"Tell me the specifics. How were they captured? Do you know where they are now?"
Long Zungui bowed again. Wang Nan looked at him and no longer wanted to say anything more. One could only say that his name was not chosen incorrectly; Long Zungui could not abandon this system of hierarchy.
"Since going into hiding, our Long Family has been moving from place to place until Spirit Hall gradually faded from people's memories. We then settled in Heaven Dou City. After more than a hundred years, the Family now has over a hundred members."
Wang Nan nodded. It sounded like the Long Family's situation was slightly better than the Pan Family's. To have over a hundred members in Heaven Dou City indicated that the number of Spirit Masters in the Family was also considerable.
"A few months ago, Heaven Dou City was breached by the Sun Moon Empire—"
"Wait." Wang Nan suddenly interrupted him. "You said Heaven Dou City was breached when?"
"Just a few months ago, to be precise, about three months ago."
Wang Nan paused, listening to Long Zungui's words. If he remembered correctly, the original Heaven Dou City was quickly breached not long after the war began, due to the Sun Moon Empire's feint.
Even before Wang Nan entered the Dragon Tomb, the Tianhun Empire's defenses had already been breached by the Sun Moon Empire, and they were not far from Heaven Dou City. How could Heaven Dou City only be breached now?
"I was in seclusion for two years and don't know much about the outside world. How are the wars between the Sun Moon Empire and the Three Great Empires progressing?"
"Two years ago…" Long Zungui fell silent for a moment, as if recalling. "Two years ago, the Sun Moon Empire suddenly launched a war. The Tianhun Empire's defenses were breached not long after, and the Sun Moon Empire's army won battle after battle, quickly reaching the gates of Heaven Dou City."
"However, at that time, the Sun Moon Empire suddenly withdrew its troops. We later received news that Sea Soul Beasts had suddenly attacked several coastal cities of the Sun Moon Empire. Dongyang City was even breached at one point, with countless casualties."
"Therefore, the Sun Moon Empire had no choice but to stop its offensive and withdraw its army to deal with the Sea Soul Beast attacks. Later, after the Sun Moon Empire had quelled the Sea Soul Beast attacks within its borders, the Tianhun Empire had already re-established its defenses. It took a year of resistance before Heaven Dou City was finally breached by the Sun Moon Empire."
Wang Nan listened to Long Zungui's account of the war between the Sun Moon Empire and the Tianhun Empire, his brows constantly furrowing. The progress of this war was completely different from what he remembered.
"What about the Star Luo Empire?"
"This… we don't know much either. We only heard that there have been constant skirmishes in the Mingdou Mountain Range, but it hasn't been attacked by the Sun Moon Empire."
"Continue with the matter of those children." Wang Nan did not press further.
"Yes, yes." Long Zungui nodded repeatedly. "With the Sun Moon Empire at the city gates, my Long Family defended Heaven Dou City alongside the Heaven Dou City garrison. However, we were no match for the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Guidance Device cannon attacks. Even with the Body Sect's help, we were ultimately forced to retreat."
"However, after Heaven Dou City was breached, the Sun Moon Empire's army did not impose too many restrictions on the city's residents. Aside from forcing commoners to use Soul Guidance Devices, they didn't do much else. Therefore, we also found an opportunity to escape from Heaven Dou City."
"Just after we left the city, we encountered the Sun Moon Empire's army. To break through, our clansmen could only fight to the death. Who knew—"
"The Sun Moon Empire's army had Evil Soul Masters?" Wang Nan completed the latter half of the sentence.
"Precisely." Long Zungui lowered his head.
"Did you not know that there were Evil Soul Masters in the Sun Moon Empire's army before?"
"The Sun Moon Empire's army mostly attacked with Soul Guidance Devices. If you didn't engage in close combat, it was very difficult to determine if they were Evil Soul Masters."
The collusion between the Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult was no longer a secret among the Three Great Empires. It just seemed that the Three Great Empires had not made this news public. But thinking about it, it made sense. Most Spirit Masters, while hating Evil Soul Masters, also feared them.
Besides being utterly evil, Evil Soul Masters also possessed strength exceeding ordinary Spirit Masters. If the news of Evil Soul Masters were widely spread, it would likely not evoke collective hatred, but rather fear of them.
"Were they taken back to Heaven Dou City?"
"A few months ago, they were in Heaven Dou City. Now, I don't know. Evil Soul Masters are inherently stronger than ordinary Spirit Masters; we were no match. In desperation, we remembered the news from the Pan Family before, and that's how we inquired about you and came all this way."
Wang Nan sighed.
Now that Heaven Dou City was in the hands of the Sun Moon Empire, even entering the city was not easy, let alone finding and rescuing people from within.
Furthermore, after several months, it was probably already too late.
"Where are the rest of your people now?"
"They are currently in Star Luo City. Besides us, most of the people who escaped from Heaven Dou City fled to Shrek City."
"I understand the general situation. You two should go back first. I will make a trip to Heaven Dou City later. However, with so much time having passed, those children have likely met with misfortune, and probably cannot be saved."
If Wang Nan were the Holy Spirit Cult, he probably wouldn't keep those children who possessed abilities that countered them for too long. He would also investigate the children's families and eradicate them.
Long Zungui raised his hand and wiped his eyes. "We also had such suspicions, but it was so rare for the Family to have children who awakened Dragon Spirit. It really is, it really is—"
Long Zungui was already in tears. "It was you who passed on the method to awaken the Dragon Spirit to us. If you can help, my Long Family will pledge allegiance to you as our Old Ancestor."
"I have no such plans yet. Do not mention this matter again in the future. You two should go back for now."
"Yes, yes." Long Zungui nodded repeatedly again, then turned and left the courtyard.
Wang Nan gently closed his eyes. In his mental force perception, Long Zungui and the other man slowly departed, blending into the crowd.
"Nan'er, these two people—" Wang Xing watched the entire exchange from the side, but seeing Long Zungui and the other man leave, he couldn't help but frown. "These two don't seem to have come just to save people."
Wang Nan withdrew his mental force and nodded slightly.
Although Long Zungui's words were full of concern for the children, his behavior was too obviously performative. It was likely that those children were not as important to Long Zungui as he claimed.
Especially since he repeatedly suggested wanting to make him their Old Ancestor. Perhaps they were also afraid of being hunted down by Evil Soul Masters and wanted him to help save people as a secondary objective. More than that, they probably wanted to find a backer in him.
Scheming and opportunistic. Wang Nan did not want to comment too much on other people's ways of survival, but it was ultimately displeasing.
"Nan'er, are you still going to Heaven Dou City?"
"After all, I promised someone. I should still go."