside continent, right? What do you, a foreigner, want to do by coming here to participate in our domestic affairs in the volcanic land?"
Zhang Yun reminded him, "Leon is right behind me. He'll be here in an hour at the latest. Every minute you waste now is one step closer to death. And...Leon gave me a mission. Other than killing you, I also have to kill everyone who is with you. Presumably? He won't let these children off, will he?"
With that, Zhang Yun waved his hand and summoned a dense number of Shadow Soldiers. His forces surrounded the simple camp in the middle of the valley.
"Of course, you can choose not to believe me. Once Leon arrives, you can bet that he might not want to kill you. If Leon strikes you, I won't give you another chance. You will be facing one of the Five Dragon Generals alone, as well as my Shadow Legion."
Looking at the densely packed Shadow Soldiers and the terrifying pressure they emitted, Kanan turned pale with fright. He subconsciously raised the red sword in his hand to protect himself.
A rare professional!?
Damn it!
Did Leon really send this guy?
Did this madman want to attack him?
Or rather...was this really the instruction of the Flame Emperor?
No!
That was impossible!
If the Flame Emperor wanted to kill him, he wouldn't have to wait until now!
This was obviously Leon's personal decision!
That damned lunatic!
It was definitely him!
Otherwise!
How could a foreign professional from the mainland find this hidden place?
The foreigner was even holding a tracking stone that pointed to Kanan's exact location?!
They couldn't have sent people to investigate just because they had guessed what the Flame Emperor, was doing!
Otherwise, even if there was only a slight possibility, the people on the mainland would not have only sent one professional. Instead, they would have directly declared war on the Flame Emperor, then sent an army to suppress the border and seal off the entire volcanic land...
After sorting out his thoughts, Kanan's eyes darkened. He quickly said to Zhang Yun, "I don't know who you are or why you came to the land of volcanoes! But if you help me deal with Leon and let these innocent children escape, I'll tell you everything you want to know!"
Zhang Yun sighed, "I have already said it. You don't have much time left. Tell me immediately, why did the Flame Emperor ask Leon to kill you? Why are you hiding in this remote place with so many children?"
Zhang Yun offered, "First, give me a reason to save you. I will save you. Do you understand?"
Hearing this, Kanan couldn't help but bite his lips. After hesitating for a moment, he finally revealed what he knew,
"Sacrificial ceremony… His Majesty, the Flame Emperor, intends to hold a sacrificial ceremony… Sacrifice 3000 virgin boys and 3000 virgin girls to activate the ancient magic circle left by the Fire God. With that, all of our people will temporarily resist the cold. Then, we will invade the Ice Kingdom…"
Kanan continued, "In order to protect these children, I disobeyed the order of the Flame Emperor. That was why… I was stripped of my title as one of the Five Dragon Generals and became a wanted criminal on the run… But the Flame Emperor told me before that he found a replacement for the children. He intended to let me go. As long as I stayed in the Flame Canyon with these children and did not go anywhere… You were sent to kill me… It was obviously an order from that madman, Leon…"
As expected!
Zhang Yun knew it!
The truth behind the whole incident was not simple!
Otherwise, the historical document that recorded the past of the Ice Kingdom would not have skipped the title of the original Five Dragon Generals and deemed the person named 'Mage Swordsman Russell' as one of them! Russell was just mentioned by Fjolm.
And Zhang Yun's hypothesis was not wrong.
Since the Flame Emperor even dared to recruit the Ice Kingdom's famous Mage Swordsman Russell as one of the Five Dragon Generals...
Then, there was no reason for him to recruit Zhang Yun, the Shadow Demon who could summon countless Shadow Soldiers, under his command. The Flame Emperor didn't intend to let Zhang Yun replace Kanan, who was about to be disposed of, as one of the Five Dragon Generals!
This was precisely the reason why Zhang Yun came to the volcanic region and decisively choice the option to join the Imperial Army. He would be able to find an opportunity to get close to the Flame Emperor!
At the same time…
Such an option gave Zhang Yun a chance to run into one of the Five Dragon Generals, Dark Knight Leon.
Zhang Yun ended up encountering Kanan who was on the verge of being eliminated.
He discovered the truth.
Simultaneously, Zhang Yun could conveniently make a former member of the Five Dragon Generals an ally of the Silver Wolf Bandits!
Really...his luck was too good!
Ha!
The next step of the plan was achieved!
Zhang Yun would help Kanan kill Dark Knight Leon. He could then use Kanan's identity as one of the Five Dragon Generals to uncover the background of the other three. At the same time, Zhang Yun would use his status to expose the conspiracy of the Prongia Empire!
There wouldn't be an opportunity to sneak again… The volcanic region would not be a match for the Ice Kingdom!
Zhang Yun could successfully survive the major events of the era!
Conquer a dungeon!